Donegal Abbey

It was built in 1474 on the orders of the leading Gaelic lord of the area, the ruler of Tyrconnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell, the First, and his wife Finola O'Brien.

[5] According to a 17th-century account in Latin by one of the abbey's friars, translated to English by Charles Patrick Meehan,[6] Finola made a journey of around 100 miles (160 km) with a number of women to the monastery at Ross Errilly Friary in County Galway, where Franciscan monks were holding a provincial chapter.

Hugh Roe married again, to Fingalla O'Brien, and she continued Finola's work, ensuring that the monastery, church cloisters and other features were completed successfully.

Shortly after the Armada shipwreck of 1588, Sir Donal O'Donnell was knighted and appointed as Sheriff of Donegal by the Lord Deputy William FitzWilliam.

His personal jurisdiction covered "that part of Tirconnell from the mountain westwards, i.e. from Barnesmore to the river Drowes (i.e. Tirhugh), and also all the inhabitants of Boylagh and Tir Boghaine (i.e.

She raised the clans of Donegal which remained loyal to her husband and summoned large numbers of Redshanks from the Highlands and Islands of her native Scotland to confront her son's rival.

[12] In Hugh Roe's absence, Tyrconnell was ruled by a rival, his cousin Niall Garve O'Donnell, who made terms with the English government and set up his base at the abbey.

The resulting explosion destroyed most of the building and killed hundreds of Niall Garve's soldiers,[14] including his brother Conn Oge O'Donnell.

[15] The abbey was not rebuilt, and remains in ruins, but the Franciscan friars set up a new base at a stone huts close to the River Drowes, near Ballyshannon.

"[17] On 27 September 1992, Pope John Paul II Beatified Concobhar Ó Duibheannaigh (c.1532-1612), a Franciscan priest from Donegal Abbey and Bishop of Down and Conor who was hanged, drawn and quartered outside the walls of Dublin in February 1612, as one of the 24 officially recognized Irish Catholic Martyrs.