Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as have been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution, and the current status of the site.
Formal name or dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.
Alternative names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.
Abbreviations and Key
The sites listed are ruins or fragmentary remains unless indicated thus:
*
current monastic function
+
current non-monastic ecclesiastic function
^
current non-ecclesiastic function
=
remains incorporated into later structure
#
no identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains
~
exact site of monastic foundation unknown
ø
possibly no such monastic foundation at location
¤
no such monastic foundation
≈
identification ambiguous or confused
Locations with names in italics indicate probable duplication (misidentification with another location) or non-existent foundations (either erroneous reference or proposed foundation never implemented).
building called 'abbey', apparently built 1612 by Randal Mac Donnell, Earl of Antrim; standing until the Reformation; probably Bonamargy Friary (v. infra)
Ballyprior Priory
Premonstratensian Canons — from Woodburn (community founded at Woodburn before 1326); transferred here 1542-3; dissolved after 1565
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded c.1500 (c.1475) by Rory MacQuillan, Lord of Reute (or Mac Donell); dissolved 1584; burned 1589; granted to the descendants of the founder Franciscan Friars, First Order Regular repaired & re-occupied at the petition of Father Conor Mac a'Bhaird, as a rest centre for missionaries 1626–1642, restored 1931; (NIEA)
Premonstratensian Canons daughter house of Dryburgh; priory founded before c.1183; raised to abbey status 1212; dissolved after 1320-6; succeeded by Woodburn (v. infra)
Carrickfergus Friary #
Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual founded 1232–48 by Hugh Lacy, Earl of Ulster; Observant Franciscan Friars reformed 1497; dissolved 1540; restored by Queen Mary 1557; friars expelled 1560; granted to Sir Edmund Fitzgerald, who assigned it to Sir Arthur Chichester, who built a castle on site 1610; used as a munitions store, rebuilt as Joymount House 1618; new house built by friars 1626
church probably founded early 6th century by Mac Nissi (St Macnisse) (Oengus or Coemahan Breac); episcopal diocesan cathedral; diocese united with Down 1453
early monastic site, suggested to be County Antrim[notes 1]
Glenarm Friary
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1465 by Robert Bissett, cousin of Robert Bissett, Provincial of the Third Order in Ireland; dissolved during the reign of Queen Elizabeth?; granted to Alexander MacDonnell, ancestor to the Earl of Antrim; site now occupied by St. Patrick's C.I. parish church
early monastic site founded by St Patrick; patron St Aidan, son of Colga; by tradition the burial place of the three daughters of St Comgall founder of Bangor Monastery
Laathrach Patraic Lennewy, Ecclesia de, cum capella Lettir-phadruic Gleann Abhaich Lann Abhaigh
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1500 by a Scottish nobleman, Phelim O'Neil; dissolved during the reign of Queen Elizabeth? also erroneously given as Inver, County Donegal; granted to James V. Claneboys
purportedly founded before 514 (in the time of St Macnise); apparently a hermitage by 828 of Ceallach mac Condmaigh, anchorite of Disirt Ceallaigh (possible confusion with same place name in County Galway); Augustinian Canons Regular — Arroasian? founded after 1140; destroyed 1316 by Edward Bruce; rebuilt early 15th century?; dissolved 1 February 1542, surrendered to the commissioners of Henry VIII; extant remains on site of textile factory
St Mary; The Augustinian monastery of Saint John the Baptist (1415) ____________________ Disert Abbey; de Diserto fonte-Conneri; Ceneles
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded c.1500 by Phelim O'Neil (or M'Donnell); dissolved before 1572, probably destroyed by O'Neil to prevent use as a fort by the English
tradition of church now ruined belonging to Franciscan Friars purportedly founded by the sept of McFall (Macfaull) evidence lacking; also suggested as nuns or Dominican Friars
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1500 by Phelim O'Neil; dissolved during the reign of Queen Elizabeth?; granted to Sir Arthur Chichester, Baron of Belfast 1621
Augustinian Canons Regular — Victorine founded before 1185; dissolved 1540-1; granted to the Longford family 1639; thatched house built on site 17th century replaced by house built and landscaped gardens before 1833, extant, without public access
attempted foundation c.546 by St Comgal of Bangor thwarted when driven away by armed men; church of Rechrann (identified as Rathlin[notes 2]) founded 635 by Segene, Abbot of Iona; burned by Norsemen 795; Reachru (identified as Rathlin[notes 3]) plundered 1038; possession of the island gained by Earl of Essex, Lord Deputy, 1558
Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular founded 1445, Archdeacon of Connor appointed to license the building of a monastery by Eugenius IV; dissolved ?
Bademeghcadab Straid Friary?
Skerry Monastery
founded by St. Patrick; mentioned by Tírechan c.670 as – ad montem Scirte ad locum petrae.. vestigium pedis; N/E of the old church ruins lies a patch of rock with a depression known as St Patrick's footprint; close by the church is Tubernacool holy well; Slemish mountain lies two miles south-east across the river Braid valley.
Schire Padruic; Shirec Archaille; rock of Skirit; Schirich
town said to be named for a Knights Hospitaller foundation — evidence lacking
Villa Hugonis de Logan
Woodburn Abbey
Premonstratensian Canons daughter house of Dryburgh, Scotland; founded before 1326 (1242), by John de Courcy, in succession to Carrickfergus and Druim La Croix (v. supra); dissolved 1 March 1542 [sic] (1542–3), surrendered to the commissioners of Henry VIII; canons transferred to Ballyprior; partly demolished after 1558; site now occupied by Carrickfergus Industrial Centre
The Holy Trinity; St Mary; ____________________ Goodborn Priory
^Mervyn Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786, however not mentioned by W. Reeves, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, 1847
^Rathlin — identified with Rechrann by J. O'Donovan (identifications from notes in the Annals of the Four Masters, edited by J. O'Donnovan, 1848–51) and W. Reeves, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, 1847
^Rathlin — identified with Reachru by J. O'Donovan (identifications from notes in the Annals of the Four Masters, ed. J. O'Donnovan, 1848–51)
^Rathmore identified as Ratheaspuicinnic — M. Archdall, Monasticon Hibernicum, 1786
^Ratheaspuicinnic — W. Reeves, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, 1847, pp.279–81
^Foundation, Ulster Historical; brian.smith@brssystems.com, Brian Smith –. "History From Headstones". www.historyfromheadstones.com. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
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