Reconstructing the Life Use of a Medieval Friary from Its Fragmentary Remains

Summary

This is an abstract from the "New Work in Medieval Archaeology, Part 1: Landscapes, Food, and Health" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Dominican friary in Trim, Co. Meath, Ireland was established in AD 1263 by Geoffrey de Geneville, then Lord of Trim. Located just outside the town wall, the Black Friary was an important institution during the late medieval period, as indicated by its large size and double cloister as well as its use for ecclesiastical and governmental meetings. By 1540, as part of the dissolution of the monasteries, the commissioners of King Henry VIII suppressed the friary and sold its land, buildings, and goods. The buildings then gradually fell into disrepair before being demolished in the 1750s. Unlike similar sites in Ireland, the Black Friary was never significantly reoccupied or built over, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the growth and decline of a medieval friary over the course of five centuries. Ongoing archaeological excavations since 2010 have recovered evidence of building works throughout the use life of the friary. The primary medieval occupation saw the addition of a south aisle to the church, refurbishment of the east window above the altar, and the extension of the chapter house. Later, following the dissolution, modification of the buildings in the west range document partial reuse of the site for farming activities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• New Work in Medieval Archaeology, Part 1: Landscapes, Food, and Health   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38883.0