Castletown-Kilpatrick
Townland in County Meath, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Castletown-Kilpatrick, also known as Castletown KP[1] or Castletown (Irish: Baile an Chaisleáin),[2] is a townland and village in County Meath in Ireland.[3] It falls in the Meath East constituency. The Boyne Valley to Lakelands greenway passes through on the disused Navan and Kingscourt Railway line.[4][5]
Castletown
Baile an Chaisleáin Castletown-Kilpatrick | |
|---|---|
Townland | |
Freight train near Castletown in the 1970s | |
 Interactive map of Castletown | |
| Coordinates: 53.78042°N 6.71463°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Meath |
| Irish grid reference | N847819 |
The village lies south of the N52 and east of the R162 regional road, between Kells and Ardee, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Nobber.
History
Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ring fort sites, and a large motte-and-bailey castle site, in Castletown townland.[6] The disused Church of Ireland church in the townland, dedicated to Saint Patrick and likely the origin of "Kilpatrick",[a] was built c. 1820 on the site of an older churchyard.[6][7][8] The existing Roman Catholic church, also dedicated to Saint Patrick, was built c. 1830.[9]
A battle of the 1798 Rebellion, involving revolutionaries from County Wexford, was fought near the village. The casualties were buried in mostly unmarked graves in the nearby Knightstown bog.[10][11]
The Navan and Kingscourt branch line had a halt at the village, which was closed in 1933.[12] The line remained in use for freight use until 2001.[12]
A human-trafficking base of activity was discovered outside the village in 2016.[3]
Amenities
The village has a pub, shop, pitch and putt club,[13] Catholic church and national (primary) school.[14] The church is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath.[15] As of 2024, Castletown National School had an enrollment of 84 pupils.[16]
Notable residents
- Shane McEntee (19 December 1956 – 21 December 2012), Fine Gael politician and Minister of State[17]
- Helen McEntee (born 8 June 1986), Shane's daughter, Fine Gael politician and Minister of Justice[17]
- C. Y. O'Connor (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), Irish engineer based in Australia[18]
