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Kilcock () is a town and
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
in the north of
County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
,
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 ...
, on the border with
County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...
. 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 mi) west of
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 ...
, and is on the Royal Canal. Local industries include a large
Musgrave Group Musgrave Group Ltd. is an Irish food wholesaler, founded in Cork by the Musgrave brothers, Thomas and Stuart in 1876. It is currently Ireland's largest grocery distributor, with operations in Ireland and Spain with estimated annual sales of ove ...
distribution centre, which supplies SuperValu and
Centra Centra is a convenience shop chain that operates throughout Ireland. The chain operates as a symbol group owned by Musgrave Group, the food wholesaler, meaning the stores are all owned by individual franchisees. The chain has three different ...
stores across much of the country.


History

Kilcock takes its name from the 6th century Saint Coca who founded a church beside the Rye River, a major tributary of the
River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...
. The saint is traditionally said to have been a sister of St. Kevin of Glendalough; by occupation, she was an embroiderer of church vestments, including those for St. Colmcille. A holy well dedicated to Coca, formerly thought to be lost in the back-yards of Kilcock, is believed locally to be in the area behind the Ulster Bank, and her feast is remembered on 6 June. However, this commemoration is a modern revival as when the Ordnance Survey of the area was being made in 1837 it was recorded that "there is no old church in ruins in this parish nor is any patron saint or day remembered... the meaning of the name Cille Choc is not remembered." When the present parish church was dedicated in 1867 it was named for St. Coca, and it had cost £10,000 to build to the design of architect J.J. McCarthy. In the 8th century, there was a battle between rival kings near the church of St. Coca, then in the territory of Carbury and close to the border between Leinster and Meath. There is a gap of several hundred years until the next reference to Kilcock when, in 1303, it belonged to the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham. In the 17th century, markets and fairs were held regularly in Kilcock. The tolls and duties of Kilcock Fairs were shared between the Wogans of Rathcoffey and the Eustaces of Castlemartin, Kilcullen, County Kildare. Kilcock had 70 acres (28 ha) of common land to which several inhabitants had a common right. There was also a Commons at Courtown (''Bawnogue & Duncreevan'') and Laragh Commons. The markets in Kilcock were probably the largest in North Kildare. A measure of oats in those times was referred to as a "Kilcock Measure."


Transport

The M4 motorway opened in 1994 and bypasses Kilcock to the south of the town. The motorway connects Dublin to the west of the country. There is an NRA plan to create an outer orbital motorway, which would extend 80 km from
Naas Naas ( ; ga, Nás na Ríogh or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 21,393, making it the second largest town in County Kildare after Newbridge. History The name of Naas has been recorded in th ...
to
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
, via Kilcock.
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 ...
has route 115 and 115A (Summerhill) running from Dublin to
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 ...
passing through Kilcock. The railway arrived in Kilcock on 28 June 1847, but the station closed on 1 July 1848, as it was sited on a 1% (1 in 100)
gradient In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p is the "direction and rate of fastest increase". If the gradi ...
which the
locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor ...
s of the day found difficult to start off from. This site was slightly east of the current Kilcock station. A replacement station opened in 1850 west of the town, where the old N4 crosses the Royal Canal and railway, but closed in 1963. The current
Kilcock railway station Kilcock railway station serves the town of Kilcock in County Kildare, Ireland. It is a station on the Dublin Connolly to Longford Commuter service and Dublin to Sligo InterCity service. Passengers change at Maynooth to travel to stations ...
, under Shaw Bridge, opened in 1998. , there is construction underway by the county council to pave a pedestrian path along the riverbank giving cyclists and avid walkers a safer route to traverse into surrounding areas such as
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 ...
without having to venture onto the main road.


Education

Kilcock at present has three primary schools: Scoil Chóca Naofa, St. Joseph's BNS (which since September 2016 changed from single-sex schools to mixed schools and both schools are linked with each other), and Gaelscoil Uí Riada (an all-Irish school). The latter is located beside the Bánóg on the outskirts of the village. Kilcock is also home to the secondary school Scoil Dara. Located on Church Street, it accommodates over 900 students from Kilcock and surrounding areas including
Donadea Donadea ( ga, Domhnach Dheá) is a civil parish in the barony of Ikeathy and Oughterany in the north of County Kildare, Ireland. There are seven townlands in the parish. There are no large centres of population in the parish. Donadea is noted ...
, Summerhill,
Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...
, Moynalvey and Mulhussey.


Places of interest

The town's library features mementos of the poet
Teresa Brayton Teresa Brayton (29 June 1868 – 19 August 1943; born Teresa Coca Boylan), pen name T.B. Kilbrook, was an Irish republican and poet. She was born in Kilbrook, a small village near Kilcock, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Brayton was the youngest daughter ...
who was born in Kilbrook. The Old Bog Road, 4.5 km west of the town, was the subject of her most successful verse. It was set to music by Madeline King O'Farrelly and recorded by
Eileen Donaghy Eileen Donaghy (16 July 1930 – 26 October 2008) was an Irish traditional singer. Donaghy was well known for her recordings of ballads such as ''The Oul Lammas Fair'' and ''My Lagan Love'' and was known as the "First Lady of the Moy". Eileen D ...
,
Josef Locke Joseph McLaughlin (23 March 1917 – 15 October 1999), known professionally as Josef Locke, was an Irish tenor. He was successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s. Background Born in Derry, Ireland, he was the son of a ...
,
Johnny McEvoy Johnny McEvoy (born 24 April 1945) is an Irish singer and entertainer of Country and Irish genre born in Banagher, County Offaly, Ireland. Personal life Johnny was born in 1945, one of four children with two sisters and a brother to John a ...
,
Hank Locklin Hank Locklin (born Lawrence Hankins Locklin; February 15, 1918 – March 8, 2009) was an American country music singer-songwriter. He had 70 chart singles, including two number one hits on ''Billboard''s country chart. His biggest hits included ...
,
Finbar Furey Finbar Furey (born 28 September 1946) is a multi-instrumental Irish folk musician, best known for his band of brothers, The Fureys. The Fureys were formed in Ballyfermot, Dublin, where they grew up. Early life Finbar Furey was born on 28 Septe ...
,
Anthony Kearns Anthony Kearns (born 17 August 1971, in Kiltealy, County Wexford, Ireland) is an internationally acclaimed tenor, record producer, and a member of The Irish Tenors. Early life Anthony Kearns is one of six children in a musical family; as a resu ...
,
Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
,
Finbar Wright Edward Finbar Wright (born 26 September 1957), known popularly as Finbar Wright, is a popular music singer, songwriter, and poet from County Cork, Ireland. Wright is a classically trained tenor who emerged during the 1990s in Ireland and has be ...
and many other artists up to the present day. There is also the old manor where Lady Catherine McCormack was born in the 1800s. Also found locally in Calgath,
Co Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the s ...
is "Bridestream" (an 18th-century house which is the headquarters to a local business), and "
Larchill Larchill is the most complete surviving ferme ornée (ornamental farm-style garden) in Europe and the site of multiple follies. The main component of Larchill Demesne, it was created in the mid-18th century, and restored in the mid-1990s. It l ...
, an 18th-century ''Ferme Ornée'' (Ornamental Farm) which is the only surviving complete garden of its type in Europe". Larchill was restored from the mid-1990s, and scenic walks through beech avenues link several classical and gothic follies. There is also a lake with two island follies, a formal walled garden with shell-lined tower and a model gothic farmyard. Kilcock Art Gallery was established in 1978 by Breda Smyth and opened by George Campbell, RHA. Kilcock has a greenway cycle/walkway which runs from Maynooth through Kilcock for 38 km towards the Westmeath border.


Community

Kilcock Musical & Dramatic Society (KMDS) is an amateur musical society affiliated to the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS), in existence since 1970. The society has produced a number of productions, both musical and non-musical since 1983. They include an award-winning version of ''Sweeney Todd'' and pantomime productions of ''Treasure Island'', ''Aladdin'', ''Sleeping Beauty'' and others. Plays performed include ''Juno and the Paycock'', ''The Memory of Water'', ''The Plough and the Stars'', ''Dancing at Lughnasa'', and ''The Beauty Queen of Leenane''. The society presented the musical ''Oklahoma!'' in 2012.


Sport


GAA

Kilcock GAA Club is situated in the townland of Branganstown and was founded on 1 May 1887. A clubhouse was opened in 2002, consisting of a
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
, sports hall and changing rooms. The town has won the
Kildare Senior Football Championship The Kildare Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by Kildare GAA between the top clubs in County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leins ...
five times. The club has had notable players such as Larry McCormack, Davy Dalton Jr., Davy Dalton Sr., Fred Gibbons, and Paddy Gibbons. The club caters to over 60 teams.


Football

As of 2022, there is one football club currently situated in the town, Kilcock Celtic.


Canoeing and canoe polo

Kilcock's proximity to the Royal Canal makes it a prominent spot for
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
. Kilcock Canoe Polo Club (KCPC) was founded in 1998, and occupies a site in the harbour at Kilcock on the Royal Canal with regular training sessions for boys and girls for canoe polo. The European Canoe Polo Championship was held there in 2003 and the Irish Open in 2013.


Basketball

Kilcock Tigers Basketball Club was established in 2000 and is based in Scoil Dara. The club has under 11 and under 18 teams for boys and girls. Annual summer camps are run for primary school children. Kilcock Tigers is based in the Dublin Leagues and is a member of the Dublin Ladies Basketball Board and the Dublin Men's Basketball Board.


Athletics

St. Coca's Athletic Club in Kilcock was established in the 70s and caters to athletes in the north of Kildare and the west of Meath. A number of club members have competed nationally and internationally. Training takes place at a running track in the Bawnogue.


Rugby, hockey and cricket

North Kildare RFC, which is a part of North Kildare Club, is located in the Maws, Kilcock, and was founded in 1928.


Business

Kilcock Business Association has in excess of 50 members. A committee works on behalf of the businesses in the area to promote Kilcock as the place to shop locally and encourage people to employ local tradespeople. The town has a Lidl store which opened in February 2013, and also a SuperValu store which opened in June 2016.


Notable people

* John Kenny, president of the Clan-na-Gael in New York, who ran a mission to Germany in September 1914 to request guns and military assistance from the German government, and delivered funds from America to Irish Volunteers HQ in Dublin * Ciarán Kilduff, a
League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
footballer * Brian Murray, a Donegal footballer who won an All-Ireland SFC medal in 1992. Currently lives in Kilcock * Pádraig Nolan, a
Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...
footballer and manager * Mick O'Brien, an Irish international footballer who was capped 14 times between the years 1921 and 1927 *
Derek Warfield Derek Warfield (born 15 September 1943) is an Irish singer, songwriter, historian, and a former member of the musical group The Wolfe Tones. Personal life Born in the Dublin suburb Inchicore, Warfield was educated at Synge Street CBS. He was a ...
, a former member of the Wolfe Tones, lives in Kilcock


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References


External links

{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Kildare