The Dominican friary of North Youghal was founded in 1268 by Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, second baron of Desmond, outside the walls of the medieval Youghal.
In origin the friary was dedicated to the Holy Cross, but when in the 15th century a small ivory plaque of the Virgin with the Child was discovered, the church was dedicated to Our Lady of Graces. The friary and all its possessions were confiscated by king Henry VIII in 1541 during his campaign of dissolution of the monasteries. Some of the friars secretly remained in the area until 1583.
In 1587 the friary was given to sir Walter Raleigh and he might be the responsible for its final destruction.
The ivory plaque was safe, a silver shrine was made for it in 1617 and it's now held in the Dominican Priory in Cork City.
Almost nothing of this religious building survived through the centuries.
What we can see today is the west gable of the church with a three-light window, and a corner of the aisle in the southeast side. Other parts of the friary are most likely buried under the ground of the modern Youghal cemetery.
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