The Carmelite Abbey of Ballinasmale, county Mayo

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Remains of Ballinasmale Friary [St. Mary’s Carmelite Abbey], county Mayo. Photograph by “JohnArmagh” (2011); online at Wikimedia Commons commons.wikimedia.org (accessed 29th Jan. 2021). Edited by Alison Kilpatrick (2021). Photograph governed by Creative Commons licence CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED *creativecommons.org*. — Readers are encouraged to review the latter link to learn about the rights and restrictions attached to this image.

Lying a mile or so northeast of the town of Claremorris, in Ballinasmaula (Baile an Smálaigh) townland townlands.ie, lie the ruins of St. Mary’s, the Carmelite Abbey of Ballinasmale or Ballinasmaul(a). The Abbey was a significant locus of religious service in the parish of Kilcolman (Clanmorris).

In 1984, Stephen Josten, O.Carm. wrote an excellent essay of the history of this Abbey for the period, 1288–1870. ¹ This essay, together with references to D’Alton’s “The History of the Archdiocese of Tuam,” sundry references from Wikipedia enwikipedia.org, and contemporary news accounts are the sources for the timeline of historic events for the Abbey, interspersed with points of local history, with footnotes and end notes following:

3500 B.C.: The area in and around Claremorris was inhabited by Neolithic humans. [pg. 6] — Note: List items shown without bibliographic references is Josten (1984).
480 A.D.: “The area was in the early Christian era called Tir Nechtan because it was settled by descendants of Nectain and Enna, sons of Brian Orbsen who was king of Connaught … A tribe from Munster, called the Ciarraighe en.wikipedia.org, descendents [sic] of Ciar, the son of Fergus MacRoigh and Maeve, became dominant in the area [which] became known as Ciarraigh Uachtair.” [pg. 6]
400s: “There were Christians in the parish as early as the days of St. Patrick. There was a Bishop Colman, who gave to St. Patrick his church of Cluain Cain, and this would probably be the present church of the parish, and from the saint the parish took its name. This Colman was obviously not St. Colman of Boffin and Mayo , and we therefore must conclude that he was simply a bishop of St. Patrick’s time, and that he laboured in the modern parish of Claremorris.” ²
1170: Maurice de Prendergast enwikipedia.org came to Ireland with Strongbow.† [pg. 5] — † Note: – Strongbow was also known as Richard fitz Gilbert or Richard de Clare [1130–1176]. He was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who had the titles, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Lord of Leinster, and Justiciar of Ireland. ³
1288/9: The Carmelite Abbey of Ballinasmale was “established with Papal Approval in 1288/9 by the Prendergast family of Brees (Brize) Castle. … There is a tradition that the Carmelites established their monastery … on the site of a much earlier Irish monastic foundation, perhaps dating back beyond the 8th century, A.D.” The Carmelites “lived a strict monastic life, observing the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and giving much of their lives to celebrating Holy Mass, chanting the Divine Office and silent prayer as prescribed by the Rule.” [pp. 5-7]
From the 13th June 1908 edition of Western People :
Ballinasmall Friary was founded by the Prendergasts for Carmelites in the 13th century. ⁴
Between 1452–1471: Blessed John Soreth, who was General of the Carmelite Order from 1452–1471, visited Ballinasmale. Soreth promoted reform in the Order, and founded the convents of contemplative Carmelite nuns. [pg. 7]
1537–1829: The Carmelites of Ballinasmale suffered keenly “from the time of the Elizabethan Dissolution of the Monastery almost until Catholic Emancipation in 1829.” [pg. 4]
1581: The ancestor of the Mayo branch of the More family, John Moore, was appointed Clerk of the Crown of the Province of Connaught and Thomond on July 13th. [pg. 4]
1585: “Queen Elizabeth took ownership of the Abbey of St. Mary’s and a quarter of land (approximately 120 acres) attached to it.” [pg. 7] ⁵
1591: Sir Brian O’Rourke enwikipedia.org, first husband of Lady Maria More, and a prominent Catholic, was beheaded in London on November 3rd. [pg. 4] — See also the entry for 1624.
1595: Red Hugh O’Donnell spent Christmas with the Prendergasts at Brize Castle. [pg. 6]
1603: “Richard and Myler [Myles?] MacMorris lost possession of Castlemacgarrett about 1603 to Dominic Lynch.” [pg. 6]
1605: “The site and precinct of St. Mary’s Abbey of Ballinasmall was granted by King James I to John King of Dublin, son of the notorious Archbishop King.” [pg. 7]
1607: John Moore came into possession of the castles of Brize and Murneen. [pg. 6]
1616: “Donogh Boy O’Gormley [Father O’Gormley], late Prior of the Priory of Ballinasmall of the Order of Carmelites in Co. Mayo was seized of a quarter of land.” [pg. 7] ⁶
1624: The More Chapel was built. [pg. 4] — See also the entry for 1591.
1625: During a time when “the priests, monks and friars were hunted and murdered,” the Carmelite Father General, Straccio, wrote about his concern for the Abbey at Ballinasmale. [pg. 15]
1627: “Ballyhowly Castle was acquired by Edward Dillon before 1627.” [pg. 6]
1633–4: “Sir Richard Blake did in January 1633(4) purchase of Everlin Moore, alias Richards, and her husband Robert Moore the late dissolved Abbey or Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Ballinasmally; and 1 qr. [quarter] thereunto belonging called Carrowdronmyne for the consideration of £84 st. and of a lease for 3 lives unto them made of the qr. of Lissenricken, and the qr. of Ballinasmall for the yearly rent of £3 st.” Sir Richard appears to have promised protection for the Carmelites of Ballinasmale. [pg. 17] ⁷
1640: Throughout the persecutions of the 17th century, the Carmelites held on at Ballinasmale, “except for one priest, Fr. Shea.” [pg. 7]
1645: In a letter written to the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop John Baptist Rinuccini, “the Carmelites explain … Our Fathers in Ireland have been either expelled or slain,” and mention the Carmelite house at Ballinasmale as one of several known to them. [pg. 8]
1649: “Sir Richard Blake lost his title to the Abbey lands.” [pg. 17]
1660: Gerald Dillon came into possession of the Abbey lands. [pg. 17]
1670–1740: Religious persecution of Roman Catholics. Records were lost or, owing to the disruption of monastic and religious life, not capable of being kept. Often, priests roamed from place to place—not wearing the religious habit—carrying Penal crosses [with short arms, which could be tucked up a sleeve if need be] and offering Mass, in secret, at Mass rocks, farmhouses, or caves. [pp. 18, 22]
1684: “Fr. Shea was the sole survivor of the Order in Ireland.” [pg. 16]
1688: Fathers Finn, Thomas, and James Fitzmorris were amongst the priests who were “sent secretly on a mission to England … by the Reformed Province of Touraine.” The names, Finn and Fitzmorris, are frequently found in Mayo. [pp. 16-17]
1691: Five members of the Ballinasmale community are said to have attended the funeral of the French general, St. Ruth, after the Battle of Aughrim. [pg. 18]
1695: Williamite Penal legislation was enacted: All popish archbishops, bishops, vicars-general, deans, jesuits, monks, friars and all other regular popish clergy, and all papists exercising any ecclesiastical jurisdiction, shall depart out of this kingdom before the 1st of May, 1698; If any of the said ecclesiastical persons shall be at any time after the said 1st of May, 1698 within the kingdom, they and every one of them shall suffer imprisonment until he or they shall be transported beyond seas; and if any person so transported shall return again into this kingdom, they and every of them shall be guilty of high treason and suffer forfeit (for life) as in the case of high treason. [pg. 18] ⁸
1700: The estimated time at which the village of Claremorris came into existence, which was named for Maurice de Prendergast: “Clár Clainne Muiris probably means the plain (Clár) of the clan or family (Clainne) of Maurice (Muiris).” [pp. 5-6]
1702: After the death of William III, Fr. Peter Hughes, O.Carm. who had studied theology in Touraine, France, returned to Ireland and “regained Ballinasmale and started a small novitiate there.” Fr. Hughes “professed candidates to the order and sent them to France and Spain to study.” Fr. John Burke was another 17th century Carmelite at Ballinasmale. [pp. 15, 20] ⁹
1703: Fr. Malachy Stanton was “a chaplain to the Irish soldiers in the bodyguard of the Duke of Parma.” Stanton is another name found frequently in Mayo. [pg. 17]
1700s: “The Carmelites in their peaceful times used to hold a procession from the abbey to the Blessed Well at Knocka Tubber* and on a mound near the road at Cartownacross (Cartun Na Croise) they had a large crucifix erected on the day of the procession to Tobar Muire (Mary’s Well.)” [pg. 16] ¹⁰ —Note: Knockatober townland is situated about a mile-and-a-half east-southeast of Ballinasmale.
1715: The sacred buildings of the Priory having been destroyed during the persecutions, “the Carmelite Friars (called the White Friars in mediæval times because of their white cloak) occupied a cabin among the Ballinasmale ruins.” [pg. 20]
1737: Pope Clement XII “canonically re-established the Irish Carmelite Province under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception and St. Patrick,” on the 10th October. Two councillors to the restored Provincial, Fr. Lyons, were Fathers Simon Burke and James Prendergast—”common Mayo names.” [pg. 20]
1741: Father John Burke was “appointed by the 1741 Provincial Chapter first ‘definitor’ or Councillor of the Irish Province and probably Prior of Crevaghbane as well.” [pg. 21]
1760s: Archbishop Mark Skerrett of Tuam and Bishop James O’Fallon of Elphin gave support and protection to the Carmelites, and allowed them “to continue with their novitiates in their respective dioceses.” [pg. 22]
1780: The Sacramental test was abolished. [pg. 21]
1791: Wolfe Tone wrote, “Argument on behalf of the Catholics of Ireland.” [pg. 21]
1793–1795: St. Patrick’s College, Carlow, and Maynooth College, Kildare, were founded in 1793 and 1795, respectively. Until the founding of these institutions, the Catholic clergy had looked to Europe for their education. [pg. 21]
1798: After a period of increased religious toleration, the failure of the Rising heralded “the era of landlordism, and throughout this time Ireland was owned and governed by the Protestant ascendancy.” [pg. 21]
1801: There were “ten Carmelite monasteries which were occupied by twenty-eight priests.” [pg. 23]
Early 1800s: The Ballinasmale Carmelites ran a hedge-school “of sorts.” [pg. 25]
1822: Fr. John Lavin was appointed Prior of Ballinasmale, and Fathers Michael Geoghegan, Patrick Burke, and Martin Fitzpatrick were appointed members of the Ballinasmale community. At the same time, a new Roman Catholic chapel was built in the growing town of Claremorris. (Previously, there had been a mediæval church in Kilcolman townland, and a church in Barnycarroll townland, which may have been served by Carmelites, but which was later moved to Mace.) [pp. 23-4]
1829: Catholic Emancipation.
1840: “The Provincial, Fr. J. Colgan, in his account of the province, writes, there were two priests there then, and adds, the convent of Ballinasmale is a private house in a ruinous state, and the church seems to be a stable. The Prior (Fr. Lavin), who is advanced in years, seems to be able to do nothing towards improving the state of things.” [pg. 24]
1845–47: The Great Famine in Ireland. Father James Hughes, parish priest of Claremorris, worked “to relieve the suffering of the dying poor, especially in the Claremorris workhouse.”

From the 13th Oct. 1846 edition of The Mayo Constitution: ¹¹
“The Rev. Mr. Hughes, P.P. of Claremorris, in a letter to the Lord Lieutenant, states the population of his parish to be 9,451. Of these, three thousand are in a state of actual starvation, having, as the writer adds, ‘to subsist on one miserable meal of cabbage in the twenty-four hours!’”
1852: Death of Fr. Lavin, at Ballinasmale. [pg. 24]
1870: The last Mass was offered in the thatched chapel of Our Lady, which had been reconstructed from the ruins. “The Carmelites left Ballinasmale for two reasons: firstly because of the newly built church in nearby Claremorris town and secondly because of the scarcity of priests at a time of great emigration, particularly from the West of Ireland and the urgent request of the bishops of America and Australia for priests to minister to the Irish.” The last Carmelite at Ballinasmale was Father John Carr. [pp. 2, 24]
1871: Fr. John Carr, who had been the last priest at Ballinasmale, and now in Dublin, was appointed Provincial. [pg. 25]
1879: In the evening of August 21st, at Knock,* “Our Lady appeared with St. Joseph and St. John next to the altar surrounded by angels and on the altar stood the triumphant Lamb in front of the sign of salvation, the Cross.” [pg. 12] *Note: The village of Knock lies four miles north-northeast of Ballinasmale. In this village stands the Sanctuary of our Lady Knock, more commonly known as the Knock Shrine. enwikipedia.org
1893: Fr. John Carr died in Dublin on the 24th July.
From the 23rd July 1893 edition of The Irish News and Belfast Morning News: ¹²
“Death of the Rev. John Car, O.C.C.—The death is announced of the Very Rev. John S. Carr, ex-Provincial of the Carmelite Order in Ireland. The sad event took place at an early hour on Thursday morning last in the convent of his Order, Aungier Street, Dublin. Father John Carr was a member of a highly respected family in the County Galway, and was born in the year 1816. Father Carr filled the office of Prior in Aungier Street Convent, Dublin, for a long time, and was afterwards Provincial of the Order of Ireland. As chaplain to the workhouse in the South Dublin Union, to which he was appointed by the late Cardinal Cullen in 1860, and which office he filled for pretty nearly a quarter of a century, his priestly zeal, his gift of prudence, and his wonderful discretion accomplished great things on behalf of the poor.”
1979: After an interval of one hundred years, the Holy Sacrifice of Mass was offered in the ruins of the Abbey on July 16th. [pp. 2-3]
1983: The Ballinasmale Abbey Conservation Committee was formed. [pg. 3]

Footnotes:

Josten, Stephen. Ballinasmale Carmelite Abbey, 1288–1870. Ballinasmale Abbey Conservation Committee, 16 July 1984. Formerly (2021) online on the Carmelites’ website, carmelites.ie/Ballinasmale.pdf; now available for purchase from The Irish History Bookshop irishhistorybookshop.ie. ↩︎
D’Alton, Right Rev. Monsignor. The History of the Archdiocese of Tuam. Vol. I. Dublin: The Phœnix Publishing Company, 1928. ↩︎
Wikipedia. Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke enwikipedia.org (accessed 16th Dec. 2023). ↩︎
Western People, 13 June 1908 (pg. 1). “Clanmorris, Gallon, Burrishoole, and Carra in 1801.” Digital image online at FindMyPast.co.uk (accessed 29th Dec. 2023) per The British Library Board. ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 7, citing T.F. Doohan, O.Carm., “Ballinsmale,” in Terenure College Annual (1955, 7–9), in turn, citing the State Papers of 1574–75. ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 7, citing the Inquisition of August 27th. ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 17, citing the Stafford Inquisition of Mayo, 1625–35. ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 18, citing Wm. III, cap. 26, sec. 1. ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 15; and 20, citing Arch. Ord. II Hibernia II, 1, pg. 47 ↩︎
Josten, op. cit., pg. 16; citing Dr. Conor Maguire, in his Local History of Claremorris, Co. Mayo. ↩︎
The Mayo Constitution, 13 Oct. 1846 (pg. 1). Report of starvation in and around Claremorris by the Rev. Hughes, P.P. Digital image online at FindMyPast.co.uk (accessed 29th Dec. 2023) per the British Library Board. ↩︎
The Irish News and Belfast Morning News, 28 July 1893 (pg. 5). “Death of the Rev. John Carr, O.C.C.” Digital image online at FindMyPast.co.uk, per the British Library Board; transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 29th Dec. 2023. ↩︎

End notes :

Source citation for this page: — Arborealis. “The Carmelite Abbey (St. Mary’s) of Ballinasmale, parish of Kilcolman (Clanmorris), county Mayo.” Timeline published to Arborealis, online at arborealis.ca/local-history/ireland/kilcolman/carmelite-ballinasmale/, accessed [insert date]. Citing: (1) Josten, Stephen. “Ballinasmale Carmelite Abbey, 1288–1870.” Dublin: Ballinasmale Abbey Conservation Committee, 1984 (formerly online at the Carmelites’ website carmlites.ie (2021); (2) D’Alton, Right Rev. Monsignor. “The History of the Archdiocese of Tuam.” Vol. I. Dublin: The Phœnix Publishing Company, 1928; (3) entries from Wikipedia enwikipedia.org. “Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke;” and contemporary news accounts.

Quotations from Josten’s essay, Ballinasmale Carmelite Abbey, 1288–1870, are ©1984 to Stephen Josten. See footnote no. 1, above, for the full source citation for this reference. These limited extracts have been copied for non-commercial research. Under Irish copyright law governing intellectual property , fair dealing prohibits commercial re-use of these extracts.

Updated 29th Dec. 2023.

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