placenamesMountbolus
Cnocán Bhólais
A church built in 1837 anchors Mountbolus, where shops and basic services changed gradually around it.
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
- Cnocán Bhólais · Irish · main form · validated name
- Mountbolus · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Brigid’s church
Saint Brigid's Catholic Church stands at the heart of Mountbolus. Built in 1837, it has pointed windows with limestone surrounds and stained glass. A separate decorative cast-iron belfry stands northeast of the church, within grounds containing a small graveyard. [2]
A shop and a public pump
Offaly History records a significant village improvement in 1904, when a new D. E. Williams shop replaced the Beehive public house. Basic services remained limited: the village relied on a single public water pump. When it failed in 1905, the nearest alternative pump was reported to be two miles away. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Mountbolus. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church, NIAH 14924006 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Mountbolus, Ireland, Offaly History Blog 349, 17 January 2022 · Offaly History
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.