The ruins of a Franciscan friary stand on the southern bank of the estuary opposite Donegal Bay. It was founded in 1474 by Red Hugh O'Donnell and his wife Nuala. It was richly endowed by the family and became a renowned centre of learning. In 1601, the church, cloisters and convent buildings suffered severe damage during an explosion, when the English and their ally, Niall Garbh, occupied the friary.