St Evicin's Church > Cill Abhaicín > Killukin

Killukin Boyle (Roscommon)

KILLUKIN today, gives its name to a townland, a civil parish and a pre-20th century Roman Catholic parish (now 'Croghan'). The clue to the origin of this placename lies within the prefix "Kill-" (Gaelic: Cill) meaning church. 

Cill Abhaicín* – a small monastic church – was founded by St. Evicin here, in or about the 6th or 7th century.   (In the 5th century, St Patrick is believed to have visited Elphin, consecrated its first church and ordained its first bishop). Killukin most likely began as a hermitage in times soon after St. Patrick. Local tradition claims that there was a monastic settlement in the field between Cordrehid Road and the graveyard road and a round tower located somewhere on the boundary within Stephen Murray's land. 

St. Evicin (Naomh Abhaicín) may have been the person whom the catalogue of the churches of the Diocese of Elphin calls Lunecharia and asserts to be venerated on 7 June in "Kill Lunecharia of Colgan"  (at Killynagh More, Elphin). 

Alternative spellings: Killuken (1659) Killewkeene (James 1 Inq.) Killewkyn, Killukan, Killucan, Killukin, Cill Eibhicín, Cill Abhaicín.

*Not to be confused with another Killukin (Cill Lúcain) in the southern barony of Roscommon.

Cill Eibhicín (aka Killewkin now Killuckin  in b. Frenchpark, Rosc.,) is mentioned as a place-name in the footnotes of the Irish Annals of The Four Masters [Fm. iii 77, note] as belonging to the deanery of Moylurg.

In 1837, Lewis refers to the church here as "a very old building". The Ordnance Survey Name Books of the same year record "A large portion of Ardakill[..] Lough containing an island is situated in the western portion of this townland...There is a church in ruins" in its descriptive remarks.   (OSI grid reference M926979). 

The remains of Killukin Church still stand today, albeit overgrown and neglected. 

(see https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pis&PIcrid=2506606&PIpi=…)

 

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.

KILLUKEN, or KILLUCAN, a parish, in the barony of BOYLE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Carrick-on-Shannon to Ballina; containing, with part of the market-town and post-town of Carrick (with which it is connected by a bridge over the Shannon), 2948 inhabitants. It comprises about 5670 statute acres, of which 3571 are applotted under the tithe act, and is principally under tillage, although there are several grazing farms. The waste land consists chiefly of bog, most of which might be reclaimed, but at a considerable expense. Limestone of excellent quality abounds, and is quarried in several places for building and burning. The river Shannon skirts a small portion of the parish, and its navigation being connected with the Royal Canal at Tarmonbarry, goods can be shipped at Carrick bridge for Dublin. The principal seats are Croghan House, the residence of Guy Lloyd, Esq., the chief proprietor of the parish; Cashell, of Erasmus Lloyd, Esq.; Fairview, of W. Morton, Esq.; and Hermitage, of Owen T. Lloyd, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Elphin, forming the corps of the archdeaconry of Elphin, and united to the vicarages of Kilbrine and Kilcorkey, and the rectory of Ardcarne, together forming the union of Killuken, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £101. 7. 8., and of the union to 395. 7. 3. The church is a very old building.

There is an excellent glebe-house, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits gave £400 and lent £240, in 1816: the glebe comprises 13 acres. In the R. C divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Eastersnow and Killumod, and parts of Tumna and Kilcola, which district is also called Croghan and Ballinameen, and contains chapels at Croghan, Drumercool, and Drumlion, in this parish.

About 120 children are educated in three public schools, to one of which the curate contributes £4. 10. per annum, and about 200 in four private schools; there is also a Sunday school. See CROGHAN.

GRAVEYARDS in the parish of  KILLUKIN

Killukin Old Cemetery

Drumlion New Graveyard

Croghan RC Church

 

Your first port of call when visiting the area:

Carrick-on-Shannon & District Historical Society (Cumann Seanchais Muintir Eolais)

http://www.carrickheritage.com/historical-society.html

Type of Building: