Churchtown: A Proud Heritage

International history makes national history. National history makes local history. When people talk about the international significance of the Battle of the Boyne they do not realise that 1690 was a momentous year also in Churchtown when the wonderful home of the Percival family - the Earls of Egmont - at Burton Park was burnt to the ground as King James troops retreated from defeat at the Boyne. Now you can read all about our place in history in the selection of articles we have assembled here on our web site and be reassured that we are carrying out even further research that will enable us to publish a volume that will do justice to our proud heritage. Click on any link below to find out so much more fascinating history of Churchtown ...

• Hedge School
• Let's start with a short history lesson
• Lest we forget
• Bruhenny name explained
• Earls of Egmont
• Egmont Diary
• Egmont - Florida Connection
• The Burning of Churchtown
• 1766 Census of Churchtown
• 1851 Census of Churchtown
• 1937 "Census"
• 1866 Census
• Memorial to Rev Fr Twomey
• Dr Barry and the Standing Jump
• The Legend of Carroll Dawley
• Murphy’s Famous Throw of the Sledge at Liscarroll Castle
• The Poems of Ned Dillon
• Annagh Village and Bog
• The Angelus Bell
• St Brigid's Well, Mount Brigid
• Station Areas
• On Poulafreestone Hill
• Rebuilding the Village
• About Jim McCarthy RIP
• The Tierney Legacy
• The Law Case - Darrell Vs Egmont
• The Catholic Parish of Churchtown
• The Church of Ireland Parish of Churchtown
• Burton Park
• Walshestown and the Conron Farm
• The Cloughan Dallaun
• Kanturk Bridge and Churchtown
• Further Church of Ireland Heritage
• British Library
• Rev Mathew Tierney
• Ballyadam
• Racing Heritage

In Churchtown we have a long history stretching back eons to that point when Red Churchtown Marble, a conglomeratic limestone was originally laid down under shallow sea conditions during the Lower Carboniferous Period approximately 350 million years ago. The area was settled at least 4,000 years ago as evidenced by the discovery of a bronze axe head in the parish. The ruins of the pre-Reformation Church in the village graveyard date back over 1,000 years and the Pipe Roll of Cloyne records its history. We know, for instance, that in 1291 one Robert Cheusner was presented by Odo de Barry with the vicarage of Bruhenny. Remains have also been discovered in the parish of the extinct Great Irish Elk which roamed these parts over 5,000 years ago.

You must also read the memories section of our web site. Click here ...