Less than half an hour’s drive from Limerick city, along the R445 and R506, visitors can reach the beautiful Benedictine abbey of Glenstal (Glenstal Abbey), set in a serene 200-hectare estate. Day visitors are invited to tour the estate and church, and those who wish can attend the liturgy.
Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of the Annunciation located in Murroe, County Limerick, Ireland. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and Saint Columba, a particularly popular saint in Ireland.
The abbey is located within the walls of Glenstal Castle, a Norman castle built by the Barrington family.
The transfer of the Barrington family to the Benedictine order was not without its difficulties, and in 1925 it was James Ryan, a wealthy priest, who effectively purchased the site from the family.
Since then, the abbey has continued to officiate and offer its ceremonies to the public every day.
The abbey is particularly famous for its commercial albums of Gregorian chant, sold in the late 1990s under the name The Monks of Glenstal Abbey.
The monastery, which is fairly recent, is a pleasant place to visit. It has the advantage of being located on a picturesque estate that includes lakes, forests and an old walled terraced garden, with a “biblical garden”.
Picturesque walks wind around the estate, which is adorned with magnificent trees and flowers and is a sanctuary for wildlife. The remnants of Ireland’s ancient oak woodland lie along the perimeter.
The monastery also runs a boarding school for boys, Glenstal Abbey School, which caters for around 200 pupils. He also manages a 100-hectare dairy farm.
It’s worth noting that while the school buildings and playing fields are not normally open to the public, visitors can browse the wide range of books and souvenirs in the gift store (usually open daily).
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