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Secure references date only from the late 16th century, although it is listed as Belathnaony in the Register of Clonmacnoise (O’Donovan 1856-7, 456). It is described as Carmelite or Fransciscan, but it was probably a Carmelite dependency of Slew or Slewseancough (Eglish), Co. Galway (GA061-080001-), although the identity of this house might be ascribed to a church site at Monasternalea (GA033-050001-) (Beggan 2016). A large territory between Oonagh, Dundonnell, Tullaghan (Turloughmore) and Knock is indicated as church land on the Strafford map of c. 1636 (Simington 1949, Athlone). As the property of a suppressed monastery it was leased to Edmund O'Fallon in 1567 and the lease required him to construct a masonry corn mill. An inquisition of 1603 describes the precinct as a church and other buildings with a cemetery, an orchard and 15 acres (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 287). William Mc Edmond had 68 acres at Bellaneany, a subset of Oonagh, in 1641, but Sir Thomas Newcommen is the recorded owner of the O’Fallon acres in the 1660s (Simington 1949, 105).
Situated on a gentle S-facing slope. The remains consist of the foundations of a church (int. dims 15.9m E-W; 6m N-S) which had a wall (Wth 2.85m; max. surviving H 2.5m) containing a passage and the base of a spiral stairs, inserted 4.2m from its W end. A pointed doorway (Wth 1.35m), now destroyed, led through the inserted wall. Attached to the church at N and E are grass-covered paddocks (RO051-025002-) (dims c. 20m x c. 20m) defined by earthen banks (Wth 2-4m; H 0.5m) with at least two rectangular house sites (RO051-026006-; RO051-025011-) (dims 8m x 5m) associated and a roadway (RO051-025007-) (Wth 5-9m; L c. 80m) bordered by earthen banks leading N from the complex. The road once extended further N (L c. 100m) (CUCAP: BDK 46-7). Architectural fragments were moved to Dundonnell (RO051-045----) c. 600m to the SW, and a stoup (RO051-025004-) at the Roman Catholic church of Bellaneeny c. 450m to the E may be from this location.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 24 August 2010
Amended: 7 October, 2019
This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed.
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