13/05/2026
🕯️ A Piece of Loop Head History: The Little Ark 🕯️
In the 19th century, Catholic locals in Kilbaha (not far from the site of Loop Head Lighthouse) faced a unique challenge to practicing their faith. Despite Catholic Emancipation, Protestant landlords refused to allow the building of a Catholic Church on their land in Loop Head. After efforts to create temporary churches out of makeshift tents were thwarted, Father Michael Meehan came up with a creative solution: the Little Ark.
In 1852, Father Meehan commissioned a carpenter in Carrigaholt to build a wooden box on wheels with an altar inside. This portable church was used for Masses, baptisms, weddings, and funerals on the beach at low tide, as the seashore was considered no man’s land.
For five years, the Little Ark served the community until permission was finally granted to build a church in 1857. Today, you can see the preserved Little Ark in an annex of the Church of the Little Ark in Kilbaha.
Next door to the church, the Heritage Centre tells the full story of the social, political, and religious conflicts of 19th century Ireland that led to the creation of the Little Ark. This now fragile wooden structure has survived for over 150 years! Not bad for what was meant to be a temporary solution.
🌊 When you’re planning your trip to Loop Head Lighthouse, be sure to plan a stop at the Church of the Little Ark and the Heritage Centre to see this remarkable piece of Irish history.
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