They attacked a 12th Century monastery near Downpatrick, County Down and razed it to the ground, not only destroying the building but also murdering all the monks who lived there.
While the memory of this historical abomination has not faded, the actual location of that doomed monastery has remained a mystery—until now.
During a two-week excavation at an archaeological site in the region, volunteers supervised by professional archaeologists unearthed a ton of evidence that shows exactly where near Downpatrick the Cistercian monastery known at Erenagh had once stood.
The finds included several sections of an old stone wall, many pieces of pottery, bones, artifacts made from slate, and a 13th century coin that would have been lost by a visitor to the site sometime after the attack had taken place.
Erenagh was constructed in the early part of the 12th century, and had been open and occupied for about 50 years before it was shockingly destroyed by de Courcy during the Norman invasion of Ulster.
While this happened nearly 850 years ago, this crime has not been forgotten, and that is what motivated the April 2025 project that performed the excavations that produced the ruins and artifacts linked to the monastery.
The initiative was organized by the Community Archaeology Programme of Northern Ireland (CAPNI), which is sponsored by Queen’s University Belfast. Under the auspices of this program, several groups from local schools where joined by adult volunteers, and they were able to collectively accomplish what professional archaeologists have been unable to do, which is find the location of the long-lost Cistercian monastery.
Erenagh’s Role in Irish Archaeological and Religious History
Brian Sloan of Queen’s University Belfast, one of the dig’s supervisors, explained the archaeological value of the Erenagh site lies in its status as one of the earliest Cistercian monasteries to be established in Ireland.
“They took a European model, so if you think of the old Irish monasteries like a Nendrum, you'd have a round tower with your church in the center,” he told the BBC. “But with this you'd have a cloister. That's a series of buildings around the church that feed into the monastery.”
The monastery’s history was tragically cut short by its destruction.
According to Sloan, the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy later commissioned the construction of a cathedral at Inch Abbey, also designed in the Cistercian tradition, as an “act of penance” for his sacrilegious act.
That site remains visible today on the opposite side of Downpatrick, and was actually used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
The selection of the dig site where the monastery was found was not random. A geophysical survey conducted last year identified a number of irregularities beneath the surface of a field near where Erenagh has been discovered, just a short distance from the Ballynoe Stone Circle.
These underground anomalies prompted the selection of three specific areas for excavation.
Volunteers joined in the effort, digging and delicately brushing through layers of earth to unearth signs of the medieval monastery.
Citizen Archaeologists Making a Difference
Among the volunteers were students from the South Eastern Regional College’s Skills for Life and Work program, led by Anne Murphy.
“The course is an opportunity for students to gain GCSEs where the school system hasn't been able to help them do that,” she said. “We've 14 students here, which is the biggest attendance all week as everyone is very excited – some are looking for bars of gold.”
Although gold was uncovered, the excavation team did make several notable discoveries.
“This is my second dig and I’m loving it,” said a student named Billie, who participated in the group excavations. “I’ve collected fossils and crystals since I was about nine. We’ve found a few bits of slag and slate so far.”
Another young digger, Eoin, added: “We’ve found bits of slate which were the roof tiles so we’re hoping to find more later on. I’ve always had an interest in palaeontology, but this is my first dig.”
A little further uphill, volunteers Valerie Shearer and Janice McHenry were busy working in another trench, keeping the mood light with some friendly banter over who would uncover the most exciting artifact.
“My most interesting piece is a little bit of stone, but I haven’t got it checked yet so I don’t know if it is valuable or rubbish,” Valerie said.
“I’d love to find a piece of pottery, but she beat me to it,” Janice laughed. “It is very therapeutic because you aren’t thinking of anything other than finding something.”
Among the various discoveries unearthed by the volunteers were remnants of a wall, shaped stones showing mason’s marks, roof slates, pottery shards, and even a Henry III coin, estimated to date from around 1270.
The leaders of the excavation team, assisted by trained laboratory technicians, will now analyze the finds in greater detail.
Early indications suggest that radiocarbon testing will confirm the site as the long-lost location of the Erenagh monastery, and once that becomes official steps will be taken to ensure that the site and its remaining ruins are protected and preserved.