Killeshandra

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Killeshandra, Main Street looking north 2011.

Killeshandra or Killashandra (Irish: Cill na Seanrátha, meaning "church of the old ringforts") is a village in County Cavan, Ireland, located 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Cavan town and is central to County Cavan's lakeland and geopark region, set in the unique Erne catchment environment of rivers, lakes, wetlands and woodland. Together with the Lough Oughter Special Protected Area (SPA), has since 2010 become recognised under the EU programe for wildlife Natura 2000. Killeshandra is specially noted by Failte Ireland as an Angling Centre of Excellence. as well as having several looped walking trails linking the Killykeen forest park.

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[edit] History

Killeshandra town owes its origins to the Ulster Plantation, when Sir Alexander Hamilton from Innerwick, Scotland was granted lands by the crown in 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 Craig's were forced off their settled lands by the O'Reilly's. It was not until after the war and during the Restoration (1660) period that Sir Francis Hamilton regained control of the area and set about building a market town with Scottish planters and migrant Huguenot settlers who were especially noted for their industry and thriftness. The new settlers and their families quickly adapted to the local conditions, which included the beginnings of flax growing and linen processing in the Cavan region. The first Killeshandra Episcopalian church was built in 1688, the remains which can still be seen at the lower end of the town (opposite Lakeland Dairies). Built in the period Rococo style together with Hamilton heraldic embellishment on the church facade and gate pillars. When the new church was built (during nineteenth century) further up the Main street, some of the earlier (Hamilton) family heraldic memorial's were brought from the old church and placed inside of the new building and can still be seen there.

Linen production around Killeshandra grew considerably following an incentive in 1760 from the Linen Board, and was later quoted in Pigot's 1824 Directory as: The 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 were approaching their peak meant that Killeshandra would inevitably lose out in the race to compete with the bigger linen export producing towns further north, eventually leading to hardship and destitution for many local flax growing linen producers.

The present population of 1143 persons (according to CSO 2011 preliminary census statistics) has reduced considerably since the famine period when there were several thousand people living here, continuing up and down with the rise and fall of sustainable employment. Killeshandra looked to its agriculture base throughout the twentieth century to rebuild itself while the Creamery became the home of one of Irelands leading dairy and milk processing co-operatives. Other agri related businesses also grew, Fletcher's sawmills was built on the site of an earlier brewery. While since the 1860's the town was serviced with a railway line to Crosdoney and Cavan town. The closure of the railway in 1947 to goods and passengers was a symptom of population decline throughout the region. The eventual closure of Fletcher's sawmills and the decline in street market trading would also signal the end for Killeshandra's iconic linen market house. Built by Robert H. Southwell in 1790, the market house was demolished in the late 1960s. Other notable factors affecting Killeshandra's potential for growth being rural electrification, which did not reach the area until the mid 1950s, much later than other centres.

Today Killeshandra as well being a base for the renowned Lakeland Dairy Company is noted as a tourist destination for anglers, ramblers and wildlife enthusiasts including photographers. Comfortable B&Bs are located within a short distance of the town together with good restaurant facilities and local pubs with traditional music.

[edit] 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 and form a creamery. Thus was the start of an industry which grew to become recognised as a model for the rest of the country to follow and described as being 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 is transformed through mergers with other dairy companies to form the internationally recognised Lakeland Dairies, to become the second largest dairy co-operative and fourth 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, remains a significant employer in the region.

[edit] People

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External Tourism, Genealogy and Historic Interest Links


Genealogists will want to see:

Coordinates: 54°01′N 7°32′W / 54.017°N 7.533°W / 54.017; -7.533

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