Kilgarvan

Kilgarvan Irish: Cill Gharbháin
County Kerry
Ruins of Ardtully House outside Kilgarvan
Location
Grid reference:	W007733
Location:	51°54’15"N, 9°26’12"W
Data
Population:	264  (2022)
Local Government
Dáil constituency:	Kerry

Kilgarvan is a small village in County Kerry. It stands on the banks of the Roughty River which flows into Kenmare Bay. The nearest town is Kenmare which is seven miles to the west along the R569 road. Killarney is eleven miles to the north.

The road through the village forms part of the R569 regional road from Kenmare to Poulgorm Bridge.

History

Mural painting of Ardtully House on Kilgaravan Main Street

Kilgarvan is a village in southeast County Kerry near the Cork boundary. Kilgarvan was the site of the Battle of Callann in 1261 which reduced Norman power in Ireland for almost 300 years. The battle site is located in the townland of Callann (pronounced 'Collon').

Nearby the town are the ruins of "Ardtully House". This house was built in a castle style by the wealthy landowner Sir Richard John Theodore Orpen (1788-1876), Knight of Ardtully, in 1847. It replaced a number of earlier structures, dating as far back as 1215. It was associated with a number of families including Carew, McCarthy, Dillon, Babbington and Conway. Only ruins remain as it was burned down in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. Directions on how to find the Castle are painted on the wall of a house on Main Street in Kilgarvan.

About the village

By Kilgarvan is a Coillte Millennium Forest, at Rossacroo-na-loo. Here too is a motor museum with a collection of vintage and classic cars.

Sport

• Gaelic games: Kilgarvan GAA

On film

Kilgarvan was featured in The Wind That Shakes the Barley which was shot primarily in Cork but featured a part filmed in Muing Mhór (Meeng Voor,) near the top of Borlin in Kilgarvan.

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Kilgarvan)

References

• Cill Gharbháin / Kilgarvan: Placenames Database of Ireland