KILKENNY

kilkenny, statute of, the name given to a body of laws promulgated in 1366 with the object of strengthening the english authority in ireland. in 1361, when edward iii. was on the english throne, he sent one of his younger sons, lionel, duke of clarence, who was already married to an irish heiress, to represent him in ireland. from the english point of view the country was in a most unsatisfactory condition. lawless and predatory, the english settlers were hardly distinguishable from the native irish, and the authority of the english king over both had been reduced to vanishing point. in their efforts to cope with the prevailing disorder lionel and his advisers summoned a parliament to meet at kilkenny early in 1366 and here the statute of kilkenny was passed into law. this statute was written in norman-french, and nineteen of its clauses are merely repetitions of some ordinances which had been drawn up at kilkenny fifteen years earlier. it began by relating how the existing state of lawlessness was due to the malign influence exercised by the irish over the english, and, like magna carta, its first positive provision declared that the church should be free. as a prime remedy for the prevailing evils all marriages between the two races were forbidden. englishmen must not speak the irish tongue, nor receive irish minstrels into their dwellings, nor even ride in the irish fashion; while to give or sell horses or armour to the irish was made a treasonable offence. moreover english and not breton law was to be employed, and no irishman could legally be received into a religious house, nor presented to a benefice. the statute also contained clauses for compelling the english settlers to keep the laws. for each county four wardens of the peace were to be appointed, while the sheriffs were to hold their tourns twice a year and were not to oppress the people by their exactions. an attempt was made to prevent the emigration of labourers, and finally the spiritual arm was invoked to secure obedience to these laws by threats of excommunication. the statute, although marking an interesting stage in the history of ireland, had very little practical effect. the full text is published in the _statutes and ordinances of ireland. john to henry v._, by h. f. berry (1907). killala (pron. _killalla_), a small town on the north coast of county mayo, ireland, in the northern parliamentary division, on the western shore of a fine bay to which it gives name. pop. (1901), 510. it is a terminus of a branch of the midland great western railway. its trade is almost wholly diverted to ballina on the river moy, which enters the bay, but killala is of high antiquarian and historical interest. it was for many centuries a bishop's see, the foundation being attributed to st patrick in the 5th century, but the diocese was joined with achonry early in the 17th century and with tuam in 1833. the cathedral church of st patrick is a plain structure of the 17th century. there is a fine souterrain, evidently connected with a rath, or encampment, in the graveyard. a round tower, 84 ft. in height, stands boldly on an isolated eminence. close to killala the french under humbert landed in 1798, being diverted by contrary winds from the donegal coast. near the moy river, south of killala, are the abbeys of moyne and roserk or rosserick, both decorated in style, and both possessing fine cloisters. at rathfran, 2 m. n., is a dominican abbey (1274), and in the neighbourhood are camps, cromlechs, and an inscribed ogham stone, 12 ft. in height. killala gives name to a roman catholic diocese, the seat of which, however, is at ballina.