Movilla Abbey, Religious ruins in Newtownards, Northern Ireland
The remnants of Movilla Abbey include fragments of a fifteenth-century church and an extensive collection of medieval grave markers within its cemetery grounds.
Saint Finian established this monastery in 540 AD, which grew into a major center of Celtic Christianity before Vikings destroyed it in the ninth century.
The monastery held Ireland's only complete Latin Vulgate Bible, leading to a significant copyright dispute between Saint Columba and Saint Finian over manuscript copying.
The archaeological site stands one mile east of Newtownards along the B172 road to Millisle, with year-round access through Movilla Cemetery.
Thirteenth-century coffin lids decorated with foliate crosses remain integrated into the north wall, while a stone inscription reads 'Or do Dertrend' from pre-Norman times.
Location: County Down
Inception: 540
GPS coordinates: 54.59300,-5.68900
Latest update: March 6, 2025 20:34
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