Ratass Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ratass Church |
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| Rathass Church | |
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Teampall Ráth Teas
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Ratass Church
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 Ratass Church
Location in Ireland
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| 52°16′01″N 9°40′55″W / 52.267007°N 9.681814°W | |
| Location | Quill Street, Tralee, County Kerry |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Catholic (pre-Reformation) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | ruined |
| Style | Romanesque |
| Years built | 10th century AD |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Width | 7.5 m (25 ft) |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Floor area | 120 m2 (1,300 sq ft) |
| Materials | sandstone, limestone, mortar |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Ardfert and Aghadoe |
Ratass Church is a very old church building found in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It has special stones with ancient writing called ogham. This church is so important that it is protected as a National Monument of Ireland.
Contents
Ratass Church: An Ancient Irish Ruin
Ratass Church is a medieval building. This means it was built a long, long time ago, during the Middle Ages. It's now a ruin, but it still tells us a lot about the past.
Where is Ratass Church?
You can find Ratass Church and its old graveyard on Quill Street. This is in the eastern part of Tralee town.
A Look Back in Time: History of the Church
From Fort to Church
Before the church was built, there was likely a ringfort here. A ringfort was a circular area surrounded by a ditch and bank. People called this place Rath Mhaighe Teas, which means "fort of the southern plain."
Around the 10th century AD, a church made of sandstone was built on this spot.
A Special Church in Kerry
For a short time, from 1111 to 1117, Ratass Church was very important. It was the main church for a bishop in Kerry. This means it was like a cathedral for that period. Later, the main church moved to Ardfert.
The oldest parts of the church are the west wall and some parts of the main hall, called the nave. The rest of the church was built later on.
The Mysterious Ogham Stone
One of the most exciting things at Ratass Church is an Ogham Stone. This stone is much older than the church itself!
What is Ogham?
Ogham is an ancient way of writing. It was used in early Ireland. It looks like lines and notches carved into the edge of a stone.
The Stone's Message
Experts believe the writing on this stone is from around 550–600 AD. This is based on the old Irish grammar used. The stone is made of purple sandstone. It measures about 145 centimeters tall, 34 centimeters wide, and 20 centimeters thick.
The inscription on the stone says: "[A]NM SILLANN MAQ VATTILLOGG". This means "name of Sílán son of Fáithloga." The stone was found in 1975 during a cleanup. It was hidden behind the walls of a burial vault from the 1800s.
