The friars created a school for boys on the banks of the river. By establishing a scholarly tradition, they helped preserve and document the history, stories, songs and lore of the area for generations to come.
The church was built in a gothic style with a single-aisle nave, two chantries and a bell-tower which hangs over the chancel arch. The stone doorway is decorated with intricate carvings of flowers at the base of its column. A double piscina, or basin with a drain attached was used for washing ceremonial items used in church services. Two gothic arches surrounding the piscina depict angels holding instruments from Christ’s Passion. On one pillar, a round tower is etched in stone, while on another a lion is carved into the stone.
From the ruins, we can discern that a dormitory, refectory and kitchen existed on the upper floor and two fireplaces are still intact today. The ground level contained vaulted rooms both sides of the courtyard which may have been used as classrooms or workshops for the Franciscans. During Elizabeth I’s reign, Mayo’s monasteries, churches and round towers suffered terribly at the hands of Sir Richard Bingham, the Governor of Connaught, who razed many thriving religious communities to the ground in the late 1580s and 1590s. Those which weren’t fully destroyed were damaged beyond use and Rosserk Friary was one of these. The friary can be accessed down a narrow lane and signs point to a holy well called Tobar Mhuire which is nearby and from its gentle pastoral setting the views are lovely.