Clare History: The Charter of Clare Abbey and the Augustinian ‘Province’ in Co. Clare by Michael Mac Mahon

The Canons Regular of St. Augustine, or Canons Regular O.S.A. as they were sometimes known, played an important part in the early diocesan Church in Co. Clare. In the period between the Synod of Kells in the mid-twelfth century and the suppression of the religious houses in the mid-sixteenth five houses of that order, including a convent for canonesses, were established in the county. The Canons combined the regular life with pastoral work on a large scale, and in the course of time many parishes were entrusted to their care.
This article originally appeared in The Other Clare, vol. 17, 1993, pp 21-28. Clare County Library is grateful to Michael Mac Mahon for this article.