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KIL
lem, founded by Walter de Lacy in the reigu of Rich. I.,
which was a cell to that of Kilmainham, near Dublin,
but of which no vestige can be traced. It is a rectory,
in the dioeese of Meath, and forms part of the union of
Newtown: the tithes amount to £180. The glebe-house
of the union is in this parish. In the R. C. divisions it
forms part of the union or district of Stahalmock; the
chapel is in the village of Carlanstown. About 150
children are taught in a school at Carlanstown, which is
aided by Sir H. Meredyth, Bart., who also gave a house
and an acre of land to the master.
KILBEGGAN, an incorporated market and post-
town, and a parish (formerly a parliamentary borough),
in the barony of MOYCASHEL, county of WESTMEATH, and
province of LEINSTER, 15 miles (E. by S.) from Athlone,
and 44¼ miles (W.) from Dublin, on the river Brosna
and the road from Dublin to Athlone; containing 4039
inhabitants, of which number, 1985 are in the town. A
monastery was founded here by St. Becan, son of Mur-
chade, a cotemporary of St. Columb, about the year 600.
In 972, a sanguinary battle was fought here between the
Irish and the Danes, at a ford on the river, near the
present bridge, since called Aghnaccan, or the “Ford of
Heads,” from the numbers of the slain that floated down
the river. In 1200, the monastery, which had fallen
into decay, was rebuilt by the family of Dalton, and
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; and some Cistertian
monks, from the abbey of Mellifont, were placed in it.
After its dissolution, the house and its possessions,
which were very extensive, were granted to the Lambart
family, of whom Sir Oliver, afterwards Lord Lambart,
in 1606, obtained for the town the grant of a weekly
market and an annual fair. In 1612, Jas. I. granted the
inhabitants a charter; and in 1620, Charles, son of
Oliver, Lord Lambart, procured a grant of two addi-
tional fairs. During the disturbances of 1798, a party
of insurgents was defeated near the town, after an
obstinate engagement, by Col. Blake, at the head of his
regiment of Northumberland militia.
The town contains more than 300 houses, of which
nearly one-half are neatly built and slated. It is im-
proving; and a branch from the Grand Canal, which
has recently been cut to it, holds out prospects of the
increase of its trade. There are a large distillery, a
brewery, and two mills for flour and oatmeal, one of
which is extensive; and there is also a manufactory for
tobacco and snuff. The market is on Saturday, and is
a considerable mart for butter. Fairs for live stock are
held on March 25th, June 16th, Aug. 15th, and Oct. 28th.
The market-house is a neat plain building of limestone,
erected by Gustavus Lambart, Esq., which contains
also accommodation for holding the public courts. The
corporation consists of a portreeve (who is a justice of
the peace), 12 free burgesses, and an indefinite number
of freemen, with a recorder, town-clerk, two sergeants-
at-mace, and other officers. The freedom is obtained
by favour of the portreeve and burgesses. The borough
returned two members to the Irish parliament till the
union, when it was disfranchised, and the £15,000
awarded as compensation was paid to Gustavus Lam-
bart, Esq. A borough court of record, for the recovery
of debts not exceeding five marks, is held; also a court
of petty sessions every Saturday, in which the portreeve
occasionally presides, with the county magistrates. A
chief constabulary police force is stationed in the town.
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KIL
The parish comprises 2975 statute acres, as applot-
ted under the tithe act: the land is generally of good
quality, and the system of agriculture greatly improved;
a considerable extent of exhausted bog has been re-
claimed, affording excellent pasture, and a small quan-
tity still remains for fuel; there is no waste land. The
principal seats are Belmont, the residence of Barnard
Maguire, Esq.; Meldrum, of Mrs. Clark; Correigh, the
property of Col. Hearn, but not inhabited; and Coola,
the property of Gustavus Lambart, Esq., and in the
occupation of J. Conolly, Esq. The living is a perpe-
tual curacy, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patro-
nage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in Sir
W. Lambart Cromie, Bart. The tithes amount to
£254. 0. 11., wholly payable to the impropriator. The
church, originally part of the ancient abbey, was en-
larged, and a square tower added to it, in 1818, towards
which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of
£200, and the Commissioners of the Loan Fund £400.
The glebe-house, for the erection of which the late Board
gave £100, was built in 1800: the glebe comprises 21½
acres, subject to a rent of £20 per annum. In the R. C.
divisions the parish is united with that of Rahue; the
chapel is a handsome edifice. There is a place of wor-
ship for Wesleyan Methodists. A parochial school is
supported by the perpetual curate, and there are seven
private schools in the parish, in which are about 240
children, and a dispensary. There are numerous mine-
ral springs, but none of them used medicinally. The
remains of the ancient monastery are very inconsider-
able. John Henry North, an eminent barrister, was a
native of this place.
KILBEGNET, a parish, in the barony of HALF-
BALLYMOE, county of GALWAY, and province of CON-
NAUGHT, 6 miles (W. by S.) from Roscommon, and on
the road from that place to Dunmorej; containing 4677
inhabitants and 11,318 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin,
forming part of the union of Athleague; the rectory is
impropriate in Thomas Corr, Esq. The tithes amount
to £138. 9. 3., which is equally divided between the
impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions this
parish is united with Donamon, and has a chapel at
Crosswell. Here is a public school of about 100
children, which is principally supported by Mr. Dowell;
and about 210 children are educated in four private
schools.
KILBEHENNY, or KILBENNY, a parish, in the
barony of COSTLEA, county of LIMERICK, and province of
MUNSTER, 4 miles (E. N. E.) from Mitchelstown, on the
road from that place to Limerick; containing 3507
inhabitants. It comprises much light land and a well-
planted glen extending among the hills to the Galtee
mountains, on the highest of which, called Galtee
More, which separates this parish from Galbally, is a
lake. The Earl of Kingston’s beautiful seat, the Moun-
tain Lodge, with its extensive demesne, is in this parish;
as is also Lord Massey’s lodge, with its fine woods and
grounds. The parish is in the diocese of Emly; the
rectory forms part of the union of Duntrileague, and
corps of the prebend of Killenellick in the cathedral of
Emly: the tithes amount to £400. In the R. C. divi-
sions, with the exception of a small part included in the
district of Mitchelstown, it forms a separate union or
district, in which are two chapels. About 150 children
H 2