St. Kieran's Church

St. Kieran's Church
Errill Church
Séipéal Naomh Chiaráin
St. Kieran's Church
52.852899°N 7.672005°W / 52.852899; -7.672005
Location	Errill, County Laois
Country	Ireland
Denomination	Catholic Church (Pre-Reformation)
History
Status	In ruins
Founded	6th century AD
Founder(s)	Saint Ciarán of Saigir
Architecture
Heritage designation	National Monument
Years built	Middle Ages
Specifications
Length	16.9 metres (18.5 yd)
Width	8.8 metres (9.6 yd)
Number of floors	1
Floor area	149 square metres (1,600 sq ft)
Administration
Diocese	Ossory
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Errill
Reference no.	113[1]

St. Kieran's Church is a medieval church and National Monument located in Errill, County Laois, Ireland.^[2][3]

Location

St Kieran's Church is located to the south of Errill village, about 5 km (3½ miles) to the west of Rathdowney, on the south bank of the Errill River (a tributary of the River Erkina, which itself feeds into the Nore).

History

The site at Errill dates back to the early Christian period, when a monastery was founded by Saint Ciarán of Saigir (died ca. AD 530). A holy tree and holy well associated with Kieran stand nearby. Only grass-covered wall footing remains of the monastery. The church was built later, in the medieval period. A wayside cross was constructed in the 17th century.

The building

The ruins consist of upstanding walls, measuring 16.9 m x 8.8 m. A doorway and rounded window remains in the south wall. Another window survives also. Masonry has been reused as gravemarkers in the graveyard.

References

1. "National Monuments of County Laois in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
2. "St. Kieran's Church, Errill, Co. Laois (Queen's Co.)". May 2014.
3. "Errill Church, Co, Laois".