Creevelea Friary, Franciscan friary ruins in Dromahair, Ireland.

Creevelea Friary is a ruined Franciscan friary west of Dromahair on the west bank of the Bonet River. The surviving buildings all date from the rebuilding begun in 1536: a church with nave, south transept, tower and choir, a cloister with arcades on the north, south and east sides, and a domestic range whose north wing held the refectory and kitchen. The bell-tower was converted into living quarters in the 17th century.

The friary was founded in 1508 by Owen O'Rourke and Margaret O'Brian as a Franciscan community. It was rebuilt after a major fire in 1536 and continued functioning until the early 1800s.

The cloister arcades survive on the north, south and east sides; the west side may never have been finished. Among the plain stonework, one carving shows Francis of Assisi preaching to birds. The friary is also called after the neighbouring village, Dromahair, and was known as Balliniairck or Ballyniairke.

The site sits along the R286 road between Sligo and Dromahair and is accessible on foot from the roadside. You can walk freely around the ruins and spend as much time as you need exploring the stone structures.

In 1590 Richard Bingham stabled his horses at Creevelea while pursuing Brian O'Rourke, who had sheltered survivors of the Spanish Armada. The church was once covered with a thatched roof, and the bell-tower was converted into living quarters in the 17th century.