sˈæmjuːl lˈuːɪs tˌɑːpəɡɹˈæfɪkəl dˈɪkʃənˌɛɹi ʌv ˈaɪɚlənd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi sˈɛvən nˈoʊts ðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ ʌvðə fɹænsˈɪskən fɹˈaɪɚɹi æt bˈʌɾɛvənt: " ðə ɹˈuːɪnz ʌvðɪ ˈæbi ɑːɹ fˈaɪnli sˈɪtʃuːˌeɪɾᵻd ɔnðə stˈiːp bˈæŋk ʌvðə ɹˈɪvɚɹ ˈɔːbɛɡ, ænd kənsˈɪst tʃˈiːfli ʌvðə wˈɔːlz ʌvðə nˈeɪv, tʃˈænsəl, ænd sˌʌm pˈoːɹʃənz ʌvðə dəmˈɛstɪk bˈɪldɪŋz; ðɪ ˌʌpɚ pˈɑːɹt ʌvðə sˈɛntɹəl tˈaʊɚ, səpˈoːɹɾᵻd ˌɔn ˈɑːɹtʃᵻz ʌv lˈaɪt ænd ɡɹˈeɪsfəl ˌɛlɪvˈeɪʃən, fˈɛl dˌaʊn ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹtiːn; ðə tˈuːm ʌvðə fˈaʊndɚ, dˈeɪvɪd də bˈæɹi, ɪz səpˈoʊzd təbi ɪnðə sˈɛntɚɹ ʌvðə tʃˈænsəl, bˌʌt ɪz mˈɑːɹkt ˈoʊnli baɪ sˌʌm bɹˈoʊkən stˈoʊnz wˌɪtʃ ɐpˈɪɹ tə hæv fˈɔːɹmd ɐn ɛŋklˈoʊʒɚ.
Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) notes the following of the Franciscan Friary at Buttevant: " The ruins of the abbey are finely situated on the steep bank of the river Awbeg, and consist chiefly of the walls of the nave, chancel, and some portions of the domestic buildings; the upper part of the central tower, supported on arches of light and graceful elevation, fell down in 1814; the tomb of the founder, David de Barry, is supposed to be in the centre of the chancel, but is marked only by some broken stones which appear to have formed an enclosure.