KILCUMMIN, a parish, in the barony of MAGONIHY,
county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4½
miles (N. E.) from Killarney, on the roads from that town
to Castleisland and Millstreet; containing 6637 inhabitants,
and comprising 36,958 statute acres, as applotted
under the tithe act, including 422 acres not titheable.
A considerable portion consists of mountain pasture,
bog, and coarse arable land. The soil is in general
heavy; but in consequence of an abundant supply of
lime, the state of agriculture has of late been much improved.
The quarry at Carrigdulkeen, isolated in the
midst of an extensive district of mountain and bog,
produces a fine blue limestone, equally adapted for
building and manure, and is worked to a considerable
extent, there being no other within a circuit of several
miles. A court is occasionally held at Five-mile-bridge,
by the Earl of Kenmare's seneschal, for the manors of
Ross and Molahiffe, at which debts not exceeding 40s.
late currency are recoverable. The seats are Shanagh
House, the residence of Mr. H. O'Sullivan; and Rathmore,
the property of D. Cronin, Esq., now occupied by
a society of monks of the order of La Trappe, a branch
from the parent establishment at Mount Melleray, in
the county of Waterford. The parish is in the diocese
of Ardfert and Aghadoe: the rectory is impropriate in
the Earl of Donougbmore, and the vicarage forms part
of the union of Killarney. The tithes amount to
£526. 9. 4¼., of which £304. 18. 7. is payable to the
impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the
R. C. arrangements this parish is divided into East and
West Kilcummin: the former, with the greater part of
the adjoining parish of Nohoval-daly, forms the district
of Knocknacoppel; and the latter forms a separate district,
of which the chapel is situated at Kilcummin. In
the district of Knocknacoppel are the chapel of that
name, a large plain building; Griorguillea chapel, recently
rebuilt; and that of Knocknagree, in Nohoval-
daly: there is also a chapel attached to the establishment
at Rathmore open to the public. In a public
school at Inch, and two others in the parish, about 380
children are educated. To each of these schools the
Earl of Kenmare contributes an annual donation; and
the late Mr. Cronin, of the Park, near Killarney, recently
bequeathed £30 per annum for the establishment
and support of a school in each of the parishes of
Kilcummin and Nohoval-daly. On the southern confines
of the parish are two remarkable mountains, which
from their peculiar shape are called "the Paps," forming
striking features in the mountain scenery on the road
from Killarney to Cork. At their base is an ancient
fort or rath, near which is a holy well resorted to by
numbers of the peasantry on May-day. The ruins of
the old church are situated on an eminence commanding
an extensive prospect. The late Lord Barrymore was
interred here.