Kilconnell Friary

In undulating grassland to the N of Kilconnell village. A restored Nat. Mon., this Franciscan friary appears to have been founded in 1353 by William O'Kelly, probably on or close to the site of St Conall's early monastery (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 251, 389; Harbison 1975, 94). According to Killanin and Duignan (1967, 316), it was 'reconstructed' in 1414 and it adopted the Observantine reform in 1464. An inquisition taken on the 20th of February in the 14th year of the reign of James 1 (1617), found that ‘that the site of this abbey contained three acres, on which were built the friary containing a chapel called Towhell Donnellane's chapel, a chamber called the Council house, a library, hall, store house, four chambers with chimnies, and twenty eight small chambers called dormitories, and sundry houses and buildings necessary for the farm; also four gardens, three orchards and a cemetery and sixty ash trees, a mill and a water course, and four acres of arable land adjacent to the house’ (OS Letters, 603). The friars remained in residence until 1698 when they were forced to distribute or sell their goods to local families (Conlan 2007, 14). They then went into hiding locally and set up residence in a bog c. 750m to the N at a place that became known as 'Moin na mbrathar' (OS Letters, 602) (see GA076-136----).

The well-preserved remains of the friary comprise a 15th-century nave and chancel church (NW-SE; L 37.5m, Wth 6.3m), along with part of the cloister and domestic ranges to the N. The S aisle and S transept, which open off the nave and chancel respectively, are probably late 15th-century additions as is the centrally placed three-storey tower. The small O'Donellan chapel which opens off the E wall of the transept is a still later addition, as is the so-called 'sacristy' on the S side of the chancel at its E end (Mooney 1956, 167). The church is entered by a fine W doorway and is lit by a number of 15th and 16th-century traceried windows (Leask 1960b, 99). There are also several elaborately carved canopied tomb-niches in the church (ibid., 167-8; Bigger 1901, 157ff.) as well as two piscinas (Bigger ibid., 148-9). Only the E and S sides of the cloister survive along with ruinous remains of the E range. The latter comprised a two-storey building with a separate 'Guardian's House' at the SE end and a 'granary' at the NE end. A field system (GA086-001004-) surrounds the monument and three probable holy wells (GA086-001001-, GA086-001002-, GA086-001003-) lie nearby. A horizontal mill (GA086-105----) may also have been associated.