St. Mochta's House | |
---|---|
The Monk's House | |
Teach Naomh Mochta | |
53°57′12″N6°32′43″W / 53.953412°N 6.545339°W Coordinates: 53°57′12″N6°32′43″W / 53.953412°N 6.545339°W | |
Location | Priorstate, Louth, County Louth |
Country | Ireland |
Denomination | Church of Ireland |
Previous denomination | Pre-Reformation Catholic |
Architecture | |
Functional status | inactive |
Heritage designation | |
Official name | St. Mochta's House |
Reference no. | 312 |
Style | Celtic Christianity |
Years built | c. 1150–1200 |
Specifications | |
Length | 4.88 m (16.0 ft) (internal) |
Width | 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in) (internal) |
Number of floors | 2 |
Floor area | 13.7 m2 (147 sq ft) |
Materials | stone |
Administration | |
Diocese | Armagh |
St. Mochta's House is a medieval oratory and National Monument in County Louth, Ireland. [1] [2]
St. Mochta's House is located to the northwest of Louth village. [3]
Mochta (d. AD 535/543) was a disciple of Saint Patrick and established a monastery at Louth village c. 528. There are no physical remains from the early monastery. The ruined buildings at the site today are the 13th century church of St. Mary's Priory, Louth and the oratory called St Mochta's House, which is believed to date from the second half of the twelfth century, although some sources place it earlier, in the 9th–11th centuries. [4]
There are many stone buildings in Ireland with the names of saints' houses, such as St. Columb's House, Kells, County Meath. Most of these buildings are said to contain the grave or relics of the titular saint. In the year 1242, according to the Annals of Connacht, "The Archbishop of Armagh and the canons abbots of Ireland held a great chapter to honour the Order in Louth when some of the relics which Mochta had assembled from Rome were raised." [5] This suggests that Mochta brought back relics of other saints from Rome, but it's also possible that his own bones were added to them. [6]
The surrounding wall was built in 1906 by Louth County Council, and conservation work was done in 1934 by the Office of Public Works. [7] [8]
St. Mochta's House is a rectangular building with barrel-vaulted roof, and a chamber above reachable by an internal stair. [9] [10] [11]
Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland is the patroness saint of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiographies, she was an abbess who founded several convents of nuns, most notably that of Kildare, which was one of the most important in Ireland. There are few historical facts about her, and early hagiographies are mainly anecdotes and miracle tales, some of which are rooted in pagan folklore. She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production. The saint shares her name with a Celtic goddess. Brigid's feast day is 1 February, which was originally a pre-Christian festival called Imbolc, marking the beginning of spring. From 2023 it will be a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, the first named after a woman. This feast day is shared by Dar Lugdach, who tradition says was her student, close companion, and successor.
Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga, was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. No medieval Life for Jarlath is extant, but sources for his life and cult include genealogies, martyrologies, the Irish Lives of St Brendan of Clonfert, and a biography compiled by John Colgan in the 17th century.
Dromiskin is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is situated 10 km south of Dundalk, about 1 km inland from the Irish coast.
Saint Mochta, was the last surviving disciple of Saint Patrick.
Louth is a village at the heart of County Louth, Ireland. It is roughly 11 km south-west of the town of Dundalk, 10.9 km to neighbouring town Ardee. The village is approximately 15 km south-east of Carrickmacross town in County Monaghan. The village gave its name to the county.
The Synod of Kells took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of Kells and Mellifont, and in later times the synod has been called the Synod of Kells-Mellifont and the Synod of Mellifont-Kells.
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, an oratory is a place which is set aside by permission of an ordinary for divine worship, for the convenience of some community or group of the faithful who assemble there, but to which other members of the faithful may have access with the consent of the competent superior. The word oratory comes from the Latin verb orare, to pray.
William Reeves was an Irish antiquarian and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore from 1886 until his death. He was the last private keeper of the Book of Armagh and at the time of his death was President of the Royal Irish Academy.
Grangefertagh is a former abbey located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is today a National Monument.
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Carlingford Abbey, also called Carlingford Friary or Carlingford Priory, is a medieval Dominican abbey and National Monument located in Carlingford, County Louth, Ireland.
Dromiskin Monastery is a medieval monastery and National Monument located in Dromiskin, County Louth in Ireland.
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Labbamolaga Church is a medieval church and National Monument located in County Cork, Ireland.
Kilbennen or Kilbannon is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.
The Priory of Saint Mary, Clontuskert-Hy-Many, also called Clontuskert Abbey, is a medieval Augustinian priory and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.
Clane Friary, also called Clane Abbey, is a former friary of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual located in Clane, Ireland.
St. Declan's Monastery, containing the remains of Ardmore Cathedral, is a former monastery and National Monument located in County Waterford, Ireland.