Figure 1.--Kilmalkedar is one of Ireland’s most significant surviving monastic complexes from the early medieval period. It is located overlooking Smerwick Harbour. It is named in honor of Chill Maolchéadair, the founder--St Maolcethair who passed away (AD 636). Kilmalkedar is even better known because of the connection with St. Brendan the Navigator. The Kilmalkedar complex includes a Hiberno-Romanesque church, a beautiful stone cross, an ogham stone, a sundial, St Brendan’s House and other important elements. The church was built centurues after the monastary was created--probanly the mid-12th century. The photo here shows an Irish boy about 1940. He is squeezing intio the window of the ruined medieval stone church. Kilmalkedar is located near Dingle in County Kerry.

The importance of the Church was also seen in the economic power it acquired and made its work, including the scholarship possible. The Church in Ireland was largely based on monasteries. Monasteries soon appeared after Christianization took hold. Irish monasteries appeared (6th century). They would play important roles within Irish communities as places of teaching and worship, but most importantly economic centers. Monasteries developed into the most important economic institutions in the country. Monasteries were essentially small villages, often enclosed by stone walls and evetually round stone towers. Security was needed because the monastaries were knoiwn to have items of value. This was the case even before the arrival of the Vikings. Villages also developed around or near them. The villagers provided services to the mkonks as well as material and produce that the monks did not produce themselves. Monasteries were important in other European countries, but no where as important as in Ireland. This was partly because the Germanic invasions never reached Ireland and powerful state development was not as significant as the rest of Europe. An Irish scholar explains, "In a pre-monetary economy, this was a seriously wealthy organist. Taken as a whole, it was the biggest landowner in the country and it was reinforcing a social hierarchy based on massive inequality. The Church had slaves, as well as ecclesiastical tenants farming their land who were obliged to give the first fruits of their harvest to the Church." 【Boyle】 Virtually all of the earliest churches in Ireland were wooden (primarily oak). None have survived. Wood of course is degradable material As a result there are no surviving traces of those buildings and as a result of many important Irish monasteries. The only surviving information is book miniatures. We see rectangular-shaped buildings that had protruding corner beams, high pronounced gabled double-pitched roof done with carved ridges structured vertically. 【Zhivlova, p. 952】 . The monasteries all had churches, some of the earliest churches in the country. Some of the earliest stone churches apparently appeared in the monasteries. The earliest references we have noted of stone churches, none of which have survived, date to the 8th century. They were a rare exception to the wooden structures of the time. It is not entirely clear why stone was not used earlier, especially has stone seems more available than oak.

Sources

Boyle, Elizabeth. Dr. Biyle;s esearch is described in "What do we really know about the early Irish Church?" Maynooth University website.

Zhivlova, Nina. "Ireland," The Orthodox Encyclopedia Vol. 26.

Created: 5:06 PM 12/30/2023
Last updated: 5:06 PM 12/30/2023