Mount Saint Joseph Abbey is a monastery of the Order of Cistercians of Strict Observance (OCSO), and was founded in 1878. In 1879 the building of the new monastic church was commenced. The architect was William H. Beardwood, who practiced in Dublin and Manchester. The stone for the Church was quarried on the land. Several of the monks , as well as a large contingent of outside masons and labourers, worked on the building.  The monastery church is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows of which there are 39 today.  From the beginning, farming provided the main source of income for the Community, many of the monks being deeply involved in this work.  In 1905 the College was completed and opened for the first fifty students where it operates today as a boarding and day school.

The grounds of Mount St Joseph Abbey are spectacular with a walking trail developed to enhance the spiritual ethos of this monastery.