Monastery of Inisnag

Little is known about the monastic community here. Canon William Carrigan suggested "an ancient Church stood on the site from time immemorial to after the Cromwellian era".{{sfn|Sheridan|Kirwan|2011|pp=kk-spen}} John O'Hanlon reported that Diocese of Ossory ecclesiastical records names Saint Manchan as patron saint writing "at Inisnag, diocese of Ossory, St. Manchan, whose feast occurs on the 14th of February, was venerated as a patron (Statuta Dioecesis Ossoriensis)".{{sfn|O'Hanlon|1875|pp=522, 524}} This implies the church was founded in the fifth, or early sixth century. The monastery of Inis-Snaig was probably small in scale.

Modern tradition names Máedóc of Ferns as patron saint of Ennisnag though the claim "his feast day was celebrated here on the 14th of February"{{sfn|Sheridan|Kirwan|2011|pp=kk-spen}} suggests confusion regarding patron Saints.{{#tag:ref|In the Old Calendar 14 February is the feast day of Saint Manchan, not Máedóc of Ferns (29 January). The foundation by Manchan would date the early church to late 5th century or first decades of the 6th century.|group=n|name=feastdayconfusion}} Nevertheless, his holy well called "Tobermogue" ({{langx|ga|Tobair Mogue}}) is preserved.{{sfn|Sheridan|Kirwan|2011|pp=kk-spen}}

The Annals of the Four Masters has an entry for AD745, recalling the "battle of Inis Snaig", between "Anmchaidh mac Cucearca", king of Osraighe, and an unknown opponent,{{sfn|O'Donovan|1856|pp=M745.11}} and an entry for AD 889, "the death of "Suadhbhar mac Coitceadhach, of Inis Snaig, died an anchorite",{{sfn|O'Donovan|1856|pp=M889.5}} confirming the early Christian Irish monastery of Inis Snaig flourished in at least the ninth century, but probably from the early Middle Ages to sometime before, or after, the Norman invasion of the 12th century.{{sfn|MacShamhráin|2008–2009|p=3987}}

{{See also|Prebendary}}

The church of Inisnag was recorded as prebendal of Ossory diocese, in the Taxatio Ecclesiastica of AD 1291–1292. The Treasurer of the Diocesan Chapter of Ossory, possessed the prebend of Ennisnag from the 15th century. This Diocesan Chapter, consisted of a Dean, Archdeacon, Chancellor, precentor and Treasurer, is traceable back to Felix O'Dulaney (1178–1202), the late 12th century onwards. The prebendal church of Ennisnag is included in the list of churches, or parishes, possessed by ecclesiastics of the Diocesan Chapter of Ossory, right down to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. According to a papal document titled "Ecllesia De Inisnage Prebend -£ ix.", preserved by the Protestant Bishop of Ossory, with Rev. James Graves once holding a correct transcript of same, the prebend of Inisnag was granted on "the authority of Pope Nicholas IV, 1291 [liber ruber Ossoriensis]".{{sfn|Sheridan|Kirwan|2011|pp=kk-spen}}

The medieval church fell into ruins after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and upheavals of 17th century Ireland.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break|width=50%}}

It is impossible to fully catalogue the succession of Abbots, and prebendaries. Nonetheless, the information below is preserved, or inferred.

Floruit abbreviations used for dates:

{{col-begin|width=65%}}

{{col-break}}

• aft. = after
• bef. = before

{{col-break}}

• d. = died in office, or in commendam
• res. = resigned or forfeited office

{{col-end}}

{{col-end}}

{{main|St. Peter's Church, Ennisnag, Kilkenny}}

In the 19th century, a Protestant church was constructed on this old church site, named St. Peter's Church. Probably the most distinguished rector and resident of Ennisnag was the famous Irish Antiquarian James Graves, who died in 1886.

{{Portal|Europe|Ireland|Christianity|Catholicism|History}}

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kilkenny)

{{Reflist|em|group=n}}

{{Reflist|32em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite AFM}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFO'Donovan1856}}
• {{cite book

|title=The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory

|last=Carrigan

|first=William

|volume=I.

|publisher=Dublin: Sealy, Bryers & Walker, Middle Abbey Street

|year=1905

|edition=published by: Рипол Классик, 1981.

|page=256

|isbn=978-5-87920-646-3

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cPMQAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA256

}}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book

|last=Wynne Foot

|first=Arthur

|title=A memoriam paper on James Graves, Secretary and Treasurer of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, formerly the Kilkenny Archeological Society

|volume=The journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Volume VIII, fourth series

|publisher=Dublin: Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Dublin: University Press, by Ponsoney and Welrick

|year=1889

|url=https://archive.org/download/journalofroyalso18royauoft/journalofroyalso18royauoft.pdf#page=8

|pages=8–23

|edition=1887-1888

}}

• {{cite book

|author-link=John O'Hanlon (writer)

|title=Lives of the Irish Saints: with special festivals, and the commemorations of holy persons

|last=O'Hanlon

|first=John

|url=https://archive.org/download/livesofirishsain02ohanuoft/livesofirishsain02ohanuoft.pdf

|publisher=Dublin : J. Duffy

|access-date=1 October 2016

|page=1

|year=1875

|location=Internet Archive is non-profit library of millions of free books, and more.

}}

• {{cite web

|last=MacShamhráin

|first=Ailbhe

|title=Inis Snaig

|volume=Early Christian Ecclesiastical Settlement in Ireland 5th to 12th Centuries

|url=https://monasticon.celt.dias.ie/showrecord.php?id=3987

|publisher=DIAS

|edition=Compiled October 2003 to January 2007, revised and expanded with fuller bibliography, February 2007 to August 2008, Online

|year=2008–2009

}}

• {{cite book

|author-link=John Lanigan (historian)

|title=An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, from the first introduction of Christianity among the Irish, to the beginning of the thirteenth century

|editor=The Irish Church

|last=Lanigan

|first=John

|edition=second

|volume=III

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D8rNkNkqEzIC

|year=1829

|publisher=Dublin: J. Cumming, 16, L. Ormond-Quay; London: Simpkin and Marshall; Edinburgh: R. Cadell and Co.

|pages=30–32

|access-date=10 October 2016

}}

• {{cite book

|author-link=James Charles Wall

|title=Shrines of British Saints, with numerous illustrations

|editor=J. Charles Cox

|last=Wall

|first=James Charles

|url=https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download_pdf/Shrines_of_British_Saints_1000332111.pdf#page=140

|year=1905

|publisher=Methuen & Co., 36 Essex Street WC, London, England

|access-date=10 October 2016

|page=83

}} {{subscription required}}

• {{cite web

|title=Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland

|year=1906

|last=Twemlow

|first=J A

|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-papal-registers/brit-ie/vol7/pp163-168

|volume=7, 1417-1431

|edition=Lateran Regesta 211: 1420-1422

|pages=163–168 |ref={{harvid|Twemlow|Lateran Regesta 211: 1420–1422}}

}}

• {{cite web

|title=Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland

|year=1906

|last=Twemlow

|first=J A

|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-papal-registers/brit-ie/vol7/pp355-357

|volume=7, 1417-1431

|edition=Lateran Regesta 241: 1424

|pages=355–357 |ref={{harvid|Twemlow|Lateran Regesta 241: 1424}}

}}

• {{cite web

|title=Graveyward of St. Peters Church, Ennisnag

|publisher=Historic Graves project

|edition=Online, www.historicgraves.com

|url=http://historicgraves.com/graveyard/st-peters/kk-spen

|last1=Sheridan

|first1=Donal

|last2=Kirwan

|first2=Bernie

|year=2011

}}

{{refend}}

{{County Kilkenny}}

Category:Christian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Religion in County Kilkenny

Category:Archaeological sites in County Kilkenny

Category:Augustinian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Monasteries dissolved under the Irish Reformation

Category:Medieval history of Ireland