The Friary was founded in 1471 by the O'Donnells, ruling clan of Donegal, for the Franciscan Friars on the site of an older church, possibly 10th Century. It was completed in the early 16th Century by Calvagh O'Donnell. In 1603, with the Plantation of Ulster, the land was given to Captain Basil Brooke who closed down the Friary. It has remained a burial ground for the local community since closing.