A Visit to Mount Melleray Abbey

I’m a bit misty-eyed to think that the Cistercian Abbey at Mount Melleray in Co Waterford will be closing its doors on January 26th this year. I’ve only visited a couple of times, but my wife and I felt we wanted to go one more time before the gates close.

Honestly, it’s such a tranquil place – it always felt like stepping into another world. Today, there was a steady stream of visitors coming and going. We followed a small crowd from the car park to where the café used to be. Sadly, it’s now shuttered, though the gift shop was open, and a few curious folks were browsing around.

After that, we wandered over to the church. Inside, everything felt still and contemplative, with just one monk keeping watch. He was lovely to chat with, so soft-spoken and patient. He admitted he’d be sorry to leave. You could hear the wistfulness in his voice. It really is a sad time for the monks there.

Here is the full post on Facebook announcing the closure and union of the abbeys if you can’t access it there.

There are significant changes taking place among three of the Cistercian monasteries in Ireland at this time. These changes are being made to help us to live the monastic life better, and to give a better formation and monastic life to those who are entering. At present we have 3 novices with others expressing interest in joining us.

On 3 November the monks of Mt Melleray Abbey, Mt St Joseph Abbey (Roscrea) and Mellifont Abbey voted to form a union. The monks of these three communities are coming together to form a new community that will be called the Abbey of Our Lady of Silence.

On 26 January 2025, the feast of the Cistercian Founders (Ss Robert, Alberic & Stephen), the monks of this new community will move to Roscrea, on an interim basis, for at least a year, to begin the life of the new community. During this time the definitive location of the community of Our Lady of Silence will be decided.

It is being stressed that the location of the new community at Roscrea is an interim arrangement until the permanent location is decided.

The monks of Mt Melleray would like to thank the local community, guests and visitors for their interest, support and concern especially at this time of transition. Let us continue to remember each other in our prayers.

We give here the full statement concerning the above changes:

STATEMENT FROM THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY OF OUR LADY OF SILENCE

21 November 2024

Historical Note: The Cistercians were first established in Ireland in 1142, initially at Mellifont Abbey by St Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh. By the time of the Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries there were forty-three houses of monks and three of nuns. We now have a presence at six locations on the island of Ireland, namely Mount Melleray (Co Waterford), Mellifont (Co Louth), Mount St Joseph, (Roscrea, Co Tipperary), Bolton Abbey (Co Kildare) Portglenone Abbey (Co Antrim), and the Sisters at St Mary’s Abbey, Glencairn (Co Waterford). We will be continuing our presence in Ireland into the future, but to achieve this regretfully we must consolidate in accordance with the restrictions of our present resources.

After much reflection and soul searching we as an Order have had to make some very difficult decisions with the aim of ensuring a future for Cistercian life in Ireland. We have been confronted with these difficult decisions as we address the reality of falling numbers and ageing communities; issues which other similar communities are also addressing at this time.

We have decided that with effect from 26th January 2025, three of our communities, namely, Mount Melleray, Mellifont and Mount St Joseph, which since 3rd November, the Feast of St Malachy, have already merged as one new single community will be based, for an interim period, at Roscrea. This new community has been given the name of ‘The Abbey of Our Lady of Silence’, and its residency at Roscrea, we emphasise, is an interim measure. Our Abbeys at Moone (Co Kildare) and at Portglenone (Co Antrim) will not be affected by this decision and will continue as autonomous communities.

Our new community of Our Lady of Silence, currently consists of twenty-six members, three of whom are novices, – and already interest has been expressed from others wishing to join us. We are optimistic that this now has the potential to become a vibrant community wherever we finally decide that it will be located.

We will now take time to consider how this new community will develop and where it will ultimately reside on a permanent basis. In the context of our decision we must rationalise our use of the three properties formerly associated with the three pre-existing communities, in line with our present day needs and resources. No final decisions have been taken at this stage regarding any of the properties which may be vacated in the near future, however as decisions are made further announcements will be forthcoming. Cistercian College, Roscrea continues to go from strength to strength and will not be impacted in any way, by decisions in the future.

This is a difficult time for all the members of our new Community as we strive to meet the challenge of our present day realities. It is especially difficult for those who have spent their entire lives in a specific monastery and must now adjust to these changed circumstances. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff, some of whom who have been with us and supported us for decades, and the many other loyal volunteers and friends who will be affected by these developments.

None of the previous three abbeys would have survived over the centuries without the support and friendship of those in the locality, but also many others associated with them in different ways. We recognise and acknowledge the often profound attachment all these have towards our monasteries and we deeply regret that we will not be able to maintain our presence at all three locations, as we embark on this new beginning. Our gratitude and prayers will continue to be with those who have shared our journey in so many rich and varied ways here in Ireland over the years.

Note: the community members of Our Lady of Silence will, in the main, continue at their present locations until the 26th January 2025. Thereafter they will vacate Mount Melleray and Mellifont until final decisions have been made in regard to the long term location of the new community.

Dom Rufus Pound ocso

Superior ad nutum

Abbey of Our Lady of Silence


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Not Sleeping in Ardmore

I have an orange t-shirt, but it’s not this lovely bright orange. I love that it matches the orange of the building, and then I noticed afterwards that he’s wearing light blue shorts! It’s orange and blue all the way down!


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A rainbow on the horizon

Here is something you may not have seen before. Horizontal rainbows or “fire rainbows” are a rare phenomenon that happen more often closer to the equator than Ireland is.

Here’s one I photographed off Ardmore, in Co Waterford. Nobody noticed it until they saw me with my camera pointed towards it!


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The Round Tower in Ardmore

The round tower in the cemetery in Ardmore is really impressive, standing out on the hillside overlooking the town.

The tower was built in the 12th century but it has been kept in great condition. Lots more to learn about it on this page.


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The sun sets on Ardmore Roundtower & Graveyard

We visited the graveyard adjoining the ruins of St. Declan’s Cathedral on our trip to Ardmore. The view from there out to sea and over the local town and beach is glorious!

The first time I visited here in 2005 I slipped while taking photos, my camera hit the ground hard and something broke inside it. Luckily I didn’t drop my camera this time, even though I did slip again. Only my leg was hurt but I kept my balance and stayed upright.

I found an informative walk through video made in the graveyard you should watch.


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Ballysaggartmore Towers

One the two Ballysaggartmore Towers in Co Waterford. They are regarded as follies built no later than 1834. From the Wikipedia page:

“They were constructed for an Anglo Irish Landlord, Arthur Keily-Ussher no later than 1834. He held an estate of approximately 8000 acres, the majority of which was rented to tenant farmers but he retained approximately 1000 acres as a personal demesne. The lodges were constructed on the main avenue leading to the family’s residence; Ballysaggartmore House. The house itself was large but of a very plain design, which was in obvious contrast to the lodges. An account from 1834 indicates that a main house predated the lodges. This account also reports that they were built from designs by the head gardener; John Smyth and that the main entrance gates were forged locally for the sum of about £150.”

I took quick photos of the other Tower but we were drenched by a sudden cloud burst of rain so we were pretty miserable and just wanted to get back to the car.

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Michael Mansfield of Ardmore, Co Waterford

Many years ago I published a few photos of Ardmore in Co Waterford. The post received a number of comments about one particular photo of a gentleman on a motorbike. His name was Michael Mansfield and unfortunately he passed away in 2009 but that hasn’t stopped the occasional visitor from leaving a comment since then, the most recent being yesterday.

That comment prompted me to look up the photos I made that day in 2005 to find more photos of Michael Mansfield. Here are the three I found, including the one that appeared in the original post.

Michael Mansfield

Michael Mansfield

Reading the comments I wish I had stopped to talk to Michael. He seems to have been quite the character around Ardmore!

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