Kilmallock Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Chill Mocheallóg) or St. Saviour's Priory is a 13th-century Dominican friary in the town of Kilmallock on the banks of the River Loobagh.
Mainistir Chill Mocheallóg | |
 | |
  Location within Ireland | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Other names | St. Saviour's Priory, Flacispaghe |
| Order | Dominican |
| Established | 1291 |
| Disestablished | 1790s |
| Dedicated to | Jesus as Saviour |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Gilbert Fitzgerald |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Irish National Monument |
| Style | Late Gothic |
| Site | |
| Location | Abbeyfarm, Kilmallock, County Limerick |
| Coordinates | 52°24′09″N 8°34′30″W / 52.402439°N 8.574891°W |
| Public access | yes |
| Official name | Kilmallock Abbey |
| Reference no. | 212[1] |
History
editThe Abbey was established in 1291 when the Dominicans were invited to build a monastery by Gilbert Fitzgerald of the White Knights. The Fitzgeralds continued to be the main benefactors of the Abbey, including the expansion funded by Maurice Fitzgibbon (Fils de Gilbert) in 1320. The church dates from the 14th century, and was a simple rectangular building.[2] A tower and ornate five-light east window were added to the church in the 15th century.[3] The buildings have extensive carved details, including flower buds and human heads[4] some of whom may represent the benefactors of the abbey.[3]
The monastery was dissolved in 1541, with the monks returning in 1622. In 1645 the Papal Legate, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, visited during the Confederate Wars.[3] It was sacked by Cromwellian forces led by Lord Inchiquin in 1648. Two monks were put to death in front of the altar. From then the friars operated clandestinely in the area, until the 1790s when the abbey was finally abandoned.[2] There are a number of chalices that are associated with the abbey and its various benefactors.[4][5]
Gallery
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Cloister -
Cloister interior -
Window with tracery -
Church interior
References
edit- ^ "National Monuments of County Limerick in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Kilmallock Churches". Limerick Diocese Heritage. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ^ a b c Jackman, Neil (21 February 2015). "This dramatic Derry clifftop estate was a magnet for high society". The Journal. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Limerick Castle" (PDF). Limerick City Council. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ^ Crowe, J. (1889). "Notice of the Kilmallock Chalice". The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland. 9 (40): 216–217. JSTOR 25506543.
External links
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