Old Mellifont Abbey image

Old Mellifont Abbey

Tourist attraction Historical landmark

One of the Best Places To Visits in Monasterboice ED


Address

Mellifont, Tullyallen Village, Co. Louth, A92 K682, Ireland

Website

heritageireland.ie

Contact

+353 41 982 6459

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (791 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: (Saint Patrick's Day), 10 AM to 4:15 PM, Hours might differ
  • Monday: (Saint Patrick's Day (Observed)), 10 AM to 4:15 PM, Hours might differ
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 4:15 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 4:15 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 4:15 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 4:15 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 4:15 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: visit (15) ruins (10) worth (8) walk (7) Abbey (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Russell D. 1 year ago on Google
    Well worth a visit. Place is very clean & well organised. Free to walk around the Old Abbey ruins, but you'll need to pay in for the visitor centre. Also, some tables around the edge, so place to have a picnic etc....
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Silvia B. 7 months ago on Google
    Very peaceful place. I loved especially the sound of monks singing.. it gave to the place a special vibe 😊 this place is free, but you can also pay for a tourguide. There are toilettes too.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Derrick L. 1 year ago on Google
    Love going when it's not to busy. Nice clean tiolets and the grounds are well kept the kids love run around and climb but you need to keep an eye on them. There is a few picnics benches to sit chill and enjoy a chat with a coffee
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Osaretin E. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice to see a bit of preserved history. Best to be with friends while you do the tour.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Olga H. 11 months ago on Google
    It's fabulous to walk around the ruins of what once must have been a magnificent Abbey. Lots of very descriptive signs posted through out the Abbey giving the reader a very clear picture of the day to day life in the Abbey centuries ago. The rise and fall of the Abbey is well depicted, too. Well worth a visit and a leisurely walk around taking in both the ruins and the information provided in lots of locations.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rosemary 2 years ago on Google
    It's worth a visit. Old ruins with magnificent architecture. They have a one way system in place. Great place to have a picnic.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rena P. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place. Lovely views. Place for picnic and hide and seek for kids. Safe and secure with CCTV. Visitors centre also available to visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Kyle F. 1 year ago on Google
    It is a beautiful area tucked back on the countryside. It is well cared for, but unfortunately not much is left. The visitor center is closed. Sad to see after driving all the way there since it is quite distant from many other things.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tina B. 1 year ago on Google
    If you've rich imagination, this monastery from 1142 will come back to life and if you don't, join a tour. This is a powerful spiritual place on the Celtic Camino Boyne Valley route, especially the music in the Chapter House.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tony S. 7 months ago on Google
    Amazing time kids love it I I love it and my partner love it..

  • 5/5 Apis M. 8 months ago on Google
    Absolutely lovely ruins.....ruins are free....if you want to visit museum (I was there and it was very interesting)cost 5€ adult bud it is very interesting

  • 5/5 Louise M. 9 months ago on Google
    Beautiful scenery of ruins and was quiet to appreciate surrounding without interruptions. Lovely for a picnic on a nice sunny day.

  • 5/5 Rodney O C. 10 months ago on Google
    When the French and the Irish get together in architecture they, work like 2 peas in a pod. Amazing feat off engineering and craftsmanship.

  • 5/5 Marcin J. 1 year ago on Google
    We love this place. We visit it every time we are around. There is something in this place that keeps us coming back.

  • 5/5 Vytautas L. 7 months ago on Google
    Once I entered this place, I started to imagine it's glory at the best times. Nice place and great story behind. Water room ruins bringht me back. Now I want to see similar abbeys that are not destroyed.

  • 5/5 tom w. 6 months ago on Google
    Fantastic ruins from 1157 a.d. Way cool. And first Wednesday if the month is free!!!. But well worth a walk around. Easy to get to.

  • 5/5 Steven M. 6 months ago on Google
    Lovely place steeped in History, with a very calm atmosphere. We arrived on our motorcycles and the guide was a lovely lady who came out to greet us and offer her services and advice on the site.

  • 5/5 Jessica P. 6 months ago on Google
    10/10 tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging. The history of the abbey is very interesting and the ruins are very beautiful.

  • 5/5 James C. 7 months ago on Google
    We attended here for the Heritage Week - it is a stunning setting for a music event as the acoustics there were amazing. The Navan Brass Band played in the courtyard and was beautiful to sit down and relax with our doggies whilst soaking up the sun. The museam is interesting, where you can see the history of the Abbey and how it appeared many years ago. Really worth a visit. Downfalls: - Depending on the day the parking can be limited - be careful on the road approaching it as its very narrow for two cars - not wheelchair accessible to the grounds

  • 5/5 Andrea C. 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful place. we were lucky enough to visit it at sunset and the magic that had been created was unique. the visitor center was closed fortunately and we did not pay! there is a large car park where you can leave your car in comfort.

  • 4/5 Anne M. 1 year ago on Google
    Fun for a 15, 20 minute exploration. They had good pictures of what the abbey would have looked like before ruin. Kids enjoyed running around exploring

  • 5/5 David G. 1 year ago on Google
    Well worth a visit, very calming place to walk around, pity the guided tours end early September.

  • 5/5 James G. 1 year ago on Google
    Some great history here and a nice walk too . We'll worth a visit . You can walk around for free or there is tours that you can book also .

  • 5/5 Cuddles 2. 3 years ago on Google
    The first Cistercian Monastery in Ireland,. Created by St. Malachy of Armagh in 1142 with the help of a small number of monks sent ,by St. Bernard from Clairvaux France but didn't take well to Ireland and soon returned. However the abbey was completed. Great architecture features. beautiful place to visit. Due to civic.-19there is a one way system in place but. Don't let this put you off, most of the ground is pretty flat but some people with disabilities may have restrictions. The Abbey grounds are free to visit but there is a fee to visit the museum,. | .€5 for adults €4 for senior citizens and children aged between 12-17 €3 there is a family fee of €13 . Follow directions using Google maps and you won't get lost

  • 5/5 Adrian K. 2 years ago on Google
    Year's since I have been here. Beautiful place to visit and would highly recommend it.

  • 5/5 Anne G. 2 years ago on Google
    Ended up here by mistake. My uncal was a priest of mellifont abbey. But the one. It's a gem. 11 century building. Restored in the 13th century. The Boyne river runes along side it. It brought me to my childhood. The history of the monks of that era. Magical place

  • 3/5 Caroline Byrne (. 2 years ago on Google
    A great historical sight to see, definitely worth a visit but sadly in such a long gone state of deterioration compared to other cistercian abbeys around the country, there is very little to see of the structures and so information and vision is heavily dependent on the OPW illustrations on display throughout the site. Worth taking in on a beautiful day all the same.


Call +353 41 982 6459 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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