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KIL
small Franciscan friary was founded here by Mac
Swiny Bannig, but there are no remains. Some ruins
of the ancient castle of St. Catherine yet exist.
KILLYBEGS, a parish, in the barony of CLANE,
county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles
(S. W.) from Clane, on the Grand Canal; containing
1294 inhabitants. It is a rectory, in the diocese of
Kildare, forming part of the union of Clane: the
tithes amount to £113. 10. 3. In the R. C. divi-
sions it is part of the union or district of Carogh
and Prosperous, and has a chapel at the latter
place. About 260 children are educated in a public
school
KILLYGALLY—See TESSAURAN.
KILLYGARVAN, a parish, in the barony of KIL-
MACRENAN, county of DONEGAL, and province of UL-
STER; 12 miles (N. E. by N.) from Letterkenny; contain-
ing, with the town of Rathmullen, 3643 inhabitants.
According to the Ordnance survey it comprises 9132
statute acres. It is in the diocese of Raphoe, and was
formerly part of the corps of the deanery, from which
it was separated by act of council, in 1835, and is now
a rectory and vicarage, in the gift of the Crown: the
tithes amount to £154. The church is a plain building,
for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits
gave £300, and lent £500, in 1813. The Board also
gave £450, and lent £50 for the erection of a glebe-
house, in 1818: the glebe comprises 5a. lr. 17p. In
the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or dis-
trict of Tullyaughnish, and has a chapel. There is a
meeting-house for Presbyterians in connection with the
Synod of Ulster, of the third class, and one for Wes-
leyan Methodists. About 110 children are educated in
two public schools, one of which is supported by dona-
tions from Col. Robertson’s fund, and about 70 in a pri-
vate school; there is also a Sunday school.
KILLYGLEN, a parish, in the barony of UPPER
GLENARM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER,
2 miles (W. N. W.) from Larne, on the road from that
place to Glenarm; containing 524 inhabitants. This
parish, which in the Ordnance survey is called a grange
belonging to Killegan parish, comprises 2295½ statute
acres. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, forming
part of the union and corps of the prebend of Connor:
the tithes amount to £62. 2. 5½. In the R. C. divisions
it is part of the union or district of Larne. About 30
children are educated in a private school.
KILLYLEAGH, a district parish, partly in the
barony of TURANEY, and partly in that of ARMAGH,
county of ARMAGH, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles
(W.) from Armagh, on the road from that place to
Caledon; containing 3452 inhabitants. It was formed
out of the parishes of Armagh, Tynan, and Derrynoose,
under the provisions of the act of the 8th of Geo. IV.,
cap. 43; and comprises 5635 statute acres of very
fertile arable and pasture land, which is under an
excellent system of cultivation. A great part of the
parish and the whole of the village belong to Trinity
College, Dublin. Here are some excellent quarries of
freestone, clay-slate, and limestone, of which the last
is extensively worked: coal also exists on the Col-
lege estate, but is not much used. Linen-weaving is
carried on to a considerable extent. The village, which
is on the side of a hill near the Ulster Canal, consists
of one long street of stone houses: it has a penny post
159
KIL
to Armagh and Tynan, and a cattle fair on the last
Friday in every month, A court for the manor of
Toaghey and Balteagh is held monthly, for the recovery
of debts under 40s. The principal seats in the parish
are Elm Park, the residence of the Earl of Charlemont,
which is in a beautifully planted demesne; Knappagh,
of J. Johnston, Esq.; Woodpark, of A. St. George,
Esq.; Fellows-hall, of T. K. Armstrong, Esq.; and
Dartan, of Maxwell Cross, Esq. The living is a per-
petual curacy, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the
alternate patronage of the rectors of Armagh, Derry-
noose, and Tynan, each of whom contributes to the per-
petual curate’s stipend. The church, which was erected
by subscription in 1832, is a handsome building, with a
lofty square tower, on an eminence. About 210 chil-
dren are educated in the parochial and another public
school, the latter of which is aided by an annual dona-
tion from — Close, Esq.; and about 140 in two private
schools.
KILLYLEAGH, a market and post-town, and a
parish, partly in the barony of CASTLEREAGH, but
chiefly in that of DUFFERIN, county of DOWN, and pro-
vince of ULSTER, 5 miles (N. E.) from Downpatrick,
and 78¾ (N. by N.) from Dublin, on the mail coach
road from Belfast to Downpatrick; containing 5712
inhabitants, of which number, 1147 are in the town.
This place, which is situated on the western shore of
Strangford Lough, was a port of some eminence pre-
viously to the conquest of Ireland by the English; and,
with the adjoining barony of Kinalearty, formed part of
the territories of the native sept of the M c Cartans. It
was afterwards granted to De Courcy, who, in order to
protect it from the attacks of that powerful chieftain,
erected castles on every advantageous site round the
shores of the lake, among which the principal was the
Castle of Dufferin. In 1356, Edw. III. appointed John
De Mandeville, warden of this castle, which subsequently
fell into the hands of the O’Nials, who maintained pos-
session of it till 1561, when the adjoining territory was
by Elizabeth granted to Hugo White, who shortly after-
wards erected a castle at Killyleagh, into which he re-
moved his warden from Castle Dufferin. Shane O’Nial
besieged the newly erected castle in 1567, and meeting
with a powerful resistance, set fire to the town; but a
league being subsequently made between the M c Cartans
and the O’Nials, they jointly attacked the castle, dispos-
sessed the family of “White, and usurped the uncontrolled
dominion of the entire country. On the suppression of
the Tyrone rebellion at the close of the 16th century,
the possessions of the M c Cartans were confiscated, and
the manor and district of Killyleagh were subsequently
granted by Jas. I. to Sir James Hamilton, who restored
and considerably enlarged the castle, which, after his
elevation to the peerage by the title of Lord Claneboy,
he made his principal residence. The castle was be-
sieged and taken by Gen. Monk for the parliament, in
1648, and was partly demolished in the war of that
period, but was substantially repaired in 1666, and in it
was born Archibald Hamilton Rowan, Esq., whose grand-
son, a minor, is now the proprietor. It is a large and
strong pile of building, in the later English style, occu-
pying an eminence which commands the town, but
affords no protection to the harbour.
The town is pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence
on the western shore of Strangford lough, and consists