The term ‘rich in history’ is bandied about all too often however today is the day to cash in my chips and write about this incredibly beautiful site that played a huge role in 1500 years of Irish history. The first recorded mention of an ecclesiastical site at Old Kilcullen comes from 488AD when St Patrick was said to have assigned a bishop named Mac Táil to the monastic settlement. The site is beautifully situated on a small hill overlooking the Kildare countryside, although the walled churchyard appears to be the extent of this site aerial and ground surveys have shown that the site extended outside of these boundaries. The settlement was attacked by the Vikings at least twice in 936AD and 944AD. At the time, and according to the Annals of the Four Masters, a thousand people were taken as prisoners which exemplifies how important Old Kilcullen was. These attacks subsequently led to the building…