Search
16 Feb 2026
Search
16 Feb 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Credit: Mount Melleray Abbey Facebook page.
A Catholic University in the United States has reportedly stated it will soon open up a campus in a nearly 200-year-old abbey next to Tipperary.
Mount Melleray Abbey is situated on the Knockmealdown Mountain slopes near Cappoquin, County Waterford and was founded in 1833.
The abbey closed its doors in January of 2025 due to its aging community and a decline in new members joining the vocation.
READ NEXT: Tipperary TD believes Clonmel can be a template to resolve flooding around the country
Mount Melleray Abbey’s Cistercian community confirmed the news last week, following discussions with Ave Maria University regarding a proposed educational initiative at the abbey.
In a video posted on the University's YouTube page earlier in the week, Ave Maria claimed it was planning to open a new campus for students at the former Cistercian monastery of Mount Melleray near Cappoquin.
The video was then turned to private after the news broke.
The private university was founded by Thomas Monaghan, who founded Domino's Pizza before selling the company in 1998.
READ NEXT: Tipperary legend to be remembered with a walk of the Upperchurch hills in her honour
In a statement, the abbey emphasized its commitment to ensuring that any future development fully respects its spiritual character, the life of prayer, and the surrounding local community.
"Further information will be shared in due course once the remaining processes are complete,” the statement read.
The Department of Further and Higher Education and the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore have both been contacted for further comment on the proposal.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
