History of Mount Melleray Abbey  

With he French Revolution in 1791, French Cistercian monasteries were suppressed and monks were scatterred.  Some monks founded St. Susan's Abbey at Lulworth, England.  Many Irish and English catholics joined this community before they left for France in 1817 after the downfall of Napoleon, purchasing Melleray Abbey in Brittany - originally a 12th century foundation. 

In 1830 another wave of the Revolution swept France and Melleray Abbey was closed again. The French were sent to jail and 64 Irish and English monks were sent back to Ireland aboard the French Battleship, Hebé .

Fr. Vincent Ryan, leader of the group and 1st abbot, set about the search for property to settle the monks. After a short stay in Rathmore, Co. Kerry, Fr. Vincent was offered land on the slopes of the Knockmealdown mountains by Sir Richard Keane of Cappoquin in 1832 - thus Mount Melleray Abbey came into being.