ABBEYLARA

In 1868, the parish of Abbeylara contained the following places:

"ABBEYLARA, a parish in the barony of Granard, in the county of Longford, province of Leinster, Ireland, 3 miles S. of Granard. It is curiously divided into two nearly equal parts by the parish of Granard, which runs through it from north to south. The eastern half lies on Lough Kemaile, the western on Lough Gownagh. The land is mostly under cultivation, but there are large tracts of bog and some limestone quarries. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, Ardagh, and Elphin, value £110, and in the patronage of the bishop. There is a police station in the parish. St. Patrick is the reputed founder of the monastery of Lara, which was refounded in 1205, by Lord Tuit, for monks of the Cistercian order, and dedicated to the Virgin. There is nothing left of the building now but one fine arch, several smaller arches, and a winding staircase. Among the gentlemen's seats may be mentioned Fernsborough, a finely planted estate, Newgrove, and Kilrea.

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018