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town. It is supposed that this place originated in its
having been a station of the Knights Templars, who
were settled in the castle. The parish contains 8108
statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; about 700
acres of very good land are the property of the Pro-
vost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin; agriculture
has much improved of late years, and the parish has in
it some of the finest pasture and meadow land. The
limestone quarries are very good, affording blocks of 20
feet, if required. The manor courts have been discon-
tinued, but petty sessions are held every Wednesday in
the court or market-house, a handsome decorated build-
ing in the centre of the town. Fairs are held in Jan.,
March, May, June, July, Sept., Oct., and Dec, for cattle,
sheep, pigs, wool, &c.; they are considered the best in
the county. Templemore is remarkably healthy, and
well supplied with water and fuel: and every encour-
agement is given by the proprietor to induce the inhab-
itants to adopt improvements. The town is clean, well
built, and modern; it is approached on all sides by
handsome avenues of ash trees, and owes its very im-
proved condition to the exertions of the late proprietor,
Sir John Craven Carden, Bart., father of the present
proprietor, who granted the ground on which it stands
at a nominal rent, and under whose auspices the public
buildings were erected. It contains extensive infantry
barracks, with accommodations for 54 officers, 1500 men,
and 30 horses, and an hospital attached for 80 patients;
a bridewell; a fever hospital and a dispensary; ball,
news, and reading rooms, and a public billiard table.
The neighbourhood is adorned with many fine seats and
elegant cottages, having ornamented grounds. The
castle was, so lately as a century ago, the family resi-
dence of the Cardens, but in consequence of its acci-
dental destruction by fire they removed to another
house in the demesne, which was lately pulled down for
the purpose of erecting a new mansion on a more ele-
vated spot: since the demolition of the old house, Sir
H. R. Carden’s family has resided at the Priory, a mo-
dern building adjoining the Park, erected by the late
baronet; the demesne, exclusively of the Park and
large plantations, comprises 200 statute acres: it is
situated within one mile of the town, and is surrounded
with gardens and shrubberies laid out with much taste.
One of the entrances to the Park is a remnant of the
castle of the Knights Templars: the park is well wood-
ed, and contains a large sheet of water; it is surround-
ed by excellent land and backed by a range of moun-
tains, the largest of which is called “the Devil’s Bit,”
from its singular shape, appearing as if a portion had
been taken out. Lloydsborough is the seat of J. Lloyd,
Esq.; part of the demesne is in Killea, though the man-
sion is in the parish of Templemore; it is a handsome
residence in a well-planted demesne. The other prin-
cipal seats are Woodville Lodge, the residence of D. J.
Webb, Esq.; Belleville, of the Hon. C. J. K. Monck;
and Eastwood, of T. Bennett, Esq.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel,
united by act of council to the rectories and vicarages
of Killavenogh and Killea, and in the patronage of the
Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate in J. Lloyd,
Esq. The tithes amount to £641, of which £420 is
payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the
vicar; the gross tithes of the benefice are £811.15.4¾.
Here is an ancient glebe of 147 acres, in dispute: but
610 5
TEM
there is a glebe of 20 acres, for which the incumbent pays
£30 per ann. rent, on which the glebe-house was built
by the late incumbent, Dr. Graves. The church is
remarkably handsome, both internally and externally;
it was erected about 50 years since, and has a fine spire;
the interior is highly finished and very commodious,
and furnished with a good organ, the gift of the late
baronet; the window over the altar is enriched with a
representation of the Crucifixion in stained glass; the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £169
for the repairs of the church. The R. C. union or dis-
trict is co-extensive with that of the Established Church,
and in each of the parishes is a chapel; that of Temple-
more is a handsome and capacious building, on a plot
of ground given rent-free by the late Sir J. C. Carden.
Here is also a handsome Wesleyan Methodists’ chapel.
A school under the trustees of Erasmus Smith’s charity
affords instruction to about 70 children; it has a good
school-house, with a square tower, for the erection of
which the trustees gave £300, and the late Sir J. C. Car-
den defrayed the remainder of the cost. The late in-
cumbent, Dr. Graves, also left £50, the interest to be
applied for the benefit of this school. There are six
private schools, in which are about 200 children. George
Bennett, Esq., vested £200 in the old 3 per cent, annu-
ities, the interest of which is placed at the disposal of
the incumbent for the benefit of the poor. There are.
remains of several ancient castles, built at different
periods, but all of very remote date. In a cave in the
Devil’s Bit mountain was found in 1790, a MS. copy of
the Gospels in Latin, but in the ancient Irish character,
apparently written in the thirteenth century; it was
enclosed in a case, partly of silver, ornamented with
crystal and coloured glass, and is now in the pos-
session of Sir W. Betham, Knt., Ulster King at
Arms.
TEMPLEMURRY, a parish, in the barony of TY-
RAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT,
3 miles (N.) from Killala, on the road from Ballina to
Lacken; containing 1868 inhabitants. It is situated
on the bay of Rathfran, contiguous to the bay of Killala,
into which the river here empties itself, and comprises
1200 statute acres, chiefly arable. Fairs are held at
Rathfran on Aug. 25th and Nov. 11th. The harbour is
fit only for small vessels, being dry at low water. The
sea being smoother here than at the contiguous bar,
some vessels prefer running up here as it is quite shel-
tered and safe from the sea swells. Summerhill is the
residence of T. Palmer, Esq.; and here are the ruins of
the fine old house of Palmerstown. It is a vicarage, in
the diocese of Killala, forming part of the union of
Lacken; the rectory is appropriate to the dean and the
precentor of Killala. The tithes amount to £108, of
which one-half is payable to the dean and the precentor,
and the other half to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions
it is part of the union or district of Killala. Ruins exist
of the fine old abbey of Rathfran, which was founded
for Dominicans in the 12th century: adjoining is a
burial-place still used.
TEMPLENECARRIGA, a parish, in the barony of
BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUN-
STER, 6½ miles (S. E.) from Rathcormac, on the road to
Midleton; containing 1602 inhabitants, and comprising
4942 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of
which 64 are woodland, the rest being either pasture or