Donegal Town, interesting ruins

sorella

Wondering if anyone with local knowledge can inform here please?

We saw some ruins outside the Town that looked like an old convent/monastery?

If you head out towards the Sligo road, and take a right, there is a road of big houses by the bay; I have a feeling may be Old Golf Course Road?

There are ruins here. on the left as you face away from the Town direction.

They look monastic and we would love to know their history; cannot find anything online.

Thank you

ednwireland

i'm assuming you mean the abbey

Donegal Abbey, Sligo Road — Although now in ruins, this once-great building was erected in 1474 along the banks of the River Eske on the south side of town for the Franciscan friars by Red Hugh O'Donnell and his wife Nuala. It prospered for over 150 years as a scholarly hub, and produced one of Ireland's most important records of history, "The Annals of the Four Masters" (housed today in the National Library in Dublin).

looks something like this from the other side

you can walk to th end of the pier past the water bus as well ?

North_West_Art

Yes, you can get to it from beyond the Waterbus at the end of the pier. Its at the foot of the Old Golf Course Road. Thats a view of it from over at Drumcliff Walk in the photo.
There is a similar ruin over at Creevy called Kilbarron Castle, which is said to be the original home of the O'Cleirigh clan (of the 4 masters)

sorella

No; we know the Abbey very well

We are researching a book on Celtic and Monastic Donegal and that has price of place; as does the Kilbarron one also and around 20 more.

These ruins are further out; read my directions?

Past Supervalu and the Abbey vocationat school. Turn right then and the road curves round and finally leads back to the main road.

Yes it is Old Golf Course Road; found it on the map

Inland ruins then; no signs or anything. Someone mentioned mill ruins as well, but that there was some kind of monastic ruin there also.

Just something about the layout that looks monastic. Not ancient maybe.

I found it by accident one day. Would love to lnow for sure and the history if it is. Which order etc.

That is a beautiful photo by the way; one of our rosaries is on the Mary statue there; wish i knew how to upload photos as that is a fine one also.

muffler

sorella wrote: »

wish i knew how to upload photos as that is a fine one also.

No better person than North West Art to explain how.

BTW. The older OS maps show that up as a church and graveyard. Link here from Council planning site.


Edit: Link changed. When you view the aerial map untick the "Planning Sites" and "Orthophotography 2004" at the top right of the page and then tick the "six inch" box. This will display a map. You can scroll over to the left then to take in the full site

byte

The only ruin I can think of out that direction, is St. Ernans, where the road does go off and return back to the main road. There is a ruin in there alright. I had thought it was a mill, though not sure.

Oh, I think there's a small ruin on Temple's ground too, before you get that far.

sorella

Thank you; any idea how we can find out what these are, please?

byte wrote: »

The only ruin I can think of out that direction, is St. Ernans, where the road does go off and return back to the main road. There is a ruin in there alright. I had thought it was a mill, though not sure.

Oh, I think there's a small ruin on Temple's ground too, before you get that far.