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Cong Abbey

Cong Abbey also known as the Royal Abbey of Cong, is a historic site located at Cong, County Mayo, in Ireland's province of Connacht. The ruins of the former Augustinian abbey mostly date to the 13th century and have been described as featuring some of finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture in Ireland.

History
In the early 7th century, a church was built at this site, reportedly by Saint Feichin. A later building was destroyed by fire in 1114. Within the next twenty years or so, Turlough Mor O’Connor, the High King of Ireland, refounded the abbey. The Abbey was refounded as an Augustinian settlement in 1138. It was one of the earliest Augustinian settlements south of Armagh, which was founded in 1126. In 1198, his son, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (Rory O'Connor), Ireland's last High King, constructed new buildings and also lived the last 15 years of his life at the abbey. He died here and was reportedly briefly buried in the abbey before being exhumed and re-interred at Clonmacnoise. His name is inscribed upon the processional Cross of Cong. In the 1307 the abbey was reconstructed and dedicated to St Mary. ==Architecture==
Architecture
The remains of Cong Abbey have been praised as featuring some of the finest examples of early gothic architecture and masonry in Ireland. The present church, and possibly the fragmentary cloister where the monks worked and prayed, belong to the rebuilding of the early 13th century. The north doorway of the church, and the elaborate doorways that open onto the cloister from the east range of the monastery, may pre-date the attack by William de Burgo. The doorway with two fine windows on either side belongs to the chapter house, where the monastery's daily business was conducted as well as a chapter of the rule being read each day. This was also where the community gathered to confess their sins publicly. The sculpture in the abbey, which is some of the finest in Ireland, suggests links to French styles of the period. The grounds of the abbey also contain a monks' fishing house, probably built in the 15th or 16th century, on an island in the River Cong leading towards nearby Lough Corrib. The house is built on a platform of stones over a small arch which allows the river to flow underneath the floor. There is a trapdoor in the floor in which the fish may have been kept fresh. According to local tradition, a line was connected from the fishing house to the monastery kitchen to alert the cook to fresh fish. ==Today==
Today
Cong Abbey is a national monument in the care of the Commissioners for Public Works. ==Gallery==
Gallery
File:NorthDoorwayCongAbbey.JPG|The North doorway File:CongCloisters.JPG|Cong Abbey cloisters File:MonksFishingHouse.JPG|Monks' Fishing House File:Monk_fishhouse_640x480.jpg|Monks' Fishing House Closeup File:RoryO’ConnorDoorway.JPG|Doorway in Cong Abbey grounds with carving of Rory O’Connor File:Rory_O'Connor_Stone_Carving.jpg|Closeup of stone carving of Rory O’Connor File:Cong Abbey 0344.jpg ==See also==
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