4 Churches to Explore in Louth

Checkout places to visit in Louth

Louth

County Louth is located in the north-east corner of the Republic of Ireland. Louth is Ireland's smallest county but contains a diverse landscape from the mountainous Cooley peninsula in the east to the gently rolling drumlin hills.

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Churches to Explore in Louth

Jumping Church

The Kildemock Jumping Church ruin is a popular attraction and is more famously known as the 'Jumping Church'. The west gable wall of the church has jumped inward to a few feet from its foundations. This is believed to have happened in February 1715 during a storm. However, according to legend, the west gable of the building jumped two feet inside the wall of the original foundation to exclude an excommunicated church member who had been buried in the church.

Old Mellifont Abbey

This is the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland. St Malachy of Armagh created it in 1142 with the help of a small number of monks sent by St Bernard from Clairvaux. It has several extraordinary architectural features, the foremost of which is the two-storey octagonal lavabo. Today, the ruined abbey is a National monument of Ireland and accessible to the public.

St Brigid's Shrine

According to tradition, Saint Brigid was born at Fochard Muirtheimne, about 450 AD. The place was later known as Fochard Bríde. The site is of ancient origin and would seem to have begun during her lifetime. Brigid's cult grew to a status second only to that of Patrick, and to the Irish she was known as Mary of the Gael.

St. Peter's Parish, Drogheda

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church is located on West Street, Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Designed by J. O'Neill and W.H. Byrne and built in the French Gothic style of local limestone ashlar in 1884. The church is famous for its tall west gable, rose window and for containing the national shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett. It is one of the most notable buildings on West Street in the town centre of Drogheda. The building from 1793 was partly incorporated into the present building.

Map of Churches to explore in Louth