Clonmethan (Irish: Gleann Meáin;[1] formerly also Clonmelkin,[2] Kilmethan,[3] or Glimmethan[4]) is a townland and a civil parish in the ancient barony of Balrothery West, Fingal in Ireland.
[5][6] It is bordered by the parishes of Palmerstown to the west, Grallagh to the north, Hollywood to the northeast, Westpalstown to the east, Killossery to the southeast, Killsallaghan to the south, and Greenoge, County Meath to the southwest.
[4] In 1675, the Dublin Castle administration by act of council united four other Church of Ireland parishes into the prebend of Clonmethan: Ballyboghill, Ballymadun, Palmerstown, and Westpalstown.
The second difference was about a similar right to the burials in the chapel of St. James's, Palmerstown near Greenock, which the canons of St. Patrick's claimed as an appendage of the prebend of Clonmethan, and the Prior of Lanthony as apppertaining to the church of Garristown.
Both matters were submitted to the Metropolitan, who determined in the former case that the burials of the chapel of Grallagh should belong to the mother church of Hollywood, but that the vicar should pay four shillings per annum to the Prebendary of Clonmethan.
In the latter he decided that the chapel of Palmerstown, Fingal near Greenock, with its burials, should belong to the church of Garristown, but that the prior and convent of Lanthony should pay to the vicar of that chapel four marks yearly ; the vicar was moreover to pay a pension of five shillings yearly, at the feast of St. Michael, to the Prebendary of Clonmethan, as a full compensation for any right he might have to the said burial.
In 1414 Thomas Cranley, Prebendary of Clonmethan, was sued for two-thirds parts of the issues and profits of said prebend for two years, having been an absentee therefrom, but, on production of the king's letters patent licensing his absence, the claim was given up.
In 1560 Alexander Craike, Prebendary of Clonmethan and Dean of St. Patricks, was promoted to the see of Kildare, retaining, however, the deanery of St. Patrick's therewith, "inasmuch As the said bishopric as well in spirituals as temporals, by continual and intolerable oppression of the Irish rebels, is become so small and poor as to be inefficient for keeping of hospitality, and maintaining other charges which the said bishop is obliged to support."
In 1564 Robert Daly, who had been prebendary of this place, was consecrated Bishop of Kildare, and held this prebend with the vicarage of Swords in commendam.
The queen's letter of this year mentions, that he "is well commended to her for his good name and honest living, and the rather because he was well able to preach in the Irish tongue."
In 1667 the Archbishop of Dublin had a grant of fifty acres plantation measure here, with various other lands in augmentation of his see; and in 1675 the parishes of Clonmethan, Balmadun, Falmerstown, Grenogue, Westpalstown, and Ballyboghill, were united by act of council.
In 1716 Archbishop King, by virtue of a power vested in him by act of parliament, granted to the Prebendary of Clonmethan and his successors for ever as a glebe for that parish, the following lands, viz.
It was to him Dean Swift bequeathed the silver box, in which the freedom of the city of Dublin had been presented to him, and in which, says the testator, "I desire the said John to keep the tobacco he usually cheweth called pig-tail."
[14] Since the Union with Swords (itself a prebendary of St. Patrick's), the nominal title of Prebend of Clonmethan has been issued to clergy serving in other parishes.
The parish comprises 10 complete townlands (Brownscross, Cabragh, Clonmethan, Fieldstown, Glebe, Killeen, Moortown, Oldtown, Wolganstown, and Wyanstown[1]) and part of an eleventh (Jordanstown[15]).