Cannakill

Cannakill

Cill Mhic Caille
Shown within Ireland
Location	Cannakill, Croghan, County Offaly, Ireland
Coordinates	53°20′45″N7°17′31″W / 53.345852°N 7.291950°W / 53.345852; -7.291950
Type	Abandoned village
History
Founded	Early 13th century AD
Abandoned	After 1385
Periods	Norman Ireland
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Cannakill
Reference no.	617 [1]

Cannakill is an abandoned village located in County Offaly, Ireland.

Location

Cannakill is located to the west of Croghan Hill, south of the Yellow River and about 1 km (1,100 yd) northwest of Croghan village. ^[2]

History and archaeology

In Irish, the village is called Cill Mhic Caille, "church of the son of Caill," but scholars believe it to be a corruption of ceann na coille, "head of the forest." ^[3]

Cannakill was one of many villages built by Ireland's Norman conquerors after the Norman invasion of Ireland (late 12th century). When the Gaelic Irish lords (the Ua Conchobhair Failghe — O'Connor Faly) regained control of the area after the Battle of Tochar Cruachain-Bri-Ele (1385), the village was abandoned. ^[4]

Remnants include a ruined church, graveyard and several mounds (still visible as circular cropmarks); a ruined castle of the Ua Conchobhair Failghe is located to the southwest. ^[5]

References

1. "National Monuments of County Offaly in State Care" (PDF). archaeology.ie. National Monument Service. p. 1. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
2. "Ariadne portal". ariadne-portal.d4science.org.
3. "Cill Mhic Caille/Cannakill | logainm.ie".
4. "A History of Offaly Through its Monuments - Offaly History". Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
5. Ordnance Survey Ireland (1897–1913). "25-inch map" (Map). Ordnance Survey 25 inch to the mile County Series. Tailte Éireann . Retrieved 5 December 2025.