According to Harbison, the abbey is built on the site of an earlier monastery founded by St. Baedán, who died circa 809. Nothing remains on the earlier site but the Augustinian abbey was founded in the 12th century, and the oldest part of the current site dates from the 13th century. According to the plaque at the site, the fire which destroyed the abbey occurred in 1404, after which the abbey was reconstructed on a much grander scale. The abbey become increasingly corrupt, to the point that the Pope retook control of the abbey in 1443. Considering that the pope of the time was Julius II, better known as either the warrior pope or il papa terribile, and was better known for his patronage of Raphael and Michelangelo during the Renaissance, God knows what the lads in Clontuskert were up to that so offended him.
Harbison puts the date of the Pope's intervention in the middle of the 14th century, and mentions that 10-year indulgences were sold in order to fund the reconstruction. Selling indulgences was one of the many scams that the Catholic Church had for making money - is it any wonder there was a Reformation ? He also mentions that in 1473 that the Prior was accused of keeping concubines and murder - clearly, Ballinasloe was a more exciting place then than today. The abbey was owned by the De Burgos after Dissolution, but the monks returned for a while in 1637.
These photos were taken on Monday June 14, 2004.
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