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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 OFFALY 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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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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