TEMPLEORAN, or FORAN, a parish, in the barony
of MOYGOISH, county of WESTMEATH, and province of
LEINSTER, 5 miles (N.W.) from Mullingar, on the road
to Ballinacargy, and on Lough Iron, which bounds the
parish on the north; containing 1298 inhabitants. This
parish, which is intersected by the Royal Canal, comprises
5498 statute acres of excellent land, principally
under grass; there is a small quantity of bog. Sonna,
for upwards of six centuries the seat of the Tuite family,
is at present the residence of H. Morgan Tuite, Esq.;
the. house is a light and elegant building, in a wellplanted
demesne, situated on the bank of a picturesque
lake. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, entirely
impropriate in Sir John B. Piers, Bart., and forming
part of the union and perpetual cure of Leney: the
tithes, amounting to £137.3., are wholly payable to the
impropriator. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a
union or district, called Sonna, comprising this parish
and that of Kilbixy, in each of which is a chapel; that
of Templeorum is at Sonna. There is a private school, in
which are about 26 children. The ruins of the old
church are on the lands of Templeoran, and in their
vicinity are several raths.