Turlough Abbey
Turlough Abbey is a former monastery and National Monument located in County Mayo, Ireland.[1][2][3]
Mainistir Thurlaigh | |||||||||
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  Location within Ireland | |||||||||
| Monastery information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Established | c. AD 500–520 | ||||||||
| Disestablished | 1635 | ||||||||
| Diocese | Tuam | ||||||||
| People | |||||||||
| Founder(s) | Saint Patrick | ||||||||
| Architecture | |||||||||
| Status | ruined | ||||||||
| Heritage designation |
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| Site | |||||||||
| Location | Turlough, County Mayo | ||||||||
| Coordinates | 53.888741°N 9.208270°W | ||||||||
| Visible remains | church and round tower | ||||||||
| Public access | yes | ||||||||
History
Turlough is an early monastic site, possibly founded in AD 441 by Saint Patrick.
In the ninth century an unusual low and squat round tower was constructed at the site.[5]
In 1302 the Abbey was valued for the ecclesiastical taxation of Ireland. The Abbey survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries and a crucifixion plaque dated 1625 is an example of Counter-Reformation iconography.
The Abbey was finally dissolved and granted to Walter Burke or John Fitzgerald by King Charles I in 1635.
The site passed to the Fitzgeralds in 1653 and they were presumably responsible for the 18th century cruciform church with three round-headed windows in the chancel. Three crucifixion plaques have been built into the church. There is also the tomb of George Robert FitzGerald dated 1786.[6][7]
Buildings
The round tower is relatively low at 23 m (75 ft) tall, and wide with a rounded-headed doorway and four square-headed windows.[5] It has a round-headed doorway 4 m (13 ft) above ground level.
References
- "Turlough Abbey - Irish Round Tower! - Barclaycard Travel Community".
- Davenport, Fionn (1 January 2010). Ireland. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781742203508 – via Google Books.
- Planet, Lonely; Davenport, Fionn; Harper, Damian; Nevez, Catherine Le; Berkmoes, Ryan Ver; Wilson, Neil (1 March 2016). Lonely Planet Ireland. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781760341237 – via Google Books.
- Guides, Sunflower (1 March 2004). Ireland. Hunter Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781856912433 – via Google Books.
- Cockroach. "Turlough Round Tower - ticket prices and opening hours information - map".
- Heritage Site: Turlough Abbey near Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Cultural Heritage Ireland
- Turlough Abbey Co Mayo, Ireland in Ruins (blog), 27 September 2016
External links
- "Turlough abbey in the fog". Images of Mayo.
- Video on YouTube