TEMPLEORAN

TEMPLEORAN, or FORAN, a parish, in the barony of MOYGOISH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. W.) from Mullingar, on the road to Ballinacargy, and on Lough Iron, which bounds the parish on the north; containing 1298 inhabitants. This parish, which is intersected by the Royal Canal, comprises 5498 statute acres of excellent land, principally under grass; there is a small quantity of bog. Sonna, for upwards of six centuries the seat of the Tuite family, is at present the residence of H. Morgan Tuite, Esq.; the house is a light and elegant building, in a well-planted demesne, situated on the bank of a picturesque lake. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, entirely impropriate in Sir John B. Piers, Bart., and forming part of the union and perpetual cure of Leney: the tithes, amounting to £137. 3., are wholly payable to the impropriator.

In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Sonna, comprising this parish and that of Kilbixy, in each of which is a chapel; that of Templeorum is at Sonna. There is a private school, in which are about 26 children. The ruins of the old church are on the lands of Templeoran, and in their vicinity are several raths.

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