Kells, County Meath
| Historical populations |
| Year |
Pop. |
±% |
| 1813 |
3,344 |
— |
| 1821 |
3,618 |
+8.2% |
| 1831 |
4,326 |
+19.6% |
| 1841 |
4,205 |
−2.8% |
| 1851 |
3,660 |
−13.0% |
| 1861 |
3,224 |
−11.9% |
| 1871 |
2,953 |
−8.4% |
| 1881 |
2,822 |
−4.4% |
| 1891 |
2,427 |
−14.0% |
| 1901 |
2,428 |
+0.0% |
| 1911 |
2,395 |
−1.4% |
| 1926 |
2,196 |
−8.3% |
| 1936 |
2,304 |
+4.9% |
| 1946 |
2,143 |
−7.0% |
| 1951 |
2,125 |
−0.8% |
| 1956 |
2,162 |
+1.7% |
| 1961 |
2,193 |
+1.4% |
| 1966 |
2,274 |
+3.7% |
| 1971 |
2,653 |
+16.7% |
| 1981 |
3,663 |
+38.1% |
| 1986 |
2,683 |
−26.8% |
| 1991 |
3,539 |
+31.9% |
| 1996 |
3,542 |
+0.1% |
| 2002 |
4,321 |
+22.0% |
| 2006 |
5,248 |
+21.5% |
| CSO.ie and Histpop.org. For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee “On the accuracy of the pre-famine Irish censuses” in Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, and also “New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850” by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 1984), pp. 473-488. </ref> |
Kells (Irish: Ceanannas)[2] is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, 16 km (10 mi) from Navan and 65 km (40 mi) from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town.
Until the opening of the new motorway in June 2010, Kells stood as a busy junction town on the old N3 road with over 18,000 vehicles passing through the town each day. Kells was a renowned traffic bottleneck from both the N3 national primary route (Dublin, Cavan, Enniskillen and Ballyshannon) and N52 national secondary route (Dundalk, Tullamore and Nenagh) passing though the town centre. The new M3 motorway significantly reduces the journey time to Dublin, as well as the numbers of vehicles in the town.
Name
The name Kells derives from Kenlis, an anglicisation of the Irish language word 'Ceann Lios'. Ceann Lios, meaning "head fort" appears to be another form of the name Ceannanas Mór. Kells, Kenlis and Headfort all feature in the titles taken by the Taylor family, and all contribute to local place names.
History
The monastery at Kells is thought to have been founded around 804 A.D. by monks fleeing from St Colmcille's Iona monastery to escape Viking invasions.
In 1152, the Synod of Kells completed the transition of the Roman Catholic Church of Ireland from a monastic church to the diocesan church that continues today. While called the Synod of Kells, this important Synod was transferred to Mellifont, Co Louth, and held there in March 1152. Kells was raised to a Diocese by the Synod, but was later reduced to parochial status. At the end of the 12th century Hugh de Lacy was granted the whole of Meath and under the Normans the religious establishments at Kells flourished.
Kells became a border town garrison of the Pale and was the scene of many battles, between Bréifne Irish and Hiberno-Normans, both of whom had heavily intermarried. Since the Tudor from 1561 to 1800 Kells returned two Members of Parliament. During the rebellion of 1641, Kells was burned by the O'Reilly's during their attacks on the pale.
The period of the Great Famine saw the population of Kells drop by 38% as measured by the civil census records of 1841 and 1851. The Workhouse and the Fever Hospital were described as full to overflowing.
Places of interest
- The Abbey of Kells, with its round tower, is associated with St Colmcille (also known as Columba), the Book of Kells, now kept at Trinity College Dublin and the Kells Crozier, exhibited at the British Museum. The round tower and five large Celtic crosses can still be viewed today. Four of the crosses are in the churchyard of St Columba's church. The other Celtic cross was positioned in the middle of a busy crossroads until an unfortunate accident involving a cumbersome school bus. It now stands in front of a former courthouse. A roof protects the cross from the elements. Curiously, a replica is completely safe from the elements inside the museum.
- Close by the graveyard of St. Columba's church stands a small stone roofed Oratory (St. Colmcille's House). This probably dates from the 11th century. Access to the monks' sleeping accommodation aloft is by ladder. This small rectangular building is positioned at one of the highest points in the town. The Oratory is kept locked, but visitor access can be arranged.
- Just outside the town of Kells on the road to Oldcastle is the hill of Lloyd, named after Thomas Lloyd of Enniskillen, who camped a large Williamite army here during the wars of 1688-91 against the Jacobites. Here also stands an interesting towering building called the Tower of Lloyd, which is an 18th century lighthouse folly in the form of a giant Doric column, surmounted by glazed lantern, erected to the memory of Thomas Taylor, 1st Earl of Bective, by his son. The tower is around 30 m (100 ft) high. From the top one can see magnificent views of the surrounding countryside as far as the Mourne mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland on a clear day. The tower was used to view horse racing and the hunt in the nineteenth century. The plaque on the tower reads: 'This pillar was designed by Henry Aaron Baker Esq. architect was executed by Mr. Joseph Beck stone cutter Mr. Owen Mc Cabe head mason Mr. Bartle Reilly overseer Anno 1791'. The area around the tower has been developed as a community park (The People's Park), and includes the Paupers' Grave. This cemetery was a necessity in the times of great poverty in the country. Mass is still celebrated there annually and the cemetery is a grim reminder of the Workhouse and extreme poverty engendered by changes in farming practice in the 19th century and during the Famine.
Population
The population of Kells town (according to the official 2006 Census of Population) stands at 2257 persons. This represens a slight decrease in population over the 2002 Census. There was a 24.8% increase in total population between 1996 and 2002.
Transport
- The M3 motorway (opened June 2010) and a nearby toll plaza charges €1.30 each way. A second toll plaza closer to Dublin charges the same amount, meaning that the whole M3, costs €5.20 for a return journey to Dublin.
- Kells is presently serviced by a regular bus service from Bus Éireann which takes about 1.5 hours to Busáras in Dublin.
- Meath on Track[3] are seeking reinstatement of the Navan railway link, and on to Dublin. It is estimated that a Kells to Dublin City Centre rail service would take approximately 60 minutes depending on stops.
- The original Kells railway station serviced a line between Oldcastle and Drogheda via Navan and opened on 11 July 1853, closed for passenger traffic on 14 April 1958 and finally closed to all traffic on 1 April 1963.[4]
Kells in popular culture
- Film
- Music
- Sport
- Transport
- Edmund Sheridan of Sheridan Transport, Cavan Road, Kells. Tel: 0872670056
See also
References
- ^ "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_volume_1_pop_classified_by_area.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- ^ For most of the 20th century the town's official name was Ceanannas Mór. In the late 20th century the town reverted to the more widely known English version of its name, Kells, and dropped Mór from the Irish version of the name.
- ^ Meathontrack.com
- ^ "Kells station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
- ^ Munsterrugby.ie
External links
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- Category:Geography of County Meath
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