Founded in 1473 or 1474 by Aodh Rua O’Donnell and his wife Nuala O’Brien for the Franciscan Observant friars, the friary enjoyed just over a century of peaceful existence before becoming embroiled in the violent struggles between Irish clans and English forces during the late 16th century.

The friary’s turbulent later history reads like a military chronicle. English forces first pillaged the buildings in 1588, converting them into a garrison shortly afterwards. Red Hugh O’Donnell drove them out in 1592, allowing the friars to return and begin repairs, but the respite was brief. In 1601, the renegade Niall Garbh O’Donnell seized the friary on behalf of the English, prompting Red Hugh to lay siege to the buildings. During this confrontation, a mysterious explosion and fire devastated the complex, leaving it in ruins. Red Hugh’s brother Rory, who succeeded him as O’Donnell and Earl of Tirconnell, attempted to restore the friary for the Franciscans before his departure for Spain in 1607, but that same year the property was granted to Sir Basil Brooke, and the church was converted for Protestant worship.

Today, the friary stands as National Monument No. 157, its fragmentary walls bearing witness to centuries of conflict and change. Archaeological excavations by the Office of Public Works have revealed the original extent of the buildings, though centuries of use as a burial ground have raised the ground level by as much as 1.75 metres in places, obscuring many architectural details. Some sections have been rebuilt to present ground level to mark important features, helping visitors understand the original layout of this once magnificent religious complex that played such a pivotal role in Donegal’s tumultuous history.