Kilcormac (Irish: Cill Chormaic, meaning 'church of Cormac')[2] is a small village in County Offaly, Ireland, located on the N52 at its junction with the R437 regional road, between the towns of Tullamore and Birr.

It is a small village of 935 people (as of the 2016 census),[1] many of whom were previously employed by Bord na Móna to work the local peat bogs.

This name is based on the local patron saint; Cormac Ua Liatháin, a native of Cork, who paid a visit to St Colmcille at the famous monastery he had founded in Durrow in 553 A.D. Cormac was so inspired by the great saint that he joined Colmcille and spent many years at Durrow, eventually taking over as abbot after Colmcille had gone to Iona in Scotland.

Tradition holds that Cormac died in nearby Eglish following an attack by a pair of wolves.

Historically, Kilcormac was part of the O'Molloy territory of Firceall which was part of the Kingdom of Meath, however Ballyboy was traditionally the main trading centre of the area at the time being situated on an important route which passed through the area.

[3] About five hundred years later reference is made to foreign monks, possibly Augustinian, at the Hermitage.

The amenities serving the local population include a primary school, a secondary school (Coláiste Naomh Cormac), a number of local grocery shops, butchers, clothes shop, doctors practice, chemist and an agricultural/hardware store.

[citation needed] Many people traditionally found work in Bord na Móna and the bogs in what is now a declining industry.

Bord na Móna remains an important part of the local economy with many employed in nearby Derrinlough at the peat briquette manufacturing plant.