Buttevant Franciscan Friary

The monastery Buttevant (Irish Mainistir Chill na Mallach, Buttevant Friary English ) was founded by David de Barry before his death in 1279 as a house of the Franciscans in Buttevant in the Diocese of Cloyne in Ireland. The monastery was abolished in 1540 in the wake of the Reformation, but was then able to establish yet again for a short time. At the beginning of the 17th century the monastery joined the Observant. The monastery existed until 1822, when the last Franciscan died.

History

There are different details to date of incorporation. The only certainty is that David de Barry is the founder and thus nor the formation must have taken place during his lifetime. After James Ware, the foundation was still during the reign of Edward I, which restricts the period of 1272-1279. Canice Mooney, who studied the history of the Franciscans, limited the period on an on 1276-1279. Annals of the Four Masters According to the monastery, however, was founded in 1251. Richard Brash, Harold Leask and Denis Power join the taking into account of the temporal assessment of the three-part east window. The founder was the grandson of Philip de Barry, who founded the monastery located near Ballybeg. And this, in turn, was a grandson of Robert de Barry, who was involved in 1169 the first English invasion, thus laying the basis for the land owned by the family.

Since the invasion of 1169, Ireland had monasteries which were founded by the invaders, and those that were due to start-ups of the original Irish ruling families. While the led at the Cistercians to considerable tensions between the monasteries with different loyalties, it was omitted at the beginning to the Franciscans and the Dominicans in Ireland, which was certainly due to the ideals of Mendikantenbewegung and on the fate of the first two Franciscan Provincials. Buttevant here was exemplary, as the monastery belonged to both English and Irish brothers. However, by beginning in May 1315 invasion of the Scottish coming Edward Bruce, who sought to unite the Scots and the Irish against England, there was a growing polarization that are not unmoved also let the Mendikantenorden, as some Irish Franciscans supported the invaders and it came to the pillage of the English Franciscan monastery in Dundalk by the Scottish troops. Although Edward Bruce was already in October 1318 by the battle of Faughart to, but that distrust remained nevertheless been made ​​, inter alia, because the Dominican John Pembridge in the ensuing famine saw a just punishment for the crimes committed during the invasion crimes. There was a by John XXII. arranged investigation and visitation, in consequence prevailed the English side. This had the consequence that the General Chapter in Lyon the standing time under leadership of Irish monastery in Buttevant the British transferred, the Irish lecturer had to change the monastery and Buttevant a newly established Custody was classified in Cork.

During the Reformation, the monastery was formally abolished in 1540, but remained under the protection of the de Barry family, not least because the monastery of the family served as grave lay. 1541 the monastery was observed to a land owned by a half acre was found with a water mill and the entire monastery was estimated at about 26 shillings. Buttevant belonged to the monasteries in 1568, which was offered at the instigation of Elizabeth I, through the Viscount Barrymore from the family de Barry as a fief. When the Franciscans were persecuted in that time, some managed to escape from Buttevant, while others were thrown into prison. Parts of the plant fell increasingly, only the church remained intact, were carried out to 1604 repairs. The latter led in 1613 to a complaint in a parliamentary report, Buttevant to the monasteries of the British dominion was one in which the monasteries were maintained and their brethren preached publicly. The protection of the de Barry in Buttevant presented so far that the Franciscans were able to openly wear their habit. By 1750, had fallen a majority of the convent again, but some outbuildings still usable. 1819 collapsed the tower. The Franciscans were in Buttevant, but their number increased as elsewhere in Ireland from constantly, until 1822, died of last Franciscans in Buttevant.

Close proximity to the monastery from 1831 to 1837 St. Mary's Church was built in the one belonging to the monastery of isolated medieval tower was built. When Richard Brash 1851, the monastery visited, he saw the numerous ruins of the earlier nave separating tower that threatened to destroy their weight in his view, the vault beneath the choir. He left then collect the debris in cooperation with the pastor, and thus build up in the middle largely destroyed north wall again, which he had integrated numerous carved stones of the former monastery gangs so that they can be considered good on the inside.

Architecture

The monastery was built during three phases. Mid-13th century the nave was built. This is justified by the lancet windows, which were used only in a few cases, such as the St Canice 's Cathedral in Kilkenny, still around 1350. You may also familiarity with lancet windows in the previously established by the same family Canons in Ballybeg was a motivation to stick to it. During the second phase at the end of the 13th century was separated with the tower in the middle of the nave, the choir area and cultivated a southern transept, which is typical of the mendicants in Ireland structure was formed. In the third stage in the 15th or early 16th century extensive repairs and changes were made, including the lancet windows were shortened in the east and west gable, provided with a vertical subdivision and finished at the top with ogee arches. Some of the windows on the south side of the nave have even been bricked up.