Bective Abbey ( ga, Mainistir Bheigthí) is a
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
on the
River Boyne
The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...
in
Bective,
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
The abbey was founded in 1147,
and the remaining (well-preserved) structure and ruins primarily date to the 15th century.
The site, including a nearby car park, were purchased by the state in 2012, and are managed by the
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works (OPW) ( ga, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí) (legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of o ...
.
The abbey, including its early 13th century church, 15th century cloister, and 16th century tower, is a protected structure and recorded on the register of
National monuments of Ireland.
History
The abbey was founded in 1147 by
Murchad O'Maeil-Sheachlainn, as a 'daughter house' of
Mellifont Abbey
Mellifont Abbey ( ga, An Mhainistir Mhór, literally 'the Big Monastery'), was a Cistercian abbey located close to Drogheda in County Louth, Ireland. It was the first abbey of the order to be built in Ireland. In 1152, it hosted the Synod of Ke ...
.
The abbey and its estate lands were confiscated during the
Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s, before being rented to Thomas Asgarde, and later purchased by Andrew Wyse in 1552.
Around this time the estate lands were surveyed, and recorded at 1580 acres.
During the 17th century, the abbey buildings were partially converted for use as a manor house.
The site was taken into state care,
and named a protected structure and
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
.
Bective Abbey was subject to a number of excavations in the early 21st century, and made more accessible to visitors around this time.
In popular culture
Bective Abbey was used as a location during the shooting of the 1995 historical action-drama movie ''
Braveheart''.
Gallery
File:Bective Abbey 02.jpg, Column
File:Bective Abbey Side.JPG, Side of Bective Abbey
File:Bective Abbey Arch.JPG, Arch at the Abbey
File:Bective Abbey - inside.jpg, Cloisters
References
See also
*
List of abbeys and priories in Ireland, (County Meath)
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in County Meath
Cistercian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland
Ruins in the Republic of Ireland
Religion in County Meath
1147 establishments in Ireland
Religious organizations established in the 1140s
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
National Monuments in County Meath