Cahirnarry Civil Parish, Limerick county, Lewis, 1837 description ©Jane Lyons

This page is part of an Irish genealogy web site 'From Ireland' ©Dr. Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland.

CAHIRNARRY, a parish, partly in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of LIMERICK, but chiefly in the county of the city of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S.E.) from Limerick city; containing 1939 inhabitants.

This parish is situated on the road from Charleville (Co. Cork) to Limerick city and comprises 1832 statute acres. About one fourth of the land which is in general remarkably good, is under tillage; the remainder is rich meadow and pasture land, chiefly grazed by milch cows, whose milk is sent daily to Limerick. Limestone quarries are numerous, all furnishing good stone, which is raised for agricultural purposes. At one of the extremities of the parish is a valuable bog of about 70 acres. A new line road leading from Limerick to Charlevile and avoiding the hill, has been recently opened. In the village of Ballyneedy is a constabulary police station.

The principal seats are Ballyneguard, the residence of J. Croker Esq., Cahirnarry House, of J. Cripps, Esq., Ballyneedy of J. Fitzgerald, Esq; and the glebe house of the Rev. J. Gabbett : there are also several other excellent houses.

The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Limerick, and in the gift of the Dean, the rectory is part of the union and corps of the deanery of Limerick. The tithes amount to £173 7s. 8d., payable to the Dean. The curates income is £75 per annum, paid by the dean ; he has also the glebe-house and glebe, for which he pays a nominal rent. The church is a small plain building, with a tower and spire of hewn stone, erected by aid of a gift of £450, and a loan of £50, from the same Board, in 1813: the glebe comprises five acres.

In the Roman Catholic divisions, this parish forms part of the union or district of Donoughmore or Knockea.

On the summit of the hill, east of the church is a small turret, erected by the late John Howley, Esq., in 1821, to commemorate the election of Thomas Spring Rice, Esq., the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, as a member of parliament for the city of Limerick. In the churchyard is a very splendid monument covering a large vault, also erected by Mr. Howley, and in which his remains were interred. From the summit of the hill are some very extensive views ; and not far distant from it are the ruined castles of Rathsiward, Drombanny and Liccadoen.

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