Sligo Abbey, Ireland

Sligo Abbey wasn't actually an abbey at all. It was a Dominican Friary. It's called the abbey to avoid confusion with the other friary they have in Sligo. I guess it's just that kind of town.



The friary was founded in the 13th century, then damaged, then restored, and now just a ruin. It was later damaged and restored in the 15th century when a number of additions were made. I was particularly impressed by the design of the wall above. Note the fireplaces on the ground. Smoke from the fireplaces didn't just go straight up and out as it would through a conventional chimney. It actually ran through "smoke holes" in the walls to provide a kind of primitive central heating for the living quarters. These friars were my kind of monks, none of that Cistercian adherence to the rule of freezing your bits off with no fire or underwear permitted.






I note, however, that the trend for freezing Romanesque arches seems to have infected Franciscan architects as well.



My favourite piece of Sligo Abbey trivia is rather macabre. Like the Rock of Cashel, burial on these grounds was in such high demand that there are human remains under practically every blade of grass. In Sligo Abbey, however, the problem was made much worse by two cholera outbreaks and the odd bit of plague sweeping through the city and putting enormous strain on it's sole graveyard. Finally, the authorities put a stop to it and closed the gates to the dead. Unfortunately, it was seen as such a desirable, although crowded, place to take your eternal rest that the living started breaking in at night to bury Auntie Muriel when they thought no-one was looking. Between the reverse grave robbery and the legitimate burials, the ground level was eventually raised by several feet, far enough to cause problems when heritage conservationists took control of the site.

To allow for excavation of the site the OPW painstakingly exhumed all those generations of Auntie Muriel's and gently moved them to a separate part of the abbey grounds. The OPW are such good folks, generous to the living tourist and respectful of the dead.