The personal name Micheál is rarely found in non-ecclesiastical place-names (see BALLYMICHAEL, par. Ardcanrisk), most examples occurring in compound with elements such as cill “church” or teampall “church”, e.g. Kilmihil/Cill Mhichíl (CE; LK) and Templemichael/Teampall Mhichíl (CK; LK; LD; TY; WD; WW) (see logainm.ie). It is therefore likely that the original Irish form of Kilmichael here is Cill Mhichíl “St. Michael’s church” rather than Coill Mhichíl “Micheál’s wood”. This is also the most likely derivation of KILMICHAEL in Kilgorman (par.) and Kilnahue (par.), despite the lack of ecclesiastical remains in any of these three townlands as of 2016 (see archaeology.ie). (See Townlands of Co. Wexford ii pp.1144–5.)

It has, however, recently been brought to the attention of the Placenames Branch by folklorist Michael Fortune that a local tradition of a graveyard exists in the area, which is very much at one with the presence of cill “church, churchyard” in this place-name.