To the southeast of Nenagh, next to Nenagh River, is a monastic complex with the ruins of an abbey, fragments of other monastic buildings, and a graveyard, all enclosed in a trapezoidal boundary wall.
The site was founded in about 1200 by Theobald Walter and would include an abbey and a hospital.
In 1541 the abbey was secularised, that is the church lost its religious purpose. It was then put under the control of a warden. It was eventually dissolved in 1551, when Thady O'Meara, the last prior, was still in possession of the monastery, the belfry, the mills and the graveyard.
Two years later the monastic site was in possession of Oliver Grace.
During these years the priory was largely rebuilt and most of the stones were reused.
The church was a chancel and nave building. It was about 18 metres long, 8.5 metres wide and had a crossing tower between the chancel and the nave, but no trace of it is visible today.
The east (100°) gable still stands, though mostly overgrown. There's a round-headed window in the wall.
The south wall is nearly totally missing. The north wall is still rather intact. There's a splayed round headed window in it. The remains of a vaulted chamber are also in the north wall.
Though the remains of this monastic place are scant, I think they are worth a visit if you're in the area.
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