placenamesWhitechurch
An Teampall Geal
Archaeological testing revealed a wider medieval complex around Whitechurch’s ruined church.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An Teampall Geal · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Whitechurch · English · main form
Place & story
Ditches, kilns and trackways
Test trenches excavated at Whitechurch in summer 2019 revealed kilns, structures, trackways and ditches, some of medieval date. Archaeologist Antoine Giacometti interpreted the evidence as indicating a larger ecclesiastical settlement around the neighbouring ruined church and graveyard. The discoveries place working and living activity beyond the surviving burial-ground boundary. [2]
Possible enclosing boundaries
Two substantial ditches were tentatively interpreted as curving inner and outer ecclesiastical enclosures. Settlement and industrial features extended beyond the possible inner boundary towards the outer one. The northern part of the tested area, beyond the proposed outer enclosure, produced no definite archaeological features. These interpretations remain qualified rather than establishing a complete plan or a precise foundation date. [2]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Civil parish
- County
- Kildare
- Barony
- Naas North
- Coordinates
- 53.28727, -6.61712
- Mapped area
- 12.85 km²
- Logainm ID
- 1235 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Whitechurch. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- 2019:721 Whitechurch, Straffan, licence19E0421 · Antoine Giacometti, Archaeology Plan; Excavations.ie
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-10-29. How this page was prepared.