The quiet life: Behind the scenes at Limerick's Glenstal Abbey

A new photo book gives a glimpse inside the Limerick Benedictine monastery, with its botanical splendour and simple life of praying, baking bread and serving the community

Sarah Taaffe-Maguire
October 20, 2019

Br Justin making candles

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St Benedict said that true monks live by the work of our hands. Br. Ciaran Forbes is a celebrated woodturner. He joined Glenstal Abbey in 1961 and later spent three years studying at St Andre Abbey in the Belgian city of Bruges. His interest in woodturning began when two school boys from Glenstal brought a lathe into the carpentry workshop. He is one of Ireland’s finest Woodturners. With plenty of wood of offer from the former Barrington Estate. He is best known for his bowls.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan© Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Fr. Denis Hooper OSB is the School Chaplain and rugby fanatic. His job is to support the spiritual and religious life of the school and to share in providing pastoral care to students, staff and parents alike.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Brendan Coffey OSB is Abbot of Glenstal Abbey in Murroe, Co Limerick. Father Coffey, the sixth Abbot of the Benedictine monastic community, was elected following the end of the period of office for the former Abbot, Dom Mark Patrick Hederman. Father Coffey was born in Ennis, Co Clare in 1970. After studies in Maynooth and Rome, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Killaloe in 1995. After ordination, he pursued postgraduate studies in canon law at the Gregorian University in Rome, after which he was appointed curate in the parish of Kilrush. He entered Glenstal Abbey in 1998, taking the name Brendan.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan© Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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A hive of Activity… Passionate Environmentalist, Fr Simon Sleeman, has been keeping honey bees for over forty years at Glenstal Abbey, working in his apiary. Monks and religious have a long association of bee keeping, a perfect place of quiet activity, contemplation and spirituality. humans collecting honey from wild bees date to 10,000 years ago. With the help of Fr Simon the bees thrive in this perfect environment.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan© Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Fr Henry O’Shea, Archivist at Glenstal Abbey. He is a graduate in History and Political Science of Trinity College, Dublin, he pursued his theological studies at the University of Würzburg, specializing in ecclesiastical History. He taught German and History at Glenstal Abbey School from 1980 to 1996 and German at the University of Limerick from 1990 to 1993. In 1996 he obtained a PhD in German literature from Trinity College, Dublin. He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Art and Architecture of the Irish Bishops’ Conference from 1982 to 2001, when he moved to Rome, where he was Secretary to the Abbot Primate, Procurator of the Benedictine Confederation and Master of Ceremonies at the Primatial Basilica of Sant’ Anselmo until 2012. He is also a trained silversmith.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan© Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Glenstal Abbey, Murroe, Co. Limerick, is home to a community of Benedictine  monks who strive to live according to the Rule of St Benedict ‘ora et labora’ - to work is to pray.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan© Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Brother Anthony Keane, who is a forester at Glenstal Abbey, originally from Leitrim, he has been engaged in the sculpting of timber and stone, planting of trees and the environment. He has been co-director of the Ilen Boat Building project - Limerick’s timber sailing ship, The AK Ilen.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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Philip the Fowler…Fr Phlip Tierney, was Community Farmer at Glenstal Abbey for 30 years. He also taught career guidance at the School. He is now responsible for the welfare of the abbeys 24 hens, using what he calls ‘rotational grazing’ the hens produce 20 eggs a day for both the Monks and Guesthouse. Fr Philip claims he “never miked a cow or drove a tractor’ as farm manager.Photo:Valerie O’Sullivan Photo by Eoin O'Hara

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