﻿KIHO'S COUNTY. 



KIKQ'S COUNTY. 



iia 



Ormt Southani and Woitmi from Dublin to Corit pumtt near the 

 (outhern bonier. Tba moct important highway! are the mail road 

 Irom Dublin to Birr, and the mail^ooaeh (oada from Dublin to Oalway 

 and Limerick, which reapectiveljr croM tha north-western and south- 

 weatem diitticts of the county. Tbara are alao numerous good 

 croaa-roada. 



Ottloffg. — Tha itratifled Umeatone of tha central plain of Irehmd 

 apreada orer the entire area of the county, except the portiona oocu- 



eiad by the Sltere-Bloom chain and the hill of Crogbaa The Sliere- 

 loom range oonaiata of olay-alate, supporting flaolu of very compact 

 aandatooe in which the day-alate ia enveloped on all the declinties. 

 Tha atrata of the clay^late vary from one foot to three feet in thick- 

 IMM^ and in aome plaoea afford exoellent fla^s. Crogban Hill consists 

 of tnp conglomerate. The limaatone of the surrounding plain 

 appears tilttd up and supported on the north-western and south- 

 weatern aidea of the greenstone tabular maasea. Calcareous matter is 

 generally diffused through this rock, which varies from a pale lavender 

 colour to a grayish-black. The rock ia vary easily decomposed, and 

 forms an uncommonly rich and friable soil The hill is almost all 

 under cultivation, and yields the most abundant white and green 

 cropa. Uaaay atrata of greenstone appear also between Croghan Hill 

 and Philipatown. 



Climate, Soil, and Ajfricultvre. — Notwithstanding the extent of wet 

 ground on the surface of King's County, the climate is neither damp 

 uor unwholesome. This is partly accounted for by the antiseptic 

 quality of the peat-bog, and partly by the county lying comparatively 

 high and open. The bogs, which occupy so large a portion of the 

 county, generally repose on limestone gravel The soil in general is 

 not naturally fertile, but can be made to yield very good crops in the 

 arable districts, by manuring with the lime and bog-mud. Near the 

 middle of the Slieve-Bloom range are some fertile and extensive 

 pastures. In the district lying between these mountains and Tipperary 

 the soil is generally a light gravel, easily tilled, and tolerably fertile. 

 The banks of the Shannon where they are occasionally overflowed 

 afford considerable tracts of fine meadow, and the oskers and dcrries, 

 as the open spots of dry ground in and between the bogs are termed, 

 have generally a rich friable soiL The chief grazing districts iu the 

 county lie on the borders of West Meath, whore the pastures are 

 considered very favourable to wool-growiug. Throughout the central 

 division the soil, where unincumbered with bog, is ^most wholly in 

 tillage. The best ground in the county is iu the northern division, 

 from Croghan Hill to the boundary of Meath. 



The number of acres under crops in 1853 was 132,098, of which 

 13,939 produced wheat; 37,370 oats; 8340 barley, bcre, rye, peas, 

 and beans; 17,891 potatoes; 10,678 tumipa; 3S02 mangolds, carrots, 

 cabbage, and green cropa; 195 flax ; and 39,883 acres were in meadow 

 and clover. Including an estimate for detached trees, in 1841 there 

 were 11,185 acres growing timber, chiefly oak, ash, elm, and beech. 

 On 12,960 holdings there were 12,466 horses; 5555 mules and asses; 

 48,553 horned-cattle; 379 deer; 78,230 sheep; 19,477 pigs; 4667 

 goata; and 162,296 head of poultry. 



The occupationa are entirely agricultural; the fabrics, such as 

 houaehold linen, frieze, and seige, made by the peasantry, being 

 merely for family use. 



Divitiont and Totont. — King's County is divided into 12 baronies — 

 Bally boy, south and centre ; Bally brit, south-west ; Ballycowan, central ; 

 Clonliak, aouth-aouth-west ; Coolestown, east; Eglish, Garrycastle, 

 west; Oeaahill, south and east of centre; Kilcoursey, noru-west; 

 Philipstown Lower, north, and Upper, south-east ; and Warrenstown, 

 north-east. The chief towns are Tullamore ; Birr, or Parsonstown ; 

 Bauagber ; FortarliugtoD ; and Kdenderry ; all of which are noticed 

 under their proper heads. 



The other more important placea are the following, with the popu- 

 lation of each in 1851 : — 



CUtra, 1 miles N.W. from Tullamore, population 996, is a neat 

 little town on the Broann, which here drivea aeveial large corn-mills. 

 The town has a church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a Methodist meuting- 

 house, and a dispensary. A corn-market is held weekly on Wednesday, 

 and ten fairs are held in the course of the year. 



Frtmkfonl, population 956, on the Broughill Kiver, 15 miles S.W. 

 from Tullamore, has a lai^e Roman Catholic chapel and a dispensary. 

 A corn-market ia held here weekly on Saturday. Near the town are 

 aararal handaoma oouuti^ a eat s, among which are Broughill Castle, 

 tha midenoe of N. Fitxaimon, Eaq., and Temora, the ancient seat of 

 tha oounta Uagawley. 



KtamiUy, population 452, a neat village, containing a church, a 

 Boman Catholic chape], a dispensary, and a National school, is 

 situated at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountams, 18 miles S. by W. 

 from TuUamore. Close to the town is Bernard Castle, the seat of 

 Captain Bernard. At a short distance caat of the village are Kuock- 

 naman and Carroll's HiU, summiU of the Slieve-Bloom, which rise 

 raapaotivaly to 1113 feet and 1534 feet above the sea, and afford 

 ozt«na!va viewa over the great central plain of Ireland. A few miles 

 W. of Kinnitty are the eodeaiastical ruius and ancient burying-ground 

 of Seir-Kieran. or St-Kiaran. Among the ruins is a smul round 

 tower 20 feet high, with a conical atone roof. 



Monrj/gaU, population 631, situated iu the most southern i)art of the 

 county, at the fool of the Deril's Bit Uountoina, and 30 iniloa ii.S.W. 



from Tullamore, haa a dispensary. In this part of tha oounty there 

 are extensive plantationa and numeroua country seata. Fairs are hold 

 in Hay, August, and November. 



PhUiptUnm, population 748, a market-town, formerly a parlia- 

 mentary borough, and till 1833 the assize town of the oounty, situated 

 •n the Grand Canal, 8 milea E. by N. from Tullamore, consists chiefly 

 of one street, and is altogether an ill-built place. The old name of ^le 

 town was Dangtm, which was changed to Philipstown in honour of 

 Philip II. of Spain, husband of Queen Mary ; it retume<l two mem- 

 bers to the Iriah House of Commona The public buildings are a 

 sessions-house, a jail, a cavalry barrack, a Roman Catholic chapel, a 

 church, and the remains of Fort Castle, iu which King Philip resided 

 during his viait. The town has a dispensary and two schools. A 

 weekly market is held on Thursday. 



Shinrone, population 873, about 6 milea W. by N. from Roacrea, 

 has a neat church, a large Roman CatboUo chapel, a small chapel for 

 Methodists, a fever hospital, a dispensary, and a National scJiool. 

 Petty sessions are held weekly. Fairs are held in Shinrone on July 

 9th and November 2lBt 



Besides the places already noticed the following may be mentioned. 

 The populations are those of 1851. 



Ballyboy, population 219, situated on the Broughill River, 13 miles 

 S.W. from Tullamore, has a neat church. About a mile south of it 

 is the bill of Knock, which attains a height of 499 feet above the 

 adjacent flat coimtry. BaUycumher, population 156, a village 8 miles 

 W. from Tullamore, stands on the Broma, which is here crossed by a 

 good stone bridge. In the vicinity are several handsome seata, 

 forming with the village an agreeable contrast to the dreary expanse 

 of bog. Cloghan, population 663, 16 miles W.S.W. from 'Tullamore, 

 on the road to Banasher, is a village situated in a level country, about 

 a mile W. from the beautiful green hill of Cloghan. In the village 

 are a church and a Roman Catholic chapel, and a few miles south of 

 it is Clogbau Castle, the residence of Q. O. Moore, Esq., which ia one 

 of the oldest inhabited castles in Ireland. Crinkill, population 556, 

 forms a suburb of the town of Birr, and has a police station. Ferbane, 

 population 641, ou the right bank of the Brosua, 14 milea W. from 

 Tullamore, is situated in a flat country, with large tracts of bog near 

 the town. It contains a church, a Roman Catholic chapel, several 

 schools, a dispensary, and a small inn. OeattiUl, 7 miles K.S.E. from 

 Tullamore, population 826, is situated on the road from Philipstown 

 to Portarlington. The village stands on the summit of a ridge of 

 hills, which is crotvned with the parish church, the parson;)ge, and the 

 ruius of the old castle of Geashill. KilUigh, population 182, a small 

 village containing a chapel of ease and a large Roman Catholic chapel, 

 is situated 5 miles S. from Tullamore, oa the road to Mountmellick. 

 This place is of considerable antiquity, and once bad three monasteries, 

 remains of one of which still exist. Shannon- Bridge, population 395, 

 is situated on the left bank of the Shannon, 24 miles W. from Tulla- 

 more, on the roud to Ballioasloe. It is one of the three forti&ed posses 

 still maintained upon the Shannon, the other two being Banagher and 

 Atbluue. The bridge which here croesea the Shannon consists of 16 

 arches, with two additional arches across a short lateral caoal cut to 

 avoid a fall of about a foot in the current of the river. At the Ros- 

 common or Connaught end of the bridge is a tdte-de-pont, capable of 

 accommodating a small garrison. The public road runs between the 

 barracks and fort, passing through a strong gate. The fortifications 

 resemble those at Banagher, but the barracks are laiger and the 

 battery is more conspicuous. Shaimon-Bturbotir, population 152, 

 stands on the Grand Canal, 7 miles S.E. from Shannon-Bridge, half 

 a mile £. from the Shannon. It contains a lai^ inn and stores 

 originally constructed by the Canal company, but now i>artially occu- 

 pied as a police barrack. A steamer runs between Shonuon-Uarbour 

 and KillEuoe. A fine quarry of dove-marble is worked near the 

 village. 



King's County is in the dioceaes of Kildare, Meath, Killaloo, Ossory, 

 and Clonfert. There were 84 National schools in operation in Sej)- 

 tember 1852, attended by 4434 mole and 5147 female children. The 

 county returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. Assizes are 

 held at Tullamore. Quarter sessions are held at Tullamore, Birr, and 

 Philipstown, in each of which is a court-house and jail ; that at 

 Tullamore being the county jail, and the others bridewells. Petty 

 sessions are held in 16 places. The district luuatic asylum, to which 

 King's County is entitled to send 48 patients, is at Maryborough, iu 

 Queen's County. A county infirmary is at Tullamore ; fever-hospitals 

 are at Shinrone and Birr, aud dispensaries in all the chief towns and 

 villages. Savings banks are established at Tullamore aud Birr. There 

 are Union workhouses at Tullamore, Edenderry, aud Birr. The county 

 is partly in the military district of Dublin aud partly in that of 

 Limerick: there are barracks at Banagher, Birr, Shannon Bridge, 

 Tullamore, and Philipstown. The staff of the county militia is 

 stationed at Birr. The police force of the couuty, consisting of 412 

 men aud officers, haa its head-quarters at TuUamore^ and is distributed 

 among districts, oompriaiug 56 stations. The districts are Tullamore, 

 Edeudeiry, Ferbane, Birr, Shinrone, and Frankford. Resident magis- 

 trates are stationed at TiiUAinure and Birr. 



Uitlory and AtUiquitiea. — This district was not made a distinct 

 county until 1557. Before that period it was generally designated 

 Wosteru Ulenuialery, to distinguish it from Eastern Qlunmalery, the 



