KILNAMANNAGH, or KILMANNAGH, a parish,
in the barony of BERE, county of CORK, and province of
MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. W.) from Castletown; containing
5612 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the
south-western coast, forming a peninsula between the
bays of Bantry and Ballydonagan, and comprises 8895
statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued
at £3316 per annum. Of these, 3126 are arable, and
5769 bog and mountain. The land is tolerably fertile,
and is chiefly cultivated by the spade, and manured with
sea-weed and sand. The mountains consist of slate, of
which there are excellent quarries at Lickbarren, but
imperfectly worked. Asbestos is found at Kenlogh, and
near Blackhall; lead and copper ore are frequently discovered
in small masses, and iron ore is abundant. At
the south-western extremity of the parish is Crow head,
in lat. 51° 34' 20" and Ion. 10° 11' 40." Here is also
Blackball Head, on which is a signal station, and
between it and Sheep Head is the entrance to Bantry
bay. Dursey island is separated from the western coast
by a deep and dangerous channel, about 50 yards wide,
through which the tide runs with great rapidity. There
is a coast-guard station at Garinish Point, one of the
three in the Castletown district. It is a vicarage, in the
diocese of Ross, forming part of the union of Kilaconenagh;
the rectory is partly impropriate in Lord Riversdale,
and partly appropriate to the vicarage. The tithes
amount to £278. 12. 31/2., of which £130 is payable to
the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In
the R. C. divisions it is in the diocese of Kerry, and is
the head of a union or district, called Castletown, comprising
this parish and Kilaconenagh; there is a chapel
at Cahirmore. There are five private schools, in which
about 380 children are educated. The old church is a
picturesque ruin.