Garfinagh or Garfiney, Kerry
Historical Description
GARFINAGH, or GARFINEY, a parish, in the barony of CORKAGUINEY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (N. E.) from Dingle, on the road to Tralee; containing 938 inhabitants. It comprises 4652½ statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large portion of which consists of mountain pasture; the arable portion is well manured with sea-weed and sand, brought from the strand at Bunbawn, and the state of agriculture is gradually improving. At Flemingstown is a small boulting-mill. Balintagart, the newly erected mansion of S. Murray Hickson, Esq., is finely situated on an eminence commanding an extensive view of Dingle bay and the surrounding mountains. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is impropriate in Lord Ventry. The tithes, amounting to £138. 9. 2½., are payable in the proportion of two-thirds to the impropriator and one-third to the vicar: the glebe belongs to Lord Ventry. In the R. C. divisions the parish is included in the district of Dingle. At Balintagart is an ancient burial-ground, now used for children only: it is surrounded by a circular fosse or ditch, and contains several gravestones with Ogham inscriptions. On clearing some ground in the vicinity, several small circular cells were discovered, constructed of stone work and communicating with each other: they are supposed to have formed an ancient reservoir, to which there was a descent of several steps. Near the ruins of the church is a very narrow bridge over the small river Garfinagh, on the old road from Dingle to Tralee; from its high arched form it has been termed the Rainbow bridge, and is evidently of great antiquity.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Garfinagh or Garfiney from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1840 by Samuel Lewis (Garfinagh or Garfiney)
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Kerry is available to browse.