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Kilcormac Irish:Cill Chormaic | |
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village | |
 Main Street, Kilcormac | |
  Kilcormac Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:53°10′27″N7°43′32″W / 53.1742°N 7.7256°W /53.1742; -7.7256 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Offaly |
| Elevation | 75 m (246 ft) |
| Population | 935 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N181141 |
Kilcormac (Irish:Cill Chormaic, meaning 'church of Cormac')[2] is a small village inCounty Offaly,Ireland, located on theN52 at its junction with theR437regional road, between the towns ofTullamore andBirr. It is a small village of 935 people (as of the2016 census),[1] many of whom were previously employed byBord na Móna to work the localpeat bogs.[citation needed] The village is located near theSlieve Bloom Mountains. TheSilver River flows through the village. The village was more commonly referred to asFrankford prior toIrish independence.
The name Kilcormac comes from the Irish Cill Chormaic meaning Cormac's Church. This name is based on the localpatron saint;Cormac Ua Liatháin, a native of Cork, who paid a visit toSt Colmcille at the famous monastery he had founded in Durrow in 553 A.D. Cormac was so inspired by the great saint that he joined Colmcille and spent many years atDurrow, eventually taking over as abbot after Colmcille had gone toIona inScotland.[3] He eventually founded a church near the Silver River which became known as Cill Chormaic. Over time the original church fell into ruin. Tradition holds that Cormac died in nearby Eglish following an attack by a pair of wolves. A window in Eglish Church depicts the event.
Historically, Kilcormac was part of the O'Molloy territory ofFirceall which was part of theKingdom of Meath, howeverBallyboy was traditionally the main trading centre of the area at the time being situated on an important route which passed through the area.[3] Following thePlantations of Offaly the area formed part of theBarony of Ballyboy.[3] About five hundred years later reference is made to foreign monks, possibly Augustinian, at the Hermitage. A manuscript, written in Kilcormac in 1300, is now in the museum of the Royal Irish Academy. (The same museum also houses the crozier of Durrow, which was probably Cormac's symbol of authority when he succeeded Colmcille as abbot of Durrow).[3]
During the Middle Ages Kilcormac was the site of aCarmelite monastery. Following theHenrican Reformation all monasteries were dissolved. The currentConvent of Mercy is located on the site of the old monastery.[3] The currentCatholic Church is located on the site of Cormac's old church. The Church is a fine imposing building and dates from 1867 after a number of alterations to the original church built during the time of thepenal laws.[3] It is dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Mary.
Within the church is statue of thePieta. According to tradition it was donated to the parish by a rich lady in the 16th century. It was placed in the parish church, which at that time was in Ballyboy, about 1 mile from Kilcormac. There it remained until 1650 whenOliver Cromwell’s army was reported approaching from the direction ofCadamstown.[4] The pieta was eventually buried in a bog for 60 years for safety. During this time both Ballyboy and Kilcormac Churches were ruined by Cromwell's forces.[4] While the church at Kilcormac was not rebuilt, Ballyboy Church was rebuilt eventually, but as part of theEstablishedAnglicanChurch of Ireland. Tradition holds that only one man remained alive who knew where the Pieta was buried, and, according to tradition, he was carried on his deathbed to point it out. The carving was carefully recovered and when it was examined it was found to be in perfect condition. It was then placed in the Church Of The Nativity that had recently been built in Kilcormac.[4]
Kilcormac grew in importance in the 18th and 19th Century as Ballyboy went into decline. Following the establishment ofCounty Offaly and the growth ofTullamore, Kilcormac now found itself on the main route on fromBirr toTullamore and became an important market centre in the area. Following the relaxation of thePenal laws theCatholic Church also opted to build its church in Kilcormac and not Ballyboy which cemented its place as a market centre of the area given the Catholic majority population of the area.
The amenities serving the local population include a primary school, a secondary school (Coláiste Naomh Cormac), a number of local grocery shops, butchers, clothes shop, doctors practice, chemist and an agricultural/hardware store. There are also a number of pubs along the main street. Kilcormac has somewhat declined from its peak which was in the mid 20th Century.[citation needed] Many people traditionally found work inBord na Móna and the bogs in what is now a declining industry. Bord na Móna remains an important part of the local economy with many employed in nearby Derrinlough at the peat briquette manufacturing plant.[citation needed] Agriculture and farming are also important to the local economy. The main route out of Kilcormac is theR437regional road.
Lough Boora parklands is a local outdoor amenity for walkers and outdoor pursuits, as are the nearbySlieve Bloom Mountains.
Gaelic games are the most popular sports played in the area and are played at all levels.Hurling is the most popular code of sport played.Kilcormac–Killoughey GAA is the local GAA club. The club has had a number of successes since its foundation in 1986, including winning theLeinster Senior Club Hurling Championship in 2012.
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