Honour of Annaly - Feudal Principality & Seignory Est. 1172

⚜️ Lord of St. Brigit’s Abbey – Longford Abbey (Est. 1578)

The Abbey of Sancta Brigida, Longford, within the Principality of Annaly

🏰 Historical Overview

Longford Abbey, known in ecclesiastical records as the Abbey of St. Brigit (Sancta Brigida de Longford), was founded under the patronage of Cornelius O’Farrell, O.P., Bishop of Ardagh (1418 – 1424).
Upon his death in 1424, Bishop O’Farrell was interred within the Dominican monastery he had endowed—marking Longford as one of the most enduring centers of Dominican influence in the ancient kingdom of Annaly (Le Annaly / Tethbae).

⛪ Early Fifteenth Century and Papal Restorations

In 1429, Pope Martin V granted an indulgence to all benefactors aiding the restoration of the abbey church, which had been destroyed by fire (Hibernia Dominicana, p. 301).
A subsequent indulgence was renewed in 1433 by Pope Eugenius IV, recording that the abbey had been “entirely consumed by flames amid the wars of the region lasting six years.”
Five years later, the indulgence was extended once again, signifying continued reconstruction and papal support for the Dominican community at Longford.

☠️ The Mid-15th Century and the Plague of 1448

In 1448, a severe epidemic devastated Longford and its surroundings, claiming many lives. Among the victims were three revered friars of the abbey:

• Connor, son of Aedhbuy O’Feargail

• Diarmuid M’Commay

• Henry Duffe M’Fechedan

Their deaths are recorded with reverence in the Annals of Dudley Firbis, testifying to the abbey’s importance as both a spiritual refuge and center of charity in Annaly.

⚖️ The Tudor and Stuart Periods

By 1557 (4 & 5 Philip and Mary), the abbey estate—comprising approximately half an acre with a house and cottage, 28 acres of adjacent land, 6 acres of demesne, and rights of common pasture—was granted to Sir Nicholas Malbye, Knight, and his heirs, at a yearly rent of sixteen shillings.

Later, on 29 January 1615, King James I confirmed the abbey and its appurtenances by royal grant to Francis, Viscount Valentia, thereby incorporating the ancient monastic lands into the secular feudal framework of the Honour of Longford.

🌿 Eighteenth–Nineteenth Century Continuity

Despite suppression under the Crown, the Dominican presence endured at Longford well into the eighteenth century:

• Three friars were recorded in residence in 1756,

• Two in 1767, and

• By 1800, according to Dr. Troy’s Ecclesiastical Report, four friars were likely serving in parochial ministry alongside the secular clergy.

The obit rolls note the passing of Father J. Weever (c. 1797) and Father Bernard Keenan (before 1818).

For over two centuries, the original abbey church has functioned as the Protestant parish church of Longford—a living monument to the enduring sacred and civic heritage of St. Brigit’s foundation.

🕊️ Grant and Feudal Title (1578 – 20th Elizabeth)

“This abbey, situated within Le Annaly, was granted for ever, in capite, to Richard Nugent: royalties excepted.”
— Royal Grant, 1578 (20 Elizabeth I)

This conveyance formally integrated St. Brigit’s Abbey into the Seignory of Annaly, under the Barons Delvin (Nugent family)—whose hereditary lordship extended across much of modern Longford. The title Lord of St. Brigit’s Abbey thus reflects a continuous line of feudal and ecclesiastical patronage from the medieval O’Farrells to the Nugents and their successors in title.

🏛️ Titles and Honours of Abbeys

Throughout medieval and post-feudal Ireland, abbeys such as Longford held both spiritual dignity and temporal privilege. The following distinctions are traditionally recognized:

⚜️ Summary

The Abbey of St. Brigit of Longford stands as a sacred and historical nexus—linking the Gaelic church of Annaly, the Dominican scholastic tradition, and the later feudal stewardship of the Nugent and Valentia families. Its continuous legacy, both spiritual and temporal, endures under the heritage title “Lord of St. Brigit’s Abbey – Longford.”