Killinierin
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Kilanerin
Coill an Iarainn | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Wexford |
| Elevation | 48 m (157 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
Kilanerin or Killinierin[1] (Irish: Coill an Iarainn, meaning 'forest of iron'), is a village in north County Wexford, Ireland, 4 kilometres west of the N11 road near the village of Inch and approximately 12 kilometres from the town of Gorey.
It is nestling in the foothills of Croghan Mountain, the site of a once famous gold rush.
History and places of interest
St. Peter and Paul's Church
The church in the village is a Catholic Church and is a Gothic style structure built in 1863. It is known as Ss. Peter and Paul's church and it seats almost 400 people. The architects were Pugin and Ashlin. The Esmonde family of Ballynastragh were major benefactors of the church, their names along with some other benefactors are listed on a plaque inside the church. The prominence of the Esmonde family among the benefactors is reflected in the fact that a special pew at the front of the right aisle was reserved for the family and is still used by them today.
Borleigh Manor
Borleigh Manor is a Georgian residence on 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land. It is the former residence of Richard Greene the film star who famously played the role of Robin Hood. Among the celebrated stars to have spent some time there were Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.
Ballynastragh House
Ballynastragh House was the home of the Esmonde family and dates back to the 17th century. It was burned down and destroyed by members of the anti-Treaty IRA on 9 March 1923. It was home to a vast historical museum and the destruction of the documents was a loss second only to that which occurred in the Four Courts in 1922. A new house, similar in style, was built on the site shortly afterwards and still exists today. Titania's Palace was for a period kept in Ballynastragh House.
G.A.A.
The local G.A.A. club is known as Kilanerin Ballyfad G.A.A. club. It joins with other small villages such as Ballyfad, Ballythomas and Annagh to form the G.A.A. team. They compete at various levels in the underage and adult categories within Wexford GAA.
The adult team currently compete in the Wexford Senior Football Championship which they last won in 2008. Until recently they competed in the Wexford Senior Hurling Championship until their relegation to the Intermediate Championship. They are well known across Wexford and some of Leinster for its Gaelic Football and Hurling triumphs.
Former All Star Mattie Forde is a current player of the Kilanerin Ballyfad G.A.A. club. Former players include former TD Michael W. D'Arcy who is now a senator in Seanad Éirinn as he was one of only three former Fine Gael TDs to lose their Dáil seats in the 2011 general election.