Kilmacthomas

Town in County Waterford, Ireland

Kilmacthomas or Kilmactomas , often referred to locally as "Kilmac", is a town on the River Mahon in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies on the R677, a road north of the N25 national primary road from Dungarvan to Waterford.

The town has a population of 1768. The chief tourist attractions of the locality are the Mahon Falls and Waterford Greenway. The village is situated on the River Mahon, the east bank is known as Kilmacthomas and the west bank as Gruaigeshuneen (Gráig Sheoinín). The postal area of Kilmacthomas can include Newtown (Baile Nua), Ballylaneen (Baile Uí Fhlaithnín), Lemybrien (Léim Uí Bhriain), Kill (An Chill), Mahon Bridge (Droichead na Machan), The Nire (Gleann na hUidhre), and Kilrossanty (Cill Rosanta). The N25 bridge over the River Mahon is named after local sporting hero Percy Kirwan. The Mahon River has a stock of wild brown trout. The salmon run mostly in the autumn and winter, but start running from the end of June. Salmon trout (know locally as "Pale") are also found in the river. Sea trout run in late July and August. There has been a collapse in fish stocks in the 1980s and 1990s but stocks are on the rise once more since a moratorium on netting has been emplaced. Geologically Kilmacthomas gives its name to the "Kilmacthomas Formation", which is composed of Palaeozoic deep marine metasediments and metavolcanics. Evidence of manganese nodules has been noted in the new bypass cutting recently constructed near the village. Kilmacthomas is located halfway between Waterford City and the county capital; Dungarvan. West of the village are the foothills of the Comeragh mountains, while five miles to the south is the 'Copper Coast' with the beach of Bonmahon / Bunmahon (Bun Machan).

There are 4 schools in Kilmacthomas. St Declan's Community College is the largest second level school in the county area, with in excess of 700 pupils. The (Kilmac') Convent Primary school caters for younger children, which is a mile away and has 100 students while the preschool boys and girls attend the Naíonra on the High Road. There are 16 different schools within 15  km of Kilmacthomas. Kilmacthomas Boys National School operated from 1966 until 2003 when it amalgamated with the Convent Primary School. Jack Giles served as the principal for over thirty years before the amalgamation.