Church in Kilmog OR Racecourse

Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 390, 392) citing O'Donovan (OS Letters, 1839) gives the translation of the Irish name for the townland, Kilmogga, as, 'the Church of St. Magadh' and he gives a reference to a 13th-century charter which found that, 'William Marshall, junr., Earl of Pembroke (1219-31), by his charter "granted and confirmed in frankalmoign to the Abbey of St. Saviour of the Cistercian Order of Dowyskir" [now Graiguenamanagh], ….the land of ...Tulachenny, with its appurtenances, namely, Clundaf, Kilmeggeth, and Liscrithan, near Kilkenny, for 10 carucates of land." (Inspeximus of 36 Hen. III., Calendar of Documents, Ireland, 1252-84, 10). Carrigan (ibid. 392-3) gives the location of the church as, 'A gravel pit, a perch or two [5-10m] to the rere of the Bush [holy tree KK023-009002-] and Rock [bullaun stone KK023-009001-], marks, according to tradition, the site of an obliterated "churchyard." Here, then, must have stood the ancient church of St. Magadh, from which the townland of Kilmogg has been named'. The gravel pit is indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map, and on the 1947 revision, in the field immediately S of 'St. Patrick's Bush', running along the roadside. There is no visible trace of the church at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 1 June 2021

The church in Kilmog (or Racecourse) was likely built in the 13th century and dedicated to St. Magadh. It is significant as an early Christian site recorded in historical and ecclesiastical sources.