MELLIFONT ABBEY
Mellifont Abbey's old-fashioned austerity is not particularly palpable when entering the first Cistercian abbey founded in Ireland: we are so far away from the Cistercian morals of Saint Bernard and Saint Malachy - founders of the abbey - in the heart of this vallon surrounded by birds' songs, miles away from the rumors of the world.
In 1142 Saint Malachy founded Mellifont Abbey with the help of French monks sent by Saint Bernard, abbot of the Cistercian Monastery of Clairvaux. Several other Cistercian abbeys were then established in Ireland. It is difficult today to imagine the grandeur and splendor of Mellifont Abbey whose architecture inspired the continent's abbeys. There are four parts of the "washbasin" (tower of the thirteenth century where monks can toiled) and most of the capitular room whose arcades, invaded by vegetation, spread a beautiful and mysterious light green glow. In front of the washbasin, five arches of the cloistered courtyard recall the monacal demoralization. But these architectural remains cannot transcribe the influence of the monastery until the fifteenth century. The abbey was abandoned when monasteries were dissolved by Henry VIII. It was closed in 1539.
Today, the Abbey has transformed some of its rooms into guest rooms, and operates through its farm and garden (Mellifont Abbey Gardens), both of which are visited.
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