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MOC
ants. This parish comprises 738 statute acres, as applot-
ted under the tithe act. It is a rectory, in the diocese of
Meath, forming part of the union of Syddan; the tithes
amount to £46.3. 1.; the glebe comprises 8½ acres, va-
lued at £10. 4. 8. per annum. In the R. C. divisions it
is part of the union or district of Lobbinstown. There
are remains of an old church, and of a castle conti-
guous.
MOATE, or MOATE-A-GRENOGE, a market and
post-town, partly in the parish of KILMANAGHAN, but
chiefly in that of KILCLEAGH, barony of CLONLONAN,
county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 7¾
miles (E. by S.) from Athlone, and 52 (W. by S.) from
Dublin, on the mail coach road to Athlone; containing
1785 inhabitants. This place takes its name from a
rath or moat at the back of the town, in what was ori-
ginally the territory of the M c Loughlins, and which was
called after Grace M c Loughlin, Grana-oge, or “Grace’s
Moat.” During the war of the Revolution, a large body
of the adherents of Jas. II., which had been pursued
from Ballymore by the forces under Gen. de Ginkel,
drew up here in order to give battle to their pursuers;
but they were driven into the town, whence, after they
had vainly endeavoured to intrench themselves, they
fled to Athlone, with the loss of about 300 men, several
officers, their baggage, a great quantity of arms, and
500 horses. On their arrival at Athlone their defeat had
caused such consternation in the garrison of that place,
that the gates were closed against the fugitives from a
fear of admitting their pursuers also, and several fled
for shelter to the bogs and many perished in the river.
The town, which is neatly built and of pleasing appear-
ance, contains 330 houses, of which number, 244 are
slated, and the remainder thatched. The manufacture
of cottons and linens, formerly carried on here to a
very great extent, is now much diminished, affording
employment only to about 100 persons; and several
large distilleries and breweries have been altogether dis-
continued. The market is on Thursday, and fairs are
held on April 25th, June 22nd, Oct. 2nd, and Dec. 3rd.
A chief constabulary police force is stationed here; a
manorial court is held on the first Monday in every
alternate month; petty sessions on alternate Thursdays,
and the general quarter sessions for the district at the
usual times. The court-house is a commodious build-
ing; attached to it is a small bridewell. The parish
church of Kilcleagh is situated in the town; there are
also a R. C. chapel, a small convent to which a chapel
is attached, places of worship for the Society of Friends,
Baptists, and Wesleyan Methodists, and a dispensary.
Moate Castle is the seat of Cuthbert J. Clibborn,
Esq.
MOATHILL.—See MOTHELL.
MOBLUSK.—See MOLUSK.
MOCKTOWN, or GRANGEMOCKSTOWN, also
called RATHBIN, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN,
county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER: the
population is returned with the parish of Garranamanna,
in which this is considered to have merged. In the in-
cumbent’s titles it is denominated a rectory and vicar-
age, in the diocese of Ossory, being one of the several
parishes and denominations forming the union of Burn-
church.
MOCOLLOP, a parish, in the barony of COSHMORE,
county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 6
374
MOD
miles (W.) from Lismore, on the road to Fermoy, and
on the river Blackwater; containing 3503 inhabitants.
James, the seventh Earl of Desmond, died at his castle
here in 1462. The castle continued in the possession
of the Desmonds until forfeited by the treason of Gerald,
the 16th earl, in 1583 it was defended against Crom-
well’s forces in 1650. The surface of the parish is
chiefly rugged, and the land of inferior quality: on its
verge, in the picturesque dell of Araglin, were formerly
some iron-works. The seat of Francis Drew, Esq., is
situated in a richly planted demesne, having an unusual
extent of orchard, the cider produced from which is very
celebrated. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Lismore; the rectory is united to that of
Lismore, and appropriate to the dean and chapter; the
vicarage is also united to that of Lismore, and appro-
priate to the vicars choral. The amount of tithes is in-
cluded in that of Lismore. The church is a neat building.
In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union
or district of Lismore: the chapel is at the village of
Ballyduff. In a school, aided by F. Drew, Esq., and the
vicars choral, about 120 children are taught; there are also
three private schools, in which are about 190 children,
and a Sunday school. Ruins of an ancient castle exist.
MODELIGO, a parish, in the barony of DECIES-
without-DRUM, county of WATERFORD, and province of
MUNSTER, 6½ miles (E. by N.) from Lismore; contain-
ing 2116 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Phinisk,
and comprises 7536 statute acres, of which 1273 are
mountain. Within its limits are the ruins of many an-
cient buildings, of which the principal formerly belonged
to the M c Graths, who were extensive proprietors in this
part of the country: of these the castle of Sledy was
built by Philip M c Grath in 1628, and there are also
considerable remains of another, called Mountain castle,
where a fair is held on the 1st of May. At Kilkenny is
a fine vein of lead ore, near the surface, from which the
ore is taken up in a powdered state with the shovel, and
used by the potters for glazing: the contiguity of a deep
ravine affords great facilities for working it. The prin-
cipal seat is Rockfield, the handsome mansion of Pierse
Hely, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Lismore: the rectory forms the corps of the
prebend of Modeligo in the cathedral of Lismore; and
the vicarage is united to that of Kilgobinet, together
forming the union of Modeligo, in the patronage of the
Bishop. The tithes amount to £270, of which two-
thirds are payable to the prebendary, and the remainder
to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the
head of a union or district, comprising also the parish,
of Affane, each containing a chapel. About 220 children
are educated in a school partly supported by the R. C.
clergyman; and about 60 are taught in two private
schools. The ruins of the old church still remain.
There is a vitriolic spring in the parish, the water of which
is clear and of a sharp and acid taste.
MODESHILL, a parish, in the barony of SLIEVAR-
DAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER,
3 miles (S. S. W.) from Callan; containing 998 inhabit-
ants. It is situated on the confines of the county of
Kilkenny, and comprises 2862 statute acres, as applot-
ted under the tithe act, and valued at £2784 per annum.
It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel,
forming part of the union and corps of the archdea-
conry of Cashel: the tithes amount to £260.