Portglenone Abbey Church
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in Portglenone
, County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
, was founded in 1948 by Mount Melleray Abbey
in County Waterford. The monks bought Portglenone House, a country mansion built about the year 1810 by the Church of Ireland
Bishop, Dr. Alexander who demolished the local castle . History records that Sir Roger Casement often stayed in the house in the early years of the 20th century.
Despite opposition from local Protestants, the monastery succeeded in establishing itself in the locality and ran a successful dairy farm for many years. Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey was the first enclosed monastery of men to be established in Northern Ireland
since the Reformation.
The monastery belongs to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO), also known as Trappists
, who follow the Rule of St Benedict
, but emphasize some of the more austere and penitential aspects of the Rule such as strict silence, abstention from meat, early rising and physical work.
In the 1960s, the community built a new monastery designed in a modern style by Padraig O'Muireadhaigh. The building has won several architectural awards. To establish continuity with the Order's past, stones from some of the pre-Reformation Irish Cistercian abbeys were incorporated in the church and cloisters.
Portglenone
Portglenone is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 8.5 miles west of Ballymena. It had a population of 2,900 in the 2001 Census...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, was founded in 1948 by Mount Melleray Abbey
Mount Melleray Abbey
Mount Melleray Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Ireland, founded in 1833. It is situated on the slopes of the Knockmealdown Mountains, near Cappoquin, Diocese of Waterford.-History:...
in County Waterford. The monks bought Portglenone House, a country mansion built about the year 1810 by the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Bishop, Dr. Alexander who demolished the local castle . History records that Sir Roger Casement often stayed in the house in the early years of the 20th century.
Despite opposition from local Protestants, the monastery succeeded in establishing itself in the locality and ran a successful dairy farm for many years. Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey was the first enclosed monastery of men to be established in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
since the Reformation.
The monastery belongs to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO), also known as Trappists
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
, who follow the Rule of St Benedict
Rule of St Benedict
The Rule of Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written by St. Benedict of Nursia for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Since about the 7th century it has also been adopted by communities of women...
, but emphasize some of the more austere and penitential aspects of the Rule such as strict silence, abstention from meat, early rising and physical work.
In the 1960s, the community built a new monastery designed in a modern style by Padraig O'Muireadhaigh. The building has won several architectural awards. To establish continuity with the Order's past, stones from some of the pre-Reformation Irish Cistercian abbeys were incorporated in the church and cloisters.
See also
- Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Antrim)
