abbeys ireland

Cistercian Abbey, one of the finest, if little known abbeys. It features a truly delightful east rose window and an undisturbed air of rural tranquillity which belies its turbulent history....

This Cistercian abbey was founded by the King of Limerick, Turlough O’Brien around the year 1150 and completed something like thirty years later. The Abbey has seen two battles within its walls. In the first the King of Thomond sought refuge from Brian O’Brian and Macnamaras in the monastery after his defeat in 1365. The second battle occurred during the Desmond rebellion of 1579. In it Sir John of Desmond was defeated by Sir Nicholas Malby, who fought for the English. Malby then turned his can...

A Cistercian Abbey built in 1200 AD. Currently under restoration. Founded by William the Earl Marshal, in fulfillment of his promise - made when on a stormy sea voyage - to do so if the Lord spared him....

Cistercians were brought from Furness in Lancashire to construct the monastic buildings, which were laid out according to the accustomed Cistercian ground-plan, with a church on the northern side of an open cloister garth and with community and domestic buildings enclosing the other three sides. Of these, only the choir with its graceful triple lancet windows in the east gable survives to anything like its original height, though the transepts with their rib-vaulted open twin chapels, and the b...

Donal Mor O'Brien founded a church on this island in the Shannon estuary for the Augustinian Canons some time towards the end of the 12th century. In the 15th century a tower was built to the south of the nave, and two chapels were added. Most of the domestic buildings are of the same period; they comprise a sacristy next to the church, a chapter room in the east side, and a kitchen, a pantry and refectory on the ground floor of the south wing. There were no buildings in the western portion....

This was founded in 1241 by Meiler de Bermingham.
Accidentally burned in 1423, it was re-built with a central tower and the present northern doorway. Restored in 1638-44, it was declared a university for the Dominican Order by decree of a General Chapter held in Rome.
In 1652, however the Cromwellians totally wrecked the place....

13km from Clontuskert, on the road north to Ballinasloe, is Clontuskert - Abbey - . A monastery was founded here in 805.
Not much of the building remains, but the church has some interesting fragments of a 14th/15th century road screen of Sligo - Abbey - type: a 15th century north transept: a perpendicular west door of 1471 with figures of St Michael, John the Baptist, Catherine of Alexandria, and Augustine, and a holy water stone.

In 1637 the priory was re-edified on a reduced scale...

St Francis Abbey founded by Richard Marshall in 1234, the church walls and belfry tower of this Franciscan foundation are preserved on their original site, now the yard of Smithwick's Brewery....

Founded by the O'Brien family in 1250 for the Franciscan Order on a good site close to the River Fergus, this friary was restored about 1300 by Turlough Mor O'Brien, who added the strikingly tall east window with its five slender lights and pointed top. There is a good deal of interesting sculpture and a partly restored cloister. Its monuments are famous, notably the McMahon tomb (15 th Century) with its carvings of the Passion....

St. Malachy of Armagh brought a handful of monks with him from Clairvaux and founded the first Irish Cistercian monastery here in 1142, on lands granted by Donogh O'Carroll, Prince of Uriel. St. Bernard of Clairvaux sent a skilful architect named Robert to help build the church, and this is reflected in the rounded chapels in the transepts - which are of Continental origin and which are some of the few remaining portions of the original church. In 1157 the church was consecrated with great pom...