Saturday trip to Bective Abbey with plastic knights

Bective Abbey was founded in 1147 for the Cistercian Order by Murchad O'Maeil- Sheachlainn, King of Meath. It was Ireland's second Cistercian Abbey; a ‘daughter house' to nearby Mellifont. Bective became an important monastic settlement, but was suppressed following the dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII in1543. The lands were then rented, and the monastery began to be used as a fortified house. The tower was constructed at this time, granting the structure an imposing appearance. The remains now visible at the Abbey date mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries. They include the church, chapter house and cloister. The cloister ruins are particularly Well-preserved and feature pointed, gothic arches typical of Cistercian architecture. The Order had been founded to recapture the original simplicity of monastic life; this was reflected in their restrained buildings. The cloister - a covered passageway which opened onto and surrounded an enclosed courtyard - was an essential element, separating the world of the monks from that of ordinary people. Today, the ruins provide a maze of passageways with dead ends and interrupted staircases, all asking to be explored.

Due to its castle-like qualities, the site was also chosen as a location for the 1995 film 'Braveheart'.
I photographed  plastic knights produced by Tipco, Sunjade and Biplant at the Abbey surroundings.