Kiltiernan Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kiltiernan Church |
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Cill Tiarnáin
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 Kiltiernan Church
Location in Ireland
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| 53°11′17″N 8°50′35″W / 53.188048°N 8.843033°W | |
| Location | Kiltiernan East, Kilcolgan, County Galway |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Celtic Christianity |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | inactive |
| Architectural type | Celtic Christianity |
| Years built | 8th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Width | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Materials | stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Galway |
Kiltiernan Church is a very old church in County Galway, Ireland. It is a National Monument, which means it is a special historical site. This church dates back to medieval times, showing us how people lived and worshipped long ago.
Contents
Where is Kiltiernan Church?
Kiltiernan Church is located in a place called Kiltiernan East. It is about 2.9 kilometers (or 1.8 miles) south-southeast of Kilcolgan. You can find it just east of a lake called Tullynafrankagh Lough.
The History of Kiltiernan Church
We do not have many written records about Kiltiernan Church. However, experts believe it was first started by a person known as Saint Tiernan. This might have happened as far back as the 5th century AD. The stone church you see today was likely built in the 8th century.
When archaeologists dug around the church, they found an old wall. This wall was not built in the same direction as the church itself. This suggests that the area might have been used for something else before the church was built.
What the Buildings Look Like
The church is made of stone. It has a special doorway that is flat at the top. The sides of the doorway, called jambs, slope inwards. The top part of the doorway, called a lintel, is made from a single stone.
Later, a chancel was added to the church. A chancel is a part of the church where the altar is usually located. The window on the east side of the church has a unique triangle shape and is made from two stones.
The area around the church has an enclosure that covers about 1.55 hectares. Within this area, you can still see the outlines of more than 20 other structures. Most of these look like old house sites. There are also over 16 smaller enclosed areas within the main enclosure.
See also
- Kilternan, County Dublin
