Dairthech
{{Short description|Type of church building in Gaelic Ireland}}
File:Dairthech replica, Clonmacnoise.jpg]]
In Gaelic Ireland, between the 5th and 9th centuries AD, a dairthechSpelling variants recorded by the Dictionary of the Irish Language include dairthach, daurthech, durthech, doirrthech, durthach, dúr(r)thech, derthech, dérthech, derthach, dérthach, dirthach, Derthaighi, ernaichthi, derthech, duirtheach, derthaighe, durtaig, dearthaigh, dairrtig, duirrtech, derthach, dirthige, dirthaige, durthigib. (literally "oak-house") was a type of oratory or church built of oak-wood.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ3ZF5El5DQC&q=dairthech&pg=PA370|title=Sons of the Rumour|first=David|last=Foster|date=1 November 2009|publisher=Picador Australia|isbn=9781741987690|via=Google Books}}
Histories
The dairthech was the earliest kind of church built in Ireland, from the earliest Christian times (5th century AD) onward. They were gradually replaced by stone churches.{{Cn|date=June 2023}}
Structure
A typical dairthech was rectangular, measuring {{Convert|4.5|m|abbr=on}} by {{Convert|3|m|abbr=on}}. Some were wider up to {{Convert|4.5|m|abbr=on}}, and congregations of 150–260 people are recorded.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4YKrpH222eYC&q=dairthech&pg=PA161|title=The Cross Goes North: Processes of Conversion in Northern Europe, AD 300-1300|first=Martin|last=Carver|date=3 February 2019|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=9781843831259|via=Google Books}} It had a high pointed gable.{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=The Four Churches of Lynally |url=https://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/Archaeology/Monastic-Sites/Lynally-information-board-2018.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411205454/https://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/Archaeology/Monastic-Sites/Lynally-information-board-2018.pdf |archive-date=2023-04-11 |website=Offally County Council}} Oak was used as a building material as a holdover from Celtic religion, where the oak was imbued with magical powers.{{cite web |last=O'Toole |first=Fintan |date=2011-09-10 |title=A history of Ireland in 100 objects Ardagh Chalice, eighth century |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/a-history-of-ireland-in-100-objects-ardagh-chalice-eighth-century-1.596332?mode=print&ot=example.AjaxPageLayout.ot |website=The Irish Times}}
=Internal structure=
Little is known about the internal structure of the dairthech, although descriptions of the murder of Echtigern in Kildare in AD 760 offer a few hints, mentioning a chancel-screen (Old Irish: cróchaingel) and altar (altóir). Cogitosus describes painted partitions dividing clergy from laity and women from men.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jZavAwAAQBAJ&q=dairthech&pg=PA118|title=Mercia: An Anglo-Saxon Kingdom in Europe|first1=Michelle P.|last1=Brown|first2=Carol A.|last2=Farr|date=1 March 2005|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781441153531|via=Google Books}}