Excavations in 2006 at a residential development revealed evidence of settlement at the village dating back to early
Neolithic period. Finds included pottery fragments, stone blades and seeds. The name of the village in Irish is
Cill Síoláin, meaning
church of Síolán/Sillan. Síolán is thought to be an early Irish saint probably
Sillan, abbot of
Bangor Abbey in
Bangor, County Down.
Síolán can translate to either "seed-basket" or "cullender/sieve". In 1853 Kilsheelan railway station was opened by the
Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway, later taken over by the
Great Southern & Western Railway, it being one of many small provincial stations to serve settlements along the route. It was closed in 1963 to passengers and then to goods in 1976. Until 1984 the station served as a
block post, at which point sidings and loop were removed. The original Great Southern & Western signal box remains extant, being used to house operator of the adjacent manual level crossing on the R706 road.
Historical population Population shown accounts for the entire parish of Kilsheelan starting in 1831. ==Geography==