Kilcormac
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Kilcormac Cill Chormaic
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| Town | |
 Kilcormac
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| Coordinates: 53°10′27″N 7°43′32″W / 53.1742°N 7.7256°WCoordinates: 53°10′27″N 7°43′32″W / 53.1742°N 7.7256°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Offaly |
| Elevation | 75 m (246 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Urban | 870 |
| • Rural | 1,296 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N181141 |
| Website | www.kilcormac.com |
Kilcormac (Irish: Cill Chormaic) is a small town in County Offaly, Ireland, located on the N52 at its junction with the R437 regional road, between the towns of Tullamore and Birr. It is a small town whose local population were predominantly employed by Bord na Móna to work the local peat bogs. The town is located near the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The Silver River flows through the town. The town was more commonly referred to as Frankford prior to Irish independence.
The name Kilcormac comes from the Irish Cill Chormaic meaning Cormac's Church. This name is based on the local patron saint; Cormac Ua Liathain, a native of Cork, who paid a visit to St. Colmcille at the famous monastery he had founded in Durrow in 553 A.D. Cormac was so inspired by the great saint that he joined Colmcille and spent many years at Durrow, eventually taking over as abbot after Colmcille had gone to Iona in Scotland. He eventually founded a church near the Silver River which became known as Cill Chormaic. Over time the original church fell into ruin. Tradition holds that Cormac died in nearby Eglish following an attack by a pair of wolves. A window in Eglish Church depicts the event.
Historically, Kilcormac was part of the O'Molloy territory of Firceall which was part of the Kingdom of Meath, however Ballyboy was traditionally the main trading centre of the area at the time being situated on an important route which passed through the area. Following the Plantations of Offaly the area formed part of the Barony of Ballyboy About five hundred years later reference is made to foreign monks, possibly Augustinian, at the Hermitage. A manuscript, written in Kilcormac in 1300, is now in the museum of the Royal Irish Academy. (The same museum also houses the crozier of Durrow, which was probably Cormac’s symbol of authority when he succeeded Colmcille as abbot of Durrow.)
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