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Kilsheelan
The village of Kilsheelan is located on the banks of the River Suir and is nestled in the shadow of the Comeragh Mountains and Slievenamon. Kilsheelan has shown evidence of early settlement as far back as the Neolithic period and the name of the village is derived from that of St Sillan, an abbot of Bangor Abbey in Co. Down. The ruin of a church along the banks of the river, which is believed to have been dedicated to St Sillan, gave rise to the name Cill Sioláin (Church of St Sillan) which in turn was anglicised to the name Kilsheelan.
Kilsheelan is also home to one of the finest examples of Baronial architecture in Ireland with the spectacular Castle Gurteen de la Paor located on the southern banks of the Suir and directly across the river from the village. Gurteen Castle was originally designed by Samuel Ussher Roberts for the De La Paor family, whose origins trace back to the time of Strongbow.
Around the same time as the building of Gurteen Castle, the church in Kilsheelan was built. St Mary's Church in Gambonsfield dates back to the 1830's and is a fine example of a well-maintained and welcoming rural church.
The community of Kilsheelan is extremely proud of its local area and aesthetic and this is reflected in the various organisations and clubs that contribute to the life and look of the village. The local club has a proud history of hurling and football with good success in divisional and county competitions in both codes. Added to this, the club has produced both hurlers and footballers that have represented Tipperary with great distinction over the years.
The local Tidy Towns Committee work extremely hard to ensure that Kilsheelan is immaculately presented year round. Kilsheelan has experienced great success in the National Tidy Towns Competition over the years.