Church at Glenstal Abbey
When I decided to drop by Glenstal Abbey, I didn’t really know what to expect here. I was thinking that since it is an abbey, it would be the typical church and perhaps see where the monks live. However, I wasn’t expecting it to be a fortress like structure. Actually, looks can be quite deceiving. The abbey looks much like a castle but it seems the castle isn’t even that old. The structure was built at a relatively recent 1830s. The design of the castle is supposedly Normanesque which is around the 12th century. I don’t think it was a bad choice either.
Inside Glenstal Abbey
Glenstal was actually in private hands before becoming an abbey. The Benedictines didn’t take over the place until 1927. It was only then that it became an abbey. Not long after, a school was set up in the grounds of Glenstal. I thought it would be amazing to be studying in a place like this. It would not be different from something like Harry Potter. The monks must have liked it here too, after all who doesn’t want a castle for an abbey. Interestingly enough, they don’t charge anything for exploring the place. I guess because it is already a private school, and a good one at that, they have enough income to keep the lights on. As I was walking inside, I noticed that there seemed to be something going on here. There were quite a few vehicles in the carpark even though school was already out. It seems like there was a conference of some sort here.
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