Mullingar

From Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:



Mullingar the capital of the county priory of St Mary This house known by the name of the house of God of Mullingar was founded in 1227 for canons regular of St Augustine by Ralph le Petit bishop of Meath AD 1305 Donat O Flaherty bishop of Killala was interred here AD 1397 Hugh was prior to whom Adam Petyt granted forty acres of land in Killbrena AD 1464 the town was burned and destroyed by the people of Managh AD 1467 the prior Petyt died of the plague AD 1534 John Petyt was the last prior An inquisition was held in the thirty first of Henry VHL and a second in the thirteenth of Elizabeth when three hundred and sixty acres of arable and pasture with thirty three messuages were granted to Richard Tuite and his heirs male by knight's service at the yearly rent of 16 5s 10d Irish money The priory of St Mary's paid annually four marcs to the bishop of Meath Dominican Friary AD 1237 the family of Nugent founded this abbey AD 1278 to 1314 general chapters of the order were held here In the eighth of Elizabeth this convent with one hundred and twenty acres of land were granted to Walter Hope at the annual rent of 10 They were afterwards given to Richard Tuite and eventually became the property of Lord Granard in whose possession they have remained In 1756 the fathers of the order in Mullingar were Laurence Geral dine the prior Thomas Hope Ambrose Higgins James Barnewall Thomas Dalton and Patrick Mac Donagh a lay brother Franciscan friary AD 1622 the friars of Mullifernam began to erect a house for their order in Mullingar but it has remained unfinished