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CHURCH OF SAINT DYMPNA AT KILDALKEY
The parishes of Ballivor and Kildalkey have a history of being joined together and separated for various reasons mostly related to population and the then current political climate. For instance in 1834 (before the Great Famine) Kildalkey was a separate parish from Ballivor and there were 2,902 Catholics in the parish. Owing to a dwindling population at the end of the 1800’s the parish was amalgamated with that of Ballivor. However in 1974 the parish was separated from Ballivor. (See Curran 1995).
There are records that a chapel was in existence in Kildalkey in 1748. Larkins Map of Meath (1812) and the Ordnance Survey map of 1837 identify the site of the current Church. (The ruins of a church are recorded beside the graveyard to the north of the village in the old Ordnance Survey map).The work on the present church began in 1890, but the church was not opened until 1898 and was dedicated to St Dympna.
MORE TO FOLLOW
REFERENCES
Curran, O.C. (1995). History of the Diocese of Meath, 1860-1993, Vo 2, Chapter 41. Kildalkey. Pages 547-554. Ed. Olive C. Curran. Published by Reverend Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath.
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