KILNERATH, or NEWPORT-ST-JOHN'S, a parish,
in the barony of OWNEY and ARRA, county of TIPPERARY,
and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (E.) from
Newport, on the upper road to Nenagh; containing
2749 inhabitants. It comprises 5147 statute acres, as
applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £4180 per
annum; with the exception of an extensive tract of bog,
affording excellent fuel, the land is in general of good
quality and in an improved state of cultivation. The
scenery is of very interesting character; the banks of
the river are bold and rocky, presenting some very
striking features, and masses of rock lying in its channel
give an artificial rapidity to its course. The principal
seats are Castle Waller, that of R. Waller, Esq.,
pleasingly situated in a tastefully embellished demesne;
Oakhampton, the property of Lord Bloomfield, and residence
of S. W. Philips, Esq.; and Rockvale, the property
of the Rev. M. Moore. At Rockvale are considerable
flour-mills. The living is a recxtory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Cashel, united by act of council to the rectories
and vicarages of Kilcomenty, Killoscully, and Kilvolane,
together constituting the union of Kilnerath, or
St. John's Newport, in the patronage of the Archbishop:
the tithes amount to £300, and of the entire benefice to
£1407. 16. 101/2. There is a glebe-house, and the glebe
of the union comprises 81/2 acres. The principal church of
the union is at Newport; there is also a church in the
parish of Killoscully. In the R. C. divisions the parish
is the head of two unions or districts, one called Newport,
comprising also parts of the parishes of Kilvolane
and Kilcomenty, in each of which is a chapel; and the
other called Ballynahinch, comprising also Killoscully,
in which latter parish is a chapel. The chapel at
Ballynahinch, to which a school-house is attached, was
built on ground given by Lord Dunally. About 400
children are taught in four private schools. There are
some remains of the old church, and also of the chapel
of Kilpatrick; near which is a chalybeate spring, not
much used.