CARLOW. The town or borough of Carlow is situated in the heart of the beautiful and highly cultivated vale formed by the river Barrow, which is here navigable for small craft, and thus renders the town an emporium for the trade of the surrounding districts. Its population, according to the census of 1821, is estimated at 8025 souls. It is a neat, and in some parts a well-built town. The principal buildings are the college, founded and maintained by the voluntary contributions of the Roman Catholic gentry, for the literary and scientific instruction of a hundred pupils, fifty of whom are prepared for the priesthood. The buildings are spacious, but without any pretensions to architectural beauty, and, together with a chapel, cemetery, and exercise ground of seven acres, are surrounded by a lofty wall. The court-house, where the assizes for the county are held, is small but commodious, and has a good ball-room attached to it. The parish church is chiefly remarkable for a spire of bulky and ungraceful proportions. The Roman Catholic chapel is a large and elegant structure.
There are also a cavalry barrack, meeting-houses, a Mag-dalen asylum, and a news-room. This town was formerly a place of considerable importance. In the reign of Edward III. the king's exchequer was removed to it; and 1500, a large sum at that period, was applied towards surrounding it with a wall. In the early part of Queen Elizabeth's reign, it was taken and burned by the Irish chieftain Rory og O'More. When summoned by Cromwell during the disastrous wars of 1641, it submitted to his arms without resistance. In the insurrection of 1798 it was attacked by a tumultuary body of insurgents, who were soon repulsed. A dreadful carnage ensued, for no quarter was given; and many in the confusion of their flight took refuge in the houses of some of the streets, to which the king's troops immediately set fire, "in order," says Sir Richard Musgrave, the historian of that calamitous period, with great want of feeling, "to make them bolt." But the most singular monument of the former greatness of this town was its castle, the erection of which is generally, though not upon any conclusive evidence, attributed to King John. It stood on a slight eminence overhanging the Barrow, and consisted of a quadrangle, having a circular tower at each corner. The doors were low and narrow, the windows, or, more properly speaking, the apertures for light, mere loopholes. In the year 1814 the new proprietor of the castle made such alterations in its fabric, with a view to fit it up as a lunatic asylum, that the walls, massive as they were, gave way, and the greater part of the building suddenly fell to the ground, leaving only the western side with two of the angular towers standing, to show to posterity where and what it had been. Carlow obtained a charter at an early period, and was re-incorporated with enlarged privileges by James I., who allowed it to return two members to the Irish parliament. It is governed by a sovereign and two sergeants. The town sends one member to the imperial parliament.