kilcrea franciscan friary

A Franciscan Friary founded by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, Lord of Muskerry in 1465. The long church has a south aisle and transept, but the lack of decoration gives a rather austere impression. The tower is contemporary with the church. An unusual feature is the multi-windowed sacristy and scriptoria to the north of the chancel which is the most decorative part of the building. Although nothing remains of the cloister, the buildings which surrounded it are well preserved. The Friary may not have been suppressed until 1577, when it was granted on lease to Sir Cormock MacCarthy. Although he himself left the friars in peace, the friary was raided after his death by a company of English soldiers from Cork in a dispute as to who should be his successor. it was plundered again in 1599. The friars restored the building in 1604, but were expelled 10 years later. When Cromwell's troops occupied the place in 1650 they altered the internal arrangements of the building, and later the church was robbed of many of its decorative stones.