Stradbally parish & town, County Laois, or Queen's County, Ireland.
STRADBALLY, a market and post town, and parish in the barony of Stradbally, Queen's county, province of Leinster, 5 miles (E.) from Maryborough and 38 (S.W. by W.) from Dublin city, containing 2392 inhabitants.
This place, anciently called Mo?? Bealing" was the site of a Franciscan monastery for ?? in the 12th century by the chief of the O'Mores in 1592, was granted with aLl its possessions containing several castles to Francis Cosby Esq and his heirs "Held as of the castle of Maryborough, in capite, by knight's service, at a yearly rent of £17.6.3, and to provide nine English horsemen". This grant was, in 1609, confirmed and renewed by Jas. 1st to Richard son of Alexander Cosbye, together with the manor and lordship of Timahoe.
The town is one of the most pleasant in the county; it is situated on the banks of a small river shich flows into the Barrow, in a vale surrounded by lofty hills, and in a district richly embellished with cultivated desmensnes. The principal street, is spacious; the number of houses in 1831, was 306, mostly well built; the river is crossed by a bridge of three arches. The southern branch of the Grand canal passes along the eastern side of the barony into the vale of the Barrow, opeing a communication with Dublin and the towns on that river, but there are no manufactures, nor is any trade carried on, excepting that arising from the produce of two flour mills on the stream that runs through the town. The market is on a Saturday; and there are fairs on May 6th, July 10th, Aug 21st, Sept 14th and Nov. 21st.
A
chief constabulary police force is stationed in the town; general sessions
of the peace are held here twice in the year and petty sessions on alternate
Fridays. The court house is a neat building and attached to it a small
bridewell,containing three cells, two day rooms and an airing yard.
There is a dispensary and also a savings bank.
The
parish comprises 1373 statute acres, as apploted under the tithe act,
the land is good, and much of it in desmesne, the sytem of agriculture
is improved, and very excellent limestone is procured, which is used
for building and other purposes. The vicinity is beautifully varied.
Stradbally Hall, the residence of T.P. Cosby Esq., is a handsome mansion adjoining the town, and situated in a highly embellished desmesne, within the limits of which was formerly the ancient castle of the O'Mores. Brockley park, formerly occupied by the Earl of Roden, and now the residence and property of W.D. Farrer Esq., is pleasantly situated on the opposite side of the town. In the vicinity are also Ballykilcavan, the seat and improved demesne of Sir. Edw. Walsh, Bart., Kellyville: the residence of Thomas B. Kelly Esq., Timogue of Thomas Budds Esq., Ballymanus of M. Dunne Esq., Moyanna of J. Lyons Esq., Vicarstown of Jas. Grattan Esq., Rahinduffe of Mrs. Baldwin; Derry of John Baldwin Esq., Lohihoa of R. Dexter Esq., Clopook of Mrs. Mahon, and Esker of T. Bailie Esq.,
The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Leighlin united by an act of council, in 1774, to the vicarage of Moyanna and in the patronage of T.P. Cosby, Esq.: the rectory is impropriate in the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin. The tithes amount to £208.14s.2d., of which £139.9s.7d., is payable to the impropriators and the remainder to the vicar. The glebe house is a good residence, and the glebe comprises 12 acres; the gross tithes of the benefice amount to 3207.13.9. The church is a handsome building in the town, was erected in 1764 by subscription ; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £321 for its repair.
In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Moyanna, Corclone, Timogue, Fossey and Kilcolmanbrook (and also Killeany according to the description of that parish : Killeany was formerly united to Corclone in the Church of Ireland religious divisions); the chapel in the town is a spacious edifice, and a handsome chapel has lately been erected at Timahoe in the gothic style, capable of accommodating 4000 persons. About 80 children are taught in the national school, which is wholly supported by Mrs. Cosby; and there are several private schools. There was formerly a charter school, for which a building was erected at an expense of £3000, of which sum £300 was a gift from the late Poole Cosby Esq.
A battle is said to have been fought at Stradbally bridge between the first settlers of the Cosby family and a native sept in which the leaders on both sides were killed. Near the town are the ruins of an old church, the walls of which are about 6 feet thick and of considerable height; Under one end is the mausolewaun of the Cosby family. Four miles to the south is the Dun of Clopoke, an isolated rock in which there are various singular cavities;; it has a level summit, formerly encompassed with a ramprt of stone, and was a fort of the O'Mores; the ascent is steep and rugged, it is now remarkable only for the romantic views which it commands along the range of hills in its vicinity and the rich pastures of Timogue.