The high crosses
The reason to stop at St Columba’s is standing in the churchyard, not inside the church. Four ninth-century high crosses survive here, in varying states of wear, and they are the best free medieval sculpture in Kells. The West Cross, at the far end, is the stump of a carved shaft – you can still pick out the baptism of Christ, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the judgement of Solomon on its east face, and Noah’s ark on the west. Near the round tower stands the best-preserved of them, the Cross of Patrick and Columba, with its half-legible inscription Patrici et Columbae Crux. Of the North Cross, only the bowl-shaped base survives, and an unfinished East Cross carries a Crucifixion.
Get close and read the panels. Morning or late-afternoon light rakes across the carving and brings out detail that flattens out at midday.
The round tower
The roofless round tower on the south side is a tenth-century one, 30m high, long since stripped of its conical cap. It has a grim footnote: in 1076 the high king of Tara was murdered inside its cramped upper chambers. The interior is closed, but the tower and its raised doorway are the clearest surviving trace of the working monastery.
History
Long before the church, this was Ceanannas Mór, a royal seat tied to legendary high kings. Around 550 AD Columba – Colmcille – founded a monastery here that became one of Ireland’s great centres of learning, and it was within this tradition that the Book of Kells was produced, most likely begun around 800. The monastery was plundered in 918 and the church destroyed. After the Synod of Kells in 1152 the settlement gained diocesan status, and centuries later, in 1778, the present Georgian church was built on the site. Its bell tower is the one surviving piece of the medieval church, incorporated into the newer building.
The Georgian church itself is modest. Inside are Victorian stained glass and the marble Taylour monument to Sir Thomas Taylour; it is worth a look if the church is open, but the churchyard is the real draw.
What else to see
- St Colmcille’s House – a small stone oratory on Church Lane, opposite the monastic site rather than beside the tower. It dates mainly from the tenth century and is traditionally said to have sheltered Columba’s relics, and possibly the Book of Kells for a time.
- Kells Courthouse hub – the Tourism and Cultural Hub on Headfort Road runs exhibitions on the area, including facsimiles of the Book of Kells, and is the place to fill in the history if the church interior is closed.
Practical information
- Admission and hours – the church, graveyard and tower grounds are free. The grounds are open through daylight hours; the church interior opens Monday to Saturday in the summer months. Check the signage at the gate for seasonal changes.
- Access – the church has a flat nave and an accessible entrance, but the graveyard paths are uneven in places, so wear sturdy shoes. The round tower interior is closed.
- Parking and facilities – free parking in the churchyard and in a public car park on the R147. No toilets on site; use the facilities in Kells town centre, a short walk away.
Nearby
St Columba’s sits within an easy loop of Boyne Valley sites. Bective Abbey is a quiet Cistercian ruin a short drive off, and Castlekeeran has its own round tower and early crosses near the river. Roughly 15km east lies the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site – Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.
Come early in the day, walk the churchyard before the town wakes up, and give the Cross of Patrick and Columba a few minutes up close – it is the one carving here you’ll not forget.