DRUMSHALLON

DRUMSHALLON, a parish, in the barony of FERRARD, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N.) from Drogheda, on the coast road to Dundalk; containing 1048 inhabitants. This parish was distinguished as the site of a monastery founded at Druimineascluinn, now Drumshallon, by St. Patrick, for Canons Regular, of which the abbot Tiarnach, who died in 876, and some of his successors were generally styled Bishops: in 969, being in the possession of the Danes, it was plundered by Muirceartagh, Prince of Oileach, and son of Donell, King of Ireland, on which occasion many of the Danish occupants were killed. The priory of the Holy Trinity, now Christ-Church, Dublin, had a cell of three canons at this place; but Albert, Archbishop of Armagh, desirous of reforming the state of religion, suppressed it, as preserving no regular order or discipline. The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 3585 ½ statute acres, including 372 acres in the detached townland of Labanstown on the sea coast, and 9f acres in Lough Kircock.

Drumshallon is the residence of Gorges Henzill, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, partly appropriate to the Dean and Chapter of Christ-Church, Dublin, and partly forming part of the corps of the precentorship in that cathedral, annexed to which are lands here comprising 494a. 1r. 29p. statute measure, let on lease to Mr. Henzill, at a rent of £46. 3. 1., with an annual renewal fine of £77. 10. 9 ¼.: the tithes amount to £178. 17. 4 ½., wholly payable to the precentor. The Protestant parishioners attend divine service in the church of Ballymakenny, the incumbent of which is paid £10. 10. per annum by the appropriators, for performing the occasional duties of this parish. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Termonfechin, and partly in that of Moylary; the chapel is at Fieldstown. The parochial school is under the patronage of the Countess de Salis, and aided with £12. 12. per annum, from the appropriators; and there is a private school, in which are about 40 boys and 20 girls.

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