Mellifont Abbey

Since St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, that religion has been an important part of the fabric of Irish life. Evidence of this early importance can be seen in the high stone crosses, monastic towers, and magnificent abbeys throughout the land. Even though many of these have fallen into ruin after King Henry VII dissolved the monasteries, their presence remains. One such ruin is Mellifont Abbey, located about ten kilometers northwest of Drogheda, less than an hour’s drive north of Dublin. Mellifont Abbey was built on the banks of the River Mattock in the style of contemporary French abbeys, with romanesque arches and impressive stonework. In its heyday, it must have been beautiful.

Called An Mhainistir Mhór –the big abbey– in Irish, Mellifont means ‘fount of honey’ in Latin. It was founded in 1142 by St. Malachy, the Archbishop of Armagh. St. Malachy thought the monastic orders in Ireland at the time were lax and disorganized, so he established Mellifont Abbey as a Cistercian abbey. Cistercian monks were well known as hard-working and pious.

Indeed, the abbey quickly prospered. It became the biggest, most important Abbey in Ireland, hosting kings, bishops, and papal legates at the 1152 synod. By 1170, one hundred monks and at least three hundred lay brothers lived there. Eventually, over twenty ‘daughter’ abbeys  were established by monks from Mellifont Abbey throughout Ireland.

Unfortunately, the abbey’s wealth led to its downfall. King Henry was suspicious of that wealth and the power attending it. He dissolved the abbeys in Ireland in 1539. Mellifont Abbey became a fortified manor owned by various different families. William of Orange even used it for his battle headquarters during the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

I visited the ruins of Mellifont Abbey many years ago on a drizzly day– typical Irish weather. There were few other visitors that day, and we enjoyed strolling along the gravel walkways between the stone foundations which marked the layout of the original buildings. At one end of the complex is the lavabo. The lavabo was a washroom, used by the monks for ritual (and practical) hand-washing before eating. Though it too is in ruins, three of the original eight beautiful Romanesque arches remain. Some of the ornate carvings from the lavabo and other buildings are displayed in the visitor center.

It seems fitting somehow that this spiritual place of cleansing has in some part outlasted the depredations of time, wars, and human greed. Though it’s deserted now, when I closed my eyes and listened, I could imagine the splash of water and the footfalls of the monks underneath the wind as they washed their hands, in a time-honored (and scientifically supported) ritual of purification.