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a pagan temple comes in here, as in most cases of the kind. I 

 have no doubt but that a church of some kind existed here in 

 the early history of the Irish Church, but we have to come 

 down to the thirteenth century before we find any trustworthy 

 evidence. The Franciscan Priory of Carrickfergus, which 

 became an institution of much importance, and which stood 

 where the old gaol now is, was founded in 1232 by Hugh De 

 Lacy, and Lewis, writing in 1837, says : — "The subterraneous 

 passage under the altar which communicated with the ancient 

 monastery may still be traced." I am not aware if any portion 

 of this passage still exists, and I would be very much surprised 

 if it ever did exist, as it is really a mistake to suppose that 

 subterranean passages, dungeons, and secret chambers were 

 always connected with such places. De Lacy, the founder, was 

 buried in the priory in 1243. " Apud Cnockfergus in Conventu 

 Fratrum." The monastery existed until the Dissolution, and 

 when the monks had to go they devoutly prayed " that it 

 might become the habitation of thieves." It soon became the 

 county gaol. There is no doubt that the Franciscans largely 

 used this church if they did not actually build it. The date 

 1232 is important. In 1872 Thomas Drew, a most accomplished 

 architect and archaeologist, effected some slight improvements 

 here, and at the request of the date Bishop Knox he fully 

 investigated every inch of this church, and his report is most 

 interesting reading to those of antiquarian tastes. During 

 his investigations a valuable side light was thrown on the 

 foundation of the present building by Edmund Sharpe, an 

 English archaeologist of great fame, who said, ( ' Some archi- 

 tectural details of Carrickfergus have not in his wide experience 

 an exact parallel save in Byland Abbey, in Yorkshire, built by 

 De Lacy, invader of Ireland," and we know that it was about 

 1230 that De Lacy was paying some kind attentions to Carrick- 

 fergus. No doubt he brought his builders, who were most 

 possibly Franciscans, in his train, who very naturally reproduced 

 their own peculiar details here, and it was a happy thought of 

 these builders to dedicate the church of a great important 



