MONEGAY

MONEGAY, MOLCHONRIAH, or TEMPLE-NA-MONA, a parish, in the Glenquin Division of the barony of UPPER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, on the road from Limerick to Tralee; containing, with part of the post-town of Newcastle, 4711 inhabitants.

The parish comprises 21,798 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, one-third of which is arable, producing good crops; about one-third is meadow and pasture, on which are several extensive dairy farms; and the remainder is uncultivated mountain, everywhere affording excellent pasturage to numerous herds of young cattle and sheep, and containing also some bog. The lower parts of the parish are based on limestone, dipping westward beneath the mountains, which are of the coal formation, namely, silicious grit and very compact indurated clay, or clunch, in which five beds of coal are found, but the two upper seams, that are very thin, only are worked. The upper stratum, called culm, is chiefly used for burning lime: iron-stone and fire-clay are abundant and very good, but neither are worked; and the silicious grit is only used for making roads.

The principal seats are Glanduff Castle, the residence of Eyre Massy, Esq.; Woodlawn, of R. Cart, Esq.; Tulliline, of J. J. Furlong, Esq.; and Mount Plummer, of Brudenell Plummer, Esq.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, forming part of the union of Newcastle; the tithes amount to £500; the glebe comprises 53 acres of very rich land. The church stands in the town of Newcastle.

The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and is called Rathcahill and Templeglauntane; it contains two chapels. About 150 children are educated in a school supported by the Earl of Devon, and in two national schools; and there are five private schools, in which are about 120 boys and 60 girls. Ruins exist of the church of the Knights Templars, called Teampul-na-glauntane, in which is a tomb of the ancient family of Lacy; of another, called Team-pul-na-Hinghine-bugdhe, or "the Church of the Devout Daughter ;" and of the fine old parish church. There are also the ruins of several heathen temples, or druidical altars.