Kyrie Eleison Abbey

The Abbey of Our Lady of Kyrie Eleison

This old abbey from which Abbeydorney derives its name was founded in 1154 by the O Torna, chieftain of the district before the Norman invasion. It was a Cistercian foundation - the only Cistercian foundation in medieval Kerry - and was a daughter house of the monastery of Nenay (near Croom), County Limerick. The name of the abbey, Kyrie Eleison, is interesting and is due to the similarity of the first word Kyrie, to the name of the territory in which it is situated - Ciarrai. The Cistercians tried to give names to their foundations which would in some way reflect the name of the surrounding territory.

Kyrie Eleison

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