Donegal Monastery

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Southeast view of Donegal Monastery overlooking Donegal Bay

The Donegal Monastery ( English Donegal Friary , Irish Mainistir Dhún na nGall ) was founded by Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill and his wife Nuala O'Brien in 1474 as the house of the Reformed Franciscans , after his mother Nuala O'Conor prepared the foundation shortly before her death had been. The monastery is located a little south of the center of Donegal near the harbor on the banks of Donegal Bay . A little further south is the Magherabeg monastery, which was previously founded by the same family for the Terziaren . The monastery buildings were also used after the Reformation until 1601, when the brothers had to flee from approaching troops. The monastery community continues to this day with its seat in Rossnowlagh a little further south; however, the original facility has since fallen into disrepair.

history

The first Reformed Franciscan house in Ireland was founded in Adare in 1464, with Kilkrea and Ross Errilly following in quick succession . For the provincial chapter meeting in Rosserrilly, the founder's mother, Nuala O'Conor, arrived and asked the brothers to come to Donegal. This was initially rejected because of the commitments that had already been made. However, she was so passionate about it that the newly elected Vicar of the Provincial and other delegates resigned from their offices to accompany them and enable the foundation. Numerous other brothers were added in the region, so that a short time later enough brothers were available to reform the house in Carrickfergus and to enable the establishment of a new one in Creevelea . The new monastery thus became one of the most important and influential houses of the Irish Franciscans in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Similar to the houses in Greenwich and Richmond in Kilcrea and later also in England , the new monastery was built near the manor house in Donegal. Construction of the monastery began in 1473 and was completed the following year. The provincial chapter met in Donegal as early as 1488. The founder died in 1505 and was buried in the monastery. His wife, Nuala O'Brien, then became a Terziarier . In 1536 a fire destroyed large parts of the monastery.

The Reformation, which, beginning in 1538, led to the forced dissolution of monasteries in Ireland, initiated a resistance movement in Ireland, the Geraldine League , named after the Geraldines , to which the O'Donnells in Donegal also belonged. This met in 1539 in the monastery. The leading Bishop of Derry , Rory O'Donnell, was buried in the monastery in 1550 in the habit of the Franciscans. In 1588 the monastery was invaded by the English, killing the Guardian Thady O'Boyle, but the other brothers managed to escape. The English turned the monastery into a garrison . It wasn't until 1592 that Red Hugh O'Donnell succeeded in regaining the monastery. The monastery was subsequently repaired and in 1600 there were 40 brothers in the monastery.

This did not last long, however, as the brothers had to flee from the approaching troops of Sir Henry Docwra , the governor of Derry, as early as 1601 . Both the monastery and the site were occupied, causing Red Hugh O'Donnell to turn away from other clashes of the Nine Years' War to free his ancestral home again. During the fighting, the monastery was once more destroyed by fire and before it could be recaptured, O'Donnell moved south when he heard of the Spaniards landing in Kinsale , where a decision was made shortly afterwards . His brother Rory helped the brothers rebuild the monastery, which, however , could not be completed after the counts escaped in 1607. The brothers found refuge in the region, probably in Rosfriar , where the annals of the four masters were compiled. Some time later the brothers looked after pilgrims on Saints Island in Lough Derg . Other stations that have survived were Barnesmore and Killybegs . In 1946 the convent was re-established in Rossnowlagh.

architecture

Eastern section of the monastery arcades

Since the building structure suffered considerably from the destruction in 1601, only a few of the remains are significant, such as the monastery arcades that have been preserved. The cloister garden with the surrounding arcades was north of the nave, with each side originally having twelve very narrow arcades. Octagonal shafts were used on the east side, while simpler, beveled piers were used on the north side.

Of the nave and the associated southern aisle, only the north wall was partially preserved. There are still some remains of the wall near the choir. It remains unclear whether a tower existed. Only the south wall of the south transept is still standing and only the foundations suggest that there was still a side chapel protruding east from the south transept.

literature

  • Harold G. Leask: Irish Churches and Monastic Buildings . Volume three. Dundalgan Press, Dundalk 1960, pp. 151-153 .
  • Aubrey Gwynn , R. Neville Hadcock: Medieval Religious Houses Ireland . Longman, London 1970, ISBN 0-582-11229-X , pp. 247 .
  • Colmán N. Ó Clabaigh: The Franciscans in Ireland, 1400–1534 . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2002, ISBN 1-85182-548-7 .
  • Edel Bhreathnach, Joseph MacMahon, John McCafferty (Eds.): The Irish Franciscans 1534–1990 . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2009, ISBN 978-1-84682-210-0 .

Web links

Commons : Donegal Friary  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. König von Tyrconnell 1461–1505, see TW Moody, FX Martin, FJ Byrne (ed.): Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II (=  A New History of Ireland . Volume IX ). Oxford University Press, Oxford 1989, ISBN 978-0-19-959306-4 , pp. 145 . Paul Walsh: O Donnell Genealogies . In: Analecta Hibernica . No. 8 , 1938, pp. 373-418 , 393 , JSTOR : 25510954 .
  2. Cf. Gwynn, who refers to the annals of the four masters . The antiquarian Sir James Ware mentions the number 1473. For the role of the two women, see: Malachy Sweeney: The Sands of Time: A History of Donegal Town and its Environs . The Tirhugh Press, Donegal 2006, ISBN 0-9553155-0-6 , pp. 46 .
  3. See Gwynn.
  4. See Ó Clabaigh, pp. 58–62.
  5. Cf. Ó Clabaigh, p. 61.
  6. See Gwynn.
  7. See Gwynn.
  8. See Gwynn.
  9. See Leask.

Coordinates: 54 ° 39 ′ 1.4 ″  N , 8 ° 6 ′ 55.6 ″  W.