Whitechurch is a townland, monastic site, and former parish situated between Straffan

Straffan

Sruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...

 and Kill

Kill, County Kildare

Kill is a village and parish in County Kildare, Ireland near the county's border with Dublin beside the N7. Its population of 2,510 makes it the 13th largest town in County Kildare. Kill is the birthpace of the Fenian John Devoy, sometimes regarded as the "grandfather of the modern Irish state"...

 county Kildare near the M7 motorway in Ireland.

Etymology and history

The name comes from the White Friars who had a monastery on the site established in 1300 and enfifed in 1506. The church was vacated by the early 17th century.

Medieval landmarks

A well-preserved moated site at Puddlehall located at 53.29135°N 6.59917°W. dates to the 13th century and was cited by University College Dublin

University College Dublin

University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...

 Professor Sean O Riordain

Seán Ó Ríordáin

-Life:He was born in Baile Mhúirne, County Cork, the eldest of three children of Seán Ó Ríordáin of Baile Mhúirne and Mairéad Ní Loineacháin of Cúil Ealta....

 as one of the finest examples of a moated house in Ireland. The remains of a castle are also to be found on the church grounds.

Calendar and civil paper references

Whitechurch

Ecclesia Templi Albi was granted to the order of St John in 1300. In 1508 William Preston enfifed Archdeacon Robert Sutton and Thomas Cornwalshe, Vicar of Stamullen, with the manor of Whitechurch (alias Tullaghtipper), "containing the town and lands of le Tunryng (alias Surnyng), Clonyng, Killenmore, Killbregaghe, Killussy, Rathmore, Collenbakeston, Ardress, Cloghle, Osberiston and Clanswhiche".In 1541 the tithes of the Rectory of Whitechurch (18 couples of grain, £12) were held by David Sutton and Richard Aylmer.
In 1557 Patrick Sarsfield of Tisteldalen, great great granduncle of Patrick Sarsfield of Siege of Limerick fame, obtained a pardon from the English colonial government and in 1560 obtained the lease of White Church alias Tullatipper. Whitechurch and Lyons castles are identified on map by Baptista Boazio and Renold Elstrack in 1599 – a copy can be viewed at the public library in Tallaght

Tallaght

Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...

Local Landowners in the 1654 civil survey include Alerian, Weisley of Daingan, John Bath of Culpe, William Sarsfield of Lucan, Edward Allen of Bishopscourt and Robert Rochford of Kilbride. Maurice Eustace of Whitechurch was named by his father in a 1663 letter to Lord Justice of Ireland.

Whitechurch/Baronrath attack on train line

Whitechurch resident Christy Phelan engages men planting bomb on railway line near Baronrath, Straffan, designed to derail train for Bodenstown commemoration. He is stabbed to death but prevents greater loss of life through his intervention (June 22). The bomb exploded eight minutes after the train had passed by. The death is still the subject of investigation into "deniable" operations by British forces in Ireland.