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Killeban,
Killabban or Killaban Civil Parish, County Laois, or Queen's County.
KILLEBAN
or KILLABAN, A parish, partly in the barony of Ballyadams,
but chiefly in that of Slievemargue, Queen's
county, province of Leinster, 3 miles (S. by W.) from Athy,
on the road from that place to Kilkenny; containing 9776
inhabitants.
It
includes the villages of Arles, Ballinan
and Ballickmoylar, which
are separately described, and comprises 24,749 statute acres, as
applotted under the tithe act. The land is generally fertile, and
chiefly in pasture with some bog and mountain; the system of agriculture
is improving. Limstone flag-stone and sandstone are quarried and
at Newtown are extensive collieries; there are also collieries
at Modubah, Tollerton, Corgeo, and Hunt's Park.
Fairs are held at Mayo on June 29th and Oct 18th ; and a
manorial court is held at Newtown.
The
principal seats are Cooper Hill, the residences of W.
Cope Cooper Esq.; Ashfield
Hall of P. Gale Esq.; Rahin of Lieut-Col Weldon,;
Tollerton of Hovendon Stapleton Esq.,; Kileen
of M. Dillon Thomas Esq. ; Maidenhead of the Bambrick
family ; Ardeateagle of W. Fitzmaurice Esq.; and
Hollymount of W. Fishbourne Esq.,
The
living is a rectory, in the Diocese of Leighlin and in the
gift of the Crown. The tithes amount to £1,292.6s.1 1/2d .
Here are two churches one at Castletown and the other at
Mayo, for the erection of one of which the late Board of
First Fruits, in 1813 gave £800; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
have lately granted £108 for the repairs of that at Castletown
and £172 for that at Mayo. There is neither glebe house nor
glebe.
In
the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms the head of
two unions or districts, one called Ballylinan
and Arles, which has chapels at those
places and at Killean; the other called Mayo and Doonane
which is united with the parish of Rathaspick
and has chapels at Mayo and Doonane.
About
400 children are educated in four public schools, to three of which
the rector subscribes and 640 in 16 private schools; there are also
six Sunday schools. St. Abban founded a monastery here in 650, in
which he is said to have been interred; there are some remains of
the church. There are also remains of the old church of Arles and
of the ancient castle of Hovendon, over the entrance to which
are quartered the arms of the Leinster and Ormonde families. Near
Castletown church is a well, which supplies water enough to turn
a mill in its immediate vicinity.
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