The Irish standard., 1914-11-28
Did Dominican Abbey of Limerick


remained of the church and monastery
except ruined wall, which, by lam
Get windows Of great altitude, tells
what the monastery and church had
been in their days of splendor. Crom-
wells son-in-law headed the siege of
1861; by his orders Most. Rev. Ter
ence Albert O'Brien was hanged in
the marketplace on the eve of All
Saints.
Before his Episcopacy, he was Prior
of the Dominicans, and, though Bishop
of Emily now, he stayed in Limerick
to encourage the citizens then suffer
ing severely for faith and country.
The plague ragged fearfully in the city,
and in it's midst, amongst the dying
In the pest house, on the 9th of Oc-
tober, 1851, the Prelate was seized
by Ireton's orders and imprisoned
(He had previously refused private
offer of 100000 crowns to leave the
! city, Brought before Ireton he was
tried by courtmartial and condemned
to the horrible death of traitor.
After the unjust sentence was given,
the Bishop calmly but firmly sum-
moned Ireton before the Tribunal of
the Eternal Judge. Eight days after,
the unhappy 1reton lay hopelessly
stricken with the fatal disease which
he had probably caught from the
Bishop, when he summoned him from
the pest house to his presence; for it
Is well known that the plague was
often communicated by the clothing of
persons from infected places, al
though such, like the martyr in this
instance, had never shown any symp.
toms of the disease. Through his
| death rawlings, Ireton laid the crime
on his council of war, wishing he had
never seen the old Bishop, or only
seen him at distance.
In the July of this year (1651), just
three months before the death of the
martyred Bishop, strange phenome-
non occurred: On bright afternoon,
about o'clock, it is stated the Blessed
Mother of God appeared over St.
Mary's Cathedral (now in Protestant
hands), accompanied by st. Dominic
and st. Francis and five other holy
beings. From thence she passed to
the old Dominican Abbey est. Sa-
viour's), moving from there to st.
Francis, which was without the city
walls.
De Burgo, and after him Archdall
and Ferrar, state that a portion of
the monastery grounds had been con-
verted into a tan yard, and barrack
was built on another portion of it
which had been taken by the govern
ment in 1879 on lease for one hun
dred years. 1t was capable of con.
tanning 800 men; it extended 200 feet
in length, and 900 feet in breadth, and
was strengthened on the east side by
broad, deep ditch.
The siege under William of Orange
in 1851 completed the destruction of
the grand old monastery; the soldiers
broke whatever lay within their reach
that could take from it the look of it's
holy purpose, amongst the rest, the
tomb of Donagh Carbraigh O'Brien,
leaving not trace of where he had
lain. Secular dwellings were soon
erected on the place; but the Catho.
lies seem not to have lost sight of its
sacredness, and when the British penal
code had been somewhat lessened in
| 1916, Most Rev. DR.. Young, Bishop
of Limerick and the Franciscan Friars
succeeded in getting the Poor Clares
to come and found convent thereon.
Mr.. Meade, good Catholic, gave his
part of the premises as a portion to
his daughter who Joined them.
In 1888 the Daughters of St. Glare
had to seek a home in other converts
their funds having been lost through
the insolvency Of the parties who had
them in interest. Two Lay Sisters
had to remain behind-Sister Mary
and Sister Anne-who took up their
abode in the class room of the school,
which was over the present Convent
Lodge. They continued to teach the
school, aided by some young ladies who
came daily.
The Presentation Nuns were then
brought, but continued only about
three years-subjects not joining them
as they hoped.
The Parochial Priests then came to
reside in the empty house, built for
the Poor Clares, which still remains
it consists of the block of building
facing the side of the present Lodge,
with four windows from top to bot,
tom, made in 1912 to correspond with
the rest of the Convent built by the
Sisters of Mercy At this time also
a fine school was erected-in six weeks
the walls were at their height. Be
sides the men employed all day, 9th.
ers came after 6 o'clock to work gratis
for couple of hours, which, OF
course, greatly diminished the cost.
In 1888, Miss Helena Heffernan, who
had property in Ardagh, wished to get
branch of the Sisters Of Mercy from