KILTALLA

KILTALLA, or KILTALLAGH, a parish, in the barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 1½ mile (N. by E.) from Milltown, on the road to Tralee; containing, with the town of Castlemaine (which is separately described), 1727 inhabitants, of which number, 387 are in the town.

This parish extends from the river Maine, on the south, to the mountain of Slieve Meesh on the north, a portion of which latter is within its limits: it comprises 4821 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2880 per annum, having a fine alluvial soil on a substratum of limestone: there is some light hog on the mountain. The limestone is generally burnt for manure, and at Anna is a quarry of good brown stone adapted for building.

The seats are Laharun, the residence of F. Walker, Esq.; Kiltalla Glebe, of the Rev. J. Murphy, the rector; and Anna, of the Rev. D. O'Connor, P. P. At Ballycrispin, the estate of the Right Hon. T. Spring Rice, was formerly the residence of his maternal ancestors.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, united since 1682 to the rectory of Kilgarrilander and the rectory and vicarage of Currens, together constituting the union of Kiltallagh, in the gift of the Crown.

The tithes amount to £166. 6. 4½., and of the entire union to £487. 4. 9½.

The glebe-house was rebuilt in 1820, by aid of a gift and loan from the late Board of First Fruits. There is a glebe in each parish; that of Kiltallagh comprises about six acres, and those of the entire union 19¾ acres.

The church is a small plain edifice with a square tower, rebuilt in 1816, for which purpose the late Board granted a loan of £600.

In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Castlemaine, which also comprises the parish of Kilgarrilander, and contains the chapels of Kiltallagh and Boulteens; the latter is in Kilgarrilander.

The children of the parishioners generally attend Lady Godfrey's free school at Milltown, in the adjoining parish of Kilcoleman.