Bid to clean medieval arch at the Cord

THE Drogheda Civic Trust are currently seeking funding from Louth County Council under the Built Heritage Scheme to help maintain and clean the medieval arch in the Cord Cemetery. The arch is all that remains of the Friary of St.Laurence the Matyr that stood on the site.

Members of the DCT met to Colr. Pio Smith on site to brief him on their request. he has committed to raising the matter at County level. Laurence St. and Laurence Gate both are named from the monastery. The arch is possibly the oldest piece of built heritage in the town area.

The Priory was founded in 1206 by the Mayor and citizens of Drogheda under the order of the Fratres Cruciferi (Gwynn & Hadcock 1988 pp 211). The origin of these brethren is obscure, with claims of dating from earliest Christian times in the East and of later having a hospital monastery at Jerusalem, from which they are sometimes recorded as the order of St. John of Jerusalem.

From the 12th century, several different congregations or branches were formed, under the names Canons O.S.A. of the Holy Cross, Fratres Cruciferi or Crucigeri, Crosier Canons, Cross-bearers, and in England Crutched or Crouched Friars, though they were not mendicants like the Dominican, Franciscan, Carmelite and Augustinian friars.

The brethren were canons regular of the order of St. Augustine and the number of their monasteries were generally also hospitals for the poor and sick. Their rules were strict and they are referred to as Augustinian Hospitallers.