Gallarus Oratory Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Gallarus Oratory
Séipéilín Ghallarais

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Location	Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry
Country	Ireland
Denomination	Pre-Reformation Catholic
Specifications
Floor area	14.4 m² (155 sq ft)
Materials	Old Red Sandstone
Administration
Archdiocese	Cashel
Diocese	Ardfert and Aghadoe

The Gallarus Oratory (called Séipéilín Ghallarais in Irish) is a very old stone chapel in County Kerry, Ireland. It sits on the beautiful Dingle Peninsula. People have different ideas about what its name means. Some think it means 'rocky headland', while others believe it means 'house for visitors'.

This special building has puzzled experts for a long time. Some thought it was an early Christian church. Others believed it was built much later, around the 12th century. There's even a theory that it was a shelter for people on religious journeys. Local stories say it might have been a burial chapel for a family named Griffith More.

The oratory looks out over the harbor at Ard na Caithne. This area was once known as Smerwick.

What's in a Name?
- 'House for Visitors'
- 'Rocky Headland'
How Was It Found?
Building Style
When Was It Built and What Was It Used For?
Gallery
See also

What's in a Name?

The Irish name Gallarus has a few different meanings. It's a bit of a mystery!

'House for Visitors'

Archaeologist Peter Harbison thinks the name might mean 'the house or shelter for foreigner(s)'. He suggests these "foreigners" could have been pilgrims. Pilgrims are people who travel for religious reasons. They might have come from outside the Dingle Peninsula.

'Rocky Headland'

However, another expert, Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha, has a different idea. He studies words and names. He believes Gallarus means 'rocky headland'. This name would describe the land where the oratory stands.

How Was It Found?

The Gallarus Oratory is special because it's the only building of its kind that is still fully standing. This has made it very famous. People started noticing it in the mid-1700s.

The first detailed description of the oratory was written in 1756. It was in a book by Charles Smith. He was an antiquarian, someone who studies old things.

Building Style

The Gallarus Oratory is famous for its unique way of being built. It's a great example of ancient Irish building skills.

Building Materials

The oratory is made from large stones. These stones come from the Dingle Beds, which are part of the Old Red Sandstone rock. Charles Smith, who first described the building, said the stone was "brown free-stone." He noted that it was easy to cut and very strong.

How the Stones Fit Together

The builders cut each stone very carefully. They made sure every side and end fit perfectly with the next stone. The outside of the walls is smooth and follows the wall's slope.

Most people think the oratory was built without any mortar. Mortar is like glue that holds bricks or stones together. But some evidence shows that a thin layer of lime mortar might have been used. It could have been used inside the walls to help bond the stones. It also filled small gaps on the inner surfaces.

What It Looks Like

The shape of the oratory is often compared to an upside-down boat. This is because its side walls slope inward as they go up.

The building uses a special technique called corbel vaulting. This means each layer of stones sticks out a little further than the one below it. This creates a roof that gradually closes in at the top. The stones are also laid at a slight angle. They are lower on the outside than on the inside. This helps rainwater run off the roof. You can still see these building methods in some modern farm buildings on the Dingle Peninsula.

The oratory has two side walls and two end walls. They all slope and meet at the top. Each wall acts as both a support and part of the roof. The northern side of the roof has sagged a little over time.

Inside the Oratory

The room inside is about 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) long and 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide. This size makes it more like a small chapel than a large church.

It's quite dim inside. There's only one small, rounded window. It's in the east wall, across from the entrance door. The window gets wider on the inside, letting in more light.

The doorway is about 1.67 meters (5.5 feet) tall. It has a flat stone at the top, called a lintel. Inside, above the lintel, there are two stones with holes. These might have been used to attach a wooden door.

When Was It Built and What Was It Used For?

Experts have tried to figure out when the Gallarus Oratory was built. They have also tried to understand what it was used for. Small digs were done in 1970, but they didn't find clear answers.

An Early Irish Stone Church

Charles Smith, who first wrote about the oratory in 1756, thought it was an early Irish stone church. However, there are no old records before 1756 that say what it was used for.

A Romanesque Church

In 1970, archaeologist Peter Harbison suggested the oratory might be from the 12th century. This is much later than an "early Irish" church. He thought this because the east window has a rounded top made of two carved stones. This style is often seen in Romanesque buildings from that time.

A Private Burial Chapel

Harbison also found some clues that pointed to a later date and a different use. He found a letter from an English traveler named Richard Pococke. Pococke visited the oratory in 1758. He wrote that people showed him a grave nearby. They called it the "tomb of the Giant" and said Griffith More was buried there. Since they called the building a chapel, it was likely built by Griffith More or his family as a burial place.

A Shelter for Pilgrims

Later, in 1994 and 1995, Peter Harbison changed his mind. He no longer thought it was a 12th-century church. Instead, he suggested that the name Gallarus meant 'the house or shelter of foreigner(s)'. He believed these "foreigners" were pilgrims visiting the area. However, this idea doesn't match the translation of the name as "rocky headland" by Padraig O Siochfhradha.