Quin Abbey

The Quin Friary (Irish Mainistir Chuinche ) is a former Franciscan monastery in Quin, County Clare in the west of Ireland. In the vernacular, the monastery is called " Quin Abbey ," but this is misleading because it was never an abbey.

The monastery was built on the ruins of a Norman castle. This was built around 1280 by the nobleman Thomas de Clare ( 1244-1287 ), Lord of Thomond as a quadratic system with four round corner towers. In 1318, the garrison of the castle killed the Irish clan chief of O'Liddy, whereupon it from the clan of the Uí Caisin, succeeded Irish under Cuvea MacNamara to storm the castle and to raze the walls partially.

Around 1350 a church building had already been erected on the ruins of the castle, which, however, had almost completely to give way to construction of a new monastery church as the family of this MacNamara decided to bring Franciscan by Quin and to establish a monastery. The exact founding date is controversial, however, there is a papal bull of 1433, which authorized the establishment. The art historian Harold G. Leask keeps an earlier founding date on stylistic considerations unlikely. The monastery church was built in the southern part of the former castle with nave, chancel, central tower and a south transept, the former courtyard was transformed into a cloister.

1541 the monastery was dissolved by Henry the VIII who break the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland and wanted to seize their assets. Specifically Franciscan brothers, however, succeeded in living under poor conditions to survive until the 17th century in the decaying monastery.

The monastery ruin is now closed, the key to the gate, however, is in the nearby town borrowed. Located just west of the Friary are the ruins of St. Finghin 's Church, which was built in the years 1278-1285.

The inner courtyard with cloister

View of the cloister

Ruins of St. Finghin 's Church