Abbeys & Monasteries

Historic monastic settlements, friaries, and ruined abbeys

138 places

Showing 24 of 138 places

Mount Saint Joseph's Abbey

Mount St. Joseph Abbey is an abbey of the Trappist branch of the Cistercians located in County Offaly, near Roscrea, County Tipperary in Ireland. The abbey was founded in 1878 by a group of 32 monks from Mount Melleray Abbey, County Waterford, a number of years earlier Arthur John Moore MP of County Tipperary visited Mt Melleray petitioning for it. The church was opened for worship in 1883, on 600 acres in Mount Heaton, Roscrea, and a Boarding school - Cistercian College, Roscrea - was founded in 1905. The first superior was Dom Athanasius O'Donovan (born Daniel O'Donovan). Mount St. Joseph contains several stained glass windows created by Harry Clarke or his studios. Three windows in the infirmary, three later windows in the chapel of the college and a 1960s window dedicated to St. Patrick for the abbey church. Three foundations have been made from Mount Saint Joseph - Nunraw (Scotland) in 1946, Tarrawarra (Australia) in 1954, and Bolton Abbey, Moone, (County Kildare) in 1964. Nationalist, MP, Catholic and Home Rule supporter Count Arthur John Moore, who donated the 600-acre property and buildings to the Cistercians, where the abbey and college are, is buried in Mount St Joseph.

▶ Video

AbbeyMeath

Silverstream Priory

Silverstream Priory is a Roman Catholic monastery in Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland, founded in 2012. The monastery is an autonomous diocesan priory of the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration. Mark Daniel Kirby (b. 1952) is the founder and was the first superior of the priory until his resignation in 2020. As of March 2023, Fr. Basil Mary McCabe was its prior.

AbbeyKerry

Derrynane Abbey

Derrynane Abbey also known as Ahamore Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Achaidh Mhóir) is a ruined abbey in Derrynane in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located near the town of Caherdaniel and is very close to Derrynane House, the house of Daniel O'Connell. The abbey is on an island appropriately named Abbey Island. It is accessible from the mainland through a beach. It is believed to have been built in the 6th century.

AbbeyKerry

Skellig Monastery

Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilig Mhichíl [ˌʃcɛlʲəɟ ˈvʲɪçiːlʲ]), also called Great Skellig (Irish: Sceilig Mhór [ˈʃcɛlʲəɟ woːɾˠ]), is a twin-pinnacled crag 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The island is named after the archangel Michael; while "Skellig" is derived from the Irish language word sceilig, meaning a splinter of stone. Its twin island, Little Skellig (Sceilig Bheag), is smaller and inaccessible. The two islands were formed c. 374–360 million years ago during a period of mountain formation, along with the local MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. Rising water levels later separated them from the mainland. Skellig Michael consists of approximately 22 hectares (54 acres) of rock, with its highest point, known as the Spit, 218 m (714 ft) above sea level. Defined by twin peaks and a central valley called Christ’s Saddle, the island has a steep and inhospitable landscape. It is best known for its Gaelic monastery, founded between the 6th and 8th centuries, and its variety of inhabiting species, which include gannets, puffins, a colony of razorbills and a population of approximately fifty grey seals. The island is of special interest to archaeologists, as the monastic settlement is in unusually good condition. The monastery on the northern peak is situated at an elevation of 170 to 180 m (550 to 600 ft), Christ's Saddle at 129 m (422 ft), and the flagstaff area are 37 m (120 ft) above sea level. The monastery can be approached by narrow and steep flights of stone steps which ascend from three landing points. The hermitage on the south peak is only accessible via a dangerous approach and is largely closed to the public. Because of the often difficult crossing from the mainland and the exposed nature of the landing spots, the island is accessible only during the summer months. UNESCO designated Skellig Michael a World Heritage Site in 1996.

AbbeyWestmeath

Tristernagh Abbey (ruins)

Tristernagh Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Thriostarnaí, IPA: ˈmˠanʲəʃtʲəɾʲˈhɾʲɪsˠt̪ˠəɾˠn̪ˠiː), also known as the Priory of Kilbixy or Kilbisky, Tristernagh Priory, or the priory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Tristernagh, is a ruined Augustinian monastery in the townland of Tristernagh in the barony of Kilbixy in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated on the shores of Lough Iron, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north east of the village of Ballynacargy. The name "Tristernagh" comes from the Irish triostarnach, "place of thorns".

AbbeyGalway

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey (Irish: Mainistir na Coille Móire) is a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The Abbey was founded for Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium in the First World War. Since 2022, it has belonged to the English Benedictine Congregation. Under The Kylemore Trust, it continues its mission as a Benedictine monastery, holding Kylemore and its spiritual mission, natural and built heritage in trust for the Irish nation. Kylemore Abbey also operates as one of Ireland's leading visitor attractions.

AbbeyKildare

Bolton Abbey

Bolton Abbey, Moone, County Kildare is a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1965. It was established by monks from Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, and became an independent monastery and abbey in 1977. The monastery works a dairy farm on its property. The farm and house were donated by Dr. Robert Farnan. The monastery was established by Fr Ambrose Farrington and Br Kieran Dooley from Roscrea and officially opened in 1965. In 2015 it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

AbbeyLimerick

Monasternagalliaghduff

Monasternagalliaghduff (Irish: Mainistir na gCailleach Dubh, meaning 'The Black Nuns' Abbey') also called the Abbey of St Catherine de O'Conyl or simply Old Abbey, is a ruined Augustinian abbey in County Limerick in Ireland.

AbbeyMeath

Bective Abbey

Bective Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Bheigthí) is a Cistercian abbey on the River Boyne in Bective, County Meath, Ireland. The abbey was founded in 1147, and the remaining (well-preserved) structure and ruins primarily date to the 15th century. The site, including a nearby car park, were purchased by the state in 2012, and are managed by the Office of Public Works. The abbey, including its early 13th-century church, 15th-century cloister, and 16th-century tower, is a protected structure and recorded on the register of National monuments of Ireland.

AbbeyWaterford

Saint Declan's Monastery

St. Declan's Monastery, containing the remains of Ardmore Cathedral, is a former monastery and National Monument located in County Waterford, Ireland.

AbbeyTipperary

Kilcooly Abbey

Kilcooley Abbey is a Cistercian abbey near the village of Gortnahoe in County Tipperary, Ireland. The abbey is located inside the grounds of the Kilcooley Estate. This abbey dates from 1182 when the King of Thomond Donal Mor O’Brien granted lands to the Cistercians, to build an abbey here. The abbey, which was built around 1200 is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Benedict and shares similar Cistercian architecture with both Jerpoint Abbey and Holy Cross Abbey. The abbey is open to the public. After the Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries, Kilcooley passed into the possession of the Earl of Ormond. It was granted to the English-born judge Sir Jerome Alexander in the 1630s. It passed to his daughter Elizabeth, and then through marriage to the Barker baronets of Bocking Hall, the last of whom died in 1818.

AbbeyGalway

Claregalway Friary

The Claregalway Friary (Irish: Mainistir Bhaile Chláir) is a ruined medieval Franciscan abbey in Claregalway, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey site features an east-facing, cruciform church (minus a south transept) with a 24-metre (80 ft) bell tower. The ruins of the living quarters and cloister are situated to the south of the church building.

AbbeyGalway

Clontuskert Abbey

The Priory of Saint Mary, Clontuskert-Hy-Many, also called Clontuskert Abbey, is a medieval Augustinian priory and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.

AbbeyDown

Grey Abbey

Grey Abbey (Irish: An Mhainistir Liath) is a ruined Cistercian priory in Greyabbey, County Down, Northern Ireland. Currently maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, it is a monument in state care in the townland of Rosemount, on the eastern edge of the village of Greyabbey in the Ards and North Down local government district.

AbbeyJerpoint Abbey

AbbeyKilkenny

Jerpoint Abbey

Jerpoint Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Sheireapúin) is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west of Thomastown on the R448 regional road. There is a visitor centre with an exhibition. It has been declared a national monument and has been in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1880. Scholars believe that Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic (d.1176), the son of Cerball Mac Gilla Pátraic was possibly the founder of Jerpoint Abbey. Jerpoint Abbey may have been in existence since the 1160s but was only formally affiliated to the Cistercian order in 1180. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Jerpoint is notable for its stone carvings, including one at the tomb of Felix Ua Duib Sláin, Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory and Cistercian founder of the abbey. The abbey flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries by the English king Henry VIII. Until c. 1310, Jerpoint housed monks of Irish descent, whereas the Cistercian monastery in Graiguenamanagh housed monks of Norman descent. Jerpoint Abbey gives its name to the civil parish of Jerpoint Abbey or Abbey-Jerpoint in the barony of Knocktopher. It lies near the anciently corporate town of Newtown Jerpoint.

AbbeyTimoleague Abbey

AbbeyCork

Timoleague Abbey

Timoleague Friary (Irish: Mainistir Thigh Molaga), also known as Timoleague Abbey, is a ruined medieval Franciscan friary in Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland, on the banks of the Argideen River overlooking Courtmacsherry Bay. It was built on the site of an early Christian monastic site founded by Saint Molaga, from whom the town of Timoleague derives its name. The present remains date from roughly the turn of the fourteenth century and were burnt down by Crown forces during the Irish Confederate Wars in the mid-seventeenth century, at which point it was an important ecclesiastical centre that engaged in significant trade with Spain. The friary is the largest medieval ruin in West Cork and one of the few early Franciscan friaries in Ireland to have substantial ruins. It is claustral in layout, and built in the Early English Gothic architectural style. It contains several elements atypical of Franciscan architecture of the period, including wall passages and exterior access to its upper floor. It was significantly altered in the early 16th and early 17th centuries. Several historical artefacts are associated with the friary, and during the Romantic era it was depicted in several notable artworks.

AbbeyKildare

Castledermot Friary (ruins)

Castledermot Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Dhíseart Diarmada) is a ruined Franciscan friary in Castledermot, County Kildare, Ireland. It was founded at some point before 1247. A previous monastery had been founded on the same site by Diarmait, a son of Áed Róin, King of Ulster, in the ninth century AD.

AbbeyCong Abbey

AbbeyMayo

Cong Abbey

Cong Abbey also known as the Royal Abbey of Cong, is a historic site located at Cong, County Mayo, in Ireland's province of Connacht. The ruins of the former Augustinian abbey mostly date to the 13th century and have been described as featuring some of finest examples of medieval ecclesiastical architecture in Ireland.

AbbeyLeitrim

Creevelea Abbey

Creevelea Abbey is an early 16th-century Franciscan friary and National Monument located in Dromahair, County Leitrim, Ireland. Although in ruins, Creevelea Abbey is still in use as a grave yard.

AbbeyOffaly

Gallen Abbey

Gallen Abbey or Gallen Priory is a medieval monastery and National Monument located in County Offaly, Ireland.

AbbeyKilkenny

Gowran Abbey

St. Mary’s Collegiate Church Gowran (Irish: Eaglais Mhuire), also known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, is a church in the centre of the town of Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland. The site is a National Monument in the care of the Gowran Development Association (GDA) and the Office of Public Works (OPW). The church and its family connections have been of huge importance to Gowran and further afield over the centuries. The church is a collegiate church, which means that the priests or chaplains attached to it lived in community together. The present church was not a monastery or an abbey; however experts believe the church was built on the site of an earlier monastery. The presence of an Ogham stone on the site, which is on display in the chancel, suggests there was a place of worship here dating back 2000 years to Celtic times or beyond.

AbbeyHolycross Abbey

AbbeyTipperary

Holycross Abbey

Holy Cross Abbey (Mainistir na Croise Naofa) was a Cistercian monastery in Holycross near Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland, situated on the River Suir. It takes its name from a relic of the True Cross or Holy Rood.

AbbeyHore Abbey

AbbeyTipperary

Hore Abbey

Hore Abbey (also Hoare Abbey, sometimes known as St Mary's) is a ruined Cistercian monastery near the Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. 'Hore' is thought to derive from 'iubhair' – yew tree. The former Benedictine abbey at Hore was given to the Cistercians by Archbishop David Mac Cerbaill (in 1270), who later entered the monastery, and was buried there in 1289. He endowed the Abbey generously with land, mills and other benefices previously belonging to the town. A story that is much cited by tour guides is that he evicted the Benedictines after a dream that they were about to kill him. This is unlikely to be true and probably arises from the Archbishop's 'interference' with the commerce of the city of Cashel. His disfavour of the established orders in Cashel certainly caused local resentment. He was resented by some of the townspeople, being considered too much in favour of the Irish by the more Anglicised. This is evident in the objection by the thirty-eight local brewers to the levy of two flagons out of every brewing and in the murder of two monks who were visiting the town. He was by all accounts an exceptionally quarrelsome man, who in his long career clashed with the Dean of Cashel, his fellow bishops and the Dublin administration.

AbbeyGalway

Kilconnell Abbey

Kilconnell or Killconnell Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Chill Chonaill) is a ruined medieval Franciscan friary located in Kilconnell, County Galway, Ireland.

More categories

Castles in Ireland Megalithic Sites Round Towers & High Crosses Historic Houses & Forts Ruins & Archaeological Sites Sea Cliffs & Rock Formations

Abbeys & Monasteries

Abbeys & Monasteries by county

More categories