No. XIII. KILLALA AND ACHONRY. Dr. JAMES VERSCHOYLE, Bishop. Borrowes, Joseph... 9..r. 3 c. 44,800 13 H. KILLALA & ACHONRY-(continued.) Here are fifteen benefices, out of twenty, consisting solely of unions, and averaging 47,253 acres each, with 20 acres of glebe, and 16 houses, for 14 residents. The counties of Sligo and Mayo, in which this diocese is situate, contain 1,037,750 acres, valued at 19s. per acre. The tithes, reckoned at only 3s. per acre, would yield an average of £7087 per year for each benefice. The Catholic population in 1792 was stated in Mayo as 138,250, Protestants 1750 ; in Sligo, Catholics 58,000, and Protestants 2000. So that we have here the tithes of 708,800 acres, to administer religious rites to 3750 persons, with a population of 196,250 Catholics whilst Catholicism continues to increase, and Protestantism to decrease; for in 1766, the returns of families in this diocese were, Catholics 12481, Protestants 1987. Taking these at five each, the proportion will be 62,405 to 9935; so that from six to one in 1766, the Catholics increased to sixty to one in 1792. Killaloe is included in the counties of Clare, Tipperary, and King's County. The county of Clare contains 476,200 acres, valued at 28s. per acre; Tipperary, 554,950 acres, at 45s.; and King's County, 282,200 acres, at 27s.: the average value may therefore be taken at 33s. per acre. By the return, 28 benefices yield 674,008 acres, averaging 24,071 acres to each benefice. The average value by Wakefield is 33s. per acre. Taking the tithe, therefore, at 8s. 3d. per acre, these benefices would average 99291. 5s. 9d. per year each. The eight Sinecurists, who hold 32 parishes without even the cure of one soul, (pages 288 & 299 of Diocesan Returns) are sad specimens of the application of church revenue in the county of Clare; where, in 1792, the Catholics were 94,800 to 1200 Protestants. |