St Colmcille's House
About
St Colmcille's House is a small stone church with a steep stone roof, up Church Lane at the highest point of the old town, and Meath County Council's heritage page calls it possibly the oldest surviving building in Kells. It is usually dated to the ninth century, though dates on it vary. Tradition holds that the relics of Colmcille were kept in it, and the Courthouse's school tour describes it as the scriptorium where the Book of Kells was completed, which is how it is told locally rather than something anyone can prove. The door is kept locked. The Kells Courthouse Tourism and Cultural Hub opens it for visitors subject to availability, and asks for 24 hours' notice by phone or email. Even from the lane, with the terraced houses tight around it, it is the strangest building in the town.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The steep stone roof, built without timber
- ✓Traditionally linked to the relics of Colmcille
- ✓A short walk up from the round tower and the Printing Works
- ✓Opened by arrangement with the Courthouse
Tips
- →Ring the Courthouse on 046 924 7508 at least a day ahead to arrange a visit. Without that you will only see the outside.
- →The Courthouse is closed on Sundays, so arrange a Sunday visit by Friday or Saturday.
- →The interior is small and dark. Go in daylight.
Best Season
More Heritage Activities
Kells Monastic Site: the Round Tower and High Crosses
The round tower and three high crosses in St Columba's churchyard, the heart of the Columban monastery that kept the Book of Kells. Free to walk round; the tower cannot be climbed.
Spire of Lloyd
An eighteenth-century inland lighthouse, a 1791 Headfort folly on the Hill of Lloyd 2 km west of Kells, with a free park, a famine graveyard and Friday tours up the 164 steps in summer.