DUNFORT, or DUNFORTH, a parish, in the barony of CARBERY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (W.) from Kilcock, on the road from Enfield to Naas; containing 900 inhabitants. The land is of superior quality for grazing cattle, to which purpose it is almost exclusively devoted. A portion of the bog of Allen extends into the parish. The seats are Dunforth House, the residence of Sir F. Macdonald; Mulgeeth, of E. Ruthven, Esq., M. P.; and Metcalfe Park, of F. Metcalfe, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Kildare, entirely impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire: the tithes amount to £101. 1. 10. The clerical duties are performed by the incumbent of Carbery. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Carbery : the chapel is a plain building. At Kilshanroe is a school of about 60 children, supported by subscription. There are some remains of the old church.

(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)