The Black Abbey

In a graveyard (KD022-034001-) near the top of a short, gentle, E-facing pasture slope, Tully House located 170m to E. According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 338-9), the church 'de Tuly' was confirmed to the Knights Hospitallers by Pope Innocent III in 1212, probably on the site of Tulach-Fobhair, an early dependency of Fore. The Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem originated in a hospice founded in Jerusalem around 1070 to care for pilgrims and was dedicated to St John the Baptist. The order of St. John of Jerusalem is also known today as the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights of Malta. The Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in Ireland consisted of a central Priory founded at Kilmainham (DU018-020286-), Co. Dublin in 1174 with subordinate houses known as preceptories located through the country. Tully church is one of these preceptories and is sometimes referred to in historical documents as the manor of Tully. The preceptory is one of three in Co. Kildare mentioned in the register of Chapter Acts of the Hospital of Kilmainham for 1326-39: see also Killybegs (KD013-019001-) and Kilteel (KD020-007003-) (DHR 1985, 108-9). The foundation date of the preceptory is not known and was established some time between 1174 and 1212. A carved sandstone fragment with roll moulding of 12th century appearance may suggest that there was an earlier Romanesque church here prior to the foundation of the Preceptory. This fragment has a sheela-na-gig (KD022-037002-) carved onto one face and lies on the surface of the graveyard to the W of the church ruins. Alternatively the sandstone fragment may indicate a late 12th century date for the construction of the preceptory at Tully.

In 1297 there is a reference to the church and grange belonging to the preceptory of Tully, and to a Brother Robert who was the prior of Tully. The location of Tully grange has not been identified. Between these years a court case was held at Kildare which gave the following account;'Hugh de Kilbeg, and Rob. le Dryuere broke into the grange of the Master of Toly [Tully]; and Roger le Geyte, Henry le Graunger, Ric. le Rov, Walter de Kilbeg, and Ric. le Carter came upon them and slew them, and dragged Will, le Calewe, John le Couhird, and Clement de Kilbeg from their beds by night, and slew them and robbed their clothes, and without view of the Coroner buried them, and were received in the house of Toly by brother Bernard, Thomas C . ., and Thomas the chaplain, of Kilbeg, knowing well of the felony. And Roger de Galeweye, then seneschal of Toly, took Ric. le Rov and Walter de Kilbeg, and another, and imprisoned them, and the other escaped to the church, and Roger dragged him from the church, and brother Robert, master of Toly, sent him back to the church, and by command of Roger gallows were raised in prejudice of the liberty of Kildare, in the tenement of Toly, and Ricard and Walter were hanged' (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 174).

The following year a second account of this incident id described as following; ‘Brother Robert prior of Toly [Tully], charged that he robbed Walter Goldffinch of hay, to the value of half a mark; and from the wife of the Couhirde of Toly, half a crannoc of malt; also that when Hugh de Kilbeg and Rob. le Driuere broke the grange of the said preceptor of Toly, and Roger Wayte, Henry le Graunger, Ric. le Rou, Walter de Kilbeg, and Ric. le Carter, who are now dead, slew said Hugh and Roger-, and afterwards, said Roger le Wayte and the others, the same night, slew, within the court of said grange. Will de Calwe, John le Couhirde, and Clement de Kilbeg, and robbed them of their clothes, and afterward buried them without view of the Coroner, and after that were received in the house of Toly as men of peace, dwelling, eating, and drinking there. And afterward Roger de Galweye, seneschal of Toly, took two of said felons, Henry le Graunger and Ricard le Rou, and Henry fled to the church of Toly, and Roger took him from the church and imprisoned him; said brother Robert sent him back to the church, to save the church's right, and he then acknowledged the deed before the Coroner and abjured the land of the King; and Roger, the seneschal, caused gallows to be raised in the highway towards Offaly, and caused the other felons to be hung there. Brother Robert put himself on the country’ (Cal. justic. rolls, Ire. Edw. I, 203-04).

An inquisition into the lands of the dissolved preceptory at Tully was held at Kildare on the 25th of November, 1540. The possessions of the preceptory were described in this inquisition as consisting of 'a castle or fortilage (KD022-066----) necessary for the farmer, with orchard, garden, 60 acr. ar.[able] of the demesne lands and 2 acr. p.[asture]; 60s. ... In the v.[icarage], 3 mess.[uages], 100 acr. ar. ; Dermot Trury and others; 100s., and customs, 4 ploughdays, 4 cartdays, 2 hooks, and 1 hen, 10.s. 6.d. A cottage; 2s., and customs, 2 hooks and 1 hen, 6d. A watermill, 26s 8d.' (White 1943, 96; Fitzgerald 1903-5, 130-1). A corn mill (KD027-049----) located 450m to S may be the watermill or possibly the two stone water chute stones known as 'St Brigid's kneeling stones' (KD027-010002-) at Brallistown Commons located 345m to the SW may have been part of this watermill. In 1837 Ordnance Survey letters recorded that the tower of the abbey was 'of a square form, and called Castle in common, as yet remains in the ruins' (OSL RIA 14/D/4/13(iv)).

The following year King Henry VIII granted John Walyngton, late sub-prior of the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, and last preceptor of Tully, Co. Kildare, an annual pension valued at £16 13s. 4d. (Nicholls 1994, 28). In 1569 Queen Elizabeth I granted Sir William Sarcefeld [Sarsfield], 'the preceptory of Tully, county Kildare, the lands of Tully, Moreton, Frereton, Bralessan, Terwen, and Prompelan, same county, of the possessions of the priory of Kilmaynan, the rectories of Tulley, Downene, Rathbride, Calveston, and Founteston, impropriate to the said preceptory,the tithe-corn of Moreton by Kilca, Kilcale by Connall, Kilcorke, and Ballyenlen, same county. To hold for twenty-one years from 1596, at a rent of £22 13s. 4d. Maintaining an English horseman. Provisions as in 1245. Recites a lease by the prior and brethren of S. John of Jerusalem in Ireland, 1535, to David Sutton, of Rathforyd, gent., for sixty-one years' (Nicholls 1994, 180-1). The manor of Tully was granted to Henry Harrington which included the 'site of the manor or preceptory of Tullie, co. Kildare, the demesne lands, the lands of Tully, with a mill, Mooretown, and Frereton, with the customs of the tenants, land in Bralessen, Treven and Prompellan, co. Kildare ; the rectories of Tully, Downen, Rathbride, and Calveston, and the tithes of Ballyenlen, Frereton, Mooreton by Kilkae, Kilkale by Connall, and Kilkorke, belonging to the said preceptory, (rent £21 6s. 8d.); the lands of Rosberie, Scarleston, Moorton, and Richardeston, co. Kildare, and their tithes, and the tithes of Cornelescorte, same co., possessions of the priory of Connall, same co., (rent £7 11s. 4d.) To hold in tail male, by the service of a twentieth part of a knight's fee. Rent £27 8s., as above, and rendering yearly 10 bushels of wheat and barley malt, and 10 bushels of oat malt' (Nicholls 1994, 513). In 1615 King James I granted Philip Hore lands including the 'the preceptory or manor of Tully, containing the site thereof, 3 houses, a cottage, an orchard, a garden, 160a arable, 2a pasture, a mill, and the customs of the tenants—Moretowne, containing 2 houses, a cottage, the customs of the tenants, and 80a ; Frereton, containing 2 houses, a cottage, the like customs, and 60a; Bralissan, containing a house and 6a; Trenen otherwise Tribune end Prompelane, 20a; the rectories of Tully, Downy otherwise Downeny, Rathbride, and Calwestowne; the tithes and alterages of Frereton, parcel of Rathbride rect. the tithes of Mooretowne near K