Enniscoffey Civil Parish, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

ENNISCOFFEY, a parish, in the barony of FARTULLAGH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. S. E.) from Mullingar, near the road to Kinnegad ; containing 939 inhabitants.

A battle was fought at Gaybrook, in this parish, between the forces of Wm. III. and the Irish adherents of Jas.II., in which the latter were defeated and pursued to Killucan. The parish comprises 4167 statute acres, principally grazing land, and a large proportion of bog.

The chief seats are Gaybrook, the residence of Mrs. A. Smith, a handsome mansion in a fine demesne, richly planted and diversified with artificial lakes; Enniscoffey House, of M. A. Levinge, Esq. ; and Birmingham, of G. Rochfort, Esq.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, united by act of council, in 1818, to the rectory of Kilbride-Pilate, and in the patronage of the Bishop ; the rectory is impropriate in the Misses Blundell. The tithes amount to £112. 12s. 3½d., the whole payable to the impropriators ; the annual value of the benefice, including glebe, is £106. 8s. The glebe-house, situated in the parish of Kilbride-Pilate, was built by aid of a gift of £450 and a loan of £200, in 1821, from the late Board of First Fruits ; the glebe comprises 16 acres, valued at £6. 8s. 0d. per ann. The church is a neat edifice, built by aid of a gift of £900, in 1818, from the same Board.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Fartullagh. About 45 children are taught in the parochial school, which is aided by the incumbent and Mrs. Smith, and an infants' school of 50 children is entirely supported by the latter.

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