CARAGH, or CAROGH, a parish

CARAGH, or CAROGH, a parish, in the barony of CLANE, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Naas; containing 1031 inhabitants. This parish, of which the name is sometimes written Kerogh, is situated on the river Liffey, and on the turnpike-road from Naas to Edenderry. The soil is fertile; the land is chiefly in the occupation of private gentlemen, and is in a state of excellent cultivation. Clover, turnips, and other green crops are raised with success, and the potatoes are all drilled; there is neither waste land nor bog in the parish, but fuel is obtained in abundance from bogs in the immediate vicinity. Donore, the spacious mansion of Walter Hussey Burgh, Esq., was built by the late Walter Hussey, Esq., grandfather of the present proprietor, who afterwards took the name of Burgh, and was appointed chief baron of the Irish Exchequer. Yeomanstown, the seat of W. H. Mansfield, Esq., is also in this parish. On the river Liffey are the Yeomanstown mills, capable of manufacturing from 6000 to 7000 barrels of flour annually.

The living consists of a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare; the rectory is united to the vicarage of Naas; and the vicarage was episcopally united, in 1764, to the entire rectory of Bridechurch and the vicarage of Downings, together forming the union of Caragh, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £205, of which £136. 13. 4. is payable to the rector, and £68. 6. 8. to the vicar. There is at present no church in the union; but a grant of £900 was made by the late Board of First Fruits for the erection of one; in the mean time, divine service is performed in a house at Downings, licensed by the Bishop. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, including also the parishes of Downings and Ladytown: the chapel is a neat modern edifice, near the site of the old parish church; there is also a chapel at Prosperous. A school-house has been built by subscription, on a site presented by A. Mansfield, Esq., for a school in connection with the National Board, in which are about 120 boys and 90 girls.