Boyle Abbey
Sitting forlornly in a corner of bustling central Boyle, rugged old Boyle Abbey looks sad and forgotten. Time has truly passed it by. Founded in 1161 by Cistercian monks from Mellifont, and once a large and architecturally beautiful place, the abbey was a haven of otherworldliness for 500 years until it was savagely destroyed in the mid-1600s by English soldiers suppressing Irish Catholicism. As part of their efforts, they murdered the resident monks and converted the structure into a military garrison. After they left it, it was abandoned to decay. Today the ruins form a complex fossil clearly imprinted with both the serene and violent aspects of the abbey's history. The 13th-century nave in the northern section of the structure still has distinctive capitals on its columns, some carved with faces, others with fanciful creatures and dragons. There's a sheela-na-gig (an erotic pagan symbol) tucked in one corner of the nave, according to the abbey's own information, but despite enthusiastic searching, we were unable to find the sexy little wench. The interpretive center, housed in the restored gatehouse, is informative and thoughtfully designed. At this writing, conservation work was underway at the abbey, but it remains open to visitors.
Sitting forlornly in a corner of bustling central Boyle, rugged old Boyle Abbey looks sad and forgotten. Time has truly passed it by. Founded in 1161 by Cistercian monks from Mellifont, and once a large and architecturally beautiful place, the abbey was a haven of otherworldliness for 500 years until it was savagely destroyed in the mid-1600s by English soldiers suppressing Irish Catholicism. As part of their efforts, they murdered the resident monks and converted the structure into a military garrison. After they left it, it was abandoned to decay. Today the ruins form a complex fossil clearly imprinted with both the serene and violent aspects of the abbey's history. The 13th-century nave in the northern section of the structure still has distinctive capitals on its columns, some carved with faces, others with fanciful creatures and dragons. There's a sheela-na-gig (an erotic pagan symbol) tucked in one corner of the nave, according to the abbey's own information, but despite enthusiastic searching, we were unable to find the sexy little wench. The interpretive center, housed in the restored gatehouse, is informative and thoughtfully designed. At this writing, conservation work was underway at the abbey, but it remains open to visitors.
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