Friary (in Ruins) — Nenagh North

Situated on flat ground in the SE sector of the town of Nenagh with a thirteenth-century castle (TN020-0370001) to the NW and a church site (TN020-037007) to the S. A Franciscan friary possibly founded around the year 1250 by Donogh O'Kennedy, bishop of Killaloe, who died in 1252 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 256-7). Nenagh friary was the chief house of the Irish friars and a principal house of one of the five subdivisions of the Franciscans in Ireland (Gleeson 1943a, 157). A provincial synod of the order was held in Nenagh on the feast of St Francis in 1344 (ibid., 160). The friary was destroyed and the monks driven out during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 257). The friary became observant in 1632 and was suppressed during the Cromwellian period (Gleeson 1915, vol. 1, 150). The surviving building consists of a simple undivided rectangular church (ext. dims. 10m N-S; 45.3m E-W; wall T 1.18m) built with roughly coursed limestone rubble with sandstone surrounds used for its architectural features. The OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 100-101) mention that attached to the S wall of the E end of the friary there was 'a small building called the Sacristy, of which portions of the west and south walls remain, as also a fragment of the east wall attached to the wall of the church. This little building measured thirty three feet nine inches [10.3m] from north to south and twelve feet four inches [3.75m] from east to west'. There are fifteen sandstone lancet windows off-centre to the E on the N wall, though a further lancet is probably blocked up as the OS Letters (ibid.) mention sixteen windows, with three tall lancet windows in the E gable of graduating height with a small ope in the apex of the gable. A sandstone doorway off-centre to the E on the S wall may have led into a sacristy. The original W doorway was remodelled around the fifteenth century by the insertion of a limestone arch and orders. The bellcote on the apex of the W gable appears to be contemporary with the doorway and a vine scroll decorated finial and carved head is inserted into it. Off-centre to the W on the S wall there is a single surviving capital of an engaged column which would have supported a groin-vaulted roof. The capital is decorated with dogtooth ornament typical of the thirteenth century. There is evidence of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century graveslabs in the form of floriated graveslabs in church interior along with nineteenth- and twentieth-century headstones. The OS Letters (ibid., 101) describe 'three fragments of a monumental stone, having raised on it the figure of a warrior in armour…composed of limestone' which was located near the NE inner corner. This tombstone is no longer visible. 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