Kilroot
Encyclopedia
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It lies to the east of Eden
Eden, County Antrim
Eden is a residential settlement on the eastern edge of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located within a larger electoral ward area of the same name...
, on the outskirts of Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
on the northern shore of Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...
. It is within the Carrickfergus Borough Council
Carrickfergus Borough Council
Carrickfergus Borough Council is a district council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The council headquarters are in Carrickfergus and the council administers the town, on the north shore of Belfast Lough, and surrounding area, which extends from Greenisland in the south-west to Whitehead in...
area.
History
Archbishop UsherJames Ussher
James Ussher was Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625–56...
(1624), quoting from the life of Saint Ailbe of Emly, states that a church at Kilroot was founded in 412AD. This would pre-date the mission of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
in 432AD.
The Bishop's Palace was lived in by the Brice family in 1696, although the church was known to be in ruins when Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
was appointed Prebend
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
in 1695. By 1840 the Bishops Palace was seemingly a shell and the church a total ruin.
Places of interest
The Round House, known locally as Dean Swift's house, is likely to date from the eighteenth century fashion of Romantic cottages. Its diminutive appearance was deceiving as the ground floor contained a parlour 24 feet (7.3 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m). It was a white limewashed thatched cottage unique in its construction without corners. The four straight sections of wall did not join at right angles but were joined by curved sections to form one continuous exterior wall. Swift was reputed by local lore to have said that the devil would never catch him in a corner. The building was demolished in 1959 after a fire, and the site as well as the adjacent Kilroot railway station has disappeared under the new power station.Kilroot power station
Kilroot power station
Kilroot power station is a Coal, Oil and Biomass fueled power station on the north shore of Belfast Lough at Kilroot near Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland. The station generates 520 megawatts of electricity from dual coal and oil fuelled generators. Since the privatisation of Northern Ireland...
is owned by AES Corporation
AES Corporation
AES Corporation is a Fortune 500 company that generates and distributes electrical power. The company was founded on January 28, 1981, as Applied Energy Services by Roger Sant from the US Federal Energy Administration and Dennis Bakke from the Office of Management and Budget. AES Corporation is...
and is the only remaining coal fired power station in Northern Ireland and provides about one third of electricity supplies for Northern Ireland. AES has recently announced plans to add on a gas fired generator which would approximately double the elecricity output of Kilroot.
There is also a network of rock salt (halite
Halite
Halite , commonly known as rock salt, is the mineral form of sodium chloride . Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on the amount and type of impurities...
) mines in Kilroot which stretch for approximately 30 miles (48.3 km) underneath Kilroot, Eden
Eden, County Antrim
Eden is a residential settlement on the eastern edge of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located within a larger electoral ward area of the same name...
and the Carrickfergus East Division. The salt mined here is used to grit Northern Ireland's road surfaces in the winter, as well as being sold to Scotland and England for the same purpose.
Kilroot is home to the 750000 square feet (69,677.3 m²) Kilroot Business Park, located adjacent to the power station.
People
Saint Colmán of Kilroot was a sixth-century Irish disciple of Saint Ailbe of Emly and was bishop of Kilroot, at the same time as being a BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbot. Colmán Elo or Ela (553-610AD) is probably the Saint Colman connected to Kilroot. He was the son of Beogna and Mor, the sister of Saint Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
and was born in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. St. Colman's Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
parish church, located near Kilroot, is dedicated to Saint Colmán.
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
lived at Kilroot from March 1695 to May 1696, as Prebend at the church there. A ward in St Patrick's Hospital
St Patrick's Hospital
St. Patrick's University Hospital is Ireland's largest independent not-for-profit mental health hospital. It is located near Kilmainham and the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Its sister hospital, is located in Lucan County Dublin. St...
is named after the village.
External links
See also
- List of villages in Northern Ireland