Killorglin

Key takeaways

Killorglin belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Killorglin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Killorglin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Killorglin (Irish: Cill Orglan, meaning 'Orgla's Church') is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. As of the 2022 census, the town's population was 2,163. Killorglin is on the Ring of Kerry tourist route, and annual events include the August Puck Fair festival, which starts with the crowning and parading of a "king" wild goat. The town is 26 km south of Tralee along the N70 road, and 22 km west of Killarney along the N72 road. Killorglin is in a civil parish of the same name.

History

Origins and development The earliest evidence of ancient settlement in the Killorglin area is the presence of prehistoric rock art. These rock carvings are part of a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age tradition stretching across Atlantic Europe and occur in concentrations around the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas, with a cluster close to the nearby town of Glenbeigh. There are also a number of ringforts and early Christian ecclesiastical sites in the townlands of Dromavally and Castleconway. The ruins of Killorglin Castle, later known as Castle Conway, are located close to what is now the centre of the town. It was built in the early 13th century by Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly. The area was held by the FitzGerald dynasty until the confiscation of their lands following the Desmond Rebellions in the late 16th century. In 1587, as part of the Munster Plantation, Killorglin (and its castle) was granted to Captain Jenkin Conway.

Much of the town centre was laid out in the 19th century. Killorglin's Roman Catholic church was built (on the site of an earlier church) in 1891. The Church of Ireland church was originally built in 1816 and significantly redeveloped in 1868. The town hall was built in the early 20th century with the help of Andrew Carnegie.

Ballykissane 1916 On Ballykissane Pier is a monument to commemorate the deaths of several Irish Volunteers, the first casualties of the Easter Rising in 1916. They were in a car that plunged off the pier into the River Laune while on the way to make contact with Roger Casement and a German arms ship masquerading as the Aud. On Good Friday 21 April 1916, six Irish Volunteers set off from Dublin by train to Killarney. From there, they were to travel by car to Cahirciveen in order to seize control of the wireless station on Valentia Island. Thomas McInerney, who drove a car carrying three of the men, become lost just outside Killorglin and turned onto the road which led to the quay. The front wheels of the car went over the edge of the quay, became unbalanced, and fell into the River Laune. McInerney was the only person to escape the car and swim to shore. The other three occupants remained trapped in the vehicle and drowned.

Economy and tourism

Fexco, a major financial services company, was founded in Killorglin in 1981 and is still headquartered in the town. Pharmaceutical firms Temmler and Astellas have small plants in Killorglin. It also has the operations centre for the Prize Bond Company. A 100m wind turbine was erected at the Astellas Plant on the Tralee Road in 2012 and has become a local landmark Killorglin is on the Wild Atlantic Way and Ring of Kerry tourist routes. A visitor centre for the Reeks District is also located in the town.

Culture

Puck Fair

Killorglin is known for the annual Puck Fair festival, which traditionally starts with the crowning of a "king" goat. There is a large bronze King Puck statue on the edge of town close to the bridge. This statue was commissioned by the Killorglin Millennium Committee and designed by Valentia Island Sculptor Alan Ryan Hall. The King Puck Statue and Puck Garden was completed in 2001 and officially unveiled by Killorglin Lord Mayor Paudie Cronin and the Killorglin Millennium Committee. In 2011, The Puck Poet plaques were added to the Puck Garden to recall some of the writers and poets who have written about Killorglin. These include Edso Crowley, Sigerson Clifford, Peter Joy and Johnny Patterson.

Film The father of Academy Award-winning actor Ed Begley (1901–1970) was born in Laharn, Killorglin. The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film-nominated stop-motion film Head Over Heels (2012) was produced by Cromane filmmaker Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly. Cronin O'Reilly attended secondary school in Killorglin. As of 2015, Áine Moriarty from Killorglin was head of the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA). Killorglin actor Muiris Crowley starred in the film Pilgrim Hill (2013). It was directed by fellow Kerryman Gerard Barrett.

Music and events Killorglin and its Puck Fair feature in a number of traditional Irish ballads and songs, including Bridget Donohue written by Johnny Patterson, King Puck by Christy Moore, and Wildflower of the Laune by Peter Joy. A local tradition, Biddy's Day, occurs in the area during February. It involves groups, in traditional dress, visiting homes carrying a Brídeóg (or Biddy) effigy to ensure good luck. In 2019, this Mid-Kerry practice was one of 30 "Intangible cultural heritage" traditions afforded recognition by the state.

Literature Books about Killorglin, or by Killorglin natives, include:

Things My Mother Never Told Me (2003), by Blake Morrison, tells the story of the author's mother who was from Killorglin and emigrated to England. Cast A Laune Shadow (1997), by local historian Patrick (Pa) Houlihan (1918-2010), is a history of the town in story. Puck Fair, by Pa's eldest son Michael Houlihan, is about the annual festival in August. St James and Fr Tom, by Terence Houlihan and Billy Browne, details the development of St James's Catholic church by Fr Tom Lawlor. The Civil War in Kerry, by local historian Tom Doyle, details the part Kerry and Killorglin played in the Irish Civil War.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Killorglin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Killorglin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Killorglin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Killorglin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Killorglin

In research: Killorglin appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Killorglin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Killorglin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Civil parishes of County Kerry, Iveragh Peninsula, Towns and villages in County Kerry, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Killorglin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Killorglin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Killorglin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Killorglin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Killorglin in simple terms?

Killorglin (Irish: Cill Orglan, meaning 'Orgla's Church') is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. As of the 2022 census, the town's population was 2,163.

Why does Killorglin matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Killorglin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Killorglin.