Glenstal Abbey

Glenstal Abbey is home to a community of Benedictine monks in County Limerick, Ireland, and is a place of prayer, work, education and hospitality. The monastery sits alongside a popular guesthouse and a boarding school for boys, housed within a 19th century Normanesque castle amidst five hundred magnificent acres of farmland, forest, lakes and streams.

Guesthouse

The tradition of people taking some quiet time apart to reflect, relax and pray while staying in a monastery guest house is as old as monastic life itself. A monastery guesthouse is not a retreat house in the strict sense but rather a place where a guest, while staying, shares in the rhythm of the monastery itself. We invite guests to take part in monk’s prayer times and observe the meal, work, silent and reflective times. The monastery at Glenstal has a comfortable, purpose-built guesthouse for accommodating such guests.  It is a safe and confidential space respecting your life’s journey. A member of the monastic community is appointed as Guest master and will help take care of you for the duration of your stay.

To reserve a room in the Monastery Guesthouse, please email guestmaster@glenstal.com  or call 061 621005.

Check-in is at Monastery Reception between 2 – 4 pm as there is no direct access to the Guesthouse. If arriving out of hours, collection of one’s key must be arranged in advance. Check-out is before 10.30 am.

The Guesthouse is located separately in a quiet area of the grounds with car parking available.  There are bedrooms on two floors, a sitting room, a small meeting room, a dining room and a small kitchen for your use during the day.

There are 12 en-suite rooms (ten single and two twin rooms) with private bathrooms. The rooms are modestly and simply furnished with bed linen and towels provided.

All meals are provided during your stay. Breakfast is self-service in the Guesthouse, where the guest master’s nourishing porridge is well known. Lunch is in the guest parlour at Monastery Reception, and supper is, on most occasions, in the Monastery Refectory with the monks. Supper is a silent meal with reading or music. 

We provide wholesome home-cooked meals.

While Wi-Fi is available in the Guesthouse, many guests take the opportunity to ‘switch off’.  We ask guests to keep the use of all electronic devices to a minimum and as non-intrusive on other guests as possible.

There is no ‘rate’ per se to stay at the Guesthouse.  Instead, guests chose to make a donation to go towards the cost of providing accommodation, meals, cleaning and upkeep of the Guesthouse, as well as the general care and maintenance of the Abbey. Only you can put a value on how your stay has been. People’s donations vary according to their means, but people typically donate €80+ per night.

Donations can be made by cash, cheque (payable to Glenstal Abbey Operations) or credit/visa card at monastery reception.

For further information email guestmaster@glenstal.com or call 061 621005