Multyfarnam Friary

From Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

Multifarnam in the barony of Corkery and on the river Gaine. William Delamar founded the Franciscan monastery of Multifernam in the year 1236.

AD 1460 it was reformed by the strict observants.

AD 1529 a provincial chapter had been held here. In the eighth of Henry VIII, the convent of Multifarnam and its appurtenances, a water mill and thirty acres of arable land, were granted to Edmund Field, Patrick Clynch and Philip Pentenoy at a fine of £80 and an annual rent of 4s.

When the fury of the storm which Henry and his daughter Elizabeth had evoked somewhat abated, this convent was again placed in the possession of the Franciscans and continued in their hands during the reign of Charles I until it was consigned to the flames by the Rochforts, a powerful family in the country. The walls of the cloister are still complete while the surrounding ruins with the steeple rising from a small arch to a height nearly of one hundred feet and situated on the borders of a delightful lake contribute to render its scenery both picturesque and magnificent. By the united exertions of a spirited public this abbey has been lately rebuilt and is now finished in a style worthy of its former greatness. The convent of Multifarnam stands and its abbey flourishes while the spoiler and the plunderer have disappeared and have been laid low in the dust.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Kinnegad

The excellent website 'Buildings of Ireland' describes the Kinnegad Parish Church as follows: 

Detached Roman Catholic church on cruciform plan, built 1904-09, comprising four-bay nave, two bay transepts to east and west and a three-stage tower on square-plan with broached spire over, offset, to east end of entrance front (south). Single-bay single-storey gable-fronted entrance porch to the centre of entrance façade (south) and with a buttress to the southeast corner of the nave rising to a pinnacle over. Pitched natural slate roofs with decorative clay ridge tiles, raised verges with cut stone copping, cast-iron rainwater goods and cut stone cross finials. Iron Celtic cross finial to spire. Constructed of rock-faced limestone with ashlar limestone detailing. Paired pointed-arch headed lancet windows to the nave, separated by clasping buttress, with three lancet openings to gable ends of transepts. Two twin-light Geometric windows with hoodmouldings over to entrance front with quatrefoil window over to gable apex. Rose windows over pointed-arched door openings to east and west ends of transepts (south facing elevations). Attached tower has cusped lancets to first two stages with open belfry over. Open gablets with Geometric tracery to broached spire. Square-headed doorcase set in pointed-arched recess to entrance porch with timber double-doors flanked by paired marble colonnettes with carved stone panel above. Entrance porch flanked by cusped lancets with hoodmouldings over. Interior retains original marble altar goods and has stained glass windows by Mayer of Munich. Set slightly back from road in a prominent location in the centre of Kinnegad with parochial house (15316006) adjacent to north. Landscaped area to west with marble statue set on raised plinth, cast-iron gates and railings to east side of church. Former Roman Catholic church on cruciform to the rear (north), now roofless.

Appraisal A substantial church, which retains its early form, character and fabric. This church was built to designs by T. F. McNamara (1867-1947), a noteworthy architect of his day. McNamara also designed the Roman Catholic church in Castletown Geoghegan (1885) and completed the new Roman Catholic church in Ballynahowen (1902), amongst other commissions. The church in Kinnegad is built in a subdued Gothic Revival-style, which was rather old fashioned for the date of construction. This church impresses principally with its scale and it dominates the centre of Kinnegad. The combination of the rock-faced walls and the ashlar window and door surrounds, creates textural variation. The severity of the lancet windows is softened by the addition of rose windows to both transepts and the Geometric tracery to the entrance facade. This mixture of window styles, along with the ornate entrance door, adds an artistic quality to the church's façade. The interior retains the original altar fittings, some good quality mosaic tiling and is well lit by the stained glass windows by Mayer of Munich. This church replaced an earlier Roman Catholic church in Kinnegad, built c.1820, the roofless shell of which can still be found a short distance to the north behind the parochial house. The remains of this modestly scaled former church to the rear adds considerably to this composition and it provides an interesting contrast with the present edifice in terms and scale and decoration, reflecting the increasing power, wealth and influence of the Roman Catholic church in Ireland throughout the nineteenth century. The present church building occupies a prominent location on Main Street and, together with the landscaped area to the west side of the church and in front of the parochial house, makes an important contribution to the townscape in this location. The present church was built on the site of a former market house (map 1838).

Kilschire Abbey

From Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy:

Killschire in the barony of Kells bordering on Westmeath. This church was erected under the invocation of the holy virgin St. Schiria whose name it bears. She was venerated on the 24th of March while Corcaria Caoin, a sister of hers, is not met with in the calendars. They were the daughters of an Eugene who was great grandson to Fergus a brother of Neil Negilliach. St Schiria was living in 580.

A.D. 745 died the abbot Dubdaleithe Nagraifne.
A.D. 750 died the abbot Daolgus.
A.D. 866 died the bishop, the first and only one at Killschire, St. Conall son of Fiachna prince of East Meath and of the royal blood of Ireland. The memory of St. Conall was revered in the isle of Arran where he is interred with the three other beautiful saints of Ireland in the same tomb.  Many of the Irish saints when their last days were near repaired to this island in order to prepare for the journey to eternity and to have the assistance of those holy men who served God in this famed retreat of contemplation and sanctity.
A.D. 920 died the abbot Allgus.
A.D. 949 the Danes plundered and pillaged this abbey.
A.D. 951 Godfrid son of Sitric at the head of the Danes did again spoil the abbey.

Pilgrimage to Athlone