Old Mellifont Abbey
Visit Ireland’s very first Cistercian foundation
Old Mellifont Abbey
Visit Ireland’s very first Cistercian foundation
Admission
Grounds only – Free entry
Access to exhibition in the Visitor Centre and guided tour:
Adult: €5.00
Group/Senior: €4.00
Child(12-17)/Student: €3.00
Family: €13.00
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Old Mellifont Abbey
Mellifont Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland. St Malachy of Armagh created it in 1142 with the help of a small number of monks sent by St Bernard from Clairvaux. The monks did not take well to Ireland and soon returned to France, but the abbey was completed anyway and duly consecrated with great pomp.
It has several extraordinary architectural features, the foremost of which is the two-storey octagonal lavabo.
The monks at Mellifont hosted a critical synod in 1152. The abbey was central to the history of later centuries, too, even though it was in private hands by then. The Treaty of Mellifont, which ended the Nine Years War, was signed here in 1603, and William of Orange used the abbey as his headquarters during the momentous Battle of the Boyne.
Highlights
Gallery
Opening Times
Site open all year round.
Access to Visitor Centre and guided tours: 25 May – 19 September 2023 only Daily 10:00 – 17:00
Last admission 45 minutes before closing
Average Length of Visit: 1 hour
Notice
This site is fully accessible for visitors with disabilities.
Getting Here
10km north-west of Drogheda off the R168 (Drogheda-Collon Road)
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Car park
- Coach parking
- Exhibition
- Gift Shop
- Guided tours
- Picnic Area
- Toilets
- Wheelchair Accessible
Restrictions
- Dogs on lead
- No climbing
Nearby sites to visit
Old Mellifont Abbey
Battle of the Boyne
Where two kings fought for Europe’s future
Approx. 3.8 km from Old Mellifont Abbey
Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre (Newgrange and Knowth)
Step into Ireland’s richest archaeological landscape
Approx. 5.6 km from Old Mellifont Abbey
Hill of Tara
Experience the legacy of the high kings
Approx. 20.6 km from Old Mellifont Abbey
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Resources
Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Old Mellifont Abbey. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Old Mellifont Abbey.
Download the Social Guide