Main Church
$1,500,000Phase 1 upgrades to the Abbey's main church.
- Lighting
- Renovations
- Roofing
- Plaster work
- +2 more improvements
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Ave Maria University · Office of Advancement
HomeIreland Campus
Mount Melleray AbbeyRooted in AMU.Shaped by Ireland.
Help preserve and renew Ave Maria University's second campus — a 200-year-old Cistercian Abbey at the heart of Irish Catholic identity.
Give to
Mount Melleray
$
Our Story
AMU's Most Significant Expansion Since Florida
Mount Melleray Abbey is Ave Maria University's most significant expansion since the founding of its Florida campus. In partnership with the Cistercian Order, Ave Maria University is honored to continue the Abbey's 200-year mission of prayer, study, work, and hospitality.
Beginning in September 2026, Mount Melleray will reopen to educate AMU students, welcome pilgrims from around the world, and serve the people of Ireland. Founded in 1832, Mount Melleray was the first monastery established in Ireland after the Reformation, provided vital relief during the Great Famine, and remains deeply woven into the nation's spiritual and cultural heritage.
Mount Melleray offers benefactors a unique opportunity to renew a priceless treasure of the Catholic faith and transform our students.
Watch
Introducing Mt. Melleray Abbey Campus
Sept 14, 2026
Phase 1 Launch
97
Students per semester
$3M
Year 1 cap ex budget
600
Acres of Irish countryside
The Place
The Most Important Monastery in Ireland
AMU is now a part of 200 years of history on 600 acres of Irish countryside.
The Abbey
Cistercian Abbey built in 1832 — the first monastery established after the Reformation in Ireland.
The Land
600 acres of Irish countryside with a working farm and gardens.
The Facilities
A mini college: 50 men, 50 women, church, chapel, library, classrooms, and pub to continue the Abbey's legacy of education.
Pilgrimage
Famous pilgrimage site with camino routes, museum, hostel, shops, and café.
The Program
Prayer, Study, Work & Community
Ora et labora — students expand imagination through a Cistercian setting and gateway to Europe.
Prayer
- Daily Mass
- Perpetual adoration
- Dedicated campus priest
Study
- AMU core curriculum
- Faculty-led electives
- Historic library space
Work
- Working farm
- Campus grounds & trails
- Rhythm of daily labor
Community
- Campus pub & shared meals
- Three-day weekends
- Pilgrimage & travel
Rooted in the Cistercian tradition of ora et labora, the program integrates faith, study, and daily life. Massive church and monastery anchor sacramental life inspired by the Cistercians.
- Daily Mass
- Perpetual adoration
- Dedicated campus priest
Voices of the Abbey
Sam Shephard
Executive Director of Mount Melleray Campus · Professor of Biology
“This is a unique pathway to ground the faithful, rigorous and joyful Catholic liberal arts program of AMU in an ancient tradition of Cistercian prayer, work and study.”
Jesse Ray
Director of Student Programs
“Ave Maria University's campus in Ireland may be new to us, but it is rooted in a much older story. Students inherit a place shaped for centuries by the Cistercians and faithful Catholics.”
Daniel Schreck
Chief Strategy and Mission Advancement Officer
“We are called to form the intellect and direct the will, but only in broadening the imagination of our students can they truly discover God's abundant calling. This is why we venture to Ireland.”
Benefactors
Giving to Mount Melleray Abbey
For nearly two centuries, Mt. Melleray Abbey has been a place of prayer, hospitality, education, and Christian witness. The Cistercians were first welcomed to County Waterford with both great gifts of land and humble gifts of potatoes and milk. We seek to honor the Abbey's historical benefactors and those who will continue its mission.
Following the Gospel injunction to treat the smallest gift from the heart as priceless treasure to God, all donors of any size will receive:
- Cistercian prayers
- Abbey Masses
- News and special events
- Inclusion in the Book of Memories
- Naming opportunities to be discussed below
Stewards of Mount Melleray Abbey
$5,000 – $99,000
Preserving the heritage of the Abbey
View opportunities belowLegacy Stewards of Mount Melleray Abbey
$100,000+
Building the future of the Abbey
View opportunities belowOpportunities to Renew Mount Melleray
Preserve & Renew the Abbey
From common rooms to the main church, benefactors can help restore Mount Melleray for generations of AMU students and pilgrims.
Formal Gala Room
$1,000,000Convert "old chapter room" into formal space, including room for manuscripts.
- Lighting
- Renovations
- Roofing
- Stained glass
Chapel
$500,000Recently renovated chapel for daily Mass and perpetual adoration, with renovation still needed.
- Lighting
- Paint
- Plaster
- Mosaic
- +3 more improvements
Before
AfterLodge
$250,000Cistercian main residence.
- Landscaping
- Roofing
- Painting
- Lighting
- +7 more improvements
Library
$200,000A national Irish treasure, library with books from the 15th century to be used as academic space.
- Cleaning, conservation, and categorization of rare books and manuscripts
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Flooring
Before
AfterMen's Common Room
$25,00050 AMU students have an exclusive, men-only space to form friendships and relax.
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Painting
- Flooring
Before
AfterGym
$25,000Convert historic room into a fitness space.
- Lighting
- Equipment
- Renovations
Before
AfterClassroom 2
$50,000Convert "new chapter room" into class space.
- Lighting
- Furniture
- Renovations
Guest House
€120,000/year rentalMain lodge with 13 ensuite rooms, pub, and kitchen, plus a cottage with 3 ensuite rooms. Supports retreats, summer programs, donors, parents, VIP guests, and overflow student housing while generating revenue.
- Rental stewardship — €120,000/year with ~€20,000 in utilities
- Brings nearly all historic Mount Melleray buildings under AMU stewardship
Public Courtyard
$200,000Welcome pilgrims to café, museum, gift shop, and our beautiful fountain and piazza.
- Lighting
- Renovations
- Roofing
- Fountain upgrades
- +1 more improvements
Campus Pub
$150,000Students gather in the fountain courtyard where an historic building will be converted into a pub.
- Furniture
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Heating
- +5 more improvements
Cafeteria Industrial Kitchen
$150,000100 AMU students and 10+ staff are fed daily. Used for summer programming and retreats as well.
- New appliances
- New plumbing
- New electrical
- New physical plant
- +2 more improvements
Cafeteria
$100,000Feeding 100+ people per day.
- Furniture
- Painting
- Window treatment
- Electrical
Courtyard
$100,000Expansive enclosed common courtyard surrounded by historic workshops and new dorm.
- Grading
- Gravel
- Fountain restoration
- Furniture
- +2 more improvements
Portico
$100,000Cistercian 150-yard portico hallways surrounding the courtyard that connect the main Abbey buildings.
- Lighting
- Paint
- Plaster
Classroom 1
$50,000Class space to accommodate 50 students looking over the Cistercian cemetery.
- Lighting
- Paint
- Desks
- Curtains
Portico Courtyard
$50,000Cistercian courtyard that connects the main Abbey buildings.
- Lighting
- Landscaping
Abbey Courtyard
$50,000Small courtyard adjacent to main church to be used for class space.
- Landscaping
- Roofing
- Lighting
- Construction for access
Exterior Lighting
$50,000 (main church)Series of architectural lighting around campus including main church.
- Electrical
- Lighting
Women's Dorm
$50,00050 AMU women will live in the historic guest house.
- Lighting
- Landscaping
- General renovations
Women's Common Room
$30,00050 AMU students have an exclusive, women-only space to form friendships and relax.
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Painting
- Flooring
- +3 more improvements
Women's Dorm Kitchen and Laundry Room
$25,000Laundry and kitchen to accommodate 50 women.
- New appliances
- New plumbing
- New electrical
- New bathroom
Marian Grotto
$25,000Updated historic grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes.
- Lighting
- Landscaping
Women's Dorm Rooms
$10,000/room17 rooms need to be upgraded in the women's dorm.
- Lighting
- Paint
- Flooring
- Bedding
- +2 more improvements
Abbey Statues
$5,000/statueAt least 10 statues need to be refreshed around the Abbey campus.
- Landscaping
- Restoration work
- Lighting
Partner With Us
Whether you wish to make a gift of any size or explore a major renewal opportunity, Daniel Schreck and the advancement team are ready to help you steward this sacred place.