abbeys and priories in northern ireland

Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland is a link page for any abbey, priory, friary or other religious house in Northern Ireland

Abbreviations and Key

The sites listed are ruins unless indicated thus:-

* indicates current monastic function

+ indicates current non-monastic ecclesiastic function

^ indicates current non-ecclesiastic function

# indicates no identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains

~ indicates exact site of monastic foundation unknown

Trusteeship denoted as follows:-

NM = National Monument

Other abbreviations:-

trns = transferred

rmv = removed

c = circa (about)

ante = before

post = after

C.I. = Church of Ireland

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Alt. Name	Formal Name
Bonamargy Friary, Ballycastle,	Franciscan c1500, burned 1584(1589), repaired & re-occupied 1626-1642, restored 1931 (NM)
Carrickfergus Abbey#	Franciscan 1248, Observant-Franciscan 1497-suppression, used as a munitions store, rebuilt as Joymont House, 1618
Glenarm Friary	Franciscan, site now occupied by St. Patrick's C.I. church
Church Island monastery, Lough Beg
Church Island Abbey, Lough Beg
Portglenone Abbey Church*
Templepatrick preceptory#	town said to be named for a Knights Templar foundation

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Alt. Name	Formal Name
Armagh Friary#	Franciscan 1263/4-1551
Kilnasaggart monastery#	site occupied by the Kilnasaggart Stone
Tynan Abbey	originally a mansion named 'Fairview'.

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Alt. Name	Formal Name
Ballykelly monastery?	site now occupied by remains of a church destroyed 1641
Derry monastery, Londonderry

Derry: possible Franciscan Friary, traditionally in Waterside and Ardmore area

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Alt. Name	Formal Name
Ards Peninsula abbeys
Bangor Abbey	latterly Franciscan, site now incorporated into C.I. church
Comber Abbey#	Cistercian from Whitland 1200-1543, on the site of an earlier monastery founded by St Patrick, site now occupied by St Mary's C.I. church
Downpatrick monastery#	within the dun or rath on which the C.I. Cathedral now stands
Downpatrick Friary#	Franciscan 1235, burned 1316, conventual -Reformation, Observant-Franciscan 1627-1650s
Greyabbey Abbey	Cistercian, rebuilt and served for a time as a parish church
Inch Abbey	Cistercian, on the site of an earlier monastery
Magheralin monastery	site occupied by remains of 15th-C church
Movilla Abbey	site occupied by 13-15th-C church
Nendrum Abbey, Mahee Island (Strangford Lough)
Newry monastery	Patrician
Newry Abbey	Cistercian
Newtownards Friary	Dominican
Portaferry monastery#	site thought to be now occupied by two small churches

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Formal Name
Devenish Island Priory
Lisgoole Abbey#	Augustinian Canons Regular c1145-1583, Franciscan 1583-1598, 1616-ante1811, built on site of early monastery (below)	The Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Mary, Lisgoole
Lisgoole monastery#	site later occupied by Augustinian priory (above)	The monastery of Saint Aid, Lisgoole
Devenish Island Abbey, Lough Erne	Augustinian	The Abbey Church of Saint Mary, Devenish Island
White Island monastery?	attempts made to identify this location as being Eo-inis monastery

Foundation	Communities/provenance	Alt. Name
Ardboe monastery	10thC
Clogher monastery	site now occupied by C.I. cathedral
Donaghmore monastery	ancient monastery (NM)
Dromore Abbey	Cistercian, said to be on site of ancient nunnery
Dromore Friary~	Franciscan 1637-c1717
Dungannon Friary	Franciscan 1687-1817	Donaghmore Friary
Errigal Keeroge monastery
Priory of Our Lady of Benburb*	Servite, a mansion in the demesne of Benburb Castle

Strabane: some evidence of a small Franciscan Friary east of the town 1660s-18thC