Corcomroe Abbey is an early 13th-century Cistercian monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

 located in the north of the Burren

The Burren

The Burren is a karst-landscape region or alvar in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin,...

 region of County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, a few miles east of the village of Ballyvaughan

Ballyvaughan

Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren, an area of great rocky expanse, considered by many to be a unique landscape....

. It was once known as "St. Mary of the Fertile Rock", a reference to the Burren's fertile soil.

The abbey is noted for its detailed carvings and other rich ornamentation, which are not commonly found in structures from this period. It features a typical cruciform church facing east, with a small chapel in each transept

Transept

For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...

.

History

Construction on the abbey most likely began sometime between 1205 and 1210 and used local limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

. Legend maintains that the building was commissioned by King Conor na Siudane Ua Briain, who died in 1267 and whose tomb niche and effigy are visible in the north wall of the choir

Quire (architecture)

Architecturally, the choir is the area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary . The choir is occasionally located in the eastern part of the nave...

. According to the legend, Ua Briain executed the five masons who completed the abbey to prevent them from constructing a rival masterpiece elsewhere. In reality, it was probably built by Conor's grandfather, Donal Mór Ua Briain (Donald O'Brien), the patron of a number of other religious structures in the historic Thomond

Thomond

Thomond The region of Ireland associated with the name Thomond is County Clare, County Limerick and north County Tipperary; effectively most of north Munster. The name is used by a variety of establishments and organisations located in , or associated with the region...

 region.

The English Reformation

English Reformation

The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

 led to the dissolution of Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 monasteries in England and Ireland. In 1554, the abbey was granted to the Earl of Thomond

Earl of Thomond

"Earl of Thomond" was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the family of Ó Briain. The O'Brien dynasty were an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster....

. The monks continued to tend the fields and maintain the abbey as circumstances allowed, but the political climate led to continued decline. The last 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...

, the Reverend John O'Dea, was named in 1628.

See also

Mac mahon: On a Fertile Rock: The Cistercian Abbey of Corcomroe (Kincora Books 2000)

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Clare)

External links

• Autumnal Rambles about New Quay, County Clare - Corcumroe Abbey - Cooke, Thomas L. - Galway Vindicator
  Galway Vindicator
  The Galway Vindicator was a newspaper which operated in Galway, Ireland from 10 July 1841 to 4 November 1899. It was one of several newspapers founded to help advance the agenda of Daniel O'Connell and was noted for its daily coverage of the effects of the Great Famine.-References: at Gale Group...
  
  , 1842