A picture of the Protestant Church erected by Sir Nicholas Bagenal in Newry.

A brief summary with a virtual tour of a Cisterian Abbey

The remains of Bagenal’s Castle are now a museum in Newry and are the city’s oldest surviving building. The history of the site dates back as far as the twelfth century when it was home to the Cistercian monks who founded an abbey there. “…the founders were often the great families and royalty of Europe, for whom it had become something of a fashion to promote monastic communities.” (Dawkes, 2009, p.125).  During Henry VIII reformation and his break from the Church of Rome all the Abbey's in Ireland were dissolved, with the confiscated lands granted to English nobility. 

During Nicholas Bagenals time in Newry he oversaw the formation of divisions in the town, there were, "two almost totally distinct parts: an English settlement on the left bank, and an Irish hamlet, Ballybot, on the right bank of the river..." (Bagenal, 1915,  p.9) Ballybot aptly means in Irish, 'poor town'.

These divisions are illustrated in the map above which dates from this period.

Nicholas Bagenal erected St. Patricks Church in Newry. It was the first Protestant church to be erected in Ireland. On Bagenals death his body was interred in the Church which still stands today. His name and arms can be seen engraved into the stone on the Church tower. Below is a sketch of the Bagenal families coat of arms.

Interview from Bagenal's Castle

 

Finally got my interview with Museum Assistant Greg McAtter posted, hope you enjoy listening to it.

Up-date on Research

Been in Newry SRC all morning, and have found some really intresting and relevant information on the medieval Cisterian Abbey and the monastic communities that dwelled on the site of Bagenals Castle prior to its construction by Nicholas Bagenal.

http://www.bagenalscastle.com/project/sacred_site.asp

 

A granite grave slab, carved with a cross. It is said to be from the monastry that was at newry and was salvaged from a nearby building in the 20th Century.

 

 

 

 

Images of Bagenal's Castle taken on Thursday 30th January 2014



Front Entrance To Bagenal's Castle Museum.

Exterior Of Bagenal's Castle Today.





Chimney Projection
Exterior of north wall of Castle with chimney projection. Similar chimney projections are depicted on a 16th century isometric drawing of the Castle.




The Great Chamber showing the original joist holds in the wall
These joist holes of the attic floor have been uncovered higher in the walls.




The Great Chamber
The historic importance of this floor in the Castle is indicated by a large four-light window. A large fireplace which heated the Great Chamber in the south wall and a blocked-up doorway which led to the (now demolished) latrine turret survives in the east wall. The present roof is a 19th century structure.





One of several ventilation or gun loops which were originally located in the north & south walls of the Castle.




Roll Moulding
A section of 13th century moulding probably from a doorway in the Cistercian Abbey in Newry. The moulding is not in its original location and was reused either in the building of the Castle or during subsequent alterations.



Castle Entrance



Basement Steps
A view into the basement steps, the steps and cellar date from the 18th century when the Castle was converted into two dwelling houses.

An artists impression of how the castle would have looked after construction.

The contents of this research project intend to examine the origins of Bagenal's Castle in Newry. It will look at the situation in Ireland at the time and why the castles location was so strategically important to the British Crown. It will look at the occupier of the castle, Nicholas Bagenal and how he came to be selected by the Crown in the post of Marshal of the Kings Army in Ireland.  Bagenal's Castle is now a museum which has attracted a lot of interest locally and after visiting the museum I felt that I wanted to look in-depth into a place that is steeped in history that stretches back centuries. Throughout this research project a variety of research tools will be employed and exhausted. Among these will be the Southern Regional Colleges library and Newry's library on Hill Street. An extensive search through both visiting and checking relevant documents will be done through the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. Staff from Bagenal's Castle will be interviewed on their knowledge of the origins of the castle, which is a fascinating piece of local history that stretches back to the fifteenth century. For additional information relevant academic websites alongside micro-fiche will be used.