•  Cloncurry in Ikeathy and Oughterany, County Kildare

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described Cloncurry in Ikeathy and Oughterany like this:

CLONCURRY, a parish, partly in the barony of EAST OPHALY, but chiefly in that of IKEATHY and OUGHTERANY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. N. W.) from Kilcock; containing 2299 inhabitants. A Carmelite friary, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded here by John Roche, in 1347, which, together with the village, was burnt by some of the Irish septs in 1405; it appears, however, to have been restored, and continued to exist till the Reformation, when it was granted to William Dixon in the 35th of Henry VIII. ...

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The manor became the property of the Aylmer family, whose ancient seat, the castle, was defended for the parliament, in 1643, by Colonel Monk, who was at length obliged to abandon it for want of provisions. From the Aylmer family the estate was afterwards purchased by Sir Nicholas Lawless, subsequently created Baron Cloncurry. During the disturbances of 1798, a skirmish took place at the foot of Ovidstown Hill, in this parish, between the king's troops and a party of the insurgents who had effected their escape from the county of Wexford.

The parish, which is situated on the road from Dublin to Galway, and on the line of the Royal Canal, comprises 2449 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The land is chiefly in pasture, and great numbers of cattle are fattened for the Dublin and English markets; in that portion of it which is under tillage the improved system of agriculture is adopted; there are about 400 acres of good bog. Ballinakill, the seat of T. Kearney, Esq., is a handsome modern house. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and is part of the union of Kilcock; the rectory is partly impropriate in the representatives of the late Michael Aylmer, Esq., and the remainder forms the corps of the deanery of the cathedral church of St. Bridget, Kildare, the appointment to which is elective by the chapter. The tithes amount to £476. 8. 2 ¾., of which £161. 8. 3. is payable to the dean, £105 to the vicar, and the remainder to the impropriators. The church is in ruins. In the R. C. divisions the parish also forms part of the union or district of Kilcock. There is a private school, in which are about 30 boys and 20 girls. There are some inconsiderable remains of the ancient Carmelite friary. The title of Baron Cloncurry was first conferred on Sir Nicholas Lawless, in 1789 and his descendant, the present Lord Cloncurry, was raised to the English peerage in 1831.

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