Templeludigan

TEMPLEUDIGAN, or ST-PETER'S, a parish, in the barony of BANTRY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 5½ miles (N. E.) from New Ross,, on the road to Newtownbarry; containing 1773 inhabitants.  This parish is bounded on the west by the river Barrow, and on the north-west by the White mountain, by the former of which it is separated from the county of Kilkenny, and by the latter from that of Carlow: it comprises 6611 statute acres, chiefly under tillage, and the state of agriculture has been latterly improved. The surface is generally uneven, and on the confines of Carlow rises into the commencement of a chain of mountains which for about 12 miles forms the boundary between that county and Wexford: the surrounding district is wild and rugged. In the northeastern part of the parish is Coolbawn, the seat of Fras. Bruen, Esq., a splendid mansion in the later English style, erected a few years since after a design by Fred. Darley, Jun., Esq.; it is finished with fine white granite procured on the neighbouring mountains, and forms a striking feature in the surrounding scenery. At Ballywilliam is a station of the constabulary police.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, endowed with the vicarial tithes, and in the patronage of the Incumbent of the union of New Ross, of which this parish was formerly a part; for the performance of clerical duties it is united to the parish of Clonleigh, which still forms part of that benefice: the rectory is impropriate in Eneas McDonnell, Esq., Edw. Lewis, Esq., and Dr. O'Reardon. The tithes amount to £392. 17. 5½., of which £188. 12. 8. is payable in equal portions to the impropriators and the remainder to the curate.  Subsequently to the year 1821, when the perpetual curacy was formed, the late Board of First Fruits gave £225, and lent £37, towards the erection of a glebehouse, which, however, has not yet been built. The church, a small plain edifice, was commenced in 1808, when the same Board gave £600 for its erection, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £308 for its repair and improvement. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Killegney, and contains a neat chapel. About 30 children are educated in a private school. On White mountain, near the border of the parish, there is an ancient cairn or cromlech.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.