Nestled in the picturesque village of Abbeyshrule in County Longford, Abbeyshrule Abbey stands as a testament to Ireland’s rich monastic heritage. Founded in 1150, this Cistercian abbey, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, invites you to explore its serene ruins and discover the stories etched into its ancient stones. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a nature lover, or simply seeking a tranquil escape, Abbeyshrule Abbey offers a unique and memorable experience. Come and uncover the secrets of this hidden gem, where history and nature intertwine harmoniously.
The Cistercian ethos in Ireland can be traced to a pilgrimage to Rome made by St. Malachy of Armagh in 1140 AD. Having stopped at Clairvaux near Dijon in France, he persuaded the great St. Bernard to send some of his religious followers to Ireland.
The Cistercian Abbey of Abbeyshrule (known as Flumen Dei) became one of the first of eight, having been endowed by O’Farrell, Prince of the region of Annally (now Co. Longford). The monks of the Cistercian Order placed it under the invocation of the Virgin Mary, or as it is stated by other authors, the Most Holy Trinity.
An abbey of older date may have existed on the same site as we find the death of its abbot, Moelpoil, recorded in 904 by the Four Masters. The Abbey is ideally located on the River Inny, protected on the east by an expansive bogland, known locally as Clynan Bog. On the west side of the river lay the region known from the tenth century as Upper Annally, which was on the perimeter of the Pale.
Immediately after its foundation, the Abbey enjoyed a Golden Period. Abbeyshrule Cistercian Abbey was one of the few abbeys to escape the audit of Stephen de Lexington, an English Abbot who carried out a visitation in 1215, purging the order houses of non-conformity to the Cistercian Code. In fact, Shrule Abbey emerged with an enhanced reputation and was delegated to, in effect, take over the troubled Boyle Abbey and supervise the election of an abbot and conformity there. In addition, the Abbey was only one of three in the country to be allowed to use the Irish tongue in its liturgy. Sadly, this was not to last, and in common with many other houses, the ruling class, in this case, the O’Farrells, foisted abbots of their own to the detriment of the religious order. It is believed that monastic life here did not survive beyond the year 1450.
In 1430, a Papal Mandate to the Abbot of Mellifont indicates that the Cistercian Abbey De Flumine Dei had been detained for more than two years by Kenanus O’Fearghail, after the death of Gilbert Mac Mulchallan. In 1476, it was recorded that the Abbey had been burnt by English forces. A second large sacking happened circa 1550 when the army of Hugh Roe O’Donnell crossed into Annally via Tarmonbarry and laid waste to all the area, including the Abbey and its possessions.
The monastery subsisted until the dissolution when it was granted to James, Earl of Roscommon. In 1569, it was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Robert Dillon, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. After the Jacobite Wars, the lands passed to the King Harmon Family.
The names of the abbots of the thirteenth century and the records of that period were destroyed in the great destruction of Mellifont in 1539 during the reign of King Henry VIII. The names of the abbots of the fourteenth century that survived were as follows:
At its dissolution in 1539, the Abbey held an estate of over 4,000 acres, covering most of the area of the half parish of Abbeyshrule and including a significant outsettlement at Ballnamanagh (the town of the Monks) beyond Colehill (219 acres). Eventually, after a few changes, the estate was granted to the Chief Justice, Robert Dillon of Kilkenny West. His descendants were ennobled as the Earls Roscommon for services to the new religion and the King. They held onto their estates until the Williamite Wars when the then Earl served in the Privy Council of James II. The lands appear sold at that time to bankroll the Jacobite cause. They passed from Nuttall to Choppyne to Harman (née Shepherd). This started the King Harmon Dynasty, which survived in part as landlordship until the early part of the 1940s.
After the dissolution, an attempt was made during the Confederation Period of the mid-seventeenth century to restore the monastery, and an abbot was appointed in Louvain, but all this came to nothing. Part of the remaining ruins of the monastery were turned into a church for the established church, but this seems to have been of relatively short duration and ended in the eighteenth century. Title to the remainder of the monastery was held by the King Harmon Family who walled in the immediate burial ground and the monastery.
The original buildings of the Abbey were of a standard plan. Unfortunately, all that now remains are the outlines of some of the foundations. Within the confines of the Abbey, there would have been a school for postulants, a guest house, and a watermill. These were in addition to the usual dormitory, cloisters, church, etc. About 100 feet south of the church is a tower built above a vaulted basement, evidently a post-reformation tower. Very little of what would have been the impressive monastic structure remains. The stone-carved arches of the cloisters were most likely flattened in the recorded despoliations of the Abbey by the hostile raiders. These raiders were chiefly an army of English-speaking Norman descendants from the Lordship of Meath in 1476. Over the centuries, further ravages occurred, probably by hostile predators and indeed souvenir hunters, leaving only the bones of a once proud edifice remaining.
During the early part of the 17th century (1660-1650), the great archway under the belltower facing east/west was blocked, leaving the rim only visible today. The original church was turned into a chapel of worship (for whom we are uncertain; a parish priest lies buried by the outside south wall). Today, the Abbey grounds are vested in the local authority of Longford County Council. It is believed that many families of South County Longford have ancestors buried within its precinct.
The Abbeyshrule Cistercian Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Shrule, has a history that stretches back to the early 12th century. Initially colonised by Cistercian monks from Mellifont Abbey under the patronage of the O’Farrells of Annaly, the abbey was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary around 1150 AD. The construction of the current abbey structure dates to approximately 1200 AD.
In 1228, the abbey’s affiliation shifted to Bective Abbey, marking the beginning of a period of growth and prosperity. The abbey, situated on the banks of the River Inny, became one of the largest in Leinster, featuring a large number of cells, a chapel, sacristy, pantry, kitchens, and refectory. Its strategic location allowed for easy access to the islands of Lough Ree, Clonmacnoise, and Kilbixy.
However, like many other monasteries, Abbeyshrule Abbey suffered under the dissolution of the monasteries. In the late 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I granted the abbey to Sir Robert Dillon, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Despite these changes, the abbey continued to influence the region, with modifications and additions occurring over the centuries.
Today, the ruins of Abbeyshrule Abbey, including the abbey church, the outline of the cloister garth, and a later tower house, offer a glimpse into its storied past. Visitors can explore the surviving 13th-century church walls, the distinctive double bellcote, and the historic graveyard with its fascinating gravestones and the shaft of a high cross.
This monastery consists of a cloister, a tower, and a small church.
In 1998, a local group formed a committee to endeavour to restore the buildings on-site. However, after much contact with various statutory bodies, no firm proposals seemed to emerge which would get actual restoration work started.
In 2003, a meeting was arranged on-site, bringing together Longford County Council (custodians of the site), the Heritage Council, Dúchas, and the local committee. As a result of this meeting, a firm of specialist archaeological engineering consultants was retained to carry out a full study on the condition of the buildings on-site.
The local committee decided to adopt the name – The Abbeyshrule Cistercian Abbey Preservation Committee. Their aim is the preservation of the buildings as they are at present and to develop the site as an important part of Co. Longford’s heritage.
Carrig Building Fabric Consultants were contracted to project manage the preservation. To date, work has been carried out on the small church. Restoration work has been done on lintels over doorways, and some stonework on walls has been completed.
Recently, a grant of €15,000 has been made available from the Department of Environment Heritage Fund, and it is hoped that some work on the tower can be carried out this year. Cutting back on the heavy coat of ivy and stone capping of some walls are part of the works programme.
The idea of lighting the abbey was first mooted by Abbeyshrule native Ursula McGoey in 2016. Ursula grew up in the village and had a lifelong interest in the abbey as had her brothers Gabriel and Cathal. She suggested a parachute jump at the local airfield and set about putting a team together. She managed to get six other women to jump with her Gretta King, Kate Dardis, Betty Dowler, Danielle Doherty, Angela Keenan and her daughter Emer Keenan.
On the 16th of August 2016 the group, dubbed “The magnificent seven”, led by eighty three year old Ursula, parachuted from a plane into Abbeyshrule aerodrome. The fundraiser was a roaring success and enabled the purchase of solar panels, LED Lighting and the equipment necessary to floodlight the church. This work was carried out by committee member Colm Mulligan.
It was officially switched on in April 2017 by the Abbott of Roscrea Cistercian Abbey as part of a 2017 Cruinniu na Caisce event held in the grounds that night. A fantastic evening of song, poetry and music followed this most memorable event.
The current committee was founded in 2017 after a long hiatus and the successful fundraiser for lighting the abbey. The first meeting was well attended and it was decided to explore the possibility of getting funding to employ a heritage architect and have a report done on the tower condition in particular as there was a very real danger of it collapsing altogether.
After a few attempts funding of 15,000 Euro was secured for a written report on the tower. This report allowed us to apply for further funding from the Department of Heritage. We appointed Blackwood and associates to do the report and oversee the work to be carried out on the tower.
We received 70,000 Euro in 2021 to start phase 1 of the tower pointing and securing stone. A further 15,000 was granted at the end of 2021 to finish this phase.
In 2022 we applied for and received 85,000 to finish out the tower and secure openings and plant a sedum roof on top of the chamber. This work was carried out in 2023. The tower is now safe and it marks a major milestone in the ongoing preservation of the abbey.
In April 2024 we applied for and were granted 29,212.50 Euro for an overall site management plan to be drawn up and a preliminary report to be done on the church building on the site. Blackwood and associates are once again looking after this phase of the project. The Committee wish to acknowledge the following people without whose help this funding would not have been possible.
The local committee shall continue to act as a pressure group to ensure that the statutory bodies live up to their responsibilities to bring the preservation work to a satisfactory conclusion.
Abbeyshrule Abbey is a hidden gem, open to the public and free to visit. The site is dog-friendly and offers free car parking, making it an ideal destination for a day out with family or friends.
Located about 30km northwest of Mullingar in County Longford, the charming village of Abbeyshrule is also a Tidy Town award winner. The nearby Royal Canal and the Inny River provide excellent opportunities for fishing, boating, and exploring.
Tim Edey is one of the most respected folk musicians on the live circuit today. He has won the BBC Folk Musician of the year twice! He has toured with Sharon Shannon, The Chieftains , Seamus Begley and many more Expect a very energetic and mind blowing performance . The last time he played Abbeyshrule ,in 2019 , the audience were absolutely blown away.
This event is organised by Abbeyshrule Cistercian Abbey preservation committee to raise funds for the upgrading of our solar lighting project on the Abbey ruins.
