Site of Abbey

In wooded, landscaped, former demesne grounds on the E bank of the S-flowing River Barrow. According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 398), St. Emin (Evin) built a monastery at ‘Rosglas na Muimneach’. Regarding this monastery, the Countess of Drogheda records (1902-3, 235), '… the old Yew Tree Cemetery (KD021-001004-, in Clogheen townland, N of Monasterevin town) [was] where there was once a branch of St. Evin's Monastery, and here was kept for long afterwards St. Evin's bell as a swearing relic.’ While no visible surface trace of the early monastery survives, sometime between 1177 and 1181, Dermot O'Dempsey, King of Offaly, founded an abbey, probably on its site, which shortly afterwards became the Cistercian Abbey of Rosglas or ‘de Rosea Vallis’, dedicated to SS Mary and Benedict (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 142). No visible surface trace of that abbey survives either, but some of its foundations and/or fabric may be incorporated into the present Moore Abbey house (KD026-002----). A church is shown to the N of the house on a 1759 survey map of Monasterevin Demesne by Scale (NLI Ms. 21. F. 37 (131-71) Map 147), but no visible surface trace survives. A medieval font (KD026-001001-) in a modern chapel there may have come from the abbey. Burials (KD026-003----) uncovered in the mid and late-19th century just E of the house were probably associated with the former monastery. In 1996, archaeological monitoring of service trenches (Mullins, Clare. Excavation Licence no. 96E0024ext., Online www.excavations.ie Last accessed 10 July 2012) revealed further burials to the N of the house, an area of ironworking debris and stray medieval pottery fragments. Also found was a timber-lined pit (sluice/drain/dock?) of possible medieval date, located on the original bank of the River Barrow. (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 379) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 30 July 2012