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St. Etchens church and abbey Killucan The present church dated 1813 stands
on the site of the 6th century abbey founded by St. Etchen. It remained
an abbey until the Norman invasion in the 12th century. It was then converted
into a parish church which was known as St. Margarets Church Rathwire. A small portion of this old church remains today. It is covered by ivy and has a gothic window with Celtic interlacing. Attached to the abbey wall is a small piece of alter slab inscribed in Latin dated 1604. It was part of the altar presented to St. Margarets by the Darcy family. The present church is designed with Norman arches and has a fine steeple. Inside the church there are several artifacts some of which date back to the 13th century. The baptismal Font from the 13th century is a fine example of stone carving. It is still used today for baptisms. The pulpit, presented by the Darcy family in 1904 is carved from oak. The Lectern, also known as The Eagle is mounted on brass and stands over six feet tall. It was presented by the Vandeleur family in 1881. The Church houses some beautiful stain glass windows. The east window above the holy table is the work of the renowned artist Sarah Purser. It depicts the 'Good Shepherd' with his sheep on one half and the 'Good Samaritan' on the other, in brilliant colors. |
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| Graveyard
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The graveyard surrounding St. Etchens Church has many old graves some dating back to the 17th century. There are two vaults owned by the Vandeleur and Ramage families. The most Rev. Robert Bonsall Pike DD Bishop of Meath 1959 - 1973 is the only Bishop buried here. Underneath the Church is a vault where nine of the Pakenham family are interred. In 1901 the Hon. Major Frederick Beaucham Pakenham was the last member of his family to be buried here. |  |
| Wayside Crosses
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Standing in a little grove just outside the village of Killucan are three wayside crosses. These date back to the 16th and 17th century. The center cross commemorates Arthur Darcy and his wife who died in 1604. It originally stood in the center of Killucan village. The cross on the left originally stood beside the old Dublin Athlone mail road at Crossanstown. It was moved here for safety. Tiriogh McKenny and his wife Alison Plunkett mentioned on the inscription died in a coaching accident in 1531. The cross on the right is the only one in its original position. It was erected to the memory of John McLoghlin and his wife Jovan Hughes who were killed by a runaway horse in 1601. In the past funerals passing halted here and placed the coffin on the flat stone beside the crosses. The people knelt and prayed for the souls of those commemorated. |  |
Rathwire Moat |
From its commanding position and the evidence remaining of its circumference, Rathwire Moat must have been the principal fortress of the district. This moat may be sepulchral also, containing the ashes of the pagan prince Guaire. Tradition tells of the Moat dog with chain and collar of gold who guarded his master and has been known to chase intruders away from the sacred spot. Hugh de Lacy built a stone castle just south of the Moat taking care not to meddle with the ancient site. He installed his cousin Robert as Baron of Rathwire. Traces of this castle can still be seen today. There is also a subterranean passage which leads to the Abbey of Killucan. |  |
| Market House |
The Market House Killucan is a fine example of a well preserved stone building of character, dating back to approx. 1737. It was a busy market place in the early part of this century. In a lease agreement between the Earl of Longford and the Grand Jury of Westmeath, the petty sessions court was first held there on the 1st March 1884 and continued until 1968. Recently due to its uniqueness it was featured in the film Fools of Fortune starring Julie Christie. |  |
 © 1997 |
