churches historical ireland

St. Monenna, otherwise known as Darerca or Blinne, who died around 517, chose a peaceful spot on the eastern slope of Slieve Gullion for her foundation, one of the few known early Irish nunneries. It continued in existence for 1,000 years until the Reformation finally put an end to it. what seems at first like a very long church 112dt in length is, in fact, two separate churches built in a straight line, now partially joined by a wall 33 ft long.

The western church is the older of the...

This is probably the oldest Irish church still in use. The western portion of the church, with its lintelled doorway, is said to have been rebuilt by the Abbot Cormac O'Killeen in 969, and the church is reputed to have been repaired again by Brian Boru, around 1000. It now serves as a Heritage Centre displaying many Romanesque fragments. The eastern portion of the church is 12th century in date; it has corner columns, but it is doubtful if the two south windows in the eastern part of the chur...

This is a 12th century church half buried in sand-dunes on the Southern end of the island, surrounded by a graveyard said to contain the remains of 120 saints....

the first church here was founded in 622 by St. Lachtain whose are was preserved in a 12th century shrine now in the National Museum in Dublin. The present church was built in 1730, but in the west gable is preserved a fine 12th century Romanesque doorway taken from an earlier church, the rest of which has now disappeared. The doorway, which is deep and has three orders, is covered by a hood mounding, and on the right and left has some unfortunately weathered figure sculpture. An inscription...

The site of an old monastery founded allegedly by St. Comdhan or Comghan towards the end of the 5th century. The last historical reference to the monastery is in 1082. An oratory here was destroyed in 1041 and the monastery was burned in 1077. The present church was built in the 12th century, and has one of the finest Romanesque doorways in the country. The doorway has four orders, with capitals bearing heads with intertwined hair, an arch with foliage and animal motifs, the whole being topped b...

The ruins of an imposing, partly built 12th century edifice now stand on the site of the original Patrician Church and have recently been conserved.
St Patrick established his first Christian Church as a headquarters for his mission, a church which was destined to become the Ecclesia Dominica Patricii -the principal church of St Patrick- hence Donagh Patrick the chief central church of St Patrick in that whole area of Maigh Seola....

On the far side of Liscannor Bay, 5 km north-west of Lahinch. It is a small fishing village. Kilmacreehy, or St. Macreehy's Church, 1.5 km east of Liscannor, is a medieval parish church, with nave and chancel. It was built in the early 12th century, on the site of a famous school founded by St. Macreehy in the 6th century.

The castle ruin in the village, built by the O'Connors, became an O'Brien stronghold and was occupied by Sir Turlough O'Brien during the threatened invasion at the...

Pilgrim's Church; at the south-east corner of Gorumna Island is the church referred to as the - Pilgrim's Church - ....

The church was built late in the 17th century. The east window, dating from the 15th century, comes originally from another church and was inserted here; the heads above the window on the outside may date to 1691, when the church was built. The other windows were inserted in the 19th century. A baptismal font from this church is now in Ardee....

This 13th century church stands on an island in the middle of a bog where St. Ruadhan of Lorrha founded a monastery in the 6th century. The church, which may incorporate parts of an older church, has a nave and chancel with lancet windows, and a decorative piscina.

The west wall of some (15th century) domestic buildings remain. In 1980, a valuable hoard of religious vessels, including a chalice, a paten and a ladle were discovered in the vicinity of the church; these are now in the Na...