DONADEA, a parish, in the barony of IKEATHY
and OUGHTERANY, county of KILDARE, and province of
LEINSTER, 4 miles (S.S.W.) from Kilcock; containing
400 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the
western side of the bog of Allen, comprises 1976 statute
acres, of which 120 are woodland, and of the remainder,
nearly equal portions are under tillage and in pasture; the
soil is good, and an improved system of agriculture
prevails. There are excellent quarries of limestone,
which is procured for building and burning; fuel is
abundantly supplied from the bog of Allen. Donadea
Castle is an ancient structure, belonging to the Aylmer
family; in 1691 it was besieged by a party of forces in
the interest of Jas. II., but was gallantly defended by
Ellen, daughter of Thomas, Viscount Thurles, wife of
Sir Andrew Aylmer; it has been lately modernised and
improved, and is at present the residence of Sir Gerald
George Aylmer, Bart. Woodside, a handsome villa,
has lately been built by the Rev. W. J. Aylmer, the
rector. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Kildare, episcopally united to that of Balrahan,
which two parishes constitute the corps of the prebend of
Donadea in the cathedral of Kildare, and in the alter
nate patronage of the Crown and Sir G. G. Aylmer: the
tithes amount to £125. 4. 9½|., and the tithes for the
whole union amount to £286. 4. 9½. There is neither
glebe-house nor glebe. The church, a neat edifice in
the later English style, was erected in 1813, by a loan
of £1000 from the late Board of First Fruits, and con
tains a curious monument to Sir Gerald Aylmer, the
first baronet, and his lady. A neat school-house has
been built of stone, at an expense of £340, of which
£170 was granted from the lord-lieutenant's school fund,
and the remainder raised by subscription and by the
Kildare-Place Society; three acres of land were granted
at a nominal rent by Sir G. G. Aylmer, on lease renew
able for ever, and vested in the rector and church
wardens, for the master; the school is further supported
by the Trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity; 30 boys
and girls are educated in it, Here is a dispensary.