Moyne Abbey is one of the most impressive ecclesiastical ruins in Mayo and a National Monument. It was founded by the Burke family as a Franciscan friary and consecrated in 1462 and is located north of Ballina on the west side of Killala Bay.
The abbey lies on the Monasteries of the Moy greenway and cycle route that connects Ballina and Killala.
Like its neighbour, Rosserk Abbey, it was burnt by Sir Richard Bingham, Elizabeth I of England’s governor of Connacht, in 1590 in reformationist zeal. The friary was built in the late Irish Gothic style and has extensive ruins, consisting of a church and domestic buildings situated around a central cloister. Its west doorway is a seventeenth century insertion, and its east window displays fine switchline tracery.
Read more about the colourful history of Moyne Abbey
Today, over 550 years since its consecration, a very large part of the original structure of abbey stands intact in the present-day landscape of North Mayo.
Access to the Moyne Abbey site
As point of note to intending visitors, you can access Moyne Abbey, but it requires a bit of planning as it has not been developed as a modern tourist site to date.
- The abbey is not directly accessible from the roadside and is reached via a right-of-way across private land, marked by a sign that warns, “private property”. See entry point here.
- There are no dedicated parking facilities, so visitors should park carefully along the roadside without blocking gates or bends. There is no formal path to the abbey, and the walk takes you across open fields, which can be muddy or uneven, sturdy or old footwear are recommended.
- Visitors with limited mobility should note that access may be challenging. For these reasons, visitors should note that there may unfortunately be difficulties in accessing the site. This is especially relevant for visitors with impaired mobility.
- Mayo North Tourism and the landowners accept no liability for injury, loss, or damage arising from visits. Despite these considerations, the abbey’s dramatic ruins and its views over Killala Bay, the River Moy, and the Ox Mountains make the journey well worth it.
Despite these considerations, the abbey’s dramatic ruins and its views over Killala Bay, the River Moy, and the Ox Mountains make the journey well worth it.