Killoshulan

45 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Killoshulan, from 875 m² to 689,439 m² (68.94 ha, 170.36 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 33 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Killoshulan in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 14 Aug 2026Conditional

  of existing domestic drystore shed and all associated site development works

  Retention · Kilkenny County Council, 2660511

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Spahill and Clomantagh Hill SAC 000849
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Spahill And Clomantagh Hill 000849

Recorded monuments

• KK008-126 Enclosure
  Description

  Just below the highest point of a ridge. Shown on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map as D-shaped enclosure with straight SE side and on the 1900 ed. as a hachured circular enclosure (diam. c. 20m). Within a large conifer plantation. Not visible at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 4 October 2017

• KK009-051 Enclosure
  Description

  On a flat terrace between the upper and lower slopes of a valley, in reclaimed grassland. There are good views in all directions, except to the NW where the land is rising. Identified on an aerial photograph (GSI roll 43, print 36) and also visible on ASI aerial photographs (ASIAP (174) 26-7, 3 March 2001) and Digitalglobe imagery (viewed 7 February 2018) as a circular cropmark (overall diam. c. 50m) with an inner and outer fosse. It is not visible at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-052 Enclosure
  Description

  On a broad gently sloping terrace below uplands and above the valley, in rolling grassland. Views are good views across the valleys from E-S-W and restricted to the N by rising ground. Identified as a circular cropmark (diam. c. 15m) on an aerial photograph (GSI roll 43, print 34). It is not visible at ground level. There are several small quarry holes in this and adjacent fields. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-053 Ringfort - unclassified
  Description

  On a steep E-facing slope of upland, in good rolling grassland. There are good views to the E and S, poor to the N and land rising steeply to the W. Indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch sheet and 1900 revision as a slightly oval-shaped enclosure (diam. c. 33m N-S; c. 36m E-W). The monument has been levelled and is only visible at ground level as differential grass growth indicating the fosse. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-054 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  Identified on an aerial photograph (GSI roll 43, print 35) this is a circular enclosure (diam. c. 28m) defined by traces of a slight bank and shallow outer fosse. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-055001 Church
  Description

  Described in the OS Letters (1839) as, 'a bit of the wall of an old Church in the Townland of Killashulan, with a place a little to the north of it for the interment of still born infants. The inhabitants call this place Teampall Chlasi Shuibhlain, i.e., the Church of Shulawn's Trench, and know nothing more about it. The part remaining appears to have been of the western gable' (O'Flanagan (ed.) 1930, vol. 1, 150 (49)). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 259), 'The kyle or church has been destroyed, but its site is well known', also he takes issue with O'Curry's translation of the name in the OS Letters and states that the correct name is 'Teampall Killashoolan, or Church of Killashoolan' and contains no reference to a trench. Slight traces of the foundations are visible in an area of rough ground. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-055002 Graveyard
  Description

  Indicated by a dashed line on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map as a D-shaped area (dims. c. 34m N-S; c. 36m E-W) extending westward from a roughly N-S field boundary. The dashed line suggests that the area was not enclosed. It is described in the OS Letters (1839) as, 'a bit of the wall of an old Church in the Townland of Killashulan, with a place a little to the north of it for the interment of still born infants. The inhabitants call this place Teampall Chlasi Shuibhlain, i.e., the Church of Shulawn's Trench, and know nothing more about it' (O'Flanagan (ed.) 1930, vol. 1, 150 (49)). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 259), 'The churchyard has no inscribed monuments. it was last used for an adult interment about 1830; it is still used for the burial of unbaptized children', also he takes issue with O'Curry's translation of the name in the OS Letters and states that the correct name is 'Teampall Killashoolan, or Church of Killashoolan' and contains no reference to a trench. O'Kelly (1969, 11) refers to it as, 'a burial ground for still-born children, usually described as reilig na mgárlach'. The graveyard is not visible at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 February 2018

• KK009-056001 Castle - tower house
  Description

  On raised ground built into an E-facing slope in undulating terrain. In woodland which obscures the views. There are very good views to NE-E and good S of hills on opposite side of valley but limited to the W by the rise in slope. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 259) the castle of Killoshulan was forfeited by the Shortalls under Cromwell and ‘Edmund Butler, brother of Lord Galmoy lived here in the 17th century; he was slain at Aughrim in 1691’. Though Carrigan (ibid.) suggests that the present tower house was too small to be the main castle, it has all the features associated with a tower house and was protected by a bawn (KK009-056002-). Only a length (38m) of bawn wall survives, c. 40m to the SE of the tower house, running NE-SW. A three-story circular tower house (ext. diam. c. 6.4m) built on bedrock, constructed of limestone rubble roughly coursed, with good survival of harling externally. The walls are gradually battered towards the base. The tower house is entered through a pointed doorway facing E. The doorway was protected by a yett or metal grille, as evidenced by a yett-hole in the S external rebate and by a machicolation at parapet level, though only the supporting corbels survive. On the external rebate there is a latin inscription incised around the head of the doorway. The inscription is in lower case antiqua script, a form which dates from the 15th century. Only the first part of the inscription is legible, it reads: omnium fert aetas castell[um]….. The lobby area is broken out internally, but it was protected by a murder-hole overhead and there are the remains of a recess to the N, perhaps for a guard. The ground floor chamber (diam. 3.2m; H 2.5m) was entered from the lobby. It is lit by three flat-headed single-light windows in the N, SW and NW. The upper floors were reached from a mural stair which rises from the entrance lobby along the SE wall. The stair (Wth 0.62-0.74m) is lit by a number of narrow loops, though between ground and first-floor level there is a rectangular gun-loop. The first floor, which has a corbelled vaulted roof, was entered through a partially broken out flat-headed doorway. It rested on a wooden floor which no longer survives. The first-floor chamber was lit by two narrow flat-headed windows, facing E and NW respectively, with some light also provided by the loop in the outer wall of the stair, when the door was open. There is a loop similarly placed opposite the entrance to the second floor, though the doorway is completely broken out and has been partially reconstructed. Unusually the garderobe chamber, which is very small, is situated at the top of the stairs, just beyond the entrance to the second floor. Within the gardrobe chamber there is a slop-stone with narrow loop overhead which splays towards the base and there is a narrow rectangular loop in the external side wall above the garderobe chute, which exits in the N face. The second floor chamber (dims. 3.3m x 3.7m; H 2.88m) is lit by three windows, facing roughly N, E and S, all have been broken out and the E and S have been widened, the arch of the E embrasure has been repaired with brick. There is a small, low wall-cupboard in the SE face. In the W portion of the wall there is a flat-headed entrance to a small lobby, lit by a cross-loop, which gives access to a very narrow (Wth 0.4m) mural stair to parapet level. See attached photographs: KK009-056001-_01 E face KK009-056001-_02 Detail of entrance doorway in the E face KK009-056001-_03 Mural stair KK009-056001-_04 Cross-loop at second-floor level - interior Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 August 2018

• KK009-056002 Bawn
  Description

  On raised ground built into an E-facing slope in undulating terrain. In woodland which obscures the views. There are very good views to NE-E and good S of hills on opposite side of valley but limited to the W by the rise in slope. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 259) the castle of Killoshulan was forfeited by the Shortalls under Cromwell and ‘Edmund Butler, brother of Lord Galmoy lived here in the 17th century; he was slain at Aughrim in 1691’. Though Carrigan (ibid.) suggests that the circular tower house (KK009-056001-) was too small to be the main castle, it has all the features associated with a tower house and was protected by a bawn (KK009-056002-). Only a length (L int. 37.35m; ext. 38.22m) of bawn wall survives, c. 40m to the ESE of the tower house, running NNE-SSW. The bawn (T 0.85-0.95m; H above int. 2.6m: H above ext. 3m) is constructed of roughly coursed rubble walling including some quite large boulders. There are 3 roughly square put-logs (Wth 0.15m; H 0.2m) through the wall thickness c. 11-15m apart and 1.75-2.1m H above ext. ground level. At the S end the wall (T 0.97m) turns at right angles to run north-westward for c. 10m, though much of this is collapsed and obscured by rubble, up to the S end of a ruinous 19th-century outbuilding. The SE angle of the bawn is 56m from the tower house. The wall, not indicated as a bawn wall, is shown on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map running southward from the SE angle of an E-W range of outbuildings. This range of buildings is not indicated on the 1900 revision. See attached photographs: KK009-056002-_01 E wall of bawn – interior from S KK009-056002-_02 E wall of bawn – interior from N Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 August 2018

• KK009-086 Enclosure
  Description

  On gentle S-facing slope in rolling grassland. Good views across valley to S and W and river plain to E. Identified as an oval enclosure (dims. c. 82m NE-SW; c. 70m NW-SE) on an aerial photograph (GSI S421) and visible on OS ortho imagery. A curving field boundary, visible on the 1st (1839) and revised (1900) ed. OS 6-inch map formed the NW boundary of the monument, however, by 1987 this had been removed and the field tilled. The enclosure is not visible at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 3 April 2017

• KK009-088 Field system
  Description

  On a fairly steeply slope, in pasture. There are a number of field banks (Wth 1.5-2m; H 0.3-0.6m) which may be forming paddocks associated with a farmhouse and yard immediately to the W. The farm is visible on the 1st (1839) and revised (1900) ed. OS 6-inch maps. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 3 April 2017

• KK009-121 Field system
  Description

  In a relatively level boggy area beside the upper reaches of a small stream. A complex of small banked and ditched enclosures. The banks are on average 1.5m wide and 0.5-1m high. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 4 April 2017

• KK013-101001 Enclosure
  Description

  Slightly S of and below the crest of an E-W ridge of hills running along the N side of the Nuenna river valley, in rough pasture and bracken. There are good views in all directions, except to N. Identified as an enclosure on an aerial photograph (GSI S421, 1:30,000). A roughly oval enclosure (dims. 51m NE-SW; 44m NW-SE) defined by an earthen bank (int. H 0.5m; ext. H 0.5m; Wth at crest 1.5m; overall Wth 3m), except in the N quadrant where the enclosure is built into the hillslope creating a drop (H 1m) from the external ground level to the interior. Much of the interior has been quarried into and there is also a small quarry pit (dims. c. 10m) in the N quadrant through the enclosing element. A trackway which runs up to the NE angle of the enclosure appears to run E-NE towards the farm buildings at Killoshulan Castle (KK09-056001-) c. 500m to the ENE or towards the road to the NE. As with the enclosure, the quarry and trackway are not indicated on any OS maps, however, both the latter are possibly contemporary. There are openings through the bank in the SE and SW with a trackway running up to both, probably a farm trackway. A number of field boundaries radiate from the enclosure. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 April 2020

• KK013-101002 Field system
  Description

  Slightly S of and below the crest of an E-W ridge of hills running along the N side of the Nuenna river valley, in rough pasture and bracken. There are good views in all directions, except to N. Identified as a field system on an aerial photograph (GSI S421, 1:30,000). This consists of a number of field boundaries which radiate out from an enclosure (KK013-101001-), some of which may be contemporary with the enclosure. It is likely that other field boundaries and trackways are later, the latter possibly relating to quarrying which took place within the enclosure. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 April 2020

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Killoshulan.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Killoshulan, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as high, moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Killoshulan.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Killoshulan with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Kilkenny.

Name

Killoshulan · Cill Ó Siúláin

Area

4,778,104 m² (477.81 ha, 1,180.7 acres)

Civil parish

Fertagh, and its townlands

Barony

Crannagh

Electoral division

Balleen, the unit of the census

Census 2022

517 people lived in 173 households in the Balleen electoral division. 93% of households owned their home. 33% of homes were built since 2001. 6% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Barna, Clomantagh (Mt. Garret), Clomantagh Lower, Foyle South, Frankford or Ballykieran, Newtown, Spahill

Placenames

Killoshulan on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.