▁of ▁it : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 2 2 4 , ▁Maurice ▁Fitz G er ald ▁founded ▁a ▁Francis can ▁monaster y ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁religious ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁in ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁recorded ▁that ▁he ▁originally ▁intended ▁the ▁building ▁for ▁a ▁castle , ▁but ▁that , ▁in ▁consequence ▁of ▁some ▁har sh ▁treatment ▁which ▁the ▁work men ▁received ▁from ▁his ▁el dest ▁son , ▁he ▁changed ▁his ▁design ▁and ▁determined ▁to ▁dev ote ▁it ▁to ▁religious ▁uses : ▁but , ▁dying ▁in ▁ 1 2 5 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 2 6 0 ▁by ▁his ▁young est ▁son , ▁Thomas . ▁ ▁The ▁exact ▁year ▁of ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁Francis c ans ▁came ▁to ▁Y ough al , ▁is ▁uncertain ▁and ▁some ▁sources ▁c ite ▁ 1 2 2 4 , ▁and ▁others ▁ 1 2 2 6 . ▁ ▁Either ▁way ▁both ▁dates ▁are ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁lifetime ▁of ▁St . ▁Francis ▁of ▁Ass isi . ▁ ▁The ▁Fri ary ▁were ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁and ▁no ▁remains ▁of ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁today . ▁ ▁However ▁some ▁local ▁sources ▁suggest ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁remains ▁but ▁were ▁demol ished ▁when ▁the ▁site ▁became ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁P ugin ▁designed ▁convent ▁of ▁the ▁Pres entation ▁Sister s . ▁ ▁Today ▁ ▁The ▁convent ▁has ▁since ▁closed ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁an ▁International ▁college ▁ ▁The ▁nearby ▁south ▁ab bey ▁national