Killallon

Killallon civil parish is situated in the barony of Fore, County Meath. It has an area of 7,626 acres.

Etymology

The parish was originally named after the early Irish church founded there in the 6th century by Saint Dallán Forgaill. The Preface to the Amhra Coluim Cille states Dallán composed the poem in County Meath. The original name of the church was Cill Dalláin, meaning 'The Church of Dallán'. The Irish name was later corrupted into different spellings such as Killalon, Killaloone, etc.[1] John O'Donovan (scholar) in his Ordnance Survey Letters for Meath[2] stated- The parish of Killallon is called by the Irish 'Cill Dhaluain' i.e. Ecclesia Daluani or Cella Sancti Dallani. The patron saint of the parish had been changed by 1836 to Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, probably by the later Norman landowners, but O'Donovan said this change of name was not unusual. Paul Walsh in 'The Placenames of Westmeath'[3] disputes O'Donovan's interpretation and claims the parish is named after the leading branch of Clann Cholmáin Bicc known as the Coille Follamain or Caille Follamain, after the King of Meath Fallomon mac Con Congalt who died in 766 AD. However Hogan's Onomasticon Goedelicum[4] and the Martyrology of Donegal (under 14 September)[5] both state that Caille Follamain is in the parish of Russagh, County Westmeath which is 20 miles away from Killallon. The 1938 Dúchas Folklore collection gives a history of the churches and folklore in the parish.[6][7] The present church is situated in Boherard townland.[8]

Townlands

The townlands of Killallon civil parish are[9]-

Boherard; Cloneveran; Clongowny; Dunnagorran; Galboystown; Geehanstown; Gibbonstown; Glebe; Harstown; Herbertstown; Keenaghan; Killacroy; Kingsmountain; Lakefield; Loughanbrean; Loughanderg; Monennigan; Newtown; Pigotstown; Rathbrack; Seraghstown; Shanco; Sranaboll and Stirrupstown.

References

1. "Coill Fhallúin/Killallon". Logainm.ie.
2. O'Donovan, John (11 April 2001). Ordnance Survey Letters Meath: Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the County of Meath Collected During the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1836. Four Masters Press. ISBN 9781903538036 – via Google Books.
3. Walsh, Paul (11 April 1957). "The placenames of Westmeath". Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – via Google Books.
4. "DOI: Onomasticon Goedelicum (C)". research.ucc.ie.
5. O'Clery, Michael; O'Donovan, John; Reeves, William; Todd, James Henthorn (11 April 1864). "The martyrology of Donegal : a calendar of the saints of Ireland". Dublin : Printed for the Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society by A. Thom – via Internet Archive.
6. "Baile Mhic Aodháin, | The Schools' Collection". dúchas.ie.
7. "Text search". dúchas.ie.
8. "ME01085 - BOHERARD - Church". MeathHeritage.com. 6 December 2012.
9. "Townlands in Killallon". www.townlands.ie.

External links

• Saint Dallán Forgaill (c.560 -c.640), alias Eochaid Éices