Kilrush / Askamore Parish
Local History

The Parish of Kilrush(Cill Rois) takes its name from the ancient church built there many centuries ago and known from its situation as the church of the wood or copse. There is no town land of the name in the parish. It has been said that the original patron saint was St Colman, but wheather this be correct or not, by the thirteenth century the dedication of the parish church was to St Brigid. This church was situated in the old cemetery where the present Church of Ireland now stands in the town land of Ballynaberney.

            descriptions from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

KILRUSH, a parish, in the barony of SCARAWALSH, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, adjoining the post-town of Newtownbarry, and containing 2731 inhabitants. This parish comprises 11,036 statute acres of land generally fertile ; but with the exception of some pebble limestone, manure is scarce, and limestone is brought from the county of Carlow. It is watered by the river Slaney, over which are two stone bridges, one connecting it with Newtownbarry, and the other crossing the river at Clohamon.
The principal seats are Ballynapark, that of G. Browne, Esq. ; Clohamon Lodge, of N. Browne, Esq. ; Ballyrankin, of Major Devereux ; and Newlands, of the Rev. W. Hore, all pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Slaney. Part of the demesne of Woodfield, the beautiful seat of Lord Farnham, is also in this parish.
Clohamon is a neat and thriving village of recent origin, and the population is chiefly employed in the large flour and cotton-mills of Mr. William Lewis, from the latter of which are produced on an average about 200 pieces weekly.
The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, forming the corps of the prebend of Kilrush in Ferns cathedral, and it: the patronage of the Bishop : the tithes amount to £694. 3s. 1d. The church is a small plain edifice, and has recently been repaired by a grant of £262 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
In the Roman Catholic divisions it is the head of a union or district, including this parish and that part of Carnew which is in the county of Wexford and containing chapels at Kilrush and Askamore ; the former is a neat modern building, attached to which are a residence for the priest and a school. Clohamon House
Parnell's Cross The land league was founded in 1879 by Michael Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell was its first president.The following year a branch was established in Bunclody, catering for Kilrush, Kilmyshall, castledockrell and Marshalstown.
The principal organizer in the district was Gregory Murphy of Ballinaberney who became vice president of the branch. The land league was suppressed by proclamation in 1881, but in 1882 Parnell founded the Irish National League in its place. The Kilrush branch was known as the Parnell's Cross and Clohamon Branch. Through the influence of Gregory Murphy, the cross-roads at Kilrush was named ''Parnells's Cross''.

Following the closure of Askamore National school in 1945,the department of education offered it for purchase to the people of the parish for the nomonial fee of £100.00.This led to the calling of a meeting by the then curate, Fr Raymond Gahan at which the purchase of the school was agreed and the first committee was formed in 1977.
Under the guidance of Fr Gahan several fundraising events were organized with great success. The building commenced in 1979 with a lot of work being done voluntarily with the expert guidance of tradesmen from the surrounding communities.
The official opening was performed by Fr Patrick O Keefe on 6th April 1980.

1798

Kilrush was one of the areas which suffered greatly in the 1798 Insurrection. There are many records of atrocities committed in the parish before and during 1798.The north Cork Malitia from Carnew and the Newtownbarry Militia forces waged a campaign of terror, burning homes and committing many atrocities in the area from before the general uprising. This continued despite a pledge of loyalty signed by Fr Aidan Murphy and of his parishioners on 28th February 1798.

Andy Kennedy Knockaree.

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