Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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was disfranchised, and the £15,000 awarded as com-
pensation was paid to the late Board of First Fruits, to
be applied in promoting the residence of the clergy.
Since the Union the. corporation has become extinct;
there are only 20 thatched houses and about 100 inha-
bitants in the village.
The DIOCESE of LEIGH-
LIN is the smallest of the
five which constitute the
ecclesiastical province of
Dublin. Nothing particu-
larly worthy of notice is
recorded of the successors
of St. Laserian till the time
of Donat, who was made
bishop in 1158, and after
whose death the succeed-
ing prelates were invari-
ably appointed from the
English clergy. Notwithstanding the devastation and
plunder of the see in the continued hostilities of
early times, it experienced no irreparable impoverish-
ment till the succession of Daniel Cavanagh, in 1567,
during whose prelacy various grants and long leases
were made to his friends, reserving for his successors
only some very trifling rents; and to such poverty was
it reduced that, after his decease in 1587, it was
granted in commendam to Peter Corse, Archdeacon of
the diocese, and afterwards held with the deanery of
St. Patrick’s, Dublin. In 1600, Robert Grave was
advanced to the see of Ferns, to which this diocese was
then annexed, and both continued from that time to be
held together till 1836, when, on the death of Dr.
Elrington, the last bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, both
sees were united to the bishoprick of Ossory, under the
provisions of the Church Temporalities’ Act, according to
which, the see estate of Ferns and Leighlin remains with
the bishop of the three united dioceses, Ferns, Leighlin
and Ossory; and the see estate of Ossory, which is the
suppressed bishoprick, becomes vested in the Ecclesi-
astical Commissioners, together with the mensal lands
of Ferns and Leighlin; the residence of the bishop
being by that act fixed at Kilkenny, where the bishops
of Ossory have heretofore resided; the bishop therefore
keeps his former residence and acquires a larger see
estate. The diocese of Leighlin is of very irregular
form, extending 50 miles in length and varying from 8
to 16 miles in breadth: it comprehends part of the
counties of Kilkenny and Wicklow, a considerable
portion of the Queen’s county, and the whole of the
county of Carlow; and comprises an estimated super-
ficies of 318,900 acres, of which 17,500 are in the
county of Kilkenny, 42,000 in Wicklow, 122,000 in
Queen’s county, and 137,050 in the county of Carlow.
The lands belonging to the see comprise 12,924 statute
acres of profitable land; and the gross annual revenue,
on an average of three years ending 1831, amounted to
£2667. 7. 6¾. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor,
chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and the prebendaries
of Tecolme, Ullard, Aghold, and Tullowmagrinagh. The
economy estate of the cathedral arises from rents of
tithes reserved by lease out of the parishes of Tullow-
crine, Slyguff, Ballinacarrig, Rahill, Liscoleman, and
Old Leighlin, which, on an average of three years end-
ing Sept. 1831, amounted to £158. 13. 10. per ann., ap-
250
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plied to the payment of the perpetual cure and the re-
pairs of the cathedral. There are four rural deaneries,
namely, Leighlin, Carlow, Tullow, and Maryborough.
The consistorial court of the diocese is held at Carlow,
and consists of a vicar-general, three surrogates, a
registrar, and two proctors. The total number of
parishes is 80, comprised in 59 benefices, of which 14
are unions of two or more parishes, and 45 are single
parishes; of these, 5 are in the patronage of the
Crown, 10 in lay or corporation patronage, 9 in joint
or alternate patronage, and the remainder are in the
patronage of the Bishop or incumbents. The number
of churches is 49, and there are four other episcopal
places of worship; the number of glebe-houses is 25.
In the R. C. divisions this diocese is united with
Kildare, and is suffragan to the R. C. archiepiscopal see
of Dublin: the number of parochial benefices and clergy
is given with the diocese of Kildare; the number of
chapels is 64.
The parish comprises 9738 statute acres, as applot-
ted under the tithe act, and there are about 400 acres of
bog. Agriculture is improving; there are limestone
and flagstone quarries, and coal exists but is not worked.
Old Leighlin is a rectory, belonging in moieties to the
bishop, as part of the see estate, and to the chapter of
the cathedral, as part of the economy fund: the rectory
of Tullowcrine belongs also to the economy fund, and
a perpetual curate is endowed to officiate at the cathe-
dral and to attend to the duties of both parishes, of
which the dean and chapterare the incumbents. The tithes
amount to £461.10. 9¼.; the glebe-house was built by a
gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the late Board of
First Fruits, in 1820; the glebe comprises 12a. lr. The
cathedral, which is also the parish church, is situated in a
secluded spot surrounded with hills: it is a plain ancient
structure, consisting of a nave, 84 feet long, and chancel,
60 feet in length, with a square tower 60 feet high, sur-
mounted by a low spire. It was rebuilt, after having
been destroyed by fire during the prelacy of Bishop
Donat; and the choir was rebuilt by Bishop Sanders
in 1527; the western entrance has a handsome doorway
and window, and there are two side entrances; in the
chancel are the bishop’s throne and the stalls of the
dean and chapter; and the interior contains several
ancient monuments, with many of the 16th century and
upwards. On the north side are the remains of two
roofless buildings, one of small dimensions, and the other
52 feet long and 22 feet wide, with a window of elegant
design at its eastern extremity. Of the episcopal palace,
which was repaired by Bishop Meredyth in 1589, there
are no remains. About 100 yards from the west end of
the church is the well of St. Laserian, formerly much
resorted to; and in the church-yard is a stone sup-
posed to have marked the boundary of the old borough.
In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union
or district of Leighlin-Bridge. About 80 children are
taught in the parochial school, which is supported by
donations from the dean and chapter, the incumbent,
and the governors of the Foundling Hospital; and there
are six private schools, in which are about 420 children.
There are some chalybeate springs, which are used medi-
cinally.
LEIGHLIN-BRIDGE, a market and post-town
partly in the parish of AUGHA, barony of IDRONE-EAST,
but chiefly in that of WELLS, barony of IDRONE-WEST,