Mohil

71 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Mohil, from 58 m² to 285,056 m² (28.51 ha, 70.44 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 29 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 Mohil 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.

• 8 Feb 2021Conditional

  for development that will consist of (a) construction of a milking parlour, dairy plant room store, collecting yard with slatted effluent tank, drafting and handling facilities (b) construction of a slatted cubicle shed, together with all associated site works

  Permission · Kilkenny County Council, 2164

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: River Barrow and River Nore SAC 002162
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Dunmore Cave 000401

Recorded monuments

• KK010-078001 Church
  Description

  On the SE slopes of the Dinin river valley, in rolling grassland. There are good views across the valley. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 459), the church, 'was dedicated to St. Nicholas of Tolentine (Sept. 10). It continued to be used for Protestant service, from the time of the Reformation to about 1732, when it was almost entirely thrown down and rebuilt. Dr. Tennison, Protestant Bishop of Ossory, in his Visitation Book of the year 1732, notes that the church of Mothel "was lately begun to be rebuilt." Protestant service ceased here about 1800, when a new Protestant parish church of Mothell was erected at Coolcullen'. The church (max. dims. 14m E-W; 7m N-S; wall T 0.62m) and E end of a tower built of roughly coursed limestone rubble with occasional larger sandstone blocks. The Mothel handball club's handball alley is built onto the W end of the church, incorporating the E wall of the adjoining tower. The earlier handball alley, which was constructed with shuttered concrete, has been heightened with concrete blocks and the building has a corrugated iron roof. The W gable of the church projects eastward from the E wall of the W tower. The gable has been levelled off below the apex, at the same level as the wall of the tower. The N wall of the church is on the same line as the N wall of the W tower, visible at the NE angle of the tower continuing behind the external concrete shuttering. The S wall of the tower projects southward from the church and appears to be replaced by concrete shuttering running from the SE angle of the tower. The quoins of the tower are small crudely cut blocks of limestone. A blocked round-headed doorway (Wth 1.66m; H 2.6m), supported by thin voussoirs set on edge, the cut-stone surrounds are missing, connected the church and tower. The church is poorly preserved, the E gable is missing and the eastern end of both the N and S walls, which otherwise survive (H c. 3m). There is evidence of two windows in the N wall of the church, only the W splay of the window embrasure of the easternmost window survives (L 3.95m from NE angle). The lower portion of the embrasure of the other N wall window survives (L 9.1m from NE angle; ext. Wth 0.73m; int. Wth 1.1m), as does the embrasure of a window in the S wall (L 6.86m from SE angle; ext. Wth 0.72m; int. Wth 1.15m) though the top of this latter embrasure is also missing. Described in the OS Letters (1839), the 'walls of this old Church remain to their full height, but there is a large breach in the middle of the east gable which has carried away the window except its flat pointed top and a bit of its north side, which are built of thin square chipped stones. There is a window in the middle of the south side extending from the top of the wall to within two and a half feet [c. 0.75m] of the ground (the wall is nine feet [c. 2.7m] high and two feet [c. 0.6m] thick) and three feet eight inches [1.12m] wide on the inside and two feet six inches [0.76m] wide on the outside. There are two windows of the same size and four in the north wall all broken at top. There is a pointed doorway in the west gable, seven feet four inches [2.23m] high, of which the arch measures one foot seven inches [0.48m], and five feet two inches [1.57m] wide. It is well built of small thin square chipped stones, but the arch is very rude. This doorway is closed up from the outside for the purpose of a Ball Alley. There is a belfry with one sharp pointed hole on this gable. There is a well frequented burying ground near it. I have no historical reference to this old Church, which measures forty seven and a half feet [c. 14.5m] in length, and nineteen and a half [c. 6m] in breadth, built all of small thin square stones but none of them cut' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 36-7 (12-13)). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 5 March 2019

• KK010-078002 Graveyard
  Description

  On the SE slopes of the Dinin river valley, in rolling grassland. There are good views across the valley. The church (KK010-078001-), is roughly N of centre within a stone walled graveyard of irregular plan (dim. N-S at W end c. 14m widening to c. 37m at E end; E-W c. 61m). The graveyard is entered via a gate at the N end of the W wall, with a stile immediately to the S. The OS Letters (1839) mention that the church has, 'a well frequented burying ground near it' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 36-7 (12-13)). According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 459), 'None of the head-stones in the graveyard are older than about 1750'. There are crude grave-markers in rows N-S along the S side of the graveyard. There are a small number of headstones which date from the 19th century onwards. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 5 March 2019

• KK014-015001 Church
  Description

  On top of a flat-topped hill on the E side of the Dinin river valley, in rolling pasture. There are commanding views in all directions. Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 458-9) records the tradition that a church, 'Thomple-Vweahal or parish church of Mothell, stood within Mothell rath [KK014-015003-], a great fort near the present graveyard; that it [the church] was destroyed by the Danes in one of their hostile incursions into this part of the country; and that its foundations, still remaining beneath the floor of the rath, can be traced, during very dry summers, by means of the withered grass'. According to O'Kelly (1985, 44) the church was dedicated to St Nicholas and was used for Protestant worship until 1800 when it was abandoned. O'Kelly (ibid.) also mentions a graveyard (KK014-015002-) within the ringfort. The interior of the ringfort is overgrown with scrub and partially planted with conifers. In 1972 some irregular features, including several circular, curvilinear and straight depressions and slight banks, were noted mainly E of centre in the interior but no structure could be discerned (OPW correspondence, 24 February 1972). There is no visible trace of either the church or graveyard at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 May 2020

• KK014-015002 Graveyard
  Description

  On top of a flat-topped hill on the E side of the Dinin river valley, in rolling pasture. There are commanding views in all directions. Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 458-9) records the tradition that a church (KK014-015001-) , 'Thomple-Vweahal or parish church of Mothell, stood within Mothell rath [KK014-015003-], a great fort near the present graveyard; that it [the church] was destroyed by the Danes in one of their hostile incursions into this part of the country; and that its foundations, still remaining beneath the floor of the rath, can be traced, during very dry summers, by means of the withered grass'. According to O'Kelly (1985, 44) the church was dedicated to St Nicholas and was used for Protestant worship until 1800 when it was abandoned. O'Kelly (ibid.) also mentions a graveyard within the ringfort. The interior of the ringfort is overgrown with scrub and partially planted with conifers. In 1972 some irregular features, including several circular, curvilinear and straight depressions and slight banks, were noted mainly E of centre in the interior but no structure could be discerned (OPW correspondence, 24 February 1972). There is no visible trace of either the church or graveyard at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 May 2020

• KK014-015003 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  On top of a flat-topped hill on the E side of the Dinin river valley, in rolling pasture. There are commanding views in all directions. Another ringfort (KK014-016----) is located c. 20m to the S. There is a tradition of a church (KK014-015001-) and graveyard (KK014-015002-) within the interior (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 458-9; O'Kelly 1985, 44). A roughly circular area (diam. c. 65m) defined by a much denuded stoney bank (int. H 0.65m; ext H 1.4m; overall Wth 4m; Wth at crest 2m), flattened V-shaped fosse (Wth 1.75m; D 1.7m), substantial outer bank (ext. H 1.4m; overall Wth 6m) and an almost entirely infilled outer fosse (Wth 5m). There is an original entrance (Wth 4-5m) through both banks at the NE and a modern entrance (Wth 2m) at the SE. The interior, which slopes towards the NE, is overgrown with scrub and partially planted in conifers. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 May 2020

• KK014-016 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  On top of a flat-topped hill on the E side of the Dinin river valley, in rolling pasture. There are commanding views in all directions. Another ringfort (KK014-015003-) is located c. 20m to the N. When visited in 1972 it consisted of a circular, flat area (diam. c. 70m) enclosed by a wide, low earthen bank and broad shallow external fosse and is described in 1987 as being levelled, with a barely discernible bank (int. H 0.1-0.2m; ext. H c. 0.3m, increasing to c. 1m in the E sector). The interior slopes to the SE. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 May 2020

• KK014-017 Cave
  Description

  National Monument (No. 399). A N-S ridge of limestone, rising to the Castlecomer Plateau to the N and E and falling to the Dinin valley to the W and NW, surrounded by younger Carboniferous rocks consisting of sandstones, shales and siltstones (Drew and Huddart 1980, 2). The cave is divided into a number of chambers of which the Market Cross Chamber in the extreme S and the Rabbit Burrow in the extreme N, were the most difficult to access. The cave is mentioned in Old Irish literature as being one of the darkest places in Ireland, and as the place where the monster Luchtigern, ‘The Lord of the Mice’ was slain (Harbison 1970, 129). The Annals of the Four Masters (O’Donovan 1854) state that in A. D. 928, ‘Godfrey, grandson of Imhar, with the foreigners of Ath Cliath, demolished and plundered Dearc Fearna, where one thousand persons were killed’, though other Annals give 929 and 930 as the date of the raid (Drew and Huddart 1980, 2, 18). O’Donovan tentatively associated Dearc Fearna, the ‘Cave of the Alders’ with Dunmore cave (O’Donovan 1854), a suggestion which was supported by later authors (Drew and Huddart 1980, 2). A description of the cave by Molyneaux in 1709 mentions human skeletal remains in the Rabbit Burrow and these were further described by others in the second half of the 19th century (ibid.). Isolated finds within the cave include a bronze and an iron plain ringed pin with a looped head, which were simple dress fasteners worn by both Irish and Vikings in the Early Medieval Period, a fragment of a decorated bronze strap and an iron axe-head found in association with a large number of bones (ibid., 14-15). The Market Cross Chamber and the Rabbit Burrow were excavated in 1973 and human bones, silver coins, half an amber ring, iron objects and glass beads were uncovered (ibid., 16-17). The coins, all from the Market Cross Chamber, provide the firmest dating evidence, giving a date range not earlier than 879 and not later than 930 A.D. (ibid., 18-19) which appears to accord with the chroniclers who suggest that the Dublin Vikings were led by Guthfrith who was expelled from York in 927 (ibid., 19). Four of the coins are from NE England, three from York itself and all struck in the 920s (ibid.). The minimum number of individuals identified from bone remains within the cave is forty-four, including men, women and children, the majority of which appear to be women and children (ibid., 21). There is no evidence that these people had been living in the cave and given that the bones were found in the innermost recesses of the cave and that there were few possessions associated with them, it seems likely that they had been seeking refuge in the cave and were blocked in, and as a result suffocated or starved (ibid., 22). The presence of coins, which at this time not used by the Irish, suggests that they were dropped by a Viking and were washed or rolled downslope into the accumulating sediments at the base of the chamber (ibid., 19). It is possible that the target of the raid was a large ringfort or early church (KK014-015003-; KK014-015001-) c. 400m to the W, and another large ringfort (KK014-016----) 30m S of the previous one, c. 400m to the WSW of the cave. In 1940 the cave was designated a National Monument and in the 1960s it was decided to open the cave to the public (ibid., 2). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 4 September 2017

• KK014-077 Ringfort - unclassified
  Description

  On top of a flat-topped hill on the E side of the Dinin river valley, in rolling pasture. There are commanding views in all directions. According to O’Kelly (1969, 44), within Mohil townland there are, ‘two raths and a ringed fort in Mulhall’s field’. Located within this field there is an upstanding ringfort (KK014-015003-) and c. 20m S of this there is a levelled ringfort (KK014-016----). A third enclosure, while levelled, was identified during fieldwork in 1987 as a roughly circular area (diam. c. 20m) of rougher grass c. 25m SW of the upstanding ringfort and c. 25m NW of the levelled ringfort. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 15 June 2020

Architectural heritage

• New Dinin Bridge, bridge, 1835–1845 · Regional interest
  Description

  Two-arch road bridge over river, dated 1840. Part creeper- or ivy-covered drag edged tooled limestone ashlar walls centred on rounded triangular cutwaters having lichen-spotted rounded pyramidal capping with lichen-spotted tooled cut-limestone "Torus" stringcourses supporting parapets having lichen-spotted tooled cut-limestone rounded coping centred on drag edged cut-limestone date stones ("1840"). Pair of segmental arches with drag edged rusticated limestone ashlar voussoirs centred on inscribed drag edged tooled cut-limestone keystones ("1840"). Sited spanning Dinin River with unkempt banks to river.

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 Mohil, 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 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 Mohil.

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 Mohil with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Kilkenny.

Name

Mohil · An Mhaothail

Area

1,193,228 m² (119.32 ha, 294.85 acres)

Civil parish

Kilmademoge, and its townlands

Barony

Fassadinin

Electoral division

Kilkieran, the unit of the census

Census 2022

709 people lived in 222 households in the Kilkieran electoral division. 92% of households owned their home. 42% of homes were built since 2001. 6% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Ballyrafton, Bullockhill, Corbetstown, Gragara, Inchabride, Inchakill Glebe, Ruthstown

Placenames

Mohil 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.