Kilmore Upper

11 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Kilmore Upper, from 758 m² to 167,904 m² (16.79 ha, 41.49 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 11 neighbouring parcels touch it.

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

No zone of a development plan covers Kilmore Upper 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.

• 18 Aug 2026N/a

  (1) To convert the gate lodge into an office with services. (2) Localised conservation repairs to gate and the archway. (3) Install a new sewage treatment system and percolation area and all associated site works. The works are located within the curtilage of Recorded Protected Structure RPS CV 0508 Cavan County Development Plan

  Permission · Cavan County Council, 2660457

• 10 Mar 2025Conditional

  for a/ Internal alterations to ground and first floor to include a new fitted kitchen and E/S bathrooms and b/ general refurbishment of deteriorated building fabric, c/ minor external elevational changes associated with new drainage, and d/ new upgraded wastewater treatment system and e/ all associated site works to a protected structure (RPS ref. CV0510)

  Permission, 1 home · Cavan County Council, 2560088

• 22 May 2024N/a

  to construct a new car park including accessible and EV parking spaces, perimeter fencing and entrance barrier. The works will also incorporate drainage, public lighting, signage and new entrance to the public road together with all associated site works. The works are located within the curtilage of Recorded Protected Structure RPS CV 0509 Cavan County Development Plan

  Permission · Cavan County Council, 2460221

• 19 Oct 2017Conditional

  to construct 1 no. pig house to aid compliance with animal welfare regulations, together with all ancillary structures and all associated site works arising from the above proposed development

  Permission · Cavan County Council, 17440

• 21 Apr 2017Conditional

  to retain dormer window to front elevation, conversion of attic in existing dwelling and all ancillary works

  Retention, 1 home · Cavan County Council, 17157

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

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Kilmore Upper.

Recorded monuments

• CV025-069 Castle - motte and bailey
  Description

  Built by de Lacy in 1211 and dismantled in 1224-6 by Cathal O'Reilly. A very substantial motte with exceptionally well-preserved bailey enclosed by a well-defined fosse and substantial earthen bank. Both have been levelled from NE-ENE-E. Motte consists of a high (H c. 8m), steep-sided, flat-topped subcircular mound (dims of base c. 48m NNW-SSE; c. 45m WNW-ESE). The summit is oval in plan (dims c. 26m NE-SW; c. 18m NW-SE). A wide, deep fosse runs between the motte and bailey at NNW. Bailey is crescentic in plan. Site has been planted with deciduous trees and a number of relatively modern garden demesne features have been incorporated into its fabric. These include an icehouse built into the N of the bailey, a stone passageway built through the outer bank of the bailey at NNW, a low concave stone wall built into the base of the motte at SE and a demesne wall set against the outer bank at S. (Henry 1987, 9; Davies 1947a, 79-81) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 22 December 2008

• CV025-070001 Graveyard
  Description

  Situated SSE of the old Cathedral (CV028-070004-). Its chief pride is the tomb of William Bedell, the Protestant Bishop of Kilmore from 1629 to 1642, compiler of an Irish grammar and (in collaboration with three others) first translator of the Old Testament into the Irish language. There are, in addition, a considerable number of late 17th-century and 18th-century tombs and gravestones. (O'Connell 1937, 400-3, 428-9; Davies 1948, 99; Killanin and Duignan 1989, 102) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 December 2008

• CV025-070002 Tomb - chest tomb
  Description

  Mounted on top of a mausoleum inside the W wall of the graveyard associated with the old cathedral (CV025-070004-) of Kilmore towards its S end. When William Bedell, the Protestant Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh since 1629, died in February 1642 he was buried in accordance with his wishes in an obscure corner of the graveyard, but the funeral was attended by many of the Catholic rebels who had recently imprisoned him at the castle of Clough Oughter (CV020-060----) as he was greatly respected as the compiler of an Irish grammar and (in collaboration with three others) was the first translator of the Old Testament into the Irish language (Manning 2013, 2506). A vault had been provided by 1739 (King 1892, 10) and it may have been renewed shortly afterwards with the graveslab supported on the roof. The sandstone tablet (dims 2.04m x 1.03m; T 0.08m) has a bevel or chamfer on its upper edge and the carving is in false relief. Beneath a crest with a mitre are the memento mori of an open book, a skull and cross-bones and an hour-glass. The incised legend is now almost illegible but it has been recorded (Lyster 1896) as: GUILELMI BEDELI / QUONDEM KILMORENS / IS EPISCOPE…. / DEPOSITUM, which is also carved around the tympanum over the W doorway of the modern cathedral (Blacker 1904, 226). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 March 2020

• CV025-070004 Cathedral
  Description

  Located at the S end of a N-S drumlin ridge. Around 1454 Andrew MacBradaigh, bishop of Tír Briúin 1445-55, settled on the church of St. Feidhlimidh at Kilmore as the cathedral for the diocese that would come to take its name from the new location. The existing parish church, which may be on an early site, was not enlarged or enhanced as a result of its new status, except that the Romanesque doorway from Trinity Island (CV020-077001-) was added onto its S wall where it remained until it was placed at the entrance to the vestry (CV025-071002-) of the nearby present Church of Ireland Cathedral of Kilmore c. 1860. St. Feidhlimidh’s church may have been chosen rather than any church associated with St. Maodhóg who had been the principal saint of Tír Briúin because Feilim was particularly venerated by the O’Reilly clan (Ó Riain 2011, 312-3), and is now the recognised patron of the diocese in both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions. (Kelly 2017, 128-31) Thomas Mogine was the first Protestant bishop of Kilmore and he was succeeded by William Bedell in 1629. Moigne seems to have built a house at Kilmore while refurbishing the Cathedral church in the 1620s when he reported that ‘The Cathedral church is newly built and repaired…A fair stone house built at Kilmore by the now bishop, which together with the building of other outhouses and of seats in the chancel and body of the church of Kilmore had cost £600’ (ibid. 251). The surviving structure probably dates to the thirteenth century and there are references to the church of Kilmore in 1242 and 1382, and possibly in 885 (AFM) (Davies 1948, 99). The cathedral was described as having a roof of wood and sods in 1646 (ibid. 118). It comprises a rectangular building (ext. dims c. 26m E-W; c. 8m N-S) built of roughly coursed limestone, with a batter at base of the E gable and dressed quoinstones at the SE angle as the only visible evidence of its medieval fabric. The cathedral appears to have been restored, together with the Bishop's Palace (CV025-073----) which adjoins its W wall, in the period following the Williamite wars. It was abandoned for worship when the new cathedral was built c. 120m to the S. It now serves as a hall and the present wooden gothic windows may have been inserted at the time of its change of use. The two storey structure at its W end probably incorporates part of the bishop’s palace (CV025-073----), and it is known that the cathedral communicated directly with the palace (King 1892, 10). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See the attached view from S Date of upload: 22 December 2008 Amended: 8 February 2021

• CV025-070005 Headstone
  Description

  Within the graveyard associated with the old cathedral of Kilmore (CV025-070004-). This is a cross-shaped stone (H 0.7m; span 0.33m; T 0.14m) with a disc head (diam. 0.45m). On the E-face is the inscribed legend: IHS / HERE LYETH / THE BODY OF / PRINSER / DAN WHO DIED / THE IIT / H DAY / OF NOV / EMBE / R 1680. The name is not certain. The W face has a wide cross in slightly raised panels extending the full length and breadth of the stone. Linked incised circles form a crude cross on the disc head and incised arcs outline another cross at the crux. See the attached views _1 from E; _2 from W Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 16 March 2020

• CV025-071002 Architectural feature
  Description

  A late Romanesque doorway in four orders with beaded hood-moulding, decorated with animal, geometric and foliage motifs. Set into the vestry entrance on N side of the modern Church of Ireland cathedral during its construction in c. 1860. Doorway is believed to have originated from Trinity Island (CV020-077001-), was subsequently moved to Slandore (CV025-0109---) and from there to its present location. (Davies 1948, 101-9; Killanin and Duignan, 102) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 December 2008

• CV025-072 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Located at the bottom of a S-facing slope with the church of St. Feidhlimidh, and from 1454-c. 1860 the cathedral of the diocese of Kilmore (CV025-070004-) on the hilltop c. 120m to the N. A well is depicted on the 1835 and 1908 editions of the OS 6-inch map which is described as ‘St. Felimy’s Well’ in gothic lettering on both. The well was known in the folk tradition as one that would not ordinarily run dry but in the 1930s there was no memory of a pattern (IFC Schools’ Collection vol. 0977, 102-04, 111). The well was described in 1968 (SMR file) as a short passage leading to a corbelled well, but now the hillslope is retained by an E-W masonry wall (L c. 6m; H c. 2m), and this wall is surrounded by an iron railing with a gate at S leading almost immediately to a round-headed opening (Wth 0.75m; H 1.75m) in the wall. Three steps lead down to a short passage running E (L at S: 0.5m) to a circular well (diam. 0.95m; D 0.85m) with a corbelled roof that is now capped with concrete. There is no evidence of veneration. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 16 February 2020

• CV025-073 Ecclesiastical residence
  Description

  Located towards the S end of a N-S ridge. Thomas Moigne was the first Protestant bishop of Kilmore and he was succeeded by William Bedell in 1629. Moigne seems to have refurbished the Cathedral church (CV025-070004-) and built a house beside it in the 1620s when he reported that ‘The Cathedral church is newly built and repaired…A fair stone house built at Kilmore by the now bishop, which together with the building of other outhouses and of seats in the chancel and body of the church of Kilmore had cost £600’ (Kelly 2017, 251). The house was a ruin by the end of the century when, according to Rev. William Henry writing in the 1730s (King 1892, 10-12), Bishop Whetnell (Bishop 1699-1713) began the construction of the present palace. Henry describes the house as: 'long, lofty and capacious, about a hundred feet in length, and forty in width; it has two fronts; the entrance is by the E side. The front is a large square court, the south side of which is formed by the church, the west by the house, the north by a wall'd enclosure ... from the east side, which seems open, there is descent by several steps into a spacious gravelled terrace… the south end of the house looks into the churchyard, and from it the church goes off in right angles, being contiguous and having a communication with the house.' When the new See House was built for the Bishop c. 200m to the NNE c. 1840 the old palace was due to be demolished (Lewis 1837, vol. 2, 185), but the ground floor of the W (L c. 35m; T 0.7m; H c. 3-4m) wall and the N wall (L c. 9m) remain. The W wall has a central doorway (Wth 1.2m) now bordered with brick, and 10 large, elliptical-headed windows (Wth 1.2-1.25m; H 2.4m) with no surviving dressed stone. The windows are unevenly spaced, being 1.9-2.85m apart. Although the sources do not specify this the palace was probably of two stories, and the first floor block at the W end of the old cathedral is probably part the old palace. The terrace (Wth 7.15m; H 1.5m) outside the W wall is part of the design, and the ancient, hollow sycamore tree (diam. c. 2.4m) which Bishop Bedell is said to have planted is towards the S end of the terrace beside a graveyard of later bishops. The W wall of the graveyard associated with cathedral abuts the SW angle of the palace. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 16 March 2020

Architectural heritage

• Kilmore Cathedral, gate lodge, 1850–1870 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached Gothic Revival L-plan three-bay single-storey gate lodge, built c.1860. Steeply hipped slate roof with lead-roll ridges, two cut-stone shouldered chimneystacks with chamfered cap, replacement rainwater goods. Squared snecked and skew jointed cut-limestone walls with dressed sandstone quoins and surrounds to openings. Trefoil-headed window openings with chamfered reveals and sills having metal lattice windows. Small canted bay to road with corresponding trefoil headed windows. Pointed arch door openings having roll mould reveal and replacement sheeted timber door. Boundary wall in line with front elevation of lodge flanked to either side by pedestrian gates of decorative wrought-ironwork. Steeply gabled vehicular entrance pointed arch of snecked and skew-jointed cut-stone, carved episcopal coat of arms and motto near apex, cut-stone fractable having metal finial and low gableted kneelers, roll-moulded arris, and sides formed as buttresses with steep angled weatherings. Decorative wrought-iron double-leaf gates.

• St Feidhlimidh Cathedral, cathedral, 1855–1865 · National interest
  Description

  Freestanding Decorated Gothic Revival cruciform-plan Church of Ireland cathedral, built 1860, comprising three-bay nave with side aisles, single-bay transepts, two-bay choir and a crossing tower with a engaged five-stage hexagonal-plan stair tower, vestry at intersection of north transept and chancel having translocated 12th century Romanesque doorway, funeral porch to south added 1869. Slate roof with stone eaves corbels, pyramidal roof to tower, with conical stone roof to stair tower. Replacement copper rainwater goods. Squared and snecked limestone walls with lighter Dungannon sandstone dressings. Stepped buttresses flanking gabled front of nave, between bays of side aisles and chancel, angled buttresses to corners. High level rose window to west front of four trefoil roundels above paired pointed arch west windows having sandstone tracery with trefoil-headed twin lights and multiple-foil roundels under hood mouldings with foliate and carved head stops. Smaller twin-light tracery windows to aisles, larger to transept gables, triple-light tracery windows to choir, and five-light Decorated tracery to east window. Triple hexafoil lights to clerestorey. Stained glass windows. Pointed arch entrance portal with engaged colonnettes to stepped reveals, carved stone to tympanum with episcopal coat of arms, and floral motifs over paired shoulder-arched doors. Pointed arch portal to funeral porch with stepped reveals and engaged colonnettes. Relocated round-headed carved stone Romanesque doorway to vestry having engaged colonettes to stepped reveals with chevron arches, decorated with animal foliate and geometric motifs. Shoulder-arched door opening to stair tower. Sheeted timber doors with decorative ironmongery. Interior having pointed arches on clustered columns to crossing and nave arcade. Stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes by several stained glass studio including Meyer & Co of Munich, Ward & Hughes of London, Clayton & Bell of London and An Túr Gloine, Dublin. Carved timber altar of 1937, cathedra and reredos carved by Forsyth, London, stone font and pulpit by Purdy and Outhwaite, Dublin, Milton tiles to chancel. Altar, waincotting, tiles, and chairs in south transept, and bookcase in north transept from Bishop’s Palace. Stone spiral stairs to stair tower. Set back from the road, bounded by rubble stone walls with crenellated copings having square-profile rendered piers flanking wrought-iron gates.

• See House, bishop's palace, 1830–1840 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached Grecian Revival three-bay three-storey over basement former bishop’s palace, built 1835-7, having pedimented central bay with single-storey limestone ashlar portico, recessed bay to west with single-storey side entrance. Irregular five-bay rear elevation with pilasters flanking wide east bay, shallow bow to central bays. Roof concealed by parapet, tall cut stone chimneystacks with cornice details, cast-iron rainwater goods hopper heads having egg-and-dart and bead-and-reel detail. Ruled–and-lined render over squared rubble stone walls. Ashlar pediment, tympanum having Episcopal coat of arms, ashlar cornice frieze and blocking course, with pilasters marking bays, having platband over ground floor and plinth course to basement. Graduated window openings having cut stone sills, with six-over-three sashes to second floor, six-over-six to first, tripartite windows to ground floor having nine-over-six sashes and corresponding side lights set in cut-stone surrounds comprising pilasters with entablature supported by fluted consoles. Ashlar portico having paired Doric pilasters, supporting entablature, and flanking four-panelled timber door with overpanel, approached by flight of cut stone steps, with six-over-nine barred windows to side. Entablatures supported on fluted consoles to ground floor windows to east side elevation. Tripartite window to east bay of rear elevation and round-headed window to west side elevation. Side door opening flanked by cut stone pilasters having entablature on fluted consoles with timber panelled door approached by cut stone steps. Complex of outbuildings with belfry to west.

• Kilmore Parochial Hall, cathedral, 1300–1500 · Regional interest
  Description

  Freestanding four-bay (formerly seven-bay) two-storey (formerly double-height) former cathedral, built c.1400, and substantially altered in the late seventeenth century, having tall bay (formerly three-bays) to west, recent extension to north. Now in use as parish hall. Pitched slate roof in two sections comprising higher western bay and lower to remainder, projecting cut stone eaves course, and raised barges to gables, rendered chimneystack to west gable, replacement rainwater goods. Roughly squared rubble walls to front elevation and west block of rear elevation, roughcast rendered walls to west, north, and east elevations, with batter to east gable. Irregular fenestration comprising square-headed window openings with raised render surrounds and dressed stone sills having timber frame paired pointed arch windows with leaded lattice glazing, some windows with paired lights above and below transom. Two-over-two timber sash window to west bay, flanked by earlier openings blocked up with rubble stone. Further blocked opening to eastern bay. Carved stone hood mouldings to two openings to rear elevation. East window having tripartite mullioned and transomed tracery with pointed arch lights. Segmental-headed door opening to south elevation with roughly cut stone voussoirs and chamfered reveals, replacement sheeted timber doors. Opens to graveyard to south enclosed by rubble stone walls with barrel copings, sections recently rebuilt, having square-profile gate piers with pyramidal capstones and replacement gates. Graveyard with upright and recumbent grave markers and grave slabs including tomb of Bishop Bedell and Nesbitt family. Remnants of rubble stone walls of old bishop’s palace and its associated outbuildings to rear. Road to east bordered on either side by rubble stone walls having small bridge with pedestrian path beneath linking former cathedral to bishop's palace. Plaque to gate pier inscriber 'In thankful rememberance of Bishop Bedell (1571-1642) optimus anglorum, Bishop of Kilmore, under whose patronage the old testament was translated in Irish and who is buried in this churchyard.

• See House, outbuilding, 1825–1845 · Regional interest
  Description

  Freestanding multiple-bay two-storey stable block set around a courtyard, built c.1835, having central pedimented breakfront to north and west ranges, clock tower and cupola to eastern range. Pitched slate roof, cut stone chimneystacks with projecting courses to top and bottom, decorative cast-iron rainwater goods. Coursed squared rubble stone walls having square-headed openings with flat-arch voussoirs and cut-stone block-and-start surrounds, cut stone sills to windows. Two-bay breakfront to north range having blind oculus with dressed ring, first floor windows set in segmental-headed recesses interrupting pediment course at impost level, four segmental-headed coach-house doors to ground level. Broken pediment to beakfront in west range having segmental-headed recess with first floor window and sill course over door having multiple-pane side and overlights in segmental-headed opening. Ten-over-ten and fifteen-over-fifteen pane timber sliding sash windows, louvred openings to loft in west range. East range having segmental-headed carriage arch to ground level, ridge surmounted by square-plan cupola on stepped plinth, with pilasters framing each face, and copper dome with weather vane. Located to west of See House.

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

About 1 in 20 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

Susceptibility moderately high, moderately low, low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map.

Terrain model

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

Flooding

The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both 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 Kilmore Upper with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Cavan.

Name

Kilmore Upper

Area

919,286 m² (91.93 ha, 227.16 acres)

Civil parish

Kilmore, and its townlands

Barony

Loughtee Upper

Electoral division

Killykeen, the unit of the census

Census 2022

Killykeen electoral division: 646 people in 215 households; 90% of households own their home; 33% of homes were built since 2001; 10% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 6% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Coolnagor or Ricehill, Cornacrea, Drumcon, Drumlion, Drumskeagh, Kilmore Lower

Placenames

Kilmore Upper 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.