Terryglass — Carrownaglogh,crossanagh,slevoir,cornamult,terryglass

Situated on a low rise of ground in undulating countryside near the S shore of Lough Derg. Terryglass developed as a monastic site in the sixth century under its founder Saint Colum mac Cremthainn (Ann. Inisf, 552). In the ninth century the monastery was subjected to attacks by the Vikings (Ann. Clon., 139). Again in the twelfth century there are annalistic references to the monastery being attacked by unknown assailants (Ann. Tig., 195). The monastery achieved a certain political prominence in 1140 when a peace treaty was arranged between O'Brien and O'Conner at Terryglass (Ann. Clon., 198). All that survives of the monastery today are portions of the monastic enclosure (TN006-003002-). A holy well (TN006-003005-) located north of Terryglass village is probably associated with the monastery. According to the Calendar Documents of Ireland in the year 1219 John Marshall (possibly brother of William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke) had not fortified Terryglass. By 1290 William Marshall was Lord of Terryglass and he may have been responsible for building the castle (TN006-025----) on the nearby shore of Lough Derg. In the fourteenth century (1333) there are references to burgages and burgage rent in Terryglass which implies that the settlement had received a town charter (Bradley 1985, 59). In 1302-7 the church of Terryglass contributed three marks in the taxation of the diocese (Cal. doc. Ire., 302), however, by the seventeenth century the medieval church (TN006-003003-) may have fallen into disrepair as only the churchyard is mentioned in the Civil Survey of 1654-6. In the Calendar of Inquisition Post Mortem for the year 1335 William de Burgo's lands are listed as 'consisting of the castle and monor held of the see of Killalow and from the mill of the town of Tyrdegals' (Cal. inq. post mortem, 373). In the late sixteenth-/early seventeenth-century a bawn (TN006-003004-) fortification was built adjacent to the churchyard, possibly to secure the pass of the Shannon from attacks from Connacht. A substantial linear earthwork (TN006-003006-) lies immediately north of Terryglass - it is unclear whether it was associated with the monastery or with later military defences. 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