Holycross Abbey

Holycross Abbey

Holycross Abbey, sometimes referred to as St. Mary's Abbey, is the ruin of a Cistercian monastery located in South Tipperary, Ireland, near the famous Rock of Cashel.

The abbey was originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1266, but in 1272 it was gifted to the Cistercians by Archbishop David McCarvill. It is said that McCarvill, after dreaming that a Benedictine monk at the abbey was plotting to kill him, subsequently expelled the monks and transformed the site into a Cistercian abbey. This abbey is the last pre-Cistercian reform monastic structure in Ireland.

Most of Holycross Abbey was built in the 13th century, though numerous alterations were made in the 15th century, including the addition of a tower at the center of the transept. It is a cruciform abbey building, consisting of an altar, a nave with aisles, and two chapels; the nave is quite plain, and its overall design is a fine example of a Cistercian monastery. Unlike many Irish abbeys, Holycross Abbey’s cloister is located on the northern side of the monastic complex, making it the only Cistercian abbey in Ireland with a cloister in this position.

Hore Abbey

Must-visit reason: Ireland’s most unique monastery cloister

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Ireland[Ireland]

Province/State where the attraction is located: South Tipperary [South Tipperary]