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The Gallarus Oratory is a bewitching, intriguing structure.
Located on a wild and dramatic piece of land on the Dingle Peninsula, it boasts spectacular views out towards Smerwick Harbour – a large bay – on one side, and the hauntingly magnificent Mount Brandon on the other. Thought to be over 1,000 years old, this Early Christian church is staggeringly beautiful, with a shape that resembles that of the hull of an upturned boat. Built from slanted dry stone, Gallarus Oratory is one of only three dry-stone churches in Ireland that still have their corbelled roof in working condition. The other two can be found on Skellig Michael.
If you’re planning on visiting the Gallarus Oratory, our advice is go off-season and early morning, so you have the place to yourself (it opens at 9am). There’s nothing like stepping into the cool dark interior and seeing the light spilling through the tiny window – it’s an amazingly profound experience, with everything around you as it would have been all those years ago. Poet Seamus Heaney even immortalised the experience in his poem, In Gallarus Oratory:
You can still feel the community pack
This place: it’s like going into a turfstack,
A core of old dark walled up with stone
A yard thick. When you’re in it alone,
You might have dropped, a reduced creature,
To the heart of the globe.
The window here has its own story – legend has it that if a person can climb out of the window, it will result in the cleansing of their soul, although we don’t recommend trying! You can enjoy more stories from this part of County Kerry in Gallarus Oratory Visitor Centre where a popular attraction is the audio-visual display of the surrounding area.
Gallarus Oratory, County Kerry
Need to know
Visitors to Gallarus Oratory recommend watching the audio-visual display of Gallarus Oratory’s surroundings before visiting the church so that you can get your bearings.
Treat yourself to a Gallarus Oratory souvenir from the gift shop inside the Gallarus Oratory Visitor Centre.
Entry to Gallarus Oratory is free but there is a small fee payable at the admission booth to access the Visitor Centre, toilets and gift shop.
