On many occasions this monastery was despoiled. First in 1066, when the original institution suffered in a dynastic dispute between the chieftains of Breffney, and again in 1272 when Hugh O'Connor, one of the Kings of Connaught, was at war with the English of the Pale. Two of its abbots became bishops of Clonmacnoise, one in 1398, and the other, John O'Mayle, in 1447. Mention is made of one of its abbots, Cornelius O'Ferral, in the Vatican Papers of Pope Innocent VIII.

St. Patrick erected a church here and placed St. Guasacht over it; his feast is honoured on the 24th January. It is traditionally told that a labourer's cottage at the entrance of the village from Granard, covers the site of this ancient church, of which now nothing more is known.

“At Lerha, in Longford (says O'Halloran), there was an abbey of Bernardines founded by Richard Tuite, an Englishman, Lord of Granard who died in an accident. The first monks of this abbey came from that of Our Lady, Dublin, of the Order of Clairvaux. Some say this house was founded in 1210. The founder was killed the following year at Athlone, by the falling of a tower, and was buried in Abbeylara.” Here also were buried many of the O'Farrells, Princes of Anghaile.

Tuite came over to Ireland in the first invasion and settled at Granard. In 1199 he built the Castle of Granard,” to defend his territory against Ó Raballais (O'Reilly) of East Breffney.

 

Cistercian Abbey in Abbeylara

Abbeylara (Irish: Mainistir Leathrátha, meaning 'abbey of the half rath or little rath') is a village in the easternmost portion of County Longford, Ireland, located about three kilometers east of Granard on the R396 regional road. Its name is derived from a monastery, the great Abbey of Lerha, founded in 1205 by Hiberno-Norman magnate, Risteárd de Tiúit, for Cistercian monks.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbeylara

Abbeylara first came into prominence in Irish ecclesiastical history when the Anglo-Normans founded a Cistercian abbey in the area around the beginning of the thirteenth century. At this time, the Cistercian monks were drawn from St. Mary's Abbey in Dublin rather than from the native Irish houses of the order. By the 15th century the abbey was held by the O'Farrell family. The last abbot was Richard O'Farrell who surrendered the monastery and its lands to Henry V111 who dissolved the abbey in 1540. http://www.megalithicireland.com/Abbeylara,%20Longford.html

Abbots of Abbey Lara

By the end of the fourteenth century, Abbeylara monastery and the surrounding country had come under the influence of the Irish rulers of Annaly, the O'Farrell family. From the appointment of Richard O'Farrell as abbot in 1411 to the dissolution of the abbey in 1540, all the abbots were Irishmen, most of them drawn from the ruling O'Farrell family. The last abbot to rule the monastery of Abbeylara was another Richard O'Farrell. He surrendered the abbey with its lands and possessions to Henry VII.  The Abbey Lara in Longford was Granted forever in capite to Richard Nugent, royalties excepted in 1557 by the Crown, "Philip and Catholic Queen Mary". At the time of the Grant by the Catholic King and Queen of England to the Black Baron or Baron Delvin, the abbey held over 5,500 acres of land while the monastery buildings were in ruins. At this point in time, Abbeylara disappeared from Irish ecclesiastical history.  https://www.askaboutireland.ie/aai-files/assets/libraries/longford-county-library/reading-room/physical-landscape/article-about-cistercian-abbey-in-abbeylara.pdf

The Catholic Abbey of Lara held over 5,500 acres of land  in the townlands of Abbeylara, Ballyboy, Cloonamore, Coolcraft, Cooldoney, Deragh, Kilibride,  Renaghan, Rincoola and Toneymore. Besides, there were 400 acres at Lickbla, a farm near  Ardagh and another at Ballemanna and probably other lands as well. It is also worthy of note  that several advosdons patronages rectories and churches in Clonmacnois were appropriated to Abbeylara, which  should mean that the abbey derived some income from them. After the dissolution Abbeylara  it fades from vital Irish ecclesiastical history until recently when the abbot title and hereditaments may still belong to the County Longford branch of the Lord's of Delvin.

There is a chalice still  preserved in the museum of St. Mel's College, Longford, which bears an inscription in Latin, "  John Gauneus, Abbot of Leathra Monastery and Vicar General of the Diocese 1627." The abbacy  at the time cannot have been more than titular.

 

On the 30th of November, 1315, Edward Bruce burned the old town of Granard; on that day month, according to tradition, he plundered this monastery and made it winter quarters for a short period. The monks fled to Athlone, but returned the following Spring, when Bruce had departed. Richard O'Farrell, who became bishop of Ardagh, surrendered this abbey about 1541. Its possessions were very large, Tuite having enriched it with 18 cartrons of land, or about 1440 acres, perhaps more. The following record which I take from the Monasticon Hibernicum, will show that Abbeylara was an institution of great wealth and influence:“On the surrender of the abbey, the said Richard was seized of two carucates of land with their appurtenances in Clonmore, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 13s. 4d.; four carucates in Lerha, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 26s. 8d.; two carucates in Clonecryawe, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 13s. 4d.; two carucates in Tonaghmore, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 13s. 4d.; four carucates in Monktown, value, besides reprises, 26s. 8d., and the tithes of corn of the rectory of Monktown of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 40s.; also of a moiety of tithes of the rectory of Granard, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 26s. 8d., a moiety of the tithes of the rectory of Drumloman, of the yearly value, besides reprises, of 13s. 4d.; and a moiety of the tithes of the rectory of Ballymachivy, of the yearly value of Ios. The rectories of Athlone, Levanaghan, Clonmacnoise, Tessauran, Ballyloughlo, and Reynagh, were all appropriated to this abbey.” “Lease under commission. Dublin, 26 September, IX of Elizabeth, to Sir Thos. Cusacke, Knt., and lady Jenett Sarcefeld his wife, the tithes of Ballenamanaghe in the Annale, of the lands of lord MacGennor in the Annale (these lands lay to the west of Lough Gowna), of the lands of Mount Carbré, of the lands held by the heirs of Morff O'Ferrall, of all the Maghirt of Granarde, of four granges in Granarde, of the grange of Tonaghmore, of the grange of Rincolle, Cowldony, Clontrall, and Deraghe; the rectories of Dromloman, Ballmakier, Ballekillen, and Strade (Street), possessions of the late monastery of Larro, alias Granarde, near the town of Granarde, in the Annale O'Farrell's country. £13 18s. 6d. for the possessions of the monastery of Granarde, provided they shall not alien their interest without licence of the deputy under the great seal, nor let to anyone unless they are English by both parents, and shall not levy coyn, livery, or other unlawful impositions —consideration 20 morks.”—Fiants of Elizabeth.