The villages of Killucan () and Rathwire () are co-located in the east of

County Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Sovereign state, Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces o ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. They have a combined population of 1,370 according to the 2016 census. Killucan is on the

R156 road The R156 road is a regional road in Ireland, linking Dunboyne in County Meath to the N4 (near Mullingar) in County Westmeath. The road is single carriageway throughout. Many parts of the route have dangerous bends. Route *(East to West) *The ...

about from

Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeat ...

and from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

History

History of Rathwire

Both Killucan and Rathwire have ancient origins, as indicated by the ancient "Fairy Fort" in Rathwire. According to legend, this was built by the Chieftain Guaire who gave Rathwire its name. The ruins of the

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

remain on the western end of the village. Legend has it that Guaire is buried in the ruins and is guarded by a savage dog who does not want the remains disturbed. Subsequently, the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

Lord

Hugh de Lacy Hugh de Lacy may refer to: * Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Lassy (c.1020–1085), first recorded member of the Norman noble family de Lacy * Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath (died 1186), 4th Baron Lacy * Hugh de Lacy, Abbot of Shrewsbury (died c. 1215/18) *Hug ...

built his

Motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...

alongside the remains of Guaire's Fort. In 1210, the notorious King John came to Rathwire to subdue the De Lacys when he fought and won the Battle of Killucan. While here he also received the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

King of

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

Cathal Crobderg O'Connor Cathal or Cahal is a common given name in Ireland, spelled the same in both the Irish and English languages. The name is derived from two Celtic elements: the first, ''cath'', means "battle"; the second element, ''val'', means "rule". There is no ...

, who travelled to make his submission. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries Rathwire belonged to the Darcy family of Platten. Their castle of Rathwire was burnt during the rebellion of

Silken Thomas {{Infobox noble, type , name = Thomas FitzGerald , title = The Earl of Kildare , image = Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare.jpg , caption = , alt = , CoA = , ...

History of Killucan

The origins of the name Killucan are uncertain but it probably comes from the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

''Cill Lucaine'' (Church of Lucan). Lucan was a 6th-century

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

who is believed to have founded a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in the area. The church, however, did not survive to the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

and no trace of it remains today. Some believe that Lucaine is, in fact, a corruption of Etchén, who was bishop of the nearby

Clonfad Clonfad () is a civil parish in County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located about south of Mullingar. Clonfad is one of 10 civil parishes in the barony of Fartullagh in the Province of Leinster. The civil parish covers . Clonfad civil parish compr ...

monastery. Whichever version is correct, the present day church in Killucan is St. Etchén's. There has been a church on this site since the time of the Normans (the De Lacys). The present church on the site dates from 1802. Inside this church is a 13th-century chalice. On the east end of the site are the remains of a 15th-century

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

tomb. Although the site was initially used as a

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, it was changed to a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

(

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

) one during the

Cromwellian Plantation Plantations in 16th- and 17th-century Ireland involved the confiscation of Irish-owned land by the English Crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from Great Britain. The Crown saw the plantations as a means of controlling, an ...

. After the Penal Laws persecuting Catholics were reformed in the 19th century, a new Catholic church, St Joseph's, was built in Rathwire. St. Joseph's Church was built in the

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style at the end of the 1830s, being completed around 1840. It was constructed under the orders of The Rev. Fr. Eugene O'Rourke, the

Parish Priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of the area at that time. Fr. O'Rourke also had the rather incongruous

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

belfry added almost thirty years later, in the late 1860s.

Killucan parish

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Killucan is one of the largest in Westmeath (by area). It includes both Killucan and Rathwire as well as the countryside around them. The village of

Raharney Raharney () is a village in east County Westmeath, Ireland. It has a population of 221 according to the 2016 census. Raharney is on the R156 road about from Mullingar and about 67 km from Dublin. It is in the parish of Killucan; the villag ...

, about to the east of Killucan village, is also part of Killucan parish. St. Joseph's Church is in Rathwire while St. Mary's is in Raharney. The

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

's house ( parochial house) is in Rathwire.

Economy

The majority of people living in Killucan and Rathwire commute to work elsewhere. Economic prosperity has historically been linked with transport connections to places like

. The

Royal Canal The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...

and the Sligo-Dublin railway line pass through the area – although neither is used as a mode of transport anymore. For example, the railway station (called Killucan Station and located nearby at Riverstown) closed in 1963 (although the line remains in use). Sports facilities serving the area include a free golf course and fishing lake, a library and other amenities. The majority of its inhabitants work outside the village. The only large employer in the area is Shay Murtagh's Quarry and concrete production.

Schools

There are three primary schools ( national schools) in the parish, including St.Patrick's NS in Killucan, St.Joseph's NS in Rathwire, and St.Mary's NS in Raharney. There is a

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

, Columba College, located in Killucan.

Transport

Royal Canal

The twin villages reached the height of their prosperity during the 18th and 19th centuries due to the arrival of first the

in 1805 and later the

Midland Great Western Railway The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) was the third largest Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1924. At its peak the MGWR had a network of , making it Irela ...

. The canal was built between 1790 and 1817, reaching Killucan from Dublin in 1805. It grew in the importance of transporting people and goods until the mid-19th century. After this, the advent of rail and road travel in Ireland led to its slow decline and it formally closed in 1961. It was abandoned and became unusable for many years. Nowadays, following effort from the Royal Canal Amenity Group, it has been restored for leisure boats from Dublin to

Abbeyshrule Abbeyshrule () is a village in south-east County Longford, Ireland, on the River Inny and the Royal Canal. History The village takes its name from the Irish language word for a river or stream (''sruth'') and from the early medieval Cister ...

County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,6 ...

. The remaining section from Abbeyshrule to Cloondara was due to open in 2006. It is to walk the entire length using the

Royal Canal Way The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...

. The canal is an important amenity in Killucan, being used for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, walks, boating and canoeing. The Harbour at Thomastown (1 kilometer South of Killucan) was recently expanded to cater for the growing number of tourists who rent

barges Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by Pusher (boat) ...

from there. The canal through Killucan passes through the Killucan Flight, a stretch of eight locks over . East of the flight there are no further locks for while there are no further locks to the west until past Mullingar, the highest point on the Canal.

Railway

The

reached the town in 1848 when their railway line was extended from Hill of Down to

. The station, known as

Killucan railway station Killucan station is a former railway station which served the village of Killucan in County Westmeath, Ireland. Previously a stop on the Dublin–Sligo railway line, the station closed in 1963. History The station first opened in 1848 serving the ...

and located at Riverstown, closed in 1963. The signal cabin remained open until 2005 when automated signaling was introduced. There has been a campaign during the 2010s in favour of the train station being reopened, although as of 2019 there is a lack of capacity on the Dublin-Sligo railway line due to a lack of carriages.

Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and fr ...

, the state-owned railway company, has ordered a new fleet of carriages that will be operational from 2021. Denis Leonard of the Killucan Kinnegad Transport Lobby Group has said that "a feasibility study has to be conducted, funding secured for work on the station and planning permission sought" and that "it is unlikely that all of these steps would be completed before the arrival of the new carriages."

Public transport

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

route 115A provides a commuter service from Killucan to

via

Ballivor Ballivor ( /'bælaɪvər/ BAL-eyevər; ) is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It had a population of 1,809 at the 2016 census. It is located on the R156 regional road between the towns of Mullingar and Trim. Public transport Bus Éireann ro ...

Summerhill Summerhill or Summer Hill may refer to the following places: Australia * Summer Hill, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney *Summerhill, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston * Summerhill (Mount Duneed), a prefabricated iron cottage in Victoria Canada * ...

Kilcock Kilcock () is a town and townland in the north of County Kildare, Ireland, on the border with County Meath. Its population of 6,093 makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare and 76th largest in Ireland. The town is located 35 km (22 ...

and

Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...

and vice versa Mondays to Fridays inclusive. The route 118 service to/from

, which additionally served Rathwire was discontinued after operation on 24 August 2013.

Sport

Killucan has a

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

team at senior club level. They won the intermediate championship in 2005 and have remained at senior level since, reaching the county semi-final in 2006, losing to eventual champions Tyrellspass in 2010.

References

External links

Killucan Web Pages

Killucan Parish
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killucan And Rathwire Towns and villages in County Westmeath