Liberty Square, Thurles

Area

227 m²

Buildings

4 buildings touch it, 790 m² on the ground

Zoning

M2 Urban Core (Thurles and Environs Local Area Plan 2024-2030) The objective

Townland

Thurles Townparks

Planning applications on this parcel

No planning application touches this parcel in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 20 recorded monuments.

• TN041-042 Historic town
  Description

  Situated on flat pasture with good views in all directions. The town appears to have been established along a fording point of the River Suir which runs N-S along the E side of the present town. Barry's Castle (TN041-042002-) and stone bridge (TN041-042006-) are located on or close to the site of the medieval fording point over the River Suir. Thurles was established as an Anglo-Norman town by Theobald Walter in the late twelfth century around which time the earth and timber motte-castle (TN041-042004-) was constructed (Bradley 1985, 54; Empey 1989, 32, 36). This Anglo-Norman fortification known locally as the 'Moat' was located 70m NW of Liberty Square in the NW quadrant of the medieval town. It is possible that there was a pre-Norman fortification located here which gave its name Durlas / Thurles meaning 'oaken ringfort' to the town. No evidence of a pre-Norman fortification has been uncovered at Thurles although the ringfort at Bowling Green (TN041-041--) is an example of such a ringfort. It is recorded that Donal Mór O'Brien won a military victory here in 1192, presumably his target being the newly established settlement (Smyth 1991, 166-7; Nolan 1989, 12). The earliest reliable reference to a castle in Thurles is in a charter granted by Theobald Walter, who died in 1206 (Curtis 1933, 18). In the year 1211-12 Theobald Walter paid King John an annual sum of £26 13s. 4d. for the 'farm of Thurles' (Davies and Quinn 1941, 69). A manor court had been established at Thurles in the 13th century, on the 2nd of April 1309 the King wrote to the sheriff of Tipperary ordering him to 'forbid the bailiffs of Edmund Butler of Thurles to hold the plea which is in the said lord’s court of Thurles between Thomas Broun, plaintiff, and Philip Baroun, tenant, 6s 8d concerning 6s 8d rent in Sythan in a writ of right, because Philip who is tenant put himself in the grand assize' (Close Roll 2 Edward II, No. 88; RCH 9/88). The borough status of the town is clear from an early fourteenth-century reference (1336) to two knights' fees held as a burgage to the value of £22 17s 2d (Martin 1981, 51; Cal. inq. post mortem, 18). By the fourteenth century the town was probably defended by a wall as is supported by a murage grant to Thurles dated 1356-7 (Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 192). In this year the Chancery Rolls recorded a royal exemption on 'certain specified customs from articles for sale coming to that town' for a period of 20 years, 'to the town of Thurlys [Thurles] in aid of the paving [of that town] and its enclosure with a stone wall' (Patent Roll 30 Edward III, No. 43) In 1432 the reeve and community of Thurles were summoned to the seneschal's court (Martin 1981, 51; Curtis 1933, 95). The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1840 described a destroyed W gate as 'geata na gcoileach', the letters also mention a round building known as Crow's tower which stands on the W side of the town on the road to Cashel (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 78). This tower may have been a mural tower associated with the town walls of Thurles (Carey and Farrelly 1994, 85-100). It was locally believed that five castles were pulled down to construct the courthouse in Thurles (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 78). There is no depiction of a town wall on either the Down Survey map of 1655-9 or Rocque's map of 1755 (NLI 16 I 3/9). The possible footprint of the medieval town and its buildings are depicted on the 1755 map which shows that the town buildings were located on E and W sides of the River Suir. It is not certain whether the town defences were of stone (Bradley 1985, 53) but there were gates at E, N and W that gave access to the town. Only the springing arch of the E gate survives protruding from 'Barry's Castle' (TN041-042002-) - there is only the placename evidence for the W gate while there is no surviving evidence for a N gate. Cartographic and historical documents along with the monumental remains suggests that by the seventeenth century the town consisted of three distinguishable areas, namely a core area centering on the market square now Liberty Square; an eastern quarter to the E of Barry's Bridge (TN041-042006-); and a western quadrant to the W of the town square and outside the town walls and the West gate (Smyth 1991, 166-7). The Civil Survey of 1654-56 recorded that James Earl of Ormond and Elizabeth Lady Viscountesse Dowager of Thurles were the proprietors of the town in 1640 and that the town yielded an annual value of £260 (Simington 1934, 53). In 1640 the town of Thurles had 'the privileges of a Mannor and a Marckett twice a week, and a fayre twice a yeare (vizt.) on Eater Twesday and the 9th of August. It is well inhabited. In Thurles there is a faire house wherein the Lady of Thurles liveth with a Castle [TN041-042006-] and severall Turretts upon the Bawne, three stone houses; In the Towne, and severall thatch Cabbins, a stone bridge [TN041-042006-] upon the River Shewer, a small Castle [TN041-042002-] at the bridge foot and old ruinous Aby [TN041-042008-], & the walls of the p[ar]ish Church' (ibid.). 17th century taxation records (Hearth Money Returns) suggested that the areas outside the town defences were the poorest and that the eastern quadrant was the main artisan quarter, containing many kilns, ovens etc. (Smyth 1991). Within the modern town there are the remains of a destroyed late 12th century motte castle (TN041-042004-), a 13th/14th century Carmelite friary (TN041-042008-), two 15th century tower houses represented by 'Black Castle' (TN041-042001-) and its enclosing bawn (TN041-042020-), and 'Barry's Castle' (TN041-042002-); two church sites, St Bridget's (TN041-042003-) in the western quadrant and St Mary's (TN041-042009-) in the eastern quadrant. Other monuments include the remains of sheela-na-gig (TN041-042005-), the site of a castle (TN041-042013-) and the late medieval 'Barry's Bridge' (TN041-042006-). In 2002 archaeological monitoring at Croke Street, Thurles carried out by Aine Richardson for a commercial development revealed no archaeological features. Monitoring of the excavation of foundation trenches was carried out at Croke Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The site, on the eastern side of Croke Street, is within the zone of archaeological potential as outlined in the Urban Archaeological Survey. The development proposal involved demolishing the buildings on the site and constructing a larger retail unit with car-parking facilities to the rear. Testing of the site had been carried out by John Tierney as part of an assessment (Bennett 2003, No. 1231, 01E0542). However, the locations of the foundations for the new building were not tested, as the demolition of the old structures had not taken place, so the assessment recommended that all groundworks associated with the development be monitored. Seven foundation trenches were excavated for the development. Although historical research pointed to the possibility of finding the enclosing wall of the medieval town of Thurles, no evidence of medieval activity was discovered on the site. The sediments removed from the foundation trenches were mainly relatively modern or late post-medieval. Only one context showed any likelihood of being earlier, and this was inconclusive: a layer of rubble that may be the remnants of a demolished wall. It was in the centre of the site and consisted of limestone blocks held within dark brown/black, mortar-enriched clay. It was 0.9m deep. The average dimensions of the stones were 0.22m by 0.1m by 0.08m. No coursing was evident, but the wall may have been demolished to create a level ground surface. It is possible that any medieval layers were removed at the time of the construction of the original retail unit. At the eastern end of the site, under the upper modern layers, the sediments were largely natural. This monitoring was carried out under Licence No. 01E0542ext. (Bennett 2004, 482). In 2002 archaeological trenching at Friar Street, Thurles carried out by Brian

• TN041-042001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Locally known as the 'Black Castle', this 15th century tower house was also known as 'Thurles Castle' and stood 35m S of the 12th century Anglo-Norman motte castle (TN041-042004-) as depicted on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. The Mac Richard Butler family resided in the tower house which they built around the year 1453 (O’Donovan 1856, 1170-1). This date of construction was confirmed in a marginal entry in the Laud Misc. 610 manuscript which stated that, ‘It will be a year tomorrow since the Earl of Ormond [James Butler, the 4th Earl] died, that is, St. Bartholomew’s Day, and in that year [1452] he built the bawn of Dunmore and the two castles of Thurles’ (Dillon 1963, 147). The castle stands today surrounded by buildings on the W side of Liberty Square in the medieval town of Thurles (TN041-042----). The tower house stands to the W of the houses fronting onto Parnell Street/Liberty Square and N of the houses fronting onto West Gate Street. The town car park is located 35m N of the castle. The tower house stood inside a bawn (TN041-042020-) or courtyard defended by a stone wall with angle towers and accessed through a gateway. It is not clear if the bawn now mainly levelled is contemporaneous with the castle or if it was a later addition. The castle and bawn is mentioned in the Civil Survey of 1654-6 where the building is described as 'a faire house wherein the Lady of Thurles liveth with a castle and severall Turrets upon the Bawne' (Simington 1931, 53). 'James Earle of Ormond' and 'Elyzabeth Lady Viscountess Dowager of Thurles' are listed as proprietors of the castle in 1640 (ibid.). This tower house appears to be the Thurles Castle described in the early 1900s as following; 'Thurles Castle has a late keep with trefoil windows. From information on the spot it appears that there used to be a motte (TN041-042004-) in the gardens behind the castle' (Armitage 1912, 346). Described in the late 18th century as a castle that 'was strongly garrisoned in the civil war (1641-53), but was taken and demolished by the Parliament's forces; since which it has gone to decay; however enough remains to shew it was formerly a place of considerable strength' (Grose 1791, 70). Present remains consist of a four-storey high lobby-entrance tower house built from coursed limestone rubble with a pronounced base-batter. There is a barrel vault over the ground floor, a pointed vault over the second floor and wooden floors elsewhere. The original entrance, which is now blocked, was in the S end of the E wall with two other entrances inserted at a later date. The main entrance gave access to two lobbies protected by overhead murder-holes and a cruciform gun loop. The walls and floor at ground-floor level have been concreted and a plastic barrel-shaped panel roof inserted to accommodate its last function as an abattoir. A mural stairs in the W and N walls gave access to the upper floors. Windows at first-floor level have been blocked up or modified. A later brick fireplace and flue were inserted into the centre of the W wall of this floor. This inserted flue continues to rise in the W wall up through the second and third-floor levels. A flat-headed doorway in the S end of the W wall of the main chamber at first-floor level gives access to a small mural chamber above the lobby which contains the murder-hole. S of this there is a garderobe chamber which contains two chutes, the second coming from the inaccessible floor above. The second floor is lit by single-light flat and ogee-headed windows. The third floor is well lit with one single and three two-light ogee-headed cusped and rebated windows, with external double chamfers and decorated spandrels. There are a number of wall cupboards in this chamber, some, including a slop-stone, are in window embrasures. The N side of the embrasure in the E wall contains a round-headed doorway which gives access to parapet level via mural stairs. There is very little left of the parapet wall, a portion of it survives on the S and W sides with evidence of a bartizan at the SW angle. There are also the remains of drip stones at the base of the parapet wall. On the external W face there are substantial corbels projecting out, three above the first and the same above second-floor level. They appear to be original and probably relate to an adjoining building, now demolished. Only fragmentary remains of the bawn (TN041-042020-) survive, the N wall of which was levelled in recent years. These include a section of the bawn wall, which would have joined the W wall of the tower house near the SW angle, with the remains of a wall-walk. N of the tower house there is another portion with the remains of a bartizan. A seventeenth-century house (TN041-042017-) may have been constructed against the W face of the tower house where only the tie stones for such a structure survive. See attached 18th century drawing by John James Barralet of 'Thurles Castle' and bawn wall, taken from The Antiquities of Ireland (Grose 1791). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly and Hugh Carey Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 August 2018

• TN041-042002 Castle - tower house
  Description

  Known as the Bridge Castle this site is located at the E end of Liberty Square on the S side adjacent to Barry's Bridge (TN041-042006-). Local tradition suggests that this castle was built and occupied by the Knights Templars (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 4). A marginal entry in the Laud Misc. 610 states that, ‘It will be a year tomorrow since the Earl of Ormond [James Butler, the 4th Earl] died, that is, St. Bartholomew’s Day, and in that year [1452] he built the bawn of Dunmore and the two castles of Thurles’ (Dillon 1963, 147). A date of 1453 has been suggested for its construction (Condon 1984, 2; Corbett 1993, 144). It is described in the Civil Survey (1654-6) as 'a small castle at the bridge foot' with 'James Earle of Ormond' and 'Elyzabeth Lady Viscountess Dowager of Thurles' listed as proprietors (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 53). Present remains consist of a three-storey high tower house with attic and parapet constructed with roughly coursed limestone rubble with base-batter. A later building has been erected against the S and W walls. There is a vaulted roof over the first floor with wooden floors elsewhere which have been replaced with modern timber flooring. The ground floor of the tower house is currently used as a drapery shop which has resulted in a lot of alteration obscuring the original features of the tower. The original doorway was possibly in the W wall which gave access to spiral stairs in the NW angle from which all upper floors were accessed. In the N wall at ground level there is a blocked pointed doorway which may have been a separate entrance to the tower house from the E gate of the town wall, the arch of which springs from the N wall of the tower house. At first-floor level the window embrasures in the S and W walls have been broken through to provide access to the adjoining buildings. In the N wall there is a flat-headed, raised doorway into a mural passage, which leads up into a garderobe chamber lit by a loop. The vaulted roof has traces of wicker centring and both walls and roof are whitewashed. At second-floor level there is a garderobe chamber accessed from the stairs. In the stone floor of this chamber there is a hole with slots to accommodate a wooden trapdoor - this is directly over the main entrance. A flat-headed doorway in the S wall of this chamber leads into the main second-floor chamber. The second floor is also accessed via a pointed doorway in the stairs. It is lit by single and two-light ogee-headed windows. The attic level is roofed with a modern A-frame roof supported on two rows of breeze block which in turn rest on the original stone supports on both the E and W walls. The E example is composed of three rows of stone blocks, the lowest course, being well cut and dressed, is supported by an elaborate central corbel which rests on a rectangular stone pier. There appears to have been additional corbelled support in the NE and NW angles. The arrangement on the W wall is similar. The N and S walls carried the gables, the latter given addition support by means of a double arcade resting on a central, pyramidal corbel with broach stops. At attic level a mural chamber is accessed from the stairs. It is floored with stone lintels and lit by a single-light window, with a slop-stone in the S wall. There is a similar chamber above this, at parapet level, which rested on a wooden floor. It is lit by two single lights and roofed with stone lintels. The parapet was reached from the stairs and has stepped crenellations which appear to be mostly original though those on the W side have been heightened in recent times. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 3 November 2014

• TN041-042003 Church
  Description

  St Bridget's church site and graveyard (TN041-042018-) is situated on the W side of the town of Thurles to the W of the railway line and on the N side of Garryvicleheen road. Situated outside the walled town (TN041-042----) and when visited by the OS in 1840 no trace of any church was visible (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 8). In the S wall of the graveyard there is a large stone pier into which are inserted several architectural fragments and carved stones most of which are of a recent date. One of the fragments consists of an ogee-headed window with hollowed spandrels which formerly belonged to a church building. The other figures consist of a cat, a lion and a human figure. No visible remains of any church in the graveyard. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

• TN041-042004 Castle - motte
  Description

  Site of levelled motte castle situated in the modern car park at the W end of Thurles town (TN041-042----) 35m N of 'Black Castle' (TN041-042001-). Circular outline of levelled motte castle depicted on 1st ed. OS 6-inch map, the location of the monument is preserved in the name of 'Moat Lane' located immediately to the N. No surface remains visible of the late 12th or early 13th century Anglo-Norman earth and timber motte castle which was destroyed c. 1800 (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 1, 7). According to the OS Letters the earthen motte stood c. 30m high (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 7). The motte castle was located inside or adjoining the bawn of the 15th century 'Black Castle' also known as 'Thurles Castle'. The earthen mound or motte was described in 1752 as 'a mount with a winding ascent' (Stokes 1891, 174). From this reference it is clear that the motte was converted into a landscape feature belonging to the gardens of 'Thurles Castle'. In the early 1900s the location of the motte and the gardens were described as following; 'From information on the spot it appears that there used to be a motte (TN041-042004-) in the gardens behind the castle' (Armitage 1912, 346). The earth and timber motte castle was constructed in the late 12th century by Theobald Walter which in the 13th century became the manorial castle or administrative centre of the newly created Anglo-Norman Manor of Thurles (Bradley 1985, 54; Empey 1989, 32, 36). The earliest reliable datable reference to a castle (TN041-042013-) in Thurles is in a charter granted by Theobald Walter, who died in 1206 (Curtis 1933, 18, 34). The manor of Thurles is described in 1338 as consisting of 'a chamber, a chapel, a kitchen of stone walls covered with shingle, a bakehouse with a stone wall and covered with straw of no value because no one wishes to rent them.' (Cal. inq. post mortem, vol. 8, no. 184). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly and Hugh Carey Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 August 2018

• TN041-042005 Sheela-na-gig
  Description

  Situated on the back wall of Lyon's Tyre and Batteries Centre opposite the GAA museum on the Slievenamon road in Thurles town. According to the OS Letters the W gate of the town was known locally as 'geata na Gcoileach' or the gate of the old woman with a carving of an old woman chiselled on a stone in one of its sides (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 7-8). It is likely that this reference is to the sheela-na-gig which was inserted in its present location after the demolition of the W gate. The figure consists of a woman carved in relief with a pear-shaped head, almond-shaped recessed eyes, small nose and horizontal mouth on a square body with sagging breasts, splayed legs and arms pulling vulva apart. It has pronounced jug-shaped ears and the lower leg on the dexter side is missing while that on the sinister side terminates in a foot positioned side-ways with pronounced heel and foot. The figure is carved on a limestone block (H 0.49m x Wth 0.47m) in relief. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

• TN041-042006 Bridge
  Description

  Barry's Bridge, situated at the E end of the town of Thurles, crosses the River Suir. This bridge may be that referred to in the Civil Survey of 1654-6 as 'a stone bridge upon the river Shewer' in Thurles (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 53) and despite later alterations may contain some of the original fabric. The present bridge consists of seven round arches and six cutwaters. The arches have cut voussoirs with projecting keystones. Two refuges on the N, upstream side, as depicted on Grosse's sketch of the bridge in 1793, are no longer visible and were probably removed when the bridge was reconstructed or widened in the early nineteenth century. The S face of the bridge appears to have retained its original façade consisting of seven pointed arches of roughly cut limestone blocks. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

• TN041-042007 Town defences
  Description

  Situated on flat pasture with good views in all directions. The medieval settlement at Thurles appears to have been established along a fording point of the River Suir which runs N-S along the E side of the present town. Thurles was established as an Anglo-Norman town (TN041-042----) by Theobald Walter in the late twelfth century around which time the earth and timber motte-castle (TN041-042004-) was constructed (Bradley 1985, 54; Empey 1989, 32, 36). This Anglo-Norman fortification known locally as the 'Moat' was located 70m NW of Liberty Square in the NW quadrant of the medieval town. The earliest reliable reference to a castle in Thurles is in a charter granted by Theobald Walter, who died in 1206 (Curtis 1933, 18). It is recorded that Donal More O'Brien won a military victory here in 1192, presumably his target being the newly established settlement (Smyth 1991, 166-7; Nolan 1989, 12). The borough status of the town is clear from an early fourteenth-century reference (1336) to two knights' fees held as a burgage to the value of £22 17s 2d (Martin 1981, 51; Cal. inq. post mortem, 18) and almost a century later (1432) the reeve and community were summoned to the seneschal's court (Martin 1981, 51; Curtis 1933, 95). It is unclear whether a stone wall was ever constructed around the town of Thurles and no physical remains of a town wall have yet been identified. A stone wall may have been constructed around the town in the second half of the fourteenth century when Thurles received a murage grant dated 1356-7 (Thomas 1992, vol. 2, 192). In this year the Chancery Rolls recorded a royal exemption on 'certain specified customs from articles for sale coming to that town' for a period of 20 years, 'to the town of Thurlys [Thurles] in aid of the paving [of that town] and its enclosure with a stone wall' (Patent Roll 30 Edward III, No. 43). A tentative line of the town wall was suggested by Thomas (1992, 193). The circuit of this proposed wall (area c. 7.5 ha) would only enclose the town of Thurles on the W side of the River Suir, leaving the E side of the town undefended. The wall may have ran parallel to the W bank of the River Suir for a length of c. 250m and then ran parallel to the main street towards 'Black Castle' (TN041-042001-) and the Anglo-Norman motte castle (TN041-042004-) which may have stood close to the NW angle of the town wall. Black Castle, Castle Avenue and Westgate Street may mark the W boundary of the town wall. However Westgate Street may be a reference to the gate of the bawn wall (TN041-042020-) belonging to Black Castle and not to a town wall entrance gate. A gateway may have been located on the E side of the town beside Barry's Bridge (TN041-042006-) and castle (TN041-042002-) where the modern road crosses the River Suir. The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1840 describe a destroyed W gate as geata na gcoileach, they also mention a round building known as Crow's tower which stands at the town to the right of the road to Cashel (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 78). This tower may have been a mural tower associated with the town walls of Thurles (Carey and Farrelly 1994, 85-100). There is no depiction of a town wall on either the Down Survey map of 1655-9 or Rocque's map of 1755 (NLI 16 I 3/9). It is not certain whether the town defences were of stone (Bradley 1985, 53) but there were gates at E, N and W that gave access to the town. Only the springing arch of the E gate survives protruding from Barry's Castle (TN041-042002-) - there is only the placename evidence for the W gate while there is no surviving evidence for a N gate. See attached image of proposed/suggested line of town wall if it had been constructed around the town of Thurles, taken from The Walled Towns of Ireland (Thomas 1992, 192). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly and Hugh Carey Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 August 2018

• TN041-042008 Religious house - Carmelite friars
  Description

  The levelled Carmelite friary stood on the E side of the River Suir where the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption now stands (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 440). It was founded in either c. 1291 or 1300 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 291-2) and dissolved during the sixteenth century. Its possessions were listed as consisting of a church, a chapter-house, three chambers, a stable and two gardens, all ruinous. They were granted to the Earl of Ormond in 1557 (ibid.). The friars returned to Thurles from time to time, 'Thurlusiae' being listed among the Irish Carmelite houses c. 1737 (ibid.). Although nothing now remains of the friary, an 'old ruinous aby' was described in Civil Survey of 1654-6 (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 53). In 1795, Topographia Hibernica recorded the following; 'A monastery was founded here by the Butler family, in A.D. 1300, a tower is still remaining on the E side of the river, and a part of the cross aisle leading to the N' (Seward 1795). Pococke noted the remains of '...a convent, a tower and some part of the cross aisle to the N...' (Stokes 1891, 174-5). In 1892, John Davis White referred to 'a tower...on the east side of the river, and some part of the cross aisle leading to the north' (White 1892, 9). The similarity to Pococke's comment suggests Davis White may not have visited the site himself. The first Catholic Archbishop's house in Thurles was built near the ruins of the friary by James Butler (1692-1774) (Bradley 1985, 54). According to the OS Letters of 1840 the last vestiges of the monastery, consisting of 'a small portion of a stone wall with a circular doorway of chiselled limestone on it' stood until 1806 when it was pulled down to make way for an R.C. chapel (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 3-4). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly and Hugh Carey Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 August 2018

• TN041-042009 Church
  Description

  Situated to the E of Barry's Bridge at the end of St Mary's Avenue on a natural rise of ground in undulating countryside. A modern church located in a graveyard (TN041-042019) which may have been associated with the medieval church. It is possible that this was not the site of the medieval church as it is located outside the medieval core of the town (Bradley 1985, 54). By the late thirteenth century St Mary's church had come under the control of Owney Abbey in Limerick (Johnstone 1989, 187). The church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is mentioned in 1432 (COD, vol. 3, 84). In 1562 all the possessions of Owney Abbey were put in lay hands (Johnstone 1989, 187). By the time of the Civil Survey (1656) the church was in ruins and in 1673 Lady Thurles was buried in Ladyes Chapple beside St Mary's Church (Corbett 1993, 145). Pococke in 1752 described a church which is built onto the tower of an old church which is located to the E of the river and where there is a monument to the Archers of Archer's Court (Stokes 1891, 174). The tower, together with two ruined buildings, is depicted in Grose's Antiquities of Ireland (1791-7, vol. 2, pl. 105). The modern St Mary's church was built in 1820 and it is recorded in the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 7) that this church was built near a castle called Church castle which may have been the tower of the old St Mary's as recorded by Pococke in 1752 (Carey and Farrelly 1994, 98) and depicted in Gros (ibid.). In fact the modern church may have incorporated part of the original tower. There is an impressive table-tomb (TN041-042010) dedicated to the Archer family dated 1520 in the graveyard. It has a double effigy on top of the tomb with a depiction of the knight and his lady with their feet resting on a dog. The sides of the tomb contain depictions of six apostles each one contained under a round-arched niche springing from moulded capitals and columns. On one end of the tomb there is a depiction of the Crucifixion, Our Lady and St John (Hunt 1974, vol. 1, 230). There is a wall memorial dated (TN041-042012) 1683 in the graveyard, N of the church, built up against a free-standing stone wall. The coat of arms is surmounted by a side view of a helmet on which is standing a lion rampant, with tail in the air. Under the coat of arms there is a scroll with the initials IG and EP. The wall memorial rests on a limestone altar. There is a sixteenth/seventeenth-century recumbent graveslab (TN041-042011) located on the S side of the church, S of the W door, consisting of an eight-armed floriated cross with a knop under which are the symbols of the Passion. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

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Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

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Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.