Clonelty

CLONELTY, or CLONITA, a parish, in the GLENGUIN Division of the barony of UPPER-CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N.

E.) from Newcastle; containing 1327 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Ballingarry to Newcastle, and contains 3541 statute acres. The land is generally good: about one-half is under tillage, producing abundant crops of wheat, oats, and potatoes; the remainder is meadow and pasture, the latter of which includes the high grounds of Knockaderry, which are of silicious formation, and are being gradually brought into cultivation. Within the parish is the village of Knockaderry, which see. Near the village is Knoekaderry House, the ancient seat of the D'Arcy family, and present residence of T. D'Arcy Evans, Esq., situated amidst extensive plantations. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, episcopally united, in 1744, to the vicarage of Cloncah, and in the patronage of the Vicars Choral of the cathedral church of St. Mary, Limerick, to whom the rectory is appropriate. The tithes amount to £285, of which £195 is payable to the vicars choral, and the remainder to the vicar; the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £180. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish is united to Cloncah and Grange, and is the head of a union or district called Knockaderry, in which there is a small plain chapel. At Knockaderry is a national school, in which are about 50 boys and 20 girls; and there is a private school of about 30 boys and 20 girls. The old church is supposed to have been founded by St. Ita or Ittai, early in the 7th century; its ruins form a picturesque object. Near it are the remains of Ballynoe castle, which was built by the Knights Templars.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.