Cahir Abbey

The priory was founded in the late 12th century AD. It may have been a replacement for the 1178 burning of the 6th century abbey 4 miles south at Ardfinnan. Galfrid de Camville, Anglo-Norman Baron of Cahir and Fedamore, made a grant to its hospital c. 1200.^[8][9][10]

St Mary’s priory is a multi phased, with evidence of the original 13th century buildings and further alterations and additions in the 15th and 16th/17th centuries.^{[citation needed]}

The priory was dissolved in 1540 and surrendered by prior Edmond O'Lonergan; the church, parochial and conventual buildings were occupied by Sir Thomas Butler by January 1541. The priory was alienated by William Hutchinson and Edward Walshe 1561 and granted to Edmond Butler in 1566.^{[citation needed]}

The chancel of the church survives, with a row of windows in the north wall; also there are carved corbels and mouldings in limestone.

There is a residential tower, apparently seventeenth century in date, immediately west of the chancel.^[11][12]

There are also a cloister and domestic buildings. Mason's marks are visible.^[13][14]

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  Nave of the church, looking west
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  East window
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  A label stop of a hood mould
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  double piscina
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  A carved Celtic knot
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  tower at the south-east corner of the cloister which was erected after the priory was dissolved