Rathmullan Abbey

Rathmullan Abbey was built between 1508 and 1516 by Ruaidhri MacSweeney and his wife Maire to honour their son Ruaidhri who died in 1508.
It was plundered by George Bingham in 1595 and used as a barracks by Ralph Bingley in 1601. It was adapted as a castle residence by Bishop Knox in 1618. The Chancel continued as a parish church until it was abandoned in 1814.

A Carmelite friary founded around 1516 (though some sources trace monastic activity on the site to the 13th century). it was built under the patronage of the O’Donnell clan, rulers of Tyrconnell.
The abbey and town are historically linked to the Flight of the Earls (1607), when Irish chieftains—including Hugh O’Neill and Rory O’Donnell—departed from Rathmullan, marking a major turning point in Irish history.
The friary was dissolved during the English Reformation, but the building survived and served various purposes over time.