Kilmihil
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Kilmihil (Irish: Cill Mhichíl) is a parish located in west County Clare. The name Kilmihil comes from Cill Mhíchíl, or church of St. Michael.
Kilmihil parish is named after St. Michael the Archangel. The name St. Michael means “who is liked by God”.
Origin of Devotion to St. Michael in Kilmihil
It is believed that St. Michael’s Church was founded by St. Senan around 530AD. He dedicated this church to St. Michael. For centuries it became a place of pilgrimage to St. Michael especially in September as his feast day is on September 29th. In 1937 the Curate of the parish Fr. Patrick O’Reilly, organised the improvement of the well and the surrounding area. The well is now enclosed and over this building is the Statue of St. Michael enclosed in glass. St. Senan and Kilmihil
Tradition credits the founding of a church here to St. Senan in honour of Michael the Archangel. During the reign of Pope Galasius (A.D. 492-496) an apparition of the Archangel took place on the summit of Mt. Garganus in Apulia in Italy. This apparition and the founding of the church in Kilmihil both took place during St. Senan’s lifetime (488A.D. – 554A.D.). After visiting Rome about 530 A.D. he returned to Ireland wishing to foster devotion to Michael. While travelling from Scattery Island to Doolough he stopped in Kilmihil where he founded the church.
Kilmihil is one of the larger parishes in West Clare. It is well known for its Holy Shrine, which attracts many pilgrims due to its blessed water. The village has three shops (Johnstons, Fitzpatricks and Considines), a pharmacy, five pubs, a fast food outlet, a post office, a credit union, a bookshop, a library, a garage, an active retirement community housing estate, a church, a community centre, a GAA pitch, St. Pat's soccer pitch,three primary schools and also a secondary school (St. Michaels Community College) which in recent years has increased in the number of pupils attending from West Clare.
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[edit] In popular culture
Kilmihil gained some notoriety from its appearance in literature; it is the site of Niall Williams and Christine Breen's 1987 book O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare, a memoir of an Irish/American couple's move from New York back to the cottage of their forebears (and subsequent books When Summer's in the Meadow and The Luck of the Irish), and is also featured in popular novelist Nora Roberts's Born In series (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame), published in the 1990s.
[edit] Sport
Kilmihil won the County Clare football championship in 1980, its sole victory in the championship's history.
[edit] Events
Kilmihil conducts an annual "Festival of Fun" every year over the August Bank Holiday weekend, which draws large crowds to the village. It includes a parade up mainstreet and church street, a vintage rally, a raft race on Knockalough Lake followed by a barbaque, bouncy castles, donkey race, bonamh racing, a fireworks display and various other activities.
[edit] See also
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