St. Columb's House

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
53.728253°N 6.880766°W / 53.728253; -6.880766
LocationChurch Lane, Kells, County Meath
CountryIreland
DenominationPre-Reformation Catholic
History
Founder(s)Cellach mac Congaile, Abbot of Iona
DedicationColumba
Relics heldColumba (formerly)
Architecture
StyleCeltic monastic
Years builtlikely 10th century
Specifications
Length5.8 m (19 ft)
Width4.7 m (15 ft)
Height7 m (23 ft)
Number of floors3
Floor area27.3 m2 (294 sq ft)
Administration
DioceseMeath
Designations
Official nameSt. Columb's House
Reference no.108

Location

St. Columb's House is located on Church Lane in Kells, immediately northwest of the Abbey of Kells.[2]

History

St. 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

St. 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

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