placenamesKilmorna
Coill Mhaonaigh
Kilmorna House was destroyed in 1921, but its estate records and visitors’ book preserve different parts of its history.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Coill Mhaonaigh · Irish · main form · validated name
- Kilmorna · English · main form
Place & story
From Kilmeany House to Kilmorna
The University of Galway’s estate research identifies Kilmorna House on the first Ordnance Survey map as Kilmeany House. It records Pierce Mahony’s purchase in 1834 and his later letting of the property to William Lunham, when Griffith’s Valuation assessed it at £23 10 s. By 1906 George Gun Mahony owned the house. These records connect the changing names and occupants of a substantial residence in the Knockanure district. [2]
A visitors’ book survives
The house’s visitors’ book, covering 1888–99, survived the fire that destroyed the building. Kerry Writers’ Museum records signatures by Charles Stewart Parnell, W. B. Yeats, Percy French, John Redmond and Maud Gonne. The book and associated papers remained with the Mahony family before being donated to Kerry County Museum. They preserve a record of visits to Kilmorna that the loss of the house might otherwise have obscured. [3]
Arthur Vicars and the destruction of the house
Sir Arthur Vicars, formerly Ulster King of Arms, came to live at Kilmorna after losing his post following the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels in 1907. His family connections provided him with a home there. The house was burned in 1921 and Vicars was shot dead. The destruction ended its life as a residence, while the surviving records continued to carry its history. [3] [2]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Kerry
- Barony
- Iraghticonnor
- Civil parish
- Knockanure
- Coordinates
- 52.43167, -9.36750 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 127906 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Kilmorna. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Kilmorna House, property 2160 · University of Galway, Landed Estates
- Kilmorna House and Sir Arthur Vicars · Kerry Writers’ Museum
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.