| CLONMELLON, a market and post-town, in the parish of KILLUA, barony of DELVIN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4? miles (W. N. W.) from Athboy, on the road to Oldeastle ; containing 960 inhabitants. This is a neat little town, consisting of 183 houses, the market is on Tuesday : and fairs are held on Jan. 28th, May 2nd, July 25th, and Sept. 29th. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight, and here is a station of the constabulary police, The parish church, dedicated to St. Lucy, and situated close to the town, is a good building, with a spire. The parochial school, which is under the National Board, but was built by Sir T. Chapman, is also here ; and there is a dispensary.-See KILLUA. |
| KILLUA, or KILLOAH, a parish, in the barony of DELVIN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (W. N. W.) from Athboy, on the road from that place to Oldcastle ; containing, with the town of Clonmellon, 2198 inhabitants. It comprises 5360 statute acres, about half of which is in tillage, and contains limestone, but neither waste land nor bog. Killua Castle is the handsome castellated residence of Sir T. Chapman, Bart., and contains a fine collection of paintings by the old masters ; the demesne comprises more than 500 acres, and contains a sheet of water, an obelisk to Sir Walter Raleigh, and the ruins of a preceptory of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Ballinlough Castle, the seat of Sir J. Nugent, Bart., is in a demesne of above 300 acres ; and here is also Heathstown, the residence of W. Dyer, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Killallon: the rectory is impropriate in N. Ogle, Esq. ; the tithes amount to £125, of which £80 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The church, which is at Clonmellon, and is a neat structure, with a handsome spire, was built about 50 years since, partly at the expense of the late Sir B. Chapman, Bart., and has recently been repaired by a grant of £25l from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district called Clonmellon, including also the parishes of Killallon and Clonarney, and containing chapels at Clonmellon and Killallon: the former is a neat building, with a detached belfry. About 250 children are educated in the parochial school, for which Sir T. Chapman gave the house and ground, and Lady Chapman subscribes £10 annually ; and about 160 in five private schools. Here is an almshouse for four poor women, who have a weekly allowance from the Chapman family ; and in Clonmellon are ten almshouses for aged and infirm labourers, who have each more than an acre of land, and £2 per annum, and £5 is appropriated for keeping the houses in repair: they were established under the will of the late Sir B. Chapman, Bart. There are some remains of the old church, with a burial-ground attached, which is the place of interment of the Chapman family.-See CLONMELLON. |
