Kinalehin Friary

Kinalehin Friary (also Kinaleghin; Irish: Mainistir Chineál Fhéichín), originally a medieval charterhouse or Carthusian monastery and later a Franciscan friary, is a National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.

Kinalehin Friary

Cenél Féichín
Side chapels
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Other names	Domo dei; Kilnalahan; Kinaleghin; Kenaloyn; Cenel-Feichin; Cineoil-Feichin; Kilnalekin; Kinelfeichin
Order	Carthusian Order (c.1252–c.1341) Order of Friars Minor Conventual (c.1371–1540) Observant Franciscan Friars (1611–1700s)
Established	c.1252; refounded c.1371, 1611
Disestablished	c.1341, 1540, 1700s
Mother house	Hinton Charterhouse (Carthusian era)
Diocese	Clonfert
People
Founder(s)	John de Cogan
Architecture
Status	Inactive
Style	Late Gothic, Romanesque
Site
Location	Friary, Abbey, County Galway
Coordinates	53.102644°N 8.392537°W / 53.102644; -8.392537
Visible remains	abbey church, cloister
Public access	yes
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Kilnalekin Abbey
Reference no.	554

Kinalehin Charterhouse was Ireland's only Carthusian monastery.^[1]

Location

Kinalehin Friary is located 6.7 km (4.2 mi) west of Ballyshrule, northwest of Lough Derg and south of the Duniry River.^[2]

History

Kinalehin was founded c. 1252 by John de Cogan for the Carthusians.^[3] The first monks came over from Hinton Charterhouse and/or Witham Friary, both located in Somerset. It was purportedly destroyed in 1279 and if so, rebuilt soon after.^[4]

In 1306 Kinalehin was sold to the Knights Hospitaller, but the sale appears never to have completed.^[5] It was dissolved by the General Chapter (Grande Chartreuse) in 1321 and the diocese of Clonfert took possession in 1341.^{[citation needed]}

Around 1371 Pope Gregory XI granted permission to the de Burgos to refound it, this time with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual.^{[citation needed]}

Kinalehin was shut down in the Dissolution of the Monasteries of 1540. The monastic lands were purchased from Elizabeth I by Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, who retained it for the friars. It was dissolved before 1609.^{[citation needed]}

It was again refounded in 1611 for the Observant Franciscan Friars. In 1629 An Leabhar Breac, a famous manuscript of the 15th century, was held at Kinalehin.^[6]

The friars were expelled after the Cromwellian conquest but returned during the time of Charles II.^{[citation needed]}

Buildings

The archaeological remains are mainly Franciscan, although some Carthusian elements remain as earthworks.^[7][8]

The surviving remains consist of cloister, choir and three chapels.

• 
  nave arches
• 
• 
  Cloister and arches
• 
  Cloister and remnants of tower, with fireplace visible