churches historical ireland

The earliest monastery was founded here by St. Declan who is alleged to have been a bishop in Munster when St. Patrick arrived, and who is one of the main supports for the belief in the existence of Christianity in the south of Ireland before St. Patrick. Ardmore was recognised as a Cathedral and had its bishop in 1170. In 1591 it was leased to Sir Walter Raleigh who only held it for 2 years. In 1642 the confederate army hiding in the Church and Round Tower were besieged by the English. When...

An inscription on the south-east face records that Ternohc son of Ceran Bic put the place under the protection of St. Peter the Apostle. As Ternohc's death is recorded in 714 or 716, the inscription could make this the earliest historically datable stone monument in Ireland. Above the inscription is a Latin cross and, beneath it, a decorative equal armed cross in a circle.

The north-western face bears other forms of crosses, both with and without enclosing circle. The pillar stood at...

In the 17th and 18th centuries Kinsale was an important English naval base. This is reflected in the architecture of the town which, with its 18th century flavour and a whiff of the distant southern shores reached by its mariners, makes Kinsale into the town with what, in my opinion, is the most individual character in the country. In the town and its surroundings are some interesting monuments. St. Multose Church: The present Church of Ireland Parish church, founded probably by de Cogan...

The small Anglican parish church which was rebuilt in 1815, has a lovely position close to the water, backed by whin covered slopes. Inside is a memorial to the Rev John Martin, who was rector here in 1723-40, and monuments to members of the Gage family, the resident landlords of Rathlin from the eighteenth century.

Mrs Catherine Gage, who died in 1862 is commemorated by two shapely maidens in diaphanous gowns of gleaming white marbke. The Gages have gone now but they built the long low...

A small Early Christian church with antae and a round-headed east window. Note the small baptismal font in the north-eastern corner. In this church the Leinstermen venerated the founder, St Fortchern, who was the teacher of St Finian of Clonard....

Its earliest part is the nave, probably erected in the 12th century when the Augustinian Canons took over an earlier monastery associated with St Nechtan. The exterior east end of the nave still preserves slight extensions of the north and south walls beyond the gable ends. More unusual is the blind arcading still traceable in the eastern interior corners of the nave, which helps to provide a date no earlier than the second quarter of the twelfth century. Now closed off from the nave by a woo...

A 12th century romanesque church consisting of a nave and chancel. The doorway has been much tampered with (possibly in the 16th century when the innermost order of the doorway was constructed). Over the window above the doorway is a sculptured panel showing the meeting of two people-it may have formed part of the original doorway, as at Freshford. Note the worn heads above the doorway; one is said to represent St. Moling, the founder of the church, and the other is said to be St. Fiacre. Th...

Inside there are two wooden crosses, one a copy of a medieval termon cross which stood some distance north of the church. Close by is a holy well, still frequented by pious pilgrims who attach rags to the surrounding trees....

The main item of interest is a stone cross having the features of a Celtic cross inscribed on one face of its imperforate ring, while the other face bears a boss. The cross may never have been finished. Built into the interior north wall of the dilapidated medieval church close by is the replica of a medieval effigy of an apparently male figure whose head, made of a different material and now lost, was sunk into its surface; it may have represented the local saint rather than having been a tom...

A well-preserved round Tower which is lower and fatter than most examples. It had a round-headed doorway (now blocked up), and flat - and gable-headed windows. The church beside it, although built in the 18th century, incorporates a 16th century mullioned window and a small plaque with the Crucifixion dated 1625. The first church here was founded by St. Patrick and, because of this, the Archbishops of Armagh long claimed jurisdiction over it. But in 1351 the Pope authorised the Archbishop of...