BALLINACARRIG, otherwise STAPLESTOWN, a parish

BALLINACARRIG, otherwise STAPLESTOWN, a parish, partly in the barony of RATHVILLY, but chiefly in that of CARLOW, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (E. N. E.) from Carlow; containing 615 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river Burren, and on the road from Carlow to Tullow, comprises 2576 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2200 per annum. Two-thirds of the land are arable, and nearly one-third pasture or wet grazing land; there is little waste or unprofitable bog; the state of agriculture is improving. There are some quarries of excellent granite for building; and mills at which about 10,000 barrels of flour are annually made. The principal gentlemen's seats are Kilmany, the residence of S. Elliott, Esq.; Staplestown Lodge, of H. Waters, Esq.; and Staplestown Mills, of —Mason, Esq.

The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Leighlin, united by act of council in 1804 to the rectories of Tullowmagrinagh and Ballycrogue, constituting the union of Staplestown, in the gift of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the Dean and Chapter of Leighlin. The tithes amount to £170, of which £100 is payable to the dean and chapter, and £70 to the impropriate curate: the entire tithes of the benefice payable to the incumbent amount to £411.17. 6. The church, situated in Staplestown, is a small neat edifice, erected in 1821; it contains a tablet to the memory of Walter Bagenal, the last male representative of that ancient family. There is a glebe-house but no glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the union or district of Tullowmagrinagh, also called Tinriland. There are two schools, in which are about 40 children. Some remains of the old church yet exist. Sir William Temple resided at Staplestown, from which many of his letters are dated; there are still some remains of the house in which he lived.