Kilcummin

Kilcummin (Irish: Cill Chuimín) is a beachhead on the northern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The Kilcummin area is sparsely populated. Although fishing is still the main source of income of people in Kilcummin, tourism is becoming more important, with the "Tír Sáile - North Mayo Sculpture Trail" and the "Tour d'Humbert" leading through the area. Kilcummin overlooks Killala Bay, the blue flag beach "An Trá nRoss", "Bartra Island" and lies on the opposite shore to Enniscrone and its beach in County Sligo.

Name

Kilcummin is named after the early Irish saint Cuimín, and derives from the Irish Cill Chuimín, meaning "church of Cuimín". Other variants of the Irish spelling (seen on local signage) include "Cilcummin" and "Cill Chummín".

Prior to being named Kilcummin a map of Connaught from the 5th Century indicates that the area was originally known as "Forrac".

History

Local history has it that Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, came through Kilcummin on his travels from Ulster to Croagh Patrick. In Killala, about 10 miles away from Kilcummin, he is said to have founded a church, on which grounds the modern-day Church of Ireland cathedral has been built. However, a local man had already begun Christianising the local pagans, namely Cuimín of Lacken, or Saint Cuimín. The remains of the church of Saint Cuimín (for which the area is named) are still to be found in the local cemetery, along with a holy well at which to this day worshippers come to pray. Saint Cuimín's grave has been lost over the centuries, but it is believed that a group of stones in Kilcummin cemetery once belonged to his tomb.