placenamesKilleter
Coill Íochtair
Killeter's history includes St Bestius church, the Alexander family's local association and an observed meteorite fall recorded in international scientific collections.
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 Íochtair · Irish · main form · validated name
- Killeter · English · main form
Place & story
St Bestius through successive alterations
St Bestius, the parish church of Termonamongan, was built in 1822 and extended in 1870 as its congregation grew. Renovation in 1977 introduced new stained glass and timber panelling. The National Churches Trust records a Conacher pipe organ dating from 1912 and an older octagonal stone font. The font is said to have come from the earlier church at Magherakeel, an association presented as tradition rather than a documented transfer. [2]
William and Cecil Frances Alexander
William Alexander served as rector here from 1850 to 1855, before his later career as bishop and archbishop. His wife, Cecil Frances Alexander, became one of the best-known nineteenth-century hymn writers. The National Churches Trust identifies that family connection as a significant part of St Bestius's history. It links Killeter with her life, without establishing that any particular hymn was composed in the village. [2]
The Killeter meteorite
An observed meteorite fall in 1844 gave Killeter a place in scientific catalogues. The Meteoritical Bulletin Database recognises Killeter as an official meteorite name, records a mass of 140 grams and classifies the material as an H 6 ordinary chondrite. Specimens have travelled far beyond Tyrone: Arizona State University's collection lists a Killeter specimen weighing 6.7 grams. These records distinguish the documented fall from later local retellings of the event. [3] [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Tyrone
- Barony
- Omagh West
- Civil parish
- Termonamongan
- Coordinates
- 54.66765, -7.69000 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1414262 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Killeter. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- St Bestius, Killeter · National Churches Trust
- Meteoritical Bulletin Database: Killeter, code 12309 · Meteoritical Society; Lunar and Planetary Institute
- Specimen catalogue: Killeter, ASU number 1133 · Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2012-01-25. How this page was prepared.