Killorglin
Killorglin ( Irish : Cill Orglan ) is a small town in the south of County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland . It is located at the northern end of the Iveragh Peninsula on the left bank of the River Laune . The city has 4150 inhabitants ( CSO , as of 2011).
The name means "Church of the Orglin". The N70 from Tralee and the N72 from Killarney to Cahersiveen cross in Killorglin . Killorglin is therefore also known as the gateway to the Ring of Kerry . In fact, it is only through the center of Killorglin on the Ring of Kerry to the south.
Puck Fair
At the folk festival in Killorglin, which goes back to pre-Christian traditions, a billy goat is crowned King of Killorglin on August 10th. The coronation is carried out on the first day of the three-day festival in the village center by the oldest virgin in the village (usually a girl from the 6th grade of the local elementary school). The name Puck Fair , as the festival is called, is a combination of Phuca (contained in Poulaphuca = cave of Phuca), a mythological figure portrayed as a goat, and the cattle market. The Christianized version of the origin of the festival was created in Oliver Cromwell's time between 1649 and 1653. However, it is not known exactly where the festival originated. Two slates next to the bronze statue of the billy goat at the entrance to the village tell of the legend of the origin of the festival.
A comparable “Goat sculpture” called Johann is in Cushendun in Northern Ireland .
economy
There are around 20 pubs , three petrol stations and three supermarkets (Eurospar, Super Valu and Aldi) in Killorglin. In addition, the headquarters of the international financial services company Fexco is located in Killorglin , which employs around 800 people. Other companies from the pharmaceutical industry also offer jobs. For a few years now there have also been two office and residential buildings on the new Library Place. In these buildings, the tourist information Killorglin Library (is library ) that Kerry County Council, a supermarket, a café and the software company Annadale Technologies housed. Furthermore, Killorglin has numerous shops for daily needs, a post office, some pharmacies and doctors.
Sports
Killorglin has a pronounced social life in the field of sports:
- The Mood Rangers are the local club of the Gaelic Athletic Association
- Killorglin has a relatively young but very scenic 18-hole golf course
- Killorglin Rugby Club
- Killorglin Sports and Leisure Center
- Killorglin Rowing Club
- yoga
Sights, art and culture
In addition to a lively nightlife - especially on weekends - Killorglin also has cultural attractions.
Blennerhassett Monument
In the large parking lot (Fair Field) is the Blennerhassett Monument, which was built in honor of the Kerry militia Townsend Blennerhassett. He drowned in the mouth of the River Laune in 1867 trying to save a friend from drowning.
Bewick Art Collection
Pauline Bewick (born 1935 in Northumberland, England) is one of the most famous contemporary Irish artists. On her 70th birthday in 2005, she donated a large part of her unsold works of art to the Irish state, which used them to create three exhibitions. One of these exhibits can be viewed in the County Council Building on Library Place in Killorglin. The entrance is through the revolving door to the right of the café, and entry is free as with almost all Irish art exhibitions. In addition to early works by the artist from the 1930s, the Bewick Art Collection Killorglin also shows works from the Yellow Man series and from the South Seas Cycle that emerged in Polynesia .
St. James Church (Catholic)
In 1837 a school and a church were built on the site of the present church. The nave had a classic cross plan, had a thatched roof and only a trampled ground floor. In 1887, the two-year construction of the current church in Gothic style began according to plans by the Irish architect James Joseph McCarthy . The sandstone for the building was brought in from neighboring Castlemaine on the newly opened railway line. The altar comes from Sicily.
Former churches
Some former churches in Killorglin were sold to private individuals after the construction of more modern churches. B. as a restaurant (Sol y Sombra on Main Street) or as a cultural site (Chapel on the Hill on Market Street).
Community partnerships
The French municipality of Plouha in Brittany is a partner municipality of Killorglin.
traffic
The Killorglin station was on the Farranfore – Valencia Harbor railway .
Web links
- Killorglin on the Ring of Kerry
- Homepage of the Puck Fair
- Annadale Technologies
- Fexco to let 60 workers go from Kerry facility
- About Killorglin
Coordinates: 52 ° 6 ′ N , 9 ° 47 ′ W