Killeshandra

For the science fiction character Killashandra Ree, see Crystal Singer.
Killeshandra
Cill na Seanrátha
Town
Killashandra

Killeshandra, Main Street looking north (2011)
Killeshandra

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 54°00′55″N 7°31′44″W / 54.01523°N 7.52894°W / 54.01523; -7.52894Coordinates: 54°00′55″N 7°31′44″W / 54.01523°N 7.52894°W / 54.01523; -7.52894
Country Ireland
Province Ulster
County County Cavan
Elevation 66 m (217 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Town 1,143
 • Urban 364
Irish Grid Reference H308074

Killeshandra or Killashandra - Irish place name Cill na Seanrátha meaning Church of the Old Rath (ringforts), population 1,143, is a small town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Cavan town and central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland. Together with the Lough Oughter Special Protected Area (SPA), it has been recognised by the EU programme for wildlife Natura 2000 since 2010. Killeshandra is specially noted by Failte Ireland as an Angling Centre of Excellence, as well as a hub for the Cavan Walking Festival which takes place in May each year. There are several looped walking and cycling trails in Killykeen Forest Park. The town also has a prominent football club called the Killeshandra GFC, known locally as the Killeshandra Leaguers.

History

Killeshandra owes its origins to the Ulster Plantation, when Sir Alexander Hamilton of Innerwick, Scotland was granted lands by the crown in July 1610 to build a castle and create a Protestant community around the barony of Tullyhunco. The 1641 rising and civil war was a particularly difficult period in Killeshandra's history, as the Hamiltons with their neighbours the Craigs were forced out of their settled lands by the O'Reillys. It was not until after the war, during the Restoration period, that Sir Francis Hamilton regained control of the area. He set about building a market town with Scottish planters and migrant Huguenot settlers who were especially noted for their industry and thrift. The new settlers and their families quickly adapted to the local conditions, beginning to grow flax and process linen in the Cavan region. The earliest papal records of a church building in the area date from the fourteenth century on the site of a former rath (fort), then a dependency of Drumlane priory referred to as the Church of the Rath. From the early 17th century the church was reformed for Protestant use and included the glebe lands allocated by the Hamiltons to the Anglican Kilmore diocese, for Scottish Episcopalian worship. Later in the century when peace was restored, the church was remodelled in 1688 (Jacobean Church) as a lasting memorial to departed members of the original Hamilton family. The remains of this church form part of a protected National Monument and can still be seen at the lower end of the town (opposite Lakeland Dairies). This church displays some unusual architectural characteristics; it is T-shaped, with a south-facing transept in the Renaissance neo-classical style, described in the Pevsner Guide to South Ulster as "arguably the finest Restoration building in Ulster, a handsome evocation of the improving architectural eloquence of the age". The east-facing window is in the more traditional Gothic style. Hamilton heraldic embellishment is visible on the south gable wall and gate pillars. When a new Anglican church was built (circa 1842) further up the main street, some of the earlier Hamilton family memorials attributed to well-known Irish sculptor William Kidwell were brought from the old church and placed inside the new building, where they can still be seen. The graveyard continued in "mixed" community use for well over a century after the church was closed; it is now also protected as a National Monument. This graveyard includes some interesting 19th-century mausoleums and heraldic memorials from families dating back to the early 18th century.

Linen production around Killeshandra grew considerably following an incentive in 1760 from the Linen Board. It was later described in Pigot's 1824 Directory as "[t]he greatest linen market in the county, and the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood are principally employed in its manufacture". However, failure to capitalise on industrial methods of linen production when market sales approached their peak meant that Killeshandra would inevitably lose in the race to compete with the bigger linen-exporting towns further north, eventually causing hardship and destitution for many local flax growers and linen producers.

Population and Economic Changes

According to CSO 2011 census statistics, Killeshandra town population stands at 364 persons, a decline of over 11% from the 2006 census. Compare population levels in 1911, when the town population was 566 persons (35% higher than present levels). However, in the electoral division, which includes the town and surrounding district, a slight increase in population up to 1,143 persons was recorded in 2011, denoting a marked preference for living outside the urban area. In previous centuries, when there were several thousand people living near Killeshandra, local industry and agriculture sustained the local population. Although the Killeshandra area is today regarded as an ideal place for retirement and leisure activity, what are the underlying causes for population decline compared with the rest of the county showing an overall increase in urban and rural population? Throughout the twentieth century, Killeshandra looked to its agriculture base to keep the wheels turning, while Killeshandra Creamery became one of Ireland's leading dairy and milk processing co-operatives. This too has seen significant rationalisation in recent years. At one time Killeshandra was the hub of industry in the region, with several flax and corn mills in addition to Fletcher's sawmill, which was built on the site of an earlier brewery. From the 1860s the town was serviced by a railway line to Crosdoney and Cavan. However the closure of the railway to goods and passengers in 1960 was the first significant result of population decline throughout the region. The eventual closure of Fletcher's sawmill and the demise of street market trading would also signal the end for Killeshandra's iconic linen market house, built around 1790 by then-landlord Robert H. Southwell. The market house fell into disrepair and was finally demolished in the late 1960s. Since this time, urban dilapidation and poor access roads are another notable factor affecting Killeshandra's potential for growth.

Today Killeshandra, in addition to being a base for the Lakeland Dairy Company, is noted as a significant County Cavan tourist destination for anglers, walkers and wildlife enthusiasts. The Lough Bawn Hotel is located in the middle of the village and there are several comfortable B&Bs located nearby. Killeshandra has an array of shops, two national schools, denominational churches, restaurant facilities and several pubs, most with regular traditional music sessions. A new Community Hall was completed in September 2013, replacing a hall built in the 1970s. The new hall has a large open space for indoor sporting events, as well as space for concerts and exhibitions. Killeshandra performs well at around 63% in the national Tidy Towns competition and is litter free in the county anti-litter league.

Public transport

Bus Éireann route 465 serves the town on Tuesdays, providing a link to Cavan (onward connections available) via Arvagh and Ballinagh.[2] It is also served by a number of Cavan Area Rural Transport (CART) routes.[3] Killeshandra was the terminus of a short branch railway line between Cavan and Crossdoney on the Midland Great Western route. Opened in 1886, the Killeshandra branch line, along with the Crossdoney to Cavan line, discontinued passenger service in 1947. The line remained open for goods traffic until 1959, then was closed completely in January 1960. Most of the rail infrastructure is now gone, but the station and a nearby goods shed still remain.

Dairy industry

Killeshandra Co-operative Society Ltd was formed in December 1896. The milk from 987 cows had been promised by local farmers and a committee was tentatively decided upon to establish a creamery. Thus began an industry which grew to be recognised as a model for the rest of the country to follow. It was described as the best creamery of its time, winning prizes for butter and dairy products both at home and abroad. By the time of its centenary year Killeshandra Co-op was handling the milk from over 4,000 farmer suppliers. Today this co-op has transformed through mergers with other dairy companies to form the internationally recognised Lakeland Dairies, the second largest dairy co-operative and third largest dairy processor in Ireland. The Co-op operates across 15 counties on a cross-border basis, processing over 700 million litres of milk annually into a range of value-added products and food ingredients which are exported worldwide. It remains a significant employer in the region.

One of Lakeland's most significant acquisitions took place in October 2013, when it purchased the former Ulster Bank premises in Killeshandra town next door to the company's headquarters.

People

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2011 Preliminary Report. Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  2. ↑ http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=247#Cavan
  3. ↑ http://www.ruraltransport.net/site/timetables/timetableofservices/timetableofservices.html
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