•  Mulrankin, County Wexford

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described Mulrankin like this:

MULRANKIN, a parish, in the barony of BARGY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 7 miles (S. by W.) from Wexford, on the roads to Kilmore and Duncormuck: containing 996 inhabitants. It is intersected by a small stream called the Bridgetown river, which flows into the lough formed by the Burrow of Ballyteigue; and it comprises 2182 statute acres, the greater portion of which is under tillage. ...

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The soil is in general fertile, and the state of agriculture much improved. Portions of a moor, chiefly common land, have been reclaimed with great industry, and built on, by the peasantry, although the soil is very poor; and in this extensive tract there now remain only about 40 plantation acres of waste: there are some good dairy farms in the parish. At Rathyark are extensive limestone quarries and limekilns, which supply an abundance of manure for the neighbourhood; limestone is also found on the glebe. Fairs are held on March 9th, April 13th, June 19th, Aug. 12th, and Nov. 30th, chiefly for cattle. The seats are Brideswell, the occasional residence of Lady King; and Mulrankin glebe, the residence of the Rev. Wm. Hickie, author of several popular works on the agriculture and rural economy of Ireland. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, united from time immemorial with the rectories of Kilmannan and Killag, and the vicarage of Kilcowan, together constituting the union of Mulrankin, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £173.12.10., and of the entire benefice to £539. 13. 8 ½.; the glebe comprises 34a. 1r. 22p. of good land; and the glebe-house, towards the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits gave £100, in 1813, is one of the largest and best in the diocese. The church, a plain building without either tower or spire, has been lately condemned as unworthy of repair, and a new church is about to be erected by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kilmore; there is a chapel on the moor, with a residence for the R. C. curate, for whom also about four acres of the common have been enclosed and brought into cultivation. A parochial school is supported by the rector, who has also established an evening school for adults; and adjoining the chapel is a national school. Mr. Lett, many years since, bequeathed £50, which was paid to the Board of Charitable Bequests, and the interest is distributed among the poor of Mulrankin, Maglass, and Kilmannan. The ruins of the castle of Mulrankin still remain, but. those of Bridgetown have been lately taken down; the former of these castles, before the confiscations of the 17th century, belonged to the family of Brown, and the latter to that of Keating.—See BRIDGETOWN.

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