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 is located in Ireland
St. Columb's House
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
Heritage designation
Official nameSt. Columb's House
Reference no.108
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

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
  1. "St. Colmcilles House, Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland - Heritage Town".
  2. "Irish Monastic Life".
  3. Kells & District (PDF). Kells & District Tourism Forum.
  4. Drive, Boyne Valley (1 December 2013). "Kells Town & Monastic Sites".
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