Kinnitty

Kinnitty
Irish: Cionn Eitigh
Village
Kinnitty
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°06′00″N 7°43′00″W / 53.1°N 7.716667°W / 53.1; -7.716667Coordinates: 53°06′00″N 7°43′00″W / 53.1°N 7.716667°W / 53.1; -7.716667
Country Ireland
Province Leinster
County Offaly
Population (2011)
 • Urban 359
Time zone UTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid Reference N184053

Kinnitty (Irish: Cionn Eitigh)[1] is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is located 13 km east of Birr on the R440 and R421 regional roads.

Name and location

The village derives its name from the myth that the head of an ancient princess is buried beneath the village, Ceann being Irish for head and Eitigh being the name of the princess. The village is situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the ancient kingdom of Éile.

Amenities

Kinnitty is served by a primary school, two churches, a post office, a community centre, children's playground, two pubs, some shops,a number of bed and breakfasts and a hotel(the modern day use of Kinnitty Castle). Kinnitty Forest or Glenregan Forest [2] is ran by coillte and is located near the village.

Buildings

Uniquely there is a pyramid shaped tomb in the grounds of the St Finian's Church. The Pyramid was built by the Bernard family who resided in Kinnitty Castle, on the site of St. Finnian's monastery. The 9th century the high cross is located at the front of Kinnitty Castle which is now a leading Irish Castle Hotel.

Notable people

  • Rex Ingram, the Hollywood director, and his brother, Colonel Francis Clere Hitchcock MC, spent most of their early life here where their father was the parish rector. (The "Old Rectory" now a private home, can be seen from the Roscrea Road opposite the Church of Ireland.)

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.logainm.ie/en/2033
  2. ↑ http://www.coillte.ie/site/glenregan/
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