Rosserk Friary facts for kids
Rosserk Friary is an old religious building called a friary, found in County Mayo, Ireland. It's a special place, protected as a National Monument. A friary is like a monastery, but for friars who often travel and preach. Rosserk Friary was built by a group of Franciscans, a type of Christian religious order, along the River Moy.
What is Rosserk Friary?
Rosserk Friary is one of the best-kept and most beautiful Franciscan friaries in Ireland. It was started around the year 1440 by the Joye family. They built it for the Franciscan Third Order Regular, which was a group of friars who lived by special rules.
Rosserk Friary is very close to another old building called Moyne Abbey. Both are located north of Ballina, near Killala Bay. Sadly, both friaries were said to have been burned in 1590. This happened during a time when some people wanted to change the way religion was practiced. Sir Richard Bingham, who was a governor for Queen Elizabeth I of England, was believed to be responsible.
Exploring the Friary Buildings
The entrance to the church at Rosserk Friary is made of stone and still shows amazing carvings. The church itself was built in a style called late Irish Gothic. It has one main area, called a nave, and two smaller chapels on the south side. There's also a bell-tower above the main arch leading to the chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar would have been.
In the south-east part of the chancel, you can see a double piscina. This was a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels during church services. One of its pillars has a carving of a Round Tower, along with two angels and symbols related to the story of Jesus.
The other buildings where the friars lived are also very well-preserved. They have three rooms with arched ceilings on each side. Upstairs, there were rooms for sleeping (dormitory), eating (refectory), and cooking (kitchen). You can still see two fireplaces there, built back-to-back.
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