A vision of Ireland through time
A vision of Ireland from 1821 onwards.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
A vision of Ireland through time
A vision of Ireland from 1821 onwards.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
CARYSFORT, MOYCREDDIN, or MOYCREDYNE, a borough, in the parish of RATHDRUM, barony of BALLINACOR, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. W.) from Rathdrum: the population is returned with the parish. This place, which is situated on the road from Rathdrum to Carnew, was formerly appropriated to the priory of All Saints, Dublin; and in the reign of Henry VIII. was granted to the mayor, bailiffs, and commons of that city. During the lieutenancy of Lord Falkland, between the years 1625 and 1629, a castle was erected here in order to check the turbulent septs of O'Toole and O'Byrne: but in 1641, the garrison being withdrawn to Dublin on a case of emergency, and the castle being left in the custody of a few unarmed English, it was surprised and taken by the O'Byrnes, who had intercepted a supply of arms and ammunition sent for its defence. By a charter of Charles I., in 1628, this place was erected into a small military depot, and constituted a borough, under the control of a sovereign and twelve free burgesses.
The corporation was endowed with lands not only for their own support, but also for maintaining the garrison of the castle; and the sovereign was made a justice of the peace, and for a year after the expiration of his office presided in a court for the recovery of debts not exceeding £20. The same charter also conferred upon the sovereign and free burgesses the privilege of returning two representatives to the Irish parliament, which they continued to exercise till the Union, when the borough was disfranchised, and the £15,000 granted as compensation was awarded to John, Earl of Carysfort. This town has dwindled into a small village, consisting only of a few houses of the humblest class, situated in a mountainous district. The corporation appear to have scarcely exercised any of their rights, except that of returning members to parliament, and at present it seems totally extinct as a borough. Fairs are held on Whit-Monday, Nov. 12th, and Dec. 26th. Here is a chapel, which was formerly endowed by the charter of Charles I. with 130 acres of land, for the maintenance of a chaplain, whose appointment was vested in the sovereign and burgesses, or, on their failing to appoint, the income from the endowment was to be paid to any minister officiating in the town. From the extinction of the corporation, the endowment is lost, but the service of the chapel is performed by the rector of Rathdrum, or his curate.
There is a R. C. chapel, which is the parochial chapel of Rathdrum. The Royal chartered school was founded by Charles I., who granted to the sovereign and burgesses 200 acres of arable land and 97 acres of mountain and bog, for the sole use of such schoolmaster as the deputy or other chief governor of Ireland should appoint to reside and teach in the borough. This endowment had been for many years comparatively unavailing; a school was kept in a miserable cabin, and under an inefficient teacher; but a large and commodious school-house, with comfortable apartments for the master and his family, was recently built by the Board of Education, and there are now more than 100 children in the school. The income arising from the endowment, about £160 per annum, is received by the Board, who pay the master's salary, provide all school requisites, and keep the buildings in repair. Carysfort gives the titles of Earl and Baron to the family of Proby.—See RATHDRUM.
(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)
| Linked entities: | |
|---|---|
| Feature Description: | "a borough" (ADL Feature Type: "cities") |
| Administrative units: | Rathdrum IrlPar Ballinacor IrlBarony Wicklow IrlC |
| Place names: | CARYSFORT | CARYSFORT MOYCREDDIN OR MOYCREDYNE | MOYCREDDIN | MOYCREDYNE |
| Place: | Macreddin |
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