St Columb's House, Kells

Map Reference: N739760(2739, 2760)



This early church is thought to have been built in 814 although the roof may have been modified some centuries later. It is a rectangular building measuring about 5.8m by 4.7m internally. It is proportionally higher than most of the small churches of that period. This is because the present floor level was originally the basement. The original ground floor was c1.5m higher than the present. The building may be entered by the doorway near the east end of the south wall.



The original doorway, now blocked, may be seen in the west wall. The tall single chamber has a barrel-vaulted ceiling c7m above present ground level.



There are no stairways but the loft is accessible via a ladder through a square opening near the west end of the vault.



This loft has a sharply-pointed roof and is divided into three small chambers.