Kilmeny Church Services
Sundays at 10.30am
The Church is open everyday and visitors are welcome at all times.
Location
Situated just off the main road (A486) on the outskirts of Ballygrant, Kilmeny Church can be found nestled within sheltered woodland grounds.
Kilmeny Church History
Built in 1828 Kilmeny was part of the parliamentary Church building scheme whose architect was Thomas Telford. It was one of three 'Telford' churches built on Islay and one of two still in use today. The original Telford plans were altered by the heritor, Walter Campbell of Islay, although essential elements of the original remained. Over time many refurbishment and restoration projects have occurred with original design features, such as Telford's balconies, being deemed unsafe and subsequently removed. Other recent changes include a refurbished kitchen and wheelchair access.
The present Kilmeny Church stands about 400m NE of its medieval predecessor, the remains of which can still be seen in the old burial ground, as well as evidence of early Celtic Church foundations within the parish.
The Church was built to serve the northern part of the joint parish of Kilarrow and Kilmeny and in 1849 became the quoad sacra parish of Kilmeny, having its own minister until 1960. However, in 1963 it was linked to the parish of Kildalton and Oa, the minister living in Port Ellen with a missionary living in the Kilmeny Manse. This link continued until 1973 when a new link with Kilarrow was formed this time lasting until 2006 when, under a new Presbytery Plan, the link was broken and a new one formed with Kilchoman and Portnahaven.
