No. XXIV.

UNION OF

WHITECHURCH AND KILMOKEA,

(Diocese of Ferns, and County of Wexford.)

BY THE REV. THOMAS HANDCOCK, RECTOR,

I. The Name of the Parish, Situation, Extent, &c.

WHITECHURCH is the translation of the old Name, Irish denomination of this parish; but the saint to whom the church was dedicated, has not been ascertained. Kilmokea, or, as it is spelled in old diocesan documents, "Kilmokeia," is supposed to signify the burying place, cell, or cemetery of some saint or patron, whose name is expressed (probably corruptly) by the latter syllables of the word. No record or trace of this person, written or traditionary, is to be found.

The union is situated in the south-west of the county Situation, of Wexford, and in the barony of Shelburne, with the exception of one townland, viz. Stokestown in Whitechurch parish, which lies in the barony of Bantry. The whole is bounded on the west by the river Boundaries Barrow; on the south by the parish of St. James;

Extent,

Rivers,

Wood.

Granite,
Slate.

(Ballyhack) on the east by the parish of Old Ross; and on the north by that of New Ross; and contains nineteen townlands, as expressed in the county books, and to be found in the appendix. The union is about five miles in extent, from north to south, and about 2 miles from east to west. It may be calculated to contain more of arable than of pasture or meadow.

The chief river, bordering the union, is the Barrow, flowing north and south along its western boundary; and with the Suir falling into the sea at Duncannon, or rather at the tower of Hook. The only eminence in the union, deserving the denomination of mountain, is that of Slievkelter, or Slievkilta; the etymology of the word Sliev, is said to signify a green grassy slope; the remainder of the word is by no means obvious. The sides of this mountain are arable and bog, and the summit is an extended plain, which makes a good sheep walk, and is a common to the adjoining estates. There are not in the union any considerable bogs, moors, or thickets, and only one wood of oak, occupying 50 acres, at Stokestown; but there are several young plantations in the demesnes of the gentry.

II. Mines, Minerals, &c..

There are not any mines or minerals yet discovered, though a black mould, resembling tin ore, appears in veins in several places; but there are some good quarries of granite stone and slate. The only natural manure, found within the union, is sea-weed, on the parts contiguous to the rivers, and the slob of the

rivers. The general manure is lime-stone, used separately, or mixed with mould, old ditches, dung, slob, &c.: this lime is produced from stone brought in lighters from Dunkit, in the county of Kilkenny.

The soil of these parishes is in general light; the best grounds are in the Great Island.

III. Modern Buildings, &c.

House.

The only public building (exclusive of places hereafter mentioned) existing in these parishes, is a house built by the late proprietor of Stokestown, Udith Paul, Schoo otherwise Drake; and intended as a school for the gratuitous education of the poor children of her estate, and endowed by her will. She is about two years deceased; and her executors have not yet put her charitable intention into effect.

The principal gentlemen's scats are, Kilmanock, the Gentleseat of Thomas Richard Houghton, Esq., now in the men's Seats occupation of George Powell, Esq., seven miles southeast of Ross: Piltown, the seat of the Rev. William Glascott, five miles south-west of the same town: Fruit Hill, that of George Glascott, Esq., five and a half miles south-east of Ross: Portobello, that of John Buchanan, Esq., nearly six miles south-east of Ross: Stokestown, containing the seats of George Drake, Adam Glascott, and John Ussher, Esqrs., from two to three miles south of Ross: Aldertown, that of the late John Glascott, Esq. five miles south-east of Ross: Killowan, that of Captain John Glascott, four miles south of Ross. Kilmanock, Fruit Hill, Great

Roads.

Seenery,

Ruined

Castle.

Ancient
Castles.

Island, and the other demesnes, lie on the west side of the road to Ross; Portobello on the east side of it. Besides the glebe-house of Kilmokea, there stands in the Great Island, a house, called with its demesne, Bellisle, formerly the chief mansion house of the Palliser family: it is now in the occupation of a farmer.

The union is intersected by the high roads from Fethard and Duncannon, to the town of New Ross; and from the ferry of Ballinlaw, to Ross, Wexford, and Enniscorthy. The scenery of these parishes is generally picturesque, affording various beautiful views of the river, and neighbouring mountains, in the counties of Kilkenny, Waterford, and Tipperary.

IV. Ancient Buildings, &c.

Though there are not any ruins of a monastery in the union, the venerable pile of ruins at Dunbrody is contiguous to it, and may be seen from all parts of it. The ruins of one castle of note, built with flankers and a bawn, are to be found at Ballykeerogue: it formerly belonged to the Suttons, who gave denomination to an ancient parochial division of land, comprehending this union and several adjoining parishes since subdivided.

Several of the square castles, built by the undertakers, still exist. One stands at Stokestown, another at Aldertown, a third at Priest's Haggert, and two in the Great Island. In the townland, formerly an island, (contradistinguished from the little Island in the river near

Waterford) now a peninsula formed by banking out the river, there are two Danish raths of considerable ex- Raths, tent, and a strong entrenchment like that of Bagginbun, supposed to be erected for defence of the island from the mainland; but there is not any record of the time or occasion of their erection. The island appears to have been a scene of conflict, both in ancient and modern times; for, besides a large collection of human bones, much decayed, found in one part of it, grape and other shot are found in several places: a lodgment made by Cromwell in the island, on his approach to Waterford, may account for the latter circumstance.

V. Present & Former State of Population, Food, Fuel, &c.

There are in the union 292 heads of families, of all Population classes; it is not easy to calculate the proportion which males bear to females in general; but taking at random one of the townlands, I find in it 34 heads of families, (males) 30 wives, and 73 children.

ment.

The occupation of the lower classes is generally agri- Employ culture and the feeding of swine. They are in general in easy circumstances, being industrious, sober, and quiet, in a singular degree. The lower classes in this union are generally strong, healthy, and handsome; the air is very wholesome; their exterior is decent; their diet potatoes, milk, eggs, and dried fish.

Food

Frequent instances of life extending even to 100 years Longevity. occur among them; they are, however, subject to an ague in spring, and to fevers in summer. Infection