Kilcockan

KILCOCKAN, a parish, in the barony of COSHBRIDE, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (E.S.E.) from Tallow, on the river Black water; containing 1461 inhabitants. It comprises 6827 statute acres, and includes the modern castle of Strancally, the seat of J. Keily, Esq., the proprietor of the parish, who intends rebuilding the village. The castle is a large Gothic building, in a richly planted demesne of above 1000 acres.

The parish is in the diocese of Lismore; the rectory is impropriate in the Duke of Devonshire and J. Keily, Esq., and the vicarage forms part of the union of Templemichael. The tithes amount to £236. 4. 0½., of which £69. 4. 7½. is payable to each of the impropriators, and £97. 14. 9½. to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Templemichael, also called Knockanore, or Kilwatermoy, and has a chapel recently erected. Here are the ruins of the ancient castle of Strancally, which formerly belonged to the Earls of Desmond. After its forfeiture by that family, it was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Walter Raleigh, by whom it was assigned to the Earl of Cork. This castle appears to have been partially demolished with gunpowder a long time since, and was recently struck by lightning, which caused a large portion of it to fall into the Blackwater.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.