Monasterboice (Mainistir Bhuithe), a monastic foundation established by St Buithe in the 5th cent. Lying between Drogheda and Dundalk in Co. Louth, it is noted for its round tower and high crosses. In the 11th cent. the monastery was a centre of monastic learning under Flann Mainistrech.
Monasterboice
| Irish Literature Companion: Monasterboice |
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Monasterboice |
Monasterboice (mŏn'əstərbois'), village, Co. Louth, E Republic of Ireland. It is one of the oldest monastic sites in Ireland, established near the end of the 5th cent. There are ruins of a round tower, two churches, and ancient crosses.
| Wikipedia: Monasterboice |
The historic ruins of Monasterboice (Irish: Mainistir Bhuithe) are of an early Christian settlement in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland, north of Drogheda. It was founded in the late 5th century by St. Buite who died around 521 and was an important centre of religion and learning until founding of nearby Mellifont Abbey in 1142.
The site houses two churches built in the 14th century or later and an earlier round tower, but it is most famous for its 10th century high crosses.
The round tower is about 35-metres tall, and is in very good condition, although it is not possible to go inside. The passage of time has laid down layers of earth so now the doorway is almost at ground level. The monastery was burned in 1079.
The 5.5-metre Muiredach's High Cross is regarded as the finest high cross in the whole of Ireland. It is named after an abbot, Muiredach mac Domhnaill, who died in 923 and features biblical carvings of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The North and West crosses are also fine examples of this kind of structure, but these have suffered much more from the effects of the weather.
Poet and historian Flann Mainistrech, Flann of Monasterboice, was lector here.
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Coordinates: 53°46′39.53″N 6°25′02.43″W / 53.7776472°N 6.4173417°W
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 | Irish Literature Companion. The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature. Copyright © 1996, 2000, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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