churches historical ireland

A small but broad early church with antae and flat-headed doorway (partly reconstructed) on a site said to have been founded by St. Mel in the 5th century. During the course of excavations in 1967, traces of a timber church, possibly of 8th century date, were found beneath it....

St. Peter's Church, a splendid edifice in modern Gothic style. As it is set well back from the street alignment, at the top of a double flight of wide steps, an excellent view can be obtained of the imposing front and spire. The exterior walls and dressings, elaborately decorated, are all in local limestone, while the interior walls are of Bath stone with polished granite pillars. Outside the main door, mounted on a modern pedestal and plinth, and now used as a holy water stoup, stands a small...

Situated on the site of an older monastery founded by St. Feichin of Fore in the 7th century, this is a 13th century or later church incorporating 12th century features including a doorway and mouldings at the corners. The doorway has an arch of heads covered by a hood moulding, and there may have been a tympanum.

The capitals have rather worn representations of imaginary beasts. The monks later moved to a spot 300 yards westwards, below the present quarry, where a church with an in...

A delightful romanesque doorway is the main feature of this small rural church where many of the Butlers of Kilcash are interred....

The church is situated at the east end of an island in Lough Gill, on the site of a monastery founded by St. Loman in the 6th century. The church, which formed part of an abbey, is rectangular in shape and has an unusual round-headed doorway. A number of manuscripts perished when the abbey was accidentally burned in 1416....

Once a flourishing medieval town, Clonmines still contains the remains of some of its old buildings. The town was given a charter by William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, early in the 13th century, and the Kavanagh family founded an Abbey here for the Augustinian Eremites which was 'beautified' and enlarged in 1385.

The town was destroyed in 1400, but rose again. Although it scarcely survived the 17th century, it continued to send members to Parliament up till 1800. Nevertheless, as l...

Little now remains of the very early monastery founded on this site by St. Mogue, in the sixth century. A pleasant concentration of ancient crosses and other early Christian artefacts survive....

An old schoolhouse built in 1898 is the location of the Ardagh Heritage Centre. It houses an exciting exhibition which outlines the history of this exquisite village. The story of Ardagh is one of history, literature and storytelling. This exhibition draws on the rich fabric of Ardagh life down through the ages, from the roots of the village in Irish mythology, to its development as an important early church and its emergence as a model estate village. Over the years, Ardagh has played host t...

Fethard is a small town which retains a remarkable number of medieval remnants. The exterior of Holy Trinity Church off the main street incorporates parts of a 15th century church, including windows, the west tower and part of a transept. In the wall of the churchyard are some tower houses (15th century?); in all about 4 tower-houses (none really accessible) are preserved in the town.

In the fire-depot beside the entrance to the church, remnants of a 16thg century house can be seen,...

St. Selskar's church was founded possibly by the Roche family for the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and dedicated to SS Peter and Paul. The name may be a corruption of the work 'Sepulchre' as tradition says that the church was founded by a lady who thought that her betrothed had been killed on a Crusade to the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and who joined the monastery she had founded.

When her intended returned from the wars alive, he found his bride already a nun, and...