St. Kevin’s Church

When Erin and I first arrived in Dublin, our first excursion took us south into the Wicklow Mountains and the glacial valley of Glendalough. The valley is best known for the religious community founded by St. Kevin during the sixth century. What began as a place of solitude gradually attracted followers and developed into an important center of worship, learning and pilgrimage.

St. Kevin’s Church was constructed around the beginning of the twelfth century, centuries after the saint’s lifetime. The original building consisted of a simple rectangular nave with a western entrance and a small window in the eastern wall. A chancel and sacristy were added later, although the chancel no longer survives.

The church is remarkable for its steep stone roof, supported inside by a semicircular stone vault. Rising from the western end is a small circular bell tower with a conical cap and four narrow openings. Its resemblance to a chimney led to the familiar name “St. Kevin’s Kitchen,” although the building was always a church and was never used for cooking. It is one of only a small number of medieval Irish churches whose stone roof remains intact.

The strength of its construction allowed St. Kevin’s Church to endure long after the monastic community had disappeared. Its unusual combination of a church, stone roof and miniature round tower has made it one of the most recognizable buildings at Glendalough and an enduring example of Ireland’s medieval religious architecture.