Tullaherin

Tullaherin (Irish: An Tulaigh Thirim) is a civil parish and townland in County Kilkenny, Ireland.^[1]

Tullaherin Irish: An Tulaigh Thirim
Civil parish
Tullaherin Monastic site
Tullaherin
Coordinates: 52.58°N 7.13°W / 52.58; -7.13
Country	Ireland
County	Kilkenny
Barony	Gowran

History

Tullaherin townland is the site of a number of historical archeological remains, including a round tower, an 11th-13th century ruined church and two ogham stones. Kilbline Castle, a 16th-century tower house, also lies within the civil parish.

The Tullaherin round tower stands 22.5 m high and was probably built in the 11th century. The cap is missing and the top 3 m are a second phase of masonry. It is reported that the tower was struck by lightning in 1121, causing a stone to fall, killing a student in the church.^[2] Most probably it was after this date that the top was rebuilt on the same principle as Clonmacnoise with eight windows instead of the usual four.^[3]

The present church at Tullaherin was built about 1840.^{[4][note 1]} The Tullaherin Folk Museum can be viewed at the old parochial residence. The museum was established in 1981 by Duchas and the Tullaherin Heritage Society.^[6]

Further reading

• Edward J. Law: Round tower, in: Old Kilkenny Review 2002, pp. 16–17.
• May Sparks: Tullaherin, in: Old Kilkenny Review 1953, pp. 47–49.

Notes

1. "The church being dedicated to St. Kieran, the name, Tullaherin, was generally supposed to signify the height of Kieran; but it was sometimes pronounced and spelled Tullaherim, which would mean the dry hill, a term certainly descriptive of its peculiar situation, it being elevated ground nearly surrounded by a marsh."^[5]