# Balfeaghan, Co. Meath: townland, land parcels and planning

Townland in the civil parish of Balfeaghan, barony of Deece Upper, Co. Meath; in Irish Baile Fhiacháin.

- Area (Tailte Éireann): 2,689,241 m² (268.92 ha, 664.53 acres)
- Land parcels (Tailte Éireann): 31 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in it, median 623 m²
- Zoning (national zoning, MyPlan): P5 RA - Rural Area, the zone with the most parcels
- Planning (National Planning Applications): 4 applications since 2010
- Civil parish: Balfeaghan, https://everytownland.com/meath/parish/balfeaghan.md
- Barony: Deece Upper
- Electoral division: Rodanstown, the unit of the census
- Census 2022 (Central Statistics Office): 1,865 people lived in 606 households in the Rodanstown electoral division. 90% of households owned their home. 50% of homes were built since 2001. 8% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.
- County: Co. Meath, https://everytownland.com/meath.md
- Placenames Database of Ireland: https://www.logainm.ie/en/38002
- Townland number at Tailte Éireann: 160069
- Centre: latitude 53.416813, longitude -6.677036 (WGS 84)

## Land parcels (registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann)

31 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Balfeaghan, from 18 m² to 1,793,706 m² (179.37 ha, 443.23 acres); 33 neighbouring parcels touch its boundary. Largest first:

- Parcel 214554: 1,793,706 m² (179.37 ha, 443.23 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/214554.md
- Parcel 136025: 480,628 m² (48.06 ha, 118.77 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/136025.md
- Parcel 5013358: 277,969 m² (27.8 ha, 68.69 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/5013358.md
- Parcel 3440216: 90,941 m² (9.09 ha, 22.47 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/3440216.md
- Parcel 4897659: 12,522 m² (1.25 ha, 3.09 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897659.md
- Parcel 4855216: 10,730 m² (1.07 ha, 2.65 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4855216.md
- Parcel 4855252: 7,977 m² (0.8 ha, 1.97 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4855252.md
- Parcel 4908279: 2,716 m² (0.27 ha, 0.67 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4908279.md
- Parcel 2518902: 2,327 m² (0.23 ha, 0.58 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/2518902.md
- Parcel 162222: 2,140 m² (0.21 ha, 0.53 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/162222.md
- Parcel 138625: 1,917 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/138625.md
- Parcel 147732: 1,622 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/147732.md
- Parcel 4960089: 1,003 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4960089.md
- Parcel 169745: 869 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/169745.md
- Parcel 171020: 807 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/171020.md
- Parcel 4855201: 623 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4855201.md
- Parcel 5111508: 613 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/5111508.md
- Parcel 4097380: 383 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4097380.md
- Parcel 4897670: 345 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897670.md
- Parcel 4897672: 321 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897672.md
- Parcel 4035829: 284 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4035829.md
- Parcel 4897675: 117 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897675.md
- Parcel 4897684: 103 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897684.md
- Parcel 4919092: 88 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4919092.md
- Parcel 4855200: 83 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4855200.md
- Parcel 3906571: 70 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/3906571.md
- Parcel 4897677: 67 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897677.md
- Parcel 4897667: 56 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897667.md
- Parcel 5111509: 41 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/5111509.md
- Parcel 4897805: 25 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897805.md
- Parcel 4897802: 18 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4897802.md

## Zoning (national zoning of development plans, MyPlan)

- P5 RA - Rural Area (Mixed/general primary sector uses, including 'rural'): Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027 (As Varied), Meath; 43 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://consult.meath.ie/en/consultation/consolidated-meath-county-development-plan-2021-2027-incl-variations-1-2
- G1 F1 - Open Space (Open space, park): Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027 (As Varied), Meath; 10 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://consult.meath.ie/en/consultation/consolidated-meath-county-development-plan-2021-2027-incl-variations-1-2
- R1 A2 - New Residential (New/proposed residential): Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027 (As Varied), Meath; 1 parcel. The zoning objective in the plan: https://consult.meath.ie/en/consultation/consolidated-meath-county-development-plan-2021-2027-incl-variations-1-2
- C2.1 E2 - General Enterprise and Employment (Industrial, enterprise, employment): Meath County Development Plan 2021-2027 (As Varied), Meath; 1 parcel. The zoning objective in the plan: https://consult.meath.ie/en/consultation/consolidated-meath-county-development-plan-2021-2027-incl-variations-1-2

## Planning applications whose site touches the townland (National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

4 applications, newest first.

- 14 Oct 2025, Meath County Council 2561103: Conditional. Permission. EirGrid PLC, with the consent and approval of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), intends to apply for permission for works to uprate the existing Rinawade – Dunfirth Tee – Kinnegad 110kV overhead line (OHL). Within County Meath, the proposed development will take place within the following townlands: JARRETSTOWN, WALTERSTOWN, MOOR OF MEATH, RATHLEEK, GRANGE, BOGGANSTOWN, CAPPAGHCREEN, BROWNSTOWN, SALESTOWN, AFFOLLUS, KILGRAIGUE, HARRISTOWN, PORTERSTOWN, KILCLONE, KIMMINS, BARROCKSTOWN, BALLYMAGILLIN, MULHUSSEY, FERRESTOWN, RODANSTOWN, BATTERSTOWN, DOLANSTOWN, CALGATH, BALFEAGHAN, KILGLIN, FERRANS, CASTLEJORDAN, GORTNAHORNA, KILLASKILLEN, CLONGALL, KNOCKERSALLY OR COLEHILL. The Rinawade - Dunfirth Tee - Kinnegad 110 kV OHL circuit runs through County Meath, County Kildare and County Offaly. It is 54 km in length and travels from Kinnegad 110 kV substation in Killaskillen (County Meath) and traverses southeast where a short loop into Dunfirth 110 kV substation in Dunfirth (County Kildare) exists. The line then continues southeast where it terminates at Rinawade 110kV substation in Rinawade Lower (County Kildare). The OHL has a total of 249no. supporting structures. Within the functional area of Meath County Council, there is 23.16 km of the existing OHL circuit, with 107 no. structures. Within the functional area of Kildare County Council there is 30.66 km, with 140 no. structures, and within the functional area of Offaly County Council there is 0.42 km, with 2 no. structures. Separate planning applications will be lodged with Kildare County Council and Offaly County Council. The proposed development within Co. Meath will comprise: • the replacement (“restringing”) of the existing OHL circuit conductor wires with a new higher capacity conductor between structure numbers 1 - 37, 185 - 214, and 218 - 223; • the replacement of angle mast in-situ at 1no. location, with a new angle mast; • the strengthening of tower foundations at 3no. locations; • the strengthening of towers (i.e., member replacement) at 5no. locations; • the painting of towers at 7no. locations; • shear block remedial works of towers at 1no. locations; • the replacement of polesets at 38no. locations, with similar structures. There will be no change in height at 12no. poleset replacements. There will be height increases between 0.1m and 2.0m at 26no. poleset replacements. • the replumbing of polesets at 11no. locations; • the replacement of insulating and ancillary hardware at. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/MeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/2561103/0
- 13 Jan 2024, Meath County Council 2460023: Conditional. Permission, 1 home. the development will consist of a repositioned and redesigned two-storey dwelling and attached garage from that approved under application 23/242. The existing dwelling approved for replacement under application 23/242 has already been demolished under commencement notice CN0106847MH. All other aspects of the development to remain as previously approved. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/MeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/2460023/0
- 8 Mar 2023, Meath County Council 23242: Conditional. Permission, 1 home. demolition of the existing dwelling and attached garage and the construction of a new two-storey dwelling and attached garage, the relocation of the vehicular entrance to the site to improve sightlines and road safety, the relocation of the private water well and the provision of a new wastewater treatment system and sand polishing filter together with all associated site development works. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/MeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/23242/0
- 27 Sept 2021, Meath County Council 211880: Conditional. Permission, 1 home. (1) the construction of a one-storey side and rear extension to have a mixture of flat and pitched roof (2) the new extension to comprise of new hallway, two bedrooms, storage, kitchen/diner/family space (3) the addition of roof lights (4) new proprietary waste water treatment unit with polishing filter (5) internal modifications and all associated site development and landscaping works. File: https://www.eplanning.ie/MeathCC/AppFileRefDetails/211880/0

Applicants are not shown.

## Designated sites (National Parks and Wildlife Service)

- Proposed Natural Heritage Area: Royal Canal, site code 002103

## Recorded monuments (Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service)

- ME049-017: Church, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CME049-017----. The parish church of Balfeaghan is located at the W edge of a fold in a gentle S-facing slope and is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 53m NW-SE; c. 20m NW-SE at NE to c. 35m NW-SE at SW), with the NW-SE Summerhill to Kilcock road (R158) outside on the SW side. The headstones date mostly from c. AD 1850 to 2000, but there is one dated 1724. The parish was created out of Galtrim parish after 1250 (O’Neill 2002, Fig. 5), but it is not listed separately in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire., 5, 255-6). The chapel is amongst the possessions of St Peter’s abbey at Newtown Trim (ME036-049003-) at its suppression in 1540 (White 1940, 294). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel as ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxviii). According to the Dopping visitation (1682-5) the church was dedicated to St. Feighin, and both the church and chancel were destroyed. At that time the graveyard was not enclosed (Ellison 1972, 5). The saint is probably St. Féichín of Fore, Co. Westmeath. The scant remains of the church have been conserved, probably in the 1830s when a burial enclosure (int. dims 5.1m N-S; 3.7m E-W) with memorials from that period was built against the W side of the E gable wall. No original features are evident, but sections of the N (L c. 2m; H c. 1.3m; T 0.68m) and S (L c. 2m; H c. 1.3m; T 0.74m) walls are conserved further W, and a scarp (H c. 0.3m) may indicate the W wall. The church would appear to have been an undivided structure (int. dims 18.3m E-W; 5.1m N-S), although Cogan (1862-70, 2, 359-60) provides measurements of ’44 feet by 16 feet (c. 13.4m x c. 4.9m)’. Two fragments of a cusped ogee-headed window and a fragment of a sandstone font are secured in the burial enclosure. The font fragment (max. dim 0.54m; H 0.17m) is displayed upside down, showing the circular rim of its underside (ext. diam. 0.37m), a sunken area (diam. 0.27m) for the attachment of a shaft, and its drain-hole (diam. 0.12m). Three of an original four lug-like protrusions rise from the outside of the basin. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 10 April, 2015
- ME049-017001: Graveyard, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CME049-017001-. Located at the W edge of a fold in a gentle S-facing slope. The parish church of Balfeaghan (ME049-017----) is within a subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 53m NE-SW; c. 20m NW-SE at NE to c. 35m NW-SE at SW) with the NW-SE Summerhill to Kilcock road (R158) outside on the SW side. It is defined by masonry walls and contains headstones dating mostly from c. AD 1850 to 2000, but there is one dated 1724. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 10 April, 2015
- ME049-017002: Font, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CME049-017002-. A fragment of a sandstone font are secured in the burial enclosure at the E end of the parish church of Balfeaghan (ME049-017----). The fragment (max. dim 0.54m; H 0.17m) is displayed upside down, showing the circular rim of its underside (ext. diam. 0.37m), a sunken area (diam. 0.27m) for the attachment of a shaft, and its drain-hole (diam. 0.12m). Three of an original four lug-like protrusions rise from the outside of the basin. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 10 April, 2015
- ME049-036: Habitation site, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CME049-036----. Situated on a rise of a gentle S-facing slope and on the W side of the NW-SE R158 road, across from the parish church of Balfeaghan (ME049-017----). Archaeological testing (06E1231) by A. Collins in advance of a realignment of the road identified archaeological features (Collins 2008, 19-20) that were subsequently excavated (07E0295) as Site 14 by the same archaeologist (excavations.ie 2007:1256). The glebe, represented only on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map, is not specifically recorded in documentary sources until the mid to late seventeenth century when Bishop Henry Jones (1661-82) records ‘a house and garden with one acre glebe’ at Balfeaghan, and Bishop Dopping records ‘no glebe, a house and garden’ in 1682-5 (Ellison 1972, 5-8). The glebe is not specifically mentioned thereafter, which may mean that it was no longer economically significant or that the Church no longer owned the land, although as a feature of the landscape it persists into the nineteenth century (Collins 2009, 11-13). The earliest excavated feature is a NW-SE drain (Wth 1.45m; max. D 1m; L 27m plus) on the line of the NE boundary of the small glebe (dims c. 75m NW-SE; c. 35m NE-SW) depicted on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map. The ditch contained three fills but no artefacts were recovered. A sample of carbonised grain from a secondary fill yielded a C14 determination of 660-780 cal. AD, which could suggest that the church and its glebe may have an early medieval origin, but it is more likely that the grain is residual. A re-cut of the ditch (Wth 1.15m; D 0.24m) on the same line produced 21 sherds of high medieval wares (ibid. 18). A contemporary ditch (Wth 1.05m; D 0.48m) ran E from it with the same range of ceramic material. The SW end of a small rectangular enclosure (max int. dims c. 7m NW-SE; 5m plus NE-SW) defined by ditches (max. Wth 1.6m; max. D 0.6m) abuts the long glebe boundary on its NE side. The two lower fills of the ditches contained medieval pottery but post-medieval wares, including pearlware, red-glazed and black-glazed earthenware and a clay pipe stem appear in the upper fill. A ditch (Wth 1.2m; D 0.27m) extended NW from its W corner, parallel with and c. 1-2m from the earliest glebe ditch. Its fills produced sherds of the usual high medieval wares. The rectangular enclosure may represent a small plot, perhaps adjoining a cottage at the roadside and is the major phase present, although no evidence of such a cottage was present on site. (ibid. 19-22) Two parallel NE-SW ditches, c. 1m apart, cut the later of the NW-SE ditches at the N extent of the excavated area. The fills contain high medieval wares with some metal slag. A ditch on a similar alignment c. 22m further S probably originated with the SW ditch of the small enclosure, but the conjunction was obscured by a curving ditch (Wth 1.45m; D 0.4m), C-shaped in plan, that extends SE and curves NE, cutting all earlier features and is almost the last event on site. Its one fill had a mix of medieval and post-medieval wares, including single sherds of Merida ware and creamware. Coeval with this, and parallel with its NE-SW course, is a shallow gully (Wth 0.9m; D 0.28-0.52m) that produced a C14 determination of 1460-1640 cal. AD from a sample of carbonised grain. (ibid. 23-7) Post-medieval features include an L-shaped trench (Wth 0.5m; D 0.2m) consisting of an E-W arm curving into a N-S arm at its E end. A short drain runs S into the interior from the E-W arm. Some flagstones (dims 3.2m x 1.8m) over the trench at the corner could be an entrance to the structure. The ceramics from the trench are largely medieval but later wares and a fragment of a clay pipe are also present. These features cut the defining ditch of the small enclosure. At the SW edge of the excavated area a new ditch (max. Wth 1.2m; max. D 0.9m) on the same NW-SE alignment of the earlier major drains but c. 7m to the SW has two fills and yielded 187 sherds of exclusively post-medieval pottery as well as a clay pipe stem and 16 glass fragments. Two smaller E-W gullies undoubtedly fed into it. (ibid. 27-35) In the later Middle Ages the plot was replaced by ditches yielding Dublin fine and coarse wares that are probably further iterations of the glebe boundary that came to be represented on the map. A carbonised grain from a gully produced a radiocarbon determination of 1450-1640 cal. AD. A final phase is represented by a ditch on the line of the NE boundary of the mapped glebe. Related features included slot-trenches and a possible brick hearth and paved surface which is probably the structure depicted on Larkin’s map of 1812 and the 1836 OS 6-inch map. See the attached plan from Collins (2009, fig. 2) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 29 June 2021

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).

## Architectural heritage (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage)

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

## Ground and risks (Radon Risk Map of Ireland, EPA; Landslide Susceptibility Classification and LiDAR, Geological Survey Ireland)

- Radon: at the centre of the townland of Balfeaghan, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/radon/radon-testing/#d.en.82887
- Landslides: The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred.
- Terrain model: LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_2713, https://gsi.geodata.gov.ie/downloads/LiDAR/OPW_NASC/OPW_2713.zip (ZIP).
- Flooding: the flood maps of the Office of Public Works, https://www.floodinfo.ie/map/floodmaps/, linked only: their licence does not allow re-use.

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.

## Downloads

- DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, for a drawing program: https://everytownland.com/meath/balfeaghan.dxf
- GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map: https://everytownland.com/meath/balfeaghan.geojson
- KML, for Google Earth: https://everytownland.com/meath/balfeaghan.kml

## Homes sold (Residential Property Price Register)

No address of the register names Balfeaghan with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Meath: https://everytownland.com/meath.md

## Neighbouring townlands (National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann)

- Boycetown (Co. Kildare): https://everytownland.com/kildare/boycetown.md
- Calgath: https://everytownland.com/meath/calgath.md
- Dolanstown: https://everytownland.com/meath/dolanstown.md
- Kilcock (Co. Kildare): https://everytownland.com/kildare/kilcock.md
- Kilglin: https://everytownland.com/meath/kilglin.md
- Padinstown: https://everytownland.com/meath/padinstown.md

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.

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Everytownland reads the registered freehold land and the statutory boundaries of Tailte Éireann, the national zoning, planning file and heritage records of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Residential Property Price Register. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee; this site names no owner. A price is the price recorded for a past sale, not a valuation.

Sources: Cadastral Parcels Freehold, Townlands, Civil Parishes, Baronies, Electoral Divisions and Buildings, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0; national zoning of development plans (GZT, MyPlan) and National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0, applicants not shown; designated sites, National Parks and Wildlife Service, CC BY 4.0; Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service, CC BY 4.0; National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, CC BY 4.0; Residential Property Price Register, Property Services Regulatory Authority, re-used with the source acknowledged.

- Page: https://everytownland.com/meath/balfeaghan
- In JSON: https://everytownland.com/api/townland/meath/balfeaghan