Aughris Church & Monastery

As you journey along the coastline, you are following in the footsteps of the ancient monastic holy men who resided here on the headland. While we don’t know its precise location, The Monastery of Our Lady of Aughris of the Order of St Augustine was  founded near here in 1280 by the O’Dowd chieftains of Tireragh. The monastery had connections with Innismurray Island through St. Molaise and as result the dead of Templeboy were, for many centuries, buried on Innismurray.

The monastery was owned by the Augustinian Order, who also owned the nearby Church of Cill Corcaigh (1170 AD). Its name is listed in 15^th century Papal documents and the last known reference to its existence was made by William Petty in the Downs Survey of the late 17^th century, where it is described as  ‘a ruinous  church, having a belfry  with a castellated finish.’