50 years ago, Bishop Jakop Mayr of Salzburg Arch Diocese, Austria, visited Ireland in pursuit of the roots of Virgilius, an iconoc monk from Aghaboe Abbey in Laois.
Virgilius travelled across Europe as a missionary and founded the his first monastery in Salzburg on the same site that the current majestic cathedral now stands.
His visit coincided with efforts of the Aghaboe Abbey Preservation Committe and the local community to preserve the remaining Abbey ruins.
Over the years, Aghaboe Abbey has seriously deteriorated and was considered for demolition as a dangerous structure by Laois County Council.
The Committe said they were “refused help by the Office of Public Works due to lack of funding.”
Bishop Mayr took a special interest in the Abbey’s preservations, and helped financially as well as bringing hundreds of visitors to the site.
His Niece, Dr Elizabeth Kandler Mayr, became Salzburg’s unofficial Ambassador to Aghaboe and maintained regular contact with the local committee, a position she holds to this day with great respect and love of all who have meet her.
The Abbey now stands preserved for future generations and has taken its rightful place in the history of Irelands Monastic Settlements, attracting hundreds of visitors each year.
The Aghaboe Abbey Preservation Committee made a recent application for planning permission to erect a site-history information sign and a new pedestrian entrance from the in car park.
SEE ALSO – Laois woman to speak about new nutritional and environmental software at UN’s COP29
