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ABB
a well springing from the solid rock; it is dedicated to
St. Patrick, and produces water of the purest quality,
which is conveyed by pipes to the road side at the foot
of the mountain.—See BURREN.
ABBEYDORNEY, a village, in the parish of O’DOR-
NEY, barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and
province of MUNSTER, 7½ miles (N. N. E.) from Tralee;
containing 338 inhabitants. This place, which is situated
at the intersection of the old and new roads from Tralee
to Listowel, takes its name from the ancient abbey of
Kirie Eleyson, or O’Dorney, founded here in 1154 by
some person unknown, for Cistertian monks, who were
brought from the abbey of Magio, in the county of Lime-
rick; the abbot was a lord in parliament. The remains are
situated a little to the north of the village, but retain few
vestiges of its original character. The village, which con-
sists mostly of thatched houses, is a constabulary police
station; a penny post from Tralee has been established,
and a manorial court is held occasionally. The
R. C. parochial chapel, built here in 1826, at an expense
of £600, is a spacious and handsome edifice fronted with
stone, in the later English style, and embellished with a
fine altar-piece and painting. Near the village is a flour-
mill—See O’DORNEY.
ABBEYFEALE, a parish, in the Glenquin Division
of the barony of UPPER CONNELLO, county of LIME-
RICK, and province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (W. by S.)
from Newcastle, on the mail coach road from Lime-
rick to Tralee; containing 4242 inhabitants, of which
number, 607 are in the village. This place obviously
derives its name from a Cistertian abbey founded here,
in 1188, by Brien O’Brien, and from its situation on
the river Feale: the abbey, in 1209, became a cell to
that of Monasternanagh, or Nenay, in the barony of
Pubblebrien. The village, situated in a wild mountain-
ous district, was almost inaccessible, but since the con-
struction of the new lines of road, great alterations
have taken place 3 great improvement in the condition
of the people has resulted from the facilities thus afford-
ed of taking their little produce to market; and the in-
habitants are now industriously and profitably employ-
ed. Here is a large and commodious hotel, and some
respectable houses, but the greater number are thatched
cabins. The village has a penny post dependent on
Newcastle, and is a constabulary police station. Fairs
are held on the 29th of June and Sept. 24th, chiefly
for cattle, sheep, and pigs. The parish comprises 17,659
statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which
1620 acres are arable, 13,800 pasture, and about 3500
waste land and bog: a considerable portion of the
waste land is gradually being brought into cultiva-
tion, and the system of agriculture is steadily im-
proving. From long previous neglect, the lands in many
parts have become marshy and cold, and in some places
are covered to the depth of several feet with a loose
turbary, which, in the total absence of timber, affords
excellent fuel, of which great quantities are sent to
Newcastle, whence limestone is brought in return and
is burnt with coal of indifferent quality procured here
for that purpose only. The farms have generally large
dairies, and a considerable quantity of butter is sent to
Cork and Limerick. On the great line of road from
Limerick to Tralee is Wellesley bridge, a handsome
structure, about a mile and a half to the west of the
village 5 and at the same distance to the east is Goulburn
2
ABB
bridge. The new line of road leading through the heart
of the mountains from Abbeyfeale to Glin, a distance
of 12 miles, was opened after the spring assizes of 1836,
previously to which there was scarcely any possibility
of access to this secluded district, which for that reason
was, in the year 1822, selected as their head-quarters
by the Rockites, who dated their proclamations “From
our camp at Abbeyfeale,” The living is a vicarage, in
the diocese of Limerick, and in the patronage of Lord
Southwell, during whose legal incapacity the Crown
presents; the rectory is impropriate in Richard Ellis
and Thomas G. Bateman, Esqrs. The tithes amount
to £320, payable to the impropriators; the clerical
duties of the parish are performed by the curate of an
adjoining parish, who is paid by Lord Southwell. The
church, a small edifice in the early English style, with
a lofty square tower, was erected near the village in
1812, for which the late Board of First Fruits gave
£800. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. The
R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established
Church; the chapel, situated in the village, was erected
on the site of the ancient monastery, a small portion of
which is incorporated with it. There are four pay
schools, in which are about 100 boys and 50 girls. On
the bank of the river, one mile from the village, are the
ruins of Purt Castle, built by a branch of the Geraldine
family, to command the pass of the Feale; it is strongly
built, and occupies a bold situation.
ABBEYGORMAGAN, a parish, partly in the barony
of LEITRIM, but chiefly in that of LONGFORD, county of
GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8¼ miles (W.
by N.) from Eyrecourt, on the road from Banagher to
Tralee; containing 2858 inhabitants. This place, called
also “Monaster O’Gormagan,” or “de Via Nova,” de-
rives its name from a monastery founded here for
canons regular of the order of St. Augustine, and dedi-
cated to the Blessed Virgin, by O’Gormagan, head of
that sept, which at the dissolution was granted by
Hen. VIII. to Ulick, first Earl of Clanricarde, The
parish comprises 8865 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act: about one-third is arable. Brooklawn
is the seat of T. Blake, Esq. It is in the diocese
of Clonfert; the rectory is partly appropriate to the see,
the deanery, and the archdeaconry, and to the prebends
of Fcnore, Kilquaine and Kilteskill, in the cathedral
church of St. Brandon, Clonfert, and partly united
with the vicarage, which forms a portion of the union
of Kiltormer. The tithes amount to £218. 15. 4½ of
which £23. 1. 6½. is payable to the bishop, £4. 12. 3¾.
to the dean, £13. 16. 11. to the archdeacon, £50. 15. 4½
to the prebendary of Fenore, £8. 6. 1¾. to the preben-
dary of Kilquaine, £10. 3. 1. to the prebendary of Kil-
teskill, and £108 to the incumbent. In the R. C. divi-
sions it is the head of a union or district, comprising
also the parish of Killoran, in each of which there is a
chapel: that for this parish is situated at Mullagh.
There are two private pay schools, in which are about
100 boys and 46 girls.
ABBEY-JERPOINT, a parish (anciently a corporate
town), in the barony of KNOCKTOPHER, county of KIL-
KENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 1½ mile (W.S.W.)
from Thomastown; containing 367 inhabitants. This
place is situated on the river Nore, and derives its name
from an abbey founded here, in 1180, by Donogh O’Do-
noghoe, King of Ossory, for monks of the Cistertian