Abbeyleix Abbey
| Abbeyleix Cistercian Abbey | |
|---|---|
| location |
 Ireland County Laois |
| Coordinates: | 52 ° 54 '46 " N , 7 ° 20' 55" W |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
467 |
| founding year | 1183 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1552 |
| Mother monastery | Baltinglass Abbey |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
Abbeyleix Abbey ( Irish Mainistir Laoise ; Lex Dei; Leix) is a former Cistercian monk abbey in Abbeyleix in County Laois 14 km from Port Laoise in what is now the Republic of Ireland , on the banks of the River Nore around 50 km above Jerpoint Abbey .
history
The monastery was founded in 1183 by Connor O'Moore; the founding convention from Baltinglass Abbey did not arrive until the following year. It thus belonged to the filiation of the Clairvaux Primary Abbey . It was very poor in the 15th and 16th centuries, with an annual income of only £ 3. The abbey was confiscated by the king in 1552 and in 1563 the lands were given to Thomas, the Earl of Ormond . The convent remained, however, and the previous monks were active as parish priests. The nave remained in use for over 200 years until the dilapidated building was replaced by a Protestant church. The abbey buildings also disappeared. The village of Abbeyleix was replaced in the 17th century by a plan of the Viscount de Vesci .
Buildings and plant
Only a grave memorial for Malachy O'More from 1502 and a grave slab in memory of William O'Kelly from 1531 are preserved. On the Viscount de Vesci estate there is a lapidarium in a fenced-off garden .