Abbey village is situated 13 kilometres west of Portumna and 19 kilometres south east of Loughrea in Co Galway.
The village takes its name from the ‘Abbey of Kilnalahan’, the ruins of which remains in the centre of the village, dating back to the mid-thirteenth century.
In the historical records ‘Abbey’ has various names Kinalekin, Kilnalahan, Kynnaleighen – all pronunciations of Cinéal Feichín, meaning the 'Tribe of Feichín'.
The ruins represent the site of Ireland’s only Carthusian foundation, which was subsequently taken over by the Knight Hospitallers and later the Franciscans who remained after the Reformation, until the end of the eighteenth century.
Abbey village and its surrounds have a population of approximately 250. Due to the effort of Abbey Community Development Association and an active Community Employment Scheme, the village is well-maintained, and has a successful history in the National Tidy Towns awards, achieving first place in County Galway for the past five years.