ANNAMULT, otherwise AGHNAMOLT, a parish

ANNAMULT, otherwise AGHNAMOLT, a parish, in the barony of SHILLELOGHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (S.) from Kilkenny; containing 458 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Nore, which here receives the King's river, on the high road from Stoneyford to Kilkenny by Bennett's-Bridge, and contains 1664 statute acres. An extensive Merino factory for superfine cloth, with a farm attached, was established here about 20 years since, at an expense, including the machinery, of nearly £30,000, and a further sum of £10,000 was subsequently expended on additional buildings and machinery. This excellent establishment, in which about 800 persons were employed and every process of the manufacture was carried on, was conducted on a plan which afforded to the children of the neighbouring peasantry the means of acquiring not only a knowledge of the trade, but also an useful elementary education; but from unavoidable losses and want of sufficient encouragement the undertaking was abandoned by its projectors, in 1822, and the works were subsequently taken by a firm in Dublin and Leeds, which, in 1826, being unable to obtain a satisfactory lease, discontinued them, and they are now unoccupied. Except about 25 acres of woodland attached to Annamult, the handsome residence of T. Neville, Esq., and to the residence of the Rev. Dr. Butler, the lands are all arable and pasture; about one-half are held immediately from Major Wemyss, and the other half under the lessees of Sir .J. Blunden, Bart. The parish is tithe-free: it is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, and forms part of the union of Kells. In the R. C. divisions it is united to Danesfort.