•  Clonfad, County Westmeath

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described Clonfad like this:

CLONFAD, or CLONFADFORAN, a parish, in the barony of FARTULLAGH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER; containing, with part of the post-town of Tyrrell's-Pass, 1369 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Mullingar to Tyrrell's-Pass, and is intersected in the southern part by the mail coach road from Dublin to Athlone. ...

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It comprises 3264 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which about one-fifth is land of the best, three-fifths of middling, and the remainder of very inferior, quality. The land is principally in pasture; the soil is light, and the substratum generally limestone, of which there are quarries at Calverstown; and at Gnewbaron Hill, part of which is in this parish, is a fine quarry of grey limestone, which bears a high polish and is manufactured into handsome mantel-pieces: lime is the principal manure. The gentlemen's seats are Calverstown, the residence of J. Hornidge, Esq.; Guilford, of F. Usher, Esq.; Templeoran, of Mrs. Johnson; Newcastle, of C. Coffey, Esq.; and Dalystown, of C. Pilkington, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £156. 18. 5 ½. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £400 and a loan of £300 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1810: the glebe comprises 20 acres.

The church is a handsome edifice in the later English style, with a tower surmounted by a well-proportioned spire, and is situated at Tyrrell's-Pass; the late Board of First Fruits lent £250, in 1828, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £147 towards its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Fartullagh or Rochford-Bridge; the chapel is a plain edifice, situated at Meedeen. The parochial school-house was built at an expense of £400, of which £240 was given by the Countess of Belvedere, £112 from the lord-lieutenant's fund, and £48 by the rector, who allows the master an annual donation; in this school about 70 boys and 70 girls are instructed; and there is a pay school at Meedeen, in which are about 20 boys and 10 girls. There are some remains of an old church in the village of Clonfad; and at Newcastle are the ruins of an old fortification, said to have belonged to the Tyrrells.—See Tyrrell's-Pass.

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