KILMANAGH,
a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY,
and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N.) from Callan,
on the road from Kilkenny city
to Ballingarry; containing 1663 inhabitants. The name of this
place was originally Kilnamanagh, or the "chapel of the
monks;" and it is stated that St. Natalis, founder
and abbot of the establishment, died in 563.
It comprises
5337 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which are almost
equally divided between arable and pasture land, both of which are well
cultivated. There is abundance of limestone, and culm is raised at Killeen;
here is a grist-mill. Petty sessions are held fortnightly in the village,
where there are a constabulary police station and a dispensary.
The principal
seats are Shipton, the handsome residence of J. Sandiford
Lane, Esq.; Pottlerath, of T. Waring, Esq.;
and the glebe-house, of the Rev. Hans Caulfield.
The living
is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese
of Ossory, and in the gift of the Bishop, forming the corps
of the prebend of Kilmanagh in the cathedral of Kilkenny;
the tithes amount to £323. 1. 6 1/2 . There is a glebe-house,
with a glebe of 201a. 3r. 18p. The church is a small plain building,
erected about 90 years since.
In the
R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of
Ballycallan, and contains a chapel,
a plain building, with a school-house adjoining. There is a parochial
school, to which the rector contributes £10 annually, and has
endowed it with an acre of land, and in which about 60 children are
educated; also two private schools, in which 140 are educated.
There
are considerable remains of the old church, and of a castle at Pottlerath.
