This week I visited the village of Kircubbin on the Ards Peninsula, and realised that Kircubbin is also the name of a townland. The townland is larger than the village, stretching from the shore of Strangford Lough, past Kircubbin Integrated Primary School and into farmland.

The view across to Scrabo Tower is illustrated by this mosaic outside the school gate, using the school’s initials to proclaim Kindness, Imagination, Play and Study.

Could I find Kindness, Imagination, Play and Study in Kircubbin on a bright October afternoon?

 In the sunshine Kircubbin felt like a lovely place to Play.

 

 

When I found the village shops, I was reassured by the people of Kircubbin exhibiting plenty of Kindness. Then I kept walking until the village gave way to farmland again. 

The only Study required today was research into the name of the townland. The website of the Northern Ireland Place-name Project suggests that the Irish name was Cill Ghobáin meaning ‘Gobán’s church’.  Translating Cill into the Scots ‘Kirk’ gave us Kirkcubbin. That spelling with the second K still appears on this church sign, and on the Fry family gravestone from 1833.

So that left me using my Imagination to see one of Kircubbin’s shops as an encouragement to bring back the second K.  Here is my photo of Kircubbin’s Circle K.

MORE INFORMATION

Which civil parish is Kircubbin in?  Inishargy

Which county is Kircubbin in?  County Down

Which townlands border Kircubbin?  To the north, Nuns Quarter. To the east, Inishargy, Ballylimp, and Glastry. To the south, Rowreagh and Fish Quarter.

Click here for a map of Kircubbin on townlands.ie.

And finally, click here to read about the townland’s name on my usual source PLACENAMESNI.ORG