Straide Abbey
It was originally a Franciscan foundation but at the insistence of Basilia, daughter-in-law of the founder, Jordan of Exeter, it subsequently became Dominican in 1252. It was burned down two years later and at least the chancel of the present church is likely to have been built shortly afterwards. The north side chapel is probably a fifteenth century addition as is the fine tomb inserted in the north wall of the choir. Scholars such as Stalley suggests that roofing was composed of lead which was removed when the monasteries were dissolved. He further suggests that stone slates were probably the norm for most church roofs although there is evidence for the use of wooden shingles as well.
Much of what remains at Strade site dates to after its restoration 1434 although the chancel of the church, where the alter once stood with six slender lancet windows in the north wall dates to the 13th C. These narrow lancet windows are common in all early Gothic monasteries. The style is often described as ‘transitional’, though it is more Romanesque than Gothic in character. The 15th Century construction involved the replacing of the East window and the chancel arch was inserted and the north transept was built at this time. In the more successful friaries it was often necessary for an isle to be added to the Nave to accommodate a growing congregation, and some a Transept which had to be added on the side away from the cloister. The finest Medieval Friaries to survive in Ireland usually date from the extraordinary revival which took place in the 15th Century mainly in the Gaelic areas of the west. Out of the 32 houses in the country most of them established in the larger Anglo-Norman towns and only a few founded by Gaelic Irish families. Of course this pattern was to change dramatically from the latter half of the 14th Century as the Irish Franciscan province reflected more & more the divisions in the country between Irish & Anglo-Irish (Barry 1987) |