KILMALY

KILMALY, a parish, in the barony of ISLANDS, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 4 ½ miles (W. S. W.) from Ennis, on the mountain road to Miltown Malbay; containing 4296 inhabitants. It comprises 22,584 statute acres, about one-half of which consists of coarse mountain pasture and bog, and the remainder of arable land of various quality: the state of agriculture is gradually improving. Fairs are held at Cornally on Jan. 2nd, April 17th, July 18th, and Oct. 3rd. Lough Burke, the ancient seat of the family of Burke, and now occupied by the Lucas family, is picturesquely situated on the lake to which it gives name.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe: the rectory forms part of the rectorial union of Dromcliffe, and the vicarage (separated in 1832 from the vicarial union of Dromcliffe) now forms a separate benefice, in the gift of the Bishop.

The tithes amount to £203. 1. 6 ½., of which £129. 4. 7. is payable to the rector, and £73. 16. 11. to the vicar. There is no church or glebe-house, but divine service is regularly performed in a licensed house at Gortnaganiff, which is also used as a school-house.

In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Inch, or West Dromcliffe; there are chapels at Kilmaly and Cornally. In the public school at Gortnaganiff about 30, and in two private schools about 150, children are educated. On every hill in this parish (nearly 30 in number) is an ancient fort or rath: the ruins of the old church are still to be seen in the burial-ground.