Killeshin
Encyclopedia
Killeshin is a village
in County Laois
, Ireland
on the R430
regional road
. It is a small rural community of approximately 1300 people. It is situated 5 km west of Carlow
town and overlooks the picturesque Barrow
Valley. The church at the foot of the Killeshin hills is the site of an early Christian
monastery
.
s of its famous monastery - Uisin, Gleann Uisin meaning the Glen
of Uisin.
road, adjacent to Killeshin village itself. The church at Killeshin is largely twelfth century in date, although some parts show evidence of later rebuilding, including a late Gothic
east window.
Killeshin was an important centre for learning and culture as early as the 6th century when Saint Comghan founded a monastery here. Destroyed in the 11th century all that remains is a beautifully carved 12th century Hiberno-Romanesque doorway on the church is one of the finest in the country. No trace remains of the 105 ft round tower believed to have once been the tallest in Ireland which stood next to the monastery, it was demolished by an 18th century landowner who was afraid that the tower could collapse and injure his cattle. It is said that ten counties can be seen from the hill above Killeshin.
Killeshin has good fishing
spots, in Ballyhide
the River Barrow is nearby.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on the R430
R430 road
The R430 road is a regional road in Ireland, which runs west-east from the N7 in Mountrath, County Laois to the N9 in Carlow, County Carlow.The route is long.-See also:*Roads in Ireland*National primary road*National secondary road-References:...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
. It is a small rural community of approximately 1300 people. It is situated 5 km west of Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
town and overlooks the picturesque Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...
Valley. The church at the foot of the Killeshin hills is the site of an early Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
.
Name
Killeshin derives its name from one of the abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s of its famous monastery - Uisin, Gleann Uisin meaning the Glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
of Uisin.
Places of interest
Killeshin church is located off the main Carlow-CastlecomerCastlecomer
Castlecomer is a town in the barony of Fassadinin, County Kilkenny in Ireland.The Irish name for the town translates to "The castle at the confluence of the rivers"; the "rivers" refers to the rivers Deen, Brocagh and Clohogue while the "castle" refers to the castle built by the Normans in 1171...
road, adjacent to Killeshin village itself. The church at Killeshin is largely twelfth century in date, although some parts show evidence of later rebuilding, including a late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
east window.
Killeshin was an important centre for learning and culture as early as the 6th century when Saint Comghan founded a monastery here. Destroyed in the 11th century all that remains is a beautifully carved 12th century Hiberno-Romanesque doorway on the church is one of the finest in the country. No trace remains of the 105 ft round tower believed to have once been the tallest in Ireland which stood next to the monastery, it was demolished by an 18th century landowner who was afraid that the tower could collapse and injure his cattle. It is said that ten counties can be seen from the hill above Killeshin.
Killeshin has good fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
spots, in Ballyhide
Ballyhide
Ballyhide is a rural townsland and village in the extreme South Eastern corner of County Laois, Ireland at the border with County Carlow. The nearest urban centre is Carlow town which is 3 kilometres to the North East...
the River Barrow is nearby.
Sport
- Killeshin GAAKilleshin GAAKilleshin GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club in the village of Killeshin, County Laois, Ireland.The club colours are green and white, with a white sash and the club grounds, which are near the County Carlow border, are called Pairc Uisean.Killeshin has never won the Laois...
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club. - A horse named after the village competed in the Grand NationalGrand NationalThe Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
steeplechaseSteeplechaseSteeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
twice in the 1990s, finishing a remounted sixth in 19981998 Grand NationalThe 1998 Grand National was the 151st official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1998....
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland