KILMANAGH

KILMANAGH, a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N.) from Callan, on the road from Kilkenny to Ballingarry; containing 1663 inhabitants. The name of this place was originally Kilnamanagh, or the "chapel of the monks;" and it is stated that St. Natalis, founder and abbot of the establishment, died in 563. It comprises 5337 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which are almost equally divided between arable and pasture land, both of which are well cultivated. There is abundance of limestone, and culm is raised at Killeen; here is a grist-mill. Petty sessions are held fortnightly in the village, where there are a constabulary police station and a dispensary.

The principal seats are Shipton, the handsome residence of J. Sandiford Lane, Esq.; Pottlerath, of T. Waring, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. Hans Caulfield.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and in the gift of the Bishop, forming the corps of the prebend of Kilmanagh in the cathedral of Kilkenny; the tithes amount to £323. 1. 6 ½. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 201a. 3r. 18p. The church is a small plain building, erected about 90 years since.

In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Ballycallan, and contains a chapel, a plain building, with a school-house adjoining. There is a parochial school, to which the rector contributes £10 annually, and has endowed it with ¾ of an acre of land, and in which about 60 children are educated; also two private schools, in which 140 are educated. There are considerable remains of the old church, and of a castle at Pottlerath.