Kiltimagh, History

St. Aidan's N.S. Kiltimagh Co. Mayo, Ireland

The Ringfort in Aiden St.
This fort is one of several thousand scattered around the country. It is an excellent example. The fertile Irish imagination created "The Fairy Fort", a term which is still used today. It was believed that "the good people," or the fairies, lived in the forts.

Killedan (click here for information)

Rev. Fr. Dennis O'Hara

Fr. Dennis O'Hara

Dennis O'Hara was a native of Cloonacool, Co.Sligo.
He was curate in Killedan from 1873 to 1875 and was parish priest of this parish from 1888 to 1922. He was a strong nationalist, a member of the Land League and a close friend of Michael Davitt and John Dillon.

During his time as parish priest, he organised the building of the houses which today constitute the town of Kiltimagh. Later, he built circular roads at the back of the houses to provide easier access. He also organised water, sewerage, street lighting and other facilities of the town. He built a Church, The Church of the Holy Family, two parochial houses and a Cottage Hospital that was later used as a barracks. Father O'Hara was responsible for bringing the St. Louis nuns to the town on 14th September 1897.

Father O'Hara also begged on behalf of the poor - to do this he wrote to local and foreign newspapers. He stirred up considerable interest in the plight of Kiltimagh. Fr. O'Hara was also a member of the Congested District Board. He defended local tenants against the tyranny of the local landlord (Mr.Ormsby). Fr. Dennis O'Hara worked unselfishly for his people. He was a truly remarkable man whose contribution to the development of Kiltimagh was enormous. Fr. O'Hara died on 26th April 1922, and was buried in Kilkinure cemetery.

The Saint Louis Sisters

Father O'Hara was responsible for bringing the St. Louis nuns to Kiltimagh on the 14th September 1897.They visited the people of the parish and gave advice on household management and started a school to provide instruction in cookery, needlework, laundry and lace making.

Above is the sketch of the new convent prepared for Fr. Denis O'Hara by William H. Byrne, Architects, Dublin.

The nuns opened a Secondary School in 1898 and it became the first boarding school for girls in the Diocese of Achonry.

They took charge of the local Girls' National school (pictured below) in 1903.
This school was in use until 1988 when our new primary school was built. The last St. Louis sister to work on the staff of St. Aidan's N.S. was Sr. Kathleen Foley who still teaches here from time to time.

KILKINURE CEMETERY

Lios Ard, Killeadan is a perfect circle perched on top of a steep hill and crowned by a thick clump of tall beech trees which can be seen for miles. It is famed near and far.	Lios Ard On the slopes of Lios Ard, there are three other authentic and venerable fairy thorns and under an old spreading oak at the foot of the hill is reputedly a place for meetings and dances of fairies at certain times of the year. There are several fairy-forts in the Kiltimagh area.
THE RING FORT
The Ring Fort would be the equivalent of a farmhouse and a farmyard combined. The people who occupied them were the ordinary farming folk. They let their livestock graze by day. By night they brought them into the shelter of the fort. In most forts entrances faced East. Here the entrance is facing North-East. The houses were usually circular, although no trace of house sites can be seen here today. The caves were known as Souterrains. These were dry stone ( without mortar) structures of one or more rooms interconnected by small alcoves called creeps. The uses of this underground feature are thought to have been two-fold: (1) A place for storing perishable goods in warm weather, for example milk or raw meat. (2) A place to hide when under attack or siege.	The Ringfort in Aiden St. This fort is one of several thousand scattered around the country. It is an excellent example. The fertile Irish imagination created "The Fairy Fort", a term which is still used today. It was believed that "the good people," or the fairies, lived in the forts.

Rev. Fr. Dennis O'Hara
Fr. Dennis O'Hara Dennis O'Hara was a native of Cloonacool, Co.Sligo. He was curate in Killedan from 1873 to 1875 and was parish priest of this parish from 1888 to 1922. He was a strong nationalist, a member of the Land League and a close friend of Michael Davitt and John Dillon.	During his time as parish priest, he organised the building of the houses which today constitute the town of Kiltimagh. Later, he built circular roads at the back of the houses to provide easier access. He also organised water, sewerage, street lighting and other facilities of the town. He built a Church, The Church of the Holy Family, two parochial houses and a Cottage Hospital that was later used as a barracks. Father O'Hara was responsible for bringing the St. Louis nuns to the town on 14th September 1897. Father O'Hara also begged on behalf of the poor - to do this he wrote to local and foreign newspapers. He stirred up considerable interest in the plight of Kiltimagh. Fr. O'Hara was also a member of the Congested District Board. He defended local tenants against the tyranny of the local landlord (Mr.Ormsby). Fr. Dennis O'Hara worked unselfishly for his people. He was a truly remarkable man whose contribution to the development of Kiltimagh was enormous. Fr. O'Hara died on 26th April 1922, and was buried in Kilkinure cemetery. Above is a picture of one of the parochial houses which he built.
The Saint Louis Sisters
Father O'Hara was responsible for bringing the St. Louis nuns to Kiltimagh on the 14th September 1897.They visited the people of the parish and gave advice on household management and started a school to provide instruction in cookery, needlework, laundry and lace making. Above is the sketch of the new convent prepared for Fr. Denis O'Hara by William H. Byrne, Architects, Dublin.
The nuns opened a Secondary School in 1898 and it became the first boarding school for girls in the Diocese of Achonry.
They took charge of the local Girls' National school (pictured below) in 1903. This school was in use until 1988 when our new primary school was built. The last St. Louis sister to work on the staff of St. Aidan's N.S. was Sr. Kathleen Foley who still teaches here from time to time.
KILKINURE CEMETERY
Here all the deceased of the Parish of Kiltimagh are laid to rest. In this graveyard are the remains of another old church. The Irish name for this church was Cill Cinn Iomhair meaning Church of the Yews or Church of the Herd.	Father O'Hara's grave