KILMACABEA

KILMACABEA, a parish, partly in the Eastern Division of the barony of WEST CARBERY, but chiefly in the West Division of that of EAST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 11 ½ miles (W.) from Clonakilty, on the road from Cork to Skibbereen; containing 5800 inhabitants. It is situated at the head of Glendore harbour, and comprises 11,559 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3965 per annum: there are about 100 acres of plantations and 1400 of bog, besides several small lakes. The land is generally rocky; about two-thirds are under tillage; but agriculture is in an unimproved state. The substratum is clay-slate, with some calcareous schist and magnesian limestone. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ross, united to Kilfaughnabeg, and in the gift of the Bishop: the rectory is partly impropriate in the Gumbleton family, and partly united to those of Kilfaughnabeg, Kilcoe, Aghadown, Kilcaskin, and part of Tullagh, which form the corps of the archdeaconry of Ross, also in the patronage of the Bishop.

The tithes amount to £590, of which £99. 5. 6. is payable to the impropriator, £195. 14. 6. to the archdeacon, and £295 to the vicar; the entire tithes of the vicarial union amount to £435, and of the corps of the archdeaconry to £774.16. 9. The church, which is a handsome building with a lofty square tower, in the village of Leap, was erected in 1827, at an expense of £900, which was granted by the late Board of First Fruits. There is a handsome glebe-house, with a glebe of 8a. 10p.

In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also Kilfaughnabeg, and has a large and commodious chapel at Leap. The parochial school is endowed with an acre of land by the late General O'Donovan, and there are three other public schools, in which about 620 children are educated, also a Sunday school supported by the rector and curate. The ruins of the old church are near the village of Leap, the neighbourhood of which is very romantic and beautiful.