Askeaton Friary

National monument No. 185. Askeaton Friary described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 76-83) as following: 'The first documentary mention of this friary occurs in 1400 when it is referred to as Inysgebryny, i.e. Inis Geightine (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 242). Its founder was probably Gerald, the 4th earl of Desmond. The friary survived the Dissolution and a provincial chapter was held here in 1564. During the Desmond Wars the friary was captured by Nicholas Malby and the friars were expelled. The exact date for this expulsion is unclear but it is variously given as 1579 and 1581 (ibid.).

The friary is situated on the east bank of the Deel and it consists of a single aisled fourteenth/fifteenth century church with a fourteenth/fifteenth century cloister to the south flanked by an east and west range. Later fifteenth century additions include a sacristy to the north of the chancel, and a transept with western aisle to the north of the nave. On the south side of the cloister a two-storied refectory was added, oriented N-S, and a later barrel vaulted chamber was added to the west and extends beyond the west range. According to the 'Pacata Hibernia' drawing (Westropp 1903, 240) a large tower was also on the site but no trace of this remains. The insertion of carved stone doorways with Renaissance style decoration suggest repairs or refurbishments in the sixteenth century. The masonry is limestone throughout (Leask 1955-60, iii, 101-2).

The church is a a long undifferentiated nave and chancel with side walls and gables intact. It is lit by a five light window in the east wall, three triple-light windows in the south wall of the chancel, one in the west wall and one at the west" end of the north wall, all "with switch line tracery. The east window in the south wall has cusps added to the tracery to give a flame-like effect and a later twin-light cusped window was inserted in the north wall of the nave. A pointed door opens from the chancel to the sacristy on the north which had two floors: the lower one was divided by a partition wall and was probably roofed with a barrel vault. The ground floor was lit by a twin-light window in the east wall and had a wall cupboard and fireplace in the north wall. There was a spiral stairs to the first floor at the west end. The first floor, which is only partly intact, was lit from the east and north by twin-light windows.

The transept is entered through two large pointed arches resting on a drum shaped column. It is very ruined but was lit from the east by three twin-light windows - only the south one survives intact - and from the west by three twin-light ogee-headed windows. Much of the east and north walls have fallen and there are large pieces of masonry on the ground to the north east. The transept and aisle are separated by two pointed arches and one rounded arch supported on rectangular piers.

The cloister is intact and consists of a pointed arcade of web shaped colonettes in groups of three (Leask 1955-60, iii, 137-8) and retains much of its plaster and wattle centering. The east range is two floored with a long barrel vaulted roof over the ground floor which is lit from the east by three splayed narrow loops with sloping sills. There is an inserted fireplace towards the north end of the wall; the north end of the chamber was cut off to form a small room which has a door opening externally to the east. The first floor, which is reached by spiral stairs on the south, extends over the ground floor chamber and the east ambulatory and was lit from the east by three single-light ogee headed windows and from the west by two single-light and one twin-light window. The south wall has a larger rectangular twin-light window with mullions and transoms and there is a small wall cupboard in the north wall. Covered passages open to the west range over the north and south ambulatories.

The west range is also two storeyed. The ground floor has two rooms; the larger one at the northern end has a pointed barrel vault and is lit from the west by three widely splaying windows; the north one is a single-light cusped pointed window, the middle one a rectangular twinlight and the southern one is a single-light rectangular window. The room probably had a loft as there are two corbels in the north wall and a rectangular window looks into the nave just below the barrell vault. The south end of the ground floor (known as the prison), is entered from the south and the floor is at a lower level. It has a small garderobe and a narrow loop to the west. The first floor is a long room also extending over the west ambulatory. It was lit from the west and east by four single light pointed windows. There is another similar window in the north wall with a squint through the eastern splay which provides a view to the altar of the church. Beside this window are traces of mural decoration in the plaster. The south wall has, apart from the stairs on the east side, a tall twin-light ogee-headed window with window seats and a single-light window with wall cupboards in both splays.

The refectory to the south is two storeyed; the ground level being c. 1.5m below the ground level of the cloister arcade. Much of the ground floor has been rebuilt but the west wall has a twin-light ogee headed window, a reader's recess flanked by rounded colonettes with moulded capitals and bases which extends to the west from the centre of the wall and a second twin-light window. The first floor was supported on corbels in the east, west and north walls and the room was lit by six or seven small rectangular windows in both east and west walls. There are three windows in the south wall; a large twin-light ogee-headed window flanked by two smaller single-light ogee-headed windows. Two doors open on the north to the south ambulatory.

The two floored structure to the west of the south range was added at a later date as it blocks some of the windows of the south range. The ground floor has a pointed barrell vault with traces of wickerwork centering and is lit from the south by a rectangular loop and a gunloop near the east end. There is also a fireplace in the south wall and three wall cupboards in the west wall. The floor above has a long deep pit for a 'necessarium' at the west end and was lit from the south by three windows; two of which have stepped heads. There was a loft above this floor supported on corbels in the north wall and lit by a single light rectangular window which overlooks the south range.

Architectural Fragments

Over fifty fragments of window mouldings, a roof boss, door mouldings etc. are collected in the chapter house.

Panel with St. Francis:

A depiction of St. Francis is carved in deep false relief on a respond on the north side of the cloister arcade. Dims: H. 60cm W. 36cm

Mural decoration

As noted above there is painted decoration on the north wall of the first floor of the west range. In addition there are some consecration crosses in the plaster on the west wall of the first floor of the south range and there is a sun-dial incised on the north wall of the cloister ambulatory.'