# Glenstal Abbey Archives
> The Archives of Glenstal Abbey — a Benedictine monastery in County Limerick, Ireland, founded 1927.

## What We Do
The Glenstal Abbey Archives holds the historical records of Glenstal Abbey and a significant non-monastic collection of papers and diaries relating to Irish history. The abbey was founded in 1927 by Belgian Benedictine monks from Maredsous, housed in a 19th-century Normanesque castle on 500 acres in County Limerick. The archive is accessible by appointment one day per week.

## Archive Contents

### Monastic Collection
- Foundation correspondence (1926 onwards, including documents from Belgian Abbey of Maredsous)
- Legal and administrative documents
- Financial, farm and school records
- Seniorate minute books, 1927–1980
- Material relating to congresses, 1952 onwards
- Material relating to the Nigerian foundation, 1974 onwards
- Private papers of deceased monks
- Photo albums and glass plate negatives

### Non-Monastic Collection
- Carbery papers, 1658–1759
- Sir Thomas Hackett papers, 1688–1720
- Cloncurry papers, 1880–1909
- Correspondence between Mother Mary Martin and Bede Lebbe, 1930s
- John Sweetman papers, 1911–1923
- Diaries of Richard Hobart (1784–1802), Sir Thomas Kane (1837), J. Grene Barry (1869–76)
- Gaelic League Ard-Craomh minute book, 1907–1915

## Digitised Content
Foundation documents (1926–1933), Mother Mary Martin collection, IIIF manifests and Mirador viewer. Catalogue available at catholicarchives.ie.

## Who We Serve
Researchers, historians, and those interested in Irish monastic history, Benedictine history, Irish social and political history, and the history of County Limerick and its families.

## Key Technologies
WordPress, IIIF, Mirador viewer, AtoM (catalogue at catholicarchives.ie)

## Contact
archives@glenstal.com | +353-61-621000
Access by appointment only — one day per week.

## Key URLs
- Home: https://glenstalarchives.ie
- About Glenstal: https://glenstalarchives.ie/?page_id=366
- Explore our Archives: https://glenstalarchives.ie/?page_id=368
- The Catalogue: https://glenstalarchives.ie/?page_id=390
- Digitised Content: https://glenstalarchives.ie/?page_id=393
- Contact: https://glenstalarchives.ie/?page_id=370
- Content (machine-readable): https://glenstalarchives.ie/content.md