a post town of Ireland, in the county of Kildare and province of Leinster, 36 miles from Dublin, so called from a magnificent abbey which was founded here, in which St Evan in the beginning of the 7th century placed a number of monks from South Munster, and which had the privilege of being a sanctuary. The consecrated bell, which belonged to this saint, was on solemn trials sworn upon by the whole tribe of the Eoganachts, and was always committed to the care of the Mac Evans, hereditary chief justices of Munster. The abbot of this house sat as a baron in parliament.—At the general suppression of monasteries, this abbey was granted to Lord Audley, who assigned it to Viscount Ely. It afterwards came