At Home and Abroad

The Franciscan Friary The Franciscan Friary or the Abbey by which it is more commonly known was founded about 1389 by the 4th Earl of Desmond Gerald. Gerald was known as the Poet Earl, “Gearoid Iarla” . It is said that Gerald left his camp one night in 1398 and was never seen again. The Abbey is built on the . banks of the river Deell and has been a mecca for tourists down through the years. It is in remarkably good repair, and there are some splendid features including the Magnificent Cloisters, the beautiful Transepts, the Stephenson murall tablet, the East window, the carving of St Francis and a chapter room which is the final resting place of two Irish Martyrs. Blessed Patrick O’Healy and Blessed Conn O’ Rourke. The Franciscan Abbey is also the burial place of the Earls of Desmond. On October 5th 1579, after failing to take Askeaton Castle. Sir Nicholas Malby attacked the Abbey, set fire to town of Askeaton and the corn which was Grown by local farmers. In the Abbey he put a number of monks to death in the most gruesome fashion. He also wrecked the ancestral tomb of the Desmonds. Among the monks who were put to death were Fr. William Tenal and Fr. John Connolly who is buried in the chapter room. Malby seemed to have no apparent reason to attack and loot the Abbey other than seeking revenge in not being able to take to Castle. The Earl of Desmond (Gerald the 14th) was Furious at Malbys attacking the Abbey . He wrote a letter complaining “ Sir Nicholas Malby and His Army encamped within the Abbey of Askeaton and there most maliciously defaced the Old monuments of my ancestors, fired the Abbey, the whole town and corn thereabouts.” It is said that in 1627 the friars return to dwell among the ruins of the Abbey. The Catholic Confederate forces who had taken control of the Castle in 1642 , helped to repair part of the structure and it was re-established in 1643. Jerome Herbert was guardian of Askeaton Abbey from 1645 to 1650, Owen O'Callaghan was guardian to 1661 and William Hurley from 1661 to 1670. The last guardian was Francis Hickey in 1714. Part of the Abbey was used as a local parish church up to 1847 until it was accidentally destroyed by fire. Askeaton’s Franciscan Friary was always considered of very high ecclesiastical importance and a provincial chapter of the Franciscan order was held there in 1564.