North Abbey, Youghal

Ruined Dominican monastery in County Cork, Ireland

North Abbey, Youghal

An Mainistir Thuaidh

Ruins

Location within Youghal

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North Abbey, Youghal (Ireland)

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Monastery information
Full name| Priory of Our Lady of Graces, Youghal
Other names| Holy Cross Priory
Order| Dominican Order
Denomination| Catholic
Established| 1268
Disestablished| 1587
Dedicated to| Our Lady of Graces
Diocese| Cloyne
People
Founder(s)| Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Baron Desmond
Architecture
Status| Ruined
Functional status| Inactive, graveyard still in use
Style| Late Gothic
Site
Location| Greencloyne, Youghal, County Cork
Country| Ireland
Coordinates| 51°57′27″N 7°51′16″W﻿ / ﻿51.957497563050694°N 7.854369984499672°W﻿ / 51.957497563050694; -7.854369984499672
Visible remains| southwest wall, pillar in the northeast
Public access| Yes

National monument of Ireland

Official name| North Abbey
Reference no.| 286[1]

North Abbey

South Abbey

Youghal Priory

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Locations of monastic houses in Youghal

The Priory of Our Lady of Graces, known locally as the North Abbey, was a 13th-century Irish Dominican monastery situated north of Youghal, County Cork.

## History

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The priory was founded in 1268 by Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, the second baron of Desmond, whose maternal grandfather, Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly, had founded the Franciscan Friary of South Abbey, Youghal.

The Dominican priory was initially dedicated to the Holy Cross, but was changed to 'Our Lady of Graces' in the late 15th century following the re-discovery of a small, ivory statue of the Madonna and Child.

Samuel Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, written in 1837, said of it: "Thomas, whose son, in 1263 or 1271, founded a Dominican monastery, called the Priory of St. Mary of Graces."

This statue had made Youghal the centre of Marian devotion for several centuries, but ended after the priory was dissolved under King Henry VIII in the 16th century. The statue can now be found in St Mary's Dominican Priory in Cork City.[2]

Lewis goes on to say in his book that:

> The western gable and some of the eastern portions of the Dominican friary, at the north end of the town, still remain

> ... Near the south end of the town is a chapel of ease, a neat plain building, erected in 1817 on the cemetery of the ancient Dominican friary, at an expense of £1200, of which £900 was a gift from the late Board of First Fruits and £300 was raised by subscription

## Today

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Remains of the west gable Remains of a decorated pillar

Some ruins of the priory can still be seen, and the area is also home to the main cemetery of Youghal.

## Burials

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* Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Baron Desmond
* John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond
* James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond
* James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond
* Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Monuments of County Cork in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 6. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
2. ^ "The Medieval Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Graces". Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland.

## External sources

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* Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.

## See also

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* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Cork)
* Youghal
* Youghal Priory
* South Abbey, Youghal
* Molana Abbey
* Rincrew Abbey

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