MAYNOOTH, or MANOOTH, a post town in the county of Kildare, in Ireland, 12 miles from Dublin. At this place there is a catholic college, established by the
Maynooth the Irish parliament in 1795. Young men destined for the catholic church had formerly gone to the continent for their education. This had now become nearly impossible, in consequence of the war with France and Spain; and for this reason, as well as to prevent those foreign attachments which grow out of a foreign education, it was thought prudent to provide the means of domestic instruction for the catholics. They had only petitioned for leave to establish a seminary; but the parliament also granted 8000l. per annum for its support, which was afterwards enlarged to 13,000l.; but has since been diminished. There were in 1808, eight professorships and three lectureships; and there was accommodation for 200 students, to whom the establishment afforded commons and instruction.