Ballinskelligs Abbey, also known as the Priory of the Arroasian Canons, is a medieval monastic site located on the western shore of Ballinskelligs Bay. It was established in the early thirteenth century, around 1210–1225, by Augustinian canons who had relocated from Skellig Michael. The abbey thus represents a transition from the early monastic isolation of the island to a more accessible, mainland community. The abbey continued to function until its suppression in 1578 during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Architecturally, the site comprises the remains of a church, cloister, refectory, Prior’s House, and burial ground. The structures, dating from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, are built in local rubble stone bonded with lime mortar. Surviving features include sections of the nave and chancel, fragments of cloister arcades, and traces of ogee-arched windows. Coastal erosion has significantly damaged the complex, prompting the construction of a protective sea wall to preserve what remains. The site, marked by over two hundred gravestones and several tombs, endures as a significant testament to Ireland’s medieval monastic tradition and coastal heritage.