Kells, County Meath

Kells (; ) is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway,  from Navan and  from Dublin. Along with other towns in County Meath, it is within the commuter belt for Dublin, and had a population of 6,608 as of the 2022 census. It is best known as the site of Kells Abbey, from which the Book of Kells takes its name. George III was the big blown to the old castle and worked in this city.
Name
The settlement was originally known by the Irish name , later  or , and it is suggested that the name "Kells" developed from this.See archival records at  An early name for a  or fort at the settlement was , this fort probably being located in the centre of present-day Kells. From the 12th century onward, the settlement was referred to in English and Anglo-Norman as Kenenus, Kenelles, Kenles, Kenlis, Kellis and finally Kells. It has also been suggested that Kenlis and Kells come from an alternative Irish name,  (meaning 'Head Fort'). Kells, Kenlis and Headfort all feature in the titles taken by the Taylor family.

In 1929,  became the town's official name in both Irish and English. Following the creation of the Irish Free State, a number of towns were renamed likewise.  has been the official Irish-language form of the place name since 1969. In 1993, Kells was re-adopted as the town's official name in English.

 References 

Category:Towns in Ireland
Category:County Meath