St. Kieran's Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Kieran's Church |
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| Errill Church | |
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Séipéal Naomh Chiaráin
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 St. Kieran's Church
Location in Ireland
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| 52°51′10″N 7°40′19″W / 52.852899°N 7.672005°W | |
| Location | Errill, County Laois |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Catholic Church (Pre-Reformation) |
| History | |
| Status | In ruins |
| Founded | 6th century AD |
| Founder(s) | Saint Ciarán of Saigir |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | National Monument |
| Years built | Middle Ages |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 16.9 metres (18.5 yd) |
| Width | 8.8 metres (9.6 yd) |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Floor area | 149 square metres (1,600 sq ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Ossory |
St. Kieran's Church is an old church building in Errill, County Laois, Ireland. It was built a long time ago, during the Middle Ages. Today, it is a National Monument, which means it's a special historical site protected by the country. Even though it's now in ruins, it tells an important story about early Christian times in Ireland.
Where is St. Kieran's Church Located?
St. Kieran's Church is found just south of the small village of Errill. It's about 5 kilometers (3½ miles) west of a town called Rathdowney. The church sits right on the south bank of the Errill River. This river is a small stream that eventually flows into the Nore, one of Ireland's main rivers.
The History of St. Kieran's Church
The area where St. Kieran's Church stands has a very long history. It goes all the way back to the early Christian period in Ireland. Around the year 530 AD, a monastery was started here by a famous person named Saint Ciarán of Saigir. A monastery is a place where monks or nuns live and worship.
Near the church, you can still find a special "holy tree" and a "holy well." These are places that people have believed for centuries have a connection to Saint Kieran. The original monastery buildings are mostly gone now, with only some grass-covered wall foundations left. The church you see today was built much later, during the medieval period. There's also a stone cross nearby, called a wayside cross, which was put there in the 1600s.
What the Church Looks Like Today
Even though St. Kieran's Church is in ruins, you can still see parts of its old walls standing. These walls are quite large, measuring about 16.9 meters (55 feet) long and 8.8 meters (29 feet) wide.
If you look closely at the south wall, you can still see where a doorway used to be. There's also a rounded window that remains in this wall, along with another window. Some of the old stones from the church have been used again as grave markers in the graveyard around the church.
