Franciscan Abbey (in ruins) — Blackabbey

14th century Augustinian Friary described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 16-31) as following; 'This was founded by John FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st earl of Kildare, before 1316 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 295), and it was endowed with properties in the town. The monastery was suppressed in 1539-40 but there are indications that the friars managed to stay on until c. 1581 (ibid.). The friary is situated on low-lying ground on the south bank of the river Maigue just below Adare bridge and it is now used as the Church of Ireland parish church. The monastic complex was restored by the earl of Dunraven in the last century and consequently the buildings are very well preserved. The complex consists of a church of early fourteenth century date, with a later south aisle and crossing tower. To the north of the church are cloisters with surrounding buildings of which the north range is intact but much of the east and west ranges are missing. At the north-east is the gatehouse, and further north again are remains of the extended east range. The Church This consists of a nave and chancel with a later crossing tower and a south aisle which is probably a late medieval building. The east and west gables of the nave and choir are c. 10.5m high; the east and west gables of the aisle are c. 6.5m high. A low (c. 50cms) basal batter occurs on the north wall of the nave and chancel and on the south walls of the chancel and aisle while the east walls of the chancel and aisle have a partly battered, plinth topped by a filleted roll moulding. The east wall of the chancel and the south wall of the aisle have set-back buttresses, with a plinth, similar to the east wall, at each angle; the west wall of the nave has angle buttresses without a plinth. The walls are plastered internally. The east wall of the chancel has a large five light window with intersecting tracery and a pointed rear arch with hollow chamfered limestone jambs. Externally the reveals have two engaged filleted shafts with rounded moulded capitals and there is a pointed hood mould. The window is badly cut and slightly skewed off the vertical: The south wall has four windows, each with intersecting tracery and pointed rear arches with hollow chamfered limestone jambs. That to the east end is a two-light, the others are three light windows although the west light of the western window is blocked by the crossing tower. Below these, at ground floor level, are a piscina and a three-bay sedilia between the piers of the crossing tower. 'The mouldings of the piscina and sedilia at the east end are identical, both have pointed trefoild headed arches with three-roll mouldings of which the central one is filleted, rising from round shafts with round, moulded capitals and bases. The sedilia also has a hood mould of two rolls, the outer one is filleted, which the piscina does not have. The other sedilia, between the tower piers, has pointed arches with chamfered jambs of two orders rising from polygonal shafts with polygonal bases and moulded capitals. The north wall has two conjoined wall tombs at the east end. Both have large three centred recesses with double hollow chamfered jambs of limestone and pyramidal basal stops above which is an ogee-headed canopy with foliate finial, flanked by buttress-shafts with crocketed finials. An identical tomb occurs in the north wall of the nave, just west of the tower while another tomb in the south wall of the south aisle, at the east end, is of similar style although its recess is round arched and the finial of its canopy is of more elaborate foliate character. The top of the buttress shafts are plain (possibly unfinished). All tombs have plain limestone slabs and none is inscribed or decorated. West of these conjoined tombs is a round headed doorway with chamfered limestone jambs in two orders and a pointed rear arch with chamfered jambs, which communicated originally with the east range, but now with the modern vestry. The door itself is supposed to have been removed from the parish church of St. Nicholas. Above the door is a blocked rectangular window with chamfered limestone jambs, apparently part of a squint and further west is another taller blocked rectangular window with chamfered limestone jambs which apparently: 'opened into a cavity in the thickness of the wall which would appear to have communicated with a door between the cloisters and sacristy. The cloister wall appears to have been breached at this point and repaired'. Within the piers of the tower is a pointed door with chamfered limestone jambs of two orders and segmental rear arch with chamfered limestone jambs leading from the cloister to the church. The south wall of the NAVE consists of an arcade of three [originally four--the two east arches and intervening pier were removed and the space is now spanned by a single large arch] tall (c. 5.5m) pointed arches communicating with the south aisle. The eastern respond of the east arch has chamfered limestone corners which are not on the other piers. The upper 2.5m of the west gable appears to be rebuilt and there are angle buttresses c. 5m high at each end externally. The west door is pointed, c. 2.5m high with chamfered limestone jambs of two orders with pyramidal stops (clearly contemporary with doors in cloister) and segmental rear arches with hollow chamfered limestone jambs. Above the door externally is a row of three corbels at a height of c. 4m, and a string course at a height of 4.5m. Above this is a triple light window with intersecting tracery and pointed rear arch with hollow chamfered limestone jambs with pyramidal/conical basal stops and sloping sill. The north wall is featureless apart from the wall tomb at the east end and above this, immediately west of the tower, is a twin-light pointed trefoil headed window with chamfered limestone jambs and segmental rear arch (partly blocked by the tower) with hollow chamfered limestone jambs and pyramidal stops. The east gable of the SOUTH AISLE is c. 10m high with a plinth at the base and a decorative cornice at 5.75m above ground and a set-back buttress at the SE angle externally. The lower 1.7m of masonry above ground is ashlar with rubble above. The east window is a large four-light window with intersecting tracery (the mullions have pyramidal stops), a pointed hood moulding with foliate stops and a pointed rear arch which has a limestone soffit arch of polygonal section, each face with hollow chamfering, springing from polygonal moulded capitals held by angels. The south wall is 6.5m with basal batter c. 50cms high, a decorative cornice at 5.75m above ground, and set-back buttresses at each end. There are two triple-light windows with intersecting tracery (the mullions having pyramidal stops) and pointed rear arches with soffit arches of chamfered limestone. Near the west end is a large modern pointed door with modern porch outside. The west wall has twin-light window with flamboyant tracery in chamfered limestone (the mullions having pyramidal stops) and a large splayed embrasure with pointed rear arch in dressed limestone slabs with soffit arch of chamfered limestone. The crossing TOWER is roughly square with six floors, a wall-walk and stepped battlements, c. 9.5m in overall height. The masonry is coursed limestone rubble with dressed limestone quoins. The tower was clearly inserted between nave and chancel and rises on four rectangular piers linked by tall (c. 5.5m) pointed arches with chamfered limestone quoins; over the crossing is a quadripartite vault with chamfered limestone ribs. The first floor was reached from the south ambulatory of the cloister at 1st floor level; a flat lintelled door in the north wall of the church, and a short curved stairs, leads to a flat-lintelled door with segmental relieving arch in the north wall of the tower. The first floor chamber is almost square, 3.3m N/S and 3.2m E/W internally, which leaves a space c. 2m wide between the walls of t