Religious Houses of Enniscorthy

From Walsh's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, 1891, c. lxv, p. 705 ff:

Enniscorthy, in the barony of Scarawalshe, on the river Slaney, and nine miles north-west of Wexford.

This abbey of canons regular was granted by the patron, Gerald de Prendergast, as a cell to the abbey of St. Thomas, in Dublin, and who ordered that it should be governed agreeably to the rules of St. Augustine, and the customs of the said abbey. And for the health of his own soul, that of his wife, those of his father and mother, whose bodies rest here, he granted, for the better support of the canons, and to contribute to the relief of the poor, the churches of St. Senan, Enniscorthy, St. Brigid, near Ardles, and St. John, with all his land lying and situate near this house, the tithes of mills at Enniscorthy, timber from his woods, with liberty of feeding their cattle in the same, and all other necessary pasture. Witness, John, bishop of Ferns, who appointed that this convent should consist
of four brethren and a prior, to wliom Prendergast granted two carucates of land, called Oernath, adjoining tlieir house, in exchange for two carucates which Philip de Barry had granted them in the village of Sendan, near the bridge of Cork, reserving, however, to the canons, the chapel of St. Katharine, in the said town, with the tithes thereunto belonging, and one burgage. Witness, John, bishop of Ferns, who presided from 1223 to the year 1243.

December 6th, 1581, a lease of this abbey was granted to Edward Spenser, at the annual rent of £13 5s.

Franciscan friary, was founded for friars minors, of the strict observance, A.D. 1460, by Donald Oavenagh, surnamed the Brown.

In an ancient missal belonging to this monastery, we find that its dedication was on the 18th of October, in the same year.

A.D. 1476, the missal informs us that the founder died in this year. This missal was written in this friary.

Thirty-first of Henry VIII, the prior of this house was found to have been seized of a church and belfry, a chapter-house, dormitory, hall, four chambers, a kitchen, two orchards, and three gardens ; annual value, besides reprises, 13s. 4d.

Tliirty-seventh of Elizabeth, this friary, with its appurtenances, a water-mill, an orchard, and six acres of land in this county, together with the manor of Enniscorthy, was granted for ever to Sir Henry
Wallop, knight, to hold, by knight's service at the annual rent of
£10 168. 4d,

The Wexford (or Enniscorthy) Carol

Musicologists differ on the precise origins of 'the Wexford Carol' or 'the Enniscorthy Carol,' and even upon its proper designation, it seems.  William D. Crump's The Christmas Encyclopedia, for example, fails to attribute it to the 12th Century, as many do, at least as regards the tune.  We are unable to source the basis of this claim of antiquity.  What is certain is that Dr. the Chevalier Grattan-Flood (1859-1928), Titular Organist of Enniscorthy Cathedral, claims to have transcribed the Carol, both tune and lyrics, from a local man and published them in The Oxford Book of Carols (1928) as 'the Wexford Carol.'  However, subsequent research has found that the first verses are very close to a Carol found in William Devereux’s A New Garland Containing Songs for Christmas (1728).

At any rate, 'the Wexford Carol' can be sung with a special joy by Irish, especially Wexford, voices this Christmastide.

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.

With Mary holy we should pray,
To God with love this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide,
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.

But mark right well what came to pass
From every door repelled, alas,
As was foretold, their refuge all
Was but a humble ox's stall.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep,
To whom God's angel did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.

Arise and go, the angels said,
To Bethlehem, be not afraid
For there you'll find, this happy morn
A princely babe, sweet Jesus, born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find
And as God's angel had foretold
They did our Saviour Christ behold.

Within a manger he was laid
And by his side a virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of Life
Who came on earth to end all strife.

There were three wise men from afar,
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay.

And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah lay,
They humbly cast them at his feet
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

An Irish Translation of the first four verses:

Ó, tagaig' uile is adhraigí
An leanbh cneasta sa chró 'na luí
Is cuimhnígí ar ghrá an Rí
A thug dár saoradh anocht an Naí.

'S a Mhuire Mháthair i bParrthas Dé,
Ar chlann bhocht Éabha guigh 'nois go caomh,
Is doras an chró ná dún go deo
Go n-adhram' feasta Mac Mhuire Ógh.

I mBeithil thoir i lár na hoích'
Ba chlos an deascéala d'aoirí,
Go follas don saol ón spéir go binn
Bhí aingle 'canadh ó rinn go rinn.

"Gluaisig' go beo," dúirt Aingeal Dé,
"Go Beithil sall is gheobhaidh sibh
É 'Na luí go séimh i mainséar féir,
Siúd É an Meisias a ghráigh an saol."

Pilgrimage to Enniscorthy Cathedral

The town of Enniscorthy is steeped in Irish history.  The town's foundation can be traced to the monastery of St. Senan and an early base of the Normans who entered Ireland at the nearby Bannow Bay.  Nearby Ferns was the seat of the Kings of Leinster and the see of St. Aiden, patron of the Diocese.  Overlooking the town is Vinegar Hill, where the men of '98 held out until 21st June.

The Cathedral of St. Aiden itself is historic, built in 1843 to the design of A.W. Pugin.

Latin Mass in Enniscorthy Cathedral