St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn

St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn — often simply called Glencairn Abbey — is a monastic community of Cistercian nuns (Trappistines) in the townland of Glencairn, County Waterford, Ireland. It belongs to the Trappist branch of the Cistercian order, the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, and is the only Cistercian monastery for women in Ireland. The monastery sits in the Blackwater Valley, about three miles upstream from Lismore, County Waterford. The community was founded in 1932 by nuns of Holy Cross Abbey, then located at Stapehill in Dorset, England, with the support of the monks of Mount Melleray Abbey, County Waterford, who also bought the land for the new foundation. The chapel at Glencairn was built in 1930. This was the first house of Cistercian nuns founded in Ireland since the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII (1536–41), and it remains the only such community in the country. Glencairn's monastic life follows the Rule of St Benedict, ordered around the search for God through prayer, community, solitude, simplicity, work and hospitality. The daily rhythm balances prayer, work and Lectio Divina, with the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours and personal prayer at its heart. The community supports itself in standard Cistercian practice through the farming of its 200-acre farm, the baking of altar breads, and the production of greeting and spiritual cards for all occasions, both printed and handcrafted. The community grew quickly and became a mother house in its own right: in 1949 it founded Mount Saint Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts, the first community of Cistercian nuns in the United States, and in 1982 it founded St Justina's monastery in Abakaliki, Nigeria. In 2014 the abbey featured in the RTÉ Would You Believe documentary School of Love. As of the Wikipedia account, the community consists of 29 nuns. Sr. Marie Fahey was re-elected abbess in 2019 for her fourth six-year term; Sr. Fiachra McNulty became abbess in 2025. Today Glencairn Abbey combines a contemplative monastic vocation with a modest commercial and hospitality footprint: its farm, altar-bread bakery and card-making enterprise, its guest and retreat facilities, and its vocation weekends for women discerning monastic life. It also participates in the Association of Monasteries of Ireland (AMOI), hosting visiting nuns from other communities for days of prayer, reflection and sharing.

The Cistercian monastic tradition in Ireland traces back to 1142, when St. Malachy welcomed the original community of this tradition to the country. The present community of St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn, however, is a modern foundation. It was founded in 1932 by nuns of Holy Cross Abbey, which was then located at Stapehill in Dorset, England. That English house had itself been founded in 1802 by a small group of refugee nuns from France, led by a nun who had been imprisoned in the Bastille during the French Revolution and narrowly escaped being sent to the guillotine. The land for St Mary's Abbey was bought for the new community by the Cistercian Mount Melleray Abbey in County Waterford, whose monks also used to operate the farm. The chapel at Glencairn was built in 1930. This foundation was the first house of Cistercian nuns established in Ireland since the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII (1536–41), and to date it remains the only Cistercian community of nuns in Ireland. The community quickly grew. In 1949 it founded Mount Saint Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts — the first community of Cistercian nuns in the United States — and in 1982 it founded St Justina's monastery in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Leadership of the community has passed through a long line of superiors and abbesses. Sr Maura Mary Perry served as Superior from 1932 to 1935 and as Abbess in 1935. She was followed by Sr Gertrude Purcell (1935–1944), Sr Margaret Shaw (1944–1950), Sr Gertrude Purcell again (1950–1955), Sr Agnes Fahey as Superior ad nutum (1955–1958), Sr Margaret Shaw again (1958–1965), Sr Imelda Power (1965–1983), Sr Dominic Lee (1983–1995), Sr Agnes O'Shea (1995–2001), and Sr Marie Fahey OCSO (2001–2025). In 2019 Sr. Marie Fahey was re-elected abbess for her fourth six-year term. In 2025 Sr Fiachra McNulty became abbess. In 2014 the abbey featured in the RTÉ Would You Believe documentary School of Love. The community consists of 29 nuns, who support themselves in standard Cistercian practice through the farming of their 200-acre farm, the baking of altar breads, and providing greeting and spiritual cards for all occasions, both printed and handcrafted. The monastery is located in the Blackwater Valley, about three miles upstream from Lismore, County Waterford, in the townland of Glencairn, which lies in the electoral division of Castlerichard (the original name of part of the abbey complex) and had a population of 59 people as of the 2011 census. At the heart of the monastic life is the search for God. The community seeks God and follows Christ in a life of prayer and community, solitude and simplicity, work and hospitality, following the Rule of St Benedict. The monastic day balances prayer, work and Lectio Divina. The community also takes part in the Association of Monasteries of Ireland (AMOI), welcoming nuns from other communities — such as the Dominican Contemplative Nuns of Drogheda, the Benedictine community at Kylemore Abbey, and the Redemptoristine Nuns in Dublin — for days of prayer, reflection and sharing. It also hosts retreat groups, such as sixth-year students from Crescent College, Limerick, and runs vocation weekends for women discerning a call to monastic life.

• 2025

  Sr Fiachra McNulty becomes abbess.

• 2019

  Sr. Marie Fahey is re-elected abbess for her fourth six-year term.

• 2014

  The abbey features in the RTÉ Would You Believe documentary School of Love.

• 2001

  Sr Marie Fahey OCSO becomes abbess.

• 1982

  Glencairn founds St Justina's monastery, Abakaliki, Nigeria.

• 1949

  Glencairn founds Mount Saint Mary's Abbey, Wrentham, Massachusetts — the first Cistercian monastery for women in the United States.

• 1935

  Sr Maura Mary Perry, Superior since 1932, becomes the first Abbess.

• 1932

  St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn is founded by nuns of Holy Cross Abbey, Stapehill, with support from Mount Melleray Abbey, which buys the land.

• 1930

  The chapel at Glencairn is built.

• 1802

  Holy Cross Abbey is founded at Stapehill, Dorset, England, by refugee nuns from France.

• St. Malachy welcomes the original community of this Cistercian monastic tradition to Ireland.

• Vocation weekends are scheduled for January 29 – February 1 and April 30 – May 3.

A contemplative Trappistine monastery in the Cistercian tradition, self-supporting through farming, altar-bread baking and card-making, and offering hospitality, retreats and vocation discernment.

• Altar breads

  Baked by the community as a means of self-support in standard Cistercian practice.

• Greeting and spiritual cards (printed and handcrafted)

  Produced for all occasions, both printed and handcrafted, as a source of income.

• Farm produce from the 200-acre farm

  The community farms 200 acres in standard Cistercian practice.

1. 1St.Mary's Abbey, Glencairn - Cistercian Monastery Irelandglencairnabbey.org
2. 2HISTORY of our PROPERTY | Glencairnglencairnabbey.org
3. 3A Day of Encounter with the AMOI | Glencairnglencairnabbey.org
4. 4She cannot be what she cannot see | Glencairnglencairnabbey.org
5. 5St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairnwikidata.org
6. 6St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairnen.wikipedia.org