GLENOGRA

GLENOGRA, a parish, in the barony of SMALL COUNTY, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (N. W.) from Bruff, on the road to Croom; containing 1278 inhabitants. The parish comprises 4237 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, about a fourth of which, though very productive, is under an unimproved system of tillage; the remainder consists principally of dairy farms. There is a patent for fairs to be held on May 11th, and Oct. 28th. The seats of Cahir Guillamore and Rockbarton form the most interesting features in the parish; the former, standing in the midst of an extensive, fertile, and well planted demesne, is the residence of the Hon. Lieut.-Col. O'Grady; and the latter is the splendid residence of his father, Viscount Guillamore, who, having for several years presided as Chief Baron of the Exchequer, was raised to the peerage in 1831, by the titles of Baron O'Grady, of Rockbarton, and Viscount Guillamore, of Cahir Guillamore.

It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, forming part of the union of Fedamore; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of Christ-Church cathedral, Dublin. The tithes amount to £285, of which the vicar has one-third, and two-thirds are paid to the lessee of the vicars choral. Five small glebes belong to this parish, comprising together 29 ½ acres: they were originally the endowments of chantries connected with the abbey church founded here by the De Lacys, which at the Reformation contained nine amply endowed chantries, and was governed by a prior. Four of the chantries can still be traced in the ruins of the church, which was a large cruciform building, and contained tombs of the De Lacys, Roches, Bourkes, O'Gradys, and Fitzgeralds.

In the R. C. divisions the parish is included partly in the district of Drenin, but chiefly in that of Bruff, and has a small chapel at Meanus. On the banks of the Commogue, and near the site of the abbey, are the ruins of the castle of Glenogra. It is supposed to have been built in the 13th century by the Fitzharrises, or the De Lacys, and subsequently belonged to the Earl of Desmond, who was unsuccessfully besieged in it by Lord Thurles, in 1536; the latter, however, captured the castle of Lough Gur, commanded by the Earl's brother, which he repaired and garrisoned. Glenogra castle was a large pile of building, and some of its walls, cellars, and underground stairs are still moderately perfect. In the demesne of Cahir are traces of some buildings which are supposed to be the ruins of an ancient city, and in their vicinity are remains of druidical structures.