This Cistercian Abbey church and its living quarters were founded in 1193 by Affreca wife of John de Courcy, the Anglo-Norman invader of East Ulster.
Visitors are welcome to wander among the ruins and the lawns, where picnics are also permitted.
Grey Abbey is the best example of Anglo Norman Cistercian architecture in Ulster. It is the daughter house of Holy Cultram (Cumbria). Founded in 1193 by John de Courcy’s wife, Affreca. Poor and decayed in the late Middle Ages the abbey was dissolved in 1541, but in the early 17th century was granted to Sir Hugh Montgomery and the nave was refurbished for parish worship until the late 15th century. The remains consist of the church cloister and surrounding buildings to the south.