St. Mochta's House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mochta's House |
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| The Monk's House | |
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Teach Naomh Mochta
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 St. Mochta's House
Location in Ireland
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| 53°57′12″N 6°32′43″W / 53.953412°N 6.545339°W | |
| Location | Priorstate, Louth, County Louth |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Church of Ireland |
| Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | inactive |
| Heritage designation | |
| Official name | St. Mochta's House |
| Reference no. | 312 |
| Style | Celtic Christianity |
| Years built | c. 1150–1200 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 4.88 m (16.0 ft) (internal) |
| Width | 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in) (internal) |
| Number of floors | 2 |
| Floor area | 13.7 m2 (147 sq ft) |
| Materials | stone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Armagh |
St. Mochta's House is a very old building in County Louth, Ireland. It was once a small church or prayer room, known as an oratory. Today, it is a special protected site called a National Monument. This means it's an important part of Ireland's history.
Contents
Where to Find St. Mochta's House
St. Mochta's House is located in Louth village. You can find it a little to the northwest of the village center.
A Look at History
The Story of Saint Mochta
The building is named after a saint called Mochta. He lived a very long time ago, around the 500s AD. Saint Mochta was a student of Saint Patrick, who is famous in Ireland. Around the year 528, Saint Mochta started a monastery in Louth village. A monastery is a place where monks live and pray.
What Remains Today
The original monastery from Saint Mochta's time is gone. The buildings you see there now are much newer. One is a church from the 1200s, called St. Mary's Priory. The other is St. Mochta's House itself. Experts believe St. Mochta's House was built in the late 1100s. Some people think it might be even older, from the 800s to 1000s.
Mysteries and Relics
Many old stone buildings in Ireland are called "saints' houses." These places often hold the grave or special items of the saint they are named after. These items are called relics. People believed relics had special powers.
In the year 1242, an old record called the Annals of Connacht tells us something interesting. It says that important church leaders met in Louth. During this meeting, some relics that Saint Mochta had brought from Rome were shown. This might mean he brought back items from other saints. It's also possible that his own bones were added to these relics later on.
Keeping History Alive
Over the years, people have worked to protect St. Mochta's House. In 1906, the wall around the building was built by the Louth County Council. Later, in 1934, the Office of Public Works did more work to keep the building safe.
What the Building Looks Like
St. Mochta's House is a rectangular building. It has a special type of rounded roof called a barrel-vaulted roof. Inside, there's a room above the main floor. You can reach this upper room by an internal staircase.
