Cathedral of Saint Mel in Ardagh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Saint Mel
Cathedral of Saint Mel in Ardagh
General information
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The Cathedral of Saint Mel is the name for the old church ruins in the village of Ardagh, County Longford in Ireland. It's important not to confuse it with St Mel's Cathedral in the town of Longford. Even though it's called Saint Mel's Cathedral, the ruined church was built about 300 years after Saint Mel lived. In the 12th century, church leaders made this site the main center for the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. This shows how important the place became as a Cathedral and a bishop's main church.

History of Saint Mel's Cathedral

People traditionally believe that St. Patrick started a monastery here in Ardagh. They say he made his nephew, St. Mél of Ardagh, its first bishop or leader. Even though there's no old proof from history or digs, St. Mel is still seen as the person who founded the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. Sadly, the church building was badly damaged during a war in the year 1496. After that, it was never fixed or rebuilt.

Exploring the Archaeology of the Ruins

The ruins you see today are a good example of an early medieval church. It was a simple rectangular room. You would enter through a doorway on the west side. This doorway had a flat stone top and sides that got narrower towards the top. The building is about 10.35 meters (34 feet) long and 7.70 meters (25 feet) wide.

The walls are made of large stone blocks. These blocks sit on a stone base that sticks out a little. Some of the limestone blocks in the walls are quite big, about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and 0.90 meters (3 feet) wide. The roof would have been very steep. It was partly held up by special stone parts called "antae" at the corners of the building.

Archaeologists dug at this site in 1967. They found the outline of an old wooden building underneath. This wooden structure dated back to the 8th century AD. What's interesting is that it was almost the same size as the stone church we see today.

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