BALLYBROOD, a parish

BALLYBROOD, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (S.) from Cahirconlish; containing 1520 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the road from Cahirconlish to Herbertstown, comprises 2224 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about one-half is arable, and the remainder is meadow and pasture, with a small quantity of valuable bog. The soil is mostly fertile, and the system of agriculture improved; the principal crops are wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. Basalt forms the principal substratum, and rises to a considerable elevation, forming the hill of Ballybrood: it assumes in some places a shivery slaty appearance, and in others is tabular and compact, but is suddenly terminated by a small rivulet between the church and the glebe-house, where the limestone formation commences. The limestone is of good quality, and great quantities are quarried and burnt upon the spot for manure. The principal residences are Ballybrood House, that of S. Maunsell, Esq.; Mount Minute, of W. Gabbet, Esq.; and Caherline House, now occupied by a farmer: there are also several large and well-built farm-houses. Fairs are held here on June 12th and Oct. 11th; two others named in the charter are discontinued. A constabulary police force is stationed here; the barrack has a small castellated tower.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Emly, with the vicarage of Isertlaurence, the rectories and vicarages of Kilteely, or Listeely, and Rathjordan, and the entire rectory of Aglishcormick united at a period prior to any known record, which five parishes constitute the union of Ballybrood, and the corps of the precentorship of the cathedral of Emly, in the patronage of the Archbishop of Cashel: the tithes amount to £150, and of the whole benefice to £689. 6. 9 ¼. The parish church, built by aid of a gift of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1807, was burnt by the Rockites in 1822; and the present handsome edifice, in the early English style, with a tower surmounted with an octagonal spire, was erected in the following year. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £1500 from the same Board, in 1818: the glebe comprises 26 acres, of which 12 were procured in exchange for 12 acres of glebe at Isertlaurence, in 1815, when 14 more were added, subject to a rent of £4. 4. per acre. Independently of the glebe lands of the union, there are 22la. 3r. 26p. of land at Emly belonging to the precentorship, and let on lease at a rent of £31. 12. 4. per annum, making the entire value of the dignity, as returned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £821. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Cahirconlish. A large school-house is now being built.