Education at Grey Abbey
Site description
These splendid ruins of a Cistercian Abbey church and outer buildings are the finest example of Anglo-Norman ecclesiastical architecture in Northern Ireland. Affreca, daughter of the King of Man and wife of John de Courcy, Anglo-Norman invader of East Ulster, founded the abbey in 1193. The Abbey was colonized by Cistercian monks from Cumbria. The French background of the Cistercian Order and the English origins of Grey Abbey resulted in an elegant Gothic building with tall pointed lancet windows, the first truly Gothic structure in Ireland.
The monks had great knowledge of plants and made use of them in their practice of medicine. One of the great features of Grey Abbey today is a carefully recreated Herb Garden, containing over fifty varieties of medicinal plants and herbs that you are free to stroll through.
Curriculum Topic Links
This site is an excellent example of Norman architecture and Medieval Monastery life. It would make an ideal site investigation for those studying the Normans at Key Stage 3 (investigate and evaluate the spiritual beliefs and legacy of civilisations) in conjunction with other sites in the area such as Inch Abbey and Dundrum Castle. For those students studying medieval medicine at GCSE it would provide an excellent visualisation of monastery life.
