Lorrha — Lorrha

Situated on a slight rise of ground in undulating countryside. St Ruadhán founded a monastery at Lorrha (Lothra) in the sixth century (TN004-010----). St. Ruadhán died in 584 and was referred to as the 'lamp of Lothra', his feastday was held on the 15th of April when the 'cuckoo began to call' (Ó Riain 2011, 541-2). He was the son of Fearghas Bearn of the Uí Dhuach clan from Fassadinin and Crannagh baronies, Co. Kilkenny (ibid.).There is documentary evidence that the monastery was attacked in the ninth and eleventh centuries (Ann. Clon., 139; Ann. Inisf., AD 1015). In 1208 there is a reference to the castle at Lorrha, presumably referring to the motte (TN004-010012-), being destroyed by Muirchertach Ua Briain (Cunningham 1987, 42). By c. 1221 the castle had been rebuilt and was taken by the justiciar from the Bishop of Killaloe in the course of a dispute (Talbot 1972, 9). In 1243 the manor of Lorrha was in de Burgo hands but held by the Bishop of Killaloe (Cunningham 1987, 42). Walter de Burgo, the Earl of Ulster, founded a Dominican firary (TN004-010001-) here in 1269 (Gleeson 1951-2, 102). In 1335 the 'mill of the town of Lother' is listed as the property of William de Burgo (Cal. inq. post mortem, 373). In the Elizabethan Fiants under the year 1552 there was a lease granted to John O'Hogan, clerk, late prior of Lorrowe in Ormond, of the 'site of the priory of canons of S. Augustin of lorrowe in Ormond, the demesne lands of the said priory and land beyone the stream of the moat of the demesne lands in Lorrowe, land in Grainge called Chanon's rathe; the site of the monastery of friars of S. Dominicks order in Lorrowe and land called Freres Rathe, with its tithes in the said town' (Nicholls 1994, vol. 1, 195). Within the ecclesiastical enclosure (TN004-010011-) to the E of the Church of Ireland church are the wall-footings of at least two rectangular houses orientated on a N-S axis. Monastery/Monastic Town Situated on a slight rise of ground in undulating countryside. The older surviving elements of the site consist of a pre-Romanesque church (TN004-010008-), an enclosure (TN004-010011-) and two high crosses (TN004-010009-/010-). A thirteenth-century Dominican friary (TN004-010001-) and mill (TN004-010005-), a fifteenth-century Augustinian priory (TN004-010006-) and a motte and bailey (TN004-010012-) are also placed within the ecclesiastical enclosure (TN004-010011-). The monastery was founded by St Ruadhán who died in AD 584. The Stowe Missal was probably written here in the ninth century (Gleeson and Gwynn 1962, 49). There is some evidence of two enclosing elements associated with monastery. The inner enclosure possibly follows the road which curves around the church and high cross while the outer enclosure can be traced in the curving field boundaries to the NW of the parish church. In 1301-3 the Villate of Lotragh owed 40s for murage money received and not applied to the work (PRI rep. DK 38, 92). In 2002 archaeological excavations carried out by Stephen J. Linnane on a housing development site to the north-west of St Ruadhan's Abbey and partially impinging on the outer ditch of the ecclesiastical enclosure. The original ditch of the enclosure was excavated by hand measuring c. 7m wide with finds within the fill of the ditch suggesting it was backfilled in the eighteenth century. This excavation was carried out under Licence No. 01E1055 (Linnane 2004, 479). Outside the enclosure to the north excavation revealed, three cereal-drying kilns and a ditch that appeared to be of medieval date. A radiocarbon date range of AD 545-660, which would make it contemporary with the Early Christian monastery (Linnane 2004, 479). Analysis of the grains from the kilns showed a mixture of oat, barley and to a lesser extent, wheat, with frequent weed seeds (Linnane 2004, 479). To the west of the site a circular feature or pit (diam. c. 2m; D c. 1m) that has been interpreted as a well was uncovered, this well had gone out of use by AD 1255-1453 (Linnane 2004, 479). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008