Early Kilcullen chapels

In the course of doing something else recently, I was made aware of bits of Kilcullen heritage which I hadn't known.

They were specifically references to three 'chapel' locations in the town.

In the first, Paddy Maloney recalled his belief that an early chapel of the Cross and Passion order here was one of a number of houses located to the north of the Convent building and owned at the time by the order.

He also recalled working on the home of the late Ken and Bernadette Maloney at the street entrance to Sunnyside, and seeing 'clear evidence' of its former use as a chapel.

"Liffeyside ... across the road from the Maloney property, is recorded as the 'Nuns House with Chapel', obviously much later," he adds. "Both would have serviced the Fever Hospital which was at Sunnyside."

I didn't know about that fever hospital either.

These are the kind of things that need to be recorded, if for no better reason than the new residents of Kilcullen should have access to the heritage they are becoming part of.

If any readers have their own memories, or records of their family members' memories, the Diary would be grateful for the opportunity of publishing them.

And don't forget, 'heritage' ends only yesterday.

Brian Byrne.