KILLALIATHAN

KILLALIATHAN, a parish, in the Glenquin Division of the barony of UPPER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (S. S. E.) from Newcastle, on the road from that place to Charleville; containing 1590 inhabitants. It comprises 5265 statute acres, of which 4852 are applotted under the tithe act. The lower part of the parish is tolerably fertile, and about 2000 acres are under tillage, about 800 in meadow and pasture, and the remainder is bog and mountain land. The mountains contain coal, which is worked by Francis Sullivan, Esq., at Banrnore; and limestone, of which an excellent quarry is worked near Broadford; iron-stone is also abundant. The principal seats are Banmore, the residence of F. Sullivan, Esq.; and Springfield Castle, of Lord Muskerry. This castle, with the surrounding manor, formerly belonged to the Fitzgeralds, Lords of Glenlis, and, on its forfeiture in the Desmond rebellion, was, in 1591, granted to Sir W. Courtney.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, and in the patronage of Lord Muskerry: the rectory is impropriate in the Sullivan family: the tithes amount to £120, two-thirds of which are payable to the impropriators, and the remainder to the vicar, whose income is increased by an augmentation from Primate Boulter's fund. The church, which was erected in 1812, is in a very dilapidated state. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Dromcolliher, and has a chapel at Broadford. About 70 children are educated in a private school. Near Banmore are the remains of an ancient church; and the ruins of Gurtne-tubber castle, which was strongly garrisoned for James II., and afterwards dismantled, are near Springfield.

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