By Samuel Lewis, 1837
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KILKENNY (County of), an inland county, in the western part of the province of Leinster, bounded on the east by the counties of Carlow and Wexford, on the north by the Queen's county, on the west by the county of Tipperary, and on the south by the county of Waterford. It extends from 52° 14' to 52° 51' (N. Lat.), and from 6° 56' to 7° 38' (W. Lon.); and comprises an area, according to the Ordnance survey, of 536,686 statute acres, of which 417,117 are cultivated land, and 96,569 bog and mountain. The population, in 1821, was 158,716; and in 1831, 169,945. According to Ptolemy, this county was originally inhabited by the Brigantes and the Caucoi, and it afterwards formed part of the kingdom of Ossory. The name of Uisraigagh, modernized into Ossory, is supposed to be expressive of its local situation, being compounded of the Gaelic words uisge, "water," and rioghachd, "kingdom," as lying between the rivers. The portion between the Nore and Barrow is sometimes excluded from the kingdom of Ossory, and was anciently styled Hy Creoghain Gabhran; the southern part of the county was sometimes called Comor na tri uisge, "the high district of the three waters." The countries of Ely O'Carrol and Hy Carthin comprised some of the north-western portion of this county. This kingdom was sometimes tributary to Leinster, and sometimes to Munster. After the arrival of the English, it formed one of the counties into which King John divided the portion of the island that acknowledged his sovereignty. At the commencement of the reign of James L, it was chiefly occupied by the Graces, the O'Brenans, the Wandesfords, the Butlers, the O'Sheas, the Rooths, the Harpurs, the Walshes of the mountains, and the Shortals.
This county is partly in the diocese and province of Cashel, and partly in the diocese of Leighlin, but chiefly in and comprehending the greater part of the diocese of Ossory, in the province of Dublin. For purposes of civil jurisdiction it is divided into the baronies of Gowran, Ida, Fassadineen, Kells, Galmoy, Cranagh, Iverk, Knocktopher, and Shillelogher. It contains the incorporated market and post-towns of Callan, Thomastown, and Gowran; the market and post-towns of Castlecomer, Durrow, and Graig; the ancient disfranchised boroughs of Knocktopher and Innistiogue, of which the latter is a post-town, and the former has a penny post; and the post-towns of Freshford, Ballyragget, Urlingford, Johnstown, and Goresbridge. Among the largest villages are those of Piltown, Clough, Bennettsbridge, and Rossbercon, besides the large suburb of Ferrybank, opposite the city of Waterford. Prior to the Union this county sent twelve members to the Irish parliament,--two knights of the shire, and two representatives for each of the boroughs of Callan, Gowran, Thomastown, Knocktopher, and Innistiogue: but since that period its representation has been confined to the two members for the county at large. The constituency, as registered at the summer assize of 1836, consists of 266 £50, 108 £20, and 864 £10 freeholders; 27 £50, 12 £20, and 189 £10 leaseholders; and 5 £50 and 6 £20 rent-chargers: making a total of 1477 voters. The election takes place at Kilkenny. It is included in the Leinster circuit: the assizes are held at Kilkenny; and the general quarter sessions at Kilkenny, Castlecomer, and Thomastown. The county court-house and the county gaol are in Kilkenny, and there is a bridewell at Thomastown. The number of persons charged with criminal offences and committed to the prisons, in 1835, was 574, and of civil bill committals, 21. The local government is vested in a lieutenant and 17 deputy lieutenants, of whom 13 are county magistrates, and there are also 105 other magistrates; besides whom there are the usual county officers, including two coroners. There are 50 constabulary police stations, having in the whole a force of one stipendiary magistrate, 10 chief and 51 subordinate constables, and 341 men, with 22 horses, the expense of maintaining which is defrayed equally by Grand Jury presentments and by Government. There are 30 stations of the peace preservation police, consisting of two magistrates, 3 chief and 18 subordinate constables, and 112 men, with 2 horses, maintained at an expense, in 1835, of £6963. The county infirmary and fever hospital are at Kilkenny, and there are also fever hospitals at Freshford, Kells, Kilmaganny, and Rossbercon, and dispensaries at Kilkenny, Castlecomer, Ballyragget, Graig, Freshford, Kilmanagh, Knocktopher, Kilmaganny, Thomastown, Ida, Kells and Stonyford, Gowran, Callan, Durrow, Johnstown, Kilmacow, Urlingford, Whitechurch, and Innistiogue, maintained by equal subscriptions and Grand Jury presentments. The amount of the Grand Jury presentments, for 1835, was £29,793. 14. 8 1/2., of which £2603. 11. 6. was for the public roads of the county at large; £5907. 19. 1. for the public roads, being the baronial charge; £2387. 6. 9. in repayment of loans advanced by Government; £7609. 19. 1. for officers salaries, public establishments, &c.; and £11,284. 18. 3 1/2. for the police. In the military arrangements this county is included in the eastern district.
An argillaceous soil may be considered as predominant throughout the county, within the limits of which there is very little ground unfit for tillage, or which does not, form good meadow or pasture. The northern part consists chiefly of a moory turf, a few inches deep, incumbent on a bed of stiff yellow or whitish clay, which is the worst soil in the county, and the only kind liable to be injured by surface water. More southerly, the soil is in general light, covering an argillaceous schistus. The northern part of the barony of Gowran is similar in quality, until its bills subside into a rich plain covered by good loam of various kinds. An excellent soil for the growth of wheat pervades the southern part of this barony from the Barrow to the Nore; its western portion consists of low hills or gently sloping grounds of good soil, dry, and sometimes deep, but diminishing in quality as it approaches the latter of those rivers. That to the west of the Nore, below the city of Kilkenny, is a clayey loam immediately over a bed of limestone. In general, the nearer the limestone is to the surface, the poorer the soil; but as this kind of ground, along the banks of the river, produces close and green herbage, and is extremely dry, it seems calculated by nature to form the best kind of sheepwalks. A light soil appears all round the city of Kilkenny, frequently rising into hills of sand and gravel. Along the banks of the Nore, northwards, good meadow ground is found, apparently formed by aquatic depositions: some of it consists of a deep blackish loam, apparently the produce of decayed vegetables, and inducing the inference that the Nore, formerly obstructed by rocks or other natural impediments which the impetuosity of its water had ultimately broken down, was once an expansive lake, whose edges may still be traced round the flat plain inclining towards Freshford. Achadh-ur, or "the Field of Water," the old name for Freshford, strengthens this conclusion. The northwestern portion of the county is chiefly occupied by hills, the soil of which, though not deep, is of good quality and productive of fine herbage. From the whitish appearance of these calcareous hills, the district was probably called Geal-Magh, "the white field," corrupted into Galmoy. The country declines northwards into a varied plain of still better soil, until it is bounded by a branch of the Bog of Allen: the western part, with a varied surface and a limestone bottom, possesses all the gradations between a stiff, yet rich, clayey soil and a light gravel. Proceeding southwards, the fertility of the land increases as it approaches the Suir, on the margin of which is some of the richest and deepest ground in the county. Some parts of this southern district consist of low hills covered by a light dry soil, producing good crops; and, as the soil has a large proportion of argill, it is peculiarly productive on the application of calcareous manure. There is a considerable extent of mountain land in the county, much of which is unimproved: all the hills, when they rise a little above the calcareous districts, incline to a moory surface, and when neglected produce little but heath. The quantity of peat is inconsiderable; by far the largest tract, amounting to 1000 acres, is in the northwestern extremity: several small tracts, from 30 to 50 acres each, are scattered in various parts; the whole may be estimated at about 1500 acres, not including mountain ground, the surface of which is often stripped for fuel. A bed of marl has been found in a bog between two strata of black peat; also three strata of bog separated by alternate beds of indifferent marl. Some of the lesser bogs may be cut to a depth of 20 feet: considerable quantities of oak, fir, and birch are found in them. A stratum of bog has been found 33 feet beneath the surface, covered with the following strata; --vegetable mould, 3 feet; marl with black stones, 15 feet; yellow clay and hard gravel, 15 feet. There are no loughs of any extent: in the parish of Cloghmanta are some small lakes, here called Loughans, which are formed by the surface water in winter. The best land in the county, most of which has a limestone bottom, is applied to the growth of wheat, which is the predominant crop. Barley is usually sown after it: here is not in general cultivation. Oats are cultivated in all parts of the county: the species most commonly used is the Irish, a hardy but small grain, which does not shed easily. Rye, which is but little cultivated, is usually sown on land that has been pared and burned, and produces fine crops on mountainous ground. Potatoes are everywhere grown, and all the manure of the county is applied in their culture; but the most approved is that from the farm-yard, though the sweepings of the streets of Kilkenny are purchased at a high price, and other manures consist of composts of various kinds; lime only is sometimes used. In the barony of Iverk, and everywhere within reach of the coast, or of the Suir, sea-wrack and sand are generally used. Green crops are very rare, being cultivated only by some of the principal gentry and a few wealthy farmers. Manure is seldom used for any but the potatoe crop: when exhausted by repeated tillage, the land is too frequently left to recruit itself by a natural process; grass and clover seeds are, however, sometimes sown, and the advantages are beginning to be appreciated.
In the best cultivated parts of the county about one-third of the ground is under tillage, but in the hilly parts the proportion is much less. The use of green food for any species of stock is almost unknown to common farmers: many of the cattle graze abroad the whole winter, but some are housed from Christmas to April. In the Walsh mountains grass is kept for the cattle, into which they are turned in the winter without hay, straw, or shelter. The only green food used in winter is furze tops pounded, which are commonly given to horses, and sometimes to black cattle: the former become fat, sleek, and fine-skinned on this food: the sort preferred is the large French furze, but the small Irish furze will serve. The stalks of potatoes, dug when green, are given to cattle: sheep are remarkably fond of them, and particularly of the apples, which fatten greatly. The Jerusalem artichoke has also been used successfully as food for sheep. Less attention seems to be paid to pasture than to other agricultural objects, being, in the tillage districts, such fields as will no longer bear corn, let out without any seeds. The mountain pastures are left in a state of nature, unenclosed and unimproved. Sheep are banished from many places for want of fences, and the land seems to be applied to no purpose, being left to the spontaneous growth of heath. These heaths are very liable to take fire in dry summers by accidental circumstances, and cause some damage: the fire, however, eventually improves the surface, when not too intense, and sometimes is kindled for that purpose. That the hilly tracts are capable of being improved by culture is testified by the aspect of the small enclosures near mountain villages, where the natural grass by a little shelter and manure becomes surprisingly green. Improvement is not much impeded by rights of common, as there are few persons to assert such rights, if they exist, and landlords seem to have an undisputed authority in partitioning lands, which, though grazed in common, confer no legal claim on the occupier. Irrigation is but little attended to, although, where it has been practised judiciously, it has been found very advantageous. There is a considerable portion of land, bordering both on the Suir and the Nore, which is embanked and chiefly used for meadows: the most remarkable is in the parish of Roer, where the embankment is about two miles long; some of it is pastured, and was formerly tilled, but the greater part is constantly kept in meadow: it is intersected by open drains communicating with a main drain connected with the river by sluices. Besides this district, the most extensive dairies are in the barony of Iverk and principally around the Walsh mountains: this tract has a good depth of soil, much inclined to grass. So late as the close of the last century, the principal family residing in it consisted of five branches, holding among them more than 2000 acres; they retained a remarkable degree of clanship, by constantly intermarrying, and were very comfortable and hospitable. But from the practice of subdividing the land amongst their descendants, the farms have become very small and the occupiers poorer. The land, however, is much improved: the chief crops are oats and potatoes, and great numbers of cattle and pigs are bred here. The milch cows are principally fed on potatoes during the summer, and the butter is of a superior quality, and brings a good price both at Waterford and Kilkenny, whence it is exported to England. The pigs are mostly fed with buttermilk and potatoes and grow to a large size: vast numbers are annually shipped for England, and during the season the provision merchants of Kilkenny and Waterford obtain a large supply from the barony of Iverk. Throughout the whole of that part of the barony which is not immediately adjacent to the city of Waterford, the population is more or less connected by ties of consanguinity, rarely marrying out of their own district. Limestone to a great extent is burned for manure; and limestone sand and gravel, raised from the numerous escars and screened, were formerly esteemed nearly as efficacious as lime, and are still frequently employed when found at a distance from limestone rocks. Before the practice of burning lime became general, they formed the principal manures, for which reason large excavations are to be found whence these substances were raised: the most remarkable is in the barony of Iverk, where, from the magnitude of the old excavations, they have been in use probably for a thousand years. A manure somewhat similar is used, under the name of Kilmacow sand, for hilly ground: it is carried up the Nore to Innistiogue, and thence drawn for some miles up the hills. Marl is found in great quantities in different parts, generally mixed with fragments of limestone; but, in consequence of the higher estimation in which lime is held, it is not in general use. River sand, raised below Ross, is more extensively used than marl. At the edge of the river, near Ringville, black mud, containing the decayed remains of vegetables, is raised, and proves an excellent manure for light ground; some sand is also taken up, containing thin broken shells of a species of tellina; the earth of old ditches and from boggy ground is often mixed with it. A compost of lime and earth is common as a top dressing; and the scrapings of roads, and furze, fern and straw, spread on lanes and other thoroughfares, are also used. Burning was the usual way of bringing land into tillage, and was encouraged by many landlords under particular restrictions, but is now generally discountenanced, as the carbon and all volatile particles are dissipated by the fire.
The use of oxen in the plough seems to be rather increasing, though the proportion is very small in comparison with horses. The native horses are lively, active, hardy, and well adapted to the uses of the farmer: few are bred in the county; of English breeds the Suffolk is most in request. The attention paid to the breeding of cattle is inferior to that of the adjoining counties of Carlow and Waterford, and some parts of Tipperary: the common breed is a cross between the old Irish and Lancashire, and some districts have the old native cow. Some noblemen and gentlemen have a superior kind, being a cross between the Irish and Durham; and crosses between the Irish and Devon and Ayrshire and Durham breeds appear to suit both the soil and climate. But those that attain the largest size are a cross between the Limerick and Durham, which fatten speedily and weigh well. The little Kerry cow is much sought after in some of the dairy districts, in which it improves much, and when crossed with the Ayrshire is very profitable to the small farmer. The breed of sheep is generally little improved; the New Leicester and Ayrshire breeds are found in the lawns and demesnes of some gentlemen, but are comparatively few in number. Pigs have been greatly improved by the introduction of the Berkshire and other superior breeds. In all the minor departments of rural economy, except the rearing of poultry, the farmers are very deficient. The fences generally are very indifferent, principally consisting of an old broad mound of earth (called a ditch), with a deep and broad trench on one or both sides, or of dry and broken stone walls, except in the immediate neighbourhood of Kilkenny or on the farms of gentlemen, where in many instances quickset hedges show to great advantage: the parks and demesnes are mostly enclosed with high stone walls. The county is very deficient in woods and plantations, although there are some of considerable extent around Kilkenny, Durrow, Desart, Woodstock, Besborough, Castlecomer, Thomastown, and other places on the banks of the Nore. Callan and its neighbourhood, once so celebrated for its extensive woods, is now denuded; but from Kilkenny to Callan the fences appear better and the land more judiciously divided than in other parts. Planting is by no means general, except around demesnes. An agricultural society, the first midland society formed, has been long established, of which, perhaps, the most beneficial result is the improvement of agricultural implements, which has been accomplished to a considerable degree.
As the soil is seldom much raised above the rock that forms its basis, it is not difficult to trace the substrata: these are granite, silicious schistus, silicious breccia, argillite, sandstone and limestone. The granite hills form a very small part of the county, being merely the extension of the Wicklow group, which, including Mount Leinster and Blackstairs in the county of Carlow, forms the hills of Brandon between the Barrow and the Nore, and ultimately terminates in the low and secondary hills which unite to the south, towards the mountains of Waterford. The stratum which usually joins the granite is silicious schistus, and lower down argillaceous slate. The granite varies in shades of grey, red, and yellow, and in the fineness of its grain; the best is of a light yellow tint, finely grained and corn-pact; black mica is found in it, together with specks of iron ore and crystals of schorl: it can be raised in blocks of large size, and may be chiselled into any form. Below Innistiogue, part of the hills are composed of granite; on their lower part the yellow mica is sometimes found by itself in large masses. The detached stones which form the surface of these hills are called fire-stones, and are worked into hearth-stones, and also applied to other purposes. Pieces of a very fine deep red and compact jasper, of various sizes, the largest ten or twelve inches long and half as broad, have been discovered in the granite district. The silicious schistus is blackish, sometimes containing grains of quartz; when broken it has a shivery texture and thin lamellae, and is hard enough to scratch glass. The base of Brandon Hill, and of that extending thence to Graig, is composed of it; between Innistiogue and Ross it is quarried out of the steep banks of the river. New Ross is mostly built of it: the dip of these quarries is eastward. Martial pyrites frequently lies between the beds of this stone: the strata are also intersected by broad veins of quartz: iron ochre occurs in it, and it is much tinged by oxyde of iron. A few specks of copper are sometimes perceived, but no vein has been discovered. Fine-grained galena has also been detected in it, in small quantities and in detached fragments. Silicious breccia forms many of the lower hills: it consists principally of fine quartz sand, united by a silicious cement and enveloping rounded pebbles of quartz, from the size of a pea to two or three inches in diameter, and of a reddish tinge: it seems to be one of the stones styled by Kirwan semiprotolites, and wherever its base can be discovered, it appears to lie on silicious schistus. This stone is constantly accompanied by red argillite, which covers the sides of the hills, but scarcely ever the summits: it prevails on the northern sides of these hills, and from its appearance is sometimes called red slate. The hills of breccia run southward from the Nore, spreading to the south and south-east till they approach the Suir: the great hill of Drumdowney, bounded by the Ross river, forms the extremity of the principal range. The stone here is of a fine grain, and is raised for mill-stones, which are principally quarried on the top of the hill of Drumdowney, where an enclosure of about 300 acres has been made for the purpose: they are sent coastwise to Cork, Dublin, and other ports; the dimensions of the largest are five feet in diameter and sixteen inches in the eye. This stone is sometimes accompanied by a fine-grained white sandstone, consisting chiefly of quartz with a silicious cement: its chief defect is that the strata are very thin. Slaty argillite also often forms the lower parts of those hills, varying from reddish brown to green or blue, but being very heavy is not well adapted for roofing. In the western part of the county there is an extensive quarry of excellent slates, scarcely exceeded by any in colour and lightness. The northern part, including the whole of Fassadineen and the upper part of Gowran, consists either of ferruginous argillite, or of silicious schistus: of the latter, stones are raised in several quarries for the purpose of flagging; the former is always found above the coal, and is thence called coal-cover. It is a brittle blackish slate impregnated with iron ochre, and more or less inlaid with nodules of iron ore; it extends from the collieries to the south and west, forming the banks of the Dinan almost to its confluence with the Nore. The same stone forms lower hills which stretch towards the river, but in that part it is generally found of a fine soft grain, some of which is quarried for polishing marble, and the finer specimens are sometimes used as hones. In several parts are numerous escars, mostly near the banks of the rivers; some are seen near Urlingford, approaching the verge of the Bog of Allen, and they are also frequently found far removed from either river or bog; they are mostly composed of rounded masses of limestone, quartz, clay-slate, and ironstone, but most commonly of the first. They form gently rising hills, and may be traced from the banks of the Shannon, in the county of Limerick, through Tipperary and Kilkenny, to the banks of the Suir, whence they range through Carlow, Kildare, and near to the sea shore a little to the south of Dublin: along their entire extent the surface is generally fertile and very picturesque.
The Kilkenny collieries are situated two miles north from Castlecomer, twelve from Kilkenny, eight from Carlow, and forty-one from Dublin, and extend in length from Cooleban to the river beyond Maesfield, continuing thence into the Queen's county. In this county the coal field may be estimated at six miles in length by five in breadth, and the collieries are distinguished by the names of Firoda, Ballyouskill, Clogh,and Maesfield. The mines were discovered in 1728. A great number of men had been for several years employed in raising iron ore, which was smelted with charcoal from the numerous woods of the country; and having worked through the seam, came unexpectedly to a vein of coal. The first pits were sunk near the southern termination of the coal field, and were consequently unprofitable; others were then opened on the ridge of hill at Cooleban, where three separate seams were worked at little expense till exhausted. The present colliery is in the plain westward from Cooleban, and is much flooded: two powerful steam-engines are constantly at work, but the water frequently accumulates to such a height as to interrupt the operations. In this field are 24 pits, varying from 31 to 39 yards in depth, and only the upper seam of coal has yet been worked, which varies from 34 to 38 inches in thickness: more than 700 men are constantly employed. The soil of the entire district is a stiff clay, below which is a rock composed of argillite and silicious limestone, resting on an argillaceous deposit here called grey or curled rock, below which is black shale, with thin layers of rich iron ore, and beneath these are thin layers of slate, here forming the roof of the coal. The seat of the coal is a soft, black, brittle stone, or fireclay, containing impressions of various plants: it has never been applied to any beneficial purpose, although, when pulverised and worked into cement, it becomes fire-proof, and would be very valuable for crucibles, glass-pots, and other vessels exposed to intense heat. Since the woods of the country failed, no attempt has been made to smelt the iron ore, and vast quantities lie scattered about in every part. Wheaten bread is the principal food of the colliers, which they take with them into the pits: their earnings are generally consumed in the purchase of spirits, whence it happens that, though their wages are higher than those of other workmen, they are the most wretched class in the county. Their habitations are miserably mean, being generally built and covered with sods, sometimes without chimneys or windows; their children naked, themselves ill clad and unhealthy, few arriving at the age of fifty. A consumption of the lungs is the most fatal disorder among them: those who work in wet pits live longest, as they do not inhale so much of the volatile dust of the coal. The excellent qualities of this coal for particular uses occasion a demand for it in all parts of the country. It burns dully, with little flame, but lying like charcoal in an ignited state for seven or eight hours, casts a steady and strong heat. No fuel dries malt so well, and this without any preparation; it is excellent for the forge and for all works in iron; indeed in every manufacture in which steady heat is required void of smoke, it cannot be excelled; nor does it dirty the flues where it is used. On being analysed, it appears to approach nearly to pure carbon, without any bituminous matter; the proportions being 97.3 per cent, of pure carbon, and the remainder uninflammable ashes. Iron has been successfully smelted with it; and it seems peculiarly calculated for cementing steel and for potteries. In the town of Castlecomer very good, tenacious, brown potters' clay is found, and different clays for potters' use exist in the neighbourhood: a pottery commenced here many years since failed from want of capital. Indications of coal present themselves in other parts, extending for a considerable distance into Queen's county, and in one direction stretching to the border of Carlow. Yellow ochre is found in different parts; pipeclay of good quality, and potters' clay lie in the southern part of the county as well as in the northern. Manganese is considerably dispersed: it is seen on the banks of the Barrow, and in limestone quarries, particularly near Freshford. Of copper, no certain indications have been found: lead ore has been met with in small quantities between Innistiogue and Ross; large pieces of fine-grained galena are frequently taken up near Knocktopher, imbedded in limestone quarries. But the only lead mine ever worked was in the park of Floodhall, which was continued for some time with considerable profit: the ore was rich, and contained a considerable quantity of silver. Limestone is the base of the central part of the county, and of detached portions of its north-western and south-western extremities. The quality of the stone varies considerably: that to the north of Gowran, which appears good to the eye, cannot be burned into lime, on account of its hardness, or of the quantity of silicious sand which it contains. Near Callan is a kind of white limestone, splitting into laminae, which is little esteemed: near Durrow, the stone is full of flint. All the limestone of this county contains impressions of shells or corallines: it is stratified more horizontally than the rocks around it usually are, and appears to fill all the lower lands between the hills; no other stone lies above it, and it is generally so deep that scarcely any other has been found beneath it. In most cases the limestone district is terminated by a broad bed of gravel, composed chiefly of rolled calcareous pebbles. The most important quarry is that which produces the Kilkenny marble; it is called the black quarry, and is situated about half a mile south of the town. The stone, when polished, has a black ground more or less varied with white marks, which appear more conspicuously when exposed to the air; but the jet black specimens only are esteemed at Kilkenny. This marble contains a great variety of impressions of madrepores, and of bivalve and turbinate shells: the spar which occupies the place of the shells sometimes assumes a greenish yellow colour. In some places there are iridiscent spots: and sometimes martial pyrites is imbedded in the marble. A small specimen of pink fluor was found in it; but this is a very rare occurrence. The analysis of the most common kind gave 98 per cent, soluble in marine acid, and 2 per cent, of a black powder of carbon, which burned without leaving any ashes. The blocks raised at this quarry are finished principally at a marble mill at some distance, which presents a very elegant combination of simplicity of structure with powers of execution: it performs the work of forty-two men daily; water never fails, and from the excellence of its construction it is scarcely ever stopped on account of repairs.
The woollen manufacture owes its introduction into the county to Pierce, Earl of Ormonde, who died in 1359, and his wife Margaret, who brought artists in tapestry, diaper, and carpets from Flanders; some of their tapestry is still in the castle of Kilkenny. James, Duke of Ormonde, also incurred great expense, in the middle of the seventeenth century, in establishing both the linen and woollen manufacture. This latter branch was chiefly carried on at Carrick, where it gave employment for many years to the population of the surrounding district: its decline is attributed to the fraudulent practice of stretching the cloths to augment the measurement, until the Dublin merchants refused to buy them: the manufacture was principally carried on by large farmers and their families. In the hilly districts a constant manufacture of frieze and ratteen prevails: the yarn is spun by the women; both sexes are employed in carding the wool; and the farmers' sons, who are taught to weave, manufacture it into cloth. On the decline of the frieze trade, that of wool-combing succeeded; the combers converting their coarse offal wool into blanketing, which has gradually become a staple branch of trade. The linen trade was introduced towards the close of the 17th century, and prospered for fifty or sixty years; but within the last century it has so decayed as to leave few traces of its former prosperity, only the coarser cloths for domestic consumption being now made: many of the bleach-greens were converted into mills of various kinds, but there are three still tolerably well employed. In the hilly districts every farmer grows a little flax for his own use, and generally bleaches his own linen: he also often has a little hemp to make sacking. The number of flour-mills is very great; there are twenty-two on the Nore between Durrow and Innistiogue; on the King's river, from Callan to the Nore, ten; on the part of the Barrow within the county, three or four, and several on the streams which fall into the Suir and other great rivers. Rape-mills have been erected, but are not profitable; the exportation of the seed being found more advantageous than the manufacture of the oil. The principal part of the grain raised is sent to Dublin in the shape of flour, malt, and meal, the preparation of which is another source of internal wealth: the wheat and barley find a ready sale among the numerous millers, maltsters, and distillers, so that very little is brought to the market-house.
The rivers were formerly famous for their salmon, much of which was sent to Dublin, both fresh and preserved in ice; but the quantity has decreased during the last century, caused, as is supposed, by the increased number of mills. The salmon trout is not uncommon in the rivers; its usual length is from eighteen to twenty inches. The shad comes up the Nore in April and returns in May; the sturgeon appears but rarely; porpoises sometimes follow the salmon beyond Waterford; the conger eel is sometimes taken; lampreys are thrown away by the fishermen, not being even kept for bait. All the aquatic birds usually found along the course of large rivers are met with here: the common gull follows their course to a great distance, devouring many insects pernicious to the farmer, and returns to the sea at night: the common people call it the white crow. The kingfisher and water-ousel are not uncommon.
The river Suir forms the southern boundary of the county for twenty miles; vessels of 100 tons navigate it to Carrick, and of a much larger burthen to Waterford. An act has been recently obtained for removing rocks and other obstructions in its bed, which will enable large vessels to proceed to Carrick. The Barrow skirts the eastern border of the county for about twenty-six miles. Large sums of money have been expended in improving its navigation to Athy: the boats which ply on it are from twenty to forty tons' burthen, but the locks last constructed admit boats of eighty tons. The river forms the course of the navigation, except in a few instances, where inland cuts are connected with it. The Nore more peculiarly belongs to this county, flowing nearly through its central part in a winding course of not less than forty-six miles, from the neighbourhood of Durrow to its junction with the Barrow near Ross: after passing Kilkenny, it receives the King's river from the west, whence in its course by Thomastown and Innistiogue it presents a rich variety of picturesque scenery: after its junction with the Barrow, the united stream takes the name of the Ross river. Like all mountain rivers, it is subject to great floods, which are highest when the wind has blown for some time from the north-east, accompanied with rain: the clouds thus driven on the hills to the north of the county, and quickly succeeding each other, convert into torrents all the streams that feed the Nore; on such occasions the water has risen eighteen feet at Innistiogue. It has long been an object of importance to establish a navigation from Kilkenny to the sea by means of this river; much money was expended in the attempt, and many plans proposed, but none accomplished: the boats navigating it to Thomastown carry thirteen or fourteen tons down the river when it is full, and bring up ten tons, but only three or four when the water is low; they are drawn up by eight men, and require two more to work them. The roads are numerous, and are generally well laid out and kept in good repair. Several new lines have been recently made: the principal are those from Kilkenny to Piltown, Carrick-on-Suir, Freshford, and Roscrea respectively, and those from Castlecomer to Ballynakill, from Callan to Johnstown, and from Innistiogue to Waterford. The construction of these numerous lines, particularly through the hilly districts, has afforded to the farmer increased facility for the carriage of lime and the conveyance of agricultural produce to market.
The traces of antiquity are numerous. On the summit of Tory Hill, called in Irish Slieve-Grian, or "the Hill of the Sun," is a circular space covered with stones, on one of which, resting on several others, is an inscription which has given rise to much controversy. On the summit of the Hill of Cloghmanta, which signifies "the Stone of God," is another circular heap. Both these monuments are much decayed. The most remarkable cromlech is at Kilmogue, in the barony of Knocktopher; the upper stone is 45 feet in circumference, and is elevated six feet above the ground at its lower end, and 15 at its upper: the country people call it Lachan Schal, or "the Great Altar." Numerous other cromlechs are dispersed through various parts of the county. Not far from the spa of Ballyspellane is a large stone, formerly supported by several smaller: it is called Cloghbannagh, or "the Stone of Blessing." Not far from it is a conical stone, lying on its side. The remains of another heap, called Cloghan-carneen, may be seen at Ballynasliegh, near Durrow. Many human hones have been found in the neighbourhood, and, among others, a skeleton enclosed between flags, with a horn near it. On the Hill of Garryduff, in Fiddown parish, is a place called Leibe-na-cuhn, or "the Dog's Grave," around which are the remains of ranges of stones. Several small urns containing ashes were found in front of a great stone in Kilbeacon parish, and in other places. Raths are very numerous in some districts, particularly in Galmoy and near the Nore; they are of various shapes, and are formed of one, two, or three enclosures. Chambers under ground, roofed with flags, are found not accompanied by raths. At Earlsrath is a very large fort, enclosed by a fosse, in the area of which are the vestiges of buildings. Some large moats are observable in several parts: the largest are at Callan, Kilkenny, and Castlecomer; one of them, at Rathbeath, is pointed out as the place where Hereman built his palace and was buried. There are five round towers: one at St. Canice, a few feet from the southern side of the cathedral; another at Tulloherm; a third at Kilree; a fourth at Fertagh, or Fertagh-na-geiragh; of the fifth, at Aghaviller, only the lower part remains. In the parish of Macullee is a place called Reighlig-na-lughduigh, or "the Burying-place of the Black Lough," where are some upright stones, near which human bones and several bronze spear-heads were found. There is a faint tradition that a great battle had been fought here. Besides the ruined abbeys in the city of Kilkenny, there were two very celebrated monasteries of the Cistertian order, one at Jerpoint, the other at Graig. The Dominicans had abbeys at Rossbercon and at Thomastown, and the Carmelites at Knocktopher. An old abbey is said to have stood at Barrowmount; another near Kellymount; and a second monastery, not noticed by writers on the monastic antiquities of Ireland, at Thomastown.
The number of castles, though much diminished by the ravages of time and internal commotions, is still very great, but most consist of a single tower. Granny or Grandison Castle, in Iverk, is one of the most considerable: it was the residence of Margaret Fitzgerald, the great Countess of Ormond, a lady of uncommon talents and qualifications, who is said also to have built the castles of Balleen and Coolkill, with several others of minor note. The Butlers owned the castles of Knocktopher, Gowran, Dunfert, Poolestown, Nehorn, Callan, Ballycallan, Damagh, Kilmanagh, and Urlingford. King John built a castle at Tybrackny, where also are the foundations of a Danish town and a tombstone with Danish sculptures. The castles of Drumroe, Barrowmount, and Low Grange, are said to have belonged to Lord Galmoy; those of Stroan, Kilfane, Clofouke, Conahy, Ballyfoyle, and Cloranke, to the family of the Purcells; that of Cowen to the Brennans; those of Castlemorres, Frenystown, and Foulksrath, to the families whose names they bear; and those of Bishops-court and Kilbline to the Currys. The Shortalls possessed the castles of Cloghmanta, Kilrush, Tubbrid, Killeshuran, and Balief; the two latter, as well as that of Seskin near Durrow, are round. Gaulstown Castle belonged to a branch of the De Burgos; Grenan, said to have been built in the time of King John, to a family of the name of Den; the Walshes of the mountains held numerous castles in that district; Courtstown, Ballylench, and some others, belonged to the Graces; Dunfert, corrupted into Danesfort, was erected by William, Earl Marshal. The modern mansions of the nobility and gentry are noticed in the account of the parishes in which they are respectively situated.
The farm-houses are generally built of stone, oftener cemented with clay than mortar; some of the better kind are slated, but thatch is most general; some may be comfortable, but few are neat or cleanly. The residences of rich farmers are generally inferior to their means; but the greatest defect is in the offices, which are sometimes covered with potatoe stalks, forming a very bad thatch, and sometimes with heath, which is not much better. Ash trees are often planted near the farm-houses, and, towards the border of Munster, cherry trees. The offices generally form an irregular yard in the front of the house, wholly or at least partially occupied by the dunghill. The most usual tenure for farms is for thirty-one years, or three lives: some land in the hilly districts is held at will, but tenures of this description are decreasing; the inhabitants of these districts, who generally live in scattered villages and hold in partnership, usually obtaining a joint lease for years. There is not much land in mortmain: the see of Ossory possesses about 9300 acres, besides the manors of Durrow and Freshford. The condition of the labouring poor is wretched in the extreme: it is only by slow degrees that they can procure articles of clothing; turf is their general fuel, in consequence of the high price of coal; potatoes, with milk when it can be procured, are almost their only food; sometimes, but not always, salt is added, and occasionally a herring. The clothing is frieze and flannel; the women wear stuff petticoats; straw hats manufactured at home, and estimated at, from sixpence to a shilling, are commonly worn by both sexes. The English language is very generally spoken.
At Ballyspellane, in Galmoy barony, is a mineral spa, celebrated both for the medicinal properties imputed to it, and by the lines written on it by the witty and eccentric Dr. Sheridan, the friend of Swift; the water is best drunk on the spot, as the carbonic acid gas contained in it, and to which its effects are chiefly attributable, soon evaporates on exposure to the air. Chalybeate spas, but not of much strength, exist near St. John's bridge on the Nore, near the marble hill on the same river, and at Jerpoint Abbey. In the Castlecomer collieries there are also some weak chalybeates, and others are to be found dispersed through the county. Springs of very pure transparent water are also numerous; most of them are named after some saint, and have a patron annually held near them.
KILKENNY, a city and, including Irishtown, a county of itself, and the seat of the diocese of Ossory, locally in the county of KILKENNY, of which it is the chief town, and in the province of LEINSTER, 24 miles (N. E. by N.) from Clonmel, and 57 1/2 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the river Nore and the mail coach road to Cork; containing 23,741 inhabitants. This place is supposed by some writers to have derived its name from Coil or Kyle-Ken-Ni, "the wooded head, or hill, near the river;" and by others, with more probability, from the dedication of its church to St. Canice, on the removal of the ancient see of Ossory from Aghavoe to this place, about the year 1052, which had been originally founded at Saiger, now Seir-Keran, about 402. Of the earlier history of the town little is recorded previously to 1173, when Donald O'Brien, King of Thomond, assembled his forces to dispossess the English invaders under Strong-bow, who had established themselves and erected a fortress here soon after their landing in Ireland. On this occasion Strongbow retreated to Waterford, and abandoned the castle to the enemy, by whom, together with the town, it was demolished, and the surrounding country laid waste. In 1192, the English appear to have settled themselves firmly at this place; and in 1195, William Le Mareschal, who had succeeded to Strongbow's possessions, rebuilt the castle on a larger scale and restored the town, which became one of the principal residences of his successors and the head of the palatinate of Kilkenny. About this time arose that portion of the present town which is more especially called Kilkenny, and which was more immediately connected with the castle, in contradistinction to the original town on the opposite bank of a small river flowing into the Nore, called Irishtown. Each had its separate and independent municipal government, the former under the lords of the castle, and the latter under the bishops of Ossory, who ceded a portion of it to William Le Mareschal, by whom the burgesses of Kilkenny were incorporated and endowed with many privileges, among which was exemption from toll in all his territories of Leinster. Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford, marrying a daughter of William Le Mareschal, obtained as her dower the county of Kilkenny, which subsequently passed by marriage again to Hugh, grandfather of Thomas Le Spencer, from whom it was purchased by James Butler, third Earl of Ormonde. A great council of the barons of the English pale was held here in 1294; and in 1309 a parliament assembled at this place, in which severe laws were enacted against such of the English settlers as should adopt the Irish customs; and anathemas against all who should infringe them were denounced in the cathedral by the Archbishop of Cashel and other prelates who assisted on that occasion. In 1317, Lord Roger Mortimer, justiciary of Ireland, and the English nobles, held a council here to deliberate on the most effectual means of opposing the ravages of Edward Bruce; and an army of 30,000 men was assembled, and great numbers of families sought refuge in the town under the general alarm. Parliaments were held here in 1327 and 1330, when an army assembled here to drive Brien O'Brien from Urkuffs, near Cashel; in 1331 a parliament was adjourned to this place from Dublin, and in 1341 a grand meeting of the principal nobility took place, assisted by the chief officers of the king's cities, to petition for the better government of Ireland. Parliaments were also held in 1347, 1356, and 1367, at which last, held before Lionel, Duke of Clarence, the celebrated statute of Kilkenny was enacted; and also in 1370 and 1374, in which latter Sir William de Windsor was sworn into the office of Lord-Lieutenant. Letters patent were granted in 1375 to the burgesses, and renewed in 1384, authorising them to appropriate certain customs for building and repairing the walls; and in 1399, Richard II., on his progress through the south of Ireland, arrived from Waterford at this place, where he was entertained for fourteen days by the Earl of Ormonde. Robert Talbot, a kinsman of the earl's, in 1400, encompassed the greater portion of the town with walls; and in 1419 the townsmen received a grant of tolls for murage. During the contest between the houses of York and Lancaster, the town was taken and plundered by the Earl of Desmond, who was an adherent of the latter; and in 1499 the burgesses, headed by their sovereign, marched out in aid of the Butlers against Tirlagh O'Brien, but were defeated. The last parliament held in the town was held in 1536, and was adjourned to Cashel; but this place still continued to be the occasional residence of the lords-lieutenant, and the chief seat of their government, for which purpose Hen. VIII. granted to the corporation the site and precincts of the Black friars' monastery, on condition of their furnishing certain accommodation free of expense to the chief governor of Ireland, when in Kilkenny; from which they were subsequently released on payment of a fine of £70. Sir Peter Carew, in his progress to resist the aggressions of the Butlers and Desmonds, in 1568, took possession of the town, which was soon after invested by Fitz-Maurice, brother of Desmond; but the spirited conduct of the garrison compelled him to retire.
In the parliamentary war of 1641 this place was distinguished as the theatre of contention; it was seized by Lord Mountgarret, and in the following year a general synod of the Catholic clergy was held here, and a meeting of deputies from the confederate Catholics from all parts of the kingdom took place in the house of Mr. R. Shee, in the present coal market. The lords, prelates, and commons all sat in the same chamber; and the clergy who were not qualified to sit as barons assembled in convocation in another house; and a press was erected in the city, at which were printed all the decrees of the synod. On the arrival of Rinuncini, the Pope's nuncio, the city and suburbs were placed under an interdict, for accepting the peace which had been concluded at this meeting; and in 1648 a plot was discovered for betraying the city and the supreme council into the hands of the nuncio and the party of O'Nial. Cromwell, relying on the promises of an officer of the garrison, advanced before the city though unprepared to besiege it, in the hope of obtaining it by treachery; but the plot was discovered and the agent executed. Having, however, received large reinforcements under Ireton, he again appeared before it on the 23d of March, 1650, and commenced a regular siege; the garrison, originally consisting of 200 horse and 1000 foot, but reduced by the plague to 300, made a resolute defence under Sir Walter Butler, who had been appointed governor by Lord Castlehaven, but was at length compelled to surrender upon honourable terms.
The city, which occupies an area of nearly a square mile, is intersected from north to south by the river Nore, dividing it into two very unequal portions, of which the larger, containing the castle, is on its western bank; and near the northern extremity, on the same side of the river, is that portion of it called Irishtown, containing the cathedral, and separated from the former by the small river Breagh, which here falls into the Nore. The streets are very irregular, but the city has an air of venerable magnificence, from its castle, cathedral, and the numerous and imposing remains of its ancient religious edifices, and is seen to great advantage from the high eastern bank of the river, and from the rising ground on the road to Clonmel. The houses in the principal streets are generally built of stone, and many of them are spacious and handsome, especially in that part of it properly called Kilkenny, in which the chief modern improvements have taken place; the total number of houses, in 1831, was 2800, since which time the number has increased. There are two elegant stone bridges over the Nore, erected after designs by Mr. G. Smith, to replace two which were destroyed in 1763 by a great flood; St. John's bridge consists of three arches, and Green's bridge connects Irishtown with the opposite bank. The environs are in many parts extremely pleasing, and there is a fine promenade called the Mall, extending nearly a mile along the bank of a canal commenced many years since, but never completed, and also along the banks of the Nore and the base of the castle, beautifully planted with ornamental trees of fine growth. At a short distance from the city are infantry barracks for 15 officers and 558 non-commissioned officers and privates, a neat range of buildings of modern erection; there is also a temporary barrack for one squadron of horse. The library, established in 1811 by a proprietary, and supported by subscription, contains more than 4000 volumes, and has a newsroom attached to it; it is open to strangers introduced by a subscriber. The Mechanics' Friend Society, established in 1835, for diffusing information among the working classes, and supported by subscription, has a library of 700 volumes, and a room in which lectures on the arts and sciences are gratuitously delivered. The Horticultural Society holds two meetings in the year; and races are held in September on a course at a short distance from the town, and are generally well attended. The Kilkenny Hunt has been long established, and is considered as the most celebrated in Ireland. The savings' bank, established in 1816, under the patronage of the Earl of Ormonde, had, in 1835, deposits to the amount of £23,784, and 801 depositors.
In the 16th century, Piers, Earl of Ormonde, with a view to benefit the town by the introduction of manufactures, brought over several artificers from Flanders and the neighbouring provinces, whom he employed in working tapestry, diapers, and carpets, but the manufacture did not extend beyond the supply of the castle and was soon discontinued. The manufacture of coarse frieze was extensively carried on here in the reign of Chas. II., but was withdrawn to Carrick-on-Suir, and succeeded by the wool-combing and the worsted trade, which, about the middle of the last century, were superseded by the manufacture of blankets, which became the principal trade both of the city and the county. In 1821, from 3000 to 4000 persons were employed in this manufacture; but on the expiration of the protecting duties, the trade became greatly depressed, and at present not more than 600 persons are employed in it, and even these at. greatly reduced prices; the blankets made here are still in great repute, and are purchased for the supply of the army. There is also a small manufacture of coarse woollen cloth, but the principal trade is in corn, and in the immediate neighbourhood are several very extensive flour-mills, three large distilleries, four breweries, two tanneries, some extensive yards for curing bacon, some salt-works, and several considerable starch-manufactories. Coarse linens are woven by the country people for domestic wear, and there is a large bleach-green. About half a mile from the city are quarries of the well-known Kilkenny marble, which has a black ground with white veins interspersed with shells and marine exuviae, and is susceptible of a very high polish. It is mostly worked into mantel-pieces of great beauty, and is cut and polished in a mill moved by water power, erected on the bank of the river, about two miles from the town, in the parish of Blackrath; great quantities of the marble are exported. Limestone is also quarried in various parts of the county of the city. The amount of excise duties paid in the district of Kilkenny, for the year 1835, was £70,665. 16. 11 1/2. The markets are on Wednesday and Saturday, and are amply supplied with corn and provisions of every kind. Two great fairs are held on March 28th and Corpus Christi day; they are great cattle and wool fairs, which regulate the prices of all the others, and are attended by graziers from all parts of Ireland: there are also several other fairs, established by recent patents. An area in the lower part of the spacious old building called the Tholsel is appropriated as a market-house.
The charter granted to the burgesses by William Le Mareschal was confirmed, with all its privileges, by Edw. III., in the 1st year of his reign; and in the 51st of the same reign the sovereign, portreeve, and commonalty of Kilkenny were by a roll enjoined not to interfere with the freedom of the market of Irishtown, the inhabitants of which obtained from Edw. IV. a confirmation of the grant of their market, and the privilege of choosing a portreeve annually, independently of Kilkenny. Edw. VI. confirmed all the ancient privileges of the burgesses of Kilkenny, as enjoyed by them during the reign of Hen. VIII., and granted them the dissolved priory of St. John, with all its possessions, at a fee-farm rent of £16. 6. 4. Elizabeth, in 1574, confirmed the several rights of both boroughs, but, to obviate the disputes that arose from having two corporations in the same town, constituted them one body corporate under the designation of "The Sovereign, Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Town of Kilkenny." Jas. I., in 1608, made the towns of Kilkenny and Irishtown, with the parishes of St. Mary, St. John, St. Canice, and St. Patrick, a free borough, and in the following year granted additional privileges, erected the borough into a free city, under the designation of the mayor and citizens of the city of Kilkenny, and constituted the city and its liberties a distinct county, to be called the county of the city of Kilkenny. Chas. I., in 1639, granted to the mayor and citizens the monasteries of the Black and Grey friars, with several rectories and other possessions; and Jas. II. gave the citizens a new charter, which never came into operation, the city being governed by the charter of Jas. I. Under this charter the corporation consists of a mayor, two sheriffs, 18 aldermen, 36 common-councilmen, and an indefinite number of free-rnen, assisted by a recorder, treasurer, two coroners, a town-clerk, four serjeants-at-rnace, and other officers. The mayor, who is also custos rotulorum, escheator, clerk of the market, and master of the assay, is chosen annually from the aldermen by the aldermen and councilmen, on the next Monday after the 24th of June, and has power to appoint a deputy, during illness or necessary absence, chosen from such of the aldermen as have served the office of mayor. The sheriffs are elected annually from the common-councilmen by the aldermen and councilmen, on the same day as the mayor. The aldermen are chosen for life from the common-councilmen by the mayor and aldermen; and the common-councilmen are chosen from the freemen by the aldermen and councilmen, who also appoint the recorder, and the treasurer and town-clerk are appointed by the corporation. There is also a corporation of the staple. The freedom of the city is obtained by birth, marriage, servitude, and favour of the corporation. The burgesses of Irishtown still continue to elect their portreeve annually under the direction of the Bishop of Ossory; he is clerk of the market, and presides in his court held weekly for the recovery of debts under 40s., but has no magisterial jurisdiction. Each borough returned two members to the Irish parliament; Kilkenny first in 1374, and Irishtown at a much earlier period; both continued to do so till the Union, when Irishtown was disfranchised, and the £15,000 awarded in compensation was paid to the Board of First Fruits, to be applied to the uses of that fund. Since that period the city has sent only one member to the Imperial parliament. The right of election, previously in the freemen of the city and 40s. freeholders of the county of the city, was, by the act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, vested in the resident freemen and £10 householders, and in £20 and £10 leaseholders for the respective terms of 14 and 20 years; the 40s. freeholders retain the privilege only for life. The number of registered voters at the close of 1836 was 808. No alteration has taken place in the electoral boundary of the borough, which is co-extensive with the county of the city: the sheriffs are the returning officers. The mayor, recorder, and all the aldermen who have served the office of mayor, are justices of the peace, and under their charter hold quarterly courts of session, with criminal jurisdiction within the county of the city; and a court of record, called the Tholsel, for the determination of actions to any amount exceeding £20, every Tuesday and Friday. Assizes for the county of the city, and for the county at large, are held here twice in the year; and quarter sessions for the county of Kilkenny are held in rotation with the towns of Castlecomer, Thomastown, and Urlingford. A peace preservation force is stationed in the city, the expense of maintaining which, for 1835, amounted to £712. 15. 10. The court-house, called Grace's Old Castle, contains courts both for the city and for the county at large, and is a spacious and handsome modern building, occupying part of the site of the ancient castle of the family of Grace, of whom William Grace, or Le Gras, its first founder, was seneschal of Leinster and governor of Kilkenny. The city gaol is a badly constructed edifice, containing seven cells, but not adapted to the classification of prisoners. The county gaol is a spacious modern building of stone, a little to the west of the city: it contains 48 cells, is well arranged for classification, and has a tread-mill and a well-conducted school.
The SEE of OSSORY, which, like that of Meath, takes its name from a district, was originally established at Saiger, now Seir-Kieran, in the territory of Ely O'Carrol, about the year 402, by St. Kieran, after his return from Rome, where he had remained 20 years in the study of the Christian faith, and had been consecrated a bishop. He was accompanied on his return by five other bishops, who also founded sees in other parts of Ireland, and after presiding over this see for many years is supposed to have died in Cornwall, as stated by the English martyrologists. Of his successors, who were called Episcopi Saigerenses, but very imperfect accounts are preserved. Carthag, his disciple and immediate successor, died about the year 540, from which period till the removal of the see from Saiger to Aghavoe, about the year 1052, there appears to have been, with some few intervals, a regular succession of prelates. The monastery of Aghavoe was founded by St. Canice, of which he was the first abbot, and in which he died about the year 600; and after the removal of the see from Saiger, there is little mention of the bishops of Aghavoe, in whose succession there is a chasm of 73 years till the time of Donald O'Fogarty, who was consecrated in 1152, and assisted at the synod of Kells held under Cardinal Paparo, as vicar-general and bishop of Ossory. Felix O'Dullany, who succeeded him in 1178, removed the see from Aghavoe to the city of Kilkenny, as a place of greater security, where he laid the foundation of the cathedral church of St. Canice, which was continued at a great expense by Hugh Mapelton, and completed by Geoffrey St. Leger, about the year 1270. Bishop St. Leger gave to the vicars choral his manse and lodgings, formerly the episcopal palace, previously to the erection of the palaces of Aghor and Dorogh; and William Fitz-John, who succeeded in 1302, appropriated the church of Claragh to the abbey of St. John the Evangelist, with a reservation of 20s. to the vicars choral of St. Canice. Richard Ledred, who was consecrated in 1318, beautified the cathedral and rebuilt and glazed all the windows, of which the great cast window contained some exquisite specimens of scripture history in stained glass, for which Rinuncini, the pope's nuncio, in 1645, offered £700; he also built the episcopal palace, near the cathedral. Bishop Hacket, who succeeded in 1460, built the arch of the tower of the cathedral of hewn stone, and appropriated the parish church of Ballybur to the vicars choral; and Oliver Cantwell, who succeeded in 1488, repaired the episcopal palaces, rebuilt the bridge of Kilkenny (which had been destroyed by a flood), and gave the church of St. Mael to the vicars choral of St. Canice. Milo Baron, who was consecrated in 1527, repaired the episcopal palace and gave a silver staff to the cathedral; and Nicholas Walsh, his successor, was the first who introduced types of the Irish character, in which he had prayer-books and a catechism printed in the Irish language. Jonas Wheeler, consecrated in 1613, recovered the lands of Tasscoffin, Grangecoolpobble, Freinston, and Sheskin Wood, which Bishop Thonory had alienated, and obtained a grant of the manor of Breghmoe, in King's county, which was confirmed to the see in 1619 by Jas. I. Griffith Williams, who succeeded to the prelacy in 1641, laid out £1400 in repairing the cathedral, and £300 in beautifying the chancel; and gave to the see many of his lands in Caernarvonshire and other parts of Wales. Bishop Parry, in 1672, enriched the see by the recovery of alienated lands; and Thomas Otway, who succeeded in 1679, founded the library of the cathedral in the churchyard, and gave all his books for the use of the clergy of the diocese; he also embellished the cathedral and gave to it a service of communion plate weighing 363 ounces. The see of Ossory continued to be a separate diocese till 1835, when, on the death of the late Dr. Elrington, Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, both those dioceses were, under the provisions of the Church Temporalities' Act of the 3rd and 4th of Wm. IV., annexed to it, and their temporalities vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The diocese, which is one of the five that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin, comprehends the county of the city of Kilkenny, the whole of the barony of Ossory, in Queen's county, the parish of Seir-Kyran, in King's county, and the greater part of the county of Kilkenny. It extends 60 miles in length, and 18 in breadth, and comprises an estimated superficies of 346,000 acres, of which 60,000 are in Queen's county, 4100 in King's county, and 281,000 in the county and county of the city of Kilkenny. The lands belonging to the see comprise 21,730 statute acres of profitable land; and the gross annual revenue, on an average of three years ending Dec. 31st, 1831, was returned at £3859. The chapter, consists of a dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and the seven prebendaries of Blackrath, Aghoure, Mayne, Killamery, Tasscoffin, Kilmanagh, and Cloneamery. The vicars choral, three in number, are a corporate body, endowed with various lands and tithes in the city and county of Kilkenny; the former comprising nearly 269 acres, and, together with the tithes, producing a rental of £200. 1. 10. The economy fund amounts to £444. 1. 1 3/4., arising from houses and premises in the city, and from tithes in the county. The consistorial court consists of a vicar-general, surrogate, three proctors and two registrars, who are keepers of the records of the see, which are all modern documents, the earliest being wills dated 1634. The total number of parishes in the diocese is 146, comprised in 62 benefices, of which 27 are unions of two or more parishes, and 35 single parishes; of these 11 are in the gift of the crown, 16 in lay and corporation patronage, 5 in joint or alternate presentation, and the remainder in the patronage of the bishop and incumbents. The total number of churches is 52, and there are also six other places where divine service is performed; and the number of glebe-houses is 36. The cathedral church, dedicated to St. Canice, and situated on a gentle eminence at the western extremity of the city, is a spacious and venerable cruciform structure, in the early English style of architecture, with a low massy central tower supported on clustered columns of black marble, and lofty pointed arches, affording entrances from the nave into the choir and transepts. The exterior walls, with the exception only of the gables, are embattled, and at the west end the pinnacles form two small spires. The whole length of the building is 226 feet, and the breadth along the transepts 123 feet. The interior is lofty and of chaste and elegant design; the nave is separated from the aisles by an elegant range of five clustered columns of black marble on each side, with lofty and gracefully moulded arches, and lighted by a large west window of elegant design, and a range of five clerestory windows; the aisles are lighted by four windows on each side; the choir, of similar character, has a beautifully groined ceiling, embellished with delicate tracery and numerous modillions, and a central group of cherubs, festoons, and foliage of exquisite richness. At the end of the south transept, on the eastern side, is the consistory court, built by Bishop Pococke, and to the north of it is the chapter-house. On the eastern side of the north transept is a door leading through a dark passage into the chapel of St. Mary, where the, parochial vicar of St. Canice formerly officiated; and adjacent to it, on the same side, is the present parish church, containing the tomb of Bishop Gafney, who died in 1576. In various parts of the cathedral are several ancient monuments, of which the most remarkable is that of Bishop David, near the consistorial court, now much defaced; eight of the bishops of Ossory and several of the noble proprietors of the castle are interred here; and in the transept is a stone seat, called the Chair of St. Kieran. Within a short distance from the south transept are the remains of an ancient round tower, 108 feet high and 47 feet in circumference at the base, and crowned at its summit with a low battlement. The cemetery is finely planted, and is approached from the town by a flight of marble steps. Near the east end of the cathedral is the episcopal palace, a commodious and handsome residence; and on the south-eastern side is the deanery, a good building. At the north-western end of the churchyard is the diocesan library, founded in 1692 by Bishop Otway, who left £5 per annum to the librarian, and £5 for coal; it was enlarged in 1756, by Bishop Maurice, who increased the stipend of the librarian by an annuity of £20, and contributed largely to the collection, which now contains 3000 volumes. In the R. C. divisions, this diocese, as originally constituted, is a separate bishoprick, being one of the three suffragan to the archiepiscopal see of Dublin: it comprises 32 parochial benefices or unions, containing 94 chapels served by 88 clergymen, of whom 32, including the bishop, are parish priests, and 56 coadjutors or curates. The parochial benefices of the bishop are the unions of St. Mary and St. John, Kilkenny, in the former of which is the R. C. cathedral and the bishop's residence. The diocese is divided into three districts, called the northern division, or Conference of Ballyragget; the middle division, or Conference of Kilkenny; and the southern division, or Conference of Ballyhale, where chapters of the clergy are held.
The county of the city comprehends the parishes of St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. John, and St. Canice, and comprises 16,400 statute acres: the total amount of Grand Jury assessments for 1836 was £2816. The parish of St. Mary is entirely within the city: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Bishop. The church, for the erection of which the. late Board of First Fruits, in 1819, granted a loan of £1200, is an elegant cruciform structure, with a tower and spire, situated in the High-street. The glebe-house, for which the same Board gave £400 and lent £350, is a good residence; and there is a small glebe near the church. The parish of St. Patrick is about one mile and a half in length, and nearly the same in breadth: the living is a rectory and vicarage, united to the rectory of Aghaboe, and the rectory and vicarage of Urlingford, together constituting the corps of the deanery of Ossory, in the patronage of the Crown; the tithes amount to £500, and of the union to £1176. 3. 1. The parish of St. John comprises 5318 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £7016 per annum. Fairs, for which patents have recently been obtained, are held here on Feb. 15th, May 6th, Sept. 23d, and Nov. 10th. The living is a vicarage, united by act of council, in the reign of Hen. VIII., to the vicarage of Clara, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the corporation of Kilkenny. The tithes amount to £576. 2., of which £373. 0. 6. is payable to the corporation, and £203. 1. 6. to the vicar; the tithes of the whole union, payable to the incumbent, amount to £293. 1. 6. The church is part of the ancient monastery of St. John the Evangelist, restored agreeably to the character of the ancient building, which was of elegant design and elaborate execution; it contains the mutilated relics of ancient sepulchral monuments to the Butler, Grace, and Purcel families. There is no glebe-house; the glebe is situated in the parish of Clara, and comprises 15 acres. The parish of St. Canice, comprises 6159 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the living is a rectory and a vicarage, united by act of council from time immemorial to the rectories and vicarages of Ballybur and St. Martin, together forming the union of St. Canice, belonging to the vicars choral, who receive the tithes of the two first, amounting to £450; those of St. Martin are payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions the parish of St. Mary is the head of a union or district, comprising also a small portion of St. John's; the parish of St. Patrick is the head of a union, comprising also the parishes of Castleinch and Outrath, and part of St. Canice; the parish of St. John is the head of a union, comprising also Rathcoole, Kilderry, and Kilmadrum; and the parish of St. Canice is the head of a union, comprising also the parish of St. Maul, and part of Ballybur. There are four chapels, one in each parish: that of St. Canice is a handsome modern edifice, in the later English style; the others are all plain buildings. Adjoining St. Mary's, which is the largest, is the residence of the R. C. bishop, and also the Presentation Convent, with a chapel attached to it: there is also a Capuchin friary, and a Dominican abbey, with chapels attached.
The grammar-school, called the college of Kilkenny, was originally founded by Piers Butler, Earl of Ormonde, and a new charter was granted to it by the Duke of Ormonde, in 1684; but it fell into disuse during the war of the Revolution, and Jas. II. founded on its site a royal college, which continued only for a short time, when the original establishment was restored. The house, having gone to decay, was rebuilt in 1782, by parliamentary grants, amounting to £5064, and is adapted to the accommodation of 80 boarders. Provision is made for the education of scholars on the foundation, to be afterwards admitted into Trinity College, Dublin; and the children of freemen are entitled to instruction at half the usual terms. It was endowed by the Duke of Ormonde with a house for the master in John-street, with eight acres of land attached to it, and with £140 per annum charged on the Ormonde estate, for the maintenance of a master and ushers, and the repair of the house; the salary of the master of the diocesan school, which has been discontinued, is also paid to the master of this school, who is appointed by the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, and is to teach the classics, poetry, and oratory; the Bishop of Ossory, Leighlin, and Ferns, and the Provost of Trinity College are visiters. Among many eminent men, who have been educated in this establishment, were Stanihurst, the historian; Swift.; Congreve; Farquhar; Harris, the continuator of Ware; Provost Baldwin; Dr. Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne; and several other distinguished literary characters. At Birchfield, near the city, is a R. C. seminary for the education of students intended for the priesthood. Bishop Pococke bequeathed the whole of his property to the Incorporated Society of Dublin for promoting English Protestant schools, for the foundation of a school for R. C. children from 12 to 16 years of age, to be instructed in the principles of the Protestant religion, and bred to the linen-weaving trade, for which purpose he appropriated his manufacturing house at Lintown, which is amply endowed: there are, at present, about 24 boys in the school, and as many looms in the factory; and the curate of the parish, with a salary of £10, is catechist to the school, which now occupies the building of the old charter-school. A parochial school for the city at large is supported by a bequest of £100 per annum from the late Mr. Evans, an annual donation from the bishop and dean, and by subscription; and there are also an infants' school and others. The ladies of the Presentation Convent gratuitously instruct more than 300 female children. The total number of children taught in the public schools exceeds 1100; and there are various private schools, in which are more than 1500 children. There is also an orphan-house for girls, under the patronage of the ladies of the Presentation Convent, for the establishment of which a large sum was given by Mr. Murphy, of this city.
Adjoining the library in St. Canice's churchyard is an almshouse for eight poor women, founded by Bishop Williams, who endowed it with lands at Fermoy, which were sold by his executors; but the inmates receive small annuities from different estates of the Waring family. In the coal market was an hospital, founded by Thomas, tenth Earl of Ormonde, who died in 1614; he endowed it with the. impropriate tithes of Drominberran and Bewley, to which were added those of Inch and Drumboth by the great Duke of Ormonde, who obtained from Chas. II. a charter incorporating the master, brethren, and sisters. The house having gone to decay, a smaller one was built in High-street by the present family, consisting of two stories, with four rooms on each floor, inhabited by eight poor widows, who receive small payments; it is called the Ormonde poor-house. In Rose-Inn-street is an hospital founded in 1581, by Sir R. Shee, Knt., who endowed it with the tithes of Butler's-woods and Kilmocahill, in the counties of Kilkenny and Carlow, for the support of twelve poor men and women; but the tithes have long been detained in lay hands, and Gen. St. Ruth bequeathed some property, vested in the French funds; but the inmates, who are now all females, receive only small gratuities, from the family of Shee, by whom they are nominated, and alms collected at the chapel of St. Mary. In a pleasant situation is a range of almshouses, called St. James' Asylum, founded and endowed, in 1803, by James Switzer, Esq., for twenty poor widows, twelve Protestant, and eight R. C., each of whom, in addition to residence, receives £20 per annum; in the area in front of the building is a statue of the founder, who was a native of the city. The widow of Edw. Cramer bequeathed £7. 10. per annum (turnpike debentures) for supplying the poor of St. Mary's parish with bread, to be distributed at the church by the curate, who also has the distribution of another bequest to the poor of that parish by Mr. Nicholai. Mr. Lewis Chapelier, of John-street, bequeathed, in trust, the interest of £500 to be given every second year, in a sum of £50 late currency, as a marriage portion to the daughter of a reputable tradesman, who should marry a tradesman of the town, both being Protestants. Sir William Fownes bequeathed the rentsof two tenements in Patrick-street to charitable purposes; and £8 is accordingly given yearly to the county infirmary, and the rest in charitable pensions. A large house and garden in Patrick-street, were bequeathed by Gen. St. Ruth, in trust, to pay £12 per annum to the poor; and a bequest for the same purpose by Mr. John Cramer was also made about the same time, but neither has been carried into effect. The late Rev. William Lanigan, P. P. of St. Patrick's, bequeathed £1600, three per cent, consols., for the support of six poor widows, who receive the dividends, and a house is now being built for their reception. The Charitable Society, formed in 1740, affords relief to sick tradesmen or their widows; and the Benevolent Society was established in 1785, for the relief of bedridden poor. A charitable loan was instituted by act of parliament in 1792, for lending small sums to poor tradesmen, free of interest; and the Ormonde charitable loan fund, for the same purpose, was established by the Ormonde family in 1834, for granting loans, repayable by small instalments. The county infirmary was opened in 1767: it contains two male and two female wards, in each of which are 10 beds; external patients receive advice and medicine two days in every week; the average annual income is about £660, and the number of in-patients about 500, and of out-patients about 1059. The fever hospital was built at an expense of £1100, a loan from Government, and subsequently repaid by Grand Jury assessments; and the dispensary, founded in 1819, is supported by presentments and subscription, and a bequest of £100 per annum by the late Mr. Evans, which, in common with other charitable bequests by that gentleman, has been for some time suspended, from the non-payment of interest on certain debts chargeable on estates, for the sale of which proceedings have been for some years pending in the court of Chancery: patients unable to attend are visited at their own houses. There is also a house of industry, with an hospital for lunatics attached to it, which is now appropriated as an auxiliary to the county gaol.
The castle, originally built by Strongbow, and rebuilt by William Le Mareschal, occupies a commanding situation on an eminence overlooking the river Nore: it was enclosed with a wall 40 feet high, and defended by bastions, curtains, and towers of great strength, with a keep on the summit; and contained, in addition to accommodation for a large garrison, a splendid suite of apartments, the baronial residence of the Earls of Ormonde. It was for the greater part rebuilt by the second Duke of Ormonde, but not completed, and occupies at present two sides of a quadrangle, containing three of the round towers of the ancient castle: several of the rooms are hung with tapestry from the manufacture introduced by the Ormonde family, and it contains a fine collection of paintings, among which are numerous portraits of the time of Chas. II. It is now being partly rebuilt on a splendid scale by the present Marquess, after a design by Mr. Robertson, of Kilkenny, and when completed will occupy three sides of a quadrangle, preserving the ancient towers, with the character of which the additional buildings will carefully harmonise. It commands extensive and interesting views, and will be one of the most magnificent baronial residences in the country. The other seats in the immediate vicinity of the city are Kilcreen, formerly the seat of Sir W. de Montmorency, Bart., and now the residence of Clayton Bayly, Esq.; Castle Blunden (formerly Clonmoran), of Sir J. Blunden, Bart., Bonnetstown, of P. Collis, Esq.; Rose Hill, of W. Robertson, Esq.; Orchardton, of the Dowager Countess of Carrick; Danville, of Christopher James, Esq.; Kilfeara, of H. Ryan, Esq.; The Cottage, of J. Green, Esq.; Sion, of M. Warren, Esq.; Hebron, of Major Jones; River View, of R. Collis, Esq.; and Johnswell, of A. P. Thomas, Esq.
The priory, or hospital, of St, John the Evangelist, founded by William Le Mareschal in 1220, notwithstanding its long alienation from ecclesiastical uses, was, in 1641, taken possession of by a fraternity of Jesuits, who commenced its restoration; a great part of it was afterwards demolished, and the east window of its church, enriched with delicate tracery, and part of the south side of the choir formed a picturesque ruin till the year 1817, when it was restored, and became the parish church of St. John. The annals of this house, called the Codex Kilkenniensis, were in high reputation, and formed part of the Chandos collection. The Dominican abbey, founded in Irishtown by William Le Mareschal the younger, in 1225, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity; and chapters of the order were held in it in 1281, 1302, 1306, and 1316; part of it was, subsequently to the Reformation, made a shire-house, and in 1640 the whole was repaired. The remains of the abbey church are extensive and interesting; it was cruciform, with a central tower, which is still in good preservation, crowned with a graduated battlement with angular turrets; the windows and arches are of elegant design, and the nave and south transept are beautiful specimens of rich detail in the decorated English style; part has been lately restored for a R. C. chapel. Among the eminent persons interred in this church were the founder and his brother. The Franciscan abbey was founded previously to the year 1230, and a provincial chapter was held in it in 1267; it extended from the city walls to the river, and of its extensive remains, part has been converted into a brewery. The body of the church is nearly entire, though without a roof, and is now used as a tennis-court; at the west end are the relics of a lofty window of seven lights, and from the centre of the building rises a tower of light and elegant proportions, resting on finely groined arches, and apparently of the date of the 14th century. Within the precincts is a well of pure water, formerly held in great veneration, and still in high repute. John Clyn, an annalist of some celebrity, was a friar of this house. All these houses after the Reformation were granted to the corporation. Part of a house in the coal-market, now divided into five or six tenements, is said to have been the chamber in which the parliaments held at Kilkenny assembled; it consisted of a hall, 49 feet long and 47 feet wide, under which was a dungeon, 20 feet square; the windows are arched, narrow, and lofty, and are defended with iron bars. Among the eminent natives of this place were several bishops of various sees, of whom William Daniel, D. D., a man of great learning, translated the book of Common Prayer from the English, and the New Testament from the Greek, into the Irish language, and was made Archbishop of Tuam in 1609. John Banim, author of the O'Hara Tales, and other works of imagination, is also a native of this place. Kilkenny gives the title of Earl to the family of Butler.
KILKENNY WEST, a parish, in the barony of KILKENNY WEST, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 1/2 miles (N. E. by N.) from Athlone, on the road from that place to Ballymahon; containing 3609 inhabitants. An abbey anciently existed here, of which St. Scannail, one of the abbots, died in 773: it was, with its possessions, granted in 1569 to Robert Dillon, in capite, at the annual rent of £22. 0. 10. A priory, or hospital, of Crouched Friars was also erected here at the beginning of the 13th century, by Friar Thomas, grandson of Sir Thomas Dillon, and some of its ruins still exist. In 1335, the grand priory of Kilmainham had an exempt hospital here; and there was a holy well, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. At Bethlem, near Lough Ree, there was formerly a nunnery, which was plundered and burnt in 1642, by some English soldiers, who were attacked the same night by the peasantry and 60 of them killed. Sir James Dillon encamped here in that year, to blockade Athlone. The parish is bounded on the west for a considerable distance by Lough Ree, which contains several islets, the largest of which is Friars' Island. It comprises 7839 statute acres, of which two-thirds are arable and one-third pasture, and there are about 640 acres of bog.
Agriculture is improving, and here are good limestone quarries. A considerable part is occupied by the fine demesne of Waterstown, the seat of R. H. Temple, Esq., which includes a beautiful lake and the ruins of an ancient castle. The other seats are Rossiana, the residence of Capt. Stubbs; East Hill, of R. Cuppaidge, Esq.; Annagh, of C. R. Dillon, Esq.; Oatlands, of Gerald Dillon, Esq.; Auburn, of J. Hogan, Esq.; and Littleton, of E. Naghten, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Drogheda and R. Butler Bryan, Esq.; the tithes amount to £276. 18. 2 1/2. The church is an ancient edifice, which it is intended to rebuild, and contains a monument to two friars. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £300 and a loan of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1813; the glebe comprises 15 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Noughoval, and has a spacious chapel. About 140 children are educated in six private schools. Here are the remains of an old castle, formerly belonging to Lord Dillon, which was destroyed by Cromwell. The father of Oliver Goldsmith was appointed to this rectory in 1730, and resided at Lissoy, where the poet was first sent to school: his brother, to whom he dedicated the poem of the "Traveller", was also curate here, and his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Hodson, resided at Lissoy. Kilkenny West gives the inferior title of Baron to the Earl of Roscommon.--See AUBURN.
KILKERIL, or KILKEEL, a parish, in the barony of KNOCKTOPHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile .(S.) from Knocktopher, on the road from Kilkenny to Waterford; containing 150 inhabitants, and 589 statute acres. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Knocktopher: the tithes amount to £25. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Ballyhale.
KILKERRANMORE, a parish, in the barony of IBANE and BARRYROE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. by E.) from Clonakilty, on the road from Cork to Skibbereen; containing 2575 inhabitants. It comprises 5626 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, about four-fifths of which are under tillage; the remainder is rough pasture, with a small quantity of bog. The land is generally fertile, having a substratum of clay-slate. Inferior slate and excellent manganese are found here, and it is supposed that copper exists. The principal seats are Ballyvackey, the residence of G. Beamish, Esq.; Greenfield, of H. Galway, Esq.; and The Cottage, of the Rev. Dr. Stewart; there are also several excellent farm-houses. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ross, united with that of Castleventry: the rectory is partly appropriate to the economy estate of the cathedral of Ross, and partly impropriate in Messrs. Foot and Roberts: the tithes amount to £585. 6. 9., of which £61. 6. 5. is payable to the economy estate, £262. 0. 2. to the impropriators, and an equal sum to the vicar: the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £392. 0. 2. The church, which is a large edifice with a square tower, was built by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits. There is no glebe-house, but the vicar has five acres of glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Rosscarbery, partly in Kilmeen, and partly in Rathbarry. The parochial school, in which are about 12 children, is supported by the Cork Diocesan Association and the vicar; and about 200 children are taught in two private schools. There are some ruins of the old church in a burial-ground, in which are the remains of a cross.
KILKERRIN, a parish, in the barony of TYAQUIN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 1/4 miles (N. W. by W.) from Ballinamore, on the road from that place to Dunmore; containing 5012 inhabitants. The principal seats are New Forest, the residence of J. D'Arcy, Esq; Capper, of A. Beatty, Esq.; and Welford, of Martin D'Arcy, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, episcopally united from time immemorial to the vicarages of Boyannagh and Clonbern, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £325, and of the union to £670. The church, which is a small structure, about to be rebuilt, was erected in 1784 by aid of a gift of £390 from the late Board of First Fruits. There is a glebe-house, for the erection of which the Board, in 1817, gave £400 and lent £370. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also Clonbern, and containing three chapels, two at Kilkerrin and one at Clonbern. The parochial school, in which are about 40 children, is supported by a donation of £40 per annum from the rector, who has also given a house and two acres of land; about 320 children are educated in four private schools, and there is a Sunday school.
KILKEVAN, or LITTLE LIMERICK, a parish, partly in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, but chiefly in that of GOREY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Gorey, on the road from that place to Arklow; containing 2593 inhabitants. This parish comprises 8936 statute acres of fertile land, chiefly under tillage, and has no waste land or bog. There are quarries of good building stone on Tara Hill, the north side of which extends into this parish. Ballynastragh, the seat of the ancient family of Esmonde, and now the property of Sir T. Esmonde, Bart., is a handsome modernised mansion, with a light Grecian portico; the grounds are tastefully laid out, and embellished with a fine sheet of water and rich woods. The Rev. T. Quinn has a finely wooded demesne here, on which he intends erecting a mansion. Fairs are held at Little Limerick on April 5th, Whit-Monday, Aug. 21st, and Nov. 12th. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, forming part of the union of Gorey, and corps of the deanery of Ferns: the tithes amount to £369. 4. 7 1/2., and there is a glebe of 24a. 1r. 15p. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Gorey, and has a neat chapel at Killanearin, near Little Limerick, with a residence for the priest. Contiguous to the chapel is a neat building, consisting of a centre and two wings, and containing school-rooms for both sexes, with apartments for the master and mistress: about 200 children are educated in it. There are some remains of the castle of Little Limerick, which belonged to the Esmonde family, and of the old church.
KILKILVERY, a parish, in the barony of CLARE, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Headfort to Tuam; containing, with part of the post-town of Headfort, 1330 inhabitants. The seats are Ross Lodge, the residence of W. J. Blake, Esq.; and Lysdonagh, of -- O'FIaherty, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, episcopally united to the rectories and vicarages of Killeny, Killursa, Kilcoona, Killower, Donaghpatrick, and Carrigin, together forming the union of Headfort, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £110. 18. 0 1/2., and those of the whole union to £1094. 6. 9 1/2. The church, for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £130, is a neat edifice in the town of Headfort. The glebe-house is a neat residence, and the glebe comprises 20 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of the union or district of Headfort, comprising also the parishes of Killeny and Killursa, and containing a chapel here and another in Killeny. There is a private school, in which about 120 children are taught.--See HEADFORT.
KILKISHEN, a village, in the parish of CLONLEA, barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N.) from Six-mile-bridge, on the road from that place to Tulla; containing 519 inhabitants. It consists of one main street of about 90 houses, and has a constabulary police station. Fairs are held on March 19th, Aug. 31st, and Dec. 22d. The church, the glebe-house, and the R. C. chapel of the parish, are here. Adjoining the village is Kilkishen, the seat of T. Studdert, Esq., in whose demesne are the remains of Kilkishen castle, consisting of a lofty square tower of great strength.--See CLONLEA.
KILKNEEDAN.--See KILCREDANE.
KILKYRAN, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. N. E.) from Kilkenny; containing 106 inhabitants. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Rathcoole, with which the tithes are returned: the rectory is appropriate to the economy estate of the cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Templeorum.
KILL, or KILL of the GRANGE, a parish, in the half-barony of RATHDOWN, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. E.) from Dublin, on the road to Bray; containing 1305 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1551 statute acres, besides 257 at the Kill of the Grange of Clonkeen. Much of the land is in pasture, and the system of agriculture is improving. The mountain and sea views are very fine, and there are many seats, the chief of which are Newtown Park House, the residence of H. S. Close, Esq.; Belville, of Lieut.-Col. Cash; Killiney Castle, of P. Warren, Esq.; Carriglea, of the Rev. T. Goff; Stoneville, of Lieut.-Col. Pratt; Somerton, of S. Foote, Esq.; Newpark, of Willoughby Carter, Esq.; Ferney, of H. Scovell, Esq.; Newtown Park House, of R. Perry, Esq.; Barton Hall, of J. Hall, Esq.; Eversham, of W. Minchin, Esq.; Abiline and Naesgwydd, of T. Dixon, Esq.; Bellosguardo, of R. Powell, Esq.; Hollyville, of J. B. Stopford, Esq.; Stillorgan glebe, of the Rev. R. Greene; Newtown Park Cottage, of C. Doyne, Esq.; Anglesea, of C. Carleton, Esq.; Johnstown, of Capt. Whyte, R.N.; Woodpark, of D. Corneille, Esq.; Flower Grove, of the Rt. Hon. and Rev. Viscount Mountmorres; Rochestown House, of J. Morgan, Esq.; Springfield, of P. Plunkett, Esq.; Granite Field, of Mrs. Spears; Rochestown Avenue, of B. Molloy, Esq.; Woodpark, of J. J. Kirk, Esq.; Rockland, of P. Lynch, Esq.; Rosey Park, of R. Brown, Esq.; Ashgrove, of J. Murphy, Esq.; Birch Grove, of G. Williamson, Esq.; and Kill Abbey, of R. Espinasse, Esq. This last seat was the country residence of the deans of Christ-Church, Dublin, and is part of the estate of Kill of the Grange of Clonkeen, but has been held by lease for above 120 years by the Espinasse family. The parish is in the diocese of Dublin, and is a curacy, forming part of the union of Monkstown; the rectory is part of the corps of the deanery of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £171. 15. 3., of which two-thirds are payable to the dean and one-third to the curate, who also receives £42. 2. 6. as the tithes of Kill of the Grange of Clonkeen. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Kingstown and Cabinteely. There is a parochial school near Cornel's Court; and C. Doyne, Esq., has erected and supports an infants' school near his seat. The greater part of the village of Newtown Park is in this parish, as is also the village of Killiney, which is delightfully situated. Near it, on the summit of one of the Killiney hills, is an obelisk, commanding extremely beautiful views: it was erected by John Malpas, Esq., in 1742, principally to employ the neighbouring poor in a season of distress. Near Kill Abbey are the ruins of the old church, in many places covered with ivy; in the cemetery are the remains of an ancient cross, and there are remains of another at the entrance of the road leading to the church. In the demesne of Carriglea is an ancient rath.
KILL, a parish, partly in the barony of SOUTH NAAS, but chiefly in that of SOUTH SALT, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Naas, on the road from that place to Dublin; containing 2493 inhabitants. A commandery for Knights Hospitallers was founded at Kilhill in the 13th century, by Maurice Fitzgerald, and chapters of the order were held here in 1326, 1332, 1333, and 1334; it existed till the Reformation, when it was granted to John Allen. The parish comprises 9986 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £7897 per annum: the soil is of good quality and principally under tillage. It includes the merged parish of Kerdiffstown, or Cardifftown, comprising 670 acres. The village of Kill consists of 113 houses, and has a neat appearance. Bishopscourt is the handsome residence of the Hon. F. Ponsonby; and here is the seat of Mrs. Hendrick, in the demesne of which are the picturesque ruins of the old church of Kerdiffstown. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, episcopally united to the rectory of Lyons, and held with the impropriate parish of Whitechurch; the rectory is partly impropriate in the Earl of Mayo and partly appropriate to the vicarage. The tithes amount to £696. 13. 6., of which £305 is payable to the impropriator, and £391. 13. 6. to the incumbent; and the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £468. 10. The church is a very neat structure, with a square tower and lofty spire, built in 1821 by aid of a loan of £2000 from the late Board of First Fruits, and recently repaired by a grant of £144 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners: it has an organ, which was given by the Earl of Mayo. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 16a. 1r. 36p. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of New-bridge, and partly the head of a union, comprising the remainder of Kill and the parishes of Lyons, Bodenstown, and Furnace, and containing a chapel at Ard-clough, in Lyons, and one at Kill, which is a remarkably neat building, with a tower and spire, completed in 1826. In the village is a school of about 30 children, under the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity; the school-house, an ornamented building, is kept in repair by the Earl of Mayo. There are also two other public schools, in which are about 90 children; and in two private schools are about 50 children; Here is a large moat; and about a mile eastward is Heartwell, formerly a castellated mansion surrounded by a fosse. Numerous skeletons have been found in turning up the ground. Near Heartwell is a rivulet, on the bank of which are extensive depositions of calcareous tufa, which are hardened by exposure to the air, and although very porous are sometimes used in building. Extensive ramifications of stalactite are also found.
KILLADERRY, a parish, in the barony of LOWER PHILIPSTOWN, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, on the road from Dublin to Tullamore; containing, with the post-town of Philipstown, 2862 inhabitants. This parish comprises about 3000 statute acres, of which 2149 are applotted under the tithe act; it is intersected by the Grand Canal, and contains a considerable quantity of bog. Here is the Fort, the residence of J. B. Smith, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, united to the rectory of Ballykeane, and in the patronage of the Gifford family, who are impropriators of the rectory; the tithes amount to £180, of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriators, and one-third to the vicar. The church is a small plain building. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Philipstown, comprising the parishes of Killaderry, Ballycommon, and Kilclonfert, and containing two chapels, one at Philipstown and the other at Kill. There are three places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. At Philipstown is a school of about 90 children, under the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, by whom the school-house was erected, at an expense of £250, on ground given by the Countess Fitzwilliam; it is under the patronage of Lord Ponsonby. There are also two other public schools, in which are about 150 children, a private school of about 30 children, and a Sunday school. Some remains of the old castle yet exist.--See PHILIPSTOWN.
KILLADIERNAN--See KILLODIERNAN.
KILLADOON, a parish, in the barony of NORTH SALT, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (S. W.) from Celbridge, on the road from that place to Clane; containing 426 inhabitants. It is bounded on the south and east by the river Liffey, and comprises the mansion and park of Killadoon, the handsome seat of the Earl of Leitrim. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, forming part of the union of Celbridge; the tithes amount to £100. In the R. C. divisions it also forms part of the union or district of Celbridge.
KILLADOON, a parish, in the barony of TIRAGHRILL, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 7 1/2 miles (N. N. W.) from Boyle, on Lough Arrow; containing 1525 inhabitants. The family of Mac Donogh, lords of Corran and Tirerril, founded a convent here, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, for nuns of the order of St. Dominick, in 1427; there are still some ruins on the northern shore of Lough Arrow. The parish comprises 6364 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, consisting principally of wet spongy land; there is a large quantity of bog, and limestone is quarried. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, forming part of the union of Kilmactraney; the rectory is impropriate in Col. Perceval; the tithes amount to £42, which is equally divided between the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Geeragh, or Kilmactraney. About 170 children are educated in two private schools.
KILLADREENY, or KILLADREENAN, an ancient chapelry, forming part of the parish of NEWCASTLE, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (S. by E.) from Newtown-Mount-Kennedy, on the road from Dublin to Wexford: the population is returned with the parish. It contains 547 statute acres, under an improving system of agriculture. Mount John is the seat of Graves Chamney Archer, Esq.; and Killadreenan, of Alderman C. P. Archer. This chapelry is in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, and is annexed to the rectory of Newcastle. The ruins of the ancient chapel stand in the centre of a burial-ground, which is enclosed and is still used as a place of interment for the Byrnes, Tooles, Coolins, and other ancient R. C. families. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Kilquade.
KILLAG, a parish, in the barony of BARGY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 11 miles (S. W. by S.) from Wexford; containing 358 inhabitants. This parish, which occupies a peninsular situation on the shores of the lough formed by the burrow of Ballyteigue, comprises 1866 statute acres, which are almost wholly under tillage; the system of agriculture is improving, and sea-weed collected in the lough is used for manure. The small island of Inch, situated in the lough, belongs to this parish. Here is Richfield, the seat of Sir F. H. Loftus, Bart. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, forming part of the union of Mulrankin; the tithes amount to £125. 6. 11 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Rathangan.
KILLAGAN, a parish, partly in the barony of UPPER DUNLUCE, but chiefly in that of KILCONWAY, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (S. E.) from Ballymoney, on the road to Belfast, and also on that from Ballymena to Ballycastle; containing 1451 inhabitants. This parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 3838 statute acres, of which 1406 1/4 are in the barony of Upper Dunluce, and 2431 3/4 in that of Kilconway: it is in a good state of cultivation, considerable improvement having been made in the system of agriculture. A large expanse of water, called Mount-Hamilton Lough, has lately been drained, and the land brought into profitable cultivation. In the village of Clogh Mills are some flax and corn mills, and the weaving of linen is carried on by many of the inhabitants in their own houses. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, forming part of the union and corps of the prebend of Connor in the cathedral of St. Saviour; the tithes amount to £115. About 100 children are taught in two public schools, and there is also a Sunday school. On a gentle eminence, near the centre of the parish, are some remains of Mount Hamilton castle, in front of which was the lake before mentioned. There is also a large circular earthwork, called Mount Hamilton Fort, in which Pictish coins, military weapons, arrow heads of flint, and other relics of antiquity, have been discovered; and in the bog was found, in 1831, a firkin of butter in a fossilised state.
KILLAGH, or KILLAUGH, also called MOYMENE, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (W.) from Oldcastle; containing 2221 Inhabitants. It is situated on Lough Shillin, and comprises 6283 statute acres, including about 160 of bog, and 50 of plantations. Crossdrum is the residence of E. Rotherham, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Crown; the tithes amount to £203. 1. 6 1/4. The church is a neat edifice, built by aid of a gift of £500, in 1800, from the late Board of First Fruits, which in 1814 gave £450, and lent £50 for the erection of the glebe-house; the glebe comprises 20 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also Kilbride, and containing a chapel at Moat, in this parish, and one at Dalysbridge in Kilbride. About 150 children are educated in two private schools.
KILLAGH, a parish, in the barony of DELVIN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (S.) from Castletown-Delvin, on the road from that place to Mullingar; containing 264 inhabitants. It comprises 1291 statute acres, and is principally in tillage; there is plenty of limestone. Durdistown is the seat of Theobald Featherstonhaugh, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Kilcumney; the tithes amount to £40, and there is a glebe of 18 acres, valued at £20 per annum. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Castletown-Delvin. Here are the ruins of the old church.
KILLAGHIN, or KILLAHEN, a parish, in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 5 1/2 miles (N.) from Tralee, on the road from Abbeydorney to Cashen-ferry; containing 1098 inhabitants. It comprises 4239 statute acres, of which about one-fourth consists of mountain and bog, and the remainder of arable land of variable quality. The principal residence is Fort William, belonging to the representatives of the late W. Collis, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe: the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Cork, and the vicarage forms part of the union of Kilflyn, or Ballinacourty; the tithes amount to £126, of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Abbeydorney. The ruins of the old church still remain; and about a mile to the west are those of Ballymaquin castle.
KILLAGHTEE, a parish, in the barony of BANNAGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (E.) from Killybegs, on the north-west coast; containing, with the village of Dunkanely, 4760 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey, it comprises, with a detached portion, 13,368 statute acres, of which about half is mountain land; there is a great quantity of bog, also of coarse limestone and freestone, used for building. Within the parish is St. John's Point, on which is a lighthouse, in lat. 54° 33' 15", and lon. 8° 26', with a bright fixed light, 104 feet above the level of the sea at high water, and visible fourteen nautical miles. Inver bay commences at this Point, and extends to Devrin Point, and to the westward of it is Mac Swine's bay. Many of the parishioners are employed in fishing, and on the 12th of Feb., 1814, twenty fishing-boats and forty-three men were lost in a squall. The principal seats are Brucklees, the residence of Capt. Nesbit; Upper Brucklees, of A. Cassidy, Esq.; and Spa Mount, of M. Stevens, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £260. The church is a neat building, erected in 1826, at a cost of £1000, granted by the late Board of First Fruits. There is a neat glebe-house, with a glebe of 635 acres, of which 335 are unprofitable land, and which contains a strong sulphureous spa. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Killybegs, for which a large chapel is in course of erection. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists at Dun-kanely. About 360 children are educated in six public schools, one of which is aided by donations from Primate Robinson's fund; and about 30 children in a private school.--See DUNKANELY.
KILLAGHTON, or KILLALAGHTON, a parish, partly in the barony of CLONMACNOON, but chiefly in that of KILCONNELL, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 5 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Ballinasloe, near the road from that place to Loughrea; containing 2879 inhabitants. This parish comprises 7248 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, about one-third of which is arable. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, forming part of the union of Aughrim; the rectory is partly appropriate to the see and partly to the vicarage; the tithes amount to £185, of which £35 is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and £150 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the district of Kilrickill, and has a chapel. About 220 children are educated in two private schools.
KILLAGHY, a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Freshford: the population is included in the return for Tullaroan. This parish comprises 1564 statute acres: it is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, entirely impropriate in J. Butler Stopford, Esq.; the tithes amount to £105. An abbey is supposed to have been founded here in 548. Near the old church are some remains of the house or castle of Killaghy, belonging to a branch of the Grace family.
KILLAGHY.--See KILLAUGHEY.
KILLAHA, a parish, in the barony of MAGONIHY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S. E. by E.) from Killarney, on the road from that place to Macroom; containing 2567 inhabitants. It comprises 38,049 1/2 statute acres, of which 34,483 are applotted under the tithe act, and is situated on the river Flesk, which runs through a wild glen called Glenflesk, which is richly wooded, with large rocks projecting from its sides, and is much visited by lovers of romantic scenery. Filadowne, the most picturesque part of the glen, is said to have been the retreat of a celebrated outlaw, named Owen, and a table rock which is situated midway on the declivity, and inaccessible without a ladder, is still called Labig Owen, or "Owen's Bed." The retired and picturesque lake called Lough Guttane or Kittane, nearly six miles in circumference, lies in a hollow formed by the rocky and precipitous sides of the mountains of Mangerton and Crohane, between which also extends the rugged glen of Kippoch; it discharges its superfluous waters by a small river which runs into the Flesk, and affords great attraction to anglers by the excellence and abundance of its trout. Slate quarries are worked at Filadowne and Annamore. Here is a constabulary police station. Killaha is the residence of J. McCarty, Esq.; Brewsterfield, the property of the Rev. B. Herbert; and Corriglass, the property of H. A. Herbert, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Donoughmore and H. A. Herbert, Esq., and the vicarage forms part of the union of Kilgarvan. The tithes amount to £220, of which £90 is payable to the Earl of Donoughmore, £10 to H. A. Herbert, Esq., and £120 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Glenflesk, which also includes that part of Aghadoe which is eastward from Killarney, and has a chapel at Rusheen and another at Barraduff. There is a public school, in which about 140 children are educated, also two private schools, in which are about 110 children. Near the upper entrance to the glen, standing conspicuously on an eminence, are the ruins of Killaha castle, formerly the residence of the O'Donoghues of the Glens; and at a short distance are the ivy-clad remains of the old church.
KILLAHINNY.--See KILLEHENY.
KILLAHURLER, or KILMAIN, a parish, in the barony of ARKLOW, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/4 miles (W.) from Arklow; containing 493 inhabitants. It comprises 3859 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; and within its limits is the greater part of the district from which gold was obtained at the end of the last century, and which is described in the article on Arklow. It is a curacy, in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, forming part of the union of Arklow; the rectory is appropriate to the deanery of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £83. 1. 65 1/2, of which £55. 7. 8 1/4. is payable to the dean, and £27. 13. 10 1/4. to the curate. In the R. C. divisions also it forms part of the union or district of Arklow. Here is an old burial-ground.
KILLAHY, a parish, in the barony of KNOCKTOPHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (S.) from Knocktopher, on the road from Waterford to Kilkenny; containing 712 inhabitants, and comprising 2670 statute acres. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Kil-beacon, or Rosinan; the rectory is impropriate in the Ladies Fitzpatrick. The tithes amount to £171, of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriators, and one-third to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Kilmacow. About 30 children are educated in a private school.
KILLAHY.--See KILLAGHY.
KILLALA, a sea-port, market and post-town, and parish, and the seat of a diocese, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 22 miles (N.) from Castlebar, and 131 1/2 (N. W.) from Dublin, on the road from Ballina to Ballycastle; containing 3875 inhabitants, of which number, 1125 are in the town. During the disturbances of 1798, General Humbert, with two frigates of 44 and one of 38 guns, having on board 70 officers and 1030 men, sailed from Rochelle on the 4th of August, to make a descent on the county of Donegal; but being frustrated in that attempt by contrary winds, landed his forces in Kilcummin bay on the 22nd of the same month. The garrison, at that time consisting of only 50 men, fled, after a vain attempt to oppose the entrance of the French vanguard; and several of them were taken prisoners. The French forces were joined by many of the peasantry, and after they had taken Ballina greater numbers flocked to their standard, to receive the arms and uniforms which had been sent from France for their equipment. The town is situated on the bay of the same name, and on the west bank of the river Moy; it contains about 200 houses, of which those in the principal street are well built. The manufacture of coarse linens is carried on to a very small extent, but the principal trade is the exportation of grain, of which the annual average from 1810 to 1820 was 5000 tons, chiefly oats and barley; and the value of the imports, consisting of planks, iron, tar, slates, flax-seed, herrings, and sugar, about £5000. The trade was on the increase from 1820 till 1825, but, from the improvements of the port of Ballina, what formerly came into this port for the supply of that town is conveyed thither direct by the river Moy, and from 1830 to 1835 the average exports from Killala have not exceeded 3500 tons, nor the value of the imports £4000 per annum. A considerable fishery is carried on, in which more than 300 persons are occasionally engaged, and for which this is a very good station; and large quantities of sea-manure are landed at the quay; the pier is very old, but has been recently repaired. The entrance to the bay is between Kilcummin Head and Kennisharrock Point. On the western side of the bay, off the point of Ross, are the Carrigphadric rocks, between which and the mainland is a shoal dry at low water: and on the eastern side, about two miles from Kennisharrock Point, is a creek called Pullogheeny, where small vessels load kelp and other commodities during the summer. The harbour affords good and safe anchorage for vessels drawing eight or nine feet of water, and vessels drawing 12 feet may get to the anchorage about high water. A constabulary police force is stationed in the town; and it is the head of a coastguard district, comprising the stations of Dunkeehan, Port Terlin, Belderig, Ballycastle, Lacken, Kilcummin, and Ross. The market is on Saturday, and fairs are held on May 6th, Aug. 17th, and Nov. 8th. Petty sessions are held in a private house every Friday, and a manorial court is held occasionally.
The episcopal SEE of KILLALA appears to have been founded between the years 434 and 441, by St. Patrick, who, during that period, was propagating the faith of Christianity in the province of Connaught; and built a church at this place, called Kill-Aladh, over which he placed one of his disciples, St. Muredach, as bishop. Of Muredach's successors, who by early writers are called bishops of Tiramalgaid (from the surrounding territory, now the barony of Tirawley), and also bishops of O-Fiacra-Mui (from a district of that name extending along the river Moy), very little is recorded till after the arrival of the English in Ireland; though among the few names that occur within that period is that of Kellach, the son of Doghan, or, according to some writers, of Owen Beol, King of Connaught. At the instance of Donat O'Beoda, who was bishop in 1198, Pope Innocent III. confirmed all the ancient possessions of the see; and in 1255 a bishop of Killala, whose name is not given, accompanied the archbishop of Tuam into England, to petition the king for the redress of certain grievances to which the clergy were then exposed. Robert of Waterford, who succeeded in 1350, was fined 100 marks for neglecting to attend a parliament assembled at Castledermot, in 1377, to which he had been summoned. Owen O'Connor, Dean of Achonry, was advanced to the see by Queen Elizabeth in 1591, and was allowed to hold his deanery with the bishoprick; and his successor, Miler Magragh, was permitted to hold also the see of Achonry in com-mendam. Archibald Hamilton, who succeeded in 1623, obtained from Jas. I. a commendatory grant, of the see of Achonry; and his successor, Archibald Adair, was, in 1630, consecrated bishop of Killala and Achonry, which two sees appear from that time to have been united. Thomas Otway, who succeeded to the united sees in 1670, rebuilt the cathedral from the foundation. The sees of Achonry and Killala continued to be held together till the death of the last bishop, Dr. James Verschoyle, in 1833, when, under the provisions of the Church Temporalities' Act of the 3d and 4th of Wm. IV., they became annexed to the archiepiscopal see of Tuam, and the temporalities were vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The diocese is one of the six that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Tuam, and comprehends part of the county of Sligo and a very considerable portion of that of Mayo; it is 45 miles in length and 21 in breadth, comprising an estimated superficies of 314,300 acres, of which 43,100 are in Sligo and 271,200 in Mayo. The lands belonging to the see comprise 33,668 1/2 statute acres, of which 10,176 1/2 are profitable land; and the gross annual revenue, on an average of three years ending Dec. 31st, 1831, amounted to £2600. 11. 10 1/2., which, together with the revenue of the see of Achonry, since the death of the last bishop, is, by the provisions of the Church Temporalities' Act, vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, archdeacon, and the five prebendaries of Killanly, Errew, Ardagh, Lackan, and Rosserkbeg: there are neither minor canons nor vicars choral belonging to the cathedral, nor is there any economy fund. The number of parishes in the diocese is 27, comprised in 13 benefices, of which seven are unions of two or more parishes, and six are single parishes; and with the exception of the deanery, which is in the gift of the Crown, all are in the patronage of the Archbishop. The number of churches is 13, and there are two other places where divine service is performed; and of glebe-houses, 11. The cathedral, which is also the parish church, is an ancient structure with a spire; it was repaired in 1817, for which purpose the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £1061. 10. 9., and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £600 for its further repair. In the R. C. divisions this diocese is a separate bishoprick, and one of the six which are suffragan to Tuam; it comprises 23 parochial benefices or unions, containing 30 chapels, which are served by 33 clergymen, 23 of whom are parish priests, and 10 coadjutors or curates. The parochial benefice of the bishop is Killala; the cathedral is at Ardnaree, near Ballina, and contiguous to it is the bishop's residence.
The parish includes the island of Bartra, or Bartrach, and is generally in a good state of cultivation: the soil is very fertile, and the lands are nearly divided in equal portions between pasture and tillage, except the waste land and a large tract of bog. The surrounding country is rather bleak, especially towards the north, but the scenery is enlivened by several gentlemen's seats, of which the principal are the Castle, formerly the episcopal palace, and now the residence of W. I. Bourke, Esq.; the Lodge, of T. Kirkwood, Esq.; Ross, of J. Higgins, Esq.; Castlerea, of J. Knox, Esq.; Farm Hill, of Major J. Gardiner; and Summer Hill, of T. Palmer, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, constituting the corps of the deanery of Killala, and in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £154. 13. 9.: the lands belonging to the deanery adjoin the town and comprise 108 acres; and the dean, in right of his dignity, has the rectorial tithes of the parishes of Ballysakeery, Rafran, Dunfeeny, Kilbreedy, Lacken, Kilcummin, and Templemurry; the entire revenue of the deanery, including the lands, is £772. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Templemurry; the chapel is a neat slated edifice. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. The parochial school, in which are about 90 children, is supported by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's fund, who allow the master £30 per annum, with a house and one acre of land rent free; and there are two private schools, in which are about 150 children. There is a dispensary for the poor of the neighbourhood. On an eminence in the town is an ancient round tower, about 83 feet high, of which the walls are of great strength and nearly perfect. About a mile to the south-east of the town, at the mouth of the river Moy, are the remains of a friary of Franciscans of the Strict Observance, founded in 1460 by Mac William Bourke, or, according to some writers, by Thomas Oge Bourke. Several provincial chapters of the order were held there, and the establishment continued to flourish till the dissolution, after which it was granted to Edmund Barrett. The remains consist of the church and some extensive portions of the conventual buildings: the church is a cruciform structure, 135 feet in length, and from the centre rises a lofty tower, supported on four noble arches leading from the nave into the choir and transepts. At Castlereagh, on the banks of the river Rathfran, about two miles from the sea, are the vestiges of a castle apparently of great strength, which has been levelled with the ground: about a mile to the west is Carrickanass castle, about 35 feet square, and 45 feet high, built by the family of Bourke, and surrounded with a low strong bawn; and there are also several forts.
KILLALAGHTON.--See KILLAGHTON.
KILLALDRIFF, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Cahir, on the road from that place to Tipperary; containing, with the chapelry of Clonfinglass, 1901 inhabitants. It comprises 5714 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3693 per annum; and there are about 650 acres in Clonfinglass, about 1500 acres of mountain land, and a considerable quantity of bog: the land is generally good and well cultivated, and there is plenty of limestone and good building stone. The rivers Arra and Aherlow run through the parish, the latter of which joins the Suir at Ballydruid. Here is a constabulary police station. The principal seats are Kilmoyler, the residence of S. O'Meagher, Esq.; Toureen, of D. O'Meagher, Esq.; Ballydruid, of Mrs. Doherty; Kilmoylermore, of the late Constantine Maguire, Esq.; Cluin, of -- Slattery, Esq.; and Bansha House, of R. Clarke, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, forming the corps of the prebend of Killaldry, or Killaldriff, in the cathedral of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £270, and there is a glebe of 16a. 2r. 12p. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Galbally, and has a neat chapel. About 140 children are educated in two private schools, the school-house for one of which was given by the late C. Maguire, Esq. There are some remains of old castles at Cappagh and Kilmoylermore; the ruin of a small church or chapel at Clonfinglass; and the remains of the old church at Killaldriff.
KILLALIATHAN, a parish, in the Glenquin Division of the barony of UPPER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (S. S. E.) from Newcastle, on the road from that place to Charleville; containing 1590 inhabitants. It comprises 5265 statute acres, of which 4852 are applotted under the tithe act. The lower part of the parish is tolerably fertile, and about 2000 acres are under tillage, about 800 in meadow and pasture, and the remainder is bog and mountain land. The mountains contain coal, which is worked by Francis Sullivan, Esq., at Banrnore; and limestone, of which an excellent quarry is worked near Broadford; iron-stone is also abundant. The principal seats are Banmore, the residence of F. Sullivan, Esq.; and Springfield Castle, of Lord Muskerry. This castle, with the surrounding manor, formerly belonged to the Fitzgeralds, Lords of Glenlis, and, on its forfeiture in the Desmond rebellion, was, in 1591, granted to Sir W. Courtney. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, and in the patronage of Lord Muskerry: the rectory is impropriate in the Sullivan family: the tithes amount to £120, two-thirds of which are payable to the impropriators, and the remainder to the vicar, whose income is increased by an augmentation from Primate Boulter's fund. The church, which was erected in 1812, is in a very dilapidated state. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Dromcolliher, and has a chapel at Broadford. About 70 children are educated in a private school. Near Banmore are the remains of an ancient church; and the ruins of Gurtne-tubber castle, which was strongly garrisoned for Jas. II., and afterwards dismantled, are near Springfield.
KILLALLON, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S. S. W.) from Crossakeel, on the road from Oldcastle to Athboy; containing 1835 inhabitants. It comprises 7336 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, about two-thirds of which are in tillage; the land is light, but all of it can be cultivated. Lakefield is the seat of J. Battersby, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, united in 1782 to the vicarage of Killua, and in the patronage of the Bishop and the Marquess of Drogheda: the tithes of Killallon amount to £323. 1. 6 1/2., and of the whole benefice to £368. 1. 6 1/4. The church of the union is at Clonmellon, in Killua; it was built about fifty years since, towards which the late Sir B. Chapman, Bart, contributed largely. The glebe-house is in this parish, and was built in 1812, by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £750 from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe comprises 36 acres, valued at £54 per annum, but subject to a rent of £11, payable to the Earl of Fingall. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Clonmellon, and has a plain chapel. About 100 children are educated in a private school.
KILLALOAN.--See KILLOLOAN.
KILLALOE, a post-town and parish, and the seat of a diocese, in the barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 20 miles (E. by S.) from Ennis, and 87 (S. W. by W.) from Dublin, on the road from Scariff to Nenagh; containing 8587 inhabitants, of which number 1411 are in the town. This place, anciently called Laonia, derived its present name, supposed to he a corruption of Kill-da-Lua, from the foundation of an abbey, in the 6th century, by St. Lua or Molua, grandson of Eocha Baildearg, King of Munster, and which became the head of a diocese. Turlogh O'Brien, in 1054, built a bridge across the Shannon at this place, which had grown into some importance, though little of its previous history is related; and, in 1061, Hugh O'Connor destroyed the castle which had been erected here, and burned the town, which was again reduced to ashes in 1080 and 1084, by the people of Conmacne. In 1177, Raymond le Gros, after his triumphant entry into Limerick, came to this place, where he received the hostages of Roderic, King of Connaught, and O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who took the oath of fealty to the King of England. On Richard de Clare's obtaining a grant of certain lands in the county of Clare, this town, as containing the only ford over the Shannon, obtained for some time the appellation of Claresford. In 1367, after the recall of Lionel, Duke of Clarence, from the government of Ireland, who had acquired considerable tracts of territory around the town, Murrogh-na-Ranagh, one of the O'Briens, made himself master of all the country beyond the Shannon, and destroyed this town and several others belonging to the English. Gen. Sarsfield, in 1681, posted a strong party at this place, to defend the passage of the river; but having abandoned their post, the English advanced into the western provinces; and in 1691 the same general, at the head of a select body of cavalry, passed the river and destroyed a convoy of ammunition on its way to Wm. III., then at Limerick.
The town is pleasantly situated on a rising ground on the western bank of the Shannon, near the noted falls of Killaloe, and about a mile from Lough Derg, and is connected with the county of Tipperary by an ancient bridge of nineteen arches. It consists of one square, and a principal and several smaller streets, and contains about 300 houses. There is a small infantry barrack. A flourishing trade in stuffs, camlets, and serges was formerly carried on, and two well-supplied markets were held weekly; but both the manufacture and the markets have been discontinued. Above and below the bridge there are numerous eel weirs, which produce a strong current in the river, and there is also a salmon fishery. In the vicinity are some very extensive slate quarries, from which, on an average, about 100,000 tons are annually raised for the supply of the surrounding country to a great distance. A mill, with machinery driven by water, has been erected at an expense of £6000, for cutting and polishing stone and marble, and working them into mantel-pieces, flags, slabs, and other articles, in which about 100 men are employed, and for whose residence near the works are some handsome slated cottages. A spirit of cheerful industry and enterprise seems to promise much for the increasing prosperity of the town. Close to these mills is a yard for boatbuilding, belonging to the Shannon Steam Navigation Company, whose head-quarters are at this place, and who have established a regular communication by steam-packets, for goods and passengers, up the Shannon, through Lough Derg to Portumna, Athlone. and Banagher, and from Banagher by canal-boats to Dublin. The company afford employment to a great number of persons in the construction and repair of docks and warehouses. About a quarter of a mile from the village of O'Brien's Bridge is the pier-head, where the steam-boats transfer their cargoes and passengers to a packet-boat, which is towed at a rapid rate to Limerick, between which place and Dublin packet-boats ply daily; the trip to Portumna and Williamstown is beautifully picturesque. Below the bridge the navigation of the Shannon is interrupted by a ridge of rocks, over which the water rushes with great noise; and the appearance of the town at this place, with the waters of Lough Derg in the distance, and its venerable cathedral rising above the bridge and backed by a fine mountain range, is strikingly romantic. To remedy this obstruction of the navigation, the Board of Inland Navigation constructed a canal through the bishop's demesne, avoiding the rocks, and joining the river beyond the falls; it has also erected an hotel, called the Ponsonby Arms, for the accommodation of families visiting Lough Derg and its neighbourhood. This lake is about thirty miles in length, and abounds with beautiful and interesting scenery, more especially in that part which is near the town; the shores are embellished with several handsome mansions, embosomed in luxuriant woods and plantations, and with several ancient and venerable castles. Pike, perch, trout, and various other fish are taken in abundance, among which is found the Gillaroo trout. Fairs are held on April 5th, May 24th, Sept. 3d, and Oct. 20th; and petty sessions once a fortnight. A constabulary police force is stationed in the town.
The SEE of KILLALOE was originally founded about 639, by Pope John IV., who consecrated St. Flannan, successor to St. Lua or Molua. first bishop. Theodorick, King of Munster and father of St. Flannan, endowed the see with many estates, and was interred in the abbey. Moriertach, King of Ireland, and Donald O'Brien, King of Limerick, were also great benefactors; and the former was interred here with great pomp in 1120. The church early became a favourite place of resort for pilgrims, and among numerous others was Connor Mac Dermod O'Brien, King of Thomond and Desmond, who died here on a pilgrimage in 1142. The cathedral was erected by Donald, King of Limerick, in 1160. About the close of this century the ancient bishoprick of Roscrea was permanently united to this see, together with a portion of that of Iniscathay; and in 1752 the see of Kilfenora, which had been founded by St. Fachnan, was also united to it; and the two dioceses have, since that period, been always held together. It is one of the twelve dioceses that constitute the ecclesiastical province of Cashel, and comprehends parts of the Queen's county, Limerick, Galway, and King's county, with a large portion of the county of Tipperary, and the greater part of Clare; it extends about 100 miles in length, varying from 9 to 32 in breadth, and comprises an estimated superfices of 628,500 acres, of which 3200 are in Queen's county, 5300 in Limerick, 8800 in Galway, 50,000 in King's county, 134,500 in Tipperary, and 426,700 in Clare. The lands belonging to the see comprise 7528 statute acres, of which 6795 are profitable land; and the gross revenue, on an average of three years ending Dec. 31st, 1831, amounted to £4532. 9. 1. Since that time the dioceses of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, having become vacant, have been, under the Church Temporalities' Act of the 3d of Will. IV., united to the see of Killaloe, and the temporalities vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, and archdeacon; there are also seven prebendaries, who have no voice in the chapter, viz., those of Tomgranna, Lackeen, Clondegad, Dysert, Tulla, Inniscattery, and Rath. The consistorial court consists of a vicar-general, registrar, and proctor; the registrar is keeper of the records, of which the earliest are of the date 1668, the old registry having been burnt during the parliamentary war. The total number of parishes in the diocese is 108, of which 89 are comprised in 41 unions, and 19 are single benefices, of which one is in the patronage of the crown, 11 in lay patronage, and 38 in that of the bishop. The number of churches is 56, and there are five other places in which divine service is performed; and of glebe-houses, 39. The cathedral, which also serves for the parish church, is an ancient cruciform structure, with a square central tower; it is about 200 feet in length, with a fine east window, and the west front has an imposing appearance; the prevailing character is that of the Norman style. Near it is a building called the Oratory of St. Molua, one of the most ancient ecclesiastical edifices in the country, being apparently of the 7th century; it was roofed with stone, but is now in ruins. The economy fund of the cathedral amounts to £602. 10. 5. per annum. In the R. C. divisions the diocese of Kilfenora is held with Kilmacduagh; the diocese of Killaloe is coextensive with that of the Established Church, and is an independent bishoprick. The number of benefices, or unions, is 49, and of chapels 111, which are served by 123 clergymen, of whom 49 are parish priests, and 79 are coadjutors or curates.
The parish comprises 13,045 statute acres, and is generally under profitable cultivation. The surrounding scenery is beautifully diversified, and in many parts truly picturesque. Near the town, on the west bank of the Shannon, is Clarrisford House, the episcopal palace, finely situated in a highly improved demesne, near the only ford across the river into this county from that of Tipperary; the mansion is handsome and of modern appearance, and, though small, forms a pleasant residence. There are several gentlemen's seats, most of which command fine views of the lake and the beautiful scenery along its shores: of these, the principal are Ballyvalley, the residence of W. Parker, Esq., from which is a fine view of the town and bridge, with the falls on the river: Tinerana, of S. G. Purdon, Esq., Ryhinch, of Jeremiah O'Brien, Esq.; Derry Castle, of Capt. Head; Castle Lough, of Anthony Parker, Esq.; Youghall, of William Smithwick, Esq., and Ogonilloe, of the Rev. R. W. Nisbett. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter; the rectory is appropriate to the economy fund of the cathedral: the tithes amount to £369. 4. 7 1/2., of which £295. 7. 85. is payable to the economy fund, and £73. 15. 11. to the bishop, as mensal tithes; the stipend of the curate is £60 per annum, paid out of the economy fund. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; there are four chapels, also a place of worship for Presbyterians. About 110 children are taught in a public school, and there are seven private schools, in which are about 400 children. Near the town is a rath, where was formerly the castle or palace of Brien Boroihme, monarch of all Ireland: this fort, called Ceanchora or Kinkora, was destroyed by Domohall Mac Adgail, Prince of Tyrconnell, during the absence of Murtogh, grandson of Brien; the site has been levelled and planted, and few vestiges of the original building can be traced.
KILLALOE, or GRANGOOLY, a parish in the barony of SHILLELOGHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (N.) from Callan, on the road from Kilkenny to Ballingarry; containing 1274 inhabitants This parish comprises 5142 statute acres, and contains Rossmore, the seat of Purefoy Poe, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Callan: the tithes amount to £374. 9. 10. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Ballycallan. About 160 children are educated in a public school, to which the Countess of Desart and the Rev. Mr. Morris contribute £15 annually; and about 140 in a private school; there is also a Sunday school. Here is a constabulary police station; and a fever hospital is supported by the Earl of Desart, for the benefit of his tenants.
KILLALTON.--See TELTOWN.
KILLAMERY, a parish, in the barony of KELLS, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S. by W.) from Callan, on the road from that place to Carrick-on-Suir; containing 1837 inhabitants. It comprises 6451 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3640 per annum. At Garryricken, which is the property and was the residence of the Marquess of Ormonde, are some very fine plantations. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, forming the corps of the prebend of Kilamery, in the gift of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £280. The church is a plain structure, erected by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1815, and recently repaired by a grant of £125 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £300, and a loan of £900, from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1818; the glebe comprises five acres. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Tullohaught, and containing a chapel at Windgap. The parochial school is aided by the rector; and at Garryricken is a public school, the house for which was built by the late Marquess of Ormonde. In these schools are about 70 children, and about 100 children are taught in a private school. A monastery of 1000 monks is said to have anciently existed here. At Rossamery are the ruins of a small church.
KILLAN, or KILLANNE, a parish, in the barony of BANTRY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (W. by N.) from Enniscorthy, on the high road from New Ross to Newtownbarry; containing 2837 inhabitants. This parish comprises 9835 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the lands are principally under tillage, the soil is light, and the system of agriculture improving. There is no waste land, except on the higher part of the mountain of Blackstairs, which bounds the parish on the west, separating the counties of Wexford and Carlow, and is cultivated to a considerable height from its base. At Woodbrook is a slate quarry, which has been worked occasionally for private purposes. Lime for manure is drawn from kilns at Gore's-bridge, in the county of Kilkenny, a distance of 13 Irish miles. The principal seats are the Grange, the residence of Mrs. Richards, and Woodbrook, of Mrs. Blacker. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £477. 3. 7. The church, a handsome edifice in the early English style, with some later details, was erected in 1832, at an expense of £1270, of which a loan of £1200 was granted by the late Board of First Fruits; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £116 for its repair. The late Board also gave £100 towards the erection of the glebe-house, an elegant modern villa, pleasantly situated in a plantation of beech and fir, and commanding a fine view of the White and Black-stairs mountains: the glebe comprises 33 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Templeudigan, or Killegney; the chapel at Grange is a plain edifice. About 100 children are taught in the parochial school, which is supported by subscription; the school-house and an acre of land were given by the late Mr. Blacker: there is another public school of about 50 children, which has a house and two acres of land, rent free, from Mr. Colles; and about 200 children are taught in four private schools. A spinning association for the employment of the female poor is managed by a committee of ladies. Near the village of Killan is a holy well, dedicated to St. Anne, from whom the parish takes its name. There are several Danish raths.
KILLAN.--See SHERCOCK.
KILLANCOOLY, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 10 1/2 miles (S. by E.) from Gorey, on the old road through Oulart to Wexford; containing 1204 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the southeastern coast, comprises about 3000 statute acres, of which by far the greater part is under tillage, and the remainder consists of fine grazing tracts: the soil is in general loamy, the system of agriculture is improved; and butter and cheese are made in large quantities. A herring fishery is carried on at Tinabearny, in which about seven boats and 50 men from this and the adjoining parish of Kilmuckridge are engaged. Wells House, the property of R. Doyne, Esq., was, for nearly three years after the disturbances of 1798, occupied as a barrack by the king's troops; it is now about to be rebuilt in the Elizabethan style by the proprietor, as a residence, and will in future be called Wells Abbey. The parish is in the diocese of Ferns: it is an impropriate curacy, partly forming a portion of the union of Donagh-more, and partly annexed to the rectory of Kilnemanagh, by the act of the 4th of Geo. IV.; the rectory is impropriate in H. K. G. Morgan, Esq. It is intersected by the parish of Kilmuckridge; the portion adjoining Kilnemanagh is annexed to that parish for the performance of the clerical duties, and the remainder to Donaghmore. The tithes amount to £190, payable to the impropriator. There are some remains of the old church. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Litter.
KILLANE, or KILLIANE, also called KILLOEBHAIN, a parish, in the barony of KILCONNELL, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 9 miles (W. by S.) from Ballinasloe, on the road from Kilconnell to Ballymacward; containing 1317 inhabitants. It comprises 7755 statute acres, and contains Woodlawn, the seat of J. Trench, Esq., where a mausoleum was erected by the late F. Trench, Esq., for his 21 children, for each of whom there is a separate vault. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, forming part of the union of Kilconnell; the rectory is appropriate to the see, the sacristan of Clonfert, the vicars choral of Christ Church, Dublin, and the vicarage. The tithes amount to £150. 1. 5 1/4., of which £22. 15. 4 1/2. is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £9 to the sacristan, £50 to the lessee of the vicars choral, and £68. 6. 1 3/4. to the incumbent. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called New Inn, which includes this parish and Bullane, in each of which is a chapel. About 150 children are educated in a public school, to which Lord Ashtown contributes £26 per annum, and about 60 in two private schools.
KILLANEAR, or KILNANARE, a parish, in the barony of MAGONIHY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (E. N. E.) from Milltown, on the river Maine, and on the old post road from Tralee to Killarney; containing 1776 inhabitants. It comprises 4993 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is in general good, and chiefly in tillage; limestone abounds and is used for manure, and the state of agriculture is improving: there are a few patches of bog. At Clonmellane is a station of the constabulary police. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory forms part of the union and corps of the deanery. The tithes amount to £184. 13. 3., payable in equal portions to the dean and vicar. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Fieries. In a public school supported by subscription about 50, and in two private schools about 70, children are educated. The ruins of the old church still remain in the burial-ground; and those of Clonmellane castle stand near the river Maine.
KILLANEY, or KILLENEY, a parish, in the barony of UPPER CASTLEREAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (W. by S.) from Saintfield, on the road from that place to Ballinahinch; containing 1298 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey, it comprises 2859 statute acres, of which 68 1/4 are water: the land is good, and under an excellent system of cultivation, producing abundant crops. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Down, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Downshire, in whom the rectory is impropriate: the tithes amount to £85. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. The church was greatly injured in 1641, and is now in ruins, but divine service is regularly performed in the parochial school-house. There is a Presbyterian meeting-house. The parochial school is supported by the Marquess of Down-shire and the vicar. The school-house was built by subscription; about 30 children are educated in it and 100 in a private school; and there is a Sunday school.
KILLANEY, a parish, partly in the barony of ARDEE, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, but chiefly in the barony of FARNEY, county of MONAGHAN, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (E. by S.) from Carrickmacross, on the road from Carrick to Dundalk; containing 4823 inhabitants, of which number 1424 are in Louth. The rivers Glyde and Ballymackney flow through this parish; and the Earl of Essex had an interview, in 1599, at Essexford, with O'Nial, Earl of Tyrone. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey (including 167 3/4 acres in the detached townland of Essexford, and 106 1/4 under water), 7127 1/4 statute acres, of which 1939 1/4 are in Louth, and 5188 in Monaghan; 5870 acres are applotted under the tithe act, and chiefly in tillage, and 500 acres consist of bog. The principal seats are Moynalty, the residence of T. Mc Evoy Gartland, Esq., and Ballymackney House, of W. Daniel, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £461. 10. 9 1/4. The church is a small ancient structure. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 90 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is partly in the union or district of Carrickmacross, and partly the head of a district, comprising also three or four townlands in the parish of Louth; it contains two chapels, one at Corcreagh, belonging to the Carrickmacross district, and the other in the village of Killaney. About 270 children are educated in five private schools, and there is a Sunday school. Here are the ruins of an ancient church, and of a fortification on a conical hill, called Mount Killaney.
KILLANIN, a parish, in the barony of MOYCULLEN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 11 miles (W.) from Galway; containing 8967 inhabitants. This is a very extensive parish, but as it contains large tracts of bog and mountain, only 6841 statute acres are rated in the county books. It is situated at the entrance to the bay of Galway, extending to Lough Corrib, and comprehends the islands of Garomna and Littermore, and the bays of Casleh, Scalp, and Bunahown. Here is Ross, the seat of R. Martin, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, forming part of the union of Ballynakill; the rectory is impropriate in T. Martin, Esq., and the tithes amount to £45. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel: divine service is also performed in private houses at Rossmuck and Littermore. About 150 children are educated in four private schools. Here was formerly the castle of Bunown, a principal seat of the O'Flahertys.
KILLANULLY, or KILLINGLEY, a parish, partly in the barony of KERRICURRIHY, county of CORK, and partly in the county of the city of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S.) from Cork, on the road from Carrigaline to Ballyhassig; containing 631 inhabitants. This parish, which is entirely surrounded by Carrigaline, comprises 2004 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1886 per annum. The soil is good and chiefly under tillage, and the system of agriculture is improving: there is plenty of good limestone. Here are the Kilnahow flour-mills. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Cork, forming the corps of the prebend of Killanully in Cork cathedral, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £170. The church is in ruins, but divine service is performed in a school-room licensed by the bishop. The glebe comprises 1 3/4 acre. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Ballygarvan. There is a parochial school for boys and girls, which was built by Lord Mount-Sandford and W. H. W. Newenham, Esq., and is entirely supported by the latter; about 50 children are educated in it, and there is also a Sunday school. In the cemetery of the old church is the grave of Father Florence McCarthy, who died about 1814, which is much visited by pilgrims; and near the churchyard is a holy well.
KILLARAGHT, a parish, in the half-barony of COOLAVIN, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 miles (S. W.) from Boyle, on the road from that place to Frenchpark; containing 1986 inhabitants. This place is said to derive its name from a nunnery founded here by St. Patrick for St. Athracta, sister of St. Coeman, who received the veil from him in 470. It is situated on the southern shore of Lough Gara, and consists chiefly of pasture land. The principal seats are Lisserlough, the residence of Jacob Powell, Esq.; Ardgallan, of Harlow P. Baker, Esq.; and Ratarman, of J. Flanagan, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry, episcopally united to those of Kilfree and Kilshalvea; the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Lorton. The tithes amount to £150, of which £56. 9. 3 1/2. is payable to the impropriator, and £93. 10. 8 1/2. to the vicar. There is a glebe of 3 1/2 acres. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Gurteen, and has a chapel at Cloonlagh. About 90 children are educated in a school that is aided by Lord Lorton. At Templeoran are the ruins of a church, with a burial-place attached.
KILLARARAN, or KILRONAN, a parish, in the barony of KILLIAN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 2 3/4 miles (N. E.) from Ballinamore, on the road from that place to Roscommon; containing 4777 inhabitants, and 8300 statute acres. The river Shiven runs through part of this parish, which contains a large quantity of bog. Petty sessions are held on alternate Tuesdays at Ballygan. The principal seats are Ballinamore House, the residence of the Hon. Martin Ffrench; Ballinglass of N. Darcy, Esq.; Castle Kelly, of D. H. Kelly, Esq.; and Riversdale, of John Kelly, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, forming part of the union of Killian; the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Kingsland. The tithes amount to £148, which is equally divided between the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Killian, and has a chapel at Ballygan. About 400 children are educated in a national and 130 in two private schools.
KILLARD, a parish, in the barony of IBRICKANE, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (N. W.) from Kilrush, on the road from Kilkee to Miltown-Malbay; containing 5619 inhabitants. This parish, which is on the western coast, and includes the cliff of Baltard, comprises 8824 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: there is a large quantity of reclaimable bog and rocky land; the system of agriculture is improving. Slate and flag quarries exist here. Very fine salmon is caught in Dunbeg river; and the banks of Baltard, about three leagues from the shore, afford turbot, cod, haddock, doree, mackerel, whiting, and other fish, in great abundance and perfection. The coast being very precipitous and the surf great, the fishermen use canoes of wicker work covered with pitched canvas. Baltard House is the residence of the Rev. M. Comyn, P.P. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of Lord Castlecoote and in R. Stackpoole, Esq. The tithes amount to £208. 19. 9., of which £85. 14. 2. is payable to the representatives of Lord Castlecoote, £13. 4. 7. to R. Stackpoole, Esq., and the remainder to the vicar. The church is a modern building near Dunbeg. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Kilkee, and has a chapel at Dunbeg. A parochial school has been established under the patronage of the incumbent and Mr. Straight, the latter of whom gave the school-house and a piece of ground rent-free; there is also a school partly supported by the parish priest. In these schools are about 70, and in four private schools about 340, children. On the summit of Baltard cliff are the ruins of a signal tower; and on the south-western side of Dunbeg bay are the ruins of Dunmore castle; and there are some remains of the old church.--See DUNBEG.
KILLARE, a parish, in the barony of RATHCONRATH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, on the road from Mullingar to Athlone; containing, with part of the post-town of Ballymore, 3849 inhabitants. This place is supposed by Camden to have been the Laberus of Ptolemy, and is distinguished by a lofty and isolated hill, which bounds it on the north-west, called Knock- Usneach, and said to have been celebrated for the ancient provincial assemblies of the native Irish. A religious house was founded here at a very early period, and subsequently became the head of a small see, of which St. Aid is said to have been bishop in 588; of this establishment, and also of a castle founded by the family of the Geoghegans, there are still some slight remains. The parish comprises 6950 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is principally under tillage; the system of agriculture is improving, and there is a small portion of bog. The principal seat is Mosstown, the handsome residence of Theobald Fcatherston-H, Esq. Fairs and petty sessions are held at Ballymore. It is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Meath, annexed to the perpetual curacy of Ballymore, or St. Owen's of Loughseudy. The rectory is impropriate in Mrs. F. C. Reade: the tithes amount to £260. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions it is also part of the union or district of Ballymore. There are four private schools, in which about 170 children are taught. In the village, which consists only of a few cabins, are the ruins of the old parish church, with a burial-ground; and opposite to it is a remarkably high mound, at the base of which is another ruin of very great antiquity, with a well dedicated to St. Bridget. In the centre of the parish is Clare Hill, on the summit of which are the remains of a castle and fortifications, said to have belonged to the family of De Lacy. Near Mosstown are the remains of the ancient castle of Killenbrack; and within that demesne, on a small mound, is a burial-place of the Judge family, of King's county.
KILLARGY, a parish, in the barony of DROMAHAIR, county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 1/2 miles (S. W. by S.) from Manorhamilton, on the road to Carrick-on-Shannon; containing 4409 inhabitants, of which number 110 are in the village. This parish, including a portion of Lough Clean, or Belhovel Lake, comprises 13,398 statute acres, of which 10,912 are applotted under the tithe act. The land is generally good, and chiefly under tillage; the system of agriculture is improved; there is no waste land, except what affords either turbary or indifferent grazing, but there is a large portion of bog; there are some quarries of good limestone both for building and for agricultural uses. Fairs for live stock are held, at Belhovel on Feb. 2d, March 25th, Whit-Monday, Aug. 15th, Sept. 8th, and Dec. 26th. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate: the tithes amount to £60, of which £40 is payable to the bishop and £20 to the vicar. The church, towards the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £1000, is a neat edifice, built in 1820. The glebe-house, towards which the same Board, in 1815, gave £100 and lent £600, is a good residence; and the glebe comprises 288 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district comprising also part of the parish of Clonlogher; the chapel is situated in the village. About 400 children are taught in four public schools, and there are three private schools, in which are about. 220 children.
KILLARNEY, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of MAGONIHY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 16 miles (S. E.) from Tralee and 167 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the road from Tralee to Kenmare, and on the present mail-coach road to Cork; containing 11,333 inhabitants, of which number, 7910 are in the town. This town, of which a portion, containing 1191 inhabitants, extends into the parish of Aghadoe, derived its origin from the iron smelting-works in the neighbourhood (for which its ample forests afforded abundant fuel), and from the copper mines of Ross and Muckross; and is chiefly indebted for its present prosperity to its vicinity to the celebrated lakes to which it gives name. It consists of two principal streets, from which branch several smaller; the former have been well paved and flagged, at the expense of the Earl of Kenmare, its proprietor, whose seat and extensive demesne immediately adjoin the town. The total number of houses is 1028, for the most part neatly built. At the south end of the town is Kenmare-place a handsome range of dwellings: and in the principal street are two commodious and spacious inns, for the reception of the numerous visitors to the lakes, for whose accommodation also there are several lodging-houses. There are two subscription reading-rooms, to one of which is attached a billiard-room. Races, which were formerly held here, are about to be revived; a regatta on the lake has been recently established; and a stag-hunt occasionally takes place in the mountains of Glena, which abound with the native red deer. On the east bank of the Dinagh is the Mall, a favourite promenade of considerable extent: near it is a mineral spring, and at Tullig, two miles north-east of the town, is another. The approach to the town from the Kenmare road is through an avenue of stately lime trees, forming a delightful promenade, from which branches off the road to Ross, commanding a magnificent view of mountain scenery. The projected rail-road from Dublin to Valencia, if carried into effect, will pass to the northeast of the town. Tanning, for which the oak woods in the immediate vicinity are favourable, is still carried on, but not to its former extent. Bandle linen, made in the neighbourhood, is brought into the market for sale; and on the river Flesk is a bleach-green with a fulling-mill. A variety of useful and ornamental articles are made from the arbutus tree, and sold to strangers visiting the lakes; and there are two breweries, two small snuff and tobacco manufactories, and some extensive flour-mills, of which those belonging to Messrs. Galway and Leahy, are worked by the river Dinagh, which flows through the West Demesne into the Lower Lake. A branch of the Agricultural, and an agency office for the National, banks have been established in the town. The market, which is held on Saturday, is supplied with an abundance of cheap and excellent provisions of every description; and fairs are held on July 4th, Aug. 8th, Oct. 7th, Nov. 11th and 28th, and Dec. 28th, on Fair Hill, at the eastern extremity of the town. A chief constabulary police force is stationed here; and there is also a station at Derricunnihy, near the Upper Lake, the barrack for which, recently erected, is a neat square building, with an octagonal turret at each of the two opposite angles, forming an ornamental feature among the beautiful scenery around it. The quarter sessions of the peace for the county are held at Killarney, by adjournment from Tralee, four times in the year; petty sessions are also held every Tuesday; and a court is held monthly by the seneschal of the manor of Ross, at which small debts are recoverable. The court-house is a handsome building of hewn stone; and connected with it is the bridewell, containing two day-rooms, two airing-yards, and six cells, with every requisite appendage. The old court-house has been lately converted into a theatre, which is occasionally opened by the Cork company. The market-house is an old building, the upper part occasionally used as a ball-room, and the lower part, formerly the meat-market, now chiefly appropriated to the sale of bandle linen. Shambles for butchers' meat and fish have been erected at the back of High-street. The parish comprises 32,300 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a very considerable portion of which is in demesne and occupied by extensive plantations. The soil is generally fertile, except in those parts which consist of rocky mountain, and even these are in many places embellished with trees of various kinds that have taken root in the fissures of the rock. There are some large tracts of bog, affording an abundant supply of fuel. Quarries of limestone and slate are worked to a considerable extent; the former for building and agricultural purposes, and the latter for roofing and for various other uses. The ancient ironworks have been long since discontinued, but some vestiges of their existence may still be traced, and the extent to which they were carried on is evident from the vast consumption of timber in the neighbourhood. Lead and copper ores have been obtained in abundance, and the mines appear to have been worked at a very early period. Some of the rude implements used in breaking the ore, and called by the country people "Danes' hammers," are still occasionally found; they consist of smooth oval stones much chipped at the edges, with grooves in the centre by which they were fastened to the handles. A very valuable copper-mine was for several years worked on Ross Island; and both copper and cobalt were formerly obtained at Muckross: the works on Ross Island have been discontinued, and the ground has been planted and highly embellished, under the directions of the Countess of Kenmare. The river Laune, the only outlet from the lakes, is susceptible of great improvement, and at a moderate expense might be rendered navigable from the Lower Lake to the harbour of Castlemaine. Kenmare House, the residence of the Earl of Kenmare, is a spacious mansion, externally plain, but containing several noble apartments elegantly fitted up, with a ball-room of large dimensions, an excellent library, and a domestic chapel. The demesne, which is very extensive, has been greatly improved, and commands from the rear of the house a beautiful but distant view of the Lower Lake and the mountains on its shores. In the deer-park, situated to the north-east of the town, is a beautiful and romantic glen, through which the Dinagh takes its course and is crossed by a rustic foot bridge. Muckross, the seat of H. A. Herbert, Esq., is situated in a demesne of enchanting beauty. The old mansion has been taken down, and is about to be rebuilt in a style according more with the beauty of the grounds, and the numerous interesting objects in the immediate vicinity: the road through the peninsula of Muckross and across Brickeen bridge to the island of that name, will be so improved as to form a delightful drive through the whole of this romantic demesne. Torc Cottage, the seat of Capt. Herbert, at the southeastern extremity of the lake of that name, is a handsome building in the early English style, commanding, from its peculiar situation, some grand and majestic mountain scenery, the beauty of which is heightened by reflection from the smooth surface of the lake, of which it has an uninterrupted view; the pleasure grounds are laid out with great taste and kept in excellent order. The Park, the seat of D. Cronin, Esq., is a handsome mansion, situated in an extensive and richly wooded demesne, and commanding a beautiful, though distant view of the Lower Lake. Flesk Castle, the seat of J. Coltsman, Esq., a spacious modern castellated mansion, combining various styles, occupies the summit of Droumhumper Hill, rising gently from the river Flesk, which encircles its base, and richly clothed with plantations and shrubs, presenting a remarkably picturesque object as seen from the Cork road. From the castle terrace is an extensive panoramic view of the Middle and Lower lakes, with the surrounding scenery; and at a moderate elevation above the river is a beautiful round tower with projecting battlements, resembling an ancient water tower, which forms an interesting feature in the scenery of the demesne. Cahirnane, the seat of H. Herbert, Esq., is situated in a richly wooded demesne, which is much admired for its noble avenue of trees. Castle Lough, the seat of D. S. Lawlor, Esq., formerly a strong fortress in connection with the abbey of Muckross, was besieged by the parliamentarian army under Ludlow, and finally demolished; it became afterwards the site of a residence of a younger branch of the family of Mac Carthy More, by patent of Jas. II. in 1683, and it now an inconsiderable ruin in the demesne of the present proprietor, and nearly adjoining the present mansion; it is situated on a rocky promontory in the bay of the same name in the Lower Lake, and the grounds command some of the finest scenery on its shores. Flesk Priory, the seat of J. S. Coxon, Esq., is an elegant modern residence in the cottage style, in tastefully disposed grounds, and commanding some pleasing views. Danesfort, the seat of Capt. Coulthurst, takes its name from an ancient fort near the house; it is pleasingly situated on a gentle eminence, commanding some interesting views of the Middle and Lower lakes. The other seats are Woodlawn, of the Hon. W. Browne; Flesk Cottage, of Capt. Godfrey; South Hill, of J. Leahy, Esq.; Courtayne Castle, of the Courtayne family; and Gheramine, of the Rev. -- Hutchinson. There are several other seats in the vicinity, which are described in the parishes of Aghadoe and Knockane, in which they are situated.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, united from time immemorial to the vicarage of Kilcummin, and in the patronage of the Crown during the legal incapacity of the Earl of Kenmare; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Donoughmore. The tithes amount to £475, of which £235 is payable to the impropriator, and £240 to the vicar; five townlands pay tithes, amounting to £65. 1. 6 1/2., to the archdeacon of Aghadoe; and the tithes of the whole union amount to £461. 10. 9 1/4. The church, to the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits contributed a loan of £700, was built in 1812, and has been recently repaired by a grant of £282 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners: it is a neat but irregular structure, with a tower surmounted by a slated spire, and contains several mural tablets, among which are two to the Earls of Kenmare, whose family vault is beneath; the east window is embellished with a painting of Christ and the two disciples at Emmaus, in stained glass. Near it is the glebe-house, a large and substantial building, on a small glebe; and there is a glebe of 45a. 3r. 21p. in the parish of Kilcummin. Mr. Herbert, of Muckross, has it in contemplation to build a church near Cloghereen, in this parish, and endow it with £100 per annum for the support of a curate. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Glenflesk, but chiefly forms the head of a district, comprising also the greater portion of Aghadoe; the chapel, a spacious edifice of plain exterior but handsomely fitted up, is in the town; and the chapel belonging to the nunnery is open to the public on Sunday mornings: there is also a chapel of ease at Fossa, in the parish of Aghadoe. A place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists has been lately erected in the town. About 50 children are taught in the parochial school, which was built and is supported by subscription; 400 boys in the school under the superintendence of the R. C. Clergyman, for which a spacious building was erected at an expense of £400, by the late Dr. Sughrue, R. C. bishop; and more than 300 girls in the school annexed to the nunnery: the two last are liberally aided by the Earl and Countess of Kenmare, by whom also the children are, partially clothed and apprenticed. The college school, formerly founded by Dr. Sughrue for the education of young men for the R. C. priesthood, is now a private classical school; and the rent, £50 per ann., is appropriated to charitable purposes: there is also another private school of about 50 children in the parish. A fever hospital and a dispensary are supported for the relief of the poor, the former is adapted to the reception of 50 patients, and has a ward attached to it for surgical cases; and an almshouse for aged women has been established and is supported by the Countess of Kenmare. At Lissavigeen, about 2 1/2 miles east of the town, is an ancient fort, or rath, called the Druids' Circle, consisting of a circular embankment about 35 feet in diameter, within which is a circle of seven upright stones, about 4 feet high; and about the distance of 36 feet from the embankment are two upright stones of much larger dimensions, about seven feet apart. A very curious relic of antiquity, in form resembling a kettle-drum, was found some years since in a bog near Muckross; it is of bronze, about two feet in diameter, and on being struck emits a deep-toned, hollow sound, resembling that of the Indian gong; it is deposited in the library of Charlemont House, Dublin. A smaller one, which was found near it, was broken in attempting to raise it. The wild, romantic, and rocky mountain pass called the Gap of Dunloe, together with the castle of that name, is described in. the article on Knockane; and the ruins of the ancient cathedral, the ancient round tower, and the Bishop's chair, are noticed in the article on Aghadoe. Several of the O'Donoghues, ancient Irish chieftains or princes, were interred in Muckross abbey, of whom the most powerful were the O'Donoghues of Ross, and the O'Donoghues of the Glens.
Of the numerous lakes in the county of Kerry, the largest as well the most interesting are those of Killarney, situated about a mile and a half from the town, on the confines of a chain of lofty mountains, between which and the Atlantic are others of still greater magnitude and elevation, among which are the majestic Curran Tual, rising to the height of 3410 feet above the level of the sea, and forming the principal of the range called Mac Gillycuddy's Reeks, and the most elevated point in Ireland. The Lakes of Killarney may be regarded as an immense reservoir for the waters of the surrounding country, descending from the mountain lakes, and supplied by tributary rivers; and their surplus waters are conveyed through the harbour of Castlemaine into the Atlantic by the river Laune, which is the only outlet. They consist of the Lower, Middle, and Upper lakes; the two former, which are nearly on the same level, are bounded on one side only by mountains, and on the other open to a richly cultivated country, the surface of which is diversified with hills: the latter is surrounded by mountains on every side, and has a higher elevation than the others. The Lower Lake is about six miles in length and three miles in breadth, and is bounded on the west by the mountain of Glena, rising abruptly from the water at that part, called Glena bay; and farther to the north by the Tomies mountain, which is of more gradual elevation, and has at its base a considerable tract of fertile and richly cultivated land, sloping to the margin of the lake. Of the numerous islands in this lake, the largest is that called Ross Island, containing about 80 plantation acres, which, being separated from the main land only by an artificial channel, crossed by a bridge, forms a peninsula projecting considerably into the lake. Here are the picturesque ruins of Ross castle, founded by the O'Donoghues; it was defended by Lord Muskerry against the parliamentarians in 1652, and surrendered to Ludlow. It gives the inferior titles of Viscount and Baron of Castlerosse to the Earl of Kenmare.
The shores of Ross are deeply indented, and the rocks along its borders are worn into every variety of fanciful forms: it is richly ornamented with thriving plantations of great variety, and the arbutus, and other evergreens, here flourish in the richest luxuriance. Near the castle is a small pier, this being the general point of embarkation for visiters to the lakes. At a short distance from the pier, the sound of a bugle is returned, successively from the castle, the ruined church of Aghadoe, and Mangerton, and afterwards innumerable reverberations are heard, becoming gradually fainter till they are lost in the distance. To the north is O'Donoghue's Prison, a rock rising about thirty feet above the surface of the lake, from the fissures of which on the summit rise the arbutus, ash, and holly in the greatest luxuriance; and which, according to tradition, was used by a chieftain of that name, of prodigious strength, as a place of confinement. To the north of it are Heron and Lamb islands, and to the west are Brown and Rabbit islands, the last remarkable for its quarries of limestone, which is burnt for manure. To the west of Ross island is that of Innisfallen, the most beautiful and interesting of all in the Lower Lake; it is extremely fertile and richly clothed with wood to the water's edge; among various trees of stately growth is a holly, of which the stem is fourteen feet in girth. Its name, originally Innis Nessan, from the father of the founder of its venerable abbey, was subsequently changed to Innisfallen, as more descriptive of its natural beauty: it forms the subject of Moore's beautiful melody, commencing-- "Sweet Innisfallen, fare thee well." The abbey was founded by St. Finian Lobhar, or the Leper, at the close of the 6th century, and by some of the brethren were compiled the celebrated "Annals of Innisfallen," an ancient manuscript, containing a general history of the world, from the creation to the year 430 of the Christian era, but thenceforward confined to the history of Ireland. The ruins are inconsiderable and of rude character. On a projecting cliff near the abbey is an ancient oratory, with a richly embellished Norman doorway; it is now used as a place of refreshment, but a banqueting-house is about to be erected for the use of visiters in another part of the island, which is now under-. going considerable improvement. Between the mountains of Glena and Tomies, on the western shore of the lake, is O'Sullivan's Cascade, consisting of three falls in a descent of about 70 feet, the noise of which is heard at a great distance: beneath a projecting rock overhanging the lowest fall is a grotto; and beneath the base of the mount, and where the torrent enters the lake, is a small bay, in which a quay of rude workmanship has been constructed. At this place is the greatest and most uninterrupted expanse of the lake, the navigation of which, from the extreme precariousness of the weather, is frequently attended with inconvenience from want of immediate shelter. The bay of Glena presents a combination of sublime and beautiful scenery. Glena mountain, which forms its boundary, though bare on its summit, is towards the base clothed with a rich unbroken series of woods, sloping down to the water's edge; in this bay also a remarkably fine echo is produced by a bugle. On a gently swelling lawn, near the shore, is the elegant cottage ornée of Lady Kenmare, at a short distance from which a banqueting-house, for the accommodation of visiters, has been erected by Lord Kenmare. From a small mount furnished with rustic seats is obtained a fine view of the bay, the southern shore of Ross, and the island of Innisfallen. The northern shore of the peninsula of Muckross is bold and rocky, and fretted by the action of the waves into a variety of caves and fantastic forms: between this and the southern shore of Ross, the lake is studded with numerous islands, to the east of which it expands into Castle-Lough bay. The Middle, or Torc, Lake, so called from the mountain which bounds it on the south, is separated from the Lower Lake by the islands of Dinis and Brickeen, and the peninsula of Muckross, the two latter connected by an antique bridge of one pointed arch, built by the late Col. Herbert; and is generally entered on the Glena side of Dinis island, through a passage of great natural beauty, both banks of the inlet being clothed with luxuriant groves to the margin of the water. The island of Dinis is richly wooded, and contains a cottage for the refreshment of visiters, looking towards Torc Cottage, the elegant residence of Capt. Herbert, and the mountain of Mangerton; the banqueting-room commands a fine view of the lake from one extremity to the other. This lake is about two English miles in length, and about one in breadth. On the north side are "Devil's island" and "bay;" the former, a rock of considerable elevation, with some shrubs on its summit, appears to have been thrown off from the mainland by some convulsion of nature. The peninsula of Muckross, which forms the northern boundary of the lake, is occupied by the demesne of H. A. Herbert, Esq., and has but little elevation above the surface; it is thickly covered with wood, and forms a striking contrast with the southern shore, the lofty and magnificent features of which are deeply reflected from the surface of the lake, which is not, like that of the Lower Lake, interrupted by islands. On the south side, Torc Mountain, the precipitous front of which is wooded to a considerable height, appears in majestic grandeur, its apparent elevation being undiminished by that of Mangerton, which recedes from the view, and a picturesque cascade, chiefly supplied from a lake near the summit of Mangerton, called the "Devil's Punchbowl," has a strikingly beautiful effect. The latter lake, which is remarkable for its great depth, the coldness of its water, and a peculiarly tremulous echo produced from its shores, is situated at an elevation of nearly 1700 feet above the level of the sea, Mangerton itself rising to the height of 2550. The mountain is barren and of great extent; but from its summit, which is easily ascended, is obtained a magnificent and extensive prospect, embracing the whole of the lakes and the surrounding mountains. On its eastern side is Glaun-na-coppul, the "Glen of the Horse," enclosed on every side by rugged and precipitous rocks. The picturesque and interesting ruins of Muckross abbey are situated on a gentle acclivity at the eastern extremity of the peninsula. This abbey, formerly called Irrelagh, was founded by Donald, son of Thady McCarthy, in 1440, and has since continued to be the favourite place of sepulture of that family; it was rebuilt in 1626, but was soon afterwards suffered to fall into decay; it consisted of a nave, choir, transept and cloisters, which last are still nearly entire. The entrance is through a pointed doorway, of which the arch is deeply moulded; and a narrow pointed archway leads into the choir, in which are the tombs of the McCarthy Mores and the O'Donoghues of the Glens: there is also a large mural monument to the wife of Christopher Galway, Esq., beautifully executed in Italian marble. The Upper Lake is about three miles to the east of Torc, or the Middle Lake, with which it communicates by a circuitous channel of difficult navigation; the current is in many parts very rapid, and the passage against the stream laborious and difficult. Not far from the old weir bridge is an eddy, called O'Sullivan's Punchbowl, where the visitors are obliged to disembark, while the boat is drawn through one of the arches of the bridge. Pursuing the winding course of the stream, various interesting objects successively present themselves; among these are several islands and rocks, of which latter, one, from its resemblance to a ship, is called "the Man-of-war;" on its summit is a very large yew-tree, of which the stein and branches are supposed to aid the similitude. The Eagles' Nest is a lofty rock of pyramidal form, rising abruptly from the river, which makes a sudden sweep round its base, and from which it has a very grand and picturesque appearance, though in a distant view it is lost in the superior height of the adjacent mountains; the base is covered with wood, and the face of the rock to its summit is interspersed with shrubs; the nest of the eagle is distinguished by a black mark near the vertex, and that bird is frequently seen soaring at a considerable elevation above the river. From a hillock on the opposite side of the river, usually called the "Station for audience," an echo is produced by a single bugle equal in effect to a full band of instruments; the discharge of a cannon produces a crash as if the rocks were rent asunder, and the succeeding echoes resemble the reverberations of thunder. In the passage to the Upper Lake many superb mountain views and much sublime scenery are exhibited; the view is bounded on the north-west by Glena and the Long Range mountains; on the south-east, by Cromiglaun, and the base of Torc. The entrance is contracted into a very narrow passage, usually called Coleman's Leap, from a tradition that a person of that name leaped across the chasm. This lake is about two miles and a half in length, and, from its numerous indentations, of very irregular breadth; it is thickly studded with islands, and from its being almost entirely surrounded by mountains, the scenery differs greatly from that of the two other lakes. To the south, the Cromiglaun mountain rises from its very margin, and immediately behind is the Esknamucky, from which a considerable stream, failing into the lake, forms a picturesque cascade; to the west of Cromiglaun is Derrycunnihy, from which also falls the beautiful cascade of that name; and in a small glen, between it and the lake, is the pretty cottage of the late Rev. Mr. Hyde, occupying a highly romantic and secluded situation, and commanding a view of Derrycunnihy cascade, and its rocky and richly wooded glen. To the west of Derrycunnihy, and separated by the river Kavoge, is Derrydimnagh mountain, covered on one of its sides by a dense wood; and in the distance, towards the southwest, are seen the Coombui mountains, and those of Barnasna more to the west, and to the north-west Bawn and Mac Gillycuddy's Reeks. The nearest of the latter to the lake is Gheramine, at the base of which is the entrance to the sequestered valley of Cameduff, watered by a river navigable to the late Lord Brandon's boat-house, whence a pathway leads to Gheramine Cottage, embosomed in woods. On an eminence in the grounds is a tower, 40 feet high, erected by his lordship in imitation of the ancient round towers of Ireland, from whose summit, ascended by a ladder in the interior, an extensive view is commanded of the valley and lakes of Cameduff, the mountains that enclose them, the islands of the Upper Lake, and Torc mountain in the distance. To the north of the lake are Gheramine and the Purple Mountain, so called from the colour of the strata of shivered slate on its surface; and to the north-east is the "Long Range," backed by the mountains of Glena and Tomies. The most prominent of the islands in this lake is Rossburkie, or Oak island, rising from a rocky base, and crowned with wood; from its shores is a splendid view of the mountains, finely grouped. The others are Eagles' island, Ronayne's island, McCarthy's, Duck, and Arbutus islands, the channels between which open to new and varied scenery, combining splendid panoramic views of rocks, woods, and mountains, with numerous picturesque cascades, and forming an assemblage of the sublimest and most romantic features of nature. The northern shore of the lake commands prospects of equal magnificence; the rocks and islands, the resort of numerous birds of prey, are of a dark green colour, harmonising finely with the sombre sublimity of the surrounding mountains, which tower in wild and varied magnificence; while those of the lower lakes are chiefly of limestone, washed by the waves into a variety of fantastic forms. The Upper and Middle lakes, previously visited almost exclusively by aquatic parties, have been thrown into a perfectly new and highly interesting point of view by the construction of the new road to Kenmare, which passes between Torc mountain and the southern shore of the Middle Lake, and continuing its course to the south-west, commands some fine reaches of the river, from the old weir bridge to Coleman's Leap, and winds round the eastern and southern shores of the Upper Lake. About five miles from Killarney the road is conducted through a tunnel, called "the Heading," 45 feet in length, cut through the solid rock: from this point the Upper Lake is seen in beautiful perspective, with its widest expanse of water, its wood-crowned islands and picturesque bays, in some parts fringed with foliage of every shade, and in others marked with features of sublime and rugged grandeur, till it disappears in the distance between the majestic mountains that form its remoter boundaries. On the approach from Kenmare the lakes, with their beautiful winding river, appear in a great vista between mountains wild and rocky towards their summits, but clothed at their base with luxuriant foliage to the water's edge. Here the Upper Lake displays its chief beauties, presenting at a single glance one of the grandest combinations of the sublime and beautiful in the works of nature. About halfway between Killarney and Kenmare the road descends towards the former between the base of the mountains and the southern shore of the lake, through the thick woods with which the mountains are clothed; the arbutus and the "London pride" flourish here in the greatest luxuriance. In its progress towards Killarney, the road affords some fine views of the Middle Lake and the interesting scenery in the neighbourhood of Muckross. Of the three lakes, the scenery of the Lower is considered the most beautiful, that of Torc the most picturesque, and that of the Upper Lake the most sublime; taken altogether they are perhaps unrivalled by any of equal extent in Europe.--See AGHADOE, CLOGHEREEN, and KNOCKANE.
KILLARNEY, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. W.) from Gowran; containing 581 inhabitants, and 155 statute acres. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, entirely appropriate to the economy estate of the cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny; the tithes amount to £21. 9. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Thomastown, and contains a chapel and a school. Here are the ruins of a castle, said to have been formerly occupied by the Grace family.
KILLASCOBE, a parish, in the barony of TYAQUIN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 1/2 miles (W.) from Castle-Blakeney, on the road to Galway; containing 2448 inhabitants. It comprises a considerable quantity of bog and about 500 acres of waste land. The principal seats are Ballybane, the residence of E. French, Esq.; Cloverhill, of J. Nolan, Esq.; Coroudoo, of M. Dowdell, Esq.; Cross House, of J. C. Evans, Esq.; Waterloo, of E. J. Coucannon, Esq.; Curgurry, of W. Joyce, Esq.; and Vermont, of J. Blake, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, forming part of the union of Annaghdown; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of Christ Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £315, of which two-thirds are payable to the vicars choral and one-third to the vicar, who has a glebe of four acres. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Aghiart, or Mount Bellow, and has a chapel at Skianagh and Minla. About 130 children are educated in four private schools. At Garbally is a chalybeate well; and here are the ruins of Cloonkurrin and Garbally castles, which were partially destroyed by Cromwell. A portion of land on Mr. French's estate sank about two years since, and the cavity still remains filled with water; it is 100 feet deep.
KILLASHEE, a parish, in the barony of MOYDOW, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Lanesborough, on the road from Longford to Roscommon; containing, with the parish of Clonodonnell, 4140 inhabitants, of which number 351 are in the village. It comprises 4615 statute acres of profitable land, valued at £3153 per annum, besides about 9924 of bog and waste land. Agriculture is in a backward state; there is an abundance of limestone, which is used for manure and for building. The village comprises 70 houses; it is a constabulary police station, and has petty sessions on alternate Mondays, and fairs on the second Monday in March, May 26th, Sept. 29th, and the first Wednesday in December. The Shannon and the Royal Canal pass in the vicinity. Here is Middletown, the residence of H. Montfort, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, united by act of Council in 1781 to the rectory and vicarage of Clonodonnell, and is in the patronage of the Bishop. The rectory is partly appropriate to the bishoprick and partly to the vicarage. The tithes amount to £183. 7. 8., of which £34. 17. 10. is payable to the bishop, and £148. 9. 10. to the vicar, and the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £199. 14. 1. The church has recently been rebuilt by a grant of £1211 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house has two glebes, comprising 167 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district corresponding with that of the Established Church, and has a chapel at Killashee and one at Clondra. There is also a place of worship for Primitive Methodists. The parochial school of the union is on Erasmus Smith's foundation, the trustees of which contributed to the expense of building the school-house; about 100 children are educated in this, and about 220 in two other public schools, to one of which the incumbent contributes £20, and to another £18. 15. per annum, and about 325 children in three private schools; there is also a Sunday school. Lady Hutchinson bequeathed £5 annually for the repair of Sir James Hutchinson's tomb, the surplus of which is distributed among the poor. Here is a subterraneous stream and a large cave; and at Ballynakill are the ruins of a church with a burying-ground attached.
KILLASNET, a parish, in the half-barony of ROSCLOGHER, county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Enniskillen to Sligo; containing, with part of the post-town of Manorhamilton, 5743 inhabitants. It comprises 26,485 statute acres, including a considerable quantity of bog. Copper, iron, and coal are supposed to exist in Benbulben mountain, and French chalk, gypsum, limestone, and coloured clays are found here. Fairs are held at Lurganboy on May 15th, June 21st, Aug. 21st, Sept. 22nd, and Oct. 21st. The principal seats are Screeny, the residence of Col. J. J. Cullen; Rockwood, of Capt. H. F. Cullen; and Glenade, of C. O. Cullen, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Kilmore; the rectory is appropriate to the see; the vicarage forms part of the union of Clonclare, or Manorhamilton; and there is a perpetual curacy, called Glencar, or Glenlough, which was formed in 1810, by separating 28 townlands from Killasnet, and is in the patronage of the Vicar, who pays the curate's stipend. The tithes amount to £205, of which £136. 13. 4. is payable to the bishop, and £68. 6. 8. to the vicar. The church, which is at Glencar, is a neat plain building: there is a glebe of 441 acres. There is a chapel of ease in the parish, the curate being paid by the vicar. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel at Mullys, built in 1834, at an expense of £250; and another at Glencar. There are three schools, two of which are supported by John Wynne, Esq., of Hazlewood, and the vicar. There are some remains of the old parish church, also several chalybeate springs in the mountains; and near Glencar is a cascade, 200 feet high, near which are some fine views.
KILLASOLAN.--See CASTLEBLAKENEY.
KILLASPICBROWN, or KILLASPECKBRONE, a parish, in the Upper half-barony of CABBERY, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 1/2 miles (W.) from Sligo, on the bay of Sligo; containing, with Coney and Oyster islands, 1812 inhabitants. It comprises 12,451 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The land is principally in tillage, and there is some limestone, but no bog. It comprehends the glen of Knocknarea, which is about a mile in length and beautifully planted, with several cascades in the centre and stupendous rocks on each side; and at the western extremity is a fine view of the Ballysadere channel. At Cullinamore are some good beds of oysters. The principal seats are Cullinamore, the residence of S. Barrett, Esq.; Cummin, of T. Ormsby, Esq.; Glen Lodge, of M. Walsh, Esq.; Primrose Grange, of G. D. Meredith, Esq.; Rathcarrick, of J.Walker, Esq.; Strandhill, of G. Meredith, Esq.; and Seafield, of W. Phillips, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, forming part of the union of St. John's, Sligo: the tithes amount to £185. 1. 9. In the R. C. divisions it also forms part of the union or district of St. John's, Sligo, and has a good slated chapel at the base of Knocknarea Hill. At Primrose Grange there is a school for boarding, instructing, clothing, and apprenticing 110 boys, endowed by the late Edward Nicholson, Esq., of Sligo, with £130 per annum, and 20 acres of mountain land; about 25 children are educated in another public school. Here are the ruins of an ancient church, said to have been founded by a bishop named Brone or Brown, from which the parish derives its name; but they are now nearly buried by the drifting sands, which have also covered about 400 acres of good land. There are numerous raths, especially near Rathcarrick.
KILLASPIGMULLANE, or KILMULLANE, but generally known as BALLYVINNY, a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S.) from Rathcormac, on the road from Cork to Dublin; containing 600 inhabitants. It comprises 2961 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1267 per annum. There is no waste land, and the soil, though shallow, is fertile. The principal seats are Trantstown, the residence of Mrs. Pepper, and Ballingohig, of T. Cleary, Esq. It is a prebend in St. Finbarr's cathedral, Cork, united from time immemorial to the rectories of Kilquane, Cannaway, Templeusque, and Ballydelohar, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £369. 4. 7 1/2., and of the entire union, to £1227. 14. 7. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Ardnageehy, or Watergrass Hill.
KILLASPUGLENANE, a parish, in the barony of CORCOMROE, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 2 3/4 miles (N. W.) from Ennistymon, on the western coast; containing 1454 inhabitants. It comprises 2943 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, consisting chiefly of coarse mountain pasture. Here is Moymore, the residence of -- Stackpoole, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilfenora, forming part of the union of Kilmanaheen; the rectory forms part of the corps of the archdeaconry of Kilfenora, and the tithes amount to £105, of which £75 is payable to the archdeacon, and £30 to the vicar: there is a glebe of two acres. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Liscanor, and has a plain chapel at Cahirgal. Some remains of the old church still exist.
KILLASSER, a parish, in the barony of GALLEN, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 6 miles (E. N. E.) from Foxford, on the river Moy and the road to Swinford; containing 6581 inhabitants. This parish was the scene of a sanguinary battle between the native septs of the Jordans and the Rowans, at a spot since called Lugnafulla, or "the valley of blood." It comprises 10,000 statute acres, of which about 6000 are arable and the remainder principally bog and mountain; the land is of indifferent quality and is in many places covered with rocks of great size; some of the eastern portion is more productive, but agriculture is in a very backward state; there is a large tract of irreclaimable bog. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry, forming part of the union of Templemore; the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of the late Roger Palmer, Esq. The tithes amount to £512. 0. 4., which is equally divided between the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms a separate benefice; there are two chapels, situated respectively at Calla and Boullabee, both well built and roofed with slate. About 90 children are taught in a public school; and there are five private schools, in which are about 450 children. There are several Danish forts in the western portion of the parish; at Calla is a small lake, in which is an island presenting appearances of fortifications, said to have been inhabited by the sept of the Rowans; at Erbull are the ruins of an old castle; and there are ancient burial-places at Killasser, Blackpatch, and Calla.
KILLATHY, or KILLATTY, a parish, in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (W. by N.) from Fermoy, on the road from that place to Mallow, and on the river Blackwater; containing 1402 inhabitants. It comprises 3153 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which the land to the north of the river is of good quality and chiefly in tillage, but to the south it consists chiefly of mountain pasture. Limestone is found on the northern and brownstone on the southern side of the river, and on the latter side there are indications of iron, which is supposed to have been formerly worked. Gurteen, the residence of Luke Campion, Esq., is situated on the south bank of the Blackwater, the scenery of which is here extremely interesting. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, forming part of the union of Ballyhooly and corps of the prebend of Aghultie in the cathedral of Cloyne; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of Christ Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £300, which is equally divided between the vicars choral and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Castletown-Roche. There is a private school of about 50 children. Several ancient raths, or forts, exist in the parish.
KILLAUGH.--See KILLAGH, county of MEATH.
KILLAUGHEY, or KILLAGHY, a parish, in the barony of BALLYBOY, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (E.) from Ballyboy, on the road from Tullamore to Roscrea; containing 4019 inhabitants. It comprises 13,064 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, including nearly 1000 acres of bog and waste land: of the cultivated land, about one-third is arable and two-thirds pasture. Here are two large flour-mills, and limestone is procured chiefly for burning. The principal seats are Annaghmore, the residence of Capt. Barry Fox; Pallis Park, the seat of the late R. Malone, Esq.; and Mount Pleasant, of the late M. O'Connor, Esq.; the two latter are beautifully situated on the banks of Lake Pallis. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, united from time immemorial to the vicarages of Ballyboy, Rahan, Lynally, Eglish, and Drumcullen, forming the union of Fircal, and in the patronage of Sir C. Coote, Bart. The rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire. The tithes amount to £186. 9. 2 1/2., of which £120 is payable to the impropriator and the remainder to the vicar; and the gross value of the benefice, tithes and glebe inclusive, is £2182. 9. 7. per ann. The church was built in 1817, by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits. There is a glebe-house, and the glebe comprises 659a. 3r. 36p., valued at £637. 12. 7. per annum. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union of Frankford, and has a chapel at Mount Bolus. About 200 children are educated in five private schools.
KILLAVENOGH, or CLONMORE, a parish, in the barony of IKERRIN, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (N. E.) from Templemore, on the road from that place to Rathdowney; containing 3000 inhabitants. It comprises 5946 statute acres, including a considerable quantity of bog; and contains Dromard, the residence of F. Lidwill, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, forming part of the union of Templemore. The tithes amount to £369. 4. 7 1/2., and there is a glebe of 36 acres. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Templemore, and contains a chapel. About 130 children are educated in two private schools.
KILLAVONEY.-- See KILROAN.
KILLEA, a parish, in the barony of RAPHOE, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (S. W.) from Londonderry, on the road from that place to Letterkenny; containing 930 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey, it comprises 1869 statute acres, of which 1792 are applotted under the tithe act and valued at £1285 per ann., and 80 acres are bog. At Carrigans are some large corn-mills: it is a constabulary police station, and has a penny post to Londonderry. Dunmore House is the seat of R. McClintock, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £170. The church is a small plain building, for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £273. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 40 acres In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Lagan. About 120 children are educated in two public schools, of which the parochial school is supported from Col. Robertson's fund, and there is a Sunday school.
KILLEA, a parish, in the barony of IKERRIN, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (N. W. by N.) from Templemore, on the road to Dunkerrin; containing 1491 inhabitants. This parish comprises 3809 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and is principally in pasture; it contains limestone and granite. Here is a constabulary police station. Park is the seat of J. Butler, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, forming part of the union of Templemore: the tithes amount to £221. 10. 9 1/4., and the glebe comprises 8 1/2 acres. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Temple-more, and has a chapel at Killea. About 110 children are educated in a public school. Here are some remains of the old church, to which a burial-ground is attached.
KILLEA, a parish, in the barony of GUALTIER, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER; containing, with the sea-port and post-town of Dun-more, 2490 inhabitants. This parish comprises 2950 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; and near its southern extremity is the fishing village of Portala. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Waterford, episcopally united, in 1815, to that of Rathmoylan, and in the patronage of the Crown; the rectory is impropriate in J. Kearney, Esq. The tithes amount to £270, of which £147. 13. 10. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar; and the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £217. 13. 10. The church was built in 1817, by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe of the union comprises 6a. 27p., and consists of a small plot in each parish. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Passage, and contains a chapel. About 120 children are educated in two public schools; and about 20 in a private school; there is also a Sunday school.--See DUNMORE.
KILLEAD, or KILLAGH, a parish, in the barony of LOWER MASSEREENE, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S.) from Antrim, on the road to Lurgan; containing 7183 inhabitants. This extensive parish is for a distance of eight miles bounded on the west by Lough Neagh, and is divided into the districts of Upper and Lower Kilmakevit, and Upper and Lower Killelough; it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 42,836 1/2 statute acres, including 789 1/4 in the Grange of Carmany, and 19,794 1/2 in Lough Neagh. The land is in a high state of cultivation, and there is neither bog nor waste land; the whole surface is drained, fenced, and managed on the Scottish system; the principal crop is wheat, for which the soil is peculiarly adapted, and which was cultivated here with great success when scarcely known in any other part of the county. The farm-houses are large and well-built, and have excellent farm-yards and homesteads attached to them, and with the comfortable cottages of the peasantry, and the numerous orchards, gardens, plantations, and hedgerows, give to this district a rich and cheerful appearance. The principal gentlemen's seats are Langford Lodge, the handsome mansion of the Hon. Col. Pakenham; Glendarragh, of Langford Heyland, Esq., Benneagh, of J. Macaulay, Esq.; Glenoak, of R. Macauley, Esq.; and Tully House, of J. Murray, Esq. The weaving of linen is carried on to some extent in various parts of the parish. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Earl of Massareene; the rectory is impropriate in J. Whitla, Esq., and nine others. The rectorial tithes amount to £830. 18. 3., and the vicarial to £700. The church is a plain modern structure, nearly in the centre of the parish. The glebe-house is an elegant residence, erected in 1824 by the present incumbent, at an expense of £2000; the glebe comprises about ten acres. At Gartree, formerly a separate parish, but since the Reformation included in this parish, of which it is the principal burial-place, a very handsome church was erected in 1831, under the auspices of Col. Pakenham, aided by a loan of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits: the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £315 for its repair. At the entrance to the churchyard is a triumphal arch, erected in 1832, at the expense of the parishioners, in honour of Capt. Armstrong, to whose memory it bears a long inscription. It is endowed with £100 per annum by Col. Pakenham, the patron, who has built a handsome residence for the chaplain, and serves as a chapel of ease to the parochial church. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Glenavy; the chapel, a small neat building, was erected in 1824. There are places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster of the first class, and for Seceders; to the former, which is situated at Tully, is attached a very extensive burial-ground, in which is a costly monument, in the Grecian style, to the memory of S. Cunningham, Esq., of the island of St. Vincent's, a native of this parish. About 600 children are taught in the public schools, of which one at Ballyhill was built in 1809, by Mr. Johnson, by whom it is partly supported: one in the churchyard, built in 1802, is supported by the vicar; and one built by Col. Pakenham is supported by him and his lady, at whose expense also many of the children of both sexes are entirely clothed. There are also ten private schools, in which are about 300 children. Lady Massareene bequeathed £100, and Mr. Cunningham £200, to purchase land and divide the rents among the poor; a small farm in Ballygenniff was accordingly purchased, and is let for £16 per annum. There are numerous mounds and forts, some defended by a single and others by a double fosse; two of them have arched excavations. There are also several ruins of churches, and many relics of antiquity have "been discovered in the neighbourhood. Clotworthy, Earl of Massareene, was interred in the parish church.