While Mount Melleray Abbey may be empty after it was closed in January, a new hostel has breathed life into the 190 year old monastery. St Declan’s Way Hostel, settled beneath the Knockmealdown Mountains, along the holy path of St Declan, is a site for “the days between destinations,” catering to travellers who are looking to pause, reflect, and take in the landscape.
Visitors at the hostel are able to immerse themselves into the long history of the location: walking the grounds of the abbey or making their way along St Declan’s Way, the holy road that spans from Ardmore to Cashel that has seen centuries of pilgrimage.
Writer John G. O’Dwyer, author of Great Irish Pilgrim Journeys shared on X that the hostel will be “great for local tourism” and makes an “ideal base for outdoor lovers”.
The hostel, like many others, offers simple and clean shared rooms and bathrooms, as well as a breakfast which visitors can book. Offering a discounted stay for groups of 8 and more, they encourage the visits of walking clubs, school and youth groups, and families.
