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ATH
paid by the county; it is a well-arranged building on
the radiating principle, the governor’s house being in
the centre, and comprises 6 airing-yards, 6 day-rooms,
2 work-rooms, and 32 sleeping and 3 solitary cells,
with a matron’s room, 2 hospitals, and a chapel.
The town comprises the greater part of the parishes
of St. John and St. Michael, which, together with the
rural parishes of Ardrie and Churchtown, constitute the
vicarage of St. Nicholas, or Nicholastown, united by act of
council, in 1804, to the rectory and vicarage of Tankards-
town, in the diocese of Dublin, and in the alternate pa-
tronage of the Crown and the Archbishop; the tithes of
the several parishes amount to £544.2. 6. The church of
the union, a plain edifice, is in the parish of St. Michael;
and a new church is about to be built on a site given by
the Duke of Leinster. The glebe contains seven acres.
In the R. C. divisions this town is the head of a union
or district, comprising the same parishes as the Pro-
testant union, together with that of Kilberry, and
containing two chapels, one in St. Michael’s and the
other at Tankardstown; the former is a spacious and
handsome edifice, built in 1796, principally by a dona-
tion from the late Maurice Keating, Esq., of Narragh-
more, on an acre of land given by the Duke of Leinster,
who also contributed towards its erection. There are
places of worship for Calvinists and Wesleyan Metho-
dists. The parochial school, in which 120 children are
instructed, is held in a room behind the court-house.
Contiguous to the R. C. chapel are two large school-
rooms, one for 400 boys, built in 1826 by voluntary
subscription, aided by a donation of £100 from the
Duke of Leinster, who also gave the site and erected a
convenient residence for the parish priest, at a nominal
rent; the other, capable of containing 100 girls, was
built by a donation from the late Mrs. Dooley. Here
is a dispensary; and a charitable association for reliev-
ing the aged and distressed, without regard to religious
distinctions, is maintained by subscriptions, aided by
annual donations of £50 from the Duke of Leinster,
£30 from the Rev. F. S. Trench, and £5 from Lord
Downes. There are several remains of antiquity; but
of the ancient monasteries little is left besides a gate-
way on the Carlow road, which, when seen in connec-
tion with the plantations intervening between it and the
river, forms a picturesque and interesting feature in the
landscape. Near the entrance from the Dublin road is a
modern building occupied by two Dominican friars, with a
small domestic chapel, near which is the ancient burial-
ground of St. Michael’s. The remains of White’s castle,
which is situated close to the bridge, consist only of a
massive square and embattled tower, now used as the
police barrack. On the western bank of the river stand
the remains of Woodstock castle: the date of its erection
is unknown, but it is supposed to have been built, about
1290, by a descendant of the Earl of Pembroke, or
more probably at a later period by Thomas Fitzgerald,
seventh Earl of Kildare, who, on marrying Dorothea,
daughter of Anthony O’Moore, of Leix, in 1424, received
the manors of Woodstock and Rheban as her dower.
The walls are very thick and in moderately good preser-
vation, and the mullioned windows are much admired
for the elegance of their execution; a fine arched gate-
way and part of the outer court yet remain. The castle
was taken from the insurgents, in 1642, by the Mar-
quess of Ormonde, who made it a halting-place for
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his troops; and, in 1647, Owen Roe O’Nial surprised it
and put the garrison to the sword, but Lord Inchiquin
compelled him soon afterwards to surrender both it
and Athy. Rheban castle is on the west bank of the
Barrow, above two miles from the town. In the 2nd
century, Rheban was one of the inland towns, and is
found in Ptolemy’s map. The castle was built, o*r
greatly enlarged, in the 13th century, by Richard de
St. Michael, when it and an adjoining district named
Dunamase were erected into a barony, of which he was
created baron. The first English settlers strengthened
and repaired this castle, as also the opposite one of
Kilberry. Its name was formerly Raiba or Righban,
“the habitation of the King,” and though now in ruins,
its massive walls, mullioned windows, and imposing
position, show that it was intended to awe the sur-
rounding country. In 1325, Rheban, Dunamase, and
all their dependencies, were taken by O’Moore, whose
descendant, Anthony O’Moore, gave it in dower to the
Earl of Kildare, through whom it has descended to the
Dukes of Leinster. About three miles from the town,
on the Dublin road, and in a most commanding position,
is a rude but very extensive ancient fortification con-
structed entirely of earth raised so high as to command
all the adjacent country: it is called the Moat of Ard-
scull, and if not raised on the occasion of the battle, was
probably the scene of it; it was enclosed and planted
about ten years since by the Duke of Leinster, and is a
conspicuous landmark.
ATTANAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of
UPPER OSSORY, QUEEN’S county, but chiefly in that
of FASSADINING, county of KILKENNY, and province
of LEINSTER, 1¾ mile (E. S. E.) from Durrow; contain-
ing 750 inhabitants. This parish, formerly called Rath-
anna and Attier, is situated on the river Nore, and com-
prises 2445 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe
act. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese
of Ossory; the rectory is united to that of Aharney, and
in the patronage of the Crown; the vicarage is united
by act of council to the vicarage of Aharney and the
rectories of Kilmenan and Rossconnell, in the patron-
age of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £138. 9. 2¾.,
of which £92. 6. 1¾. is payable to the rector, and the
remainder to the vicar; and the gross tithes payable to
the vicar amount to £362. 11. 3¾. The tithes of the
rectorial union amount to £318. 19. 5¾. The church,
a plain neat edifice, was erected by aid of a loan of
£850 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1821.
The glebe-house is situated on a glebe of 40 acres, on
which also the church is built, and there is another
glebe of 100 acres in Rossconnell. In the R. C. divi-
sions this parish is one of the nine denominations that
form the union or district of Ballyragget. The parochial
school, in which are 25 children, is supported by the
rector and vicar; and there is a private pay school.
ATTYMASS, a parish, in the barony of GALLEN,
county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3¾ miles
(N.) from Foxford; containing 3276 inhabitants. This
parish is bounded on the south by the river Moy, and
on the east by the Ox mountains. The lands are chiefly
under tillage, but the system of agriculture is not in a
very improved state; there are large tracts of waste land,
which are chiefly irreclaimable bog and mountain. Free-
stone abounds, but limestone is rather scarce, being
found only in some parts of the parish. The surface is
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