http://www.carrickparish.org/history.html
Tradition asserts that the Church belonged in later times to the Franciscan friars but this is difficult to prove. What is without doubt however is that the Franciscan friary stood on the site of the jail of the County of Antrim where the yard behind the Town Hall is now situated. The discoveries made in 1776 in sinking the foundation of the jail were very impressive including human bones, an altar bell, and several gold rings. In 1805, a small brazen crucifix of beautiful workmanship was dug up near the jail. The foundation of this friary is attributed by the best authorities to Hugh de Lacy whom King John created Earl of Ulster in 1205. He is said to have erected the friary in the year 1232 and was interred there in 1243. This friary was considered a large foundation. The fortunes of the friars were very dependant on the ruling Monarch of the day and the political climate. Many of the surrounding townlands are associated with monasteries e.g. Woodbourne, Ballyprior in Islandmagee and Kilroot. In 1497 the friary in Carrickfergus was reformed to a branch of the Franciscans called the order of Strict Observance as recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters.

IN TIME OF PERSECUTION

During the reign of Elizabeth however this friary felt the full fury of the storm of persecution which raged throughout this island. Wadding tells us that the religious were expelled and that the English Governor, after seizing all the sacred properties of the friary, cast five of the friars into prison. (In "the time of persecution", as O'Laverty refers to it, no priest resided in Carrickfergus. When they visited it, according to tradition, Mass was celebrated at a place near the Commons (the land above the town of Carrickfergus facing inland from the sea) called The Priest's Bush or in a house belonging to some Catholic. Mass was also said to be celebrated in a place on the Commons (Middle Division) called Craig-na-brathair -"The Friar's Rock". At Stony Glen, Knockagh near the verge of the steep slope there formerly stood a religious house, said to be a friary, the foundations of which were dug up 200 years ago. It was called "the Priest's House". It is said that the walls were four feet thick and firmly grouted. At the end of the glen, at a place known locally as the Friar's Well, Mass was celebrated during the prevalence of the Penal Laws.