Location – Located in Roscrea town on Abbey Street.
OS: S 135 891 (map 60).
Longitude: 7° 47' 56.83" W
Latitude: 52° 57' 9.23" N
GPS: S 13514 89078 (Elevation: 88m - Accuracy 11m)
Description and History – This is a fine ruin and it is always a delight to visit here. Only the N wall and bell tower survive of this friary but you can still get a sense of what this place use to be like. Today it is the entrance to the modern Roman Catholic church that lies to the S and also forms the backdrop to a bus stop located outside. The ruins date to the 15th century and were built no earlier than 1477 when the friars in the town revolted and the friary was destroyed. The present ruins were built on the site of this early construction. It appears that within two-hundred years that the friary was in ruins and was partially destroyed when the present Roman Catholic church was built in the 18th century. The bell-tower stands two storeys high and is crenellated. Unfortunately a formerly beautiful pointed, mullioned and transomed, traceried window has been partially blocked by a modern house that has been built onto the E gable. The windows in the N wall are well made and are both twin-light ogee headed with hollow spandrels. The bell-tower is a wonderful feat of architecture and sits on pointed arches. Certain architectural remains from the cloister have been cemented in the remains of the bell-tower and N wall.
This site is well worth a visit when you are in Roscrea.
Difficulty – Easy to find and is located on the side of the road next to a bus stop. Take some time to explore around this site as there are many interesting little fragments hidden about. There is ample street parking here also.
For more gothic churches, click here.
For more sites in and around Roscrea, click here.
For more sites in Co. Tipperary, click here.
OS: S 135 891 (map 60).
Longitude: 7° 47' 56.83" W
Latitude: 52° 57' 9.23" N
GPS: S 13514 89078 (Elevation: 88m - Accuracy 11m)
Description and History – This is a fine ruin and it is always a delight to visit here. Only the N wall and bell tower survive of this friary but you can still get a sense of what this place use to be like. Today it is the entrance to the modern Roman Catholic church that lies to the S and also forms the backdrop to a bus stop located outside. The ruins date to the 15th century and were built no earlier than 1477 when the friars in the town revolted and the friary was destroyed. The present ruins were built on the site of this early construction. It appears that within two-hundred years that the friary was in ruins and was partially destroyed when the present Roman Catholic church was built in the 18th century. The bell-tower stands two storeys high and is crenellated. Unfortunately a formerly beautiful pointed, mullioned and transomed, traceried window has been partially blocked by a modern house that has been built onto the E gable. The windows in the N wall are well made and are both twin-light ogee headed with hollow spandrels. The bell-tower is a wonderful feat of architecture and sits on pointed arches. Certain architectural remains from the cloister have been cemented in the remains of the bell-tower and N wall.
This site is well worth a visit when you are in Roscrea.
Difficulty – Easy to find and is located on the side of the road next to a bus stop. Take some time to explore around this site as there are many interesting little fragments hidden about. There is ample street parking here also.
For more gothic churches, click here.
For more sites in and around Roscrea, click here.
For more sites in Co. Tipperary, click here.
Note the various architectural fragments that have been cemented into the wall.
Note the partially blocked window.
