- First and most important "European" monastery in Ireland.
- Splendid lavabo, partially restored.
- Tranquil setting in wooded valley.
- Can be hard to find.
- First Cistercian monastery in Ireland, founded in 1142 at the behest of St. Malachy.
- Mellifont was at the center of "European" monasticism in Ireland until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.
- Impressive remains of the monastery include the lavabo and chapterhouse.
- Little-known fact - in 1690 Mellifont was used as headquarters for William of Orange during the Battle of the Boyne.
Once you find Mellifont Abbey (if you find it ... the signposting can be erratic), you will agree with the founders that this is a great place to live. Secluded in a tranquil valley, with streams, woodlands and fields nearby. A true "well of honey" as the name implies.
The (amongst other duties) bee-keeping monks living here were Cistercians, planted in 1142 by St. Malachy to bring some order to ecclesiastical life. Irish monasticism was markedly different from the European mainstream, reflecting an insular interpretation of the scriptures as well. Malachy, the Archbishop of Armagh and a friend of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, started to streamline the clergy - with Mellifont as a starting point and one of the spiritual centers of Ireland. Mellifont quickly overtook nearby Monasterboice in popularity. Until an English ruler decided to change all matters ecclesiastical again, the monastery was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539.
Much of Mellifont Abbey was destroyed or converted in the intervening years - today the octagonal lavabo (where monks washed their hands before meals) is the most impressive remainder of the erstwhile splendor. The chapterhouse has a vaulted ceiling and some fine glazed tiles - they are medieval and where once used for the abbey church.
