Nurney (West Offaly Barony)

NURNEY, a parish, in the barony of WEST-OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. by W.) from Kildare, on the road to Athy; containing 622 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1600 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1032 per annum: there is a great deal of bog, but no waste, and agriculture is improving. It is a constabulary police station. Anciently a large castle stood here, which has been modernised, and now forms the residence of J. W. Fitzgerald, Esq.; this property was forfeited, in 1641, by the Sarsfield family; it is called Nurney House, and has been greatly ornamented and improved by the Bagot family, who lived there till lately. Kildoon is the residence of Edw. Bagot, Esq.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, united, in 1809, to the rectories of Kildangan and Walterstown, which three parishes form the corps of the prebend of Nurney, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £87. 13.10½., and the gross tithes of the union are £198. 18. 1. A church is in progress of erection. In the R. C. divisions this parish is part of the union or district of Monastereven and Kildangan: the chapel adjoins the ruins of the ancient church and burial-ground. About 60 boys and 50 girls are taught in a national school at Cloughrincoe.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.