Askeaton Friary
Though relatively small in size, the Limerick town of Askeaton is rich in history, with a fine castle, a medieval church and this well-preserved ruin of a Franciscan Friary. Askeaton Friary is situated just north of the castle on the outskirts of the town, on the eastern bank of the River Deel just 3km from where the Deel flows into the mighty River Shannon.
There is some debate about when Askeaton Friary was first founded, but it is likely to date to the late 14th century, under the auspices of Gerald Fitzgerald, the 3rd Earl of Desmond and Lord Justice of Ireland, or one of his close successors. The first documentary record of the friary occurs in the year 1400, when it was referred to as Inysgebryny (or Inis Geightine). The Fitzgeralds were renowned benefactors of monastic houses, with other foundations in Limerick such as at Kilmallock and Adare, and elsewhere in Ireland like the foundations at Clane, Clonmel, Kildare and Youghal amongst others.
By the 1420s, Askeaton Friary had become an important place of burial for the Fitzgeralds. And you can see three fine altar tombs that are likely the resting place of prominent members of the family. The Fitzgeralds reached their zenith of power from the 14th, 15th and into the 16th century, but they fell dramatically through the failed Desmond Rebellion of the late 16th century.
Askeaton Friary • Limerick
Like its founding family, the fortunes of the friary ebbed and flowed dramatically over the centuries. It managed to largely survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1540s, but the fragile peace of the friary would not last. In c.1579, during the Desmond Rebellion, the friary was captured by the forces of Nicholas Malby, the President of Connacht. The friars fled, though a number were caught and slaughtered. Malby’s men desecrated the church, and smashed some of the Fitzgerald tombs in a fit of targeted vandalism.
In around 1627, a small group of friars came back to Askeaton and repaired the church and friary buildings, re-establishing it as a place of worship. Though dark clouds appeared again on the horizon in the form of Cromwell. It appears that the friars may have been expelled again during the turbulent years of the mid-17th century, at least temporarily. Despite this, friars still sporadically resided at Askeaton until the 18th century.
Today the friary is relatively well preserved, making it a rewarding place to explore, where you can gain a real sense of the layout and buildings of a Franciscan foundation.
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The well-preserved cloister • Askeaton Friary
Exploring Askeaton Friary
Carving of St Francis of Assisi in the cloister
When you visit the friary today you enter through a doorway that leads into the cloister to the south of the church. This entrance would have originally been reserved to the friars themselves. The entrance leads into a small vestibule, where the east range and the stairway to the upper floors would have been accessed.
One of the best features of Askeaton Friary is the cloister, one of the finest medieval cloisters in all of Ireland. It is a rare surviving example of an integrated cloister, which means that the upper floors of the domestic ranges are built over both the ground floors and the cloister walk. The cloister arches are beautifully made, and it retains much of its plaster and wattle centering. Keep a lookout for the carving of St Francis in the northeast of the arcade. He bears marks of the stigmata that correspond to the wounds on Christ’s body through the crucifixion and the spear. The carving is well situated to greet the friars as they pass along the cloister. Today the face of the carving is quite worn down, as a result of people kissing it over the centuries, either out of devotion or through a local tradition that kissing the carving would alleviate toothache. On the northern side of the cloister you can also see a delicately carved dial, with 24 tightly-spaced gradations.
The church primarily consists of a nave and chancel, with a large transept. The chancel was the preserve of the clergy and choir. A 15th century altar still survives in the chancel of Askeaton. This area was illuminated by an enormous window, replete with elegant tracery. A row of nine elegant sedilia (seats) runs along wall, and another elegantly decorated window is located at the western end of the chancel. The ordinary people would have experienced the mass from the nave, which is plainer in contrast to the more splendidly decorated chancel. Though a number of fine tomb niches mark the internment of members of the Fitzgeralds. The transept to the north of the church served as an important place of burial, and likely originally had small chapels before it fell into ruin. Just outside of the transept you can see a number of piles of rubble. They may be the remains of the large belfry tower that once stood here.
Carving of St Francis of Assisi in the cloister
The church also has a sacristy, a small two-storey building, which was accessed by a door in the north wall of the chancel. This is where the vestments were stored, and where the priest prepared for the mass. The upper floor may also have served as a scriptorium.
The eastern range of the friary housed the sacristy, chapter house, calefactory, with dormitories above. While the refectory occupies the southern claustral range. This was the place where the friars ate, often in silence as one of the friars, the lector, read passages of sacred texts, prayers, or the rules of the order aloud from the pulpitum (which still survives). Another dormitory was directly above the refectory, and you can see a line of putlog holes that once supported the floor joists. If you look closely at the plaster on the first floor of the south range, you can still make out the consecration crosses incised in the plaster of the first floor.
To the west of the south range is a two-storey structure, that includes a necessarium, (a communal latrine). The western range was where the community interacted with the outside world, and where alms were received and the order’s business transacted. Painted decoration still survives on the first floor of the west range.
Throughout the architecture of the friary, there are numerous hints of later rebuilding and repurposing, providing evidence of how the friary was adapted and altered to suit the needs of its community through time.
The Tale of the Spanish Pilgrim
One of the famous local tales of Askeaton Friary is in relation to the gravestone in the cloister that bears the inscription: ‘Beneath lies The Pilgrim’s body, who died January 17th, 1784.’ According to the story, the ‘pilgrim’ was Don Martinez de Mendoza a wealthy merchant from Barcelona. His only daughter, Beatriz, fell in love with an Italian ship’s captain. Against her father’s wishes, Beatriz secretly married the dashing captain, and she became pregnant. Without knowing of Beatriz’s condition, the captain went back to sea, and sailed for the West Indies.
With Beatriz’s condition becoming more apparent, Don Martinez de Mendoza found out about the pregnancy and secret marriage. He flew into a rage, and refused to accept the marriage. He sent his daughter to a convent, and swore an oath to kill the captain. He had men lie in wait in the port of Barcelona to kill the captain when he docked, though the captain was tipped off to the danger by friends, who also told him that his wife was in labour in the convent.
The grave of ‘The Pilgrim’ • Askeaton Friary
He rushed to be by her side, but arrived too late. Beatriz had died in childbirth giving birth to a son. Pursued by Don Martinez’s men, he left the baby boy in the care of the nuns, took the ebony ring he had given Beatriz as a token of their love, and set off to sea again. He was pursued relentlessly by Don Martinez, who had sold all his possessions to maintain the chase. According to the tale, he spent some time at Askeaton, living in the Hellfire Club next to Askeaton Castle.
Eventually Don Martinez caught up with the captain and murdered him. He took the ring that had belonged to his daughter. Despite achieving his revenge, he became overcome with grief, and travelled back to Ireland. He wandered the country, before returning to Askeaton.
Now a dishevelled shadow of the once-proud merchant, he called on Phil Rourke, the local schoolmaster and parish clerk, and gave him his remaining gold in exchange for shelter in Askeaton Friary and regular bread and water. He spent the next years in prayer, for the soul of his daughter and in atonement for the murder of the captain. He also travelled around the holy places of Ireland as a pilgrim each year.
One night he informed Phil Rourke that he was close to death. The schoolmaster brought the priest, only to find Don Martinez lying face down in the friary cloister. They buried him where he lay, marking his grave as ‘The Pilgrim’.
Later, in 1784, a group of soldiers arrived into Askeaton by boat. They were led by a young man, who bore a striking similarity to the pilgrim. Phil Rourke showed them the site of the grave, where they all knelt in prayer. The young man revealed himself to be the grandson of Don Martinez. Following a notebook left by Don Martinez, the young man ordered his men to dig in the cloister. They found a small oval box hidden under one of the cloister pillars. Inside was a miniature likeness of a woman, and a small ebony ring. The young man took them, and left Askeaton with his men.
The story of the Pilgrim was kindly shared with us by Askeaton Civic Trust.
Upper left: the sedilia in the choir • Lower left: the sundial in the cloister • Right: inside the church
Top: the sedilia in the choir • Middle:inside the church • Bottom: the sundial in the cloister
Askeaton Friary Visitor Information
Askeaton Friary is well worth exploring for its wealth of medieval marvels.
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