Kirkconnel (Gaelic: Cille Chonbhaill) is a small parish in Dumfries and Galloway, southwestern Scotland. It is located on the A76 near the head of Nithsdale. Principally it has been a sporting community. The name comes from The Church of Saint Conal. In 1850 the village had only a single street. Next to Kirkconnel is a separate village called Kelloholm.
Kirkconnel
| |
|---|---|
 A76 entering Kirkconnel | |
  Kirkconnel Location within Dumfries and Galloway | |
| Population | 1,970 (2022)[a][1] |
| Language | English Scots |
| OS grid reference | NS7311 |
| • Edinburgh | 50 miles (80 km) NE |
| • London | 312 miles (502 km) SSE |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SANQUHAR |
| Postcode district | DG4 |
| Dialling code | 01659 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
It is also associated with the ballad Helen of Kirkconnel.
History
editThe early church and settlement were situated at the foot of Kirkland Hill on the drove road from Ayrshire to Lanarkshire, which followed the steep incline beside the Glenaylmer Burn. Whether Saint Conal was a Culdee monk and missionary from Gaelic Ireland or the son of a local shepherd befriended and educated by Glasgow's Saint Mungo, Christianity came early to this part of Nithsdale. A Celtic cross, erected in 1880 by the Duke of Buccleuch at the instigation of the Church of Scotland minister, the Rev. John Donaldson, marks the reputed burial place of Saint Conal. From the neighborhood of the cross, on a clear day, can be seen the churches at Kirkconnel, Sanquhar and Kirkbride, all associated with Saint Conal.
St Conal's Church is one of the oldest church sites in Southern Scotland with archaeological remains dating to the 9th century and the present foundations of a church dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
Life changed dramatically for this small town in the 1890s when a coal pit was opened at Fauldheld. Coal had always been mined in the district before, but never in large quantities. From then on coal dominated the life of the little town. The coal industry moved away in recent decades, and with it much of the population.
Transport
editThe A76 road runs through the area. Kirkconnel is served by bus routes 221 and 246.[2]
Kirkconnel is served by Kirkconnel railway station on the Glasgow South Western Line.
Notable people
edit- Willie Ferguson - footballer with Chelsea F.C. and Queen of the South F.C.[3]
- Kris Haddow - playwright, poet, performer and author (born Kris Clark)[4][5]
- Watson Kirkconnell - Canadian poet, playwright, and public intellectual. Visited the village, where he had familial roots, in 1953 and later composed a poem about local history; "Kirkconnell, Galloway, A.D. 600. Visited A.D. 1953".[6]
- Bill Taylor - footballer with St Johnstone F.C.[7]
- Sam Hastings - footballer with Hamilton Academicals and Clyde F.C.
- Alex Parker - footballer with Falkirk F.C., Everton F.C. and the Scotland national football team, started his career with the local club, Kello Rovers F.C.
See also
edit- Deil's Dyke - A linear earthwork.
Notes
edit- ^ includes nearby Kelloholm
References
edit- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Kirkconnel, Main St, Queensberry (On Main Street)". transport direct. Retrieved 29 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Willie Ferguson career profile Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Kris Haddow - complete guide to the Playwright, Plays, Theatres, Agent". Archived from the original on 20 October 2011.
- ^ "Kris Haddow - Actor - Equity". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
- ^ Watson Kirkconnell (1966), Centennial Tales and Selected Poems, University of Toronto Press, for Acadia University. Pages 132-133.
- ^ Bill Taylor at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
External links
editMedia related to Kirkconnel at Wikimedia Commons
- Local website
- Video and commentary on Kirkconnel Railway Station
- Video and commentary on Alexander Anderson, poet