The oldest church in Ireland

Onesimus

What's the oldest church in Ireland?

Doc Farrell

Gallarus Oratory in Dingle according to this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_church_buildings

Great page actually.

However I'm going to suggest that Skellig Michael is a contender because even though there is technically no church there, one of the cells would have been used as a chapel to celebrate Mass. If you get a chance next year get a boat from Port Magee next year, it's closed till I'd say about end of March. One of the worlds greatest Heritage sites, Unesco would agree IMHO.

homer911

Oldest Church Building?
Oldest Church Building still used as a Church?
Oldest Congregation/Parish?
Oldest religous site?
...

martinedwards

Been in Gallarus Oratory..... the walls are thicker than the space between them. no wonder it survived!

it may be the oldest religious building in Ireland, but it certainly aint a church.

Early Christian SITES, theres Saul (near DownPatrick) and Errigle Kerrogue (Ballygawley) which were both founded by Patrick, but both have much newer buildings there

neemish

http://www.earlychristianireland.org/special_pages/first_arrivals.html

http://thinplacestour.com/2010/06/05/ardmore/

These links may be of interest
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St Declan's in Waterford claims to be the oldest Christian site in Ireland - founded a good 50 years before Patrick

Peregrinus

martinedwards wrote: »

Been in Gallarus Oratory..... the walls are thicker than the space between them. no wonder it survived!

it may be the oldest religious building in Ireland, but it certainly aint a church . . .

Well, it's not currently in use as a church, and we have no idea when it was last used.

Furthermore, strictly speaking, we don't know that it was built as a church, and we don't really know when it was built.

But it was probably built between the sixth and ninth centuries and, given its size and shape, that it was built and used as a church (i.e. for Christian worship) is likely.

smacl

Would the church on White Island pre-date this? Wikipedia seems to suggest so, and from my understanding it was a place of worship prior to Christian use.

It is recorded in the Annals that the Vikings attacked and destroyed the monasteries in Lough Erne in A.D.837. For at least 400 years therefore these carvings may have laid in the ruins before a stone Romanesque style church was built.

Peregrinus

If we mean "church building", no. The current church replaces whatever monastic buildings the Vikings destroyed in 837, and it dates from not earlier than 1000, and probably later than that, so it is likely younger than Gallarus.

The place was obviously a site of Christian worship from before 837, and may well have been a site of pre-Christian worship, but no structures remain from that era (and I don't know if there is any archaeological evidence of pre-Christian use).

leonil7

i have long discarded the definition that the 'church' is a structure or a system. the church is the bride of christ, God's elect, the fellowship christian believers. it is not in the past, it is ageless, it is alive, not stationary but moving.

show me 2 or 3 or more who gathered in their house or backyard or tree to worship christ and hear the words in scripture, them is what i call church.

PointLe55

so, no older than the oldest person in ireland, then...?

Anyone know where the 'smallest' church buliding in ireland is? remember being taken to one years ago, it was near the sea, as in just off the beach, as far as i can remember. we were told it was the smallest anyway.

there was a picture on the wall, a face, i'm not sure whose, and when you looked closer, it was text, written in different thicknesses to create the dark/ light areas. i always wanted to find that picture again

hinault

PointLe55 wrote: »

so, no older than the oldest person in ireland, then...?

Anyone know where the 'smallest' church buliding in ireland is? remember being taken to one years ago, it was near the sea, as in just off the beach, as far as i can remember. we were told it was the smallest anyway.

there was a picture on the wall, a face, i'm not sure whose, and when you looked closer, it was text, written in different thicknesses to create the dark/ light areas. i always wanted to find that picture again

An oratory would be considered to be a church.

Peregrinus

hinault wrote: »

An oratory would be considered to be a church.

But "Gallerus Oratory" is a modern name. We have no reason to think that it was called that by the people who used it, or that the use they made of it was anything like the use to which an oratory is put.

Benny_Cake

PointLe55 wrote: »

Anyone know where the 'smallest' church buliding in ireland is? remember being taken to one years ago, it was near the sea, as in just off the beach, as far as i can remember. we were told it was the smallest anyway.

I think Costello Memorial Chapel in Carrick-On-Shannon may be the smallest. It isn't in regular use as a church though:

http://www.carrickheritage.com/costello-memorial-chapel.html

Another tiny church is this one in Gougane Barra, west Cork (can only take about 10 people). Looks like a beautiful spot for a wedding!

http://www.gouganebarra.com/church.htm

smacl

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Another tiny church is this one in Gougane Barra, west Cork (can only take about 10 people). Looks like a beautiful spot for a wedding!

http://www.gouganebarra.com/church.htm

I was at a wedding there a few years back, and it certainly is a fantastic location. So far as I know it sees rather a lot of weddings for that very reason.