Kilteel () is the name of a village, townland and civil parish located in the barony of South Salt, County Kildare, Ireland. The townland of Kilteel Upper contains the remains of a church with a decorated Romanesque chancel arch, the ruins of a 13th-century preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller and a well-preserved 15th-century tower house. The historic settlement is located on the southwest corner of the English Pale and served an important function as a border fortress during the medieval period.
Geography The village of Kilteel lies on a low northeast-southwest ridge at the western edge of the Wicklow Mountains. It is near the County Dublin border, around east of Naas and south-west of Dublin city centre.
Parish The civil parish of 3437 statute acres contains the following townlands: Townland Acreage Irish Name Earliest record of placename or variant Blackchurch 229 - 1654 - Blackchurch Simington, Robert C. 1962. The Civil Survey AD 1654–56: Vol. VIII: County of Kildare. Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin. p. 30 Blackdown 151 - 1717 - Blackdown/Blackdown Fodeens Registry of Deeds, Book 75, Page 494, Memorial No. 54090 Coolahocka 119 - 1752 - Coolacaka Cromwellstown 240 - 1518 - Crommaliston Otway Ruthven, Jocelyn 'Knight's Fees in Kildare, Leix and Offaly' in The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Vol. 91, No. 2 (1961), pp. 163-181, p. 166 Cupidstown 301 - 1690 - Cuppilstowne in Rolf Loeber, Harman Murtagh and John Cronin (eds.) 2001, 'Prelude to Confiscation: A Survey of Catholic Estates in Leinster in 1690' in The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 131, (2001), pp. 61-139, p. 96. Kilteel Lower 259 Cill Chéile 1179 - Cehcheli Manning, Conleth 1982. 'Excavations at Kilteel Church, Co. Kildare' in Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Volume XVI pp. 173-229, p. 176 Kilteel Upper 210 - - Kilwarden 364 - 1543 - Kilwarnyng Nicholls 1994.Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Philip & Mary, and Elizabeth I.Dublin. Elizabeth No. 1087 Newrow 70 - - Oldmiltown 165 - 1669 - Millfarm Anonymous.1701. A List of the Claims As They are Entered with the Trustees at Chichester House on College Greene. Dublin, p. 52 Oldtown 21 - 1717 - Oldtown Registry of Deeds, Book 75, Page 494, Memorial No. 54090. Porterstown 98 - 1669 - Porters-farme Rathbane 447 - 1752 - Rabane 1783 - RathbaneAndrews J.H. 1983. A Map of the County of Kildare: Lieutenant Alexander Taylor of His Majesty's 81st Regiment 1783. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.
The parish extends from the peak of Cupidstown Hill adjoining Kilbride parish in County Wicklow to the southeast, east to Cromwellstownhill where it borders Dublin County. To the north, west and south it borders with the parishes of Oughterard, Kill and Rathmore. The N7 road crosses the townland of Blackchurch at the northern extent of the parish.
History
Prehistory and Early Medieval Period The Record of Monuments and Places suggests that a prehistoric barrow on a hilltop within Kilteel Wood, northwest of the modern village functioned as an inauguration site.Record of Monuments and Places KD020-005: "A Registered Historic Monument. Shown as a circular feature in this general area on Taylor's Map of County Kildare (1783). Prominently sited on a wooded hilltop (OD 815 feet) with excellent views in all directions. A slightly raised, almost circular central area (diams. 25m E-W; 23m N-S; H 0.6-0.8m) has a small, low mound in its SW sector (diam 4.5m; H 0.6-0.7m), probably the remains of the Trigonometrical station shown on the OS 6-inch mapping, and is girdled by a broad, shallow fosse (Wth 6m), and a low outer bank (H 0.7m; Wth 2m). Intermittent traces of a possible second, narrow, shallow, outer fosse (Wth 1m; D 0.2m) may be a later feature. Some 4m to the SW, a large, roughly squared, stone block (dims. L 1.2m; Wth 1m; H 0.9m) appears to have been deliberately set in place, while two further, overgrown blocks to the SE are of uncertain significance. The monument may be a barrow which was subsequently modified for use as an inauguration site." The barrow is marked as a substantial enclosure on Alexander Taylor's map of 1783 and is marked as a 'fort' on John Taylor's 1816 map.John Taylor's Map of the Environs of Dublin 1816. Phoenix Maps.
In the Early Medieval period the adjacent centre of Rathmore was a stronghold of the Meic Bráenáin, a branch of the Fothairt Airthir Life. Kilteel was their principal church and was located within the Fothairt Airthir Life territory of Uí Máel Ruba or Uí Maíleruba.Flanagan, Marie Therese 1998, 'Strategies of Lordship in Pre-Norman and Post-Norman Leinster' in Anglo-Norman Studies: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1997 pp. 107-126, p. 123-124.Nicholls, K. 1986, 'Medieval Leinster dynasties and families: Three Topographical Notes', pp. 409-15 in Peritia, Volume V, pp. 409-415, p. 413. While multiple origins have been suggested for the placename, including Cill tSile and Cill tSiadhail, reflected in the varying spelling of the road signage, the Ordnance Survey Placenames Commission has adopted Cill Chéile or Cell Chéile, suggesting the original church was founded by Celé Crist, a bishop of the Cenél nEóġain who died in 727. The earliest written reference to the church is a papal letter of 1179, referring to the church of Cehcheli.http://logainm.ie/Viewer.aspx?text=kilteel&streets=yes Manning, Conleth 1982. 'Excavations at Kilteel Church, Co. Kildare' in Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Volume XVI pp. 173-229, p. 176
A second early Christian foundation, Kildronan or Cell Epscoip Drónáin may have been located within Cromwellstown townland. The townland name originates in a grant of lands in Kildronan by Maurice FitzGerald to the Cromhale family before 1257. The Priory of All Hallows attempted to recover the lands from Thomas de Cromhale in 1317.Butler Revd. Richard 1845. Registrum Prioratus Omnium Sanctorum Juxta Dublin. Dublin. p. 96Nicholls, K. 1986, 'Medieval Leinster dynasties and families: Three Topographical Notes', pp. 409-15 in Peritia, Volume V, pp. 409-415, p. 413.
An early medieval D-shaped enclosure was excavated in Blackchurch townland in 2004. The townland name Rathbane suggests the presence of an early medieval ringfort, and the principal house of the townland is marked as Whitefort on the 1838 Ordnance Survey map.
Medieval Period Kilteel church
A ruined church southwest of the village contains the highly decorated remains of a Romanesque chancel arch or doorway. Excavations in 1977 and 1978 suggested the first church was a single-cell stone building built after 800 AD. The carved Romanesque figures may have been taken from a separate church and incorporated into the extant building during the construction of the preceptory in the 13th century. The 12th-century High Cross to the north may mark the site of the Romanesque church, possibly built under the patronage of Diarmait Mac Murchada, whose mother was of the Meic Bráenáin.Record of Monuments and Places KD020-007005Manning, Conleth. 1996. 'Kilteel Revisited' in Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Volume XVIII, pp. 297-300
The later church, ruined in 1630 but restored later in the 17th century, had fallen into disuse again by the early 18th century, when Protestant services may have moved to the adjacent parish of Rathmore.Manning, Conleth 1982. 'Excavations at Kilteel Church, Co. Kildare' in Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Volume XVI pp. 173-229Record of Monuments and Places KD020-007002 In 1935 the decorated fragments of the chancel arch were recovered from a farmhouse adjoining the castle and reinstated by Harold Leask.Leask, Harold 'Carved stones discovered at Kilteel, Co. Kildare' in JRSAI 65 (1935) 1-8.
Hospitaller preceptory The church and lands of Kilheile were in the possession of the Knights Hospitallers before 1212, but it is unclear when the preceptory was built; no foundation charter or original grant of land survives. James Ware described the preceptory as founded by Maurice FitzGerald, who died in 1257, while Kenneth Nicholls suggested it may have been founded by his father Gerard FitzMaurice who died in 1204."Manning 1982. pp. 173-229Nicholls, K. 1986, 'Medieval Leinster dynasties and families: Three Topographical Notes', pp. 409-15 in Peritia, Volume V, pp. 409-415, p. 414. The prior of the preceptory is first referred to in the Justiciary Rolls of 1308.Wood, Herbert & Langman, Albert, 1956. Calendar of the Justiciary Rolls of Ireland:1308-1314. Dublin. Stationery Office - https://archive.org/stream/calendarofjustic03irel#page/44/mode/2up The preceptory was one of seventeen in Ireland and general chapters of the order were held there in 1326, 1333 and 1334, suggesting a substantial foundation.Litton Falkiner, C. 1907. 'The Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in Ireland' in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. 26 (1906–1907), pp 275-317, p. 310 The remains include traces of a large sub-rectangular enclosure, 200 metres long and 150 metres wide, which may represent the original enceinte, a substantial gatehouse containing a guardroom and the ruins of a second gatehouse.Record of Monuments and Places KD020-007003 A suit of armour was recovered from the ruins in the early 19th century.'Kilteel Castle' in Dublin Penny Journal, No. 68, Vol. II, 19 Oct. 1833
Pale boundary In the medieval period, Kilteel served as a border fortress on the marches of the English Pale, under attack from the Gaelic O'Byrne and O'Toole families of Wicklow. In 1355 Edward III issued letters requiring those appointed for the defence of the marches to take up their duties in the wards of Kilteel, Rathmore and Ballymore, noting the depredations and burnings of Obryn and his accomplices. An act of 1488 setting out the boundaries of the four obedient shires of Louth, Meath, Dublin and Kildare described the Pale boundary as passing through Kilteel and Rathmore.D'Alton, John (1838), The History of the County of Dublin. Dublin. p. 34 An act of 1494-5 required the boundary to consist of a double ditch of six feet high above the ground at one side or part which mireth next unto Irishman .O'Donnell, M.G, 'The Pale Boundary at Cupidstown, Co. Kildare' in Cleary et al. 1987, Archaeological Excavations on the Cork-Dublin Gas Pipeline. pp. 106-110 A portion of the Pale boundary with traces of a possible earthen bastion is visible in aerial photographs southeast of the medieval church.Record of Monuments and Places KD020-008: Description: "The area which would later be called 'The English Pale' [..] the boundaries of which were defined in a 1488 Act of Parliament as extending, 'from Merrion inclusive to the waters of the Dodder, by the new ditch to Saggard, Rathcoole, Kilheel (Kilteel), Rathmore and Ballymore (Eustace), thence to the county of Kildare into Ballycutlan (Coghlanstown), Harristown and Naas, and so thence to Clane, Kilboyne, and Kilcock' [..] In Kilteel Upper/Cupidstown, a 1966 aerial photograph (CUCAP APA 56) shows extensive earthworks around the early monastic foundation of 'Cell céli críst' (KD020-007002-) [..] Manning (1981–82, 213, 219) subsequently identified some of the earthworks which ran to the S and W of the preceptory as being part of the Pale Boundary (traceable L c. 1100m). The main line of the earthwork, to the S of the ecclesiastical remains, was a shallow ditch (Wth 3.5m; D 0.6m) with a broad, low earthen bank (Wth 6.5m; H 0.6m) 'outside', to S, and a low, earthen, bastion-like projection was also noted. Archaeological excavations suggest the denuded remains continue east, forming the boundary between the townlands of Kilteel Upper and Cupidstown.
Tower house