- Abbeymahon Abbey
Abbeymahon Abbey is a ruined abbey situated near
Timoleague ,County Cork , Ireland. It was founded in1172 byDermot MacCormac MacCarthy ,king ofDesmond . The site was originally at Aghamanister and was colonized with a group ofCistercian monk s from Baltinglass. Almost acentury lapsed before the monks ofAghamanister decided to move to a new site; it is possible that the time had come to renew the abbey buildings and the monks took the opportunity to find a more spacious site. The monks had moved to Abbeymahon by1278 , whenDiarmait MacCarthaig , son ofDomnall Cairbrech , was buried in the ‘new monastery’. The new site was on the estuary of theArgideen River , just over a mile east south-east ofTimoleague , on the road toCourtmacsherry . Theabbot s of Abbeymahon were rebuked several times in thethirteenth century for not attending the General Chapter when summoned. It is not surprising that the abbots refused to attend considering that the journey was extremely lengthy and expensive. In thetaxation of1302 -1306 the income of theabbey was valued at £4, which would hardly have covered the cost of the journey. The annual income of the abbey during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was still a meager amount, estimated at just £18, with a potential income of £34 during peace time. At the time of the Dissolution it was found that the abbey church was functioning as the parish church and that all other buildings were being used by the local farmer. In1568 the property was leased to theViscount Barrymore and in1584 the lease was transferred toNicholas Walsh , Justice of Munster. The site was granted for ever to Nicholas Walsh in1587 , with some additional place names appearing on this grant. The remains consist largely of the east end of the church and some remnants of the tower.ee also
* List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Cork)
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