Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary, Co. Galway

Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary comprises of several counties, cities, boroughs, parish and villages – with historical and statistical descriptions – of Ireland. Here are From-Ireland.net’s records for Co. Galway.


  • Place
    Kiltormer
  • County
    Galway
  • Parish
    Kiltormer
  • Content
    KILTORMER, a parish, in time barony of LONGFORD, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3.25 miles (N. W.) from Eyrecourt, on the road to Loughrea; containing 2133 inhabitants.

    It comprises 4859 statute access as applotted under the tithe act, and a considerable quantity of reclaimable bog. Here is a constabulary police station.

    The principal seats are Eyreville, an elegant mansion in the Italian style of architecture, the residence of T. Stratford Eyre, Esq., by whom it was built ; Bellevue, of W. Lawrence, Esq. ; Mount Pleasant, of Chas. Seymour, Esq. ; Skycur, of P. Callaghan, Esq. ; Ballydonagh, of F. Madden, Esq. ; and Chilhame, of De La Warr Digges, Esq.

    The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, episcopally united in 1813 to the rectories and vicarages of Killoran and Abbeygormagan, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the bishop and deanery of Clonfert. The tithes amount to £101. 10s. 9.25d., of which £41. 10s. 9.25d., is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £27. 13s. 10.25d., to the dean, and £32. 6s. 1.75d., to the vicar ; the tithes of the benefice amount to £200. 18s. 5.50d. The glebe-house was erected by a gift of £450 and a loan of £145 from the late Board of First fruits, in 1818 : there is a glebe of two acres. The church, which is in the village of Kiltormer-Kelly, was built in 1815 on a site given by T. Stratford Eyre, Esq., by a gift of £600 and a loan of £200 from the same Board, and has been recently repaired by a grant of £109 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ; it is a neat edifice with a square tower, enclosed in a planted area.

    In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also part of Clonfert, and has a chapel at Kiltormer-Kelly.

    The parochial school, in which 50 children are educated, is aided by a donation of £6 annually from the incumbent ; and there is a national school, in which nearly 400 children are taught, for which J. Prendergast, Esq.. gave the site and £50 towards its erection. There are also two private schools of about 90 children.

    At Ballydough, on the south side of the road, are the foundations of a large castle. A holy well here is resorted to annually on the last Sunday in July by numbers of the peasantry.
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