St. Manchan's Oratory Explained

St. Manchan's Oratory
Other Name:An Teampall Geal, Templemanagan
Native Name:Teampall Mhanachain
Native Name Lang:ga
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Relief:yes
Coordinates:52.1545°N -10.3313°W
Country:Ireland
Denomination:Catholic (pre-Reformation)
Dedication:Manchan
Functional Status:ruined
Style:Celtic Christian
Years Built:c. 7th–9th century AD
Length:5.5m (18feet)
Width:5m (16feet)
Height:2.75m (09.02feet)
Floor Count:1
Floor Area:28m2
Materials:dry stone
Diocese:Ardfert and Aghadoe
Embedded:
Embed:yes
Designation2:National Monument of Ireland
Designation2 Offname:Teampull Geal (Ballymorereagh)
Designation2 Number:62[1]

St. Manchan's Oratory, also called An Teampall Geal ("the bright church") is a medieval oratory and National Monument in County Kerry, Ireland.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Location

St. Manchan's Oratory is located in Ballymorereagh (An Baile Riabhach), on the southeast slopes of Lateeve (Leataoibh) hill, 4.5km (02.8miles) west-northwest of Dingle.[6] [7]

Description

Church

A boat-shaped oratory similar to that at Gallarus. It stands 2.75m (09.02feet) high and has a finial.[8] A souterrain (called Poll na Sagart, the priest's hole, based on the common legends that Catholic priests hid in them in the Penal era) and ancient burial ground with cross-inscribed slabs lie nearby.[9] A holy well, Tobermanaghan, lies to the south.

Ogham stone

The ogham stone (CIIC 170) stands 1.68m (05.51feet) and reads QENỊLOCI MAQI MAQI-AINIA MUC̣[OI] ("of Cellach, son of the son of Ania, of the tribe of ...").[10] [11] Sabine Ziegler placed it in the 5th–7th centuries AD.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Monuments of County Kerry in State Care . 2 . heritageireland.ie . National Monument Service . 30 November 2022.
  2. Web site: Saints and Stones: St. Manchan's Oratory (Teampall Mhanachain). www.saintsandstones.net.
  3. Web site: The Dingle Peninsula (Co. Kerry) – Page 4 – Ireland Byways. irelandbyways.com.
  4. Web site: The Antiquities of the County of Kerry. John. O'Donovan. 5 November 1983. Royal Carbery Books. Google Books.
  5. Book: Celtica. 5 November 1990. Institute for Advanced Studies.. 9781855001398. Google Books.
  6. Web site: An Baile Riabhach. www.corcadhuibhne3d.ie.
  7. Web site: Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Royal Society of Antiquaries of. Ireland. 5 November 1988. Google Books.
  8. Book: Barrington, T. J.. Discovering Kerry: Its History, Heritage & Topography. 5 November 1999. Collins Press. 9781898256717. Google Books.
  9. Web site: St Manchan's Oratory, Ballymorereagh Early Christian Site, Kerry.
  10. Web site: Ogham in 3D - Ballymorereagh / 170. Ballymorereagh. ogham.celt.dias.ie.
  11. Web site: An Baile Riabhach - Teampall Mhancháin nó an Teampall Geal, Archaeological Sites, monastic site, ogham stone, church, Ventry. GoKerry.ie. www.gokerry.ie.
  12. Web site: CISP - BLYGH/1. www.ucl.ac.uk.