Mothel Abbey facts for kids
| Mainistir Mhaothla | |
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 Location in Ireland
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Maothail; Motalia; Mothil; Maothail Braocáin |
| Order | Augustinians Cistercians |
| Established | 6th century AD |
| Disestablished | 1540 |
| Diocese | Waterford and Lismore |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Broccán Clóen |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Inactive |
| Site | |
| Location | Mothel, County Waterford |
| Coordinates | 52°17′54″N 7°25′07″W / 52.298456°N 7.418558°W |
| Public access | Yes |
| Official name | Mothel Abbey |
| Reference no. | 132 |
Mothel Abbey is an old Augustinian monastery and a National Monument in County Waterford, Ireland. A monastery is a place where monks or nuns live and worship. This one has a long history, going back to the 6th century!
Contents
Where is Mothel Abbey?
Mothel Abbey is found in a small village called Mothel. This village is in County Waterford, Ireland. It's about 5.4 kilometers (or 3.3 miles) south of a town called Carrick-on-Suir.
The History of Mothel Abbey
Mothel was an important religious site very early on. It was first started in the 6th century. It might have been founded by a person named Broccán Clóen, also known as Brogan. Another story says it was started by St. Brogan Scribe. After Brogan, a person named Cúan took over.
Augustinians Take Over
Later, after the year 1140, a group called the Augustinian Canons Regular took over the monastery. They were a type of religious order. These Augustinians became very powerful in the central part of County Waterford. The buildings you can see today mostly date back to the 13th century. There is also a special tomb from around the year 1500.
The Abbey Closes Down
The last leader of the abbey was Edmund Power. He gave up the monastery on April 7, 1540. This happened during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when many monasteries in England and Ireland were closed down by the government.
For a short time in the 1600s, a Cistercian abbot named Thomas Madan tried to take control of Mothel. He thought it was a Cistercian monastery by mistake. This caused some arguments with the local bishop, Patrick Comerford. Eventually, Madan realized his mistake before he passed away in 1645.
Leaders of the Abbey
Here are some of the known leaders, or abbots, of Mothel Abbey:
- Thady O'Morrissey (until 1463)
- Donald O'Byrne (in 1463)
- Edmund Power (until 1540)
What's Left of the Abbey?
Today, you can still see parts of the old church. These include a piece of the south wall of the main church building. There's also a part of a gable, which is the triangular upper part of a wall. You can also see what might have been the south transept, which is a part of a church that crosses the main body.
In the south wall that still stands, there are two windows. One of them is quite damaged. The other window has two simple Gothic openings. These openings are separated by a stone pillar called a mullion. The arches above the windows are made from two stones each. Inside the building, the stone used for the window frames is sandstone.
