Lisgoole Abbey (Irish: Lios Gabhail), or the Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Mary, was formerly located on the southern banks of upper Lough Erne, County Fermanagh.[1]
The site was occupied by the old Irish monastery of St Aid but was taken over by the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in 1145.[1] The abbey was destroyed by fire in 1360 but was rebuilt.[1] Escaping the worst excesses of religious persecution, the abbey remained in use until its community eventually dwindled, so much so that an agreement was drawn up by the then abbot Cahill McBrien McCuchonnaght Maguire in 1583, to hand over the abbey to the Franciscan order.[1] However, even though reconstruction of a new abbey was taking place the monks were forced to leave in 1598.[1]
At the time of the King James inquisition into the designation of the lands of Fermanagh (September 1609), it was recorded that the lands of Lisgoole Abbey were given to Sir Henry Brunckar on 12 November 1606.[2] The allocation covered the abbey and the area of the late Abbey of Cannons in Lisgoole, which in turn included the old church and church yard.[2] The specific area was designated as 6 "quarters" of land containing 24 parcels known as tithes, each tate estimated to contain 30 acres (120,000 m2) in "country measure". Associated with these lands were other traditional payments given to Ballinsaggart and other associated islands, together with the ownership of the late Abbey of St Francis Srancis, which is situated near Lisgoole Abbey.[2]
It was at this time that Lisgoole was recommended as the site of a new colonial/plantation settlement by the Lord Deputy, Chichester.[2] Originally there were two areas which were under consideration for the proposed settlement town, the first being Ballyshanon (now Ballyshannon) and the other at "Lysgoule which lies about the midst of the county".[2] Chichester stated that he wanted to construct the "beginning of a town where he would build both sides of the river, whereby the bridge could be defended and the passage secured".[2] In fact Chichester was so enamoured by the location of Lisgoole that he immediately ordered houses to be constructed to billet soldiers, who at that time were stationed at Devenish, together with a gaol and house of sessions, and proclaimed a weekly market.[2]
The owners of Lisgoole ignored this offer from the Lord Deputy. The location eventually chosen by the commissioners for a town was Enniskillen. In 1608 Chichester recommended this position in his notes of remembrances and seems to have forgotten Lisgoole, saying "Inishkellin is the fittest place for a shire town and shall be made a corporation".[2] The free school originally intended to be built at Lisgoole was eventually built at Portora.[2]
Eventually, the monks returned in 1616.[1] It is stated that there was a friar who was guardian of the suppressed friary of Lisgoole called Paul O Feararan around 1671 who met Blessed Oliver Plunkett at the abbey. In his report on sept 25th 1671, the Primate states that at this time there were 5 friars at Lisgoole, two of which were good preachers, Frs Feararan and Mcmulkin.[3]
The monks continued worshipping until well into the 18th century, but their work in the local parishes was eventually responsible for their depletion.[1] The last recorded friar from the area was Fr. Stephen Keenan, who died in Enniskillen in 1811.[1]
Later on during the second world war, American army divisions used this area as a base. These units included the 109th Medical Battalion (34th Infantry Division) in 1942 and the 8th Medical Battalion (minus Companies A and B) (8th Infantry Division) from 16 December 1943–1944.[4]