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" The name of this parish is pronounced in Irish Fionnuig which is a local corruption for Fionnóg, which signifies Préachán (a crow). "
[From The Antiquities of County Kerry by John O'Donovan (1841)]
"FINUGE, a parish, in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER; 2 miles (S. S. W.) from Listowel, on the river Feale, and on the road from Listowel and Tralee; containing 1431 inhabitants, of which number, 491 are in the village. The parish comprises 3583 staute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, the greater part of which consists of arable land; of the remainder, about 850 acres are coarse pasture land, 480 bog, and 100 woodland. Some of the arable land is of superior quality: the state of agriculture is gradually improving. Ballinruddery, the occasional residence the Rt. Hon. Maurice Fitzgerald, Knt. of Kerry, is beautifully situated in a richly wooded demesne on the banks of the Feale. The house is an irregular building, partly thatched and partly slated, and the cottage front is covered with a profusion of climbing plants. A fine carriage road extends for upwards of a mile through the demesne, nearly parrallell with the windings of the river. Adjoining the dwelling-house, and at the verge of the river, are the ruins of the ancient castle of Ballinruddery. The other seats are Ballyhorgan, the residence of W. Hilliard, Esq.; Finuge House, of W. Harnett, Esq.; Killocrin House, of Capt. O'Halloran; Finuge Cottage, of Miss Hewson; Bellane, of H. Hilliard, Esq.; Tanavalla, of A. Elliot, Esq.; and Ballygrinnan, of S. Sewell Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe: the rectory is impropriate in A. Stoughton, Esq.; and the vicarage forms part of the union of Aghavallin. The tithes amount to £129.4.6., payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar. There are no remains of the church, but the ancient burial ground is still used. "
[From A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis (1837)]
Note: The Civil Parish of Finuge ceased to be used for census purposes in the mid nineteenth century when District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) were introduced.
The Civil Parish of Finuge was split between the DEDs of Ennismore, Listowel Rural, Listowel Urban and Rathea.
Ennismore DED: Bealkelly and Finuge townlandsThe old church of Finuge was in the old parish burial ground.
Following the reformation this church passed to the Church of Ireland,
but was abandoned , the parish being merged with Listowel by 1697. There are
no remains of the church.
In the Roman Catholic church, by 1704 Finuge was united with Kilshenane and Dysert.
By 1803 these were all part of the parish of Listowel, except the townlands of Finuge and Bealkelly, which are in the parish of Lixnaw.
The following Church of Ireland registers exist for the parish of
Listowel:
Baptisms 1790 - 1875
Marriages 1790 - 1845
Burials 1790 - 1875
The registers are in local custody.
The following Roman Catholic registers remain:
Listowel
Baptisms Aug. 3, 1802 - July 10, 1855
Marriages Jan. 8, 1837 - Nov 21, 1880
Lixnaw
Baptisms Aug. 4, 1804 - Dec. 30 1880
Marriages Jan 15, 1810 - Dec. 2 1880
From 1863 Finuge was in the Listowel Superintendant Registrar's District, and split between the Registrar's Districts of Ballyhorgan (Ennismore, Rathea DEDs) and Listowel (Listowel Rural, Listowel Urban DEDs). See the Registration Districts page.