Discovering the Layers of Court Abbey

Discovering the Layers of Court
Surrounding the ruins of a 15th & 16th century Franciscan Third Order friary church, referred to locally as Court Abbey, are modern and historic graveyards. The ‘Abbey’ name persists despite the association with the Franciscan Friars. Starting in June this year we have begun to explore an aspect of the foundation of Court by carrying out a community-based graveyard and ecological survey. In 2024, Court became a part of the Heritage Council Adopt a Monument Project. This has given us the impetus and some resources to begin the graveyard survey project that will complement ongoing research to discover more about the building itself, including the medieval wall art still visible in part on its walls.

Join us to see how we have been Discovering the Layers of Court, by rediscovering those from our past communities interred in the graveyard, the mix of flora and fauna that reside there today and the processes involved. We will also be highlighting Karina Morton's (National Museum of Ireland) observations on the wall paintings in Court, the architecture of Franciscan Church and our work with Adopt a Monument. Early results from our graveyard survey will be presented along with the use of photogrammetry to reveal the inscriptions on the older memorials. These inscriptions provide intriguing evidence of connections of Court and Achonry in the early foundations of the State.