St Thomas’s Abbey Conference

Did you know that an Augustinian abbey once lay just outside the medieval walls of Dublin, close to modern-day Thomas Street? The Abbey of St. Thomas the Martyr was originally founded in 1177 on the orders of King Henry II as an act of restitution for the death of Thomas Becket. The abbey went on to play a pivotal role in the religious and political affairs of the city until its eventual dissolution in 1539.

While no trace of the abbey remains above ground today, it had a lasting impact on the city of Dublin and it lends its name to modern-day Thomas Street. Dublin City Council’s South Central Office and the Dublin City Archaeologist have been unravelling the mysteries of the abbey to raise awareness of this most important medieval ecclesiastical foundation.