Parish
of Arles
The present Parish of Arles was
known in olden times as the Parish of Killabban and in
fact the district is still referred to as the Parish of
Killabban in most legal documents. Until very recently
the local Protestant Rector was known officially as The
Rector of Killabban. The parish derived it's name from the
Gaelic 'Cill Abbain' or Church of Abban. St.Abban was the
founder of a monastery at the site where the old abbey
ruins now stand in the Townsland of Killabban. Those
ruins are situated almost in the centre on the townsland,
(they are said to date back to the early part of the
sixth century), and are one of the greatest examples of
Medieval Architecture. It is a great pity that they have
not been better attended to and preserved for future
historians.
ARLES PARISH
TODAY
Arles to day, being the head
of the Catholic parish of Killabban, (now known as Arles Parish)
had a new chapel, The Sacred Heart Church of Arles, built in
1865. Its design is that of the late nineteenth century, with a
broach spire by Pugin and Ashlin. The firm of Pugin & Ashlin of
Dublin which was founded by E.W. Pugin, specialised in Catholic
ecclesiastical buildings at the time.
Arles according to
Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837
According to the LEWIS TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND.
1837. by Samuel Lewis, Arles is described as a village, within
the civil parish of Shrule which is in that part of the parish of
Killabban, in The Barony of Slievemargy, and within the Province
of Leinster. It is located about ¾ of a mile North of
Ballickmoyler on the main road between Carlow Town in the South
and Maryborough (Portlaoise) in the North.
This place, which contains about 40 houses, and about 250
inhabitants, is of neat and pleasing appearance. At some time
during the mid 1800's the area was well noted for the production
of excellent quality House and Roofing Tiles. These were sent to
Dublin and other places around the country, where they were in
much demand at the time. This type of tile has been to a great
degree superseded by the use of slates, and the tile works are
now extinct in the village. After the collapse of the Tiling
industry the village turned its talents to the manufacture of
yarn and linen. This was carried on to a small extent within the
village until the late 1800's and probably into the early 1900's.
The principal object of interest in Arles is the curious
Mausoleum of the Grace family, occupying the site on the south
wing of the parish church, which was called Grace Chapel. It is
21 feet in length and 16 feet in breadth, with a lofty gabled
roof, terminating at each extremity in crooked pinnacles, 31 feet
in height. The lower story consists of a vault with a circular
roof, designed for the reception of the remains of the deceased
members of the family, above which is a vaulted apartment of the
same dimensions with a groined roof, in which are placed
monumental inscriptions. In blank windows on the exterior are
also large tablets, formerly within the building that previously
occupied the site of the present mausoleum. The whole was erected
in 1818, and the prevailing character is that of the later
English style. The earliest dates to be seen on the tomb is 1708
and the last date is 1796.
The Bohermore or great road from Carlow to
Stradbally passes by Arles and it was along this road on August
16th 1600 that the Lord Deputy Mountjoy
(Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, 1563-1606) (and Earl of
Devonshire) was leading his army through Arles on the way to
Cullenagh Castle when he encountered Owny MacRory O'More who was
the last Prince of Laois. The encounter resulted in the death of
Owny MacRory O'More and the Gaelic principality of Laois came to
an end. The English then proceeded to repair their mansions of
stone and lime and settle in the old seats of the race of Connell
Cearnach. There was no one like Owny to defend it.
Electrification finally
arrived in both Arles and Ballickmoyler in the November of 1955.
PARISH RECORDS
Arles (Killabban) Baptisms., Marriages., & Deaths; The
entries are arranged under town- lands and appear to cover
the period from 1821 to 1856, but are more frequent in the
early years of this period.
Film No. 1331
- Baptisms Mar 1831 - Jan 1843
- Marriages Sept 1831 - Feb 1843
- Baptisms Jan 1843 - Aug 1861
- Aug 1843 - July 1861
- Baptisms Jan 1849 - Dec 1858
- June 1850 - Nov 1858 - (The entries are not the same as
those in the previous register which also covers this
period.)
All the above records are held by the Parish Priest of
the Parish of Arles.
