Kinalehin Friary (also Kinaleghin; Irish: ''Mainistir Chineál Fhéichín''), originally a medieval charterhouse or

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

monastery and later a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

, is a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

located in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, Ireland. Kinalehin Charterhouse was Ireland's only Carthusian monastery.

Location

Kinalehin Friary is located west of Ballyshrule, northwest of Lough Derg and south of the Duniry River.

History

Kinalehin was founded c. 1252 by

John de Cogan John de Cogan was an Anglo-Irish knight who lived in the period between 1220 and 1278. De Cogan was a grandson of Milo de Cogan (died 1182) and Christina Pagnel; his parents were Richard de Cogan (died after 1238) and Basile de Riddlesford. ...

for the

Carthusians The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

. The first monks came over from

Hinton Charterhouse __NOTOC__ Hinton may refer to: Places Australia *Hinton, New South Wales Canada *Hinton, Alberta ** Hinton/Entrance Airport ** Hinton/Jasper-Hinton Airport ** Hinton CN railway station England * Hinton, Dorset, a civil parish **Hinton Martell, D ...

and/or Witham Friary, both located in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

. It was purportedly destroyed in 1279 and if so, rebuilt soon after. In 1306 Kinalehin was sold to the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

, but the sale appears never to have completed. It was dissolved by the General Chapter (Grande Chartreuse) in 1321 and the diocese of Clonfert took possession in 1341. Around 1371 Pope Gregory XI granted permission to the de Burgos to refound it, this time with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. Kinalehin was shut down in the Dissolution of the Monasteries of 1540. The monastic lands were purchased from

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde (; ; died 24 July 1582) was an Irish noble who succeeded his father Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde as chief of a Gaelicised Norman family with authority over much of what is now County ...

, who retained it for the friars. It was dissolved before 1609. It was again refounded in 1611 for the Observant Franciscan Friars. In 1629

An Leabhar Breac An Leabhar Breac ("The Speckled Book"; Middle Irish: An Lebar Brec), now less commonly Leabhar Mór Dúna Doighre (The Great Book of Dun Doighre") or possibly erroneously, Leabhar Breac Mic Aodhagáin ("The Speckled Book of the MacEgans"), is a ...

, a famous manuscript of the 15th century, was held at Kinalehin. The friars were expelled after the Cromwellian conquest but returned during the time of Charles II.

Buildings

The archaeological remains are mainly Franciscan, although some Carthusian elements remain as earthworks. The surviving remains consist of

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and three

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

s. File:Kinalehin Friary Nave Arches 2009 09 17.jpg,

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

arches File:Kinalehin Friary Nave 2009 09 17.jpg File:Kinalehin Friary Cloister and Arches 2009 09 17.jpg, Cloister and arches File:Kinalehin Friary Cloister 2009 09 17.jpg, Cloister and remnants of tower, with fireplace visible

References

{{authority control Carthusian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland Franciscan monasteries in the Republic of Ireland Religion in County Galway Archaeological sites in County Galway National Monuments in County Galway