What is recorded here

Kilpeacon is where St. Beagán’s name still shadows a Church of Ireland building that has absorbed at least three eras of faith and loss. The present cruciform church dates from 1759, yet it stands on a site where an older house of worship was levelled and where Whiteboys burned a earlier structure in 1762. Inside, Sir William King is remembered in stone; outside, the graveyard and iron gates hold the ordinary dead within the same ancient field. To pray there is not to enter one church but to walk through several, each layer thin enough for the last to show through.

Multi-period Church of Ireland church built on site of medieval church of Kilpeacon dedicated to St. Beagán, anglicised Peacon (Ó Riain 2011, 93-4). Present church described by the National Inventory Architectural Heritage as a 'Freestanding cruciform-plan Church of Ireland church, built in 1759, incorporating fabric from an earlier church with addition of transepts in 1819-20 by the Board of First Fruits. Projecting chancel and vestry to east elevation added in 1867. Monument to Sir William King inside church. Graveyard to site with upstanding grave markers. Rubble limestone boundary walls with cut limestone gate piers flanking double-leaf cast-iron gates' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; Reg. No. 21902214). Westropp (1904-5, 372) recorded the following details on Kilpeacon; ‘Parish and prebend in Pubblebrian. An undated early deed of Richard de Burgo, about the rents of Douenathmor and Kylpychan, says that the latter was waste, and held by John Lysnekylie (B.B.L., No. 1); Kilbegan, 1302. Richard Ford was rector (MSS., T.C.D., E. 3, 14); Keilbecan, dedicated to St. Becan, 1410; Kilbekayn, alias Balycinconcour, 1418. An inquisition was taken as to Kilpychan and Douenanthmor, 1279-1302 (B.B.L., 1); Dermot O'Mulrian was prebendary, 1557 (Fiant, 158); granted to Sir W. King, 1667 (Act. Sett., xix Car. II. 4). Site - The old church has been levelled; some old steps were uncovered near the present I. C. church. The nave was built by Sir W. King, c. 1690; the tower by E. Villiers, 1759; church burned by Whiteboys, 1762 (Lewis, ii., p. 198). It was united to Hakmys before 1418; and to Knocknagall, 1806. Monuments - Sir W.King, 1706, Westropps, of Attyflin, and Cripps Villiers, of Kilpeacon. St. Patrick's Well [LI022-023----] lies in Kilpeacon demesne; near it was found a golden shell; there is a defaced dolmen [LI022-030----] in the earth-fort of Badgersrath, east from the church'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 02 January 2019

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