Kilcatherine

KILCATERN, or KILCATEERIN, a parish, in the barony of BERE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (N. N. W.) from Castletown; containing 6042 inhabitants. This parish comprises 5865 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3537 per ann., and above 15,000 acres of bog and mountain. It rises into mountains near the Kenmare river, and on the north-west has a capacious I 2 bay, called Kilcateerin, or Quoilah bay. The valleys are moderately well cultivated, chiefly by spade husbandry; the mountains are generally bare, but afford good summer pasture. At Allihais are extensive copper mines, which have been constantly worked since 1813, and in 1835 produced 7466 tons of remarkably good ore. Mills have been erected at Ballydonagan for crushing the ore, and numerous houses and cottages foi the persons employed in the mines have been built. A new road from Castletown to the mines will shortly be opened, and other improvements are contemplated; a constabulary police station has been lately established.

The parish is in the diocese of Ross: the rectory is partly impropriate in Lord Riversdale, and partly appropriate to the vicarage, which forms part of the union of Kilaconenagh. The tithes amount to £193. 6. 1¾., of which £65 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. Divine service is performed at Allihais, in a house licensed by the Bishop. The R. C. parish is in the diocese of Kerry, and is co-oxtensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel is a small plain building near Quoilah bay. About 430 children are educated in seven private schools. Near the bay are the remains of the old church; and not far distant is a very high erect stone, called a Gollane or Long stone.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.