KILMUCKRIDGE

KILMUCKRIDGE. a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E. S. E.) from Oulart, on St. George's channel, and on the old coast road from Wexford to Dublin; containing 1380 inhabitants. It comprises about 2500 statute acres, principally under tillage: the soil is a rich loam resting on a substratum of marl, which forms the chief manure; it is peculiarly adapted for tillage, and the state of agriculture has in consequence been highly improved. There is but little bog, but coal is occasionally landed at Morris Castle.

The principal seats are Upton, the handsome residence of W. Morton, Esq., commanding an extensive view of the sea coast; and Walshfield, of J. Walsh, Esq. The village of Kilmuckridge contains 270 inhabitants, of which 189 are in this parish and the remainder in the parish of Killancooly. A lucrative herring and oyster fishery is carried on at Morris Castle, the former employing about 12 boats, principally belonging to this neighbourhood, and the latter about 40, principally belonging to Arklow. There is a constabulary police station in the village, and fairs are held on Jan. 1st, Easter-Monday, June 24th, and Sept. 29th.

The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, held with that of Melina and the vicarage of Ballyvalden; the rectory is impropriate in H. K. G. Morgan, Esq.

The tithes amount to £150, payable to the impropriator. The church is a neat structure, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £650 in 1815, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £138 for its repair.

In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Litter, which also comprises the parish of Killancooly and the greater part of Monamolin: the chapel is at Litter, in this parish. About 50 children are educated in a public school; and there are four private schools, in which are about 130 children.