The Franciscan Friary in the Jamestown was founded in 1642 by the O'Rourke clan right after the Irish Rebellion in 1641. It hosted a Synod of bishops in 1650 where they repudiated James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, and excommunicated all his political associates.
The friary also hosted a Chapter for the Franciscan Friars in 1659 and 1661.
Today the church of the monastic settlement is an empty shell, with only the outer walls surviving to a full height.
The church is aligned to the east (85°). It has a lintelled doorway in each of the gables, one window high in the middle of the north wall and three rectangular and topless windows in the south wall.
The church is surrounded by a nice churchyard. To the northeast of the church, down a gentle slope, is a small mausoleum for the Devine family.
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