KILFENTINAN, a parish, in the barony of BUNRATTY,
county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, contiguous
to the post-town of Six-mile-bridge (of which it
includes a small portion); containing 2856 inhabitants
and comprising about 3600 acres, as rated for the
county cess. It is situated on the northern shore of the
river Shannon, and comprehends the two small inhabited
islands of Grass and Graigue, containing respectively
six and five plantation acres of rich pasture land.
Near the latter is a rocky shoal called "the Scarlets,"
on which is a low tower erected as a guide to the navigation
of the river. On the shores of this parish are
some of the rich corcasses, which yield a succession of
abundant crops without any manure. The land is
mostly in tillage, and the state of agriculture has been
latterly improved. A court for the manor of Bunratty
is occasionally held at Cratloe, by Lord Egremont's
seneschal, in which small debts are recoverable. Here
is a station of the constabulary police. The seats are
Cratloe Woods, the occasional residence of Stafford
O'Brien, Esq.; and Ballintlea, of J. Kelly, Esq. The
living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, and in
the patronage of the Earl of Egremont, in whom the
rectory is impropriate: the tithes amount to £267. 10.,
of which £197. 10. is payable to the impropriator, and
£70 to the vicar. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with
that of the Established Church. The principal chapel
is at Cratloe Cross, and there is another at Ballyliddane,
near Six-mile-bridge. About 120 children are educated
in four private schools, and application is about to be
made to establish a school at Cratloe, under the National
Board. The ruins of the castles of Cratloe, Cratloe
Kail, and Ballintlea, still remain; also of the old church
on Gallows hill, and of another at Crochan. Near the
latter is a very perfect druidical altar or cromlech.