Ireland pictures : Gallery 3 : Burrishoole Abbey, Co Mayo
Burrishoole Abbey, a 15th Century Dominican friary, was located on a tidal inlet (lagoon) on the north side of Clew Bay, Co Mayo. A fascinating description of the abbey, written by Sir Nicholas Malbie in 1580, is quoted below. The quotation comes from the 1908 account by H.T. Knox of 'The History of County Mayo to the close of the 16th Century'. |
| In 1580 Sir Nicholas Malbie describes Burrishoole as ..."an abbey standing very pleasant upon a river side, within three miles of the sea, where a ship of five hundred tons may lie at low water. It hath a goodly and large lough on the upper part of the river, full of great timber, grey marble, and many other commodities of all sides, not without great store of good ground, both arable land and pasture. Specially it hath a very plentiful iron mine and abundance of wood every way. Towards the sea coast there lieth many fair islands, rich and plentiful of all commodities; there cometh hither every year likely about fifty English ships for fishing; [...] It is accounted one of the best fishing places in Ireland for salmon, herring and all kinds of sea fish". (from H.T. Knox, 1908, 'The History of County Mayo to the close of the 16th Century') |
