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XXXIII. 



THE ORATORY OF GALLERTJS. Br the REY. THOMAS 

 OLDEI^, B.A. 



[Read April 22, 1895.] 



The group of buildings at Kilmalkedar in the extreme south-west 

 of Kerry has attracted a good deal of attention since Dr. Petrie 

 brought them into notice in his Essay on the " Origin and History 

 of the Round Towers of Ireland." The earliest and most curious 

 of them are the Oratories of Gallerus and Kilmalkedar. The naming 

 of one of these buildings after Melkedar, and the subsequent dedi- 

 cation to him of the late Hiberno-Romanesque Church of Kilmal- 

 kedar seem to designate him as the first preacher of Christianity in 

 that district. 



The ruins which have been vested in the Commissioners of Public 

 Works under the Irish Church Act, 1869, section 25, have been 

 noticed by Lord Dunraven in his work on Irish Architecture, and 

 lately described by Mr. Romilly Allen, in the Journal of the Royal 

 Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (vol. ii., 5th ser., p. 158 and 

 p. 261, 1892), but no light has yet been thrown on their history. 

 I propose now to offer some observations on the subject, especially 

 as regards the history of Melkedar and the origin of the name of 

 Gallerus. 



The only historical notice of the place appears to be that in "The 

 Martyrology of Donegal " which refers to the mediaeval church there. 

 It is very brief ; but, by following up the clue there given, it seems 

 possible to ascertain something of the history of Melkedar. The 

 passage is as follows : — " Moelcethair, son of Ronan, son of the King of 

 Uladh of Cill Melchedair, near the shore of the sea to the west of 

 Brandon Hill. He was of the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Erin." 

 From this we learn that he belonged to the important tribe of the Dal 

 Fiatach of Ulster, who were intermingled with the Clanna Rudraige 

 and enjoyed the sovereign power in Uladh at this time. His 



