placenamesKilnamartery
Cill na Martra
In Cill na Martra, also known as Kilnamartyra, the village church, toy-soldier factory and football ground tell different parts of the community’s story.
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
- Cill na Martra · Irish · main form
- Kilnamartery · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Lachtáin’s Church
Saint Lachtáin’s Catholic Church is dated 1839. Its entrance tower and long nave stand on an elevated site in the village. Inside, an elaborate marble reredos frames a Crucifixion scene between Ionic columns, beneath a curved pediment. The architectural inventory also records a timber gallery, confessionals and commemorative plaques. These surviving details give the building a history that extends beyond its exterior and prominent tower. [2]
Mould-making from Sweden to Cork
Lars Edman’s account of Prince August’s beginnings records the purchase of a village factory building in late 1975. He and his wife arrived from Sweden in January 1976, bringing two mould-making machines. Work began on 8 January and production followed within a week. The first year’s output went back to Sweden for packing and sale; in 1977 packing moved to the Cork factory too, with employment reaching fifteen. [3]
Hosting the Gaeltacht football gathering
Cill na Martra hosted Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta in 2024, having previously welcomed the competition in 2005. Reporting from the village, Eoghan Cormican described the volunteer effort needed to feed and accommodate visiting teams. The club completed and floodlit a second pitch and renovated its dressing rooms for the occasion. The event connected football with hospitality and the everyday use of Irish, while leaving improved facilities for local teams. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Cork
- Barony
- Muskerry West
- Coordinates
- 51.90007, -9.08266 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1411708 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Kilnamartery. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Saint Lachtáin’s Catholic Church, NIAH 20907005 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- About Prince August: Lars Edman recalls the early days · Lars Edman / Prince August
- Cill na Martra letter: Football is the staple that binds Gaeltacht villages and towns together, 4 June 2024 · Eoghan Cormican / Irish Examiner
- Saint Lachtáin’s Church in Cill na Martra, as photographed in 2009 illustration: based on a Church - Cill Na Martra by John M. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-02-19. How this page was prepared.