Nurney (West Ophaly), Kildare

Historical Description

NURNEY, a parish, in the barony of WEST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. by W.) from Kildare, on the road to Athy; containing 622 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1600 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1032 per annum: there is a great deal of bog, but no waste, and agriculture is improving. It is a constabulary police station. Anciently a large castle stood here, which has been modernised, and now forms the residence of J. W. Fitzgerald, Esq.; this property was forfeited, in 1641, by the Sarsfield family; it is called Nurney House, and has been greatly ornamented and improved by the Bagot family, who lived there till lately. Kildoon is the residence of Edw. Bagot, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, united, in 1809, to the rectories of Kildangan and Walterstown, which three parishes form the corps of the prebend of Nurney, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £87. 13. 10½., and the gross tithes of the union are £198. 18. 1. A church is in progress of erection. In the R. C. divisions this parish is part of the union or district of Monastereven and Kildangan: the chapel adjoins the ruins of the ancient church and burial-ground. About 60 boys and 50 girls are taught in a national school at Cloughrincoe.

Civil Registration

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Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Nurney (West Ophaly) from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1840 by Samuel Lewis (Nurney (West Ophaly))

Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Kildare is available to browse.