The Chapel Lake lies within the 500-acre grounds of Glenstal Abbey at Murroe, County Limerick. Created during the 1830s by the Barrington family, it formed part of an ambitious landscaping scheme that introduced five artificial lakes across the estate. Positioned beneath a historic viaduct near the abbey’s courtyard, the lake remains one of the most picturesque features of the grounds. Beyond its decorative purpose, it now plays an important practical role by supplying geothermal energy used to heat the abbey church and surrounding castle buildings. Its quiet waters therefore unite nineteenth-century estate design with modern sustainable technology in a setting.
