Kilkeel is a small
townA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in
County Down-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
,
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the
2001 CensusA nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. The town contains the ruins of a 14th-century church and fort, winding streets and terraced shops.
A short distance to the northeast lies the much smaller settlement of Maghereagh.
Geography
Kilkeel sits on a
plainIn geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
south of the Mourne Mountains. It stretches along the southern coast of County Down, from
Carlingford LoughCarlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
in the west to
AnnalongAnnalong is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the 2001 Census and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and...
in the east. The town is at the foot of a river that flows southwards from the Mournes. Four miles southwest of Kilkeel is
Cranfield PointCranfield Point is the southernmost point of Northern Ireland. It is located at the mouth of Carlingford Lough in the townland of Cranfield, County Down....
, a small peninsula that marks the southernmost point of the county.
The settlement is named after the
townlandA townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Kilkeel, in which it began. Over time, the urban area has grown into the neighbouring townlands. They include:
- Derryoge
- Drumcro
- Dunnaman
- Kilkeel
- Magheramurphy (
Kilkeel ({{derive|Irish|Cill Chaoil|narrow church}}) is a small townA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in County Down-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 CensusA nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. The town contains the ruins of a 14th-century church and fort, winding streets and terraced shops.
A short distance to the northeast lies the much smaller settlement of Maghereagh.
Geography
Kilkeel sits on a plainIn geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
south of the Mourne Mountains. It stretches along the southern coast of County Down, from Carlingford LoughCarlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
in the west to AnnalongAnnalong is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the 2001 Census and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and...
in the east. The town is at the foot of a river that flows southwards from the Mournes. Four miles southwest of Kilkeel is Cranfield PointCranfield Point is the southernmost point of Northern Ireland. It is located at the mouth of Carlingford Lough in the townland of Cranfield, County Down....
, a small peninsula that marks the southernmost point of the county.
The settlement is named after the townlandA townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Kilkeel, in which it began. Over time, the urban area has grown into the neighbouring townlands. They include:
- Derryoge ({{derive|Irish|Doire Ríóg|Ríog's oak wood}})
- Drumcro ({{derive|Irish|Druim Cró|ridge of the fold/enclosure}})
- Dunnaman
- Kilkeel ({{derive|Irish|Cill Chaoil|narrow church}})
- Magheramurphy (
Kilkeel ({{derive|Irish|Cill Chaoil|narrow church}}) is a small townA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in County Down-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 CensusA nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. The town contains the ruins of a 14th-century church and fort, winding streets and terraced shops.
A short distance to the northeast lies the much smaller settlement of Maghereagh.
Geography
Kilkeel sits on a plainIn geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
south of the Mourne Mountains. It stretches along the southern coast of County Down, from Carlingford LoughCarlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
in the west to AnnalongAnnalong is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the 2001 Census and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and...
in the east. The town is at the foot of a river that flows southwards from the Mournes. Four miles southwest of Kilkeel is Cranfield PointCranfield Point is the southernmost point of Northern Ireland. It is located at the mouth of Carlingford Lough in the townland of Cranfield, County Down....
, a small peninsula that marks the southernmost point of the county.
The settlement is named after the townlandA townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Kilkeel, in which it began. Over time, the urban area has grown into the neighbouring townlands. They include:
- Derryoge ({{derive|Irish|Doire Ríóg|Ríog's oak wood}})
- Drumcro ({{derive|Irish|Druim Cró|ridge of the fold/enclosure}})
- Dunnaman
- Kilkeel ({{derive|Irish|Cill Chaoil|narrow church}})
- Magheramurphy ({{derive|Irish|Machaire Mhurchaidh|Murphy's plain")
History
Kilkeel takes its name from the old church overlooking the town, it being the anglicised version of the Gaelic 'Cill Chaoil' meaning "Narrow Church" or "The Church of/in the Narrow Place." The name may be drawn from the church location on a narrow site above the town.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} The church was constructed in 1388 and dedicated to "St Colman Del Mourne." It was thought to be the principal Church in a group which included Kilmegan and Kilcoo despite the fact that Kilkeel was very sparsely populated in the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. There are references to Kilkeel as a Christian settlement as far back as the 11th century. Kilkeel is the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Mourne.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} The cemeteryA cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
attached to the church was used for burials until 1916. The last burials at the cemetery were victims of a collision between two steamersA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
the Retriever and the SS ConnemaraThe SS Connemara was a twin screw steamer, 272 feet long, 35 broad and 14 deep with a gross tonnage of 1106. She was sunk on the night of 3 November 1916 at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, Louth, Ireland after being hit amidships by the coalship Retriever...
in Carlingford LoughCarlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
.
On 30 May 1918 a fleet of Kilkeel fishing boats was sunk by the U-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
UB-64 under the command of Otto von SchraderOtto von Schrader was an Admiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
. The boats sunk, 12 miles off the coast of County Down, included the Jane Gordon, Cyprus, Never Can Tell, St Mary, Sparkling Wave, Lloyds, Marianne Macrum and the motor vessel Honey Bee. Only two boats, Moss Rose and Mary Joseph, were not sunk and the crews returned to port on those boats. The Mary Joseph (N55) is now in the Ulster Folk and Transport MuseumThe Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...
.
Economy
Fishing is a major industry in Kilkeel, with Kilkeel Harbour the home port for the largest fishing fleetA fishing fleet is an aggregate of commercial fishing vessels. The term may be used of all vessels operating out of a particular port, all vessels engaged in a particular type of fishing , or all fishing vessels of a country or region.Although fishing vessels are not formally organized as if they...
in Northern Ireland. There are fish-processing factories around the port, pleasure angling off the piers and lobster farmingNot to be confused with Lobster-tailed potA lobster trap or lobster pot is a portable trap that traps lobsters or crayfish and is used in lobster fishing. A lobster trap can hold several lobsters. Lobster traps are constructed of wire and wood. An opening permits the lobster to enter a tunnel of...
along the coastline. The relatively young Whitewater Brewery makes what is said to be one of the finest ales in Ireland, called Belfast Ale.
in recent years BE Aerospace has become the largest employer in the area manufacturing aircraft seats for a world wide customer base.
People
- The town is also known as the location where William Hare died.
- Robert Hill Hanna
Robert Hill Hanna VC , was an Irish born naturalised immigrant to Canada. He was a soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War.He was 30 years old, and a Company...
(1887–1967), was an immigrant CanadianCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
recipient of the Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. He was a Company Sergeant-Major in the 29th (Vancouver) Bn., Canadian Expeditionary ForceThe Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
during World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when on 21 August 1917, he led a courageous action at Hill 70 Lens, FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was born near Hanna's Close in Kilkeel and still has many members of family remaining in the area.
2001 Census
Kilkeel is classified as a small town by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (i.e. with population between 4,500 and 10,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001), there were 6,338 people living in Kilkeel. Of these:
- 26.2% were aged under 16 years and 18.2% were aged 60 and over;
- 48.4% of the population were male and 51.6% were female; and
- 3.5% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
Religion
The town of Kilkeel has a strong Unionist heritage. But while, in 2001, the ward of Kilkeel Central was recorded as 69% Protestant (21% Catholic, 10% other), the ward of Kilkeel South was only 37% Protestant (55% Catholic, 7% other).
Kilkeel now sits within the administrative area of Newry and Mourne, which is recorded in the 2001 census as being 80.6% Catholic. For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Education
- Brackenagh West Primary School
Brackenagh West Primary School is a primary school located in the country side about 3 miles north of Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area....
- Grange Primary School
- Holy Cross Primary School
- Kilkeel High School
Kilkeel High School is a non-selective secondary school located in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area.The school is one of the few in Northern Ireland where boys have outperformed girls at GCSE....
- Kilkeel Primary School
- Mourne Independent Christian School
Mourne Independent Christian School is an independent primary and secondary school located in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a mixed-gender Christian school within the Southern Education and Library Board area and under the auspices of the Free Presbyterian Church of...
- St. Colman's Primary School
- St. Columban's College
- St. Louis Grammar School
St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel is a grammar school located in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational school for pupils aged 11 to 18, with more than 570 pupils enrolled. The pupils come from the surrounding catchment area: Warrenpoint, Annalong, Newcastle, Castlewellan,...
- Mourne Grange Village School
Sport
Most popular sports in the Kilkeel area include Association football, hurlingHurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, Gaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, fishing, golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, hockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and swimming.
Kilkeel Hockey Club plays at McAuley Park, fielding three men's teams and two ladies' teams. Kilkeel is the only hockey club in Mourne-Places:*Mourne Abbey, a small parish just south of Mallow, County Cork, Ireland*Mourne , a barony in County Down, Northern Ireland*Mourne Mountains, a granite mountain range located in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland...
, drawing players from the whole of the Mourne area, with AnnalongAnnalong is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the 2001 Census and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and...
providing a considerable number of its players.
Local football teams include Ballyvea F.C, Kilkeel F.C, Valley Rangers F.C, Kilkeel Athletic and the Mourne Rovers. With the exception of Kilkeel Athletic, the local football clubs play in the SK Holmes Newcastle League. Gaelic football clubs include An Riocht, Atticall, Ballymartin, Longstone and Glasdrumman.
There are two local golf courses, Kilkeel Golf Course and Cranfield Pitch and Putt.
{{Commonscat|Kilkeel}}
See also
{{County Down}}