Kilmovee
Kilmovee is a village and civil parish in County Mayo, Ireland. It is a mainly rural parish on the R325 road, midway between Kilkelly and Ballaghaderreen.
In 1975, Kilmovee teacher Seosamh Mac Gabhann set up a Senior Céilí Band in Kilmovee, named Ceoltóirí Mobhí. The band gained recognition with two of their jigs, known as "The Kilmovee Jigs". In 1977 one of the first rural swimming pools in Ireland was opened in Kilmovee.
In March 2004, the Cois Tine Heritage Centre was opened and since then it has become a cultural centre for the people of the area.
In 2011, the Annual Seosamh Mac Gabhann Summer School was established in Kilmovee to honour the Irish language playwright and music teacher Seosamh Mac Gabhann, who lived and worked in Kilmovee for much of his life.
Sport
An annual charity running event, the Kilmovee 10K began in April 2010. It has been called "the flattest 10k in Ireland" and has attracted runners from all over the country.Kilmovee Shamrocks is the local GAA club. The Shamrocks have competed in county and regional competitions, with the ladies' team being particularly successful. Some of these ladies have won All-Ireland titles with the Mayo senior and minor teams and at other levels. Kilmovee GAA won the under-21 Mayo final in September 2007 for the first time. The Shamrocks also won the Under 18 title for the third time in a row in October 2007.
Townlands of Kilmovee
A townland is a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland and Scotland.| Name in English | Name in Irish | Translation |
| Aughadeffin | Achadh Doiffin | Divin's field |
| Ballinrumpa | Baile an Rumpa | town of the rupture or rump |
| Ballyglass | Baile Glas | green village |
| Barcul | Barr Cuill | top of the hazel |
| Carrowbeg | Ceathrú Bheag | the little quarter |
| Carrownalacka | Ceathrú an Leaca | quarter of the hillside |
| Cashellahenny | Caiseal Laithinne | Lahinny's stone fort |
| Clooncara | Cluain Cártha | lawn or meadow of the rock |
| Cloonfaulis | Cluain Falas | bright meadow |
| Cloonfeaghra | Cluain Fiachra | Fiachra's lawn or meadow |
| Clooniron | Cluain Iarrainn | meadow of the iron |
| Cloonnamna | Cluain na Mná | the woman's lawn or meadow |
| Culgarriff | Cor Garbh | coarse round hill |
| Culcastle | Coill an Chaisil | wood of the fort |
| Culclare | Coill a' Chláir | wood of the plain |
| Culiagh | Coilleadh | woodland |
| Derragh | Doire Each | the oakwood of the horses |
| Derrynaleck | Doire na Leice | oakwood of the flat stone |
| Glantavraun | Gleann Tabhráin | Tavran's Glen |
| Gowlaun | Gabhlán | a small fork |
| Kilkelly | Cill Cheallaigh | Ceallach's church |
| Kilmore | Coill Mhór | great wood |
| Kilmovee | Cill Mobhi | St Mobhi's church |
| Knockbrack | Cnoc Breac | speckled hill |
| Leveelick | Leath-Mhíliuc | the marshy half |
| Magheraboy | Machaire Buí | yellow plain |
| Raherolish | Rath ar Eolais | Eolus' Fort |
| Rathnagussaun | Rath na nGiosán | fort of the pikes |
| Rusheens East | Ruisíní | small point of land, or small woods |
| Rusheens West | Ruisíní | small point of land, or small woods |
| Shammerbawn | Seamair Bán | white sorrel, or shamrock |
| Shammerdoo | Seamair Dubh | black sorrel, or shamrock |
| Skeheen | Sceithín | a small bush or lone thorn |
| Sinolane | Sonnach-mhulláin | mound or rampart of the hill |
| Sraheens | Sraithíní | small holms |
| Tavrane | Teamhrán | a little hill commanding fine prospect |
| Tullyganny | Tulach Gainimh | hill of the sand |
| Egool | Accomhal | Old Irish, meaning a junction or connecting piece of Land |
| Urlaur | Urlár | a floor |
History
In pre-Norman Ireland, the lands of Kilmovee formed part of the Kingdom of Sliabh Lugha, a territory ruled by the O'Gadhra Dynasty. Sliabh Lugha was a subdivision of the larger Gailenga kingdom, from which derives the modern name Gallen.After the Norman Invasion, the parish of Kilmovee became part of the Barony of Costello. The Nangle or de Angelo invaders came southwest from the De Lacy territory in Carrick-on-Shannon and forced the O'Gadhras from their stronghold in Airtech Mór, building their own castle there in 1225. It became known as Castlemore and the region was sometimes called Castlemore-MacCostello.
Coolavin - The sept of O'Gara were given as Lord of Cuil Obh-Finn and of Sliabh Lugha which was part of the Barony of Costello in Co. Mayo, where they had spread in the 13th century. O'Gara was seated at Moygara castle. By the 13th century the MacDermots became lords of Coolavin.
Source:
The Annals of Connacht mention a skirmish which took place in Clooncara, Kilmovee in 1464:
Source:
Ogham stone
An ogham stone found in a wall in Kilmovee is now mounted beside "The Three Wells." "The Three Wells" are reputed to have sprung up when St. Mobhi struck the ground with his staff when he had no water to baptise the local people.According to the the inscription is somewhat damaged but the legible part reads: ALATTOS MAQI BR--
Historical features
;Brooklawn HouseThe first residence of the [Bishop of Achonry in the Ballaghaderreen area.
;The Glebe
The residence of the Protestant Rector for Ballaghaderreen. When the French army was marching east from Killala to Longford, the battalion came through Kilmovee to cross the River Lung. Local farmers joined the battalion to fight off the enemy. When the battalion was defeated, the local farmers’ lands were confiscated and given to the Protestant Church.
;Church of Mobhí
Kilmovee is known in Irish as Cill Mobhí. Mobhí was known as "Mobhí the Teacher" and is believed to have died in 545 AD. The name Mobhí is a pet form of the name Berchán.
St. Mobhi's monastery at Glasnevin was frequented by such famous men as St. Canice, St. Comgall, and St. Ciaran. A pestilence which devastated Ireland in 544 caused the dispersion of Mobhi's disciples, and Columba returned to Ulster, the land of his kindred.
;Old RIC Barrack
According to the 1901 census there were three RIC Barracks in the parish of Kilmovee; one in Kilkelly, one at Rathnagussaun and one at Sraheens. The Barracks at Sraheens is still standing though now derelict. During the War of Independence, in June 1921, the RIC barracks at Sraheens was subjected to sniper fire from the Kilkelly Company of the East Mayo IRA under the command of Mick Moffett. One Black and Tan soldier was wounded during the operation and as a result the barracks was abandoned, thus ending colonial rule in this small corner of Connaught.
;Stone Forts
The parish of Kilmovee has numerous Iron Age stone forts in various states of preservation the finest preserved examples can be seen in Culcastle and Shammerdoo.