dormitories, kitchen and so on. The church is built of limestone and greywacke. In the east wall of the chancel is a large opening that would once have contained a stained-glass window. There are three windows in the north wall and one in the south. Of the three windows in the north wall, two are open while the central one is blocked up.
The large opening in the south wall would also originally have housed a window. Unfortunately, time and weathering have left no indications of any moulding or carving on what remains of these windows. On the outside of the eastern window, however, there is some remaining decoration, including a carved stone head on the northern rim. Finally, there is a partially blocked doorway in the centre of the chancel’s south wall
The nave Being on the frontier between Gaelic Ireland and the Pale, Carlingford was often subject to attack, resulting in the fortification of the priory. Crenellations were added to the west wall and small towers built at the south-west and north-west corners of the nave. In the west wall there are the remains of a two-centred rounded arched window. There are three large windows in the northern side wall, with a smaller one higher up on the eastern end of this wall. There are also the remains of three small windows high up in the nave’s south wall. At the east end of the south wall there is a small niche with a high, narrow, inverted V-shaped arch.
A series of square holes in the walls indicates that at some time there were wooden structures inside and outside this building—for example, to support the roof of the cloister walk on the south side, of which no other evidence is visible. The present entrance to the priory is from the street through an original arched doorway, surrounded by medieval stonework, in the west wall. Above this is a machicolation resting on two corbels, part of the later defensive works. The outline of a (blocked-up) window is also visible above this door.
Above: View along the nave and chancel, looking east. Below: View of fortified portion of the nave, showing the crenellated west wall, a machicolation above the arched doorway and the added corner towers.
