Founded in 1147 on the banks of the River Boyne, this free-to-explore Cistercian abbey boasts one of Ireland's finest medieval cloisters — and a starring role in Braveheart.
The abbey's crowning feature: an intimate cloister with cinque-foiled gothic arches, clustered pillars and delicate stone capitals. This is where the monks meditated, studied and were buried — and where Mel Gibson filmed a Braveheart scene with the princess and her maid.
The ruins form a labyrinth of dead-end corridors, interrupted staircases, blocked arches and unexpected chambers — the result of five centuries of building, remodelling and repurposing from Cistercian monastery to Tudor fortified manor.
Challenge yourself to spot the fossilised scallop shell embedded in stone as you enter, and the finely carved figure of Bernard of Clairvaux — co-founder of the Knights Templar — on a cloister column. A folk-art pelican and bird carving also hides on a nave pier fragment.
Most of the original 13th-century abbey church is gone, but the south wall of the nave still stands with its blocked arcade of six early-Gothic pointed arches. Look up to see the quatrefoil clerestory windows — rare survivors of the earliest, most austere building phase.
A short drive away, this beautifully restored gate lodge serves breakfast, brunch, lunches and freshly baked confectionary. Open Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm, with afternoon tea by booking on Sundays. Customers also get access to a private 3.5 km woodland walk.
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