 Boyle Abbey was the first successful foundation in Connacht of the Cistercian order, which had opened its first Irish house at Mellifont in County Louth in 1142. Their initial success was phenomenal, as Mellifont sent out its monks to found one daughter house after another within a decade of its foundation. For some as yet unexplained reason, the Cistercians found it difficult to find a permanent home for themselves in Connacht, making three false starts before they finally settled at Boyle in 1161.
Though mutilated during the 17th and 18th Centuries when it was used to accommodate a military garrison, Boyle Abbey nevertheless retains its ability to impress the visitor as one of the most formidable of the early Cistercian foundations in Ireland. At the southwest corner of the abbey is a small round flanking tower, thought to be the stump of a round tower.
About Boyle Abbey (Mainistir na Buille)
Heritage Ireland: Boyle Abbey
Irish Antiquities: Boyle Cistercian Abbey
Eccesiastical Ireland: Boyle Abbey
New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia: Boyle Abbey
Wikipedia: Boyle Abbey
Wikipedia: Cistercians
Journey to Boyle Abbey (Mainistir na Buille)
Boyle Abbey is located In Boyle Town, off the N4 (Dublin-Sligo Road) in County Roscommon in Ireland.
Map Reference: G802026
Visitors Information
Visitors information for Boyle Abbey may be found on the geograph.ie website. General tourist information may be found at the Visit Roscommon website.
Additional Photos of Boyle Abbey (Mainistir na Buille)
Boyle Abbey Sign
North Transept (left) and Tower, Boyle Abbey
Entrance to Nave, Boyle Abbey
West Range Gatehouse Leading to Visitor's Center, Boyle Abbey
South Arcade Rounded Arches, Tower, and South Transept (right), Boyle Abbey
Remains of Cloister Garth Area (left) and Refectory (right), Boyle Abbey
Capital with Animal and Human Figures, Boyle Abbey
Blocked Doorway, Cloister Garth Area, Boyle Abbey
Close-Up of Pillars of Blocked Doorway, Cloister Garth Area, Boyle Abbey
Visitor's Center Display, Boyle Abbey
Visitor's Center Display, Boyle Abbey
Early 13th Century Grave Slab, Boyle Abbey
Triple Lancet Window of Presbytery (left), Tower, and North Transept (right), Boyle Abbey
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