Sligo Abbey facts for kids
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Dominican Order |
| Established | 1253 |
| Disestablished | 1760 |
| Diocese | Elphin |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Maurice Fitzgerald, Baron of Offaly |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Site | |
| Location | Sligo, County Sligo |
| Public access | Yes |
| Official name | Sligo Abbey |
| Reference no. | 189 |
Sligo Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Shligigh) is an old Dominican friary in Sligo, Ireland. It was started way back in 1253. Even though it's called an "abbey," it was actually a friary, which is a type of monastery for Dominican friars.
The buildings were first built in a style called Romanesque. Over the years, some parts were changed or added. Today, you can still see many parts of the ruins, especially the church and the cloister. It's a cool historical site managed by the Office of Public Works. You can visit it during certain times of the year, usually from spring to autumn.
Contents
What is Sligo Abbey?
Even though everyone calls it "Sligo Abbey," it's more correctly known as a "friary" or "priory." This is because Dominican religious communities are led by a prior, not an abbot. The friars who lived here were dedicated to the Holy Cross.
The ruins are found on Abbey Street in Sligo. But when the friary was first built and used, it was actually outside the main town. People would say it was "near Sligo."
The History of Sligo Abbey
Sligo Abbey was founded in 1253 by a powerful man named Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly. He was a very important official in Ireland at the time. Some stories say he built the friary to have monks pray for someone he was rumored to have killed. However, Dominicans are known more for preaching than for just praying.
Maurice FitzGerald built a large abbey in the Norman style. It had all the important parts a monastery needed, and he gave it land.
Fire and Rebuilding
In 1414, a fire accidentally damaged the buildings. The friary didn't have enough money to fix everything. So, they asked the Pope for help. At this time, there were actually three different Popes! The friars wrote to the Pope that England supported, who was at a big meeting called the Council of Constance.
This Pope sent a special letter. It said that anyone who visited the church on certain feast days and gave money to help rebuild it would get special blessings. Because of this help, the friary was rebuilt in 1416. It was led by Prior Brian, a local prince. At that time, about 20 friars lived there.
Challenges and Changes
Around the 1530s, many monasteries in Ireland were being closed down. This was called the Dissolution of the Irish monasteries. But in 1568, a local leader named Donogh O'Connor Sligo got a special letter from Queen Elizabeth I. This letter allowed Sligo Abbey to stay open, as long as the friars became regular priests instead of monks.
The abbey was damaged again in 1595 during a conflict called Tyrone's Rebellion. An army leader named Richard Bingham used the abbey as a base. He even took wood from the building to build a siege tower to attack a nearby castle. After this war, the abbey and its lands were given to Sir William Taaffe. He allowed the friars to stay.
By 1608, only one friar was left, Father O'Duane. But soon, Father Daniel O'Crean came from Spain and started a new community. He did so well that in 1627, a big meeting of the Dominican Order was held in Sligo.
In 1642, during the Irish Confederate Wars, the friary was attacked and burned by Sir Frederick Hamilton. Some of the friars were killed.
Leaving and Returning
In 1697, a law called the Banishment Act was passed. It said that all monks and bishops had to leave Ireland by May 1698. So, the Dominicans of Sligo left for Spain. The abbey was empty for a while.
In the 1700s, some friars slowly came back to Sligo. But by 1760, the old abbey buildings were in very bad shape. They had to find new places to live and worship. Over the next century, they built new chapels and friaries in Sligo town. In 1846, they built the beautiful Holy Cross Church.
The abbey grounds were also used as a cemetery. People even took stones from the ruins to use for other buildings. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the abbey ruins were given to the Board of Works. They started to clean up the site, removing ivy and trees that were growing on the old walls. This helped protect the ruins for future generations.
What Does Sligo Abbey Look Like?
The ruins of Sligo Abbey include the walls of the church, its tower, and parts of the cloister. You can also see bits of the sacristy, chapter room, refectory (dining hall), and dormitories (sleeping areas). Most of these buildings were built in the 1200s, in a style similar to Norman or late Romanesque. Later, in the 1400s and 1500s, some parts were added or changed in a Gothic style.
The Church
The church never had a stone roof, so it's open to the sky now. Its walls are very thick, about 3 feet 7 inches (1.1 meters) wide. Inside the church, a special stone screen from the 1400s divides the choir (where the monks sang) from the nave (where people sat). This screen has been partly rebuilt during recent restoration work.
The tower is another part added in the 1400s. It's square and has thick walls. It sits above the church, supported by two tall, pointed arches. Inside, the bottom of the tower has a cool fan-shaped vaulted ceiling. This tower is unique because it seems to "hang" over the church.
At the east end of the church, there's a large, beautiful late-Gothic window. It has four sections and fancy stone patterns at the top. In front of this window is the main altar, which also dates from the late Gothic period. It has nine decorated panels.
The nave, the main part of the church, once had an aisle and a side chapel. These were added later. You can still see the arches that once connected them.
The Cloister
The cloister is a peaceful courtyard with covered walkways. It's located on the north side of the church. Only three sides of the cloister still stand today. The walkways have curved stone ceilings. The arches are supported by slender pillars, which look a bit like double columns. Even though it looks older, this cloister was likely built in the 1400s.
The sacristy (where church items were kept) and chapter room (where meetings were held) are on the ground floor of the east side. The refectory, or dining hall, was on the first floor of the north side. You can still see a ruined window that would have let light onto the reader's desk, where a friar would read aloud during meals.
Important Monuments at Sligo Abbey
The church has two interesting funeral monuments.
The O'Craian Tomb
The "O'Craian altar tomb" is the oldest monument still here. It's from 1506 and belongs to Cormac O'Craian and his wife Johanna. It's in a special space in the northern wall of the church. It has a stone table, like an altar, and a beautiful arched stone canopy above it. This tomb is in a late Gothic style.
The O'Connor Mural
The O'Connor mural is on the wall of the choir, near the altar. It shows stone carvings of Sir Donogh O'Connor Sligo and his wife kneeling in prayer. This is the same Sir Donogh who got the letter from Queen Elizabeth that saved the abbey from being closed. He died in 1609. His wife, Eleanor Butler, had this monument made in 1624. It's in a late Renaissance style.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Sligo)
Images for kids
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Inside the cloister-walk
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The late Gothic east window
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Refectory window above the cloister
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The O'Craian monument
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The O'Connor Mural
