Thread by @PatrickJMB

The Cistercian order was introduced to Ireland by St Malachy. While on his way to Rome in 1140, St Malachy visited Clairvau monastery. In 1142 a group of monks arrive at Mellifont to start the building of the Abbey.

View from N side of church.

Superb tiled map of the site. Video (above) was taken from the lowest part of the schema. Over the Church, by the Chapter House, the Lavabo, Cloister then the crypt.

Representation of Old Mellifont The abbey was consecrated in a great ceremony In 1157.
The plan of the church fullowed the norm of the Claious Cimien medel, but ending in a square chancel.

The abbey church was altered many times during the course of its history. The east end of the church was rebuilt and greatly enlarged in the 13th century. Then the church contained a presbytery, with the high altar and nine side chapels in the transepts.

Mass and prayers were attended by the choir monks and the lay brothers, which formed two distinct communities within the abbey. The church was internally divided by a screen, with the sanctuary area preserved for the choir monks. The poor lay brothers.

The Chapter House, where the Abbot met senior brothers each day to allocate tasks. With scriptural and readings of the Rule. He lived in quarters above.

Details from the cloister curtain.

This lavabo is a place of purification. Here the the body & spirit were cleansed before meals in the refectory hall. This Romanesque octagonal building was open to the quiet of the cloister green, the silence broken only by the sound of flowing water.

So much detail, so much to see.

Hard to get the definitive story on one site. So, @Wikipedia of help,

@duchas_ie and @opwireland for details earlier in the thread. And their sites have really good details.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellifont…

Views along the church nave Mellifont. To and from what would have been the sanctuary.

Mellifont across the Cloister, showing the Lavabo and all what remains of the Cloister curtain

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