Booth and Kelly

CASTLE-BLAKENEY, CALLED ALSO GALLAGH, OR KILLASOLAN, A POST-TOWN AND PARISH

From A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837

CASTLE-BLAKENEY, called also GALLAGH, or KILLASOLAN, a post-town and parish, partly in the barony of KILCONNELL, but chiefly in that of TYAQUIN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 25 miles (E. N. E.) from Galway, and 86 (W.) from Dublin; containing 4305 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Ballinasloe to Tuam, and comprises about 3000 acres of arable and pasture land, and 1000 of waste land and bog. The principal seats are Castle Ffrench, that of Lord Ffrench; Caltra Lodge, of P. J. Joyce, Esq.; Caltra House, of J. Kelly, Esq., J. P.; Cruise Lawn, of W. Cruise, Esq.; Greenville, of P. Cruise, Esq.; and Tycooly, of C. J. O'Kelly, Esq., J.P. Here are two mills for grinding oatmeal, and limestone is abundant. There is a constabulary police station, and fairs are held in the town on Jan. 2nd, March 17th, Whit-Tuesday, July 26th, and Oct. 2nd; fairs are also held at Caltra, in this parish, which see. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Elphin, and in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Bishop: the tithes amount to £300. The church is a neat building, erected by a gift of £200, and a loan of £200, in 1812, from the late Board of First Fruits. There is a glebe-house with a glebe of 80 acres and two detached glebes of four acres. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and is also called Caltra, from the chapel being situated there, which is about to be rebuilt. A school is aided by annual donations from the Archbishop of Tuam and Mr. and Mrs. Blakeney; and there are a school aided by Lord Clonbrock, and another by Lord Ffrench. About 200 boys and 160 girls are taught in these schools, and about 50 boys and 30 girls attend a hedge school.