Partially indicated — Ardnacrany North

Carmelite friary founded c. 1291 by Robert Dillon, Lord of Drumrany (Gwynn & Hadcock 1970, 286). In 1540 the friary consisted of 'a small church with two small houses adjacent and a carucate of land which had come into the king's hands through the dissolution by the prior and convent of the late house of Carmelites' (ibid., 286-7). This site consists today of a rectangular-shaped post-medieval graveyard (WM016-019001-) containing the remains of a seventeenth century graveslab (WM016-019002-) and wall monument (WM016-019004-) along with memorials of post-medieval date and the remains of a church which formed part of the Carmelite friary (WM016-019----). Outside this graveyard are the remains of a subcircular earthen rampart which either represents the remains of an earlier ecclesiastical enclosure (WM016-019003-) of possible Early Christian date (Swan 1988, 19) or the levelled remains of the boundary of the monastic prencinct wall of the Carmelite friary. Inside the E quadrant of enclosure are the remains of low earthworks which probably represent the remains of the levelled Carmelite friary. Earthworks inside the enclosure to the w of the graveyard may represent the remains of an entrance gate or gatehouse into the monastery. A large mound to the NNE represents the remains of a levelled lime-kiln depicted in the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map and on the revised 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map. L-shaped earthwork enclosing poorly drained wet area in the E corner of the enclosure may represent the remains of a fish-pond or mill-pond associated with the Carmelite friary. The numerous undulating earthworks inside the enclosure may represent remains of some of the dwellings described inside the friary in the 16th century. In 1983 the site was recorded as consisting of, 'a rectangular graveyard (WM016-019001-) enclosed by a stone wall, situated near the centre of a possible circular enclosure (WM016-019003-). The enclosing element of the circular enclosure is a bank of earth & stone. this is best preserved in an arc from SE-S-SW, where it is c. 1m high. The S part of the arc forms a section of the modern E-W field fence. The arc of the circuit continues as a low bank from SW-W where it fades out. This bank is c. 0.5m high. On the E side the enclosing bank continues to curve SE-E-NE. It merges with another field fence at NE. On E side the bank is covered by bushes & trees . Outside it to E is a small, very marshy field. On N side the enclosing bank is part of an E-W field fence. The bank is not present on NW side, where the ground is rough with reeds and rushes and obviously wet in winter time. The interior of the enclosure is higher than the surrounding fields & is dry. The enclosure measures 125m N-S x 87m E-W. The rectangular graveyard measures 28m E-W x 21m N-S. From the SE corner a bank, with some wall foundations extends 27m E. Here there are traces of a further bank running N-S. In this area to N of the graveyard, within the possible circular enclosure there are a number of humps and hollows. Prominent among these are two parallel banks, suggesting a sunken trackway running NE-SW. To the W of these banks there is a circular mound of stone & earth. This mound is c. 1m high on S side, on NW side there are traces of wall foundations extending out from this mound' (SMR File 30/06/1983). Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revision: 15 October 2014