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Offerlane
parish, County Laois, or Queen's County, Ireland.
OFFERLANE,
A parish, in the barony of Upper Ossory, Queen's
county, and province of Leinster, 3 1/2 miles (S.W.)
from Mountrath, on the road
to Roscrea (Co. Tipperary) and on that from Dublin
city to Limerick city; containing 9915 inhabitants.
This
parish which is also called De Foralain is situated on
the river Nore, and comprises 53,131 statute acres (of
which 36,987 are applotted under the tithe act) 311 being woodland,
8000 brown mountain and bog, 4000 green mountain and moor, 16,
820 arable, and 24,000 pasture, comprehending and extensive
range of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, stretching from
east to west about seven miles in length, by about two miles
in breadth, the greater part of the land in this extent being
too rugged and barren to admit of cultivation. Gritstone is
in great abundance, and there is a quarry for a fine stone similar
to that of Portland: there are also limestone quarries and a
slate quarry. Petty sessions take place on alternate Fridays
at Castletown and Cooleraine;
and fairs are held at Castletown on June 29th and at
Rushall on the first Monday in every month. Police stations
have been established at Castletown, Cooleraine
and Cartown. There are extensive flour and oatmills at
Cooleraine and Castletown which manufacture at
least 25,000 barrels annually.
The
principal seats are Roundwood, the residence of W. Hamilton
Esq. ; Westfield Farm of J.R. Price Esq., Laca
of J. Pim, Esq.; Cartown of Col. Price;
Coolnagour of J.C. Seymour Esq.; Shanderry of
A.P. Jessop Esq.; Cooleraine house of T. Palmer
Esq ; Donore of W. Despard Esq.; Moorevile
of R. Senior, Esq.; Peafield of R. Belton, Esq.;
Springhill of Capt., J. Knipe ; Monderhilt
of R. Walpole Esq.; Larch Hill of the Rev. J.
Bourke ; Laurel Hill of ??? Bradish, Esq.;
Altavilla of Mrs. Watson ; Derrynasera of A.
Graves Esq.; and Castleview of P. Mansergh Esq.
The
living is a vicarage, in the Diocese of Ossory, and in the
patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the Dean
and chapter of St. Canice, Kilkenny. The tithes amount to
£90, of which £600 is payable to the dean and chapter
, and the remainder to the Vicar. The old church situated at Annatrim,
is in so bad condition as to have long been condemned as unsafe
for use; a new building is about to be erected near it, by subscription
and by a grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe
house was never finished; it stands on a glebe of 254 acres, of
which 120 are bog and mountain.
The
Roman Catholic parish is co-extensive with that of the Established
Church; it is called Underwoods and contains four chapels
- one at Cormorass, one at Rushall, one at Castletown
and one at Killinure.
About
350 children are educated in four public schools, of which the parochial
school at Cooleraine (Coolrain) is aided by an annual donation
from the Dean of Ossory, who gave the school house and an
acre of land; a national school at Castletown is aided by
annual donations from the ladies Fitzpatrick, who built the
school house, and another school is aided by the Dean of Ossory;
there are also four private schools, in which are about 290 children;
and two Sunday schools. There is a dispensary at Cooleraine.
Ruins
of an old Monastery at Monderhilt, of which St. Laserian
was abbot in the year 600, and of a church at Churchtown,
near Castletown; there are also remains of castles at Sharahane
and Castletown, and ruins of a castle at Rushall.
Several raths are in the parish.
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