What is recorded here

Urlingford, a medieval borough on the River Goul in County Kilkenny, vanished half a kilometre south of the modern town created in the mid-eighteenth century. Towers, churches and fords still mark the banks where burgesses once paid rent at Easter and Michaelmas, yet the original street has surrendered to bog and silence. The new town arrived later, building itself on forgotten stone while the old name drifted into legend.

On the River Goul, with bogland to the E and W. The medieval settlement of Urlingford is located c. 500m N of the modern town which was created in the mid-18th century (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 365). The medieval settlement, which had borough status, was variously known as Aghnyrle, Aghinyrle, Aghnyrl, Aghnenorlyn, Aghenenourlin and Aghnenowrling (www.logaimn.ie.). The Ormond Deeds of 1356 record that, ‘John, son of William Druhull knight, releases and quit-claims for himself and his heirs for ever to Maurice son of Walter Purcel and his heirs all his right to 40s. 3d. of rent in Aghnirle which grantor has been wont to receive yearly from his burgesses there, payable half at Easter and half at Michaelmas, together with the services and lordship of the same burgesses’ (Curtis 1934, vol. 2, 27 (42)). Urlingford is mentioned in a number of lists of knights fees due to the King, the earliest record dating to c. 1399, ‘A fourth part of a fee in Aghnyrle xs.’ (Curtis 1934, vol. 2, 237 (332).The same amount is listed in 1419 and 1423 (Curtis 1935, vol. 3, 22 (35), 44 (61). In 1527 the Ormond Deeds record that, ‘Piers, Earl of Ormond, quit-claims to Sir John Tobyn and Sir Nicholas Mothyng, chaplains, and their heirs for ever all his right in Aghnenorlyn’ (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 110 (127)). ‘Aghenenowrlin’ appears in a list of ploughlands in the Ormond Deeds of 1566-7 (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 155 (146)). The medieval settlement consists of a medieval church (KK012-001002-) and graveyard (KK012-001009-) on the N bank of the River Goul, a tower house (KK012-001006-) and bawn (KK012-001007-) on the S bank, a fording point (KK012-001003-) connecting the two, with settlement earthworks (KK012-001001-) N of the church and S of the tower house. The Down Survey (1655-6) indicates a watermill (KK012-001004-), the castle and a 'Thatcht House' (KK012-001005-) on the S side of the river. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 11 July 2019

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