CASTLE-ELLIS, a parish

CASTLE-ELLIS, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Oulart; containing 1750 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Wexford to Gorey, and comprises 5312 statute acres, principally under tillage, with some good pasture land: the soil is in general fertile, the only poor land being a sandy tract, and the system of agriculture is improving. The parish abounds with limestone gravel, containing a large proportion of marine shells, and with white and blue marl; and at Ballybuie, or Ballyboy, are some quarries of good granite used for building. The only seat is Newfort, the property of Lord Kilmaine, and now occupied by E. Turner, Esq. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, to which the vicarage of Kilmalog and the impropriate curacies of Killesk and Killely were united by act of council in 1798, forming the union of Castle-Ellis, or Kilmalog, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes, amounting to £288. 3. 6 ½., are impropriate in Capt. Villiers Hatton, who allows a stipend for the performance of the clerical duties; and the entire tithes of the benefice, payable to the incumbent, amount to £197. 5. 7.

The church was built by aid of a loan of £600 granted in 1813, by the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was also built by aid of a gift of £100 from the same Board, in 1810: the glebe consists of four detached portions comprising in all 73 acres, and lying near the sites of the old churches. In the R. C. divisions this parish is partly in the union or district of Oulart, and partly in that of Blackwater, where the parochial chapels are respectively situated. A commodious school-house was erected at Ballybog, a few years since, by Mrs. Jessop, of Dowry Hall, who has endowed it with £40 per annum and about two acres of land, and also allows yearly six tons of coal: the school is open to all children from the surrounding parishes, who are provided with books and stationery, and there is a separate school-room for girls.