Milltown

Historically, Milltown’s origin and morphology was closely related to the presence of Kilcolman Abbey, founded in c.1216 on the site of an earlier monastery, which had been erected by Saint Colman. Following a seizure of the abbey during the Irish Confederate Wars by Cromwellian forces and the destruction of the abbey during the offensive, the Abbey and its surrounding lands were bequeathed to the Godfrey family in the Act of Settlement 1662.

Milltown is a planned town which gives the small urban core of the town a distinct quality. The Town at its core is generally defined by terraced buildings ranging between 2 to 3 stories in height, creating a comfortable sense of enclosure along its key streets. The town was laid out by the Godfrey family in the middle of the eighteenth century in order to provide an ordered and vibrant economic and social hub for their estates.  In particular, the space immediately in front of the gates to the family seat at Kilcolman Abbey was consciously laid out as a small formal square or ‘ante-space’ addressing the gates to the demesne. Although the house was lost in 1977 after many years of neglect, the formal space remains and acts as an architectural node or distinct place within the town.

Milltown experienced unprecedented growth during the Celtic Tiger era, with its population increasing five-fold, ten times faster than County Kerry. More than half of the houses in Milltown were built between 2002-2011. The new builds are most evident on the outskirts of the town, particularly along the Killarney Road. The current County Development Plan sets a housing target of 214 dwellings for Milltown during the Plan period (2022-2028).

The aim of this community led Town Centre First Plan is to celebrate and harness Milltown’s rich natural and built heritage as well as its strategic location. This plan identifies a range of strategies focusing on placemaking and social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects that will enable Milltown to unlock its full potential as an attractive, vibrant and progressive town, creating a better quality of life and a prosperous and sustainable future for all. Milltown is poised to become renowned for its vibrant and inviting Town Centre, featuring a diverse mix of activities and uses. The plan incorporates an accessible, inclusive, and well- designed public realm, all interlinked through safe pedestrian and cycle routes.