KILDALKEY

KILDALKEY, a parish, in the barony of LUNE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. by E.) from Athboy, on the road from that place to Kinnegad; containing 2931 inhabitants. About half the parish is in tillage, and there are about 500 acres of bog, and a good limestone quarry. The village contains 21 houses, and fairs are held there on Feb. 27th, May 14th, Aug. 9th, and Dec. 13th.

The principal seats are Carnisle, the residence of W. Allen, Esq.; Kildalkey House, of the Rev. J. O'Connell: Rathcormuck, of T. Potterton, Esq.; Ballinadrimny, of W. Thorogood, Esq.; Balatalion, of T. Potterton, Esq.; Woodtown West, of Miss Read; Clonbarron, of W. Nangle, Esq.; and Moyrath Castle, of H. Potterton, Esq. This castle was built in 1219, by Lord Geoffry de Montemarisco, and was subsequently a seat of the Nugent family, but is now the property of Henry Grattan, Esq.

The parish is in the diocese of Meath: the rectory is impropriate in Joseph Ashe, Esq., and the vicarage forms part of the union of Athboy; the tithes amount to £380, the whole of which is payable to the impropriator. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Killoghconnoghan and Castle-Rickard, and containing two chapels, of which the chapel here is a neat modern building.

About 150 children are educated in two public schools, to one of which the Earl of Darnley gave an acre of land and £20 towards the erection of a school-house, and J. Stack Murphy, Esq., subscribed £20: that gentleman has also contributed £30 towards the erection of a school at Carnisle. The late Mr. Hodgens, of Dublin, bequeathed £1000 for the erection of almshouses, and £60 per annum for the inmates, who must be natives of this parish; but they have not yet been erected.