- Agha or Augha parish,
Barony of
Idrone East,
- County of Carlow, Ireland
-
- From A Topographical Dictionary of
Ireland (1837)
by Samuel Lewis
AGHA, or AUGHA,
a parish, in the barony of IDRONE EAST,
county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, comprising part of
the market and post-town of Leighlin-bridge, and containing 1739
inhabitants. This parish is situated on the east side of the
river Barrow, which is navigable to Waterford, and on the road
from Carlow to Kilkenny. An abbey, called Achad-finglass, was
founded here at a very early period by St. Fintan, and in 864,
in which year it was plundered by the Danes, had risen into some
note; its site is now unknown. The parish contains 4028 statute
acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and is wholly under
cultivation; the system of agriculture is improving. Limestone
for burning is procured within its limits.
The principal seats
are Rathwade, the residence of B.B. Newton, Esq., and Steuart
Lodge, of W. R. Steuart, Esq. Fairs for the sale of live stock
are held on Easter-Monday, May 14th, Sept. 23rd, and Dec. 27th;
and there are two at Orchard on Whit-Tuesday and Oct. 2nd. It is
a vicarage, in the diocese of Leighlin, and forms part of the
union of Dunleckney; the rectory is impropriate in A. Weldon,
Esq. The tithes amount to £415. 7. 8 1/4., of which £276. 18. 5
1/2. is payable to the impropriator, and £128. 9. 2 3/4. to the
vicar. The church is in ruins. In the R. C. divisions it is
partly in the union or district of Dunleckney, and partly in
that of Old Leighlin: the chapel, situated at Newtown, is a
handsome edifice lately erected. There are two schools for boys
and girls; one situated at Leighlin-bridge, and the other, a
large and handsome edifice lately built, near the R. C. chapel;
they afford instruction to 120 boys and 230 girls. There is also
a private pay school, in which are about 20 children; and a
dispensary.
Source:
www.libraryireland.com
& OSi Mapviewer.
- Agha Monastery ruins
- The doorway of the ruined monastery
at Agha (achadh-arghlais i.e. "the field of the green
tillage") which dates from the 6th Century. For further
references on this monastery see Dr. Comerford's
'Collections of Kildare and Leighlin', Vol. HI, P.96.
Carloviana, 1967: 'Three Carlow Monasteries' by E. F.
Brophy.
Photo: W. Ellis
Source: Carloviana 1983. No.
30
- Agha Church
Standing firm in the heart of Carlow’s farmland are the
remains of Agha Church which has been described as ‘one of the
most striking examples of pre-Romanesque architecture in the
country’. Agha’s early history is obscure although it is
mentioned in the Life of St. Fintan and may have been
subordinate to Fintan’s monastery at Clonenagh, Co. Laois. In
866, Agha, which was positioned on the borders of the Irish
kingdom of Uí Dróna, which was raided by the Vikings and the men
of the neighbouring kingdom of Ossory.
The present church, part of which dates to the tenth century,
may represent a rebuilding which was undertaken in the wake of
that attack. The tenth-century phase of the church consists of
the west gable and part of the south wall. This phase is
characterized by very regular and well-coursed masonry. Field
stones of similar dimensions were carefully chosen and the
overall uniformity of the masonry is unique. Large square blocks
were used to form the lintelled door surround and deep antae are
present.
The character of the masonry in the second phase of the
building is very different and lacks the regularity of the
earlier phase. It is possible to clearly see the distinctive
differences between the two styles in the south wall of the
church. The later phase appears to date from the twelfth century
and the fact the church was extended at this time may indicate
an increased population in the area. This coincided with a
reforming period within the Irish church and perhaps a boost in
church attendance. Close to the church are two cross bases and a
medieval sundial. The sockets in the cross bases suggest that
they would have supported fairly small crosses, perhaps similar
to the Nurney cross. The area around the church was used as a
burial site for un-baptised infants up to the nineteenth
century.
- Image - near to Hooper's Cross Roads,
Rathedan Cross Roads, Nurney and Cloneen Bridge, Carlow,
Ireland. © Copyright Liam Murphy and licensed for reuse
under this Creative Commons Licence.
http://www.geograph.ie/
Text source: http://trails.carlowtourism.com/agha-church.html
- Agha Civil Parish, Co. Carlow
-
Placenames
|
-
Poor Law Union
|
|
Agha |
Carlow |
|
Cloneen |
Carlow |
|
Leighlinbridge |
Carlow |
|
Leighlinbridge town |
Carlow |
|
Newtown |
Carlow |
|
Nurney |
Carlow |
|
Rathedan |
Carlow |
|
Rathellin |
Carlow |
|
Rathwade |
Carlow |
Aghade Lodge
