Direction Ireland

Killeshin%20Church

Midlands Ireland | County Laois

Killeshin Church (Co. Laois) is located about 5 km north-west of Carlow Town, on the site of an Early Christian monastery founded by St Comdhan in the 5th century. The church was built in the 12th century and has one of the finest Romanesque doorway in Ireland. The doorway has four orders and is made of three kinds of stone: fine-grained brownish-purple sandstone, coarse-grained yellowish granite and a lighter coloured finer-grained granite. The arch's ornaments feature the carvings of chevrons, zigzags, animal and foliage. The capitals have human heads carved at the angles, the first and fourth with beards and moustaches, and second and third shaved. There are also two inscriptions on the doorway Killeshin Church. First refers to Cellachan, who could have been a master stonemason of the church. The second inscription may read ''Prayer for Diarmait King of Leinster" and probably refers to Diarmait MacMurchada, who is credited with inviting the Normans to Ireland. To the north-west of the church, there was a 32 m high round tower which was demolished by the landowner in 1703, who was afraid that it might downfall on his castle.

• OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS :
  • Freely accessible
• COORDINATES :
  • 52.8475
  • -7.00138
• CAR PARK :
  • Roadside