Abbeymahon Abbey
Encyclopedia
Timoleague
Timoleague is a village in the eastern division of Carbery East in County Cork, Ireland, located along Ireland's southern coast near Courtmacsherry. It is about south of Bandon and from Cork on the R600 coastal road.-History:...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It was founded in 1172 by Dermot MacCormac MacCarthy, king
King
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of Desmond
Desmond
Desmond may refer to:*Desmond , a common given name and surname* Kingdom of Desmond, medieval Irish kingdom* Earl of Desmond, Irish aristocratic title* Desmond Rebellions, Irish rebellions during the 16th century led by the Earl of Desmond...
. The site was originally at Aghamanister and was colonized with a group of Cistercian monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s from Baltinglass. Almost a century lapsed before the monks of Aghamanister decided to move to a new site; it is possible that the time had come to renew the abbey buildings and the monks took the opportunity to find a more spacious site. The monks had moved to Abbeymahon by 1278, when Diarmait MacCarthaig, son of Domnall Cairbrech, was buried in the ‘new monastery’. The new site was on the estuary of the Argideen River, just over a mile east south-east of Timoleague
Timoleague
Timoleague is a village in the eastern division of Carbery East in County Cork, Ireland, located along Ireland's southern coast near Courtmacsherry. It is about south of Bandon and from Cork on the R600 coastal road.-History:...
, on the road to Courtmacsherry
Courtmacsherry
Courtmacsherry is a picturesque seaside village in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland, on the southwest coast. It is about 30 miles southwest of Cork, and 30 minutes drive east from the town of Clonakilty. The village consists of a single long street on the south shore of Courtmacsherry...
. The abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s of Abbeymahon were rebuked several times in the thirteenth century for not attending the General Chapter
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
when summoned. It is not surprising that the abbots refused to attend considering that the journey was extremely lengthy and expensive. In the taxation of 1302-1306 the income of the abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
was valued at £4, which would hardly have covered the cost of the journey. The annual income of the abbey during the 15th and 16th centuries was still a meager amount, estimated at just £18, with a potential income of £34 during peace time. At the time of the Dissolution it was found that the abbey church was functioning as the parish church and that all other buildings were being used by the local farmer. In 1568 the property was leased to the Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
Barrymore and in 1584 the lease was transferred to Nicholas Walsh
Nicholas Walsh
Nicolas E. Walsh is an American physiatrist. Dr. Walsh is currently a professor and chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio....
, Justice of Munster. The site was granted for ever to Nicholas Walsh in 1587, with some additional place names appearing on this grant. The remains consist largely of the east end of the church and some remnants of the tower.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Cork)