Kircubbin, County Down

Background

On Ards Peninsula, 5km S of Greyabbey

par: Inishargy bar: Ards Upper

Although there is no mention of a church site in this area in ASCD, Reeves (EA 19 n. i) gives details of the remains of a small church which formerly stood in a place called The Chapel-field, which was about a furlong east of the village of Kircubbin.  Reeves views this now-vanished church site as having been responsible for the village name of Kircubbin, and considers it to be the church named Ecclesia de Sancti Medumy (i.e. ‘the church of St Medumy’), which is recorded in the Ecclesiastical Taxation of 1306 beside the church of Inyscargi (= mod. Inishargy).  Reeves was unable to identify this saint with certainty and more research will be required on his background before any definite pronouncement can be made. Historical forms such as Kilcubin (1615) suggest that the original name may have been Ir. Cill Ghobáin ''Gobán's church'' but that the initial element was scotticised kirk as happens elsewhere in Ulster (note the townland Kirkmoyle or Kilmoyle Upper in Co. Antrim). As regards the modern village of Kircubbin ASCD 417 notes that it was ‘a very small port established in 1790, with an export trade in kelp’. 

References

Hughes A. J. (1992): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 2 p. 91; revised PT, MÓM

Additional Information

Town, 1851 Census

Historical name form

Old Form	Ref. Date	Reference
Kilcubin, Capella de	1615	Terrier (O'Laverty) 328
Killcubin, Capella de [rectified from Killenbui]	1615	Terrier (Reeves) 59
Killcouby al. Kirkcubin cum decim in vil'' de Killc	1662	Inq. Ult. (Down) $23 Car. II
Ceathramh Ghobbáin 'Gobban''s quarter''	1834c	J O'D (OSNB) E174
Cill Ghobáin	1989	GÉ 57
Cill Ghobáin perhaps	1999	Dict. Ulst. PN 91
Cill Ghobáin	1999	Cel. Ulst. Tds 20
(?)Cubynhillis	1336	CPR Ed. III 305
Ballecurbubben	1604	CPR Jas I 39a
Ballicarcubbin	1605	Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac. I
Ballicarcubbine	1605	CPR Jas I 73a
Killcooby	1605	Inq. Ult. (Down) $2 Jac. I
(?)Kilcooly in the Great Ardes	1606	CPR Jas I 78a
""Killcobin""	1622	Ulster Visit. Reeves 55
Ballekircubin al. Kilcooby	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xlii
Ballekircubin	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxiv
Kilcoby al. Kircubin	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxx
Kilcooby al. Kircubin	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xlv
Kilcooby	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxvi
Rectorie of Kilcooby al. Kircubbin	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxiii
Kirkubbin	1640	Sav. Ulst. 247
Ballekircubbin al. Kilcouby	1645	Inq. Ult. (Down) $104 Car. I
Kilcouby al. Kircubin	1645	Inq. Ult. (Down) $104 Car. I
Kirkcubbine	1659c	Census 1659 92
Krikcubbin	1661	BSD 91
Kirkcubbin	1663	Sub. Roll Down 283
Kircubbin and Mill	1681	Ham. Copy Rental 108
Kirkcubbin	1810	Wm. Map (OSNB) No. 44
Kircubbin	1830c	High Const. Applot. (OSNB) No. 44
Kirkcubbin	1830c	Bnd. Sur. (OSNB) No. 44
Kirkcubbin	1830c	Tythes Applot. (OSNB) No. 44

Barony

Ards Upper

Parish

Inishargy

Parish in 1851

Inishargy

Townland

None

Place name ID

12091

Place name type

T:V