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ARBOE, or ARDBOE, a parish, partly in the barony of LOUGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, but chiefly in the barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from Stewartstown; containing 8148 inhabitants. A monastery was founded here by St. Colman, son of Aidhe, and surnamed Mucaidhe, whose reliques were long preserved in it: it was destroyed in 1166, by Rory Makang Makillmory Omorna, but there are still some remains. The parish is situated on the shore of Lough Neagh, by which it is bounded on the east, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 33,504 statute acres, of which 21,000 form part of Lough Neagh, and 56 are in small islands. The greater portion is under tillage, and there are some tracts of good meadow, about 50 acres of woodland, and 1000 acres of bog. The system of agriculture is improved; the soil is fertile, and the lands generally in a high state of cultivation. There are several large and handsome houses, the principal of which is Elogh, the residence of Mrs. Mackay. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin: the tithes amount to £507. 13. 10 1/2. The church, a neat small edifice, was erected in the reign of William and Mary, on a site two miles westward from the ruins of the ancient abbey. The glebe-house is a handsome building; and the glebe comprises 212 acres. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel, a spacious and handsome edifice, is situated at New Arboe; and there are two altars in the open air, where divine service is performed alternately once every Sunday. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Seceding synod. There are four public schools, in which about 320 boys and 240 girls are taught; and there are also five private schools, in which are about 140 boys and 50 girls, and five Sunday schools. On the western shore of Lough Neagh are the ruins of the ancient abbey, which form an interesting and picturesque feature; and the remains of an old church, of which the walls are standing. Near them is an ancient ornamented stone cross in good preservation.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Youghal, on the new mail-coach road from that place to Tallow; containing 2658 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the confines of the county of Waterford, and comprises 7629 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3402 per annum. The general aspect is mountainous, and a large portion of its surface is unreclaimed, affording a plentiful supply of turf. The soil is for the most part poor and stony; and excepting the waste, the land is wholly in tillage and only indifferently cultivated. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £600. The church is an old plain building of small dimensions. There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises five acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Killeigh: the chapel is a small thatched building, situated at Inch. There is a school for boys and girls at Killeigh, aided by a donation of £5 per ann. from Lord Ponsonby, who also gave the school-house rent-free, and contributes to another school for both sexes; there is only one pay school in the parish. On the banks of the Turra, which runs through the centre of the parish, is the ruined castle of Kilnaturra, a massive square tower in excellent preservation.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the Shanid Division of the barony of LOWER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Newcastle, on the road from that place to Shanagolden; containing 2197 inhabitants, of which number, 415 are in the village. This place is situated in the heart of an interesting and fertile district; the village consists of one long irregular street, containing 65 houses, which are in a very ruinous condition. Near it are the interesting remains of the old parish church, which was destroyed in the insurrection of 1641, and has not been rebuilt. Fairs are held on the 11th of May, Aug. 14th, and Nov. 21st, chiefly for the sale of cattle, pigs, and pedlery. The parish comprises 6572 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, exclusively of a considerable tract of bog; the land is some of the best in the county and finely planted; the system of agriculture is little improved, the fertility of the soil and the abundance of the crops rendering the farmer unwilling to change his plans. On the west it is bounded by heathy and boggy mountains, which contain several strata of coal, but the two upper strata, which are very thin, are alone worked: the only pits now open are at Carrigkerry. Iron-stone and fire clay of very superior quality are also abundant, but no attempt has yet been made to work them. The seats are Ardagh Lodge, the residence of T. Fitzgibbon, Esq.; and Ballynaborney, of W. Upton, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Limerick, and the rectory forms part of the union of St. Michael and corps of the archdeaconry, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £184. 12. 3 3/4. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Rathronan and part of the parish of Kilscannell; the chapel, a large but old and neglected building, is situated in the village, where a school-house is now in course of erection. There are two schools, in which are about 100 boys and 80 girls.
ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MOYDOW, but chiefly in that of ARDAGH, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Edgeworthstown; containing 4980 inhabitants, of which number, 142 are in the village, which comprises 25 houses and is wholly in the latter barony. This ancient place derives its name from its elevated situation, and its origin may at the latest be ascribed to the middle of the fifth century, when its church was founded. Subsequently here was a friary of the third order of St. Francis, founded at Ballynesaggard by the family of O'Ferrall, and reformed in 1521 by the friars of the Strict Observance. The parish is situated on the nearest road from Mullingar to Longford over Ballicorkey bridge, but the coach road is through Edgeworthstown, from which there is a penny post. It comprises 10,063 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £ 8073 per annum; there is a moderate extent of bog, but no waste land. The land is good, and is principally under tillage, and the system of agriculture, though still very backward, has considerably improved. Ardagh House is the seat of Sir G. R. Fetherston, Bart.; Richfort, of J. A. Richardson, Esq.; Oldtown, of Thornton Gregg, Esq.; and Drumbawn, of Peyton Johnston, Esq. Fairs are held on April 5th and Aug. 26th. Petty sessions are held every Thursday; and here is a constabulary police station.
The DIOCESE of ARDAGH appears to have been founded either by St. Patrick or by his disciple and nephew, St. Mell, a Briton, who became bishop and abbot of Ardagh before the. year 454. Of his successors until the arrival of the English, in the reign of Hen. II., little with certainty is known, and nothing remarkable is recorded of any. Near the close of the fifteenth century the bishoprick was held by William O'Ferrall, who was also dynast of the surrounding territory; and Richard O'Ferrall combined these two dignities from 1541 to 1553. It was held jointly with the diocese of Kilmore by royal patent from 1603 till 1633, when it was voluntarily resigned by William Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore; and John Richardson, D.D., Archdeacon of Derry, and a native of Chester, was advanced to the see of Ardagh. This prelate, apprehensive of the insurrection which broke out towards the close of 1641, withdrew with all his substance into England in the summer of that year; and having a short time before his departure recovered some lands in his diocese from one Teigue O'Roddy, the latter applied for relief to the British House of Commons, and a summons was sent to the bishop requiring his appearance on a certain day; but on application to the Irish House of Lords, the lord-chancellor was ordered to write to the Speaker of the English House, asserting their privileges, and refusing to permit the bishop's compliance; and on a motion of the Bishop of Clonfert an order was resolved on to prevent such grievances in future. After his death, in 1653 or 1654, the see continued vacant and its revenues sequestrated until the Restoration of Chas. II., when the dioceses were again united and so continued until the deprivation of Bishop Sheridan, in 1692. Ulysses Burgh, D.D., was then promoted to Ardagh; and dying in the same year the union was restored, but was ultimately dissolved in 1742, on the translation of Bishop Hart to the archiepiscopal see of Tuam, with which Ardagh has been since held in commendam, the archbishop being suffragan to the Lord-Primate for this see. Under the provisions of the Church Temporalities Act (3rd of Wm. IV.) this diocese, on the death of the present Archbishop of Tuam, will be again permanently united to that of Kilmore. It is one of the ten which constitute the ecclesiastical province of Armagh, and comprehends part of the counties of Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim, in the civil province of Connaught; part of Cavan, in Ulster; and part of Westmeath and nearly the whole of Longford, in Leinster. It comprises, by estimation, 233,650 acres, of which 4400 are in Sligo, 8700 in Roscommon, 71,200 in Leitrim, 10,600 in Cavan, 8900 in Westmeath, and 129,850 in Longford. A dean and an archdeacon are the only dignitaries, but have no official duties to perform, and the latter has no emoluments: there is no chapter, but in cases of necessity a majority of the beneficed clergymen of the diocese represent that body; the parochial church of Ardagh serves as the cathedral. It was divided into four rural deaneries prior to the year 1819, when the diocesan dispensed with the services of the rural deans and has since discharged their duties himself. The diocese comprises 38 parishes, of which 20 are rectories or united rectories and vicarages, 17 vicarages, and 1 impropriate cure: the total number of benefices is 26, of which 8 are unions consisting of 20 parishes, and the remainder consist of single parishes, and of which 1 is in the gift of the crown, 22 in that of the diocesan, and 3 are in lay patronage; the number of churches is 33, and of glebe-houses 22. The see lands comprise 22,216 statute acres, of which 13,194 are profitable land, and 9022 are unprofitable; and the gross annual revenue payable to the archbishop is, on an average, £3186. 2. 6 3/4. In the R. C. divisions this diocese and a few parishes in Meath constitute the see, which is suffragan to Armagh; it contains 65 chapels, served by 42 parish priests and 42 coadjutors and curates. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, and constituting the corps of the deanery, which is in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £482. 11. 5 1/2.: and the mensal and other lands of the deanery, exclusively of several houses, tolls of fairs, a plot of nearly two acres on which the deanery-house is built, a farm of 13a. 1r. 10p., and a large bog, comprise 714a. 2r. 35p., (statute measure) producing, with the annual renewal fines, a rental of £292. 11. 2. per annum. The church is a plain commodious building with a square tower, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £900, in 1812, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £301 for its repair. The deanery-house was built in 1823, by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1200 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which includes also the adjoining parish of Moydow, in each of which is a chapel; that of Ardagh is situated near the village. The parochial school for boys is principally supported by a grant of £40 per ann. from Dr. Murray, the present dean, who also contributes annually £15. towards the support of the girls' school, which is further aided by an annual grant of £5 from the Ardagh Diocesan Society: the school-house is a good slated building of two stories, with apartments for the master and mistress, erected by Dr. Murray at an expense of £400, and attached to it is an acre of land. There are 40 boys and 30 girls in this school, and in the private pay schools are about 290 boys and 170 girls: there is also a Sunday school for boys and girls. Some remains of the old cathedral church, a small edifice rudely built of fragments of rock of a large size, are still visible; it was superseded by another church, now also in ruins, and the present edifice was erected near its site. St. Mell was interred here, and his festival is annually celebrated on Feb. 6th. The comedy of the "Mistakes of a Night," written by Dr. Goldsmith, derives its plot from an incident that occurred at this village to the author, who, on passing through it, having inquired for the "head inn," was directed by a humorous individual to the residence of the proprietor of the place, Mr. Fetherston, who perceiving the delusion, nevertheless indulged it, and hospitably entertained his guest; and it was not until next morning that, on finishing his breakfast and calling for the bill, the poet discovered his mistake.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 2 3/4 miles (W. S. W.) from Ballina; containing 1813 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the shores of Lough Conn and the river Deel, and on the road from Ballina to Crossmolina: it comprises 3215 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1794 per annum; the land is chiefly under tillage. There are large tracts of bog, furnishing abundance of fuel. Deel Castle, the seat of St. George Cuff, Esq., is delightfully situated on the river Deel, and in a fine demesne. Fairs are held at Newtown on the 4th of Aug. and the 1st of Nov. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, with the vicarages of Ballynahaglish, Kilbelfad, Kilmoremoy, Attymass, and Kilgarvan episcopally united, constituting the union of Ardagh, in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is partly appropriate to the precentorship of the cathedral of Killala, and partly to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christchurch, Dublin. The tithes amount to £110. 15. 4 1/2., of which £38. 10. 10. is payable to the precentor of Killala, £13. 16. 11. to the vicars choral, and £55. 7. 8 1/2. to the vicar. The glebes, which are detached, comprise together 31 acres; and the gross tithes payable to the incumbent amount to £948. 19. 2 1/4. The church of this parish is in ruins, and the church of the union is situated at Kilmoremoy. An episcopal chapel has been partly built at Deel Castle, but is not yet roofed. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel, a neat slated building, is situated at Newtown. Here is a school of 60 boys and 30 girls.
ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MORGALLION, but chiefly in that of LOWER SLANE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E. S. E.) from Kingscourt; containing 2408 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the road from Drumconra to Kingscourt, and on the confines of the counties of Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan; comprises 3290 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which 2835 are arable, 324 are pasture, 112 are bog, and 19 woodland. Here are extensive quarries of limestone, of which a large quantity is sent into the county of Cavan to be burnt for manure. The living is a perpetual cure, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate; the tithes amount to £207. 6. 5 1/2., which is payable to the Bishop. The church is a plain edifice, built in 1805, for the repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £125. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of ten acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is united to Drumconra: the chapel, a plain building, is situated at Ballinavoren. There are three hedge schools in the parish. On the townland of Cloughrea are the remains of an old castle; and at the northern extremity of the parish, but principally in the county of Monaghan, there is a considerable lake, called Rahans. ARDAMINE, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 3 3/4 miles (S. S. E.) from Gorey; containing 1535 inhabitants. This parish is situated near the coast of the Irish sea, and comprises 4078 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the soil is generally a strong marl favourable to the growth of wheat, and the system of agriculture is improving. A fishery in the bay of Ardamine promises to become very valuable when the harbour of Courtown, which is now in progress, shall be completed. Ardamine, the seat of J. Goddard Richards, Esq., is beautifully situated at a short distance from the sea; and the grounds have been recently embellished with thriving plantations and other improvements. Owenavarra Cottage, the residence of Mrs. Richards, sen., is also in the parish. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, with that of Killenagh episcopally united, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in H. K. G. Morgan, Esq. The tithes amount to £190, payable to the impropriator, who allows £23. 1. 6 1/2. per ann. for the performance of the clerical duties of both parishes to which has been lately added an annual grant of £25 from Primate Boulter's fund. The church is situated on the confines of both parishes; there is neither glebe nor glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, also called River chapel, comprising the parishes of Ardamine and Donaghmore, in each of which is a chapel: that in this parish, with a comfortable residence for the clergyman adjoining it, was erected by subscription, together with a school- house for boys superintended by him, and another for girls under the patronage of Mrs. Richards. There is also a Sunday school, besides two private pay schools in which are about 30 children. Near the demesne of Ardemine is a large high tumulus, called the "Moat of Ardemine," considered to be one of the most perfect of its kind in Ireland: it is traditionally said to mark the burial-place of a Danish chief.
ARDARA, a post-town and district parish, in the barony of BANNAGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 7 1/2 miles (N.) from Killybegs, and 134 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Dublin; containing 456 inhabitants. This place is situated on the river Awinea, at the bottom of Lockrusmore bay on the northern coast, and on the road from Narin to Killybegs. The village consists of 85 houses: it is a constabulary police station, and has a fair on the 1st of November; petty sessions are held at irregular intervals. The parochial district was formed by act of council in 1829, by disuniting 38 townlands from the parish of Killybegs, and 49 from that of Inniskeel. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the alternate patronage of the Rectors of Killybegs and Inniskeel. The income of the curate is £90 per annum, of which £35 is paid by each of the rectors of the above-named parishes, and £20 is given from Primate Boulter's augmentation fund. The church is situated in the village. The R. C. parochial district is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel. The Wesleyan Methodists assemble in a school-house once every alternate Sunday. A parochial school is aided by an annual grant from Col. Robertson's fund; and there is a school under the Wesleyan Missionary Society. In these schools are about 160 boys and 80 girls; and there are also two pay schools, in which are about 70 boys and 20 girls, and a Sunday school. On an island in the lake of Kiltorus, off Boylagh, near Mr. Hamilton's, of Eden, are the rums of an old fortified building, near which were formerly some rusty cannon.
ARDBOE, county of TYRONE.-- See ARBOE.
ARDBRACCAN, a parish, in the barony of LOWER NAVAN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (W.) from Navan; containing 3798 inhabitants. This place derived its name, signifying, in the Irish language, "the Hill of Braccan," from St. Braccan, who presided over a monastery here, and died in the year 650. The establishment subsequently became the seat of a small bishoprick, which flourished under a series of prelates, many of whom are noticed as eminent ecclesiastics, till the twelfth century, when, with several other small bishopricks, it was included in the diocese of Meath. The monastery was frequently plundered and laid waste by the Danes, and repeatedly destroyed by fire, from the 9th to the 12th century; and, in 1166, Moriertach, King of Ireland, granted to it in perpetuity a parcel of land at an annual rent of three ounces of gold. The village, which was anciently a place of some importance, especially during the existence of the see, appears to have declined since the period of the English invasion, and is no longer of any note. About one-half of the parish is under tillage, two-fifths in pasture, and the remainder meadow land. The only remarkable elevation is Faughan Hill, the conical summit of which being well planted, is conspicuous over the surrounding flat districts; and on the western border of the parish is a chain of bogs. Limestone is quarried for building; and at a place called White Quarry is found a particular kind of limestone, of which the bishop's palace is built. Limestone, gravel, and marl are also raised for manure. The bishop's palace, one of the most elegant ecclesiastical residences in Ireland, was erected by the late Bishop Maxwell: it is beautifully situated, and the grounds and gardens are tastefully laid out; the demesne is embellished with forest trees of stately growth, among which are some remarkably fine horse-chestnut trees; and there are also two very beautiful cedars of Lebanon, planted by the late Bishop Pococke. Oatland House, the residence and demesne of Blennerhasset Thompson, Esq., is also within the parish; and Dormerstown Castle is an old fortified residence. The weaving of linen cloth is carried on to a small extent, and some cotton looms are also employed by the inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, united by act of council, in 1771, to the rectories of Liscarton and Rataine, the chapelry of Churchtown, and the vicarage of Martry, and by the same authority, in 1780, to the rectory of Clonmacduff, which six parishes constitute the union of Ardbraccan, in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £433. 16. 10 3/4.: the gross amount of tithes payable to the incumbent is £820. 15. 5 1/4. The church is a handsome edifice, erected in 1777, under the auspices of the late Bishop Maxwell. The glebe-house is situated about half a mile from the church: the glebe comprises 33 acres of profitable land. The R. C. union or district of Ardbraccan, called also Bohermein, includes the parishes of Ardbraccan, Martry, Rathboyne, and parts of the parishes of Moyagher and Liscarton: there are two chapels in Ardbraccan and one in Rathboyne. The male and female parochial school is principally supported by the rector, and is aided by an annual donation from the Bishop of Meath; and there are two free schools at Byerstown and Bohermein, supported by bequests from the late Rev. Mr. Brannigan, P. P., and by annual subscriptions from Earl Ludlow and the parishioners. In these schools are about 300 boys and 160 girls; and there are also two private schools, in which are about 60 children. Dr. Chetwood, formerly rector of this parish, left £500, and Dr. Sterne, Bishop of Clogher, left £30 per annum, for apprenticing the children of Protestant inhabitants of the diocese to Protestant, masters and mistresses; about 30 children are annually apprenticed from these funds. In the churchyard is a square tower with a spire and vane, forming a pleasing object. There is also a monument to Bishop Montgomery, who died in London, on the 15th of January, 1620, and was buried here; and on the south side of it is a small tablet to the memory of that celebrated traveller, Bishop Pococke, who presided over the see of Meath, and died in 1765.
ARDCANDRIDGE, or ARDCANDRISK, a parish, in the barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 85 miles (W. by N.) from Wexford, containing 242 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the river Slaney, by which it is bounded on the north, and on the road from Wexford along the south bank of the river, by way of Clonmore, to Enniscorthy: it comprises 1144 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and is chiefly under tillage, which has gradually improved since the introduction of the drill system of husbandry. Ardcandrisk House, the seat of G. Grogan Morgan, Esq., the proprietor of the soil, was built in 1833, and is beautifully situated on a wooded eminence rising above the Slaney, and commanding a very fine and extensive prospect. The Slaney is navigable for lighters up to Enniscorthy, affording facility for the conveyance of corn and other agricultural produce to Wexford, and for bringing coal and other commodities from that port. The parish is in the diocese of Ferns, and the rectory is one of the sixteen denominations constituting the union of St, Patrick's, Wexford: the tithes amount to £48. 18. 6 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Glyn, a village in the parish of Killurin.
ARDCANNY, a parish, in the barony of KENRY, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (W. by S.) from Limerick; containing 1318 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the north by the river Shannon, and on the east by the river Maigue, the banks of which are embellished with flourishing plantations and elegant seats. It comprises 3256 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is remarkably good, being based on a substratum of limestone; about one-fourth is under an excellent system of tillage, and the remainder is meadow, pasture, and demesne, except about 48 acres of woodland, 10 acres of bog, and a very small portion of waste. Among the principal seats are Cartown, the residence of J. E. Langf'ord, Esq.; Mellon, of M. Westropp, Esq.; Ballincarriga House, of -- Dawson, Esq.; Rockfield, of E. Fitzgerald, Esq.; Shannon Grove, the old family mansion of the Earls of Charleville, and now the residence of Bolton Waller, Esq.; Mount Pleasant, the residence of Mrs. Hill; Ballystool, of E. Hewson, Esq., and Ballincarreg, of H. Hurst, Esq.; besides which there are many substantial houses. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, forming the corps of the prebend of Ardcanny in the cathedral of Limerick, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £300. The church is a spacious edifice, built in 1738, but in a very dilapidated condition. The glebe-house was built in 1791, by aid of a gift of £100 from the late Board of First Fruits, and has been greatly improved by the late and present incumbents: the glebe contains 52 statute acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Kildeemo, or Kildimo. A male and female parochial school, for which a house was built by the rector, has been discontinued, and the building is now used as a court-house. There is a private school, in which are about 90 children. In the demesne of Rockfield is a very capacious and ancient fortress, constructed of large blocks of stone very ingeniously put together without mortar, and forming walls of great thickness: there are also numerous earthworks in the parish.
ARDCARNE, a parish, in the barony of BOYLE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3 1/2 miles (E. S. E.) from Boyle, on the road to Carrick-on-Shannon; containing 7673 inhabitants. An abbey of Regular canons was founded here, probably in the early part of the 6th century, of which, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, Beaidh died bishop in 523: its possessions were granted, in the 39th of Elizabeth, to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin. Here was also a Benedictine nunnery, a cell to the abbey of Kilcreunata, in the county of Galway; and at Knockvicar was a monastery of the third order of Franciscans, which at the suppression was granted with other possessions on lease to Richard Kendlemarch. The parish is situated on the shores of Lough Key: it is partly bounded by the Shannon on the east, and comprises 11,460 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The land is principally under an improving system of tillage; there is a considerable extent of reclaimable bog, and part of the plains of Boyle is included within the parish. Limestone and freestone of the best description for architectural purposes abound; indications of coal have been discovered on the lands of Ballyfermoyle, the property of W. Mulloy, Esq., where shafts have been sunk, but the operations are discontinued. The Boyle river runs through the parish, and a project is in contemplation to render it navigable from its junction with the Shannon, near Carrick, to Lough Gara: this river is crossed by a bridge at Knockvicar, where its banks are adorned with some pleasing scenery. Rockingham House, the elegant mansion of Viscount Lorton, is beautifully situated on the southeast side of Lough Key, in a gently undulating and well-wooded demesne of about 2000 statute acres, tastefully laid out in lawns and groves descending to the water's edge: it is of Grecian Ionic architecture, built externally of marble, with a portico of six Ionic columns forming the principal entrance, on each side of which are corresponding pillars ornamenting the facade, and on the north side is a colonnade supported by six Ionic columns: adjoining the house is an extensive orangery, and numerous improvements have been made in the grounds by the present noble proprietor. Oakport, the seat of W. Mulloy, Esq., is a large edifice in the ancient or Gothic style of architecture, occupying a beautiful situation on the margin of a large expanse of water formed by the Boyle river: the demesne comprises about 1200 statute acres, beautifully wooded, and from the inequality of its surface presents many picturesque and commanding views. The other seats are Knockvicar, the residence of C. J. Peyton, Esq., and Mount Francis, of W. Lloyd O'Brien, Esq. Petty sessions are held every Tuesday at Cootehall. That place was formerly called Urtaheera, or O'Mulloy's Hall, and was, early in the 17th century, together with the manor attached to it, the property of William, styled "the Great O'Mulloy;" but in the war of 1641 it came into the possession of the Hon. Chidley Coote, nephew of the first Earl of Mountrath, and from that family took its present name. The parish is in the diocese of Elphin, and the rectory forms part of the union of Killuken. the tithes amount to £280. The church is an ancient structure, which was enlarged by a grant of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £234 for its further repair. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £300 from the same Board, in 1807: the glebe comprises 20 acres, subject to a rent of £8. In the R. C. divisions the parish is also called Crosna, and comprises the parish of Ardcarne and part of that of Tumna, containing two chapels, situated at Cootehall and Crosna. The parochial free school is supported by Lord Lorton, who built the school-house at an expense of £120; and a school for girls is supported by Lady Lorton, and is remarkably well conducted. At Derrygra is a school aided by the Elphin Diocesan Society, to which the bishop gave a house and an acre of ground; and three Sunday schools are held in the parish, two under the patronage of Lady Lorton, and one under that of the Misses Mulloy, of Oakport. A dispensary is maintained by Lord Lorton for the benefit of his tenantry; and another has been lately established at Cootehall, by the exertions of the Messrs. Mulloy, by whom and the other principal landed proprietors it is supported.
ARDCATH, a parish, in the barony of UPPER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 6 3/4 miles (S. by W.) from Drogheda, on the road from Dublin to Drogheda; containing 1774 inhabitants. About one-half is under an improved system of tillage, and the remainder is excellent pasture land; the principal corn crop is wheat. There are about 300 acres of bog, which is being gradually reclaimed and brought into cultivation. On the townland of Cloghan is a quarry of excellent slate, but it has not been worked for some years. The weaving of linen was formerly carried on to a considerable extent: about 200 looms are at present employed in weaving cotton for the Dublin and Drogheda manufacturers; and there are two oatmeal-mills, one worked by wind and the other by water. A fair is held on May 8th principally for cattle. The parish is in the diocese of Meath; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Drogheda, and the vicarage forms part of the union of Duleek. The tithes amount to £265, of which £195 is payable to the impropriator and £70 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district which comprises also the parish of Clonalvy and part of Piercetown, and contains two chapels, situated respectively at Ardcath and Clonalvy: the former is a neat building, erected about 80 years since, and recently much enlarged; the additional part stands upon the glebe land, by permission of the vicar of Duleek. A school at Cloghantown, of 48 boys and 16 girls, is aided by a donation of £5 per annum from the Rev. M. Langan, P.P.; and there is an evening pay school at Yellowford. The Rev. John Leonard, late P.P., bequeathed the ground on which the residence of the R. C. clergyman is built, and fifteen additional acres of land, to be vested in trustees for the use of all future pastors; £10 per annum for the joint use of the three parishes of the R. C. union, and one ton of oatmeal to be distributed annually in the same district. The ruins of the ancient church are extensive, but void of interesting details; the belfry remains, and a bell has been preserved in it from time immemorial, at the joint expense of the Protestant and R. C. inhabitants, and is used at funerals, and by the latter to assemble their congregations.
ARDCAVAN, a parish, in the barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, adjoining the town of Wexford, (with which it is connected by the bridge), and containing 878 inhabitants. It is situated on the eastern shore of the estuary of the Slaney, and comprises 2370 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. Ely House, the property of the Marquess of Ely, is situated near the bridge, at the southern extremity of the parish, and is the residence of R. Hughes, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Ferns, and is an impropriate cure, forming part of the union of Ardcolme; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Portsmouth. The tithes amount to £139. 18. 1 3/4., of which £73. 1. 10 3/4. is payable to the impropriator, and £66. 16. 3. to the curate. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Castlebridge, where the chapel is situated, and the greater part of which village is within its limits. Near the shore of Wexford harbour are the ruins of the old church; and at Ballytramont there are considerable remains of the ancient castle of that name. An extensive coppice wood, comprising about 65 statute acres, stretches along the estuary from the latter place.
ARDCLARE, or CLONIGORMICAN, a parish, in the half-barony of BALLYMOE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 5 1/4 miles (N. N. W.) from Roscommon, on the road to Castlerea; containing 2633 inhabitants. It comprises 8066 statute acres, principally under pasture; there is no waste land, and only a small quantity of bog, sufficient for supplying the inhabitants with fuel. Limestone of the best description abounds, but the quarries are not worked for any particular purpose. The principal gentlemen's seats are Runnyrnead, that of J. Balfe, Esq.; Ballymacurly, of M. Nolan, Esq.; Briarfield, of C. Hawkes, Esq.; and Faragher Lodge, of the Rev. Lewis Hawkes. Manorial courts are held in the townland of Farragher three times in the year. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, to which the vicarages of Kilcooley, Creeve, Killuken, Shankill, Kilmacumsy, and Tumna were episcopally united in 1809, which seven parishes constitute the union of Ardclare, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Essex and Lord De Roos. The tithes amount to £176. 12., one-half of which is payable to the impropriators (the Earl of Essex receiving £73. 11. 8. and Lord De Roos, £14. 14. 4.) and the other half to the vicar; and the gross amount of the tithes of the union payable to the incumbent is £491. 11. 10 1/2. The church was originally built by Chas. Hawkes, Esq., of Briarfield, as a chapel of ease, about the year 1720, and subsequently became the parochial church; it is a plain edifice in good repair. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Glinsk and Ballymoe; the chapel, a neat edifice recently erected, is situated on the townland of Ballymacurly. There are three pay schools, in which are about 100 boys and 40 girls.
ARDCLARE, a village, in the parish of KILMACTEIGUE, barony of LENEY, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 9 miles (N. E.) from Foxford, on the road to Ballymote; containing about 20 houses and 110 inhabitants. It has a market on Saturday, and is a station of the constabulary police.
ARDCLINIS, a parish, in the Lower half-barony of GLENARM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (N. by W.) from Glenarm; containing 1617 inhabitants. This parish is situated on Red bay in the North Channel, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 15,691 statute acres, of which 15,144 are applotted under the tithe act and valued at £2055 per annum. The surface is hilly and irregular, but the land in cultivation is fertile, and the system of agriculture is in a very improving state. Much of the waste land has been planted, especially the hills, imparting to the coast an interesting and cheerful aspect. The arable and inhabited portion of the parish consists of one long strip extending from the village of Carnlough along the sea-coast into Red bay, and up one side of the beautiful glen of Glenariff. On the land side it is enclosed by a steep and lofty mountain, ascended only by narrow paths traversing its acclivities, by which the inhabitants convey their fuel in slide carts. The river Acre rises in the neighbouring mountains, and forms a boundary between this parish and that of Layde; it abounds with excellent trout, and where it empties itself into the sea is a salmon fishery. The highest part of the mountains is called Carnealapt-Aura, and near Broughshane they are mostly covered with heath and abound with moor game. Glenariff, one of the seven great glens, is flat in the centre; the river winds through the whole extent of it in a serpentine course, and being on a level with the sea, whenever a high tide meets a flood, it overflows its banks and inundates the glen; the rise on each side towards the rocks assumes an appearance of circular rising ground. Three-fourths of the superficial extent of the parish are composed of mountainous, marshy, boggy, and unprofitable land. Limestone and basalt are found in great abundance. The scenery is enlivened with several gentlemen's seats, among which are Drumnasole, the residence of F. Turnley, Esq.; Knappan, of Major Higginson; and Bay Lodge, of Major Williams. Several of the inhabitants are engaged in the fishery carried on in the bay, where there is a small but commodious harbour, and vessels from 14 to 20 tons' burden can enter the river Acre at high water. Fairs are held at Carnlough. The royal military road passes through this parish, the most mountainous of all the parishes on the coast, notwithstanding which the road preserves a perfect level throughout, at an elevation of a few feet above high water mark; the excavations round Garron Point will be 360 feet in depth. Garron Point is one of the eight coast-guard stations, in the district of Carrickfergus. The parish is in the diocese of Connor, and the rectory forms part of the union of Agherton and corps of the treasurership in the cathedral church of Connor, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £150. The church has for many years been in ruins, and divine service is performed in the school-room at Drumnasole, near the centre of the parish. In the R. C. divisions it is in the union or district of Layde, or Cushendall; the chapel at Glenariff is a spacious building, in which divine service is performed every alternate Sunday. There is a place of worship for Methodists, open every alternate Thursday. A large school-house was erected at Drumnasole, at an expense of £1000, by F. Turnley, Esq., and entirely supported by that gentleman till the year 1833, when it was placed under the management of the National Board of Education: there are also other schools, the whole affording instruction to about 230 boys and 170 girls. On the summit of a headland, near Garron Point, are the remains of a large Danish camp, called Dunmaul or Doonmul, which, according to tradition, was occupied by the Danes during their continuance in Ireland, and from which they set sail when they finally quitted the country.
ARDCOLLUM.-- See KILMURRY, county of TIPPERARY.
ARDCOLME, a parish, in the barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E. by N.) from Wexford; containing 790 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the north side of Wexford harbour, and on the road leading from Wexford, by way of Oulart, to Dublin: it comprises 2070 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and contains a small part of the village of Castlebridge and the island of Beg Erin in Wexford harbour, on which are the remains of a very ancient church. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, to which the rectories of St. Margaret and Artramont, the vicarages of Tickillen and Kilpatrick, and the impropriate cures of Ardcavan, Ballyvalloo, Skreen, and St. Nicholas were united by act of council in 1764, and formed the union of Ardcolme, which is in the patronage of the Bishop; but by an act of council in 1829, the parish of Kilpatrick and eight townlands, constituting the greater portion of the adjoining parish of Tickillen, were separated from this union and erected into a distinct benefice: the rectory of Ardcolme is impropriate in the Earl of Portsmouth. The tithes amount to £125. 16. 9., of which £71. 4. 10. is payable to the impropriator, and £54. 11. 11. to the incumbent; and the gross tithes of the benefice payable to the incumbent amount to £676. 5. 7. The parochial church is situated in the village of Castlebridge, and was erected in 1764 on the site of an ancient castle, which, with an acre of land, was given for that purpose by the Bishop; the expense was defrayed partly by subscription and partly by the parishioners, aided by a gift of £150 from the late Board of First Fruits; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £310 for its repair. It is a neat plain edifice surrounded by some fine old elm trees, and contains a neat tablet to Lieut.-Col. Jones Watson, who was killed in the disturbances of 1798, and interred in the churchyard at Carrick; and another to Edward Turner, Esq., who, with others, fell a victim to popular fury on the bridge at Wexford, on the 20th of June in the same year. The glebe-house is a neat and substantial building, towards the erection of which the same Board gave £100, in 1806: there are three glebes in the present union, comprising together about 71 acres, of which 32 are in this parish. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Castlebridge, where the chapel is situated. The parochial school was established under the auspices of the incumbent, the Rev. J. W. Stokes, who pays the master £20 per annum; and the school-house, a neat building lately erected at his expense, will accommodate from 50 to 60 children. The ruins of the old church still remain, situated about a mile from the present church.
ARDCRONEY, a parish, in the barony of LOWER ORMOND, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (S. by W.) from Burris-o-kane, on the road to Nenagh; containing 1681 inhabitants. It comprises 5810 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The soil is mostly light; there are several small bogs in the parish, which abounds also with limestone. The water of a lake covering about 172 plantation acres was drained off by the late Rev. R. Falkiner, of Mount Falcon, in 1800, and the land is now highly productive. The principal seats are Mount Falcon, the property and residence of Mrs. Falkiner; Beechwood, the property of Col. Toler Osborne, but in the occupation of D. Falkiner, Esq.; Conger House, the residence of F. Falkiner, Esq.; Willsborough, the property and residence of J. Falkiner, Esq.; Ballinderry, the property of T. Sadleir, jun., Esq., on which a house is about to be erected; Ballyrickard, the residence of N. Falkiner, Esq.; Woodlands, of R. Falkiner, Esq.; and Whitstone, the property of Elias Bowler, Esq. Beechwood was once the residence of the late Earl of Norbury, and was originally a castle, of which the present house is a part; on a stone is the date 1594, with the initials O. H. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whose mensal the rectory is appropriate: the tithes amount to £307. 11. 6 3/4., of which £205. 1. 0 1/2. is payable to the Bishop, and £102. 10. 6 1/4. to the vicar. The church is a very neat structure, built in 1824. There is a glebe of three acres, but no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Modreeny, or Cloghjordan: the chapel is a small building on the townland of Ardcroney., There is a parochial school, also a private pay school. On an eminence near the high road are the remains of the old church, forming a conspicuous ruin; and on the townland of Ballyluskey is an ancient castle, consisting of one square tower. At the rear of Beechwood House, on an eminence, is a large fort or rath, planted with trees, the summit of which is encircled by a stone wall.
ARDEE, an incorporated market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of ARDEE, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 10 miles (S. W. by S.) from Dundalk, and 34 1/2 miles (N. N. W.) from Dublin; containing 6181 inhabitants, of which number, 3975 are in the town. This place, anciently called Atherdee or Athirdee, derives its name from its situation on the river Dee. Though a town of great antiquity, it was chiefly indebted for its former prosperity and importance to Roger de Pippart, one of the English adventurers, who became lord of the surrounding territory, and erected a strong castle here, about the beginning of the thirteenth century. In the year 1207 he also founded an hospital for Crouched friars of the order of St. Augustine, dedicated to St. John, and endowed it with a caracute of land, to which he afterwards added two more, and other gifts. Eugene, Archbishop of Armagh, who died in 1215, confirmed the charter of this establishment, and granted it the privilege of electing its own prior, and it attained an eminent degree of wealth and importance. A Carmelite friary was also founded at an early period, to which Ralph de Pippart, in the reign of Edw. I., granted certain endowments out of his manor of Ardee, and its revenues were further augmented by several of the inhabitants. During the invasion of Edward Bruce, who laid waste much of the surrounding country, many of the inhabitants assembled for protection in this friary, which was attacked by a party of Scots and Irish under his command, and reduced to ashes. John de Bermingham, after repelling these invaders, was created Earl of Louth, and had a grant of the manor, but was soon afterwards killed in an insurrection of his own people. In 1538, the town was burnt by O'Nial and his associates; and in the following year George Dowdall, the last prior of the Augustine monastery, surrendered that house with all its possessions in lands and advowsons, and was allowed a pension of £20 sterling until he should obtain some ecclesiastical preferment. Having been appointed to the archbishoprick of Armagh, he received a grant for life of the monastery and its appurtenances, in 1554; and in 1612 its possessions in and near the town were granted, by Jas. I., to Sir Garret Moore, who also subsequently received a grant of the remainder. On the breaking out of hostilities in 1641, Sir Phelim O'Nial obtained possession of the town, which thence became the head-quarters of the Irish army; but Sir Henry Tichborne advanced against it in the same year, with his small force from Drogheda, and retook the town and castle, in which a garrison was then placed. At a subsequent period the Marquess of Ormonde issued orders to the garrison to destroy the town, which, from their neglect or disobedience of his commands, afterwards fell into the hands of Cromwell. Jas. II., after leaving Dundalk, retired with his army to this place; but on the approach of William's forces, previously to the battle of the Boyne, retreated to Drogheda. The town is situated in a very fertile corn district, and consists of one principal street, with lanes branching from it; many of the houses are of respectable appearance. Turf is brought for the supply of the inhabitants from a large bog about 1 1/2 mile to the west, by means of a branch of the river Dee, which has been made navigable for boats. Malting is extensively carried on; and there are a corn-mill and a corn and flour-mill. The market is held on Tuesday and is well supplied: a meat market, or shambles, was erected by the corporation in 1796, which cost about £600; and a corn market about the year 1710, at an expense of nearly £2000, for each of which they pay a ground rent of about £10 per annum. Fairs, of which four are held under the charter of Queen Anne (in confirmation and extension of a patent of Chas. II. in 1681), and three were granted by patent of Geo. III. in 1819, are held on March 1st, April 10th, June 6th, July 8th, Aug. 20th, Oct. 23rd (a large fair for sheep), and Dec. 17th, principally for live stock, on a plot of ground which has been enclosed at a considerable expense by the corporation. The tolls were granted by charter to the corporation, who, previously to 1823, claimed the right of levying toll not only at the market and fairs, but also toll thorough and pontage; but after considerable resistance, accompanied by riot and disorder, their claim to the latter was negatived at the Dundalk assizes in that year; and the payment of the former has been since also resisted, but their right has been confirmed by the assistant barrister for the county. Here is a chief station of the constabulary police. A corporation is first mentioned in a charter of the 51st of Edw. III. (1377), as set forth in a charter of inspeximus and confirmation of the 3rd of Rich. II., under the style of "the Provosts (or Portreeves) and Commonalty of the town of Athirde;" and certain customs on goods for sale were granted to them for a term of ten years, and confirmed by succeeding monarchs, in aid of enclosing the town with a stone wall and paving the streets. A charter of the 1st of Hen. V. (1414), granted cognizance of all pleas, real and personal, and jurisdiction of assize, with return of writs and other important privileges, within the town and precincts; and by a statute in the 33rd of Hen. VI., confirmed by another in the following year, it was enacted that the portreeves should be justices of the peace. The present governing charter was granted in the 11th of Queen Anne, 1713; under it the corporation is styled "the Portreeve, Burgesses, and Commons of the Corporation of Atherdee;" and consists of the portreeve, 23 other burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, assisted by a town-clerk, constable, two serjeants-at-mace, and other inferior officers: there is also a select body composed of the portreeve, six burgesses, and six common council freemen. The portreeve is elected annually out of the burgesses on the 23rd of April, by the portreeve, burgesses, and freemen, and is sworn in on Sept. 29th; the burgesses are elected for life out of the freemen, by the corporation at large; the freemen are created by nomination of the common council and subsequent election of the corporation at large; and the members of the common council are created for life in the same manner as the burgesses. The borough returned to the Irish parliament two members, elected by the burgesses and freemen, until the Union, when, of the £15,000 awarded as compensation for the abolition of the elective franchise, one-half was paid to Wm. Ruxton, Esq., and the remainder to Chas. and Wm. Parkinson Ruxton, Esqrs, The portreeve under the charter is a justice of the peace, coroner, and clerk of the market; but, being usually a justice of peace for the county, and the local courts having fallen into disuse, these peculiar functions are little exercised, and the corporation is now little more than nominal. The county quarter sessions for the division of Ardee are held here in January and June; and petty sessions are held every Wednesday, at which the portreeve and county magistrates preside. The old castle is now used as a court-house; and attached to it is a well-regulated county bridewell of modern erection. The revenue of the corporation is derived from rents of lands and tolls, and amounts to about £135 per annum, The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 4884 1/2 statute acres. With the exception of about 300 acres of bog, it is principally under tillage; the soil is very fertile, and the system of agriculture much improved. It contains several quarries of limestone and greenstone. The surrounding scenery has been much improved by extensive planting. Ardee House is the seat of Mrs. Ruxton, and Red House, that of W. Parkinson Ruxton, Esq.; a handsome demesne is attached to each. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Armagh, to which the rectory of Kildemock was united by act of council in 1700, and subsequently the vicarages of Shenlis, Smarmore, and Stickillen episcopally, forming the union of Ardee, in the patronage of the Lord-Primate: the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Ferrard. The tithes amount to £393. 13. 11., the whole of which is payable to the impropriator, who allows a stipend to the incumbent, who, besides a glebe-house and 40 plantation acres of glebe, valued at £120 per ann., at Kildemock (nearly in the centre of the union), has a glebe in this parish comprising 104 plantation acres and valued at £391. 11. 5. per ann., fifteen tenements in the town let for £107. 2. 2. per ann., and half an acre in Stickillen of the annual value of £l. 10. The gross annual value of the benefice, tithe and glebe inclusive, is £842. 13. 7, The church, which was formerly that of the Augustine monastery, is an ancient and spacious structure, supposed to have been built in 1208, and still in good repair. The R. C. district comprises the Protestant union and the parish of Maplestown in addition, and contains two chapels, situated at Ardee and Kildemock: the former stands at the entrance to the town from the south, and was built in 1829; it is a handsome and commodious edifice faced with hewn stone, 100 feet long by 56 broad, with a gallery extending round three sides of it. There are two schools for both sexes on the foundation of Erasmus Smith: the boys' school-room was built in 1806, and the girls' in ] 817, at a total expense of £600, of which the corporation contributed £450 and about three roods of the fair green as a site, and W. P. Ruxton, Esq., £150. There are seven private pay schools, also a dispensary and a savings' bank. Of the Augustine monastery, with the exception of the church, only the eastern wall of the belfry at the west end, and an adjoining cell on the north are remaining; and of the Carmelite friary there are no vestiges. Near the church are the remains of an old college, which have been converted into a thatched dwelling. The ancient castle, situated in the middle of the town, and now used as a court-house and gaol, is of quadrangular form, with a high roof and a rudely pointed gateway; the east and west fronts are defended by projecting towers, which rise above the rest of the building. In the centre of the town is also another ancient castle, which has long been in the possession of the Hatch family; it was granted by Cromwell to Williams, one of their ancestors, and has been recently fitted up as a handsome dwelling by W. Hatch, Esq., the present proprietor; it is defended by embrasures and a tower on the east side, on which have been placed two four-pounders, by permission of the lord-lieutenant and council in 1828, Close to the town is a fortified mount of great magnitude, anciently called Cnuc na Scanghaim, and the seat of the chiefs of the district. The Earl of Meath enjoys the inferior title of Baron Brabazon, of Ardee, by which his ancestor, Sir Edward Brabazon, was elevated to the peerage of Ireland, in 1616.
ARDERA, a townland, in the barony of IVERK, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (W. N. W.) from Waterford; containing 334 inhabitants. This townland, which anciently was part of the possessions of the abbey of Jerpoint, is bounded on the north by the parish of Ullid, and on the south by that of Rathkyran, of which latter it is, in the civil divisions, considered to form a part, and comprises 804 statute acres. It is in the diocese of Ossory, and is one of eighteen denominations constituting the union of Burnchurch: the tithes amount to £69. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Moncoin.
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The DIOCESE of ARDFERT and AGHADOE consists of a union of two ancient sees, which from time immemorial have been incorporated. The see of Ardfert, or Ardart, was anciently called Kiaragi or Kerrigia, also the bishoprick of Iar-Muan, or West Munster; and from history and public records it appears that the bishops of Ardfert were likewise denominated bishops of Kerry, which title is still retained in the R. C. divisions. On the translation of Thomas Fulwar (the last bishop of Ardfert) to Cashel, in 1660, this see was held in commendam with that of Limerick, of which latter Edward Singe was in that year consecrated bishop; and on his translation to Cork, in 1663, Ardfert was permanently united to Limerick, under the prelacy of Wm. Fuller. The ancient diocese of Aghadoe can now only be traced in its archdeaconry, which is annexed to the chapter of Ardfert, and in the remains of its ancient cathedral. The diocese is one of the eleven constituting the ecclesiastical province of Cashel, and comprehends the entire county of Kerry and a small portion of that of Cork: it extends about 66 British miles in length and 61 in breadth, and comprises by estimation a superficial area of 676,450 plantation acres, of which 647,650 are in Kerry, and 28,800 in Cork. The chapter consists of the dean, chancellor, treasurer, precentor, and archdeacon: there are no prebendaries or vicars choral attached to the cathedral; the only other endowed office is a minor canonry, which does not exist in connection with any other cathedral in Ireland, except that of St. Patrick, Dublin. The see lands and gross annual revenue of the . diocese are included in the return for the diocese of Limerick. Of the cathedral, dedicated to St. Brendan, a portion of the remains has heen fitted up as the parochial church, which was repaired in 1831 by subscription of the bishop and dignitaries: there is no economy fund. The consistorial court consists of a vicar-general, surrogate, registrar, deputy-registrar, and proctor: there is also a diocesan schoolmaster. The diocese comprehends 89 parishes, forming 51 benefices, of which 9, including the deanery, are in the gift, of the crown; 21, including the other dignities, are in the patronage of the bishop, and the remaining 21 in lay patronage. The number of churches is 35, besides 8 other buildings in which divine service is performed; and of glebe-houses, 20. In the R. C. divisions the diocese (which retains its ancient name of Kerry) extends, with the exception of a small part of one of the northern parishes, over the whole of that of the Established Church, and also includes the parishes of Kilcaskin, Kilcatern, Kilaconenagh, and Kilnamanagh, in the Protestant diocese of Ross, and is suffragan to that of Cashel. It comprehends 43 parochial unions or districts, and contains 88 chapels, served by 43 parish priests and 34 coadjutors or curates: the bishop's district is that of Killarney. The parish lies on the western coast, and contains 6013 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, exclusively of a considerable extent of sand-hills, marsh, and bog. Within its limits is the creek or harbour of Barra, where a pier was some years since constructed by the late Fishery Board, which from its position has hitherto been of no avail: the entrance is flanked by rocks rising to the height of nearly 100 feet, and was formerly defended by a castle, of which a considerable part remains, and from which, according to tradition, a chain was thrown across to the opposite rock, to prevent the sudden entry of hostile vessels; further in, on the Fenit side, are the remains of another old castle. The pasture farms are extensive; the tillage farms average from 20 to 30 acres. The principal seat is Ardfert Abbey, subsequently noticed. About a mile to the east of the town is Tubrid, a seat belonging to J. O'Connell, Esq. Sackville House, lately in the occupation of the Rev. R. Maunsell, is the property of the Crosbie family; and Barra, on the north shore of the creek of that name, is the residence of T. Collis, Esq. Within a short distance of the town are the ruins of a castle, called Rahanane, formerly the residence of the Bishops of Ardfert, and still attached to the see, but held on lease by Capt. Willow. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and is divided into five equal portions, held respectively by the dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, and perpetual curate: the portion attached to the deanery was united, at a period prior to any existing records, to the rectories of Ratass and Killanear, constituting the corps of the deanery of Ardfert, in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes of the parish, amount to £253. 16. 11., and of the decanal union to £479. 19. 8 1/2., to which being added the value of the glebe-lands, lying in Ardfert and Ratass, the gross income of the dean, according to the Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Inquiry, is £549. 9. The church consists of the south transept of the old cathedral: it is served by a perpetual curate, whose stipend, payable by the dignitaries, has been recently augmented by one-fifth of the rectory, and a portion of the glebe, which formerly constituted part of the endowment of the archdeaconry. There is no glebe-house: the glebe lands comprise 280a. 1r. 20p., plantation measure, of which 37a. 1r. 8p. belong to the dean, 71a. 0r. 12p. to the precentor, 45a. to the treasurer, 15a. to the perpetual curate, and 112a. to the minor canon, who has also other lands, amounting in the whole to about 180 acres, let on lease at an aggregate rental of £205. 12. In the R. C. divisions this place is the head of a union or district, which comprises the parishes of Ardfert, Kilmoiley, Ballynahaglish, and Fenit, and contains three chapels, situated respectively at Ardfert, Chapeltown, and Lerrigs: the first, erected in 1783, at an expense of £300, is a neat slated building, with a sacristy, and over the altar is a painting of the Crucifixion. There are two free schools; one, a thatched stone building adapted to the reception of 140 children, but in which at present about 45 are taught, was erected by Mrs. Crosbie, at an expense of £120, and is supported by her and the dignitaries of the cathedral; the other, in which are 150 boys and 90 girls, is a slated building near the R. C. chapel, erected at an expense of £90 by the Rev. J. O'Sullivan, P. P., by whom it is chiefly supported. Here is also a dispensary. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Brandon or Brendan, occupied an eminence on the north side of the town, and is said to have been destroyed, in the war of 1641. The remains consist of the walls of the nave and choir, which are perfect: the east window has three lofty lancet-shaped compartments, ornamented internally with light and elegant clustered pilaster columns; on each side is a niche, in one of which stands the figure of a bishop, rudely sculptured, but in excellent preservation, lately found in sinking a vault, and called and venerated as the effigy of St. Brandon; near it, in the choir, is another of much superior workmanship. On the south side, near the altar, are nine windows ornamented with pilaster columns terminating in a trefoil arch; at the west end, on the north side, are two square windows, opposite which are three bold arches resting on square pillars, which led from the cathedral probably into a chapel, and there were also two other entrances into this part of the building, the principal at the north-west corner. Four rude Norman arches still remain, of which the centre is the largest and was the doorway. A doorway at the north-west led into a later addition, part of which only remains, and in 1668 was purchased for her tomb by the Dowager Countess of Kerry, and has since been the family vault of the Crosbies. To the west of the cathedral are two detached buildings, one having the Norman and the other the pointed arch. An ancient round tower, which formerly stood near the cathedral, fell about 60 years since. Within half a mile to the east, in a beautiful park of the late Earl of Glandore's, are the cruciform ruins of the Franciscan abbey, consisting of the nave and choir, with a lofty tower on the west, a chapel on the south, and the refectory on the north, adjoining which are two sides of the cloisters, the whole principally in the pointed style. The great east window has five divisions, and is of bold design. On the south side the choir was lighted by nine windows, under which are five arches in the wall, differing in style and elevation, and probably intended as monumental recesses for abbots; in the second is an altar-tomb of the last Earl and Countess of Glandore. The south chapel, of which the great window is perfect and its details, handsome, was connected with the nave by three noble pointed arches resting on massive, but peculiarly elegant, circular columns. A stone in the buttress of the arch nearest the tower bears a rude inscription, which, from the difficulty of decyphering it, has given rise to various opinions, but, on lately removing the moss and dirt, proves to be in Latin, and purports that Donald Fitz Bohen, who sleeps here, caused this work (probably the chapel) to be done in 1453. In the choir are several very ancient tombstones, one bearing the effigy of an abbot. Near these ruins stands Ardfert Abbey, the mansion of the Crosbie family, who have resided here since the reign of Elizabeth, when Dr. John Crosbie, of Maryborough, Queen's county, was preferred to the bishoprick, and his descendants successively attained the honours of Baron Branden, Viscount Crosbie, and Earl of Glandore, now extinct. Col. David Crosbie, son of the bishop, who distinguished himself in the service of Chas. I., mentions, in his claims to Cromwell in 1653, that the Irish had burnt his house at Ardfert, which had cost him more than £1000 in building; (it appears, from an inscription still remaining, to have been completed in 1635;) and the original order by Col. Fitz Morice, for its destruction, is among the MSS, in the library. The succeeding mansion was modernised by the first Lord Branden in 1720, and has been greatly improved by its present occupant, Mrs. Crosbie: it contains an extensive library of choice works and numerous family MSS., and in the dining and drawing-rooms is a variety of paintings, mostly family portraits. The park is well stocked with deer; the gardens are extensive, and open into several fine avenues of elm, lime, and beech trees.
ARDFIELD, a parish, in the barony of IBANE and BAR-RYROE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S. by E.) from Clonakilty, containing 2023 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the south coast, and is bounded on the east by the bay of Clonakilty; it comprises 2313 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2053 per annum. About four-fifths are under cultivation: there is very little waste land and no bog; the poor bring the turf from Clonakilty. The soil, though light and in some places very stony, generally produces good crops. There are about 800 acres of land, called the commons, wholly in the occupation of poor people who have enclosed it; some of it is remarkably good, and the whole is under cultivation. Indications of copper ore appear at Duneen, and many excellent specimens have been found: attempts to raise it were made several years since, but the design was abandoned. There are several large and handsome houses in the parish: the principal are Dunmore, the seat of J. Beamish, Esq.; Dunowen House, of G. Sandes, Esq.; the Tower, of Lieut. Speck, R. N.; Greenfield, of H. Galway, Esq.; and Balliva, of M. Galway, Esq. At its southern extremity is Dunowen Head, off which lie the Shanbuee rocks; and in the parish is Dunny Cove, where is stationed the western coast-guard detachment within the district of Kinsale. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ross, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is impropriate in M. Roberts and T. W. Foot, Esqrs. The tithes amount to £203. 1. 6 1/2., of which £110. 15. 4 3/4. is payable to the impropriators, and the remainder to the vicar. The church is in ruins; but divine service is performed in a house fitted up for that purpose at Dunny Cove. The glebe comprises eleven acres of excellent land, but there is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising the parishes of Ardfield and Rathbarry, in each of which is a chapel; that of Ardfield is a low, plain, but commodious edifice, situated on the commons. There are schools in which 140 boys and 170 girls are taught, also a school at Dunny Cove, a Sunday school under the superintendence of the vicar, and one or two hedge schools. The ruins of the old church are situated on the highest point of land in the parish; and near them is a building which during the war was used as a signal tower, but is now the residence of Lieut. Speck, who commands the coast-guard at Dunny Cove. Close to the Cove are the ruins of a castle.
ARDFINNAN, a parish, in the barony of IFFA and OFFA WEST, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. S. E.) from Cahir; containing 878 inhabitants. The village extends into the parish of Ballybacon, and contains 316 inhabitants. The place derives its name, signifying "the hill of Finian," from an eminence on which its castle was built, and from St. Finian the Leper, who flourished in the latter part of the sixth century, and founded here an abbey of Regular Canons, to which, about the year 903, Cormac Mac Cuillenan, the celebrated monarch and archbishop of Munster, bequeathed one ounce of gold and one of silver, with his horse and arms: it was plundered and burnt by the English forces, in 1178. Here was also at an early period a monastery for Conventual Franciscans, concerning which there are no particulars on record. The village is situated on both banks of the river Suir, which is here crossed by a bridge of fourteen arches, and on the mail coach road from Dublin to Cork, by way of Clonmel. Within half a mile above the bridge, according to McCurtin's annals, Terlogh O'Brien, King of Munster, routed Terlogh O'Connor, Monarch of Ireland, in 1150, when O'Hyne, Prince of Fiachra, and O'Fflahertie, Prince of West Connaught, were slain, with the greater part of the monarch's army. The castle was erected by King John, when Earl of Morton and Lord of Ireland, in 1184: it was a large rectangular pile strengthened by square towers at the corners, and belonged to the Knights Templars, on the suppression of which order it was granted to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and subsequently to the Bishop of Waterford; its ruins occupy a picturesque and elevated site on a rock overlooking the river, and consist of the gateway and greater part of the walls. From public records it appears that this place had anciently a corporation: in 1311, 4th of Edw. II., a grant of "pontage for three years" was made to "the Bailiffs and good men of Ardfynan," at the request of the Bishop of Limerick. In 1399, John, Earl of Desmond, was drowned in crossing the ford here with his followers, on returning from an incursion into the territory of the Earl of Ormonde. The parish comprises 1081 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: there are some limestone quarries, the produce or which is chiefly burnt for manure. A fair, chiefly for the sale of pigs, is held at the village on Feb. 2nd, and it has a patent for two other fairs on May 17th and Nov. 19th. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight, and a manorial court six times in the year; and here is a station of the constabulary police. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Lismore, with the vicarage of Neddins and the rectory of Rochestown episcopally united, forming the union of Ardfinnan, in the patronage of the Archbishop of Cashel: the tithes are £1701, and the gross tithes of the benefice amount to £345. The church is a plain modern edifice. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1200, from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1818; the glebe comprises 20a. 2r. 11p. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a district, which comprises also Neddins, Rochestown, Ballybacon, and Tulloghmelan, and contains three chapels, at Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, and Grange. There are two private schools. Dr. Downes bequeathed £8. 6. 8. per ann., late currency, for apprenticing Protestant children.
ARDGLASS, a sea-port, post-town, and parish, in the barony of LECALE, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 5 1/2 miles (S. E. by E.) from Downpatrick, and 80 3/4 miles (N. N. E.) from Dublin; containing 2300 inhabitants, of which number, 1162 are in the town. This place derives its name, signifying in the Irish language "the High Green." from a lofty green hill of conical form, called the Ward, and situated to the west of the town: from the remains of several castles it appears to have been formerly a place of some importance. Jordan's Castle is memorable for the gallant and protracted defence that it made during the insurrection of the Earl of Tyrone, in the reign of Elizabeth, and derived its present name from its loyal and intrepid proprietor, Simon Jordan, who for three years sustained the continued assaults of the besiegers, till he was at length relieved by the Lord-Deputy Mountjoy, who sailed with a fleet from Dublin and landed here on the 17th of June, 1611; and after relieving the garrison, pursued the insurgents to Dunsford, where a battle took place, in which they were nearly annihilated; and Jordan was rewarded for his services by a concordatum from the Queen. The port of Ardglass appears to have been in a flourishing condition from a very early period; a trading company from London settled here in the reign of Hen. IV., and in the reign of Hen. VI. it had an extensive foreign trade and was superior to any other port in the province of Ulster. At that time the town had received a charter of incorporation, was governed by a mayor, and had a port-admiral and revenue officers. Hen. VIII. granted the customs of the port, then worth £5000 per annum, to Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, in whose family they remained till 1637, when, with certain privileges enjoyed by the port of Carrickfergus, they were purchased by the crown, and the whole was transferred to Newry and Belfast, from which time the trade of Ardglass began to decline and the town ultimately became only a residence for fishermen. It was formerly the property of a branch of the Leinster family, of whom the last resident, Lord Lecale, sold the manor to W. Ogilvie, Esq., who had married the Dowager Duchess of Leinster, and under whose auspices the town recovered its former importance; at his decease it descended to his heir, Major Aubrey W. Beauclerc, its present proprietor. The town is pleasantly and advantageously situated on the eastern coast, and on the side of a hill overlooking the sea, and is well known to mariners by two conspicuous hills, one on the west, called the Ward of Ardglass, and the other on the east, called the Ward of Ardtole. Mr. Ogilvie, on its coming into his possession in the year 1812, built entire streets, a church and school-house, and an elegant hotel; he also constructed hot, cold, and vapour baths; built and furnished lodging-houses for the accommodation of visiters, and rendered it one of the most fashionable watering-places in the North of Ireland. The town in its present state consists of one long street, nearly of semicircular form, from which several smaller streets branch off: in front of the inner bay is a range of excellent houses, called the Crescent; and there are many good houses in front of the harbour, adjoining which is a long range of building in the castellated style, called the New Works, although they are so old that nothing is known either of the time or the purpose of their erection. They form together a line of fortifications, 250 feet in length from east to west, and 24 feet in breadth, close to the shore; the walls are three feet in thickness and strengthened with three towers, one in the centre and one at each extremity. These buildings were originally divided into thirty-six apartments, eighteen on the ground floor and eighteen above, with a staircase in the centre; each of the lower apartments had a small arched door and a large square window, which renders it probable that they had been shops occupied by merchants at some very early period, possibly by the company of traders that settled here in the reign of Hen. IV. About the year 1789, Lord Chas. Fitzgerald, son of the Duke of Leinster, who was then proprietor, caused that portion of the building between the central and the western tower to be enlarged in the rear, and raised to the height of three stories in the castellated style; and from that time it has been called Ardglass Castle, and has been the residence of the proprietor of the estate. It was formerly called Horn Castle, either from a great quantity of horns found on the spot, or from a high pillar which stood on its summit previously to its being roofed; and near it is another castle, called Cow'd Castle, signifying the want of horns, from a word in the Scottish dialect, of which many phrases are still in use in the province. In a direct line with Ardglass Castle, and due west of it, are Cow'd Castle above noticed, and Margaret's Castle, both square ancient structures having the lower stories arched with stone; and on the north-west side of the town, on a considerable elevation, are two other castles, about 20 feet distant from each other, the larger of which is called King's Castle and the smaller the Tower; they have been partly rebuilt and connected with a handsome pile of building in the castellated style. Jordan's Castle, previously noticed, is an elegant building, 70 feet high, standing in the centre of the town, and having at the entrance a well of excellent water. The surrounding scenery is beautiful, and the air salubrious; the green banks of Ardtole and Ringfad, on the north and south sides of the bay, overhang the sea, where ships of the largest burden can approach within an oar's length of the bold and precipitous rocks that line the coast. From the Ward of Ardglass is a delightful prospect extending from 30 to 40 miles over a fertile country: on the south-west, beyond Killough and the beautiful bay of Dundrum, are seen the lofty mountains of Mourne rising in sublime grandeur; on the east, the Isle of Man, and on the north-east, the Ayrshire mountains of Scotland, in distant Perspective, appearing to rise from the ocean, and embracing with their extended arch more than one half of the horizon. During the fishing season the view of the sea from this place is rendered peculiarly striking and animated by the daily arrival and departure of vessels, and the numerous shoals of mackarel, pollock, and other fish visible on the surface of the water for miles. There are no manufactures; the labouring classes being wholly employed in the fisheries off the north-east coast, of which this place is the common centre. During the season there are frequently in the harbour, at one time, from 300 to 400 vessels from Donaghadee, Carlingford, Skerries, Dublin, Arklow, and the Isle of Man, but principally from Penzance, on the coast of Cornwall. The boats come regularly into the harbour to dispose of their fish, which is quickly purchased by carriers, who take it into the interior of the country, and by merchants who cure it; but chiefly by masters of sloops and small craft, who wait in the harbour for the arrival of the fishing boats, and proceed directly to Dublin or Liverpool to dispose of the herrings fresh. These sloops usually perform two trips in the week, and the masters frequently make from £20 to £50 by each cargo. The harbour is admirably adapted for trade and steam navigation; and, since the erection of the new pier, is sufficient to accommodate steamers of any tonnage, and there is sufficient depth of water for vessels of 500 tons burden, which can enter at any state of the tide. There is an inner harbour, where a quay and pier have been erected for the accommodation of the fishing vessels; it is called Kimmersport, and is capable of accommodating a great number of fishing-boats, exclusively of other vessels of 100 tons burden; but the sea recedes from it at low water. On the quay are capacious stores for corn, in which an extensive trade is carried on. Adjoining the outer harbour a pier was completed, in 1814, at an expense of £14,000. The new pier was constructed in 1834, at an expense of £25,000, by Mr. Ogilvie, under the superintendence of Sir John Rennie: it extends 300 feet from the extremity of the old pier into deep water, and is 20 feet broad; it is built of large blocks of stone from the Isle of Man, hewn and dressed, forming a breakwater, and affording a beautiful promenade embracing fine views of the Isle and Calf of Man. A handsome lighthouse is now being erected on the pier, which is connected with the land by a very capacious wharf covering nearly an acre of ground, with a basin of semicircular form, beyond which are the quays for the colliers. The harbour is situated in lat. 54° 15' 20" (N.), and lon. 5° 35' 20" (W.); and the trade of the port is rapidly increasing. There is a patent for a market and four fairs. A constabulary police force, and a coast-guard station, forming one of the seven that constitute the district of Newcastle, have been established here. A manorial court is held for debts and pleas to the amount of £100. By an order in council, dated Oct. 19th, 1834, the townlands of Jordan's Crew and Kildare's Crew, formerly belonging to the parish of Bailee, and the townland of Ross, formerly in the parish of Kilclief, were permanently united to this parish, which now comprises 1137 1/4 statute acres, according to the Ordnance survey. The lands, which are all arable, are very fertile and in a profitable state of cultivation; there is not a rood of waste land or bog. At a short distance from the town, and near the shore, are extensive quarries of good rubble stone, from which were raised the materials used in the construction of the numerous buildings lately erected in the parish, and partly in the building of the pier, for the easier conveyance of which a rail-road, a quarter of a mile in length, was laid down. The living was formerly a perpetual curacy, and the rectory formed part of the union of Ballyphilip and corps of the chancellorship of Down, which union was lately dissolved on the recommendation of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and Ardglass is now an independent rectory and benefice, in the diocese of Down, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £130. The church was built on the site of an ancient edifice, the late Board of First Fruits having granted £800 as a gift and £400 as a loan, in 1813: it is a handsome edifice, with a tower and spire 90 feet high. In digging the foundation, an oblong stone, broader at the top than at the bottom, was found near the place of the ancient altar, and is still in the churchyard: it has at the top a dove sculptured in relief; in the centre the crucifixion; and on each side a shield of arms. Underneath are some lines in curiously raised letters of the old English character, from which, though rendered almost unintelligible by intricate literal combinations, it appears to have been dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Jane O'Birne, in 1573. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £130 for the repair of this church. The glebe-house was built in 1815, a quarter of a mile from the church, at an expense of £500, of which £450 was a gift and £50 a loan from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe contains three plantation acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is united with Dunsford, by which latter name the union is generally known. Each has a chapel; that of Ardglass is a very neat edifice, built in 1829 on a spacious site given by Mr. Ogilvie. There is a school under the Trustees of Erasmus Smith's Charity, in which are about 90 boys and 80 girls; also four private schools, in which are about 60 boys and 50 girls, and a dispensary. About half a mile to the north-east of the town, on a hill in the townland of Ardtole, are the ruins of an ancient place of worship, called the old church of Ardtole, of which the eastern gable, with a large arched opening, and the two side walls, more than three feet in thickness, are remaining, and are of strong but very rude masonry. In Ardtole creek, on the north-east side of the bay, is a natural cavern with a large entrance, which gradually contracts into a narrow fissure in the rock, scarcely admitting one person to creep through it; the elevation is very great, from which circumstance the townland probably derived its name Ardtole, signifying "high hole:" some persons have penetrated a considerable way into this cavern, but no one has explored it fully. Ardglass formerly gave the title of Earl to the family of Cromwell, and subsequently that of Viscount to the Barringtons.
ARDGUIN, or ARDQUIN, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, on Lough Strangford, and on the road from Portaferry to Belfast; containing, with part of the post-town of Portaferry, 994 inhabitants. There appears to have been a monastery at this place, founded at a very early period: according to Harris' History of Down it was the priory of Eynes, which, on the authority of a patent roll among the public records, was seized by the crown during the war between England and France, and was granted, in 1411, by Hen. IV. to Thomas Cherele. It afterwards became the chief residence of the bishops of Down, of whom the last that resided here was Dr. Echlin, who was consecrated to the see in 1614. According to the Ordnance survey the parish comprises 3043 statute acres, of which 80 are under water. The soil, though in some parts interspersed with rocks which rise above the surface, is in general fertile; the lands are in a good state of cultivation; there is neither waste nor bog. Clay-slate is raised for building, and for mending the roads. Portaferry House, the splendid mansion of Col. A. Nugent, is situated in a richly planted demesne, with an extensive park ornamented with stately timber. Here are several mills for flour and oatmeal, and for dressing flax; the situation of the parish on Strangford Lough affords great facility of conveyance by water. A manorial court is held for the recovery of debts not exceeding five marks, with jurisdiction over the whole of the parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Down, held by the bishop, who appoints a curate, for whose stipend he has set apart certain lands belonging to the see. No church appears to have existed here from a period long prior to the Reformation till the year 1829, when the present edifice was erected by Dr. Mant, the present bishop; it is a neat small building with a square tower, and occupies a picturesque situation on an eminence between Lough Strangford and Lough Cowie, which latter is a fresh-water lake of considerable extent. There is neither glebe nor glebe-house; the lands appear to have been granted as mensal lands to the see, and consequently to have been tithe-free; but their exemption is at present a subject of dispute, and the tithes are returned under the composition act as amounting to £289. 19. 7 1/2., payable to the bishop. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Upper Ardes. There is a Sunday school; also a pay school, in which are about 42 boys and 32 girls. There are considerable remains of the monastery and episcopal palace, which shew that the buildings were originally of very great extent.-- See PORTAFERRY.
ARDKEEN, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (N. by E.) from Portaferry; containing 2176 inhabitants. This place derives its name, originally Ard-Coyne, from its situation on the shores of a lake, which was formerly called Lough Coyne. It was one of the most important strong holds of the ancient Irish, who made it a place of refuge from the violence and rapacity of the Danes, and had a large and well-fortified camp protected on three sides by the sea, with extensive pastures in the rear for their cattle. On this point of land, jutting into the lough and forming a fertile peninsula nearly surrounded by every tide, Raymond Savage, one of the followers of De Courcy, erected a strong castle in 1196, which became the chief residence of that family, whose descendants throughout the whole of the insurrection remained firmly attached to the English monarchs. In 1567, Shane O'Nial, who had overrun and destroyed the neighbouring country on every side, besieged this castle, but was so vigorously repulsed that he retreated with great loss and never penetrated farther southward into the Ardes. The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 4800 1/2 statute acres, of which 169 are islands, and 114 are covered with water. The living was formerly a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Down, and the rectory formed part of the union of Inch and the corps of the prebend of St. Andrew's in the cathedral of Down; but the Ecclesiastical Commissioners having recommended the dissolution of the union on the next avoidance of the prebend. Ardkeen and the northern part of Witter were constituted a distinct rectory, in the patronage of the Bishop, in 1834, by consent of the prebendary, and the perpetual curate was made rector: the tithes amount to £ 464. 18. 9. The church is situated on the peninsula and at the extreme western boundary of the parish; it is a small ancient edifice, and contains several monuments to the family of Savage, its original founders. The glebe-house was built at an expense of £500, of which £450 was a gift and £50 a loan from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816: the glebe comprises 12 1/2 Cunningham acres, valued at £1 per acre and subject to a rent of £4 per annum. In the R. C. divisions this parish is included within the unions or districts of Upper and Lower Ardes: the chapel at Lisbawn is connected with that of Ballygelgat, in the parish of Witter. A school of 76 boys and 84 girls is supported by Col. and Lady H. Forde, who contribute £50 per annum; there are also a Sunday school and a private school. The only remains of the castle are the foundations; the fosses are tolerably perfect, and some of the gardens and orchards may be traced.
ARDKILL, a parish, in the barony of CARBERY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E.) from Edenderry, on the road from Mullingar to Naas and Kildare; containing 864 inhabitants. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Kildare, wholly impro-priate in the Marquess of Downshire; the tithes amount to £168. 17. 5 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union of Carbery. At Dimtura is a school under the patronage of Viscount Harberton.
ARDMAYLE, a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N.) from Cashel; containing 1914 inhabitants. This appears to have been formerly a place of some importance; in many parts foundations of ancient houses have been discovered, and there are also remains of several castles. Of the latter, the castle of Sinone, consisting of a circular tower, is the most ancient; it is called in the Irish language Farrin-a-Urrigh, and it is said that many of Strongbow's forces, on their retreat from Cashel, were slain and interred here: human bones are frequently dug up near the spot, and within the last few years a very large helmet was discovered. The castle at Castlemoyle, at present consisting only of a square tower, was anciently the residence of the Butlers, and subsequently of the Cootes. Cromwell is said to have attacked it, and after gaining possession, to have hanged the proprietor: it still retains vestiges of its original extent, and appears to have been handsomely built. There are also some remains of another castle near the bridge. The parish is situated near the main road from Cashel to Thurles, and on the river Suir, over which is a bridge of stone; it comprises 4772 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £6225 per annum. The land is principally under an improved system of tillage; there is neither bog nor waste land. Limestone abounds and is quarried for building, and for burning into lime. Ardmayle House is the residence of T. Price, Esq.; Longfield, situated in a well-planted demesne, of R. Long, Esq.; Fort Edward, of E. Long, Esq.; and Noddstown, of R. Armstrong, Esq., closely adjoining to which is a square tower. Here is a station of the constabulary police. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Rev. W. Sutton and the vicars choral of the cathedral of Cashel: the tithes amount to £312. 9. 2., the whole payable to the impropriators, who pay the perpetual curate a stipend of £30, to which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners add £70. The church, with the exception of the old tower crowned with an embattled turret, was rebuilt by aid of a gift of £800 and a loan of £150 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1815. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, called Bohirlahan, comprising Ardmayle and Ballysheehan, each of which has a chapel; the chapel for Ardmayle is situated at Bohirlahan, and is of recent erection. A school of 56 boys and 22 girls is aided by Mr. Beasley, who erected the school-house, and the Rev. Wm. Kirwan, P. P., who supplies books and stationery.
ARDMORE, a parish, in the barony of DECIES-within-DRUM, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from Youghal; containing 7318 inhabitants, of which number, 414 are in the village. This place, which is situated on the bay of Ardmore in St. George's channel, derived its name, signifying "a great promontory or eminence," from the Drumfineen mountain, an extensive and elevated range forming its northern barrier, and of which Slieve Grine constitutes a very considerable portion. In the infancy of Christianity in Ireland, St. Declan, a native of this country and a member of the tribe of the Decii, founded a religious establishment here, which became an episcopal see, over which he was confirmed bishop by St. Patrick in 443. The see of Ardmore continued to flourish as a separate bishoprick under a succession of prelates, of whom the next after the founder was St. Ultan, till the time of the English invasion, soon after which it was incorporated with the diocese of Lismore. The parish, which includes the principal portion of the barony, comprises 28,135 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the mountainous portion affords tolerable pasturage and is well stocked with black cattle; and the lands between the mountains and the sea are fertile and in a good state of cultivation. Crushea, the seat of Mrs. Gun Paul, is a handsome modern residence pleasantly situated on the north side of the bay, and commanding a fine view of the sea. Ards, the residence of P. Lawlor, Esq., is a castellated mansion situated about a mile from the village, near the sea, and commanding an extensive and interesting prospect. Loscairne, the extremely neat modern residence of W. J. Carew, Esq., is pleasantly situated at the eastern verge of the parish, adjoining the new public road from Dungarvan to Youghal, by way of Ring. Glenanna Cottage, the marine residence of H. Winston Barron, Esq., is situated near Ballymacart. A new line of road has been made within the last few years from Dungarvan, through Ring, to Youghal, by which the distance to the Ferry point is 17 miles, and the construction of which has given a great impulse to agricultural improvement, by providing a convenient outlet for the produce of the district. It intersects the parish from N. E. to S.W.; and another road, in a N. W. direction, commencing at the upper bridge of Killongford, is now in progress, which will pass through the townlands of Ballyharrahan and Killongford, and over Slieve Grine mountain, and in its course will be shorter, by 2 3/4 miles, than the old road: the Slieve Grine mountain is principally the property of H. Villiers Stuart, Esq., of Dromana. The village is situated on the shore of a bay open to the east and protected on the south by Ardmore Head; the beach is of great extent and smoothness, and there is an interesting view of St. George's channel. Its situation, and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, make it a desirable place of resort for sea-bathing. Copper and lead mines were formerly worked, and, from the specimens still found, the ores appear to have been of rich quality. At Minehead, so called from the adjacent works, and near the village, iron ore of very good quality was also procured. A constabulary police force, and one of the five coast-guard stations which constitute the district of Youghal, have been established here. The living is a vicarage, with that of Ballymacart united, in the diocese of Lismore, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory constitutes the corps of the precentorship in the cathedral of Lismore. The tithes amount to £650, of which £433. 6. 8. is payable to the precentor, and £216. 13. 4. to the vicar; and the gross tithes of the benefice amount to £258. The church and glebe-house are annexed to the vicarage: the glebe belonging to the precentor consists of the lands of Ardocharty, in this parish, comprising 68a. 5p., and 48 1/2a. in the parish of Lismore; and the vicarial glebe comprises 20a. 1r. 9p. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising the parishes of Ardmore, Ballymacart, and Lisginan, in each of which is a chapel; the chapel of Ardmore is situated in the village, and is a commodious edifice of recent erection. There are a Sunday school and five pay schools, in the latter of which are about 240 children. Some remains exist of the ancient church, consisting chiefly of the chancel, part of which, till the recent erection of the present edifice, was used as the parish church; it was a fine building, richly decorated with sculpture, and still displays traces of its former magnificence. To the south-east of the church is a small, low, and plain building, called the Dormitory of St. Declan, and held in great veneration by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood; it was repaired and roofed about a century since by Bishop Willis. In the churchyard is one of the ancient round towers, a fine specimen of those monuments of remote antiquity. On Ardmore Head are some slight remains of an ancient church, but in a state of such dilapidation that few traces either of its original architecture or embellishment can be distinguished. Near it is St. Declan's well, which is held in veneration by the people of the neighbourhood; and on the beach is St. Declan's stone, resting on a ledge of rock, by which it is raised a little from the ground, and at which, on July 24th, the festival of the saint, numbers of people assemble for devotional purposes. Several circular intrenchments may be traced in various parts of the parish. Near Ardmore Head is a large and curious cavern, called the "Parlour;" and on the coast, which is precipitously rocky, are several other caverns.
ARDMORE, county of ARMAGH.-- See MOYNTAGHS. ARDMOY.-- See ARMOY.
ARDMULCHAN, a parish, in the barony of SKREEN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Navan; containing 1061 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the high road from Navan to Drogheda, and the new road from Trim to Duleek runs through the southern part of it: its northern part is intersected by the Boyne navigation. It comprises 3347 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about two-thirds are under tillage, and the remainder is good grazing land; there is no waste or bog. Limestone abounds, and there is a good quarry of stone for building. Ardmulchan House is the seat of R. Taaffe, Esq.; and Hayes, a handsome residence, of R. Bourke, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Meath, and the rectory is united to Painstown: the tithes amount to £253. 16. 10 1/2. In the R. C. divisions also it is part of the union or district of Black Lion or Painstown. There is a free school for boys and girls at Hayes, under the patronage of R.Bourke, Esq., who built the school-house, gave an acre of land rent-free, and allows £24 per ann. for its support; the girls' school is principally supported by Mrs. Bourke.
ARDNAGEEHY, a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S. W.) from Rathcormac, on the mail coach road from Cork to that place; containing 3715 inhabitants. It comprises 15,546 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5708 per annum. The Nagle mountains and Leppers Hill form a tract of nearly 6000 acres, and on the south side of the river Bride are nearly 2000 acres of waste land: these lands are generally rough pasture, affording but a very scanty supply of herbage for cattle. Of the lands under cultivation, the greater portion is in tillage, and the system of agriculture is improving. There are about 400 acres of bog, but it is not worked. The substratum of the soil is clay-slate; a coarse heavy kind of slate is quarried for roofing, and flag-stones are found in abundance, but neither are worked to any extent. There are several large and handsome houses in the parish, the principal of which are Bridestown, the residence of E. Morgan, Esq.; Mount Pleasant, of the Rev. E. G. Hudson; Kiluntin, of R. Roche, Esq.; Glanassack, of Mrs. Wallis; and Westmount, of M. Westropp, Esq. A small paper-rnill is worked at Glenville, where fairs for cattle, sheep, and pigs are held on the 4th of May and the 3rd of November. There are constabulary police stations at Glenville and Watergrass-hill. Petty sessions are held at the latter place every alternate Tuesday. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £438. 9. 3. The church is a neat modern edifice, situated at Glenville, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits gave £500 in 1798. There is no glebe-house; and the glebe, comprising 40 acres purchased by the same Board, has been lost through some defect in the title. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, also called Watergrass-hill, which comprises the parishes of Ardnageehy and Ballynaultig, and parts of those of Dunbollogue and Kilquane; there are chapels at Glenville and Watergrass-hill, both small plain buildings. The parochial male and female schools at Glenville are supported chiefly by the rector, and there is another school for boys and girls on the demesne of Glenville, for which the proprietor built a school-house in 1821: about 200 children are taught in these schools, and there are six hedge schools, in which are about 300 children, and a Sunday school. About two miles to the south of the church are the ruins of the old parish church, romantically situated among the hills.
ARDNAREE, a village, in that part of the parish of KILMOREMOY which is in the barony of TYRERAGH, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, adjacent to Ballina, and containing 2482 inhabitants. This place, which may be considered as a suburb to Ballina, is connected with that town by a bridge over the river Moy; and consists of one principal street, from which several lanes diverge, containing altogether 312 houses. In 1427 a monastery for Eremites of the order of St. Augustine was founded here, but by whom is not known; there are some slight remains, consisting of a beautiful arched doorway and several windows. The environs are remarkably pleasant, and a new bridge of four arches has been recently erected. Fairs are held on June 20th, Oct. 10th, and Dec. 13th; and here is a constabulary police station. The parish church, a plain edifice with a tower and spire, is situated in the village; and a R. C. chapel, a handsome structure in the later English style, and ornamented with minarets, has been erected at an expense of £9000, and to which it is contemplated to add a tower and spire; when completed, it will be a great ornament to the town and suburb of Ballina; it is the cathedral church of the R. C. see of Killala, the bishop of which resides here.-- See KILMOREMOY.
ARDNORCHER, otherwise HORSELEAP, a parish, partly in the barony of KILCOURSEY, KING'S county, but chiefly in that of MOYCASHEL, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W. N. W.) from Kilbeggan, on the river Brosna, and on the mail coach road from Dublin to Galway; containing 3701 inhabitants. It contains 10,826 statute acres, of which 10,673 are applotted under the tithe act; there is a considerable tract of bog, but no mountain or waste land. The principal proprietor is Lord Maryborough. Limestone abounds in the parish, but there are no quarries of note. The principal seats are Bracca Castle, the residence of S. Handy, Esq.; Gageborough, of J. C. Judge, Esq.; Ballard, of R. Bolger, Esq.; and Temple-Macateer, of M. Kelly, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, with the vicarages of Kilcumreagh, Kilmanaghan, Kilbride-Langan, and Rahue, and in the patronage of the Crown; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire. The tithes amount to £327. 13. 9 1/2., of which £189. 4. 7. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar; and the gross annual value of the five parishes which constitute the union of Ardnorcher, including tithe and glebe, is £827. 0. 9., out of which the vicar pays the perpetual curate of Kilmanaghan and Kilbride-Langan £60 per ann., to which is added £40 per ann. from the augmentation fund. The church, to which a spire was added in 1822, is an ancient building in good repair: it stands on an eminence above the village of Horseleap. The glebe house was built by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £1150, in 1815, from the late Board of First Fruits; the glebe comprises 45 plantation acres, valued at £94 per annum. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district called Clara, comprising the parishes of Ardnorcher and Kilbride-Langan, in both of which are chapels; that of Ardnorcher is a large building in the village of Horseleap, erected in 1809. Besides the parochial school, in which ten boys and fifteen girls are taught, there are seven private pay schools, in which are about 120 boys and 60 girls. The lands of Moycashel, which give name to the barony, are situated in this parish. Anciently here were several castles, now mostly in ruins; that of Donour is still preserved in good repair by Sir Richard Nagle, Bart., and there is another at Bracca. The fort of Ardnorcher, or Ard-an-orchor, literally translated "the fort of slaughter," was one of the frontier forts of the English pale, and for some centuries past has been vulgarly called "Horseleap," on account of an extraordinary leap which is said to have been formerly made into it over the drawbridge by an English knight, in escaping from a close pursuit: this ancient doon or moat formed a strong link in the chain of forts and castles constructed along that part of the county of Meath which was within the English pale, to protect the new settlers and check the inroads of the Irish. At Temple-Maccateer are the remains of a monastery, said to have been founded in 440 by St. Kiaran; and at Gageborough was a nunnery, founded by Matilda de Lacey in the 13th century; many coins have been dug up at the former place. A holy well, dedicated to St. David, was formerly much resorted to on the patron day, the 27th of June, but the custom has nearly fallen into disuse.
ARDPATRICK, formerly a parish, now forming part of the parish of KILQUANE, in the barony of COSTLEA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. E.) from Kilmallock; containing, with Kilquane and the parish of Particles, 2735 inhabitants. An abbey is said to have been founded here by St. Patrick, of which circumstance, though no historical record exists, there is yet sufficient evidence that a religious foundation was established here in the earliest ages of Christianity. By an inquisition of the 39th of Elizabeth, it was found that the hill of Ardpatrick was anciently granted to the corbeship founded in the church of Ardpatrick, a small sum out of the proceeds being paid annually to the bishop; and that the office of corbe had from time immemorial been continued by succession in the sept of the Langanes, by one of whom it was then held. Near the confines of this townland is Sunville, the ancient residence of the Godsall family. In the ecclesiastical divisions it is unknown as a parish, and in ancient records was supposed to be part of that of Donoughmore, in the county of Clare, forming a portion of the estate belonging to the see, and held under lease from the Bishop of Limerick; but for many years it has been united to the parish of Kilquane. The tithes amount to £33. 13. 10. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Kilfinnan; a large and handsome chapel has been lately erected at the foot of Ardpatrick hill. On the summit of this hill are the ruins of the ancient monastery; and near the north-west angle are the remains of an ancient round tower, the greater portion of which fell down a few years since. Gold ore has been found here, also the fossil remains of an elk, or moose deer, which are now in the possession of G. Russell, Esq., of Charleville.-- See KILQUANE.
ARDQUIN.-- See ARDGUIN.
ARDRAHAN, a parish and post-town, partly in the barony of KILTARTAN and partly in that of LOUGHREA, but chiefly in the barony of DUNKELLIN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 15 miles (S. E. by E.) from Galway, and 97 (W. by S.) from Dublin, on the road from Limerick to Galway; containing 3805 inhabitants.. It comprises 12,950 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large portion of which is irreclaimable waste, though at the eastern extremity of the parish is a range of peat mountain, which is profitable as affording pasture for numerous black cattle. Flannel is rather extensively made by hand-spinning, for which a ready sale is found at Oranmore market, 12 miles distant. The principal residences are Cregclare, that of J. S. Lambert, Esq.; Castle Taylor, of Gen. Sir J. Taylor; Tillyra, of J. Martyn, Esq.; Castle Daly, of J. Daly, Esq.; and Rahenc, of J. O'Hara, Esq. A constabulary police force is stationed here, and petty sessions are held once a fortnight. The living is a vicarage with a portion of the rectory, and with the rectory of Beagh forms the union of Ardrahan, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Clanricarde. The tithes amount to £463, of which £84 is payable to the bishop, £23 to the archdeacon, and £356 to the incumbent; and the gross tithes of the benefice amount to £535. 6. 1 1/2. The church was erected about 30 years since, by aid of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits, but was so indifferently built as to require a new roof, and has recently been repaired by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house was also erected by a gift of £400 and a loan of £400 from the Board of First Fruits. The glebe comprises twelve acres. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and there is a chapel at Labane; divine service is also performed occasionally by the parish priest at Tyllira castle. A national school is about to be established, and there are several pay schools in the parish. Here is a dispensary for Ardrahan and Gort. Along the mountain's side are several mineral springs, and where there are strong indications of iron ore.
ARDRESS, a village, in the parish of KILLAGHTON, barony of KILCONNELL, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 5 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Ballinasloe; containing 136 inhabitants.
ARDREVAN, county of CARLOW.-- See FENNAGH.
ARDRIE, (LITTLE) a parish, in the barony of KILKEA and MOONE, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1/2 a mile (S. by E.) from Athy; containing 302 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the road from Athy to Carlow, and comprises only 295 statute acres, anciently belonged to the monastery of St. Thomas, near Dublin, and was assigned to the precentorship in the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin, on the institution of that dignity in 1219. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin, partly appropriate to the precentorship, partly impropriate in Michael Goold Adams. Esq., and partly forming a portion of the union of St. Michael's Athy. The tithes amount to £24, of which £16 is payable to the impropriator, and £8 to the incumbent of St. Michael's; the portion appropriated to the precentorship is 154a. 2r. 8p., let on lease at an annual rent of £12.
ARDRISTIN, a parish, in the barony of RATHVILLY, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, l 3/4 mile (S. W. by W.) from Tullow, on the road to Clonegal; containing 543 inhabitants. It comprises 1525 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; and within its limits is a part of the suburbs of the town of Tullow, called the Green and Tullow-beg. Except one townland entirely surrounded by the parish of Aghade, it is bounded on the east and south-east by the river Slaney. More than one-half of its surface consists of meadow and pasture land; the rest, with the exception of a small tract of bog, is arable. It formerly constituted part of the union of Aghade: the living is now a distinct impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Leighlin, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £145. The ruins of the church, situated on the townland of Ardristin, are divided by a pointed arch and are 63 feet in length. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Tullow.
ARDSALLAGH, a parish, in the barony of LOWER NAVAN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. S. E.) from Navan; containing 289 inhabitants. It is bounded on the east by the river Boyne, and comprises 1032 statute acres, principally under tillage, as applotted under the tithe act, and has neither waste land nor bog: the prevailing substratum is limestone. The banks of the river are adorned with the mansion and demesne of Ardsallagh, the property of Earl Ludlow, whose ancestor, in 1755, was raised to the peerage of Ireland by the title of Baron Ludlow, of Ardsallagh, and in 1760 advanced to the dignities of Viscount Preston, of Ardsallagh, and Earl Ludlow. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and forms part of the union of Navan: the tithes amount to £150. In the R. C. divisions also it is included in the union or district of Navan. At Cannistown is a public school for boys and girls. There are some remains of the walls of the old church, with a burial-ground attached. According to Archdall, St. Finian of Clonard founded a monastery here near the river, of which no vestiges can be traced.
ARDSALLIS, a village, in the parish of TOMFINLOUGH, barony of BUNRATTY, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 5 1/2 miles (N.W.) from Six-mile-bridge, on the road from Newmarket-on-Fergus to Quin: the population is returned with the parish. Nearly adjoining it is a good race-course, which was formerly much frequented, but the races have been for many years discontinued. Fairs are held on the 12th of May and the 12th of August, chiefly for cattle, and were formerly well attended.
ARDSKEAGH, a parish, in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (S. by E.) from Charleville; containing 302 inhabitants. This parish, called also Ardskreagh, is separated from the main body of the barony in which it is included by the intervention of the northern part of the barony of Fermoy. It comprises 1993 1/2 statute acres, as applotted for the county cess, and valued at £1420 per annum. The land under tillage is tolerably fertile, but a large portion of the parish is mountain pasture; the system of agriculture is gradually improving. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £88. 11. 9. There is neither church nor glebe-house; the occasional duties are performed by the clergyman of the adjoining parish. The glebe, near the site of the old church (some remains of which still exist in the burial-ground), comprises four acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Charleville, but chiefly in that of Ballyhea. A school is held in the old chapel at Newtown.
ARDSTRAW, or ARDSRATH, a parish, partly in the barony of OMAGH, but chiefly in that of STRABANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Newtown-Stewart, 21,212 inhabitants. This place was distinguished, under the name of Ardsrath, as the seat of an ancient bishoprick, over which St. Eugene, or Oen, presided about the year 540. At a very early period a small stone church or chapel existed here; and the names are recorded of several bishops who presided over the see, which, in 597, was removed to Maghera, and finally to Derry, in 1158. This place suffered repeatedly by fire, and appears to have been destroyed about the close of the twelfth century. The parish, which is situated on the road from Dublin to Londonderry, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 44,974 1/4 statute acres, of which 537 1/4 are covered with water. The surface is pleasingly diversified with hill and dale, and enlivened by the rivers Struell, Glenelly, and Derg, which, after flowing through the parish, unite in forming the river Morne, which abounds with trout and salmon; and also with several large and beautiful lakes, of which three are within the demesne of Baron's Court. The land is chiefly arable, with pasture intermixed; and the soil in the valleys is fertile; but there are considerable tracts of mountain and several extensive bogs. Limestone is found in several places at the base of the mountain called Bessy Bell, the whole of the upper portion of which is clay-slate; on the summit of another mountain, called Mary Gray, it is found with clay-slate at the base; and round the southern base of the former are detached blocks of freestone scattered in every direction. There are also some quarries of limestone at Cavandaragh; the stone is raised in blocks, or laminae, from a quarter of an inch to three feet in thickness. The mountains within and forming a portion of the boundary of the parish are Bessy Bell, Douglas, and Mary Gray, which present beautiful and romantic scenery, particularly in the neighbourhood of Newtown-Stewart; and the view from the high grounds, including the lakes and rivers by which the parish is diversified, is truly picturesque. There are five bridges; one at Moyle, of three elliptic arches; a very ancient bridge at Newtown-Stewart, of six arches; another of six arches at Ardstraw, and a modern bridge of three arches on the Derry road. The principal seats are Baron's Court, the residence of the Marquess of Abercorn; Castlemoyle, of the Rev. R. H. Nash, D.D.; Woodbrook, of R.M.Tagert, Esq.; Newtown-Stewart Castle, of Major Crawford; Coosh, of A. Colhoun, Esq.; and Spa Mount, of E. Sproule, Esq. There were formerly several bleach-greens in the parish, but at present there is only one in operation, which is at Spa Mount, on the river Derg, and in which about 16,000 pieces are annually bleached and finished, principally for the London market. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin: the tithes amount to £1094. The church is a large and beautiful edifice with a handsome spire, and is situated in the town of Newtown-Stewart; a grant of £478 for its repair has been lately made by, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. A new church, or chapel of ease, is about to be built at Baron's Court, or Magheracreegan, for which the late Board of First Fruits granted £600, now in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house has a glebe of 681 acres attached to it, of which 461 3/4 are in a state of cultivation. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, but is divided into East and West Ardstraw; there are chapels at Newtown-Stewart, Dragish, and Cairncorn. There are five places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, at Ardstraw, Newtown-Stewart, Douglas Bridge, Clady, and Garvetagh; that of Ardstraw is aided by a second class grant, and those of Newtown-Stewart, Douglas-Bridge, and Clady have each a third class grant. There are also two places of worship for Presbyterians of the Seceding Synod, one at Drumligagh of the first class, and the other at Newtown-Stewart of the second class; and there are a meeting-house for Primitive and two for Wesleyan Methodists. The parochial school at Newtown-Stewart is aided by an annual donation from the rector; and there are fifteen other public schools in different parts of the parish, and seventeen private schools; in the former are 1600, and in the latter about 780, children: and thirty-five Sunday schools. The poor are supported by voluntary contributions, aided by the interest of £100 in the 3 1/2 per cents., being a sum due to the parish, which was recovered about twenty years since by process of law, and by act of vestry added to the poor fund. There are numerous interesting remains of antiquity in the parish, the most ancient of which are those of the monastery and cathedral of Ardsrath, near the village, consisting chiefly of the foundations of that part of the building which was formerly used as the parish church, the remains of some very beautiful crosses of elaborate workmanship, and several upright stones and columns richly fluted; but the churchyard, which was very extensive, has been contracted by the passing of the public road, in the formation of which many remains of antiquity were destroyed. Nearly adjoining is a ruin which tradition points out as the bishop's palace, and which was occupied as an inn when the Dublin road passed this way. About three miles above Ardstraw Bridge, and situated on a gentle eminence, are the picturesque ruins of Scarvaherin abbey, founded by Turloch Mac Dolagh, in 1456, for Franciscan friars of the third order, and on its dissolution granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Henry Piers; and near Newtown-Stewart is the site of the friary of Pubble, which appears to have been an appendage to Scarvaherin, and was granted at the same time to Sir Henry Piers; of the latter, nothing but the cemetery remains. In Newtown-Stewart are the extensive and beautiful remains of the castle built by Sir Robert Newcomen, in 1619; it is in the Elizabethan style, with gables and clustered chimneys. Jas. II. lodged in this castle, on his return from Lifford in 1589, and by his orders it was dismantled on the day following; with the exception of the roof, it is nearly perfect. At the foot of the mountain called Bessy Bell are the ruins of an ancient building called Harry Ouree's Castle, concerning which some remarkable legends are preserved by the country people; they consist of two circular towers, with a gateway between them, and some side walls, which overhang their base more than 8 feet. Near the end of the bridge at Newtown-Stewart is a large mound of earth, evidently thrown up to protect the ford, which in early times must have been of importance as the only pass through the vast range of the Munterlony mountains. There was a similar fort on the ford of Glenelly, near Moyle Castle, and another at the old ford at the village of Ardstraw. On the summit of Bessy Bell, or Boase-Baal, on which in pagan times sacrifice is supposed to have been offered to Baal or Bel, is a large and curious cairn; there are also cairns on the summit of Mary Gray, and more than thirty forts in the parish, nearly in a line from east to west, which were designed to guard the passes on the rivers of Glenelly and Derg. About a mile below Newtown-Stewart, in the bed of the river, is a single upright stone, called the "Giant's Finger," and lately "Flinn's rock," respecting which many strange traditions are preserved in the neighbourhood.-- See NEWTOWN-STEWART.
ARDSTRAW-BRIDGE, a village, in the parish of ARDSTRAW, barony of STRABANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (W. N. W.) from Newtown-Stewart: the population is returned with the parish. This place, formerly Ardsrath, is of high antiquity, and was distinguished for its ancient and greatly celebrated abbey, noticed in the preceding description of the parish of Ardstraw. The village is situated on the river Derg, which is here wide and rapid, and is crossed by an ancient stone bridge of six arches, over which the old road from Londonderry to Dublin formerly passed: it contains 32 houses, some of which are well built, but several of them are old and in a neglected state. There were formerly six fairs held in the village, which were large and well attended, but they have been discontinued for some time. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and a public school.
ARDTRAMONT.-- See ARTRAMONT.
ARDTREA, or ARTREA, a parish, partly in the barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE, and partly in the barony of LOUGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the district or perpetual curacy of Woods-chapel, and the greater part of the market and post-town of Moneymore, 12,390 inhabitants, of which number, 7471 are in the district of Woods-chapel. During the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone, in the reign of Elizabeth, this place was the scene of numerous conflicts; and in the parliamentary war, in 1641, it was involved in many of the military transactions of that period. In 1688-9, a sanguinary battle took place here between the adherents of Jas. II., who were in possession of the forts of Charlemont and Mountjoy, and the forces of Wm. III., commanded by Lord Blayney, who, having possession of Armagh, was desirous of assisting the garrisons of Inniskillen and Derry, and for this purpose determined to force a passage to Coleraine, which he accomplished, after defeating a detachment of the enemy's forces at the bridge of Ardtrea. The parish, which is also called Ardtragh, is situated partly on Lough Beg, but chiefly on Lough Neagh, and is intersected by the Ballinderry river and by numerous roads, of which the principal are those leading respectively from Armagh to Coleraine, from Omagh to Belfast, and from Stewarts-town to Money-more. It contains, according to the Ordnance survey, 20,962 3/4 statute acres, of which 18,679 1/4 are in the county of Londonderry, including 2181 1/2 in Lough Neagh, 317 1/2 in Lough Beg, and 26 1/2 in the river Bann. The soil is very various; the land is chiefly arable, and is fertile and well cultivated, especially around Moneymore, on the estate belonging to the Drapers' Company, and on that belonging to the Salters' Company round Ballyronan. There are several extensive tracts of bog in various parts, amounting in the whole to nearly 3000 acres, and affording an ample supply of fuel. Freestone of every variety, colour and quality, is found here in abundance; and there is plenty of limestone. At a short distance from the church, on the road to Cookstown, is an extraordinary whin-dyke, which rises near Ballycastle in the county of Antrim, passes under Lough Neagh, and on emerging thence near Stewart Hall, passes through this parish and into the mountain of Slievegallion, near Moneymore. Spring Hill, the pleasant seat of W. Lenox Conyngham, Esq., is an elegant and antique mansion, situated in a rich and highly-improved demesne, embellished with some of the finest timber in the country. The other principal seats are Lakeview, the residence of D. Gaussen, Esq.; Warwick Lodge, of W. Bell, Esq.: and Ardtrea House, of the Rev. J. Kennedy Bailie, D.D. The farm-houses are generally large and well built; and most of the farmers, in addition to their agricultural pursuits, carry on the weaving of linen cloth for the adjoining markets. There is an extensive bleach-green, which, after having been discontinued for some years, has been repaired and is now in operation. The primate's court for the manor of Ardtrea is held at Cookstown monthly, for the recovery of debts under £5; and its jurisdiction extends over such lands in the parishes of Lissan, Derryloran, Kildress, Arboe, Desertcreight, Ardtrea, Clonoe, Tamlaght, Ballinderry, and Donaghendrie, as are held under the see. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin: the tithes amount to £738. 9. 3 3/4. The church, an elegant edifice in the later English style, was erected in 1830, near the site of the ancient church; the principal entrance is a composition of very elegant design, and, from its elevated site, the church forms a very pleasing object in the landscape. The glebe-house is a large and handsome residence, built of hewn freestone by the late Dr. Elrington, then rector of the parish and subsequently Bishop of Ferns, aided by a gift of £100, and a loan of £1050, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 115 1/4 acres. The district church, called Woods-chapel, is situated at a distance of 10 miles from the mother church: the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Rector. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, called Moneymore, which comprises this parish and part of that of Desertlyn, and contains three chapels, one at Moneymore, one at Ballynenagh, and a third at Derrygaroe. There are two places of worship for Presbyterians at Moneymore, one for those in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the first class, built by the Drapers' Company at an expense of £4000; and one for those in connection with the Seceding Synod, of the second class, built by subscription on a site given by the Drapers' Company, who also contributed £250 towards its erection. There are three schools aided by the Drapers' Company, and one at Ballymulderg, the whole affording instruction to about 170 boys and 170 girls; and there are also two pay schools. An ancient urn very elaborately ornamented was found in a kistvaen, on opening a tumulus in the townland of Knockarron, in 1800, and is now in the possession of John Lindesay, Esq., of Loughry.-- See MONEYMORE, and WOODS-CHAPEL.
ARKLOW, a sea-port, market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of ARKLOW, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 12 miles (S.) from Wicklow, and 40 miles (S. by E.) from Dublin; containing 6309 inhabitants, of which number, 4383 are in the town. This place, formerly called Arclogh and Alercomshed, appears to have been occupied as a fishing station from time immemorial. It was included in one of those grants of territory for which Hen. II., in 1172, caused service to be done at Wexford; and by an original charter, preserved among the rolls of Kilkenny Castle, it appears that John, Lord of Ireland, granted and confirmed the castle and town of Arclogh, with all their appurtenances, to Theobald Fitzwalter, hereditary lord-butler of Ireland. Fitzwalter founded here a monastery, which he dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, for monks of the Cistertian order, whom he brought from the abbey of Furness, in Lancashire. The barony, which with the chief butlery always descended to the next heir male, was inherited by Theobald, the third of that name, who died here on the 26th of September, 1285, and was buried in the abbey church, under a tomb ornamented with his effigy. In 1281, a battle was fought near this place between the English and the Irish, in which the latter were totally defeated by Stephen de Fulborne, Bishop of Waterford and Lord Justiciary of Ireland; and in 1316, the O'Tooles and O'Byrnes, who had risen in arms and burnt Arklow, Bray, and Newcastle, with all the neighbouring villages, were defeated on the 16th of April by Edward le Boteler. In 1331, the castle was taken by the O'Tooles, but was retaken by Lord de Birmingham; and in the year following it was again taken by the Irish, who were finally repulsed by Sir Anthony Lucy, who repaired the fortifications and strengthened the garrison. In 1641, the castle was surprised by a party of insurgents, and the garrison put to the sword; and being afterwards held for the royalists, it was, in 1649, assaulted by Oliver Cromwell in his victorious march southward, and on its surrender was totally demolished. During the disturbances of 1798, a battle was fought near Arklow bridge, between the king's troops, under the command of Gen. Needham, and the insurgents, in which the latter were defeated and their leader shot; among the slain on the side of the royal forces was Thomas Grogan Knox, Esq., of Castletown, cornet of the 5th dragoon guards, to whose memory a neat marble tablet has been placed in the church. The town is situated on the acclivity of a hill extending along the right bank of the river Ovoca, and on the mail coach road from Dublin to Wexford. The Ovoca, after winding through the beautiful and romantic vale to which it gives name, passes under a bridge of nineteen arches at this place, and discharges itself into the sea, about 500 yards below the town. It is divided into the Upper and Lower Towns, which latter is called the "Fishery;" and in 1831 it contained 702 houses. The houses in the Upper Town, which consists of one principal street, are neatly built; those in the Lower Town, which is chiefly inhabited by fishermen, are mostly thatched cabins. The inhabitants are amply supplied with water from numerous excellent springs, but no works have been established to convey it to their houses; and the only improvement that has recently taken place is the Macadamising of the principal street, and the laying down of foot pavements. On the site of the ancient castle are barracks for two companies of infantry. The principal trade is the fishery, which was formerly very lucrative, having two seasons in the year; one in May, which has lately ceased; and the other in November, which, though still continued, has become so unproductive as scarcely to remunerate the persons employed in it. The fishery, in 1835, employed about 200 boats in the herring fishery and in dredging for oysters, of the latter of which great quantities are taken off the coast in some years, and sent to different parts of Ireland and to England. Formerly much of the copper ore from the Wicklow mines, which are situated nearly midway between this town and Rathdrum, was shipped from this port during the summer season; and some trade is still carried on in the importation of coal. The want of a safe harbour in which the fishermen might shelter during bad weather, which for two or three seasons has prevailed on this coast, has been severely felt, there being no port between Kingstown and Waterford into which they can run for shelter, and many lives are annually lost. The harbour is accessible only for small boats, as the passage is sinuous and subject to shifting sands. The market is on Thursday; and fairs are held on Jan. 11th, March 22nd, April 19th, May 14th, June 28th, Aug. 9th, Sep. 25th, and Nov. 15th, chiefly for the sale of woollen cloth, cattle, sheep, and pigs. A constabulary police station has been established here; and on the north side of the river, in the parish of Kilbride, is a coast-guard station belonging to the Gorey district. The petty sessions for the barony of Arklow are held every Thursday, in a neat court-house rented by the magistrates for that purpose, and of which the lower part is appropriated to the use of the savings' bank. The parish, which is situated at the south-eastern extremity of the county, and intersected by the river Ovoca, comprises 5851 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The surface is broken, abrupt, and mountainous; the soil towards the coast, and in the inlets between the hills is rich, and abounds with excellent marl, which, together with lime, is used for manure. The system of agriculture has been greatly improved, under the auspices of the Agricultural Society; the drill husbandry is practised where the soil will admit of it, and green crops have been partially introduced. The mountain of Croghan Kinshela, towards the close of the last century, became an object of intense interest from its supposed production of native gold; a peasant fishing in one of the streams which descended from it discovered, at different times, small particles of gold, which for about 12 years he continued to sell privately to a goldsmith, till, in September 1796, the discovery became known, and thousands of persons engaged in the search for this precious metal. Several masses of extraordinary size were found, one of which weighed nine, another eighteen, and a third twenty-two ounces; and so great was the number of the peasantry allured to the spot by the hope of enriching themselves, that in the short space of six or seven weeks, during which the washing of the sands was continued, not less than 2666 ounces of pare gold were obtained, which were sold for £10,000. After the people had continued their searches for a little more than six weeks, Government took possession of the mine, and stationed a party of the Kildare militia to prevent further encroachment; an act of parliament was passed for working it, and Messrs. Weaver, Mills, and King were appointed directors of the operations. Steam-works were established on several rivulets which descended from the mountain; and from this time till May 1798, when the works were destroyed in the insurrection of that disturbed period, the total quantity of gold found was 944 oz., 4 dwts., and 15 grs., which was sold for £3675. 8. 0. In 1801 the mining operations were resumed, and on the representation of the directors, Government was induced to extend the search upon a more systematic principle: the stream-works were continued to the heads of the several streams, and the solid mass of the mountain was more minutely examined, by cutting trenches in every direction down to the firm rock. The veins already known, and such as were afterwards discovered by the process of trenching, were more extensively explored and their depth minutely ascertained, by means of a gallery, or level, driven into the mountain at right angles to the general range of their direction. The mineral substances thus obtained were subjected to a rigid chymical analysis, but in no instance was a single particle of gold discovered; the result of these operations convinced Government that no gold existed as an inherent ingredient in any of the veins which traversed the mountain, and the works were consequently abandoned. The environs of Arklow are much admired for the beauty, richness, and variety of their scenery; the banks of the Ovoca are embellished with handsome seats, and the sides of the vale with woods of luxuriant growth. Shelton Abbey, the seat of the Earl of Wicklow, though in the parish of Kilbride, forms a conspicuous and interesting feature in the scenery of this parish; it is beautifully situated on the north bank of the river, and at the base of a range of hills of gentle elevation, richly wooded with oak and birch. The mansion, which was remodelled some years since by the Messrs. Morrison, is a low quadrilateral edifice with two principal fronts, richly embellished with decorated pinnacles, and resembling an ecclesiastical structure of the 14th century, converted into a baronial residence at a subsequent period; the entrance-hall is wainscoted with carved oak, and the ceiling delicately enriched with fan tracery, of which the pendants are gilt; the great hall, gallery, and state apartments, are all in a style of corresponding richness and elegance; the library contains an exceedingly valuable collection of works made by a learned member of the family; and the cloisters are in a style of appropriate beauty. The demesne, which comprises more than 1000 statute acres, is ornamented with some of the most stately beech and chestnut trees in the island; and the whole forms one of the most delightful retreats in this romantic part of the country. During the temporary sequestration of the family estates at the time of the Revolution, Jas. II., on his flight to Waterford, after the battle of the Boyne, was entertained at Shelton Abbey by the party then in possession; and there is still a road within the demesne which is called King James's road. Glenart, a castellated mansion belonging to the Earl of Carysfort, and at present occupied by his lordship's brother, the Hon. Capt. Proby, R. N., is situated on the south bank of the Ovoca, nearly opposite to the abbey, on a gentle slope in a very retired spot, commanding from the high grounds some fine views of the sea and of the richly wooded hills of Shelton Abbey and Bally-Arthur. Ballyrane, the seat of the Rev. T. Quin, is a handsome modern house, pleasantly situated within a mile of the town, of which it commands a fine view, and also of the sea. Lambarton, the seat of Capt. Hore, R.N., is beautifully situated in the midst of fine plantations, and commands delightful views of the sea and the demesnes of Shelton and Bally-Arthur, terminating in the magnificent range of mountains in the neighbourhood of Lugna-quilla. Emma Vale, the seat of D. Wright, Esq., is situated about a mile to the south-west of the town; the house has been enlarged and improved, the plantations are tastefully laid out, and the prospect comprehends a fine view of Glenart woods and mansion, Bally Arthur and the distant part of Shelton demesne, and an extensive range of mountain scenery. Elton, about half a mile to the south, is a commodious house occupying a healthful situation. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, to which the greater portion of the rectory, which formerly belonged to the abbey of Woney, was united in the year 1673, subject to a reserved rent of £3. 12.; and to which also the vicarage of Enorily and the perpetual curacies of Killahurler, Kilbride, and Templemichael, and part of the rectory of Kilgorman, were united from time immemorial till 1833, when they were, with the exception of Killahurler and Kilgorman, separated from it by act of council and made a distinct benefice; leaving only Arklow and Killahurler, with part of Kilgorman, to constitute the vicarial union, which is in the patronage of the Archbishop. The other portion of the rectory is impropriate in W. Johnson and D. Howell, Esqrs. The tithes amount to £230. 15. 4 3/4., of which £46. 8. 7 1/2. is payable to the lay impropriators, and the remainder to the incumbent; and the gross tithes of the union payable to the incumbent amount to £250. 8. 8. The church, situated in the principal street of the town, was erected in 1823, at an expense of £2000, of which sum £1100 was granted on loan by the late Board of First Fruits; and in 1829 it was enlarged, at an expense of £1200, granted by the same Board, in consideration of which grant the additional sittings are free. It was built after a design by Mr. Johnson, and is in the later English style, with a square tower. A grant of £249 has been lately made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for its repair. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which comprehends the parishes of Arklow, Killahurler, and Ballintemple, in the county of Wicklow, and of Inch and Kilgorman in the county of Wexford. The chapel is a handsome modern structure, situated opposite to the remains of the ancient castle; and there are chapels also at Johnstown, Castletown, and Ballycowgue, to all of which schools are attached. There is a small place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. About 320 children are instructed in the several public schools, of which a boys' school is supported by the Trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, two for girls are aided by Mrs. Proby, and an infants' school is maintained by voluntary contributions; and there are six private schools, in which are about 240 children, and two Sunday schools. A fever hospital and dispensary was erected in 1821, at an expense of £550, of which sum, £400 was presented by the grand jury, and the remainder was raised by subscription: it is a neat square building, in a healthy situation just without the town. The only relic of the ancient castle is a small fragment mantled with ivy, situated on an eminence above the river and adjoining the barracks. The cemetery of the Cistertian abbey is still used as a burying-place by the Roman Catholics. Arklow gives the title of baron, in the peerage of Ireland, by creation, to his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, and by tenure to the noble family of Butler, Marquesses of Ormonde.
ARLES, a village, in that part of the parish of KILLEBAN which is in the barony of SLIEUMARGUE, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. W. by N.) from Carlow; containing 205 inhabitants. This place, which contains about 40 houses, is situated on the road from Carlow to Maryborough, and is of neat and pleasing appearance. The manufacture of tiles of excellent, quality for roofing and flooring, and which were sent to Dublin and other places, where they were in much request, has been in a great degree superseded by the use of slates, and is now nearly extinct; the manufacture of yarn and linen is carried on to a small extent. The principal object of interest is the mausoleum of the Grace family, occupying the site of the south wing of the parish church, which was called Grace's chapel; it is 21 feet in length and 16 feet in breadth, with a lofty gabled roof, terminating at each extremity in crooked pinnacles 31 feet in height; the lower story consists of a vault with a circular roof, designed for the reception of the remains of the deceased members of the family, above which is a vaulted apartment of the same dimensions with a groined roof, in which are placed monumental inscriptions; in blank windows on the exterior are also large tablets, formerly within the building that previously occupied the site of the present mausoleum; the whole was erected in 1818, and the prevailing character is that of the later English style.
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ARMAGH, a city, market and post-town, and a parish, partly in the barony of O'NEILLAND WEST, but chiefly in that of ARMAGH, county of ARMAGH (of which it is the capital), and province of ULSTER, 31 miles (S. W. by W.) from Belfast, and 65 3/4 (N.N.W.) from Dublin; containing 10,518 inhabitants, of which number, 9470 are with-in the limits of the borough. The past importance of this ancient city is noticed by several early historians, who describe it as the chief city in Ireland. St. Fiech, who flourished in the sixth century, calls it the seat of empire; Giraldus Cambrensis, the metropolis; and, even so lately as 1580, Cluverius styles it the head of the kingdom, adding that Dublin was then next in rank to it. The original name was Druim-sailech, "the hill of sallows," which was afterwards changed to Ard-sailech, "the height of sallows," and, still later, to Ard-macha, either from Eamhuin-macha, the regal residence of the kings of Ulster, which stood in its vicinity, or, as is more probable, from its characteristic situation, Ard-macha, signifying "the high place or field." Armagh is the head of the primacy of all Ireland, and is indebted for its origin, and ecclesiastical preeminence, to St. Patrick, by whom it was built, in 445. He also founded, near his own mansion, the monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul, for Canons Regular of the order of St, Augustine, which was rebuilt by Imar O'Hoedegan, and was the most, distinguished of the religious establishments which existed here, having materially contributed to the early importance of the place. This institution received numerous grants of endowment from the native kings, the last of whom, Roderick O'Connor, made a grant to its professors, in 1169; insomuch that its landed possessions became very extensive, as appears from an inquisition taken on its suppression. Attached to it was a school or college, which long continued one of the most celebrated seminaries in Europe, and from which many learned men, not only of the Irish nation, but from all parts of Christendom, were despatched to diffuse knowledge throughout Europe. It is said that 7000 students were congregated in it, in the pursuit of learning, at one period; and the annals of Ulster relate that, at a synod held by Gelasius at Claonadh, in 1162, it was decreed that no person should lecture publicly on theology, except such as had studied at Armagh. The city was destroyed by accidental conflagrations in the year 670, 687, and 770, and also sustained considerable injury in the last-mentioned year by lightning. In subsequent periods it suffered severely and repeatedly from the Danes, a band of whom having landed at Newry, in 830, penetrated into the interior, and having stormed Armagh established their headquarters in it for one month, and on being driven out, plundered and reduced it to ashes. In 836, Tergesius or Thorgis, a Danish chieftain, equally celebrated for his courage and ferocity, after having laid waste Connaught and a great part of Meath and Leinster, turned his arms against Ulster, which he devastated as far as Lough Neagh, and then advancing against Armagh, took it with little difficulty. His first act, after securing possession of the place, was the expulsion of the Bishop Farannan, with all the students of the college, and the whole body of the religious, of whom the bishop and clergy sought refuge in Cashel. The numerous atrocities perpetrated by the invaders at length excited a combined effort against them. Nial the Third collected a large army, and after having defeated the Danes in a pitched battle in Tyrconnel, advanced upon Armagh, where, after a second successful engagement, and while preparing to force his victorious way into the city, the main position of the enemy in these parts, he was drowned in the river Callan, in an attempt to save the life of one of his followers. Malachy, his successor, obtained possession of the city, in which a public assembly of the princes and chieftains of Ireland was held, in 849, to devise the means of driving their ferocious enemies out of the island. In their first efforts the Danes suffered several defeats; but, having concentrated their forces, and being supported by a reinforcement of their countrymen, they again marched against Armagh, and took and plundered it about the year 852. The subsequent annals of Armagh, to the commencement of the 11th century, are little more than a reiteration of invasions and conquests by the Danes, and of successful but brief insurrections of the natives, in all of which this devoted city became in turn the prize of each contending army, and suffered all the horrors of savage warfare. In 1004, the celebrated Brian Boru entered Armagh, where he presented at the great altar of the church a collar of gold weighing 20 ounces; and after his death at the battle of Clontarf, in 1014, his remains were deposited here, according to his dying request, with those of his son Murchard, who fell in the same battle. From this period to the English invasion the history of Armagh exhibits a series of calamitous incidents either by hostile inroads or accidental fires. Its annals, however, evince no further relation to the events of that momentous period than the fact of a synod of the Irish clergy having been held in it by Gelasius, in 1170, in which that assembly came to the conclusion that the foreign invasion and internal distractions of the country were a visitation of divine retribution, as a punishment for the inhuman practice of purchasing Englishmen from pirates and selling them as slaves; and it was therefore decreed that every English captive should be liberated. The city suffered severely from the calamities consequent on the invasion of Edward Bruce, in 1315, during which the entire see was lamentably wasted, and the archbishop was reduced to a state of extreme destitution, by the reiterated incursions of the Scottish army. During the local wars in Ulster, at the close of the 15th and the beginning of the l6th centuries, this city was reduced to a state of great wretchedness; and in the insurrection of Shane O'Nial or O'Neal, Lord Sussex, then lord-lieutenant, marched into Ulster to oppose him; and having attacked him successfully at Dundalk, forced him to retire upon Armagh, which the lord-lieutenant entered in Oct. 1557, and wasted with fire and sword, sparing only the cathedral. In 1566, O'Nial, to revenge himself on Archbishop Loftus, who had transmitted information of his hostile intentions to Government, even before the Irish chieftains and the lord-deputy had preferred their complaint against him, resolved on a special expedition against this city, and on this occasion committed dreadful havoc, not even sparing the cathedral. In the year 1575, Sydney, the lord-deputy, marched into Ulster against Turlogh O'Nial, and fixed his head-quarters at Armagh, whither that chieftain, after some ineffectual negociations through the agency of his wife, proceeded, and having surrendered himself, was permitted to return home without molestation. In the short but sanguinary war carried on between the English Government and Hugh O'Nial, Earl of Tyrone, towards the close of the reign of Elizabeth, the earl obtained possession of this place by stratagem; but unfavourable events in other parts soon obliged him to evacuate the place. In the course of the same war, Armagh was again invested, in 1598, by this chieftain, who hoped to reduce it a second time by famine, but was baffled by the treachery of his illegitimate son, Con O'Nial, who, having deserted to the English, discovered a private road by which Sir Henry Bagnall, the British commander, was enabled to send in such a supply of men and provisions as completely frustrated the earl's efforts. Soon after, the English were utterly defeated, and their commander killed, in a desperate attempt to force O'Nial's intrenchments, the immediate consequence of which was their evacuation of Armagh, which, however, was retaken in 1601, by Lord Mountjoy, who made it one of his principal positions in his Ulster expedition, and occupied it with a garrison of 900 men. In the early part of the 17th century, a colony of Scottish Presbyterians settled here, from which it is supposed Scotch-street, near the eastern entrance of the town, took its name. At the commencement of the war in 1641, Armagh fell into the hands of Sir Phelim O'Nial, who, on being soon after forced to evacuate it, set fire to the cathedral, and put to death many of the inhabitants. On the breaking out of the war between James II. and William, Prince of Orange, the Earl of Tyrconnel, then lord-lieutenant under the former sovereign, took the charter from the corporation, and placed a strong body of troops in the town; but they were surprised and disarmed by the people of the surrounding country, who had risen in favour of the new dynasty: the garrison was permitted to retreat without further injury to Louth, and Lord Blayney, having taken possession of the town, immediately proclaimed King William. This nobleman, however, was soon afterwards compelled to evacuate it, and retreat with his forces to Londonderry, at that period the last refuge of the Protestants. James, in his progress through the north to and from the siege of Derry, rested for a few days at Armagh, which he describes as having been pillaged by the enemy, and very inconvenient both for himself and his suite. In 1690, Duke Schomberg took possession of it, and formed a dep6t of provisions here. No important event occurred after the Revolution until the year 1769, when this city furnished a well-appointed troop of cavalry to oppose Thurot at Carrickfergus. In 1778, on the apprehension of an invasion from France and of civil disturbances, several of the inhabitants again formed themselves into a volunteer company, and offered the command to the Earl of Charlemont, by whom, after some deliberation, it was accepted. In 1781, an artillery company was formed; and in the following year, a troop of volunteer cavalry, of which the Earl of Charlemont was also captain. In 1796, this nobleman, in pursuance of the wishes of Government, formed an infantry company and a cavalry troop of yeomanry in the town, whose numbers were afterwards augmented to 200: they were serviceable in performing garrison duty during the temporary absence of the regular troops in the disturbances of 1798, but in 1812 were disbanded by order of the lord-lieutenant. The city, which is large, handsome, and well built, is delightfully situated on the declivity of a lofty eminence, round the western base of which the river Callan winds in its progress to the Blackwater. It is chiefly indebted for its present high state of improvement to the attention bestowed on it by several primates since the Reformation, especially by Primate Boulter, and, still more so, by Primate Robinson, all of whom have made it their place of residence. The approaches on every side embrace interesting objects. On the east are the rural village and post-town of Rich-hill, and the demesne of Castle-Diilon, in which the late proprietor erected an obelisk on a lofty hill in memory of the volunteers of Ireland. The western approach exhibits the demesnes of Caledon, Glasslough, Woodpark, Elm Park, and Knappagh; those from Dungannon and Loughgall pass through a rich and well-wooded country; that from the south, descending through the fertile, well-cultivated, and busy vale of the Callan, the banks of which are adorned with several seats and extensive plantations, interspersed with numerous bleach-greens and mills, is extremely pleasing; and that from the southeast, though less attractive, is marked by the classical feature of Hamilton's Bawn, immortalised by the sarcastic pen of Swift. Many of the streets converge towards the cathedral, the most central point and the most conspicuous object in the city, and are connected by cross streets winding around the declivity; they have flagged pathways, are Macadamised, and are lighted with oil gas from works erected in Callan-street, by a joint stock company, in the year 1827, but will shortly be lighted with coal gas, the gasometer for which is now in progress of erection; and since 1833 have been also cleansed and watched under the provisions of the general act of the 9th of Geo. IV., cap. 82, by which a cess is applotted and levied on the inhabitants. A copious supply of fresh water has been procured under the authority of two general acts passed in 1789 and 1794. Metal pipes have been carried through all the main streets, by which a plentiful supply of good water is brought from a small lake or basin nearly midway between Armagh and Hamilton's Bawn, in consideration of a small rate on each house; and fountains have also been erected in different parts of the town occupied by the poorer class of the inhabitants. The city is plentifully supplied with turf, and coal of good quality is brought from the Drumglass and Coal Island collieries, 11 miles distant. A public walk, called the Mall, has been formed by subscription, out of ground granted on lease to the corporation, originally in 1797, by the primate, being a part of the town commons, which were vested in the latter for useful purposes by an act of the 13th and 14th of Geo. III.: the enclosed area, on the eastern side of which are many superior houses, comprehends nearly eight acres, kept in excellent condition. In addition to this, the primate's demesne is open to respectable persons; and his laudable example has been followed by two opulent citizens, who have thrown open their grounds in the vicinity for the recreation of the inhabitants. The Tontine Buildings, erected as a private speculation by a few individuals, contain a large assembly-room having a suite of apartments connected with it, a public news'-room, and a savings' bank. Dramatic performances occasionally take place in this edifice, from the want of a special building for their exhibition. The public library was founded by Primate Robinson, who bequeathed for the free use of the public his valuable collection of books, and endowed it with lands at Knockhamill and houses in Armagh yielding a clear rental of £339. He also erected the building, which is a handsome edifice in the Grecian style, situated to the north-west of the cathedral, and completed in 1771, as appears by the date in front, above which is the appropriate inscription
The room in which the books are deposited is light, airy and commodious, and has a gallery: there are also apartments for a resident librarian. In 1820, an additional staircase was erected, as an entrance at the west end, which has in a great measure destroyed the uniformity and impaired the beauty of the building. The collection consists of about 12,000 volumes, and comprises many valuable works on theology, the classics, and antiquities, but is comparatively deficient in modern publications. In the record-room of the diocesan registry are writings and books bequeathed by Primate Robinson to the governors and librarian, in trust, for the sole use of the primate for the time being. The primate, and the dean and chapter, by an act of the 13th and 14th of Geo. III., are trustees of the library, with liberal powers. The observatory, beautifully situated on a gentle eminence a little to the north-east of the city, was also erected by Primate Robinson, about the year 1788, on a plot of 15 acres of land: the building is of hewn limestone, and has on its front the inscription, "The Heavens declare the glory of God;" it comprises two lofty domes for the observatory, and a good house for the residence of the astronomer. The munificent founder also provided for the maintenance of the astronomer, and gave the impropriate tithes of Carlingford for the support of an assistant astronomer and the maintenance of the observatory, vesting the management in the primate for the time being and twelve governors, of whom the chapter are eight, and the remaining four are elected by them as vacancies occur. Primate Robinson dying before the internal arrangements were completed, the establishment remained in an unfinished state till 1825, when the Right Hon. and Most Rev. Lord J. G. De La Poer Beresford, D.D., the present primate, furnished the necessary instruments, &c., at a cost of nearly £3000. This city is usually the station of a regiment of infantry: the barracks occupy an elevated and healthy situation, and are capable of accommodating 800 men. In the immediate vicinity is the archiepiscopal palace, erected in 1770 by Primate Robinson, who also, in 1781, built a beautiful chapel of Grecian architecture nearly adjacent, and embellished the grounds, which comprise about 800 acres, with plantations tastefully arranged. Though an increasing place, Armagh has now no manufactures, and but little trade, except in grain, of which a great quantity is sent to Portadown and Newry for exportation: much of the flour made in the neighbourhood is conveyed to the county of Tyrone. After the introduction of the linen manufacture into the North of Ireland, Armagh became the grand mart for the sale of cloth produced in the surrounding district. From a return of six market days in the spring of 1835, the average number of brown webs sold in the open market was 4292, and in private warehouses 3412, making a total of 7704 webs weekly, the value of which, at £1. 11. each, amounts to £620,942. 8. per annum. But this does not afford a just criterion of the present state of the trade, in which a great change has taken place within the last 20 years; the quantity now bleached annually in this neighbourhood is nearly double that of any former period, but only a portion of it is brought into the market of Armagh. The linen-hall is a large and commodious building, erected by Leonard Dobbin, Esq., M.P. for the borough: it is open for the sale of webs from ten to eleven o'clock every Tuesday. A yarn market is held, in which the weekly sales amount to £3450, or £179,400 per annum. There are two extensive distilleries, in which upwards of 25,000 tons of grain are annually consumed; an ale brewery, consuming 3800 barrels of malt annually; several extensive tanneries; and numerous flour and corn mills, some of which are worked by steam. The amount of excise duties collected within the district for the year 1835 was £69,076. 5. 8 1/2. The Blackwater, within four miles of the city, affords a navigable communication with Lough Neagh, from which, by the Lagan canal, the line of navigation is extended to Belfast; and to the east is the navigable river Bann, which is connected with the Newry canal. A canal is also in progress of formation from the Blackwater, to continue inland navigation from Lough Neagh to Lough Erne, which will pass within one mile of the city. The markets are abundantly supplied; they are held on Tuesday, for linen cloth and yarn, pigs, horned cattle, provisions of all kinds, vast quantities of flax, and flax-seed during the season; and on Saturday, for grain and provisions. Fairs are held on the Tuesday after Michaelmas, and a week before Christmas, and a large cattle market has been established on the first Saturday in every month. By a local act obtained in 1774, a parcel of waste land adjoining the city, and containing about 9 1/2 plantation acres, was vested in the archbishop and his successors, to be parcelled into divisions for holding the fairs and markets, but only the fairs are now held on it. The market-house, an elegant and commodious building of hewn stone, erected by Archbishop Stuart, at an expense of £3000, occupies a central situation at the lower extremity of Market-street; the old shambles, built previously by Primate Robinson, have been taken down, and a more extensive and convenient range, with markets for grain, stores, weigh-house, &c., attached, was erected in 1829 by the committee of tolls: the supply of butchers' meat of very good quality is abundant, and the veal of Armagh is held in high estimation: there is also a plentiful supply of sea and fresh-water fish. Several of the inhabitants, in 1821, raised a subscription, by shares (on debentures or receipts) of £25 each, amounting to £1700, and purchased the lessee's interest in the tolls, of which a renewal for 21 years was obtained in 1829: eight resident shareholders, elected annually, and called the "Armagh Toll Committee," have now the entire regulation and management of the tolls and customs of the borough, consisting of market-house, street, and shambles' customs, in which they have made considerable reductions, and the proceeds of which, after deducting the expenses of management and five per cent, interest for the proprietors of the debentures, are applied partly as a sinking fund for liquidating the principal sum of £1700, and partly towards the improvement of the city and the places for holding the fairs and markets. The Bank of Ireland and the Provincial Bank have each a branch establishment here; and there are also branches of the Northern and Belfast banking companies. The post is daily: the post-office revenue, according to the last return to Parliament, amounted to £1418. 4. 0 1/2. The inhabitants were incorporated under the title of the "Sovereign, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Ardmagh," in 1613, by charter of Jas. I., which was taken from them by Jas. II., who granted one conferring more extensive privileges; but Wm. III. restored the original charter, under which the corporation consists of a sovereign, twelve free burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, of whom there are at present only two; a town-clerk and registrar, and two serjeants-at-mace are also appointed. The sovereign is, by the charter, eligible by the free burgesses from among themselves, annually on the festival of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24th); the power of filling a vacancy in the number of free burgesses is vested in the sovereign and remaining free burgesses; the freemen are admitted by the sovereign and free burgesses; and the appointment of the inferior officers is vested in the corporation at large. By charter of King James, the borough was empowered to send two representatives to the Irish parliament, but the right of election was confined to the sovereign and twelve burgesses, who continued to return two members till the union, when the number was reduced to one. The nature of the franchise continued the same until the 2nd of Wm. IV., when the free burgesses not resident within seven miles of the borough were disfranchised, and the privilege of election was extended to the £10 householders; and as the limits of the district called "the corporation" comprehend 1147 statute acres unconnected with the franchise, a new electoral boundary (which is minutely described in the Appendix) was formed close round the town, comprising only 277 acres: the number of voters registered, according to the latest classified general return made to Parliament, amounted to 454, of whom 443 were £10 householders and 11 burgesses; the number of electors qualified to vote at the last election was 541, of whom 360 polled; the sovereign is the returning officer. The seneschal of the manor of Armagh, who is appointed by the primate, holds his court here, and exercises jurisdiction, both by attachment of goods and by civil bill process, in all causes of action arising within the manor and not exceeding £10: the greater part of the city is comprised within this manor, the remainder being in that of Mountnorris adjoining. The assizes and general quarter sessions are held twice a year; a court for the relief of insolvent debtors is held three times in the year; and the county magistrates resident in the city and its neighbourhood hold a petty session every Saturday. The corporation grand jury consisted of a foreman and other jurors, usually not exceeding 23 in number, chosen from among the most respectable inhabitants by the sovereign, generally within a month after entering upon his office, and continued to act until the ensuing 29th of September; but its dissolution took place at the close of the year 1832, when a new grand jury having been formed amidst much political excitement, they determined, under an impression that the inhabitants would resist any assessment which they might make, to abrogate their functions, and the system appears to be abandoned. The inconvenience which resulted from the dissolution of the corporation grand jury induced the inhabitants to adopt measures for carrying into effect the provisions of the act of the 9th of Geo. IV., cap. 82, previously noticed. The sessions-house, built in 1809, is situated at the northern extremity of the Mall: it has an elegant portico in front, and affords every accommodation necessary for holding the courts, &c. At the opposite end of the Mall stands the county gaol, a neat and substantial building, with two enclosed yards in which the prisoners may take exercise, and an infirmary containing two wards for males and two for females: there is also a tread-wheel. It is constructed on the old plan, and does not afford convenience for the classification of prisoners, but is well ventilated, clean, and healthy. The females are instructed by the matron in spelling and reading. In 1835, the average daily number of prisoners was 85; and the total net expense amounted to £1564. 14. 6. Armagh is a chief or baronial constabulary police station, of which the force consists of one chief officer, four constables, and twelve men.
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