LARAGHBRYAN

In 1868, the parish of Laraghbryan contained the following places:

"LARAGHBRYAN, a parish in the barony of North Salt, county Kildare, province of Leinster, Ireland, containing Maynooth, its post town. It is 5 miles long by 3½ broad. The surface, which is flat, is traversed by the Royal canal. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Dublin. The Duke of Leinster built the church. The Roman Catholic chapel is united to that of Leixlip. There are four day schools. Carton is the demesne of the Duke of Leinster."

"MAYNOOTH, (or Laraghbryan), a market and post town, in the parish of Laraghbryan, in the barony of North Salt, county Kildare, province of Leinster, Ireland. It is situated on the river Rye Water, about 12 miles W. from Dublin, with which it is connected by the Midland Great Western Railway, and Royal Canal, on which it is a station. There are no manufactures, and but little trade carried on; the consequence of which is that the town is straggling, the houses generally half empty, and the inhabitants, with few exceptions, very poor. The population of the town, according to the parliamentary return of 1831, amounted to 2,620; in 1834 it was 2,869; and, in 1861, it was reduced to 2,091. It contains the parish church, which was restored in 1774 by the late Duke of Leinster, a Roman Catholic chapel, National and other schools, court-house, and dispensary, which is within the Colbridge Poor-law union. Here, about the time of the reign of Henry III., the Kildare branch of the Fitzgeralds fixed their principal seat, and around the dwelling of these celebrated chieftains sprang up the town, almost as it now stands. At the W. end stand the ruins of a once formidable fortress, built in 1426 by John, sixth Earl of Offaly, and dismantled in 1646 by the Catholic army, under General Preston. In 1518, a license was granted for Gerald, eighth earl, to build a College under the special patronage of the B. V. M., of which the Prebend of Maynooth was master, and the Vicar of Laraghbryan, sub-master; and in 1678, a charter was given for the holding of one weekly market, and two yearly fairs. In modern times, also, Maynooth is celebrated both as the seat of the Fitzgeralds, represented in the person of the Duke of Leinster, and for its College, so often the subject of debates in the British House of Commons. About a mile from the town, on the E. side, is Carton, the residence of the Leinster family. The mansion stands in the midst of an extensive demesne. On the opposite side of the town, and contiguous to the ruins of Leinster Castle, stands the Roman Catholic College. The Relief Bill, passed in 1793, permitted Catholics to endow a college and schools. In consequence of this, the General Committee, or Convention of the Roman Catholics, when dissolving at their last meeting, on the 25th April, 1793, appointed a committee to procure an improved system of education for the youth of that persuasion. The persons to whom this duty was entrusted had made considerable progress in devising a scheme which embraced the education of persons of every persuasion, and which would be under the joint control of the clergy and laity, and depend on the people for support. This popular plan, however, did not obtain the approbation of the clergy, and the promoters were assured they might desist from their labours, as an arrangement had been made for Catholic education, which should be, solely conducted by the bishops, under the auspices of government and the sanction of parliament. Accordingly, on January 14th, 1794, the Catholic prelates presented an address to the Lord-Lieutenant (John Earl of Westmoreland), praying that his excellency would use his influence to obtain the royal license for putting their design into effect. Lord Fitzwilliam, in his speech to parliament, recommended it, and the Rev. Thomas Hussey was called on to superintend the plan of education. (See Pelham's Speech, February 26th, 1798.) Lord Camden, on succeeding to Lord Fitzwilliam, found the government pledged to carry this measure into operation. Accordingly, on 23rd April, leave was given to bring in a Bill for applying the sum of £10,000, granted to his Majesty, or part thereof, for establishing a college for the better education of persons professing the Popish or Roman Catholic religion. Next day a bill was introduced, and Dr. Hussey was ordered to attend the committee of the House, when it should come under consideration. When the Bill was read a second time, it was found that no clause existed limiting the College to the admission of those only who were candidates for the clerical ministry. It was then withdrawn, and, fresh leave given in an amended form, and the Bill was introduced on the 1st May. By this Act (35 Geo. III. c. 21) twenty-one trustees (the Chancellor and three Chief Judges, six Roman Catholic laymen, ten bishops, and Dr. Hussey) were appointed for the purpose of establishing, endowing, and maintaining one academy for the education of persons professing the Roman Catholic religion only. The original parliamentary grant for building and endowing this College was £8,000; it was afterwards raised to £13,000; again lowered to 18,928; and is now about £28,000 per annum. When first opened, in 1795, 50 students were admitted. In 1800, an increase of 50 more took place. The number was augmented to 200 in 1802, and, in 1809, to 250. There are now on the rolls about 480 students, 270 of whom, in addition to free commons, are in receipt of £20 per annum, paid out of the parliamentary grant. Attached to the College is an establishment for the support of a limited number of senior scholars of distinguished merit, called, from its founder, the "Dunboyne." Lord Dunboyne, atone time Catholic Bishop of Cork, having embraced Protestantism, again recanted, and, dying, bequeathed the sum of £500 for this purpose. Government afterwards added £70,0. It has a library, containing 12,000 volumes. The town also contains a police station, and petty and quarter sessions are helot in the court-house. Fairs are held on May 4th, September 19th, and October 9th.

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018