Sheepstown Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sheepstown Church |
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| Ballynageragh | |
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Cill Bhaile na gCaorach
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 Sheepstown Church
Location in Ireland
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| 52°29′06″N 7°14′36″W / 52.4849°N 7.243442°W | |
| Location | Sheepstown, Knocktopher, County Kilkenny |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Muicín |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | inactive |
| Heritage designation | |
| Official name | Sheepstown Church |
| Reference no. | 73 |
| Style | Hiberno-Romanesque |
| Years built | 12th–13th centuries |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Width | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Floor area | 62.5 m2 (673 sq ft) |
| Materials | sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Ossory |
Sheepstown Church is an amazing old church from the Middle Ages. It's located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. This special building is also known as a National Monument, which means it's protected because of its historical importance. It's a cool place to visit if you like history and old buildings!
Where is Sheepstown Church Located?
Sheepstown Church is found about 1.8 kilometers (just over a mile) west of a town called Knocktopher. It's very close to Junction 10 of the M9 motorway, making it easy to find.
A Look into History: When Was it Built?
This church is dedicated to a saint named Muicín. He was a bishop and a holy person who lived a very long time ago, dying around the year 630.
The stone church you see today was built much later, sometime between the 12th and 13th centuries. This was a time when the church in Ireland was changing. It was moving from a system where monasteries were the main centers of religious life to one where areas were divided into dioceses, each with its own bishop.
Exploring the Church's Design
Sheepstown Church shows a style of building called Hiberno-Romanesque. This means it has a simple but strong design, typical of buildings from that time in Ireland.
The main entrance on the west side has a simple decorative pattern called bead moulding. You can also see this same type of moulding on the four corners of the roof gables (the triangular parts of the wall that support the roof).
There's another door on the south side of the church. This door might have led to a sacristy. A sacristy is a special room in a church where priests prepare for services and where sacred items are kept.
High up in the northwest corner of the church, there's a stone sticking out. This is called a corbel. People sometimes call it the "clock-stone." It might have been part of a sundial, which is an old way to tell time using the sun's shadow.
