St. Columb's House (or St. Columcille's House) is an oratory and National Monument in Kells, County Meath, Ireland.[1]
| St. Columb's House | |
|---|---|
| St. Columcille's House | |
Teach Naomh Cholumba | |
 | |
  St. Columb's House | |
| 53°43′42″N 6°52′51″W / 53.728253°N 6.880766°W | |
| Location | Church Lane, Kells, County Meath |
| Country | Ireland |
| Denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Cellach mac Congaile, Abbot of Iona |
| Dedication | Columba |
| Relics held | Columba (formerly) |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | |
| Official name | St. Columb's House |
| Reference no. | 108 |
| Style | Celtic monastic |
| Years built | likely 10th century |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Width | 4.7 m (15 ft) |
| Height | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Number of floors | 3 |
| Floor area | 27.3 m2 (294 sq ft) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Meath |
Location
editSt. Columb's House is located on Church Lane in Kells, immediately northwest of the Abbey of Kells.[2]
History
editSt. Columb's House is today thought to mostly date to the 10th century. It is named after Columba (Colm Cille), whose relics it may once have housed.[3]: 4
The roof was modified at a later date. The house was used by monks to say the Liturgy of the Hours, or possibly as a shrine church or burial place of an abbot. It once contained a large flat stone called "St Columb's Bed", possibly a grave slab. His relics were brought to Kells in 878, and moved to Skryne Church later before finally going to Downpatrick.[4]
Building
editSt. Columb's House is a rectangular building with a very high pointed roof. Internally there was originally a high floor 1.5 m (5 feet) above the ground, but this is gone.
The loft contains three separate rooms.[3]: 4
An underground passage connecting the house with the nearby church is mentioned by the Annals of the four Masters and a 17th-century survey.[3]: 4
References
edit- ^ "St. Colmcilles House, Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland - Heritage Town".
- ^ "Irish Monastic Life".
- ^ a b c Kells & District (PDF). Kells & District Tourism Forum.
- ^ Drive, Boyne Valley (1 December 2013). "Kells Town & Monastic Sites".