On the east side of the Shannon in Athlone, County Westmeath can be found the remains of a church begun by Franciscan friars in the 1680s. This was intended to replace an earlier lost building erected by members of the order in the 13th century but some 300 years later. However, the upheavals of the Williamite Wars and subsequent legislation against Roman Catholic religious bodies meant the work here was left unfinished, although an existing graveyard continued to be used for burial. Today the walls on either side of a winding pathway leading to what remains of the church are lined with memorial slabs from the site, the majority dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and offering examples of Irish stonemasons’ craftsmanship during this period.