Where is "Kilwangen"?

[Argent_Towers]

In Barry Lyndon, they talk about a place called “Kilwangen” - this is where the English Captain Quinn is supposedly from. Well, when I looked up “Kilwangen” (actually spelled “Killwangen”) Wikipedia says that it is in Switzerland. What is this all about? Is there also a place in Ireland or England by that name?

[Captain_Amazing]

I don’t think it’s a real place, but in Thackeray’s story, Kilwangan is in County Kerry in Ireland, near Castle Brady and Brady’s Town, which is where Lyndon is from.

We’re informed in the story:

Brady’s Town sent a company to join the Kilwangan regiment, of which Master Mick was the captain; and we had a letter from Master Ulick at Trinity College, stating that the University had also formed a regiment, in which he had the honour to be a corporal.

and also

Once the officers of the Fencibles gave a grand ball at Kilwangan, to which, as a matter of course, all the ladies of Castle Brady (and a pretty ugly coachful they were) were invited.

So it’s close enough that you can get there from Castle Brady for a ball, and that men from Brady’s Town become a part of the regiment.

Also, when Captain Quin is visiting Castle Brady, it gets to be night, and Lyndon’s uncle offers to send men with Quin to protect him from highwaymen on his way back, Quin warns them, “Why, you’ll not be home till morning, boys. Kilwangan’s a good ten mile from here.”

So, it’s ten miles from Castle Brady.

[Wendell_Wagner]

All the results using Google from “Kilwangan” refer to Barry Lyndon. It’s almost certainly a made-up name. It sounds Irish because many town names start with “Kil,” which means “church.”