Mellifont, or «honey fountain», was Ireland's first Cistercian house, founded on the banks of the River Mattock in 1142 by Saint Malachie, together with 4 Irish and 9 French monks. The modern abbey (1938) is in Collon, 5 km north. What remains of the original abbey includes the guard room, the vaulted chapel house (14C) and four sides of the two-level eight-sided wash basin where the monks used to wash their hands before going to the refectory, located just in front.