Friary — Cloon AND Commons

Pre-Norman church ruins annotated 'Friary' stands on the grounds of 'Cloon Island Ho.' (NIAH Reg. No. 21807009) located 20m to the SW. Two early Christian cross-slabs (LI001-004002-/003-) are incorporated into the W gable of this church. Building annotated 'Friary' on 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map, and stands on top of 'Cloon Island', overlooking the River Shannon from SW-W-N with the village of Castleconnell to SE. The presence of two early Christian cross-slabs, the church of uncertain provenance along with the Cloon Island place-name may suggest that this was the site of an early Christian monastery rather than a Franciscan foundation. Alternatively 'Cloon Island' may have been the site of an Early Christian monastery which in the 13th century became a Franciscan foundation. The Anglo-Norman castle (LI001-003----) of Castleconnell stands 300m to S and the medieval parish church (LI001-002001-) lies 830m to S. Friary building described by Westropp (1904-5, 436) as a 'so-called "friary,"of unknown identity, on an islet in the Shannon'. No church is depicted on the Down Survey map of Stradbally parish and not mentioned in the terrier of the map where it is described as 'an Island in ye Shannon' (NLI, MS 718). According to Ferrar's History of Limerick, the friary on Cloon Island was 'founded in 1291 by a Bourke or de Burgo, baron of Castle Connell' (Ferrar 1787, 193). In 1837 the site was described as following; 'on the island opposite Tontine, which was formerly called Inis-cluan; it consists of the remains of a friary, founded in 1291 by Reginald de Burgh, for Franciscans, and has lately been converted into out-houses to a handsome newly erected cottage [Island Ho.]' (Lewis 1837, Vol. 1, 293). In 1840 this building was described in Ordnance Survey Letters for Stradbally parish as following; 'It is said that this island [Cloon Island] was artificially made. A Franciscan Friary was founded on it in 1291, and its remains have been converted into a coach house and offices to a newly erected house [Island Ho.], 2 story high, 50 ft. [16m] long and 45 ft. [15m] broad. It is said that persons were buried on the island in former times; but there is now no trace of a burial ground' (OSL Stradbally Parish). Church building described by Macalister (1949, 98) as 'a small, plain ruined church on this island'. The church and its island setting was recently described by Okasha and Forsyth (2001, 187-8) as following; 'Cloon island is a former island in the channels of the river Shannon, 7km downstream of Killaloe. The site now covers approximately nine acres but the water is considerably lower than previously, due to a hydro-electric scheme extraction. The ruined church may date from the twelfth century. In addition to the inscribed stone [LI001-004002-], evidence of an early medieval foundation is provided by an uninscribed cross-slab [LI001-004003-] incised with a Latin cross with expanded terminals, enclosed in a rectangular frame. Between the church and the house [Cloon House] there is a cross-base [LI001-004005-], with a T-shaped slot, of unknown date.' See attached aerial photograph (ASIAP) of Cloon Island and house, taken 23/08/2000. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 1 May 2020