Killala Town
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Killala () is a village in
County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
in Ireland, north of Ballina. The
railway line Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
from
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is the
townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
of Townsplots West (known locally as Enagh Beg), which contains a number of ancient forts. Historically associated with
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
, and the seat of an
episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...
for several centuries, evidence of Killala's ecclesiastical past include a 12th-century
round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...
and the 17th century Cathedral Church of St Patrick. As of the
2016 census of Ireland The 2016 census of Ireland was held in 2016. It was organised by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and reported a total population of 4,761,865, or a 3.8% increase since the prior 2011 census. This was the lowest recorded population growth r ...
, the village had a population of 562. The village is in a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of the same name.


History


Ecclesiastical history

The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala The Diocese of Killala () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. As of 2024, the seat of th ...
(''Alladenis'' in Latin) is one of the five
suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...
sees of the
ecclesiastical Province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...
of
Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...
, comprising the north-western part of
County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
with the Barony of Tireragh in
County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...
. In all there are 22 parishes, some of which, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean, consist mostly of wild moorland, sparsely inhabited. Lewis's Topographical Dictionary sets down the length of the diocese as , the breadth , and the estimated superficies as – of which are in County Sligo and in County Mayo. The foundation of the diocese dates from the time of
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
, who placed his disciple St. Muredach over the church called in Irish Cell Alaid. In a well that still flows close to the town, local suggests that Patrick baptized 12,000 converts on a single day. Muredach is described as an old man of Patrick's family, and was appointed to the Church of Killala as early as 442 or 443. It is possible that he resigned his see after a few years, and retired to end his life on an island in
Donegal Bay Donegal Bay () is an inlet (or bay) in the northwest of Ireland. Three Counties of Ireland, counties – County Donegal, Donegal to the north and west, County Leitrim, Leitrim and County Sligo, Sligo to the south – have shorelines on ...
, which now bears his name, Inishmurray. At Killala, Patrick reputedly also baptized the two maidens whom he met in childhood at Focluth Wood by the western sea, and whose voices in visions of the night had apparently called to him. He came, baptized them and built them a church where they spent the rest of their days as nuns. Little is known of the successors of Muredach in Killala down to the 12th century. According to an entry in the ''
Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...
'', the "people of Killala recall that John MacHale,
Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ) is an Episcopal polity, archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Cathol ...
, was a child of their diocese". He became
Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...
of Killala in 1825,
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
in 1834, and later in the same year was transferred to Tuam. He died in 1881. After him came Francis Joseph O'Finan, a Dominican priest. On his resignation in 1838, a parish priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam, Thomas Feeney, who had formerly been professor and president of St. Jarlath's College at Tuam, was chosen for the post. Along the left bank of the river are the ruins of several monasteries. Rosserk, a
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
house of strict observance, was founded in 1460. The Abbey of Moyne still stands on a site just over the river, and further on, north of Killala, was the Dominican Rathfran Friary. On the promontory of Errew running into Lough Conn stood another monastery. A round tower in Killala itself is still standing.


18th century

By the end of the 18th century, Killala had established a small sea port, where fishing was the primary activity. The town also produced coarse linens and woollen products.


French invasion

Killala was the site of the first engagement, during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
, to involve the French force of General
Jean Joseph Amable Humbert General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (22 August 1767 – 3 January 1823) was a French military officer who participated in several notable military conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th century. Born in the townland of La Coâre Saint-Nabord, ...
. On 22 August 1798, Humbert landed at nearby Kilcummin harbour, with 1,109 French troops, with the objective of supporting the rebellion. Humbert's force seized Killala and advanced to Ballina, which was also captured with little trouble. The force then moved further inland and, on 27 August, it won the
Battle of Castlebar The Battle of Castlebar was a military engagement of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 which occurred on 27 August 1798 near the town of Castlebar, County Mayo. A combined force of 2,000 French Revolutionary Army troops and United Irishmen rebels ro ...
against a larger government force commanded by General Gerard Lake. The defeat of the government forces at Castlebar caused a panic in Dublin, and the British government sent reinforcements to Ireland. Humbert and his Irish allies were eventually defeated at the
Battle of Ballinamuck The Battle of Ballinamuck (8 September 1798) marked the defeat of the main force of the French incursion during the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. Background The victory of General Humbert at the Battle of Castlebar, despite gaining him arou ...
in Longford. On 23 September, a government force led by Major-General Eyre Power Trench attacked Killala and ejected the remnants of Humbert's invasion force who were still in the town. The defeat was the last land major engagement of the 1798 rebellion. Killala had remained under rebel control for thirty-two days.


Transport


Harbour

Killala has a harbour at the south end of Killala Bay.


Road

The R314 road connects Killala south to Ballina (and the N26 and N59 roads) and north to Ballycastle.
Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with the exception of Dublin, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidiary of C ...
route 445 serves Killala a few times a day on weekdays with service to Ballina and Ballycastle.


Railway

The line from Ballina to Killala opened on 2 January 1893. It took two years and £29,000 to complete the line, carrying both passengers and freight, the line had a total of five gatehouses, one tunnel and four bridges. At Killala station there was a turntable, two sidings, a signal cabin and a stationmaster's house that is now privately owned. The line proved to be unprofitable and was discontinued for passengers on 1 October 1931 and finally for goods on 1 July 1934.


Industry

Asahi Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to: Places in Japan Cities * Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards * Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'') * Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'') Towns * Asahi, Aichi ...
manufactured
acrylic fibre Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer (polyacrylonitrile) with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. For a fiber to be called "acrylic" in the US, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitr ...
from
acrylonitrile Acrylonitrile is an organic compound with the formula and the structure . It is a colorless, volatile liquid. It has a pungent odor of garlic or onions. Its molecular structure consists of a vinyl group () linked to a nitrile (). It is an im ...
which was transported to
Ballina railway station Ballina railway station serves the town of Ballina, County Mayo, Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. The station is the terminus of the Ballina branch line. Ballina is a single platform station with a runaround loop. Ballina Freight yard is beside ...
by rail from
Dublin Port Dublin Port () is the seaport of Dublin, Ireland, of both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximately two-thirds of Ireland's port traffic travels via the port, which is by far the busiest on the island of Ireland. Locatio ...
. The former
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 had a network of , making it Ireland's ...
line to Killala had been dismantled and built over prior to the factory's establishment south of the village in the 1970s so the remainder of the journey was completed by road. This facility closed in 1997. A proposal to handle asbestos waste at the Asahi site was withdrawn in 2005 due to strong local opposition. As of 2011, a 50 MW
combined heat and power Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to electricity generation, generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise ...
plant using
biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...
fuel was planned for the former Asahi site. A nearby 20 MW wind farm has a 10 MW battery. A transatlantic communications cable was expected to come ashore at Killala in 2013 en route to Northern Ireland as part of "Project Kelvin".


Places of interest

Killala's
round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...
is the last remaining medieval structure of a monastic establishment, thought to have been built in the 12th century. The monastery is traditionally said to have been founded here by Saint Patrick, who appointed St. Muiredach as the first bishop of Killala. The tower stands 52 metres (170 feet) high, and it is composed of limestone. The Cathedral Church of St. Patrick, built in the 1670s, is one of two cathedral churches belonging to the Church of Ireland's
Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe The Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe (full title The United Dioceses of Tuam, Killala, Achonry, Limerick, Ardfert, Aghadoe, Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert, Kilmacduagh and Emly) is a diocese of the Church of Ireland that is located in the ...
.


Culture

Killala was used as a location for the 1981 television series ''The Year of the French'' which was based on the novel by Thomas Flanagan. In 1989, sculptor Carmel Gallagher unveiled a bust of General Humbert in the area to mark the then upcoming bicentennial of the 1798 Rebellion. In 1998, Killala celebrated the bicentenary of this event by twinning with the commune of Chauvé in France.


People

* Aileen Gilroy, Gaelic footballer, association footballer, Australian rules footballer * Patrick McHale, recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
* James Wills (1899-1949), first-class cricketer


References


Sources

*


External links


Community development in the west of Ireland: twenty years on in the Killala area.
''Community Development Journal'' 2007; 42: 330–347. Author: M.A. Brennan.
Killala.ie
– Official website for the Killala community. {{Authority control Towns and villages in County Mayo Civil parishes of County Mayo