The head of the Cistercian Order in Ireland has said he knows the decision to relocate the monastic community from Co Tipperary to Co Louth will be met with "great disappointment locally".
Dom Rufus Pound said he wished to thank the "wider community for its steadfast support, friendship, and generosity over many generations."
In January 2025, the members of the former Cistercian abbeys of Mount Melleray in Co Waterford, Mount Saint Joseph in Roscrea, and Mellifont made the decision to come together for an interim period at the Co Tipperary abbey.
Dom Rufus, the Superior of Our Lady of Silence Abbey in Roscrea, said this decision afforded the order the necessary time and space to reflect on their long-term future and a location for their permanent home.
In a statement, he said: "Last week, following a formal vote of the conventual chapter, the monastic community decided to relocate to Mellifont Abbey, Co Louth, as our long-term home.
"We understand that this decision will bring great disappointment locally. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the wider community for its steadfast support, friendship, and generosity over many generations.
"The strong bonds formed here are enduring and deeply valued. We anticipate that the transition will take place over at least the next 18 months, allowing a proper opportunity to mark our departure and to say farewell in an appropriate and respectful manner," Dom Rufus added.
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Phonsie Cullinan said it is with "deep sadness" that he learned that the Cistercian Order would not be returning to Mount Melleray.
It comes as discussions are said to be at an "advanced stage" for a US-based Catholic university to open a campus at the former Cistercian abbey in west Waterford.
In a post on social media, Bishop Cullinan said: "The monastery buildings may one day serve a new purpose, but the deeper reality of Mount Melleray is not bricks and mortar. It is prayer. It is sacrifice. It is faith handed on quietly from one generation to the next."
The bishop also expressed his gratitude to the Cistercian monks for what he said was "nearly two centuries of faithful witness."
Confirming that the location of the community's new permanent home would be in Co Louth, Dom Rufus also thanked all those at Mount Saint Joseph in Roscrea.
He said: "A special word of appreciation is due to our wonderful staff at the abbey, whose dedication, professionalism, and loyalty have supported our life and work in countless ways.
"For their generous commitment over so many years, we are profoundly grateful. We will now enter into diligent and respectful discussions with them, with the aim of supporting and guiding all through this period of transition.
"We are committed to ensuring that appropriate provisions are made and that everyone is treated with fairness, dignity, and care.
"While we will no longer reside on the grounds we have shared for so long with Cistercian College, our bond remains strong and enduring.
"We will continue in our role as patrons and remain fully committed to the future of the college, to its mission, and to the ethos and values that have shaped generations of students," Dom Rufus added.
