BALLYMANNY, a parish, partly in the barony of SOUTH NAAS, and partly in that of EAST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E.) from Kildare, on the road to Naas; containing 185 inhabitants. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Kildare, and is part of the union of Killishy: the tithes amount to £36. 18. 5. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Newbridge.

 

BALLYMOREEN, a parish, in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. S. E.) from Thurles, on the mail coach road from Dublin to Cork; containing 1237 inhabitants. It comprises 2870 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; there are about 500 acres of hog, and of the remainder of the land, the greater portion is under tillage. Parkstown is the residence of J. P. Lanphier, Esq.; and at Liskevin are the residences of R. Beere, T. Millet, and J. Going, Esqrs. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Ormonde. The tithes amount to £200, of which £60 is payable to the impropriator, and £140 to the vicar. There is no church, glebe-house, or glebe; the members of the Established Church attend divine service at Littleton, about 2 1/2 miles distant. There are two pay schools, in which are about 100 boys and 60 girls.

 

BALLYMURRY, a village, in the parish of KILMEAN, barony of ATHLONE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of Connaught, 3 miles (S. S. E.) from Roscommon: the population is returned with the parish. This village is situated on the road from Roscommon to Athlone, and consists of a few neatly built houses and about 20 cabins. It has a neat and improving appearance, and is kept remarkably clean; the manufacture of pottery is carried on to a moderate extent. The parish R. C. chapel, a thatched building in good repair, and a place of worship for the Society of Friends, are situated in the village; here is also the parochial school, under the patronage of Lord Crofton.--See KILMEAN.

BALLYNACLOGH or DOLLARDSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of COONAGH, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 1 1/2 mile (N. by W.) from Pallas-Greine, on the road from Limerick to Tipperary; containing 211 inhabitants. The land is everywhere of good quality, being mostly based on limestone. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly, forming the corps of the prebend of Ballynaclogh in the cathedral of Emly, and one of the rectories that constitute the union of Dromkeen and corps of the archdeaconry of Emly: the tithes amount to £46. In the R. C. divisions it is within the union of Greine, or Pallas-Greine; the chapel is situated in the little village of Nicker.

 

BALLYNACRAGGY, a hamlet, in the parish of DROMCREEHY, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Burren; containing 19 houses and 123 inhabitants. This place, which derives its name from an ancient castle, of which there are some remains, is situated on the road from Burren to Ballyvaughan. A school is about to be established, for which purpose Captain Kirwan has given the site and £10 towards the erection of the building.--See DROMCREEHY.

BALLYNACURRA -- See MIDLETON.

BALLYNADRIMNA, a parish, in the barony of CARBERY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Enfield; containing 1503 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Kilcock to Kinnegad, and contains Garriska House, the property of C. Nangle, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and is part of the union of Castle-Carbery; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Downshire: the tithes amount to £92. 6. 10 1/4. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Ballyna or Johnstown; the chapel, a neat building, is at Garriska. There is a school at Broadford, in which are 60 boys and 60 girls.

 

BALLYNAHAGLISH, a parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 2 1/2 miles (S. by E.) from Ballina; containing 5103 inhabitants. This place derived its name, signifying in the Irish language "the Town of the Church," from an ancient abbey or religious establishment, of which there are some slight remains, though nothing of its history is recorded. The parish is situated on the west bank of the river Moy, which is navigable here and is celebrated for its salmon; and comprises 11,559 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act and valued at £4620 per annum. The system of agriculture is improved; there is a very extensive tract of bog, of which a great portion is reclaimable, also abundance of limestone, sandstone, and granite quarried for building and for mending the roads. The gentlemen's seats are Mount Falcon, that of J. F. Knox, Esq., on the demesne of which is a good race-course; and Rehins, of W. Atkinson, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, and is part of the union of Ardagh; the rectory is impropriate in the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £300, payable in moieties to the impropriators and the vicar. The church is in ruins. The glebe comprises 15 acres; there is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Backs, which comprises also the parish of Kilbelfad, and contains two chapels, one in each parish; that of Ballynahaglish is not yet completed. There is an ancient burial-ground in the townland of Ballynahaglish, and another at Killeen, which is unconsecrated and is appropriated to the interment of infants dying before baptism. There are two schools, situated respectively at Mount Falcon and Lisaniska, under the National Board, the former aided by an annual donation from J. F. Knox, Esq.; two schools under the Baptist Society, and one at Rehins Lodge, supported by Mrs. Atkinson and her daughters. In these are about 230 boys and 130 girls: there is also a hedge school of about 20 boys and 20 girls. There are the remains of an ancient castle called Castle-Mac Andrew, also several cromlechs and numerous encampments, in the parish; and at Gortnaderra is a curious cave.

BALLYNAHOWN, a village, in the parish of KILLALEAGH, barony of CLONLONAN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S.) from Athlone, on the road to Parsonstown: the population is returned with the parish. It was for more than nine centuries the residence of the Malone family, whose ancient mansion, built on the site of an old castle and now unoccupied, is the principal object of interest. The estate, together with the old family mansion, called Ballynahown House, has at length passed into other hands. Here is a constabulary police station.--See KlLLALEAGH.

BALLYNAKILL, a parish, in the barony of BALLYNAHINCH, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 4 miles (N.) from Clifden; containing 7183 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the bay of the same name on the western coast, and comprehends within its limits Claggin bay, and one side of Killery harbour, with the islands of Ilane-a-green or Crump, Innisbruin, Bradilan, and Freachillan; it comprises 5142 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The male inhabitants are principally employed in agriculture, and occasionally in the herring fishery; and the females in spinning woollen yarn and knitting stockings. During the famine that prevailed on this part of the coast in 1831, the inhabitants of this parish were reduced to the greatest distress, and 1500 families must have perished but for the prompt relief afforded. At Derry-Inver, within the bay of Ballynakill, a small pier has been erected by Government, which has proved very useful for trade and the fisheries, and has contributed much to the improvement of the surrounding district. The entrance to Claggin bay is easy, the ground clean and good, and the shelter tolerable, with depth of water sufficient for any ship. On the south side the Board of Fisheries has constructed a small pier opposite to the anchorage ground, which has been found to be very beneficial. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, with the rectories and vicarages of Omey or Umma, Moyrus, and Ballindoon, and the six vicarages of Ennisboffin, Killanin, Arranmore, Arranbeg, Ennismain, and Ennishere, episcopally united in 1667, forming altogether the union of Ballynakill, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £64. 12. 3 3/4., and of the whole union to £270. 6. 11 3/4. The church of the union is situated in the parish of Omey, and was built by aid of a gift of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1812. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £337 and a loan of £75 from the same Board, in 1816: the glebe, which is also situated in the parish of Omey, comprises 40 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also Ennisboffin, and containing three chapels, situated respectively at Ballynakill, Coilmore, and Ennisboffin; and in this parish divine service is also performed at a house in Tully. There is a school at Tully under the Tuam Diocesan and the Dublin Ladies' Irish Societies, in which 13 boys and 7 girls are instructed; and there are three pay schools, situated respectively at Tully, Ballynakill, and Rossroe, in which are about 80 children.

BALLYNAKILL, a parish, in the barony of HALF-BALLYMOE, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 6 1/4miles (W.) from Roscommon; containing 4315 inhabitants. This parish is situated near the road from Roscommon to Dunmore, and comprises about 3000 acres of arable land, about 20,000 acres of mountain pasture, and nearly the same quantity of waste, mountain, and bog. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, and forms part of the union of Donamon; the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Ranelagh. The tithes amount to £230. 10., payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Glinsk and Kilcroan, which comprises the parishes of Ballynakill, Clonigormican, Ardclare, Oran, and Kilcroan, and contains two chapels, one of which is situated at Glinsk, in this parish. There are five hedge schools, in which are about 270 boys and 70 girls.

BALLYNAKILL, a parish, in the barony of LEITRIM, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 7 1/2 miles (W. S. W.) from Portumna; containing, with the town of Woodford, 13,103 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Portumna to Gort, and comprises 12,006 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; about 800 acres are woodland, and the remainder arable and pasture. Marble Hill, formerly Gortenacuppogue, the seat of Sir J. Burke, Bart., is finely situated in a demesne extensively wooded, commanding several interesting views, and distinguished by its great variety of surface; in the grounds is a spring called Macduff's well, within a few yards of which are vestiges of a stone altar. The other seats are Shannon Hill, the residence of M. Conolly, Esq.; Ballinagar, of the Hon. A. Nugent; Cloncoe, of Ulick Burke, Esq.; Moyglass, of J. Burke, Esq.; Eagle Hill, of Capt. H. Pigott, J. P.; Brook Ville, of Martin White, Esq.; Ballycorban, of Matthew White, Esq.; and Carroroe Lodge, of H. Clarke, Esq. Fairs are held on the 1st of June and 26th of October. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Clonfert, partly appropriate to the see and deanery, and partly forming a portion of the union of Lickmolassy: the tithes amount to £299. 15. 1., of which £50. 15. 4 1/2. is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £13. 18. 11 1/4. to the dean, and the remainder to the incumbent. The church is at Woodford, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £213 for its repair; the glebe at Ballynakill comprises 6a. 3r. In the R. C. divisions the greater part of the parish is divided into two entire benefices, called Ballynakill and Woodford, and the remainder forms part of a third: there are chapels at Cloncoe, Loughtorick, Marble Hill, Knockadrian, and Woodford; the last erected in 1837, at a cost of £400. A National school has been recently built, and there are nine pay schools, in which are 178 boys and 363 girls. There are the ruins of an old castle, which appears to have been of great strength; and numerous forts. In the demesne of Marble Hill is a subterranean passage, now so choked up with reeds and other obstructions as to render it difficult to ascertain its extent; and there are numerous vestiges of antiquity in the grounds. At Ballinagar, about a mile and a half from the village, are Mullins Wells, formerly much visited during the summer, the grounds around them being tastefully laid out.--See WOODFORD.

BALLYNAKILL, a parish, in the barony of COOLESTOWN, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. by W.) from Edenderry, on the road to Tullamore; containing 947 inhabitants. It comprises 3668 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about one-fourth part of the profitable land is arable, and the remainder is partly meadow and partly pasture; there are large tracts of bog, besides a considerable quantity that is exhausted; the state of agriculture is good. The Grand Canal passes through the parish, and there are limestone quarries within its limits. The gentlemen's seats are Ballymorin, that of D. Odlim, Esq.; and Ballylekin, of F. Lee, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, united to the rectory of Clonsast; the rectory is impropriate in Richard Garden, Esq., of Bath. The tithes amount to £157. 16. 11., of which £92. 6. 1 3/4. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Edenderry, and partly in that of Clonsast or Clonbollogue. There is a private pay school, in which about 25 boys and 20 girls are taught. Here are the ruins of the ancient castle of Purefoy, one of the numerous small square buildings erected in this part of the country to protect the English pale.

BALLYNAKILL, a parish, in the barony of TIRAGHRILL, county of SLIGO, and province of Connaught, 9 miles (S. S. E.) from Sligo; containing 1767 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Sligo to Ballyfarnon, and is intersected by the small river Dubh-glass, which at Rockbrook forms several small cascades, and passes under a natural bridge of one arch, 6 feet high and 20 feet in the span. It comprises 2679 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is good, and is chiefly under the old unimproved system of tillage; there is a large extent of bog, and limestone abounds in the parish. Rockbrook is the residence of E. H. Cogan, Esq., and Moorfield, of T. Irwin, Esq. Petty sessions are held at Sowey every third Tuesday. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, and forms part of the union of Boyle; the rectory is appropriate to the prebend of Kilmacallane in the cathedral of Elphin. The tithes amount to £83. 1. 65., payable in moieties to the prebendary and the vicar. The Protestant inhabitants resort to the church in the parish of Ballysumaghon. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Sowey, which comprises also the parishes of Ballysumaghan and Kilross: the chapel is a thatched building in very indifferent repair, situated at Sowey. Two schools, in which about 50 boys and 30 girls are taught, are supported by private subscriptions. At Carrickcoolla there are some inconsiderable remains of an old castle. On the lands of Ballynakill is a holy well, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, to which the peasantry resort on Sept. 8th to perform certain devotions; and near it is a large rock, in which there are several natural caverns of very small dimensions.

 

BALLYNAMALLARD, a village, in the parish of MAGHERACROSS, barony of TYRKENNEDY, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 5 1/4miles (N. by E.) from Enniskillen, on the road to Omagh; containing 72 houses and 323 inhabitants. It is a constabulary police station; and has fairs on Feb. 12th, Aug. 5th, and Nov. 28th, of which only the first is kept and is a good fair for horses. There is a penny post to Enniskillen and Omagh. The parish church is in the village; and there are also places of worship for Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, and a dispensary.--See MAGHERACROSS.

BALLYNAMONA, or MOORTOWN, a parish, in the barony of SMALL COUNTY, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (N. E) from Bruff; containing 513 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Hospital to Pallas-Greine, and comprises 1317 statute acres; the land is in general remarkably good, resting upon a substratum of limestone, through which appear some small rocks of basalt. About one-fourth is under tillage, and the remainder is meadow and pasture, with more than 100 acres of turbary, which affords excellent fuel; the system of agriculture is improved. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Emly, and is part of the union of Aney; the rectory is impropriate in Edward Deane Freeman, Esq. The tithes amount to £131, of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriator and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Hospital and Herbertstown. On the banks of a small stream, close to the road, are the remains of the castle built by the Raleighs in the reign of Elizabeth; and not far from it are the ruins of the old parish church.

BALLYNARD, or CAHIRFOSSORGE, a parish, in the barony of SMALL COUNTY, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (N. E. by N.) from Bruff, on the road from Limerick to Hospital; containing 867 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1366 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is in general good, resting on a substratum of limestone, except in some few places where the basalt rises in gentle knolls. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Emly, and is part of the union of Aney; the rectory is impropriate in Edward Deane Freeman, Esq. The tithes amount to £148. 18., of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriator and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Hospital and Herbertstown, in which latter is the chapel for this parish. There are two pay schools, in which are about 60 boys and 30 girls. Not far from the chapel are the ruins of the old church; and on the hill are the remains of Ballynard castle, built by the Geraldines in the fifteenth century, and for many years the residence of the Ballynard branch of that powerful family. At Eaglestown are some remains of the old family mansion of the Powels.

BALLYNASCREEN, a parish, in the barony of LOUGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the market and post-town of Draperstown, 7854 inhabitants. This appears to have been a place of importance at a very early period; frequent notice of it occurs in the Trias Thaumaturga and other ancient records, though it is, neither mentioned in the Monasticon nor in the Visitation of 1622, which includes every other parish in the neighbourhood. The original church, the ruins of which are situated in a romantic and sequestered glen among the mountains, is said to have been founded by St. Patrick, and subsequently consecrated by St. Columb as a parochial church. The parish is intersected by the river Moyola, which has its sources amidst the mountain regions of Slieve Gullion, Moneymeeney, and Slieve Dovin, which extend into the county of Tyrone, where they meet the Munterloney range. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 32,492 statute acres, of which about 200 acres are mountain, waste, and bog. Part of the parish belongs to the Drapers' Company, of London, part to the representative of the Skinners' Company, and part to the see of Derry. The soil is various: around Draperstown and on the banks of the Moyola it is a deep gravel and sand, and in an excellent state of cultivation, producing good crops of wheat, flax, oats, and potatoes, and some barley, but on the higher grounds the chief crops are flax, oats, and potatoes. The freestone is of superior quality and is extensively worked for building. Manganese has been found in detached nodules in several of the mountain streams and Boate, in his Natural History, states that gold has been also discovered here. Derrynoyd Lodge is the residence of the Rt. Hon. Judge Torrens. The inhabitants are principally employed in agriculture, with which they combine the weaving of linen and dealing in cattle, great numbers of which are bred on the mountains and exported to England and Scotland.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £623. 1. 6 1/2. The church, a large handsome edifice in the early English style, is situated at Draperstown, and was erected in 1760, principally through means of the Earl of Bristol, then Bishop of Derry; and the tower and a handsome octagonal spire were added in 1792, aided by contributions from Sir Wm. Rowley, Bart., and the Drapers' Company, the latter of whom are proprietors of the estate and contributed £50. The glebe-house, a handsome residence, is situated on a glebe of 16la. 3r. 12p.; and there is another glebe in the townland of Bancran, containing 750a. 1r. 7p., much of which is mountain and pasture land. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; there are chapels at Moneymeeny and Straw. Two male and female schools are supported by the rector; two, situated at Black Hill and Carnamony, are supported by the Drapers' Company; and there are seven schools, situated respectively at Draperstown, Derrynoyd, Brackragh-Dysart, Drumard, Labby, Altyaskey, and Straw, under the National Board. In these schools are about 700 boys and 520 girls; and there are also two private schools, in which are about 100 children; and five Sunday schools. The ruins of the old church are highly interesting. There are numerous relics of antiquity, particularly cromlechs, of which there were formerly five within the limits of the parish. -- See DRAPERSTOWN.

BALLYNASLANEY, a parish, partly in the barony of SHELMALIER, but chiefly in that of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 3/4 miles (S. by E.) from Enniscorthy; containing 916 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the eastern bank of the river Slaney, and on the mail coach road from Wexford to Enniscorthy; it comprises 2608 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. A small portion is marshy, but by far the greater portion is good arable and pasture land. The river is navigable for vessels of large burden as far as Pooldarragh, in this parish, at which place the contemplated canal to Enniscorthy, a distance of 6 1/2 British miles, will commence, according to the proposed plan. It is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, annexed to the rectory of Edermine by act of council in 1806; the, rectory is impropriate partly in the Earl of Portsmouth and partly in the Representatives of Walter Redmond, Esq. The tithes amount to £161. 10. 9., of which £106. 3. Of. is payable to the impropriators, and the remainder to the curate. The church, of which even the ruins have been removed, must have been originally a handsome structure; a very fine Norman doorway, formerly a part of it, has been inserted in the church of Kilpatrick at Saunders-court. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Oylgate, in the parish of Edermine, where stands the chapel. There is a pay school in which about 40 children are educated.

BALLYNAULTIG, or KILSHANNAH, a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, adjacent to Rathcormac; containing 1270 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called Kilshanahan, is situated on the road from Cork to Rathcormac, and comprises 2791 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2454 per annum: the soil is for the greater part strong and shallow, but is more fertile near the river Bride, which abounds with excellent trout. The gentlemen's seats are Scartbarry, that of E. Wilson, Esq., and Bushy Park, of R. Gifford Campion, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Cork, forming part of the union and corps of the prebend of Killaspigmullane in the cathedral of St. Finbarr, Cork: the tithes are included in the composition for Killaspigmullane. There is no church, but there is an old burial-ground within or near which the ancient church is supposed to have been situated. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Ardnageehy or Watergrass-Hill.

BALLYNEEN, a village, in the parish of BALLYMONEY, Eastern Division of the barony of EAST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (W. S. W.) from Bandon; containing 691 inhabitants. This village is situated on the mail coach road from Bandon to Dunmanway, and on the north bank of the river Bandon, over which is a spacious bridge of ten arches: it consists of one principal street, with a shorter street branching from it towards the bridge, and in 1831 contained 121 houses, the greater number of which are tolerably well built. A few of the inhabitants are employed in the weaving of coarse linens for home consumption, and in the manufacture of cotton cord; but the greater number are engaged in agriculture. A constabulary police force has been stationed here; and district petty sessions are held in a court-house generally every alternate Monday. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists; also a dispensary, which annually affords medical relief to more than 5000 patients of the surrounding neighbourhood.--See BALLYMONEY.

BALLYNEFAGH, or BALLINAFEAGH, a parish, in the barony of CLARE, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. N. W.) from Clare, on the road to Edenderry; containing 614 inhabitants. It is nearly surrounded by the bog of Clashaghbane, and contains 2184 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and in the patronage of the Crown; the rectory is impropriate in Lord Cloncurry. The tithes amount to £105. A church and glebe-house have been lately erected; and there is a glebe of 14 acres, in five parcels. There is a school of about 130 children.

BALLYNEMARA, or BALLINAMARA, a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. S. E.) from Freshford, on the road from Kilkenny to Johnstown; containing 867 inhabitants. It comprises 3755 statute acres of tolerably good land, of which about two-thirds consist of pasture land, and one-third is under tillage. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of St. Canice, Kilkenny, to whom the rectory is appropriate. the tithes amount to £240, of which £160 is payable to the appropriators, and £80 to the vicar. The church is a plain modern building. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Freshford. The parochial school is held in the vestry-roorn of the church; and there is a private pay school, in which are about 70 boys and 20 girls. The late Robt. Lanigan, Esq., bequeathed £100 for the erection of two houses for two poor widows, who are to have a small annual allowance, and preparations are in progress for carrying his intentions into effect.

BALLYNOCHEN.--See WELLS.

BALLYNOCKEN, a village, in the parish of FENNAGH, barony of IDRONE EASt, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. W. by W.) from Myshall; containing 28 houses and 169 inhabitants.-- See FENNAGH.

BALLYNOE, a parish, in the barony of KINNATALOON, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W. by S.) from Tallow; containing 2692 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the old road from Castlemartyr to Fermoy, and comprises 10,271 statute acres, of which 50 are woodland, 1500 bog, and 8721 arable and pasture land; 7514 acres are applotted under the tithe act, of which the gross rental is estimated at £4222 per annum. The land consists of a light soil resting on clay-slate, but is in general tolerably fertile: the principal manure is lime brought from the vale of the Bride. Not far from the village is Ballynoe House, the residence of A. Hargrave, Esq.; and there are several commodious houses occupied by respectable farmers. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, the former united from time immemorial to the rectory of Ahern, and the latter united to the vicarage of Knockmourne: the tithes amount to £915. 3., of which two-thirds are payable to the rector and one-third to the vicar. There is a glebe of 2 1/2 acres, but no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Knockmourne, also called Ballynoe: the chapel, situated in the village, is a large plain building, erected in 1835, and is also appropriated to a national school. A little to the south-east of the village are the ruins of the parish church; and near them are other extensive ruins, supposed to be the remains of an establishment founded by the Knights Hospitallers, to whom the rectory anciently belonged.

BALLYNURE, a parish, in the barony of LOWER BELFASt, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (N. W.) from Carrickfergus; containing, with part of the town of Ballyclare, 3549 inhabitants, of which number, 415 are in the village. This parish, which is situated on the Six-mile-water, and on the road from Carrickfergus to Antrim, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 8540 3/4 statute acres. The soil is fertile, and the lands are generally in a good state of cultivation; the system of agriculture is improving; there is some waste land, and a considerable tract of bog. A kind of basaltic stone is quarried and used for building and for repairing the roads. There is ah extensive bleach-green; also a large paper-mill, in which the most improved machinery is used for the manufacture of the finer kinds of paper. Fairs for cattle, pigs, and pedlery are held on the 16th of May, Sept. 5th, and Oct. 25th; there are large horse fairs in May and Nov., and also on Christmas-day, at Reagh Hill; and fairs are also held at Ballyclare, which see. In the village is a constabulary police station; and a manorial court is held every third week by the seneschal, for the recovery of debts to the amount of £10. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, united by charter of the 7th of Jas. I. to the vicarages of Kilroot and Templecorran, together constituting the corps of the prebend of Kilroot in the cathedral of Connor: the tithes amount to £330. The church, a plain small edifice, built about, the year 1602, is situated near the western extremity of the parish. There is neither glebe nor glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Larne and Carrickfergus. There is a place of worship in the village for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class. There are three schools, which afford instruction to about 240 children; and four pay schools, in which are about 90 boys and 70 girls. The late Mr. Dobbs, of Castle Dobbs, bequeathed £100 for winter clothing for the poor.

BALLYNURE, a parish, in the barony of UPPER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Dunlavin, on the road from Baltinglass to Ballitore; containing 1874 inhabitants. It comprises 6932 statute acres, nearly all arable land; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture improving. There is neither bog nor waste land; fuel is consequently scarce, and the inhabitants are supplied only from the bog of Narraghmore, which is five miles distant. Ballynure, the seat of H. Carroll, Esq., is an elegant mansion situated in a rich demesne. Grange-Con, formerly the grange of the abbey of Baltinglass (which, together with this estate, was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir J. Harrington), was till lately the residence of H. Harrington, Esq., who erected two spacious galleries for the reception of paintings and curiosities, of which he was an indefatigable collector. The other seats are Knockrigg, the residence of J. Wall, Esq.; Bessina, of H. Harrington Wall, Esq.; Barronstown, of J. Wilson, Esq.; and Griffinstown, of W. Cooke, Esq. A constabulary police force has been stationed at the small village of Bumboa Hall. It is a rectory, annexed to that of Baltinglass, in the diocese of Leighlin: the tithes amount to £300. The church, a small neat edifice with a square tower crowned, with pinnacles, was erected by aid of a gift of £800 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1814. In the R. C. divisions also it is included in the union or district of Baltinglass; the chapel is at Bumboa Hall, and adjoining it is a school of 84 boys and 50 girls. In the grounds of Grange-Con are the remains of an ancient castle; there are a rath and an ancient cemetery on the grounds of Knockrigg, and several other raths in different parts of the parish.

BALLYORGAN, a village, in the parish of KILFLYN, barony of COSTLEA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 8 miles (S. E.) from Kilmallock, on the road to Kildorrery; containing 61 houses and 369 inhabitants. The parochial R. C. chapel is situated here; and not far distant are the parish church, the glebe-house, and the parochial schools.--See KILFLYN.

BALLYOUGHTERA, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER; containing, with part, of the market and post-town of Castlemartyr, 1509 inhabitants. This parish comprises, with Cahirultan, 4215 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3142 per annum: the state of agriculture is on some farms improved, but on others it is very backward. A considerable portion is comprised within the park of Castlemartyr, and is either laid out in woods and ornamental grounds or devoted to pasture. The eastern part, including a portion of the town of Castlemartyr, is richly adorned with wood and in a good state of cultivation; and contains several elegant seats, of which the principal are Castlemartyr, that of the Earl of Shannon, which is described under the head of that town: Dromadda, of G. W. Courtenay, Esq.; Kilbree, of S. W, Adams, Esq.; and Ballyhickady, of Capt. Leach. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, consolidated with the rectory of Cahirultan and united by act of the 9th of Anne, cap. 12, to the vicarage of Imogeely or Mogeely, which together constitute the union of Castlemartyr and corps of the prebend of Cahirultan, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes, embracing the entire union, amount to £435. 12. 7., and the entire value of the prebend is returned at £523. 15. The church, situated in the town of Castlemartyr, is a neat building in a spacious spot of ground surrounded by lofty elms. The glebe-house, in Imogeely, was erected by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £1350, in 1815, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 22 acres lying partly in Castlemartyr, partly in Cahirultan, but chiefly in Imogeely. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Imogeely or Castlemartyr, at the former of which is the chapel; and there is another chapel on the border of the parish, near Ballintowlas, adjoining which is the national school. In the demesne of Castlemartyr, and near its south-eastern boundary, are the ruins of the old parish church, which was built in 1549, and destroyed in the war of 1641. The ruins of the ancient castle of Imokilly, from which the barony derives its name, afterwards called Ballymartyr castle, and now Castlemartyr, are in this parish, as are also the ruins of the castle of Ballintowlas; and near the latter there is an extensive lake.

BALLYOVEY, a parish, in the barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 6 1/4miles (N. by W.) from Ballinrobe; containing 4025 inhabitants. This parish, which is pleasantly situated on the borders of Loughs Mask and Carra, and on the high road from Castlebar to Ballinrobe, comprises 19,823 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The surface is mountainous, and there are extensive tracts of bog: the lands now in cultivation are principally under tillage. The scenery is boldly varied: in the bosom of the mountains is Tarmacady, the summer lodge of Dean Plunket; and Partree, the seat of J. Lynch, Esq., is beautifully situated on Lough Carra. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, partly appropriate to the prebend of Killabegs in the cathedral church of St. Mary, Tuam, and partly included in the union of Burriscarra: the tithes amount to £162, of which £23. 5. 2 3/4. is payable to the prebendary of Killabegs, and the remainder to the incumbent. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions it forms a separate benefice, called Partree; there are two chapels, one at Partree, a small thatched building, and the other in the mountains at Ballybannon, a spacious slated edifice. There are six pay schools, in which are about 340 children.

BALLYPATRICK.--See RATHPATRICK.

BALLYPHILIP, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Portaferry, 3090 inhabitants. This parish is situated between Strangford Lough and the eastern coast, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2430 statute acres, of which 1839 are applotted under the tithe act. The land is fertile, and, with the exception of about 30 acres of bog, called Ballygaroegan Moss, which supplies the inhabitants with fuel, is in a good state of cultivation. Within its limits is Carney or Kerney Point, off which are two dangerous shoals, called Carney Pladdy and Butter Pladdy. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Down, with the vicarage of Ballytrustin and the rectories of Slanes and Ardglass united by charter in the 7th of Jas. I., which four parishes constitute the union of Ballyphilip and the corps of the chancellorship of Down, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £208. 16. 9; and the gross income, including tithe and glebe, is £490. 10. per annum. The church, situated in the town of Portaferry, is a neat modern edifice, erected in 1787, and has been lately repaired by a grant of £343 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house was built in 1818, at an expense of £1090, of which £825 was a loan from the late Board of First Fruits, and £265 was added by the present incumbent, and is chargeable on his successors. The glebe comprises 15 Cunningham acres, valued at £45 per annum. It was recommended by the Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Inquiry, in 1831, that the parish of Ardglass, being seven miles distant, and in. which a perpetual curacy of small value has been erected, should be severed from the union, and an equivalent given to the chancellor. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the unions or districts of Lower and Upper Ardes, which latter is united to part of Ardkeen, Witter, Ballytrustin, Slanes, and Ardguin; there are two chapels, one near Portaferry, a spacious and handsome edifice, and the other at Witter, three miles distant. There are places of worship at Portaferry for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class, and for Wesleyan Methodists. A parochial school of 70 boys and 70 girls, at Portaferry, is aided by an annual donation of £30 late currency from Andrew Nugent, Esq., who built the school-house, and by a smaller from the rector; there are also seven pay schools in the parish, in which are about 60 boys and 60 girls. A bequest of £3 per annum to the poor, by one of the Bangor family, is charged on the Castle-Ward estate. An ancient church, which, according to tradition, belonged to a wealthy abbey, formerly occupied the site of the present glebe-house, near which human bones, tombs, and extensive foundations are frequently dug up. Bankmore, a large and perfect rath, and a smaller fort at Ballytrustin, are within the parish. The late Marquess of Londonderry received the rudiments of his education in the glebe-house, under Dr. Sturrock, then chancellor of Down, and incumbent of this parish.--See PORTAFERRY.

BALLYPOREEN, a village, in the parish of TEMPLETENNY, barony of IFFA and OFFA WESt, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (W.S.W.) from Clogheen, on the road from Cork to Dublin; containing 113 houses and 513 inhabitants. It is the residence of M. Burke, Esq.; and Ballywilliam is the residence of the agent of Caesar Sutton, Esq. Fairs are held on May 12th, Aug. 21st, and Dec. l7th. It is a constabulary police station; and a court is held for the manor, which is the property of the Earl of Kingston, since whose accession the village has been much improved. The parish church, recently erected; the R. C. chapel; and a dispensary, are situated here. There is a mineral spring of some repute.

BALLYRAGGEt, or DONOUGHMORE, a post-town and parish, in the barony of FASSADINING, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (N. by W.) from Kilkenny, and 53 3/4 (S. W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 2609 inhabitants, of which number, 1629 are in the town. This place appears to have derived its origin from a castle belonging to the Butler family, which in 1600 was garrisoned by the forces of Sir George Carew, Lord-President of Munster, when the sons of Lord Mountgarret, to whom it then belonged, were in rebellion against the crown, and had engaged with O'More to arrest the Earl of Ormonde. Previously to this period it had been a favourite residence of the celebrated Lady Margaret Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormonde, who is said to have frequently issued from the castle at the head of her armed retainers, to ravage the property of such of the neighbouring families as she deemed to be her enemies. In 1619, Jas. I. constituted this place a manor, and granted to its lord, Richard, third Viscount Mountgarret, the privilege of holding two fairs. During the Whiteboy disturbances, the castle was appropriated as a barrack for the use of the military stationed in the district. The town is situated on the road from Kilkenny to Durrow, and on the river Nore, over which is a good stone bridge of 10 arches; it consists of one principal street, with several smaller streets diverging from it, and contains about 300 houses. Fairs are held on Feb. 20th, April 20th, June 22nd, Sept. 4th, Oct. 20th, and Dec. 10th; and additional fairs, recently established, are held on Jan. 11th, March 14th, May 9th, and July 22nd. Here is a station of the constabulary police; a manor court is held occasionally, and petty sessions irregularly. The parish comprises 526S statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; there is a quarry of hard black limestone. In the immediate vicinity of the town is Ballyragget Lodge, formerly the seat of the Butlers of Ballyragget, which family became extinct on the demise of the late Rt. Rev. Dr. J. Butler, R. C. Archbishop of Cashel. The mansion is a fine building, and in the demesne are the remains of Ballyragget castle, in a good state of preservation. The parish is in the diocese of Ossory; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Ormonde, and the vicarage is part of the union of Odogh. The tithes amount to £190, of which £120 is payable to the impropriator, and £70 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, which comprises the parishes of Ballyragget, Ballyouskill, Rosconnel, and Attanagh, and parts of those of Durrow, Abbeyleix, Freshford, Burnchurch, and Kilmocar;. and contains two chapels, one at Ballyragget and one at Attanagh. There are eight pay schools and a Sunday school in the parish.

BALLYRASHANE, or ST. JOHN'S-TOWN, a parish, partly in the barony of LOWER DUNLUCE, county of ANTRIM, but chiefly in the north-east liberties of COLERAINE, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (N. E.) from Coleraine; containing 2851 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Coleraine to Ballycastle, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 6360 3/4 statute acres, of which 2689 are in the county of Antrim, and the remainder in the county of Londonderry. The greater portion of the land is fertile and in a high state of cultivation; wheat and barley have been introduced since the year 1829, and are raised with great success. There are detached portions of bog, affording a good supply of fuel. Vast quantities of basalt are raised; and in a geological point of view the parish is very interesting, containing beautiful specimens of amorphous, columnar, and divaricated basalt, which are found here in all their varieties, accompanied with chalcedony, opal, zeolite, and other fossils; it abounds also with botanical specimens of considerable interest. Brookhall, the seat of S. Boyce, Esq., is in this parish. The inhabitants are principally employed in the weaving of linen cloth; and there are some paper-mills for brown and fancy papers, affording employment to about 30 persons. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £350. The church is a plain small edifice, in the later English style, erected by aid of a grant of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1826. The glebe-house, nearly adjoining it, was built in 1828: there is no glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Coleraine. There are two places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster; one at Kirkstown of the first class, and the other at Ballywatt of the third class. The male and female parochial schools at Lisnarick are supported by the rector, who also contributes annually to the support of a school at Ballyrack; at Ballyvelton is also a school, and there are two private pay schools and two Sunday schools. At Revel-lagh are the ruins of a castle and fort. There are also some extensive artificial caverns at Ballyvarten, Island Effrick, and Ballynock; the first has four rooms or cells, 5 feet high and 2 1/2 feet wide, having the sides formed of unhewn stones and the roof of large flat stones.

BALLYROAN, a parish, in the barony of CULLI-NAGH, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Abbeyleix, on the road from Monastereven to Durrow; containing 3544 inhabitants, of which number, 714 are in the village. It comprises 8625 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and contains several high hills, the largest of which, Culli-nagh, gives name to the barony. The village, which lies low, contains 132 houses; it is a constabulary police station, and has a patent for a market, but no market is held. Fairs are held on Jan. 6th, April 2nd, May 15th, the first Wednesday in July (O. S.), Aug. 15th, and the second Wednesday in Nov. (O. S.), chiefly for cattle and pigs. At Cullinagh are some cotton-mills and a boulting-mill, both badly supplied with water; in the former about 50 persons are employed, of whom two-thirds are children. But the inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture: the soil consists of a rich loam and a deep black earth, and is equally productive under tillage and in dairy husbandry. The system of agriculture is improving; there is but a small tract of bog, not more than sufficient to supply the inhabitants with fuel. The dairy lands are sometimes appropriated to the fattening of black cattle. Limestone is quarried principally for burning; and grit flagstone is found in the mountains. A thin stratum of coal has been discovered, but has not been worked, though there is near it a mineral vein; much of the same kind of coal is found in the mountain of Cullinagh, where works were commenced but have been discontinued some years. The chief seats are Blandsfort, the residence of J. T. Bland, Esq., in whose family it has continued since 1715; and Rockbrook, of L. Flood, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Leighlin, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £415. 7. 8 1/2. The church is a neat plain edifice in good repair. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the union or district of Abbeyleix; the chapel is a spacious edifice. In the village is a school endowed with lands in Cappaloughlan, bequeathed by Alderman Preston: the school-house is a large slated building, erected at an expense of £500; about 20 boys receive a classical and English education under a master, whose stipend is £55 per annum, each boy paying £4 yearly in addition. There are also a scriptural and a national school, in which are about 80 boys and 50 girls. Sir Jonah Barrington, late Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, and author of "Personal Sketches of His Own Times," and other works relating to Ireland, resided at Cullinagh.

BALLYROBERt, a grange, in the parish of TEM-PLEPATRICK, barony of LOWER BELFASt, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Ballyclare: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the roads from Carrickfergus to Bally-water and Doagh, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 883 1/2 statute acres.

BALLYRONAN, or PORTBALLYRON, a village, in the district of Wood's-chapel, barony of LOUGHIN-SHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (S. E.) from Magherafelt, on the western shore of Lough Neagh. This village was founded by the late D. Gaussen, who, in 1788, built a forge here for manufacturing spades, &c., and soon afterwards erected stores, which led to the building of quays and the formation of a port, which has greatly benefited the surrounding country. A large distillery was erected in 1824, and a brewery in 1830, by Messrs. Gaussen and Sons. Vessels of about 50 tons' burden ply regularly between this port and Belfast and Newry, exporting wheat, fruit, spirits, ale, and freestone, and bringing back barley, timber, slate, iron, , wine, groceries, &c. This village is well situated for trade, as, besides being on Lough Neagh, several roads diverge from it, and the projected railroad from Coleraine to Armagh will pass near it. It is on the estate of the Salters' Company, of London, which is held by the Marquess of Londonderry and Sir Robert Bateson, Bart., under a lease which will expire about 1852, when the company intend to make extensive improvements. Here is a public school, principally supported by the lessees of the estate, Mrs. Gaussen, sen., and D. Gaussen, Esq., one of the proprietors of the village. Near it are the ruins of Salters-town castle and a cromlech.

BALLYSADERE, or BALLASODARE, a parish, partly in the barony of LENEY, but chiefly in that of TIRAGHRILL, county of SLIGO, and province of Connaught, comprising the post-town of Collooney and the villages of Ballydryhed and Tubberscanavin (all of which are separately described); and containing 7562 inhabitants, of which number, 546 are in the village. It is situated on the road from "Boyle to Sligo, and on the Unshion or Ballysadere river, which issues from Lough ARROW, near Boyle, and is here joined by the Coolaney river; and after falling over several ledges of rocks, the last of which is ten feet in height, empties itself into an arm of the sea, called Ballysadere channel. St. Fechin founded a monastery here towards the middle of the seventh century, which was richly endowed: in 1179 it was burnt by the men of Moylisha and Moylterary, and in 1188 was again destroyed by fire, but was restored and existed until the general dissolution, when a lease of it was granted, in the 30th of Eliz., for 21 years, to Bryan Fitz-William, at an annual rent of £2. 13. 4.: the remains are situated above the waterfalls, and consist merely of the outer walls, which are richly clothed with ivy. St. Fechin also founded an abbey at Kilnemanagh, which existed till the general suppression, when it was granted to Richard, Earl of Clanricarde; there are yet some remains. The parish comprises 9999 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: between one-third and one-half of it is waste land and bog; there is little woodland, except from 600 to 700 acres on the Markree estate. The land under cultivation is generally good, but the old system of tillage, though gradually improving, is still mostly practised. There are quarries of excellent limestone, much used for building, and some of it is also hewn into mantel-pieces and other ornamental parts of masonry; and a lead mine, yielding also a considerable proportion of silver, was worked a few years since, but has been abandoned. Near it are some chalybeate springs, not used. The village of Ballysadere, which comprises about 45 houses, is a place of some little business, and has a penny post. The falls on the river afford favourable sites, and a never-failing supply of water for mills: there is a large corn-mill, belonging to Mr. Sim, worked by two wheels of 36-horse power, and employing 25 persons; and another on a large scale, with the most approved machinery, was built by Mr. Culbertson in 1835, having two water-wheels of 70-horse power, and employing 20 persons; there are also some smaller corn-mills, and a large bleach-mill and green. Vessels of about 100 tons' burden come up the channel for the exportation of corn and meal: a small pier has been built, and it is in contemplation to erect one on a more extensive scale. Fairs are held at the village on Feb. 8th, May 30th, July 11th, Aug. 4th, Oct. 24th, Nov. 12th, and Dec. 15th; and besides those held at Collooney and Tubberscanavin (which are enumerated in the accounts of those places), the largest fair for horses in the county is held at Carricknagatt, on Feb. 1st. Here is a station of the constabulary police. Petty sessions are held every alternate Thursday at Collooney; and a manorial court is occasionally held there, under the seneschal. Markree, the seat of E. J. Cooper, Esq., is a handsome and modern castellated building, situated in the centre of an extensive demesne clothed with wood and spreading into verdant lawns, through which the Unshion pursues a winding course: the gateways leading into the demesne are handsome structures, of ancient English architecture, and in the grounds there is a very excellent observatory. The other seats are Cloonamahon, that of J. Meredith; Esq.; the Cottage, of R. Culbertson, jun., Esq.; Ballysadere House, of J. Reed, Esq.; and Ballysadere Villa, of A. Sim, Esq.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry, constituting the corps of the prebend of Ballysadere, in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is impropriate in Matthew Baker, Esq.: the tithes amount to £461. 10. 9 1/2., payable in moieties to the impropriator and the incumbent. The church, situated at Collooney, is a handsome building, in the ancient English style of architecture, and contains some good monuments, of which one to the memory of the late Mrs. Cooper, executed at Florence, is a fine piece of sculpture; it was enlarged in 1834, by aid of a gift of £700 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and donations of £800 from Mr. Cooper and £50 from Major O'Hara. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £400 and a loan of £400, in 1819, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 20 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, called Collooney, comprising also the parish of Kilvarnet, and containing three chapels, situated respectively at Collooney and Currownagh, in Ballysadere, and the third in Kilvarnet. There are seven schools, two of which, at Ballysadere and Collooney, were built and are supported by Mr. Cooper; also five private pay schools and Sunday schools. On an eminence immediately over the harbour is an ancient burial-ground of considerable extent, still used, in which are the remains of a church.

BALLYSAX, a parish, partly in the barony of WEST OPHALY, but chiefly in that of EAST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (S.W. by W.) from Kilcullen-Bridge; containing 996 inhabitants. This parish is situated within a mile of the great southern road from Dublin to Cork, and comprises 4995 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2817 per annum. The greater portion is under tillage, and the remainder, with the exception of a large tract of bog and waste, is meadow and pasture; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture improved. Adjoining the parish is the celebrated race-course called the Curragh; and within its limits is Ballysax House, the elegant seat of G. O'Kelly, Esq. On the Curragh are also Cobourg Lodge, the residence of J. Maher, Esq.; Brownstone House, of G. Knox, Esq.; Ballyfair House, occupied during the races by His Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant; Lark Lodge, of W. Disney, Esq.; Maddens-town House, of W. Kelly, Esq.; Turf Lodge, of R. Hunter, Esq.; Jockey Hall, of G. Watts, Esq.; Athgar-von Lodge, of the Hon. F. Ponsonby; and Maddens-town, of Terence Kelly, Esq. A fair is held at the French Furze on July 26th. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £186. The church, a neat edifice, with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles, was erected by aid of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1826; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £249 for its repair. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe comprising 19a. 2r. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Sancroft. A school is supported by local subscription, aided by an endowment bequeathed by the late Rev. William Tew; and there is also a school in connection with the National Board. In these about 60 boys and 40 girls are instructed; and there is a pay school, in which are 20 boys and 20 girls. The Rev. W. Tew also bequeathed £50 in the 3 1/2 per cent, for the benefit of the poor.

BALLYSCADANE, a parish, in the barony of COST-LEA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. E. by S.) from Hospital. It is situated on the road from Galbally to Hospital, and comprises 893 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is in general of good quality, and chiefly in pasture. Nearly in the centre of the parish is Ryves Castle, the residence of P. Ryan, Esq.; and at no great distance is Scarteen, the property also of Mr. Ryan, but at present unoccupied. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly, united from time immemorial to the entire rectory of Glanbane, together constituting the corps of the deanery of Emly, in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £40.12.6., and of the whole union to £88. 4. The lands of the deanery, called the mensal lands of Gurteen, comprise 179a. 2r. 15p., statute measure, let on lease at £92. 6. l 1/2. per annum, with an annual renewal fine of £27. 13. 10 1/4.: the entire income of the deanery, as returned by the Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Inquiry, amounts to £225. 16. 10. per annum. The church has long since fallen into decay: in the churchyard, which is within the demesne of Ryves Castle, is a handsome monumental obelisk to the family of Ryan. There is no glebe-house in either parish; the glebe comprises 4a. 2r. 36p., and there is also a glebe of 7 acres in the adjoining parish of Galbally. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Emly.

BALLYSCULLION, a grange, in the barony of TOOME, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Randalstown; containing 3351 inhabitants. This place, which is an extra-parochial district, never having paid either church cess or tithe, is situated on the road from Portglenone to Antrim, and is bounded on the north-west by the river Bann; it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 4279 1/4statute acres. There is no provision for the cure of souls; the members of the Established Church attend divine service in the contiguous parish of Duneane, in the diocese of Connor. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Ballyscullion, in the diocese of Derry; the chapel is a small plain building; there is also a place of worship for Presbyterians.

BALLYSCULLION, a parish, partly in the barony of UPPER TOOME, county of ANTRIM, but chiefly in that of LOUGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Bellaghy, 6453 inhabitants. This parish, which is intersected by the roads leading respectively from Castle-Dawson to Portglenone, and from Maghera to Bellaghy, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 12,750 1/4: statute acres, of which 10,617 1/4are in the county of Londonderry, 2406 are part of Lough Beg, and 72 3/4 part of "the river Bann, which here forms the boundary of the parish, barony, and county. On the plantation of Ulster, these lands were granted by Jas. I. to the Irish Society, and by them transferred to the Vintners' Company of London, who founded the castle and town of Bellaghy, described under its own head. At a very early period a monastery was founded on an island in Lough Beg, about two miles from the shore, then called Ynis Teda, but now Church island, from the parish church having been subsequently erected there: this establishment continued to flourish till the dissolution, and some of the lands which belonged to it are still tithe-free. Two townlands in the parish belong to the see of Derry, and the remainder has been leased in perpetuity by the Vintners' Company to the Marquess of Lothian, the Earl of Clancarty, Lord Strafford, and Sir Thomas Pakenham. There are from 400 to 450 acres of bog, part of which in summer affords coarse pasturage for cattle; a portion of it lying remote from the Bann is of a blackish colour, and capable of cultivation for rye and potatoes; the other part, which from its white colour is called "flour bog," is quite incapable of cultivation till it has been cut away for fuel, when the subsoil appears, varying from 5 to 10 feet in depth. The land is fertile, and under the auspices of the North-West Agricultural Society, of which a branch has been established here, is generally in an excellent state of cultivation; mangel-wurzel, rape, turnips, and other green crops, are being introduced with success. There are indications of coal in several parts, particularly on the Castle-Dawson .estate; but there is no prospect of their being explored or worked while the extensive bogs afford so plentiful a supply of fuel. Of the numerous seats the principal are Castle-Dawson, the seat of the Right Hon. G. R. Dawson; Bel-laghy Castle, the residence of J. Hill, Esq.; Bellaghy House, of H. B. Hunter, Esq.; Fairview, of R. Henry, Esq.; and Rowensgift, of A. Leckey, Esq. The splendid palace built here by the Earl of Bristol, when Bishop of Derry, one of the most magnificent in the country, was scarcely finished at his Lordship's decease, and was soon after taken down and the materials sold: the only entire portion that has been preserved is the beautiful portico, which was purchased by Dr. Alexander, Bishop of Down and Connor, who presented it to the parish of St. George, Belfast, as an ornament to that church. A small portion of the domestics' apartments and a fragment of one of the picture galleries are all that remain. There are some extensive cotton-mills at Castle-Dawson, also flour, corn, and flax-mills; and about a mile above the town is a small bleach-green. Fairs for cattle, sheep, and pigs are held at Bellaghy on the first Monday in every month; and a manorial court is held monthly, for the recovery of debts not exceeding £2.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £350. The church, situated in Bellaghy, is a large and handsome edifice, erected in 1794 on the site of a former church built in 1625: it is in the early English style, with a lofty and beautiful octagonal spire erected at the expense of the Earl of Bristol, and is about to be enlarged by the addition of a north aisle. There is a chapel at Castle-Dawson belonging to the Dawson family, by whom it was built and endowed; it is open to the inhabitants. The glebe-house is about a quarter of a mile from the town on a glebe comprising 70 acres; and there is also a glebe of 84 acres at Moneystachan, in the parish of Tamlaght-O'Crilly, all arable land. In the R. C. divisions this parish comprehends the grange of Ballyscullion, in the diocese of Connor, in which union are two chapels, one at Bellaghy and the other in the grange. At Ballaghy are places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, Methodists, and Seceders. There is a male and female parochial school, aided by annual donations from the rector and the proprietors of the Bellaghy estate, who built the school-house; and there are five other schools, which afford instruction to about 300 boys and 240, girls; also three private schools, in which are about 100 boys and 20 girls. Here is a dispensary conducted on the most approved plan; and the proprietors of the Bellaghy estate annually distribute blankets and clothes among the poor. The ruins of the old church on Ynis Teda, or Church island, are extensive and highly interesting; and close to them a square tower surmounted by a lofty octangular spire of hewn freestone was erected by the Earl of Bristol, which is a beautiful object in the landscape. A large mis-shapen stone, called Clogh O'Neill, is pointed out as an object of interest; and not far distant is a rock basin, or holy stone, to which numbers annually resort in the hope of deriving benefit from the efficacy of the water in healing diseases.

BALLYSCULLOGUE.--See HORTLAND.

BALLYSEEDY, a parish, in the barony of TRUGHE-NACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. E. by S.) from Tralee; containing 1164 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the river Mang or Maine, and on the mail coach road from Tralee to Killarney; it comprises 3509 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2640 per annum, and there are 92 acres exempt from tithe. The land is mostly under tillage; the principal crop is oats. Towards the west the parish includes a portion of the Slieve-mish mountains; the land there is chiefly coarse mountain pasture, and there is a considerable portion of light bog; about 500 acres of bog and mountain have been planted within the last two or three years. Limestone abounds and is extensively used for manure. Ballyseedy House, the handsome residence of Sir E. Denny, Bart., is situated in an extensive and richly wooded demesne; and at Ballyseedy is the residence of the Rev. Mr. Nash, pleasantly situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of the country towards the south and east. The river Mang or Maine has its rise in the neighbouring mountains, and empties itself into Castlemaine bay; it abounds with excellent trout. On the banks of a small river that flows through the parish and falls into Tralee bay is a large flour-mill. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Agha-doe, and in the patronage of Arthur Blennerhasset, Esq., in whom the rectory is impropriate: the tithes amount to £120, and are payable in equal portions to the im-propriator and the vicar. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe, but divine service is performed in the school-house at Farmer's-Bridge. The ruins of the old church, to which a burial-ground is attached, are in the demesne of Ballyseedy. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Ballymac-Elligott. The Wesleyan Methodists assemble for divine worship in a private house. A neat school-house has been lately erected at the village of Farmer's-Bridge, under the auspices of the Rev. A. B. Rowan, of Belmont; it was built and is supported by subscription: there is also a school under the superintendence of the R. C. clergyman; in these schools about 100 children are educated.

 

The town was incorporated by a charter of Jas. I., dated March 23rd, 1613; and the corporation was entitled "the Portreeve, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Town of Ballyshannon." From the time of its incorporation till the Union, when it was disfranchised, it returned two members to the Irish parliament, and the £15,000 compensation was paid to the Earl of Bel-more. A court of record was created under the charter, but has fallen into disuse. A seneschal's court is held once in three weeks under the lord of the manor, having jurisdiction to the amount of 40s.; it was established by charter of Jas. I., dated April 9th, 1622, granting large possessions to Henry Folliott, Baron of Ballyshannon. Petty sessions also are held generally once a fortnight. The gentlemen's seats in the vicinity are enumerated in the articles on Kilbarron and Innismacsaint, which see. On an eminence called Mullinashee, adjoining the town, stands the parish church of Kilbarron; and there are two R. C. chapels, two places of worship for Methodists, and one for Presbyterians. There are also three public schools, and a dispensary. A small portion of the ruins of the once celebrated castle of the O'Donnells, Earls of Tyrconnell, is in the town; and near to it, on the road to Belleek, are a few vestiges of the ancient church of Sminver.

BALLYSHEEHAN, a parish, in the barony of MID-DLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N.) from Cashel; containing 3034 inhabitants. It is situated on the mail coach road from Dublin, by way of Cashel, to Cork, and comprises 8678 statute acres, of which 3657 are applotted under the tithe act and valued at £7118 per annum. There are about 150 acres of bog, producing a valuable supply of fuel, and 50 acres of woodland; the remainder is arable and pasture. New Park, the handsome seat of Matthew Pennefather, Esq., is pleasantly situated in a well-planted demesne of 960 statute acres; and Dually is the seat of J. Scully, Esq. Fairs are held on May 6th, Aug. 15th, and Dec. 5th; and a constabulary police force is stationed here. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate in S. Cooper, Esq. The tithes amount to £415. 7. 8 1/4., of which £265. 7. 8 1/4. is payable to the impropriator, and £150 to the vicar. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe; the members of the Established Church attend divine service at Cashel and Ardmoyle. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Boherlahan; the chapel is a neat modern building. There are three pay schools, in which are about 140 boys and 90 girls. Ballytarsney Castle, a lofty square tower, is said to have been built by a person named Hacket, who, according to tradition, was hanged by one of Cromwell's generals, who had gained possession of it by treachery.

BALLYSHONBOY.-- See KILQUANE, county of LIMERICK.

BALLYSONAN, a parish, partly in the barony of EAST OPHALY, but chiefly in that of WEST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Kilcullen; containing 472 inhabitants. It is situated on the mail coach road from Dublin, by way of Cashel, to Cork, and comprises 2602 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and principally under tillage. Ballysonan House is the residence of T. Kennedy, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, constituting the corps of the prebend of Ballysonan in the cathedral of Kildare, and united by act of council, in 1795, to the rectory of Kilrush, forming the union of Ballysonan, in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Bishop; the tithes amount to £209, and of the entire benefice to £430. 9. 10. The church, a plain structure, was built in 1796 by aid of a gift of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £196 for its repair. The glebe contains 25a. 2r. 20p., but there is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Sancroft. There is a school of 30 boys and 30 girls. Dame An-nesley bequeathed the lands of Carrighill, in this parish, for the purpose of establishing and supporting a school, but the bequest has not been appropriated to that use; the rector is now making efforts to render it available.

BALLYSPILLANE, a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (N. W.) from Midleton; containing 577 inhabitants. This parish comprises 2076 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act and valued at £1263 per annum: it is chiefly under tillage, with but little waste land; the northern part is mountainous, and the soil shallow and but indifferently productive. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, and prior to the collation of the present incumbent was part of the union of Midleton and corps of the treasurership in the cathedral of Cloyne, but is now a distinct benefice, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impro-priate in G. Lukey, Esq., of Midleton. The tithes amount to £228, payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar. There is neither church, glebe, nor glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Midleton. There are some ruins of the parochial church.

BALLYSUMAGHAN, a parish, in the barony of TIRAGHRILL, county of SLIGO, and province of Connaught, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Collooney; containing 1815 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Sligo to Drumsna, by way of Ballyfarnon, on the confines of the county; and comprises 2829 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The soil is principally a good deep loam, but the state of agricul-ture, though much improved within the last twenty years, is still very low; there is not much waste land, but a large tract of bog affording a good supply of fuel. There are several quarries of stone, principally limestone of a very fine description, used for building and for burning into lime. The gentlemen's seats are Castle Neynoe, that of Col. W. B. Neynoe, and Doomalla, of Owen Phibbs, Esq. The French army, after the battle of Collooney, passed close to this place, and encamped the same night within a quarter of a mile from it. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, and forms part of the union of Boyle; the rectory is partly impropriate in Viscount Lorton, and partly appropriate to the prebend of Kilmacallane in the cathedral church of Elphin. The tithes amount to £73. 16. 11., of which one-half is payable to the prebendary. The church is a neat building, erected about six years since on a site in the demesne of Castle Neynoe, given by Col. Neynoe; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £181 for its repair: it is resorted to by the inhabitants of Ballysumaghan, Kilross, and Ballynakill, three of the parishes which form the union. Near to it is the glebe, but there is no glebe-house at present. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Sowey. There is a school in the village of Castle Neynoe, and another at Bloomfield, in which about 100 boys and 90 girls are taught. A Sunday school is held in the church, and it is in contemplation to establish a parochial school: there is also a hedge school, in which are about 40 boys and 30 girls. Within the parish are several Danish forts; and in the burial-ground of Culticloghan are the remains of an old church. Numerous fossils are found in the limestone quarries.

BALLYTANKARD.--See TANKARDSTOWN.

BALLYTARSNEY, a parish, in the barony of IVERK, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 6 1/2 miles (E. S. E.) from Carrick-on-Suir: the population is returned with the parish of Poleroan. This parish is situated on the road from Waterford to Limerick, and is about five British furlongs in length and breadth, comprising 1116 statute acres. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and forms part of the union of Clonmore: the tithes amount to £81. 14. 8 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Moncoin. Here are the remains of a square fort, which appears to have been of considerable strength.

BALLYTOBIN, a parish, in the barony of KELLS, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S. E.) from Callan; containing 759 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Callan to Carrick-on-Suir, and comprises 2364 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. Ballytobin House, the seat of Abraham Whyte Baker, Esq., is a place of considerable antiquity, and is situated in a fine demesne abounding with timber of aged growth, with a deer park attached; there is a sycamore tree of very large dimensions near the house. On this estate also is Wellington (formerly called Cahirliske), occupied by J. W. Pope, Esq. Here is a station of the constabulary police. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and forms part of the union of Kells: the tithes amount to £150. The church is a neat modern edifice with a spire, built by aid of a gift of £300 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1829, and of £400 from A. W. Baker, Esq., who also allows £10 per ann. to the parish clerk. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Donemagan. There are. two private schools, in which are about 40 boys and 20 girls.

BALLYTORE, a post-town, in the parish of TIMOLIN, barony of NARRAGH and RHEBAN EASt, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 13 miles (S. S. W.) from Naas, and 28 1/2 miles (S. W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 141 houses and 933 inhabitants. This town, which is situated on the river Griese and on the mail coach road from Dublin to Carlow, was, in 1798, taken by the insurgents, in whose possession it remained two days, and by whom it was set on fire. It is conspicuous for the neatness and regularity of its appearance, and is principally inhabited by members of the Society of Friends; it has obtained considerable celebrity from its school, originally established in 1726, by Abraham Shackleton, a member of that society, and in which the celebrated Edmund Burke received the rudiments of his education. Baltytore House is the residence of T. R. Whitty, Esq. Fairs are held on March 10th, Aug. 15th, and Nov. 30th. A constabulary police force has been stationed in the town. There is a place of worship for the Society of Friends, established in 1707; a Lancasterian school is supported partly by subscription and partly by weekly payments from the children; and here are a dispensary and a savings' bank. Mary Leadbeater, daughter of Mr. Richard Shackleton, and author of "Cottage Dialogues" and other works calculated to improve the social condition of the Irish peasantry, was a native of this place.--See TIMOLIN.

BALLYTRAIN, a village, in the parish of AUGHNAMULLEN, barony of CREMORNE, county of MONAGHAN, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (S.) from Ballibay, on the old road to Shercock; containing 44 houses and 220 inhabitants. It is a station of the constabulary police; and fairs, chiefly for pigs, cattle, and sheep, are held on Feb. 1st, March 17th, May 1st, June 11th, Aug. 1st, Sept. 29th, Nov. 1st, and Dec. 23rd. In 1834, a R. C. chapel was built, at an expense of £100. The lake of Ballytrain is an extensive sheet of water supplying several mills, particularly one belonging to R. A. Minnett, Esq. Near the village is Lake View, the residence of the Rev. E. Mayne. In the vicinity are several forts, one of which is of great extent and commands a view of some picturesque scenery, embracing twelve lakes.--See AUGHNAMULLEN.

BALLYTRUSTIN, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 1 mile (S. E.) from Portaferry; containing 735 inhabitants. This parish, which is not noticed in the Down survey, is situated on the eastern coast; it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, including detached portions, 1681 3/4 statute acres. The soil is fertile, and the lands are all in an excellent state of cultivation, producing abundant crops. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Down, and is part of the union of Ballyphilip and corps of the chancellorship of Down; the rectory is impropriate in John Echlin, Esq. The tithes amount to £190. 4. 2 1/2. of which £117.14. 5. is payable to the impropriator, and £72. 9. 9 1/2. to the vicar. There are some remains of the ancient church, and the churchyard is the chief burial-place of the R. C. parishioners. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of each of the unions or districts of Lower and Upper Ardes. At Kerney is a school of 100 boys and 80 girls, aided by subscription and an annual donation of £8 from Dr. Blacker, on whose estate the school-house was erected by a grant of £100 from the Lord-Lieutenant's fund. At Ballyfounder is a very large rath, nearly perfect.

BALLYVALDEN, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 12 1/2 miles (S. by W.) from Gorey; containing 1379 inhabitants. It is situated near the eastern coast, and comprises 2338 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ferns, held with the impropriate curacies of Kilmuckridge and Millenagh; and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Portsmouth. The tithes amount to £179. 7. 9., of which £112. 6. 2 1/2. is payable to the impropriator, and £67. 1. 6 1/2. to the vicar. The church of the union is at Kilmuckridge. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Blackwater. There are three hedge schools, in which about 170 children are educated.

BALLYVALLOO, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 6 1/2 miles (N. E. by N.) from Wexford; containing 809 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the coast of St. George's channel, and on the old road from Wexford to Dublin; and comprises 1725 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. It is an impropriate curacy endowed with the vicarial tithes, in the diocese of Ferns, and forms part of the union of Ardcolme; the rectorial tithes belong to the almshouse at Enniscorthy. The entire tithes amount to £115. 8. 3 1/2., of which £59.13. 3 1/2. is the portion belonging to the almshouse, and £55. 15. is payable to the incumbent; the glebe comprises 20 acres. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the Blackwater union or district. It is not recognised as a parish in civil matters, but is considered as forming part of the parish of Killely.

BALLYVARY, a market-town, in the parish of KILDECAMOGUE, barony of GALLEN, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 5 1/2 miles (N. E. by E.) from Castlebar: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road from Castlebar to Swinford, and near a" small river issuing from Lough Cullen. The market is on Wednesday; and fairs are held on May 29th, Aug. 18th, and Nov. 14th. Here is a station of the constabulary police. In the town is a R. C. chapel, erected on a site given by the Rev. L. Rutledge, of Bloomfield. In the immediate vicinity are Ballyvary House, the seat of C. Goodwin, Esq.; and Currangowan, of E. Deane, Esq.--See KILDECAMOGUE.

BALLYVAUGHAN, a village, in the parish of DROMCREEHY, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W.) from Burren; containing 151 inhabitants. This place is situated on a small bay to which it gives name on the western coast, and opening into the bay of Galway. The village, in 1831, contained 23 houses, since which time several new houses have been built, and it is progressively improving. Some of the inhabitants are employed in the herring fishery, which is carried on successfully on this coast. The bay is very shallow and in general fit only for boats; but small vessels may anchor in 2 1/2 fathoms of water on good holding ground, about two or three cables' length south of Finvarra Point. There are some remains of an old quay, which is now of little use; a new quay would add greatly to the prosperity of the place, as, independently of the fishery, turf is landed here in great quantities from Connemara for the supply of the neighbouring country. A market for corn and pigs is held weekly on Thursday; and fairs have been lately established on the 24th of June and 23rd of September. Here is a station of the constabulary police; also a coast-guard station, which is one of the seven that constitute the district of Galway. A court for the manor of Burren is held by the seneschal about once in six weeks, at which small debts are recoverable; and the road sessions for the district are also held in the village. At a small distance to the east, and near the shore, are some vestiges of the old castle of Ballyvaughan.--See DROMCREEHY.

BALLYVINNY.--See KILLASPIGMULLANE.

BALLYVOURNEY, a parish, in the barony of WEST MUSKERRY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 8 miles (W. by N.) from Macroom; containing 3681 inhabitants. St. Abban, who lived to a very advanced age and died in 650, founded a nunnery at this place, which he gave to St. Gobnata, who was descended from O'Connor the Great, Monarch of Ireland. Smith, in his history of Cork, notices the church of this establishment, but it has since fallen into decay. The parish, of which the name signifies "the Town of the Beloved," is chiefly the property of Sir Nicholas C. Colthurst, Bart.; it is situated on the river Sullane, and on the road from Cork to Killarney, and comprises 26,525 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £6073. 15. per annum. The surface is very uneven, in some parts rising into mountains of considerable elevation, the highest of which is Mullaghanish: about one-half is arable and pasture land, with 70 acres of woodland. Much of the land has been brought into a state of cultivation by means of a new line of road from Macroom, which passes through the vale of the Sullane, and is now a considerable thoroughfare; and great facilities of improvement have been afforded by other new lines of road which have been made through the parish; but there are still about 16,000 acres of rough pasture and moorland, which might be drained and brought into a state of profitable cultivation. The river Sullane has its source in the parish, in the mountains bordering on the county of Kerry, and after intersecting it longitudinally pursues an eastern course through the parish of Clondrohid to the town of Macroom, to the east of which, at the distance of a mile, it discharges itself into the river Lee; there is also a lake called Lough Ivoig. Fairs are held on the 10th of May, July, Sept., and Nov.; and there is a constabulary police station. The living is a rectory and a vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne; part of the rectory is comprehended in the union of Clenore and corps of the chancellorship of the cathedral of St. Colman, Cloyne, and part is united to the vicarage, forming the benefice of Ballyvourney, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £731. 14. 7., of which £231. 14. 7. is payable to the chancellor of Cloyne, and £500 to the incumbent. The church is a very neat edifice, in the early English style, erected in 1824 by aid of a gift of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was built at the same time, partly by gift and partly by a loan from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish is one of the three that constitute the union or district of Kilnemartry; the chapel, a plain and spacious edifice, was built in 1830. There are three daily pay schools, in which are about 70 boys and 20 girls. The ruins of the conventual church are very extensive and interesting; in one of the walls is a head carved in stone, which is regarded with much veneration. Near these ruins is a holy well, much resorted to on the 11th of February, the festival of St. Gobnata, the patroness, and also on Whit-Monday; and near the well is a large stone with a circular basin or font rudely excavated, the water from which is held sacred.

BALLYWALTER, a grange, in the parish of BALLYLINNY, barony of LOWER BELFASt, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road from Carrickfergus to Doagh, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 320 1/2 statute acres.

BALLYWALTER, or WHITECHURCH, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (N. E.) from Kirkcubbin: the population is returned with the the union of St. Andrew's. This parish is situated on the eastern coast, and with a detached portion comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 3379 statute acres. The village, which in 1831 contained 664 inhabitants, is situated in lat. 54° 32' 20" (N.), and lon. 5° 28' (W.), and is a coast-guard station, forming one of the twelve that constitute the district of Donaghadee. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Down, and is part of the union of Ballywalter or St. Andrew's; the rectory is appropriate to the Lord-Primate. The tithes amount to £339. 18. 1., of which £226. 12. 1. is payable to the Lord-Primate, and £113. 6. to the incumbent. On the next avoidance of the benefice of St. Andrew's, this parish will become a separate living, in the patronage of the Lord-Primate. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Lower Ardes. There are two places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster. Some ruins of the old church yet exist.

BALLYWILLIAM.--See ROCHESTOWN.

BALLYWILLIN, or MILLTOWN, a parish, partly in the barony of LOWER DUNLUCE, county of ANTRIM, but chiefly in the North-East liberties of COLERAINE, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 3 1/2 miles (N. by E.) from Coleraine, on the road to Portrush; containing 2219 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the north by the Atlantic ocean, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 4673 1/4statute acres, of which 1617 are in the county of Antrim: about 300 are sand and 150 bog; the remainder is arable and pasture. The entire district abounds with fossils and minerals of great variety, and with features of high geological interest. The soil, though various, is generally good; and the lands are in an excellent state of cultivation, particularly where not exposed to the drifting of the sand, which accumulates on the coast near Portrush. There is no waste land, except the sand hills near Portrush, which, from the constant blowing of the north and north-west winds, have overspread a large tract of excellent land, which it has been found impossible to reclaim. Much of the bog has been exhausted and brought under cultivation, and there is now barely sufficient for the supply of fuel. There are vast quantities of ironstone; in some places the ore is found nearly in a metallic state, and in nodules of stone used for making the roads have been found nuclei of almost pure metal. Limestone is very abundant, but is not worked; the extensive quarries in the adjoining parish of Dunluce being held under a lease which prohibits the opening of any other upon the estate. Basalt in every variety is found here in a confused mixture of amorphous basalt with veins of red ochre, chert, soap-stone, and zeolite. In other parts there are magnificent columnar masses, the prisms of which are more perfect and more beautiful than those of the Causeway. These columns form part of a bold ridge of hills lying north and south, and displaying some of the finest features of basaltic formation in the island. Beardiville, the seat of Sir F. Macnaghten, Bart., a spacious and handsome mansion, is pleasantly situated and surrounded with extensive and thriving plantations; and at Portrush are several elegant lodges and pleasing villas, which are occupied by their respective proprietors during the bathing season, and one of which belongs to the Bishop of Derry. The Skerries, a cluster of islands about a mile from the shore, and containing, according to the Ordnance survey, 24a. 1r. 9p., belong to this parish. Behind the middle of the largest of them a vessel may ride well sheltered in from 5 to 7 fathoms of water, and on good holding ground.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Bishop: it was formerly an appendage to the chancellorship of that see, under a grant by Jas. I., at which time a vicarage was instituted; but it again became a rectory under the provisions of Dr. Mant's act, on the death of Dr. Trail in 1831. The titties amount to £263. The church is an ancient, spacious, and handsome edifice, in the early English style, and is said to be the only one in the diocese or county, built prior to the Reformation, in which divine service is now performed; it has neither tower nor spire, but being situated on an eminence it is visible at the distance of several leagues at sea. There is a glebe-house, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits, in 1828, gave £450 and lent £140. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Coleraine. There is a place of worship at Magherabuoy for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and of the second class, and at Portrush is one for Wesleyan Methodists. The male and female school at Portrush is aided by an annual donation from Miss Rice; the school-house was erected in 1832 by Dr. Adam Clarke. A male and female school is aided by an annual donation from Mr. Lyle. In these schools are about 80 boys and 60 girls; and there are also a pay school, in which are about 40 boys and 10 girls, and a Sunday school. Here are the remains of Ballyreagh, or "the Royal Castle," situated on a promontory having a bold facade of rock rising to the height of 296 feet, the base of which is washed by the Atlantic. Dunmull, originally a druidical circle, afterwards a Danish fort, and now a pasture for sheep, is one of the most curious and extensive vestiges of antiquity in the country; and about half a mile to the north-west of the church are the remains of a druidical circle and altar, with an extensive and well-arranged cave; there is also a druidical altar near Beardiville, in a very perfect state. Fine impressions of the cornua ammonis are found in the chert at Portrush; the cornua and the echenite are found also in the limestone, and every variety of the zeolite and opal in the basaltic or trap formation, with chalcedony, strontium, agate, rock tallow, and veins of fullers' earth.

BALNABRACKNEY, a village, in that part of the parish of CASTLE-JORDAN which is in the barony of UPPER MOYFENRAGH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER; containing 14 houses and 86 inhabitants.

BALNACARRIG.--See BALLINACARGY.

BALRAHAN, or BALRAHEEN, a parish, in the barony of IKEATHY and OUGHTERANY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Maynooth; containing 615 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Kilcock to Naas, and is generally divided into small holdings and chiefly under tillage. The soil is productive, and the system of agriculture improved; there is some good pasture land, producing excellent clover, and fuel is plentiful and cheap. The seats are Rathcoffey House, the property of the late Archibald Hamilton Rowan, Esq., now comparatively deserted; and Painstown, that of Gerald Aylmer, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and is part of the union and corps of the prebend of Donadea in the cathedral of Kildare: the tithes amount to £161. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Clane: the chapel, situated at Rathcoffey, is a neat building. There is a private school, in which about 70 boys and 30 girls are educated. The ancient castle of Rathcoffey was besieged and taken by Col. Monk, in 1642, when 70 of the garrison were made prisoners, most of whom were executed in Dublin: the only remains are the gateway of the fortress; all the rest was taken down by Mr. Rowan, when he erected the present mansion.

BALRODDAN.--See RADDONSTOWN.

BALROTHERY, a parish and village, in the barony of BALROTHERY, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER; containing, with the post-town of Balbriggan, 5078 inhabitants, of which number, 375 are in the village. This place, which gives name to the barony, was anciently annexed to that part of the church of Lusk which in the earlier ages belonged to the archdeaconry of Dublin, and was separated from it about the year 1220 by Archbishop Henry. The village is situated on the road from Dublin to Balbriggan, from which latter it is distant about a mile, and in 1831 contained 84 houses. According to tradition, Jas. II. is said to have slept at the White Hart Inn here, before the battle of the Boyne: and the same distinction is claimed by another ancient house in the village, which was formerly an extensive inn. Fairs are held on the 6th of May and 12th of August. The parish comprises 8767 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about 320 acres are woodland, principally in the demesne of G. A. Hamilton, Esq., and about 80 are bog or waste land; the remainder is arable and pasture, but is principally under tillage, and is very fertile in corn, which is the chief produce. A small portion of the bog of Ring is within the parish; and near the glebe is a reservoir of 22 acres, called the Knock, which supplies the mills of Balbriggan with water. At Curtlagh is a very fine stone quarry, and good stone for building is also obtained from the cliffs. The coast is composed of strata of transition rocks of grauwacke, grauwacke slate, clay-slate, and greenstone, with spar in small portions. The Drogheda, or Grand Northern Trunk, railway from Dublin to that town will pass through the parish, close to the shore. Hampton Hall, the seat of G. A. Hamilton, Esq., is an elegant mansion situated in a rich demesne of 500 acres, finely wooded and pleasingly diversified with hill and dale: the grounds command extensive sea views alternated with luxuriant woods, with the isles of Skerries in the foreground, and the Mourne mountains in the distance, stretching far into the sea towards the north. Ardgillan Castle, the seat of the Hon. and Rev. E. Taylor, is a handsome building in the castellated style, beautifully situated in a park finely wooded and commanding some interesting views of the sea. The other seats are Lowther Lodge, that of G. Macartney, Esq., in the grounds of which is an ancient rath; Inch House, of J. Madden, Esq., having also a rath within the demesne; Knockingin, of W. O'Reilly, Esq.; and Tankerville, of T. Swan Croker, Esq.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, and in the patronage of the Rev. Fras. Baker, the present incumbent; the rectory is impropriate in the trustees of Wilson's hospital, in the county of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £530, of which £250 is payable to the impropriators, and £280 to the vicar. The church, with the exception of the tower, which is embattled and surmounted at the north-west angle with a circular turret, and at the others with small turrets, was taken down and rebuilt, by aid of a loan of £1000 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £250 and a loan of £550 from the same Board, in 1815; the glebe comprises 29 3/4 acres. There is a chapel of ease at Balbriggan, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, endowed by the late Rev. George Hamilton. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, called the union of Balrothery and Balbriggan, and comprising also the parish of Balscadden: there are three chapels in the union, one at the village of Balrothery, another at Balbriggan, and a third in the parish of Balscadden. There is also at Balbriggan a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. There are three schools, in which about 205 boys and 110 girls receive instruction; also three pay schools, and a dispensary, in the town. Near the church are the remains of Balrothery castle, the date of which is unknown; the roof is covered with flag-stones of great thickness, and the general style of the building refers it to a period of considerable antiquity. Within a quarter of a mile of the town are the ruins of Bremore castle, the ancient seat of a branch of the Barnewall family, consisting of some of the out-buildings and part of a chapel, with a burial-ground, which is still used by some of the inhabitants. The skeletons of four moose deer were dug up on the glebe by the Rev. Mr. Baker. At Curtlagh there is a chalybeate spring.--See BALBRIGGAN.

BALSCADDEN, a parish, in the barony of BALROTHERY, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (W.) from Balbriggan; containing 1011 inhabitants. This parish borders on the county of Meath, from which it is separated by the Naul river: it contains two commons, called the common of Balscadden and the bog of the Ring; and there is a quarry of good building stone on the lands of Milestown. Part of the demesne of Gormanston Castle is within its limits, but the castle itself is in the adjoining county. Winter Lodge, theresidence of the late J. Woods, Esq., is not now inhbited. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Christ-Church, Dublin; the rectory forms the corps of the treasurership in the cathedral of Christ-Church, in the gift of the Crown. The tithes amount to £180, of which £120 is payable to the treasurer, and £60 to the vicar. There is neither church nor glebe-house, but in a burial-ground in the village are the ruins of a church: the glebe consists of 4 1/2 acres of profitable land. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Balrothery and Balbriggan: the chapel, situated in the village, is a neat structure, built by subscription in 1819, at an expense of more than £500. There is a school on the common of Balscadden, in which about 80 boys and 70 girls are taught: the school-house was built in 1832, when 3 1/2 acres of the common were enclosed and attached to it; and it is in contemplation to erect a house for the master and mistress. There are also two private pay schools in the parish. Local tradition states that a battle was fought near the village, at a place called Cross Malin, where a small mound has been raised and a wooden cross erected on its summit; and it is said that there was an encampment on the common. The well of Tubbersoole was formerly resorted to from an opinion of its efficacy in healing diseases of the eye.

BALSOON, a parish, in the barony of LOWER DEECE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (E. by N.) from Trim; containing 311 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the river Boyne, and on the road from Athboy, by Bective Bridge, to Dunshaughlin. The land is principally under tillage; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture is improved. Fairs are held at Bective Bridge, near the boundary of the parish. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and is part of the union of Assey: the tithes amount to £69. 4. 7 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Dunsany and Kilmessan, at which latter place is the chapel for this part of the union.

BALTEAGH, or BALLYDAIGH, a parish, in the barony of KENAUGHt, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (S. E.) from Newtownlimavady; containing 3326 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the Balteagh water and bounded on the west by the river Roe, is intersected by the roads leading respectively from Dungiven and Garvagh to Newtownlimavady, and by the road from Coleraine to Londonderry. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 11,505 3/4 statute acres, and, except a small portion belonging to the see of Derry, is the property of the Marquess of Waterford, being part of the grant made by Jas. I. to the Haberdashers' Company, of London, who have long since alienated it in perpetuity. About one-fourth part of the land forms a portion of the mountains of Cedy and Donaldshill, which latter is the highest ground in the parish, and, according to the Ordnance survey, has an elevation of 1315 feet above the sea at low water. Much of the mountainous land affords excellent pasture for cattle, and might easily be reclaimed; and the remainder, extending from the bases of these mountains towards the river Roe, is rich and fertile, and in a good state of cultivation, producing abundant crops. In the front of the Cedy mountain is a large quarry of white limestone, which is there topped by the lofty mountains of basalt extending on the east to Coleraine, on the south-east to Garvagh, and on the northeast to Magilligan. In the bed of the Balteagh water, .freestone, calcareous sand-stone, and thin layers of coal are found alternating. The principal seats are Ballyquin House, the residence of Capt. Tedlie, and Drumagoscar, of the Rev. R. Henderson. The weaving of linen is carried on in some of the farm-houses; and there are a flour and two oatmeal-mills, and two flax-rnills in the parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £373. 18. 6. The church, a small edifice with a square tower crowned with pinnacles, was erected in 1815, on a site near the ruins of the old church at the base of Donaldshill, at an expense of £700, a gift from the late Board of First Fruits, which also granted a loan of £277 for its repair in 1828. The glebe-house, situated about a quarter of a mile to the north of it, is a good residence; the glebe comprises 135a. 0r. 33p., lying on both sides of the Balteagh, water. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Newtownlimavady, and contains a chapel. There is a place of worship at Lislane for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class. The parochial schools are at Ardmore: there are other schools at Terrydrummond and Carrick, aided by the rector and W.Campbell, Esq.; and the Marquess of Waterford is about to establish schools at Lisbane and Drumsurn. The number of children at present taught in these schools is, on the average, 250, of which about one-third are girls: there are also four Sunday schools (one of which is held in the Presbyterian meeting-house), and a private school in which about 30 children are educated. There are remains of an extensive cromlech; and the walls of the ancient church form an interesting ruin. There are sulphureous and chalybeate springs in several parts of the parish. Numerous fossils are imbedded in the limestone of Cedy, particularly belemnites, trilobites, and dendrites.

BALTIBOYS.--See BOYSTOWN.

BALTIMORE, a village and sea-port (formerly an incorporated and parliamentary borough), in the parish of TULLAGH, Eastern Division of the barony of WEST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (S. W.) from Skibbereen; containing 459 inhabitants. This place is situated on a fine harbour to which it gives name in St. George's channel, and was anciently called Dunashad. It is supposed to have been a sanctuary of the Druids and one of the principal seats of the idolatrous worship of Baal, whence its present name, Beal-ti-mor, signifying, in the Irish language, "The Great Habitation of Beal," is probably derived. In 1537, the men of Waterford, in revenge for an attack made by Fineen O'Driscoll and his son on some merchant vessels consigned to that port, fitted out three armed ships with 400 men on board, which arriving in the harbour anchored tinder the castle: the garrison fled on their approach, and this force, after having laid waste the adjacent island of Innisherkin, landed here and set fire to the castle and town of Baltimore. So great was the resort of foreign fishermen to this coast, that, in 1552, Edw. VI. was advised by his parliament to erect a fort on the harbour, and compel them to pay a tribute; but the proposal was not carried into effect. In 1602, Sir Fineen O'Driscoll surrendered the castle to the Spaniards, and supplies of artillery and ammunition were conveyed into it for its defence by the Spanish commander, Don Jean D'Aquila, on whose capitulation soon after at Kinsale, it was delivered up according to the terms of the treaty. The town was, in 1629, reduced to great distress by Sir Walter Coppinger, who claimed and took possession of the castle, with the manor and town of Baltimore, upon which last the English inhabitants had expended more than £2000. Sir Walter was summoned before the Lords-Justices, but in the mean time sold the property to Mr. Becher, who dispossessed the English colonists, and they never afterwards recovered their property. About two years after, the Algerines made a descent upon this coast, attacked the castle, plundered the town, and carried away with them more than 200 prisoners to Algiers, most of whom were English settlers. After these two calamities the town never regained its former prosperity, and in a short time dwindled into an insignificant village; and in 1645 the castle, which was well fortified, and amply supplied with ordnance and ammunition, was taken by Captain Bennet and held for the parliament.

The inhabitants received a charter of incorporation from Jas. I., dated March 25th, 1613, by which the government was vested in a sovereign, twelve burgesses, and a commonalty: the sovereign was empowered to hold a court of record in personal actions not exceeding five marks, and the privilege of returning members to parliament was granted. In 1689, Jas. II. granted another charter, dated subsequently to the accession of Wm. III., which recites that the provost, free burgesses, and commonalty had enjoyed many privileges which had been seized into the King's hands by a Judgment of the Exchequer. From the time of its first incorporation the borough continued to return two members to the Irish parliament till the legislative union, when it was disfranchised, and the £15,000 awarded as compensation for the abolition of the franchise was paid to Sir John Evans Freke, Bart., who in 1807 succeeded to the title of Lord Carbery, and is the present proprietor; the right of voting was vested in the householders, and the seneschal of the manor was the returning officer. The limits of the old borough cannot now be well defined by any marked boundaries; they included part of the manor, and extended for about a quarter of a mile round the town by land. The corporation is extinct, and the only official person remaining is a water-bailiff now appointed by the proprietor and lord of the manor, by whose authority he collects certain dues from all vessels not belonging to the port which enter it, whether they discharge their cargoes or not.

The village is situated on the eastern shore of the harbour, and immediately around the ruins of the ancient castle; and, though small, is rapidly increasing in size and importance. Several large and handsome houses have been recently erected, and others are in progress; and in 1833 a substantial pier was constructed at the joint expense of the Fishery Board and Lord Carbery. The trade of the port consists chiefly in the export of slate, copper-ore, flax, wheat, oats, and potatoes; and in the import of timber, iron, coal, salt, and general merchandise. In 1835, nine vessels of the aggregate burden of 2030 tons entered inwards, and the same number cleared outwards either with passengers or ballast, as connected with the foreign trade; and vessels of the aggregate burden of 10,300 tons entered inwards, and 299 of the aggregate burden of 17,643 tons cleared out, as connected with the coasting trade. The amount of duties paid at the custom-house for that year was £2059. 18. 6.; but much of the timber being imported for the use of the copper mines, the greater part of the duty was returned. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port is 99, of the aggregate burden of 6426 tons. The custom-house is at Castle-Townsend, a distance of 10 miles from this place. The jurisdiction of the port extends from Galley Head, on the east, to Mill Cove on the west, and includes the creeks or harbours of Bearhaven, Bantry, Crookhaven, Baltimore, and Castle-Townsend, together with all rivers, bays, and creeks within its limits. The harbour is situated about seven miles (E. by N.) from the south-west point of Cape Clear, and is convenient for shipping bound either eastward or westward. The pier, though small, is a great accommodation to the fishermen as a landing-place on the mainland, for the fishery of Cape Clear; and a small quayage is collected for keeping it in repair. There are neither fairs nor markets. A coastguard station has been established here, which is one of the nine that constitute the district of Skibbereen. The parish church, a new and handsome building with a lofty square tower, is situated in the village: it was erected in 1819, and forms a very conspicuous and beautiful feature in the landscape, as seen from the harbour. A school-house for male and female children was built at the expense of Lord Carbery in 1832: and there is a dispensary for the benefit of the inhabitants of the numerous islands in the bay. The ruins of the castle, on the summit, of a lofty rock over the pier, and commanding every part of the harbour, are extensive and beautifully picturesque.--See TULLAGH.

BALTINGLASS, an ancient borough, market, and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of UPPER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 32 miles (W. S. W.) from Wicklow, and 28 miles (S. S. W.) from Dublin; containing, with the town of Stratford-on-Slaney, 4110 inhabitants, of which number, 1670 are in the town of Baltinglass. This place, according to most antiquaries, derives its name from Baal-Tin-Glas, signifying, according to common acceptation, "the pure fire of Baal," and is thence supposed to have been one of the principal seats of druidical worship. At the time of the English invasion it formed part of the inheritance of the Kings of Leinster; and about the year 1148, or 1151, Diarmit Mac Murchad O'Cavanagh, the reigning monarch, founded here a monastery for Cistertian monks, in the church of which he was afterwards interred. Among the most distinguished benefactors to this establishment, which became a mitred abbey, was John, Earl of Morton, afterwards King of England; and among its abbots was Albin O'Molloy, one of the most zealous advocates of the Irish clergy, in opposition to the overbearing allegations of Giraldus Cambrensis. The monastery was frequently plundered by the mountain septs of the O'Byrnes and the O'Tooles; and in 1314 the abbot obtained from the English government permission to hold a conference with the chiefs of those formidable septs, who in the deed for this purpose are designated "Irish Felons," in order to recover "the goods and chattels of which he had been robbed, or a full equivalent for the same." The monastery was suppressed in 1537, and with its extensive possessions, including the castle and manor of Baltinglass, was granted, in 1541, to Thomas Eustace, Lord Kilcullen, whom Hen. VIII. created Viscount Baltinglass. In the reign of Elizabeth a parliament was held here, in which was passed an act. rendering every kind of inheritance forfeitable for high treason, emphatically called the statute of Baltinglass. James, the third Viscount Baltinglass, and his four brothers, having joined in the great Desmond insurrection, were convicted of high treason; and their estates being confiscated under this statute, were granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir John Harrington. The manor is now the property of Henry Carroll, Esq., of Ballynure; and the castle, with the town and other considerable property in the neighbourhood, is in the possession of the Earl of Aldborough. During the disturbances of 1798, the insurgents, after their defeat in the county of Wexford, stationed themselves in the mountains of this neighbourhood, and continued for some time to commit outrages on the peaceable inhabitants of the surrounding country.

The town is pleasantly situated in a romantic vale watered by the Slaney, over which is a stone bridge of three arches connecting those parts of it which are on the opposite banks of the river. It consists of four principal streets, with two or three others of less importance, and in 1831 contained 256 houses: it is amply supplied with water from springs, and, from its situation on the great road from Dublin, by Tullow, to Wexford, enjoys a considerable traffic. There are infantry barracks for one officer, and 25 non-commissioned officers and privates: and a constabulary police and a peace preservation force are stationed in the town. The manufacture of linen, woollen, and diaper was formerly carried on here extensively; there are two bleach-greens in the town in full operation, and an extensive flour-mill. There are also some extensive cotton and calico-printing works at Stratford-on-Slaney. A market and fairs were granted, in 1617, to Sir Thomas Willmott by Jas. I. Chas. II., in 1663, granted by charter a market, to be held on Friday, and two fairs for three days each in May and September, to Sir Maurice Eustace, with the tolls thereof; and four more fairs were granted, in 1763, to John, Lord Baltinglass, by a patent which also contains a grant of a market on Tuesday, not held, and of the tolls and customs of the markets and fairs to his lordship. The market is on Friday; and the fairs are held on Feb. 2nd, March 17th, May 12th, July 1st, Sept. 12th, and Dec. 8th. Until within the last few years the tolls and customs were received by the corporation, but the collecting of them has been discontinued.

The town was incorporated by charter of Chas. II. in the 15th year of his reign (1663), under the designation of the "Sovereign, Burgesses, and Free Commons of the Borough of Baltinglass." The corporation consists of a sovereign, twelve burgesses, a recorder and town-clerk, a serjeant-at-mace, and a clerk of the market. The sovereign is elected annually by and from the burgesses, on the Monday next after the feast of St. John the Baptist, and sworn into office on the Monday after Michaelmas-day; he has power to appoint a deputy from among the resident burgesses, by consent of a majority of that body; the sovereign or deputy is a justice of the peace within the borough during the year of office, and the former for one year after; the sovereign is also coroner. Burgesses are elected for life, but have no functions to perform. The power of appointing the recorder and town-clerk during pleasure, and also the clerk of the market, was vested by the charter in Sir Maurice Eustace, his heirs and assigns; and the serjeant-at-mace is appointed by the sovereign and burgesses. The freedom of the borough is obtained only by gift of the corporation; the freemen are exempted from serving upon juries without the limits of the borough, which, according to the charter, extend beyond the town, and comprise 300 acres lying on the west and south sides. The corporation had nearly become extinct, there being only two burgesses and not one freeman in 1832, when ten burgesses were chosen. The borough returned two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when it was disfranchised, and the sum of £15,000 awarded as compensation was paid to the trustees of the Earl of Aldborough: the sovereign was the returning officer. The borough is included in the manor of Baltinglass, and the manor court was constituted a court of record, in which the seneschal presided, with jurisdiction to the amount of £10, but has been long discontinued. The quarter sessions for the western division of the county are held here; as are also the petty sessions for the upper division of the barony of Talbotstown, every alternate Friday, before the county magistrates. The court-house is situated at the extremity of the principal street, on the eastern bank of the river. The district bridewell, situated in the town, contains ten cells, three day-rooms, and three airing-yards, in one of which is a tread-wheel; and though badly planned and inconveniently situated, it affords sufficient facility for the classification of the prisoners usually confined within its walls.

The parish comprises 11,691 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The lands are in a good state of cultivation; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture is improved; there is very little bog or waste land. Stratford Lodge, the seat of Lady Elizabeth Stratford, is a spacious mansion pleasantly situated in a demesne of 100 acres tastefully laid out and planted, ornamented with several sheets of water, and commanding from the house some extensive views, including the town, the valley, and a magnificent range of mountain scenery. Saunders Grove, the seat of R. F. Saunders, Esq., is a spacious and handsome mansion of hewn stone lined with brick, beautifully situated in a rich demesne adorned by the windings of the Slaney. Golden Fort, situated on an eminence over the Slaney, opposite the demesne of Saunders Grove, is the seat of Lieut.-Gen. Saunders, who has very much improved the estate, by the introduction of an improved system of agriculture and a superior breed of cattle. The lands of Golden Fort and Rathbran, both in this parish, are subject to a charge of double county cess, an error which will probably be rectified by the general survey now in progress. Slaney Park, the residence of the Rev. W. Grogan, and Whitehall, that of W. Butler, Esq., are in the parish; and on the townland of Ladytown, which is part of this parish, but detached and completely surrounded by the county of Carlow, is Mount Lucas, the residence of Capt. Jackson, commanding extensive mountain views and the scenery of the valley. The living is a rectory, annexed to that of Ballynure, in the diocese of Leighlin, and in the patronage of Henry Carroll, Esq.: the tithes amount to £618. 9. 2 3/4. The church, which occupies the site of the chancel of the ancient abbey, was repaired, and a square tower added to it, in 1815, at an expense of £500, and a grant of £252 has been lately made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for its further repair. The churchyard is the burial-place of the Aldborough family, and over the remains of his deceased ancestors the present earl, in 1839, erected a massive mausoleum of granite, terminating in a pyramidal spire. There is a chapel of ease at Stratford-on-Slaney. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parishes of Ballynure and those parts of the parishes of Timolin and Moon which are in the county of Wicklow, and that part of Kineagh which is in the county of Kildare; the chapel near the town is a neat edifice with a tower, and there is also a chapel at Stratford-on-Slaney. In the town of Baltinglass is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, and at Stratford is one for Presbyterians. At Stratford Lodge are two schools, one an infants' school, and both supported by Lady Elizabeth Stratford; and there are two other schools, altogether affording instruction to about 260 boys and 190 girls. A second infirmary for the county of Wicklow, containing four wards, in which are 20 beds, with a dispensary annexed to it, has been established in the town; there is also a savings' bank. Within the demesne of Stratford Lodge is a shop for supplying the poor with goods at cost price. There are some considerable remains of the Cistertian abbey, chiefly consisting of a series of seven pointed arches springing from alternated round and square pillars with curiously carved capitals, which formerly separated the south aisle from the nave; the church appears to have been a spacious cruciform structure, and the west end, which is still standing, has the remains of a lancet-shaped window of three lights; the walls enclose a large area, which appears to have been surrounded with monastic buildings. Of the ancient castle, now converted into a farm-house, two Norman doorways leading into a court-yard are still remaining; and formerly many fragments of stone highly wrought lay scattered in all directions. Near the town is a cromlech, and numerous other relics of antiquity are said to have been lately existing there. On the eminence on which Golden Fort is built are two circular intrenchments or raths, surrounded by moats, in one of which the proprietor of the estate discovered, a few years since, a number of gold coins, from which circumstance the seat derived its name; and in the other, which is of larger dimensions and in a much more perfect state, was found a kistvaen containing an urn of rude pottery, in which were ashes, with a number of human bones scattered around: in the same demesne is an ancient cemetery. Baltinglass gives the title of Baron to the noble family of Stratford, Earls of Aldborough.--See STRATFORD-ON-SLANEY.

BALTRAY, a village, in the parish of TERMONFECKAN, barony of FERRARD, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E.) from Drogheda; containing 428 inhabitants. It is situated at the estuary of the river Boyne, on the eastern coast, and in 1831 contained 81 dwellings, of which the greater number are thatched cabins.

BANADA, a village, in the parish of KILMACTIGUE barony of LENEY, county of SLIGO, and province of Connaught, 3 miles (W. by S.) from Tubbercurry: the population is returned with the parish. It comprises about 30 cabins, and is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Moy, which winds through it in a broad deep stream, and on the road from Tubbercurry to Foxford. A friary of Eremites, following the rule of St. Augustine, was founded here in 1423, through the industry of a brother of the order, and was dedicated to Corpus Christi. The modern seat, called the Abbey, is the residence of D. Jones, Esq., and from a plantation rises the lofty steeple of the ancient monastery, built of hewn stone and still entire. Fairs are held on Jan. 17th, May 19th, and Aug. 7th; and here is a station of the constabulary police.--See KILMACTIGUE.

BANAGHER, a market and post-town (formerly a parliamentary borough), in the parish of RYNAGH, barony of GARRYCASTLE, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (N. W. by N.) from Parsonstown, and 64 miles (W. S. W.) from Dublin; containing 2636 inhabitants. This town is situated on the side of a hill, on the south bank of the Shannon, just above the influx of the little Brosna river, and at the junction of the roads from Parsonstown to Cloghan and Eyrecourt. The bridge, connecting it with the Galway shore, is one of the oldest across the Shannon: it consists of several small arches with projecting piers, and is very narrow and inconvenient, but of great strength and solidity. Latterly, however, this bridge, which is supposed to have stood between 400 and 500 years, has shown numerous symptoms of decay: it completely obstructs the navigation of the river, to remedy which a canal with a swing-bridge over it has been formed on the Galway side. Its military defences are very strong: on the King's county or Banagher side is a tete-du-pont mounting three pieces of heavy ordnance, and about a 1/4of a mile lower down the river is a circular field work with six pieces of ordnance; on the Galway side to the right is a Martello tower, and on the left a small battery. The town comprises about 500 houses, mostly well built; the streets are Macadamised. It has a reading-room; and close to the bridge are infantry barracks for 3 officers and 63 men. There are a distillery, brewery, malt-house, and tanyards; and the town has a good general trade with the rural population of the surrounding district. It is well situated for trade, having the advantages of steam navigation to Limerick and the sea, and of water communication with Athlone, Ballinasloe, and Dublin: the introduction of steam navigation on the Shannon, has greatly benefited the general trade of this place, and in the autumn of 1836 extensive surveys were made by order of Government, with a view to improve the navigation of this noble river. The market, originally granted in 1612 to Sir John McCoghlan, Knt., to be held on Thursday,-- and to the corporation in 1628 on Monday,--is now held on Friday, and is a considerable corn market. Fairs are held on May 1st, Sept. 15th and three following days, Oct. 28th, and Nov. 8th; that held in September is a large fair for live stock, inferior only to that of Ballinasloe. Here is a station of the constabulary police.

The inhabitants were incorporated in 1628 by charter of Chas. I., by which it was ordained that certain lands, altogether comprising 200 acres of arable and pasture land, and 70 acres of wood and moor, should be a free borough; l-13th of these lands was granted to Sir Arthur Blundell and his heirs, l-13th to Sir Matthew Derenzie and his heirs, and l-13th to each of the other burgesses named in the charter, to be held in free burgage at a rent of 3s. 1d. respectively. It further granted to the corporation 222 acres of arable and pasture land, and 7 acres of wood and moor, for the support of a resident preaching minister, whom they were to appoint; and 200 acres of arable and pasture, and 85 acres of wood and moor, for the maintenance of a schoolmaster in the town, to be appointed by the viceroy, or, in default, by a majority of the burgesses. It also contained a grant of a court with jurisdiction to the amount of £20; and constituted the sovereign, or his deputy, a justice of the peace within the borough, and coroner and clerk of the market, and empowered the corporation at large to send two members to the Irish parliament. The corporation was styled "The Sovereign, Burgesses, and Free Commons of the Borough and Town of Bannacher alias Bannagher;" and consisted of a sovereign and twelve burgesses, with power to admit freemen and appoint a recorder and other officers; but the corporate offices have not been filled up since the year 1800, when the borough was deprived of its right of parliamentary representation, and the £15,000 awarded as compensation was paid to the Rt. Hon. Wm. Brabazon Ponsonby. The sovereign formerly held, under the charter, a court for the recovery of debts to the amount of £20 late currency, which was discontinued about forty years since: the only court now held is a court of petty sessions every alternate Monday. The lands granted by the charter for a preaching minister are said to have been formerly held by a clergyman appointed by the corporation, who officiated in a church now fallen into decay in the town; but they have for many years become united to the rectory, and are now held by the incumbent of the parish. At the entrance to the town is the parish church, a handsome edifice in the ancient English style of architecture, with a tower and spire, built in 1829 at an expense of £2286, of which £2030 was granted on loan by the late Board of First Fruits. There is also a R. C. chapel, a large plain building in good repair. A school was established by the corporation pursuant to the charter granting lands for its endowment: by an act of the 53rd of Geo. III., cap. 107, these lands, which according to a survey made in 1817 comprised about 370 acres, of which about 233 acres are arable and pasture, were vested in the Commissioners of Education, and the schools placed under their control. The lands were formerly let at a rent of £300, but are now held by the master at a rent of £148. 17. 10. per annum, and the Board has recently proposed to allow him a salary of £200 on the condition of his surrendering all interest in them, with a view to their being placed under the superintendence of a local qualified agent. The school is held very near the town, and was suspended from 1798 to 1807: there are no free scholars on the establishment, which in no respect differs from an ordinary classical school, except that it is under the control of the Board. The parochial school in the town is aided by an annual donation from the incumbent; and there is a national school for boys and girls, aided by voluntary contributions, also a dispensary. In the vicinity is Cloghan Castle, the seat of Garrett O'Moore, Esq., and one of the oldest inhabited castles in Ireland; and a short distance to the south of the town, near the banks of the Little Brosna river, are the ruins of Garry castle, which gave name to the barony.--See RYNAGH.

BANAGHER, a parish, partly in the barony of TIRKEERAN, but chiefly in that of KENAUGHt, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (W. by S.) from Dungiven; containing 4086 inhabitants. This parish, which for extent is the second in the county, is situated on the road from Toome to Londonderry, and is nine miles in length from east to west and seven miles in breadth from north to south. It contains 27 townlands, of which 16 are in the barony of Tirkeeran and 11 in that of Kenaught, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 32,475 statute acres, of which 17,748 1/4are in the latter barony. The apparent decrease in its population, since 1821, is attributable to the separation of nine townlands, which, together with nine from the parishes of Upper and Lower Cumber, were taken, in 1831, to form the district curacy of Learmount. The early history of this place is involved in great obscurity; by some writers it is said that St. Patrick, when he crossed the Foyle, visited it and founded the church, the ruins of which are still remaining, and on a stone is inscribed, in modern capitals, "This church was built in the year of God 474." The style of the building is evidently of a much later period, and corresponds with a local tradition that the church was built by St. O'Heney, and with the style of the tomb erected to his memory in the adjoining cemetery. It is also said that a monastery, of which St. O'Heney was abbot, formerly existed here; but though there are, near the church, the remains of a small square building of more recent erection and evidently used for domestic purposes, which is called the abbey, no mention occurs in historic records of any religious establishment, nor are there any monastic lands in the parish, except such as belonged to the abbey of Dungiven.

The parish is divided among several proprietors; seven townlands belong to the see of Derry, six to the Skinners' and three to the Fishmongers' Companies; ten are freeholds, of which nine pay a chief rent to the Skinners' and one to the Fishmongers' Companies; and one, on which are the church, glebe-house, and parochial schools, belongs to the rector. The land in many places is well drained and in a good state of cultivation, but not less than 13,432 acres are mountain land, though affording good pasturage; and there are 546 acres of flow bog, which is being rapidly reclaimed and brought into cultivation. In the mountains, particularly in Finglen, are found very large and beautiful specimens of rock crystals, or Irish diamonds, generally truncated pentagonal prisms, with facets often of the clearest lustre, and sometimes of the colour and brilliancy of the beryl. These crystals vary, however, in colour and lustre, and are found of all sizes. The largest ever discovered was found in Finglen water, in 1796; it weighs 84 1/2 lb., and is in the possession of Michael Ross, Esq., of Banagher Cottage; it is called the Dungiven Crystal, and has been noticed by several writers as an object of admiration. Freestone is found in great quantities, and is of a bright fawn colour and very durable, as appears from the old churches of Banagher and Dungiven; limestone is also abundant.

There are several handsome seats in the parish, and most of them are embosomed in rich and flourishing plantations; the principal are Ashpark, the residence of J. Stevenson, Esq.; Knockan, of I. Stevenson, Esq.; Drumcovatt, now occupied as a farm-house; Banagher Cottage, the residence of Michael Ross, Esq.; Kilcreen, of I. Beresford, Esq.; and Straid Lodge, of the Rev. J. Hunter. There is a large bleach-green at Knockan, where 8000 pieces of linen are annually bleached and finished for the English markets; some linen cloth is also woven by the farmers in their own houses, but the greater number of the inhabitants are employed in agriculture.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, episcopally united to the vicarage of Dungiven, which two parishes form the union of Banagher, in the patronage of Robert Ogilby, Esq., as lessee under the Skinners' Company: the tithes amount to £650, and the gross value of the benefice, including tithe and glebe, is £1201. There is a church in each of the parishes: the church of Banagher, a large and handsome edifice, with a tower surmounted by a beautiful octagonal spire, is situated on elevated ground about a mile west of the old church, and was built in 1782; the spire was added at the expense of the Earl of Bristol, then Bishop of Derry. The glebe-house, nearly adjoining the church, is a large and handsome residence, built in 1819 by the Rev. Alexander Ross, the present incumbent, at an expense of £2350, upon the glebe townland of Rallagh, which comprises 422a. 0r. 39p. of arable land. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in their report for 1831, have recommended the dissolution of the union, and that each parish shall become a separate benefice on the next avoidance. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parishes of Bovevagh and Learmount, and contains three chapels, one at Feeny, one at Altinure in the mountain district, and one at Foreglen. There is a place of worship at Ballyhenedein for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class; it is a handsome building, in the Grecian style of architecture, erected in 1825 at the expense of the Fishmongers' Company. There are male and female parochial schools at Ballagh, aided by an annual donation from the rector; the school-house is a large and handsome building, erected by subscription. At Tyrglassen is a male and female school, supported by the Fishmongers' Company; and at Fincarn is a male and female school supported by R. Ogilby, Esq. In these schools are about 120 boys and 100 girls; and there are also three private schools, in which are about 200 children, and three Sunday schools, one of which at Tyrglassen is supported by the Fishmongers' Company.

The ruins of the old church are situated on the summit of a sandy ridge on the south side of the river Owenreagh, in a retired and beautiful valley, and are very interesting; they consist of the church and a small square building, sometimes called the abbey. The church consisted of a nave and chancel, but the partition wall, the arch, and the eastern gable have disappeared; the side walls and the west front are remaining and tolerably entire; the nave and chancel, appear each to have been lighted by a very narrow lancet window on the south side, ornamented externally with curious circular mouldings; the only entrance appears to have been from the west, through a square-headed doorway with a bold architrave, and on one of the stones on the north side is the inscription in modern capitals before noticed. There are also the ruins of an ancient church at Straid, said by the country people to have been the second founded by St. Patrick in this part of the kingdom; but the style of the building is of much less remote antiquity. There are also the foundations of a third church in the townland of Templemoile, but no part of the building is remaining, nor is there any history or tradition of it extant. On the glebe is a curious vitrified fort, on which the Midsummer fires are made; and near the church is an extensive artificial cave. In the cemetery of the old church is a curious monument to the memory of St. O'Heney, the supposed founder of the church and of the small building near it which is called the abbey; it is of a square form, with sharp pointed gables and a roof of stone; and on the western side is an effigy of the saint in tolerable preservation. Here is a very curious ancient cross, with the fragments of a second, which, with three others, marked out the consecrated ground around this venerable pile.

BANBRIDGE, a market and post-town, in the parish of SEAPATRICK, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 10 miles (N. N. E.) from Newry, and 60 miles (N.) from Dublin; containing 2469 inhabitants, but since the last census the population has much increased. This flourishing town was anciently called Ballyvally, and acquired its present name from the erection of a bridge over the Bann in 1712, on the formation of a new line of road from Dublin to Belfast. The old road passed a little to the north of it, and crossed the Bann at Huntley Glen by a ford, through which the army of Wm. III. passed on the 11th of June, 1690, on its march to the Boyne. It is situated on both sides of the river, and in 1831 contained 446 houses, many of which are handsome and well built; the larger portion is on the western side, on an eminence sloping to the river, and communicating with the smaller by the bridge, which is a handsome structure of hewn granite: the streets are wide, and the entire town wears an aspect of neatness and comfort surpassed by few places in this part of the country. In the centre of the principal street to the west of the river formerly stood the market-house, a large and inconvenient building, which was taken down in 1832 to make way for a series of improvements. Prior to that period the street was very steep and difficult of access; but an excavation, 200 yards long and 15 feet deep, has been made along its centre, crossed by a handsome viaduct of one elliptic arch of hewn granite, under which the mail coaches and other vehicles pass. The street being very wide, a carriage road was left on each side of the excavation, running parallel with it and on a level with the ground floors of the houses, shops, and public buildings: these side roads are protected throughout their entire length by a stone wall rising from the bottom of the excavation to the height of three feet above their level. The excavation interrupts the communication between the houses on the opposite sides of the street; but the viaduct being placed at the intersection of the streets obviates that inconvenience. This great undertaking was completed in 1834, at an expense, including the erection of the viaduct and the formation of its approaches, of £19,000.

The town is comparatively of modern origin, and has risen with uncommon rapidity to an eminent degree of commercial importance as the head of the principal district of the linen manufacture. Even when almost every port was closed against the introduction of Irish linens, and the trade was nearly lost to the country, those of Banbridge found a ready market; and when the energies of the linen merchant on the old system were nearly paralysed by foreign competition, the merchants of this place created a new trade, by commencing as manufacturers on an extensive scale, and opening an intercourse with America and other parts. The numerous falls on the river and the uniform supply of water appear to have attracted the attention of the manufacturers soon after bleaching became a separate branch of the trade; and shortly after the application of machinery to this department, several mills were erected on its banks, mostly on a small scale, as the process at that time was very tedious and every web of considerable value. Although a formidable barrier to enterprise resulted from the unsettled state of the country, and the system of selling only through the factors in Dublin restricted the operations of the trade and regulated the prices, the linen merchants of this district seem to have gradually prospered, as, in 1772, there were no less than 26 bleach-greens on the Bann river. At that time, however, the trade was principally carried on at Gilford, and the webs were mostly marked as "Gilford linens," and, after the introduction of linen seals, were nearly all sealed there. The Dromore merchants also transacted an important business; the finer fabrics had even acquired the name of "Dromores," and a great quantity of the higher numbers is still woven in and around that town, but principally for the Banbridge manufacturers. At present comparatively very little business is done at either of. those places, the entire trade of this part of the country having concentrated itself in the vicinity of Banbridge, which has thus become one of the most important inland manufacturing towns in Ireland. Linen of every description is manufactured and bleached in the neighbourhood: at Brookfield, Huntly Glen, Seapatrick, Millmount, Ballydown, and Ashfield are manufacturers on a large scale, for whom more than 66,000 webs are annually finished, comprising linens of various quality, sheeting, diapers, damasks, drills, cambrics, &c., by a vast number of weavers, who work in their own dwellings and are dispersed over the surrounding parishes. There are very extensive bleach-greens at Ballievey, Ballydown, Clibborn Vale, Millmount, Milltown, Springvale, Mill-Park, Hazelbank, Banford, and Mountpleasant, where 185,710 webs were bleached and finished in 1834, being nearly equal to the entire quantity bleached in this county at the end of the last century. At Seapatrick is an extensive establishment for weaving union cloths by machinery, in which are employed 100 power-looms impelled by a water-wheel 15 feet in diameter and 22 feet broad on the face. There are also very large thread manufactories for home consumption and exportation at Huntley Glen, Milltown, and Banbridge; a mill for spinning linen yarn at Coose, and adjoining it, chymical works for the supply of the bleachers. These different establishments provide employment for more than 2000 persons connected with this branch of the linen trade alone. Branches of the Provincial Bank of Ireland and of the Northern and Belfast banking companies have been established here. The situation of the town on the great north road to Belfast, and in the centre of a fertile and highly cultivated district watered by the Bann, is very advantageous to its interests. It is within three miles of the Newry and Lough Neagh canal, to which a branch may be formed at little expense; this improvement appears to have been at one period contemplated, from an excavation which is still traceable from Millmount down the valley on the south side of the Bann. Within an extent of four miles there are six good stone bridges over the Bann, besides several of wood: in 1690 there was not one bridge over this river throughout its entire course of 36 miles, from the mountains of Mourne to Lough Neagh. The Marquess of Downshire is proprietor of the town and a large tract of land in its vicinity. The principal seats in the neighbourhood are Ballievey House, the residence of G. Crawford, Esq.; Ballyvalley, of the Rev. J. Davis; Millmount, of R. Hayes, Esq.; Brookfield, of Brice Smyth, Esq.; Huntley Glen, of Hugh Dunbar, Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. D. Dickinson; Edenderry, of W. A. Stewart, Esq.; Seapatrick House, of F. W. Hayes, Esq.; Lenaderg Cottage, of T. Weir, Esq.; and Banview, of G. Little, Esq. There are also several large and handsome houses in the town, the residences of wealthy merchants and professional gentlemen; and the farm-houses in the vicinity are built in a superior style of convenience and comfort. The market is on Monday, and is abundantly supplied with all kinds of provisions, and with pedlery and other commodities: the sale of yarn and brown linens, formerly very extensive, has declined since the new system of spinning and manufacturing was established, but considerable quantities of both are still disposed of. The market-house, situated in the centre of the town, close to the viaduct, is a large and handsome edifice surmounted by a dome, and was built by the Marquess of Downshire in 1834, at an expense of £2000: a brown linen hall was also erected by him in 1817, and a market-place for meal and grain in 1815. Fairs are held on the first Monday in every month; and fairs for horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, and manufactured goods are held on Jan. 12th, first Saturday in March, June 9th, August 26th, and Nov. 16th; the last is a very noted fair for horses. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight, and here is a chief station of the constabulary police.

The parochial church, situated in this town, is a handsome cruciform edifice, with a tower surmounted by a spire, recently built at an expense of about £3000, which was chiefly raised by subscriptions among the more wealthy parishioners. Near it is a large and handsome meeting-house, recently completed for Presbyterians in connection with the Remonstrant Synod, and of the first class, in lieu of an old one erected in 1/20: and there are also one for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the third class, and, at a short distance from the town, one for Seceders; besides a place of worship each for Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists. A school, in which about 60 boys and 50 girls are taught, is endowed with £50 per ann. and 1 1/2 acre of land: the school premises, including residences for the master and mistress, were built by subscription, towards which the Marquess of Downshire contributed £90. Here is also a dispensary. Within half a mile from the town, on the Dromore road, a sulphureous chalybeate spring has been lately discovered, the water of which having been analysed is found to equal that of Aix la Chapelle, and is efficacious in scorbutic complaints. This is the birth-place of the late Baron McClelland, third baron of the Exchequer; and near the town was born Dr. Dickson, Bishop of Down and Connor.--See SEAPATRICK.

Seal
BANDON, or BANDONBRIDGE, a borough, market, and post-town, partly in the parish of KILBROGAN, barony of KINALMEAKY, but chiefly in that of BALLYMODAN, partly in the barony of KINALMEAKY, and partly in the East Division of the barony of EAST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 15 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Cork, and 141 1/2 (S. W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 9917 inhabitants. This place derives its name from the erection of a bridge over the river Bandon, and owes its origin to the English planters on the great Desmond forfeitures in the reign of Elizabeth. It is first noticed in 1609, when Jas. I. granted to Henry Becher, Esq., the privilege of a Saturday's market and two fairs at the town lately built on the south side of the river Bandon, near the bridge; and in the grant made to Becher, in 1612, of a moiety of the territory of Kinalmeaky, which was erected into the manor of "Castle Mahowne," power was given to him and his heirs to appoint a clerk of the market in the newly erected town called Bandon-Bridge, or in any other town within the said territory, with the privilege of licensing all tradesmen and artisans settling therein. These grants were shortly afterwards purchased by the first Earl of Cork, whose exertions in promoting its growth and prosperity entitle him to be regarded as the founder of the town, which he peopled with a colony of Protestants from Bristol, and which in a few years, from a mere waste of bog and wood, became a spacious, handsome, and well fortified place, continuing to flourish and to increase in extent and importance. At the commencement of the civil war in 1641, the town was placed under the government of Lord Kinalmeaky, son of the Earl of Cork, who took possession of it in January 1642, and mustering all the inhabitants put it into an excellent state of defence. As it was the only walled town in this part of the country, it became an asylum for the English of the surrounding district, and by its own resources maintained four companies of foot, raised a corps of volunteers, and made every preparation both for offensive and defensive warfare. On the 18th of February a party of Irish under McCarty Reagh approached, when Lord Kinalmeaky sallying out with 200 foot and 60 horse, a severe conflict ensued, in which, without the loss of a single townsman, more than 100 of the assailants were killed. The inhabitants soon afterwards, in conjunction with a troop from Kinsale, defeated another party that had lain in ambush to surprise them, and in a short time took several forts in the adjacent territory which had been held by the Irish; they also killed fifty who had made an attempt to carry off their cattle; but on Cromwell's approach in 1649, they declared for the parliament. In 1688, hearing that the Earl of Clancarty was advancing with six companies of foot of the army of Jas. II., to reinforce the two companies of foot and the troop of horse already stationed here, the inhabitants disarmed the garrison, killed several of the soldiers, took possession of their arms and horses, and shut the gates against the Earl. At length, however, they were obliged to yield for want of provisions, but refused to give up any of their leaders, and consented to pay £1000 as the price of their pardon; on their submission the walls were razed to the ground and have never been rebuilt.

The town is situated on the river Bandon, and on the mail coach road from Cork to Bantry; the principal part lies in a valley environed with lofty hills and watered by the river, which separates the parishes of Ballymodan and Kilbrogan, the former on the south and the latter on the north bank, and near the bridge receives a tributary stream called the Bridewell. Under the various names of Boyle-street, Shannon-street, and Main-street it extends on the south side for about 1 1/2 mile parallel with the river, and on the north for about half that distance; it is also built partly on the acclivities of the hills on both sides of the river, which are agreeably wooded and are ornamented with several mansions, villas, and cottages, that give to the environs a pleasing and picturesque appearance. The old town is built on the estate of the Duke of Devonshire, who repairs its streets and is reimbursed by a poundage of five per cent, on the rent reserved in all leases of houses in this part; what is called the Irish town, including Boyle, Shannon, and Main streets, with an estate adjoining, belongs to the Earl of Shannon; and the western portion is the property of the Earls of Cork and Bandon. The total number of houses, in 1831, was 1580, of which about 1170 were slated and the remainder thatched: many respectable private houses have been built in the more elevated parts of the town, chiefly of a durable freestone of a light brown colour found in the neighbourhood. The streets are very indifferently paved and only partially flagged: the inhabitants are supplied with water principally from wells and public pumps, the latter erected and kept in repair by the Duke of Devonshire and the Earl of Shannon on their respective estates; and in 1835 a company was formed for lighting the town with gas, which, under the provisions of the general paving act, has likewise power to watch and cleanse the town, and for these purposes has appointed watchmen and scavengers and commenced the erection of gas-works. A public library was established in 1825 by a proprietary of £5 shareholders, who pay a subscription of 10s. annually, and annual subscribers of £1 are admitted by ballot: it contains several hundred volumes, including a copy of Rees's Encyclopaedia presented by the Duke of Devonshire, and one of Rymer's Foedera presented by the Government in 1835. The parochial library, under the management of the Protestant clergy, was established in 1823, and contains several hundred volumes on divinity and other subjects; and a similar library was formed by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1830. There are also two reading-rooms supported by annual subscribers; and a third has been recently opened for poor Protestants, who pay a penny per month and are supplied with newspapers a day or two after their arrival by gift or loan from the neighbouring gentry. Assemblies are held at the Devonshire Arms hotel, a large and well-conducted inn and posting-house, containing a spacious ball-room, in which also concerts and music meetings occasionally take place. The barracks, a neat and commodious building on the north side of the town, afford accommodation for 8 officers and 119 non-commissioned officers and men, with stabling for 61 horses, and are under the inspection of the barrack-master at Kinsale. Near the town is Castle Bernard, the seat of the Earl of Bandon, also many other gentlemen's seats, which are noticed in their respective parishes. These, with their extensive woods and plantations, particularly the hanging woods to the east of the town and extending two miles beyond Innishannon (noticed by Spenser), impart to the scenery of the neighbourhood a high degree of richness and luxuriance of character.

The manufacture of camlets, stuffs, and other woollen goods prevailed here to a great extent at the close of the last and beginning of the present centuries, and was succeeded by the spinning and weaving of cotton, which continued to flourish till 1825; spinning-mills were erected on a large scale, and more than 1000 persons were employed in weaving, but both branches have fallen off, insomuch that the mills are in ruins and not more than 100 weavers are employed. A manufacture of fine stuffs was introduced in 1835 by Mr. Scott, who has erected a steam-engine for preparing the wool and spinning the yarn: this establishment affords employment to nearly 100 persons, exclusively of 100 weavers in the town and neighbourhood, and its produce has already obtained considerable celebrity for its superior texture. Here are five ale and porter breweries, three of which are extensive and produce 25,000 barrels annually: also two very large distilleries, one of which, the property of Messrs. Allman and Co., is capable of producing 200,000 gallons of whiskey annually; the other was built by Maurice Fitzgerald, Esq., in 1835, and consumes annually 1400 barrels of malt and 5800 barrels of oats and barley, yielding 60,000 gallons of whiskey. Connected with the latter is a large flour-mill, and there is also another on an extensive scale. This place has long been noted for the tanning of leather, which is in great demand: there are nine lanyards in active operation, employing more than 100 men. From the great consumption of the breweries, distilleries, and mills, very little grain is exported: the imports are coal, culm, timber (in which a considerable trade is carried on direct with St. John's, New Brunswick, and Quebec), and iron, which are brought in sloops to Colliers' Quay, three miles from the town, and thence by land carriage; articles of domestic consumption are brought by land carriage principally from Cork. A canal from Colliers' Quay to Dunmanway has been at different times contemplated, and surveys have been made, but the design has not yet been carried into effect; and a railway has been lately projected from Rockpoint, four miles to the east, which, if brought through the town, would be of great benefit to its trade. Branches of the Provincial Bank of Ireland and of the Agricultural and Commercial Banking Company have been established here. The markets are on Wednesday and Saturday, of which the latter is the principal, and is abundantly supplied with provisions of all kinds; and fairs are held on May 6th, Holy Thursday, Oct. 29th, and Nov. 8th, for livestock and general merchandise. There are three convenient market-places, built at the expense of the Duke of Devonshire: the meat and fish markets, on the north side of the river, are held in a commodious building in the form of a polygon, surrounded by stalls and forming a piazza for the market people: the potatoe, corn, and egg markets, on the south side, are held in an oblong edifice conveniently fitted up and well adapted to its several uses; more than 20,000 eggs are sold here every week during the spring, and are conveyed to Cork to be shipped for England. The tolls of the town belong to the Duke of Devonshire, and, after the determination of a demise of them to the corporation in 1806, were paid until 1830, when His Grace suspended the collection of them until some arrangement should be effected by the legislature. A regular and extensive intercourse is maintained between this town and Cork, for which city several stage coaches leave daily and return the same evening; the Cork and Bantry mail passes and re-passes daily, and every alternate day a stage coach from Skibbereen to Cork passes through the town: there are also mail coaches every day to Kinsale, Dunmanway, and Timoleague. Here is a chief station of the constabulary police.

The inhabitants were incorporated by charter of the 11th of Jas. I. (1614), and, by letters patent of the 19th of Chas. II. (1667) received a grant of lands in the baronies of Ibane and Barryroe. Jas. II., in the 4th of his reign, granted a new charter founded on a seizure of the franchises, which soon became inoperative. The corporation is styled "The Provost, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Bandon-Bridge;" and consists of a provost, 12 burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, assisted by a town-clerk and two serjeants-at-mace. The common council is a body not mentioned in the charter, but constituted by a by-law of the corporation made in 1621: it consists of twelve members, who are elected from the freemen by the corporation at large, as vacancies occur. The burgesses are chosen from the common council, on vacancies occurring, by the provost and burgesses; and the provost is elected annually from and by the burgesses at Midsummer, and enters upon his office at Michaelmas: the provost and burgesses also appoint the town-clerk and serjeants-at-mace. The freedom is at present acquired by grace, birth for the eldest son of a freeman, and nomination of the provost, who during the year of his office has the privilege of naming one; the freemen are elected by a majority of the body at large assembled in a court of D'Oyer Hundred; neither residence nor any other qualification is considered necessary. The borough sent two members to the Irish parliament prior to the Union, since which period it has returned one to the Imperial parliament: the right of election was formerly vested in the provost and burgesses only, but by the act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, has been extended to the £10 householders; and a new boundary was formed for electoral purposes closely encircling the town, and comprising an area of 439 acres, which is minutely described in the Appendix. The number of voters registered in March 1836 was 367, of whom 355 were £10 householders and 12 burgesses: the provost is the returning officer. He is also by charter a justice of the peace within the borough, and is named in all commissions of the peace for the county. A court of record was formerly held every Thursday, with jurisdiction to the amount of £3. 6. 8., but has been discontinued of late years. The quarter sessions for the West Riding are held here in October; and petty sessions for the division are also held here every Monday by the county magistrates, who by courtesy have concurrent jurisdiction with the provost within the borough. The courthouse is a neat substantial building; and not far from it is a commodious county bridewell. Manorial courts for the recovery of debts under 40s. are held once in three weeks respectively by the seneschals of the different manors: the manor of Castle Mahon or Castle Bernard belongs to the Earl of Bandon; Coolfadda, to the Duke of Devonshire; and Claugh McSimon, to the Earl of Shannon. The corporation formerly possessed lands under the patent of Chas. II. amounting to about 1340 statute acres, which having mortgaged at different periods, they finally disposed of with a view to pay certain debts in 1809, since which period they have had no income or property of any kind.

The parish churches of Ballymodan and Kilbrogan are both in the town: the former is not distinguished by any architectural details of importance; it contains a handsome monument to Eras. Bernard, Esq., one of the justices of the court of common pleas, and an ancestor of the Earl of Bandon. The church of Kilbrogan, commonly called Christchurch, was begun in 1610 by Henry Becher, Esq., and finished by the first Earl of Cork in 1625, as appears by a date on a stone in the south wall: it is a cruciform structure, and occupies the site of a Danish encampment: in the churchyard are the graves of three of Clancarty's soldiers, who were slain in the attempt to take the town for Jas. II. In the R. C. divisions this place is the head of a union or district which comprises the parishes of Ballymodan and Kilbrogan, and part of that of Desertserges: the chapel is a spacious and handsome edifice, built by subscription in 1796, and situated on an eminence in the south part of the town: there is also a chapel at Agrohil in Kilbrogan. On an elevated site in the north part of the town is a convent of the Presentation order, established in 1829, to which are attached a domestic chapel and a spacious school-room, in which, according to the season, from 200 to 400 poor female children are gratuitously instructed. There is a meeting-house for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Munster; also places of worship for Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, of which that for the latter is a large and handsome edifice. The classical school was founded by the Earl of Burlington: the master has a commodious residence, with suitable offices and a large play-ground attached, and receives a salary of £40 per ann. from the Duke of Devonshire. A suitable building in the old Cork road, comprising separate school-rooms for boys and girls, an infants' school, and apartments for the master and mistress, was erected at the expense of the Duke of Devonshire: the former, containing about 100 children, is supported by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's foundation; and the latter, in which are 90 infants, is supported by the joint contributions of the Duke and the rector of the parish. A large and handsome school in Shannon-street, in which 120 girls and 100 infants are gratuitously taught, was built in 1814 by the proceeds of a repository and by contributions, and is supported by subscriptions of the Duke of Devonshire and others. His Grace has also built a handsome school on Cavendish quay, towards the support of which he subscribes £50 per ann., and the remainder of the expenses are defrayed by local contributions; about 100 children are gratuitously taught in this school. Adjoining the R. C. chapel is a school aided by a subscription of £30 per ann. from the Duke, in which 200 boys are taught. The Wesleyan Methodists have three schools, in which 70 boys, 65 girls, and 80 infants receive instruction; one for boys is supported by H. Cornwall, Esq. An infirmary, fever hospital, and a dispensary are maintained in the customary manner. A savings' bank was established in 1817, and a handsome building was erected from the surplus funds in 1835: the deposits, in 1836, amounted to more than £22,000. Several bequests have been made "for the benefit of the poor. Sir Richard Cox, an eminent statesman and historian, born in 1650; Dr. Nicholas Brady, who assisted Tate in composing a new version of the Psalms, born in 1659; and Sir William Jumper, a distinguished naval officer, were natives of this place. The town gives the titles of Earl, Viscount, and Baron to the family of Bernard, Earls of Bandon; and the inferior title of Baron of Bandon-Bridge to the family of Boyle, Earls of Cork and Orrery.--See BALLYMODAN and KILBROGAN.

BANGOR, a sea-port, incorporated market and post-town, and a parish, partly in the barony of LOWER CASTLEREAGH, but chiefly in that of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 11 1/2 miles (N. E. by E.) from Belfast, 21 miles (N.) from Downpatrick, and 9l 1/2 miles (N. by E.) from Dublin; containing 9355 inhabitants, of which number, 2741 are in the town. The origin and early history of this ancient town are involved in some obscurity, and have been variously described by different writers. The most authentic records concur in stating that, about the year 555, St. Comgall founded here an abbey of Regular Canons, which may have led to the formation of a town, if one did not exist previously, and over which he presided fifty years, and died and was enshrined in it. Some time subsequently to the foundation of the abbey, a school was established here under the personal direction of St. Carthagus, which in progress of time became one of the most eminent seminaries in Europe, and was resorted to by numbers of young persons of distinction from various parts; and, according to some writers, when Alfred founded or restored the university of Oxford, he sent to the great school at Bangor for professors. In 613 the town was destroyed by fire, and in 674 the abbey was burnt. In the beginning of the ninth century they suffered severely from the predatory incursions of the Danes, in one of which, about the year 818, these merciless marauders massacred the abbot and about 900 monks. In 1125 it was rebuilt by Malachy O'Morgair, then abbot, with the addition of an oratory of stone, said by St. Bernard to have been the first building of stone and lime in Ireland; and from which this place, anciently called the "Vale of Angels," derived the name of Beanchoir, now Bangor, signifying the "White Church," or "Fair Choir." Malachy was soon afterwards appointed to the see of Connor, and held with it the abbacy of Bangor till his preferment to the archbishoprick of Armagh. The abbey continued to flourish and was endowed with extensive possessions, which after the conquest were considerably augmented by the kings of England: amongst its lands was a townland in the Isle of Man, called Clenanoy, which the abbot held on the singular condition of attending the king of that island at certain times. In 1469, the buildings having fallen into decay through the abbot's neglect, Pope Paul II. transferred the possession of the abbey from the Regular Canons to the Franciscans, who continued to hold it till the dissolution. After that period, a great part of its lands was either granted to or seized by the O'Nials, who kept possession till the rebellion of Con O'Nial in the reign of Elizabeth, when it was forfeited to the Crown. Jas. I., on his accession to the throne, found the northern part of Ireland in a deplorable condition, and almost depopulated; and in the third year of his reign, resolving to plant English and Scottish colonies in Ulster, granted the site of the abbey, with all its former possessions in this county, to Sir James Hamilton, afterwards created Viscount Claneboye, who brought over a large number of Scots from Dunlop in Ayrshire, accompanied by their own minister, Robert Blair, who, although a Presbyterian, was presented to the church living of Bangor, and ordained in 1623 according to the Presbyterian form, the Bishop of Down officiating as a presbyter: he was afterwards appointed Scottish chaplain to Chas. I. From him were descended Robert Blair, of Athelstoneford, author of a poem called "The Grave;" and the celebrated Hugh Blair, D.D., of Edinburgh, the former his grandson and the latter his great-grandson. From Sir J. Hamilton are descended, either lineally or collaterally, the families of Bangor, Dufferin, Killileigh, and some others of principal note in Ulster. In 1689, the advanced army of Wm. III. arrived here in seventy sail of transports under the command of Duke Schomberg, and disembarked at Groomsport, a fishing village about a mile from the town, where they encamped for the night; being well received and finding plenty of provisions, the transports, which had been furnished with supplies, sailed back to Chester for a reinforcement of troops.

The town is advantageously situated on the south side of Belfast Lough or Carrickfergus bay, and on the direct sea coast road from Belfast to Donaghadee; in 1831 it contained 563 houses, most of which are indifferently built, and is much frequented for sea-bathing during the summer. The streets are neither paved nor lighted, but are kept very clean; and the inhabitants are but indifferently supplied with water. There is a public library; and an Historical Society has been recently formed in connection with it. The cotton manufacture is carried on to a considerable extent in the town and neighbourhood, and affords employment to a great number of the inhabitants of both sexes in the weaving, sewing, and ornamental branches. It was first established here in the finer branches between the years 1783 and 1786, by the late George Hannay, who, if not the first, was at least one of the first persons who introduced that department of the manufacture into the North of Ireland. Two spinning factories were subsequently erected under the patronage of the late Rt. Hon. Col. R. Ward, who constantly resided here and took an active interest in the improvement of the town; one was built by two gentlemen from Scotland in 1800: who conducted it till 1813, when, it was purchased by a company, who kept the concern in full work till 1826, when it became the property of one of the partners, who now retains it: the other, in which Col. Ward held a share, and of which, on the dissolution of the partnership by the death of Mr. Hannay, he became sole proprietor, was built in 1804. The number of persons of both sexes constantly employed in these two factories varies from 260 to 280: those engaged in the weaving and sewing branches of the trade being dispersed over the parish, as well as resident in and immediately around the town, cannot so easily be enumerated. Many operatives from Belfast find employment; and agents have been commissioned by the Glasgow merchants to get goods manufactured here, from the superior manner in which the weaving and sewing are executed. The linen trade is also carried on to a limited extent, chiefly for home consumption. The trade of the port is inconsiderable: black cattle, horses, grain, and flax are exported: the only imports are coal and timber. The bay is well sheltered, and affords good anchorage in deep water for vessels detained by an unfavourable wind; and the harbour is capable of great improvement, although attempts made at the expense of individuals have failed. A small pier was built about the year 1760, by means of a parliamentary grant of £500 to the corporation for promoting and carrying on the inland navigation of Ireland. The market is on Tuesday, but is not well attended: the market-house was built of late years by the lords of the manor. Fairs for black cattle, horses, and pedlery are held on Jan. 12th, May 1st, Aug. 1st, and Nov. 22nd. The only toll or custom which appears to have been ever paid was that of the "tongues " of cattle slaughtered in the market, which was claimed by the provost, but has been relinquished. The mail coach runs daily to and from Belfast. A constabulary police force, and an establishment of the coast-guard in connection with the Donaghadee district, are stationed here.

The inhabitants were incorporated by charter of the 10th of Jas. I. (1613), under the style of "The Provost, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Bangor:" the corporation under the charter consists of a provost, 12 other free burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, with two serjeants-at-mace, but of whom only one town-serjeant is now appointed. The provost is elected from and by the free burgesses annually on the Feast of St. John (June 24th), and is sworn into office at Michaelmas; and the free burgesses are appointed during good behaviour, as vacancies occur, by a majority of the provost and remaining free burgesses: there is no separate class of freemen distinct from the free burgesses. The borough returned two members to the Irish parliament until the Union, when the £15,000 granted in compensation for the abolition of its franchise was awarded in moieties to Henry Thomas, Earl of Carrick, and the trustees of the estate of Nicholas, Viscount Bangor: the right of election was confined to the provost and free burgesses, and the provost was the returning officer. The charter constituted the provost clerk of the market and judge of a borough court of record, to be held every Saturday, with jurisdiction in personal actions to the amount of five marks; but it does not appear that this court has ever been held. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight, and a manorial court every third Thursday before the seneschal, with jurisdiction to the amount of £20, late currency: the proceedings are by attachment or civil bill. A court leet is held by the seneschal once a year, at which constables for the several townlands in the manor are appointed. The manor is held in moieties by Viscount Bangor and a member of the same family, Mr. Ward, a minor, who is the representative of the Earl of Carrick, a former proprietor. The property of the corporation consists of several plots of ground lying in various directions around the town, and containing altogether 59a. 1r.. and 18p., now occupied in very small lots and at low rents by 43 tenants, and producing a gross rental of £52. 13. 2. per annum, which is generally applied to public and useful objects. The limits of the borough include the town and a small surrounding district, locally termed "the corporation," the exact boundaries of which are uncertain.

The parish is bounded on the north by the bay of Belfast, on the east by the Northern channel, on the south by the parishes of Donaghadee and Newtownardes, and on the west by that of Hollywood. It contains the Copeland islands, including which it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 17,027 statute acres, of which 12,597 1/4are in the barony of Ardes; the greater part is good arable and pasture land, mostly in excellent cultivation, especially the extensive estate of Portavo, and there are several others in the parish little inferior to it in point of husbandry; the farm-buildings are neat and comfortable, and the peasantry are of moral and very industrious habits. The first Parochial Ploughing Society in Ireland was established here in 1816, by the exertions and under the patronage of J. Rose Clealand, Esq., from which may be dated the origin of the North-east Farming Society and the commencement of agricultural improvement in the North of Ireland. Bangor moss is now nearly exhausted, and is gradually being brought into cultivation; but there is a large extent of bog called Cotton, and in the townland of Ballow is a small bog, in which were found the skeletons of several elks, the head of one of which, with the antlers, measuring nine feet from tip to tip, is preserved in the Royal Institution at Belfast. Several streams on which are corn and flax-mills intersect the parish, and there are three windmills for corn. The neighbouring bays produce a variety of fish; oysters of large size are taken in abundance. The surrounding scenery is pleasingly diversified, and enriched in some parts with stately timber, chiefly fir and oak; and in the vicinity of the several gentlemen's seats are thriving plantations of beech, sycamore, ash and poplar, of comparatively modern growth. The principal seats are Ballyleidy, that of Lord Dufferin, a handsome and spacious mansion pleasantly situated in a rich and extensive demesne; Bangor Castle, late the seat of the Rt. Hon. Col. Ward, surrounded with extensive grounds tastefully laid out; Crawfordsburn, of W. Sharman Crawford, Esq., M.P., pleasantly situated on the shore; Portavo, of D. Kerr, Esq., in a well-planted and richly cultivated demesne; and Ballow, of W. Steele Nicholson, Esq., and Rath-Gael House, of J. Rose Cleland, Esq., both embellished with thriving plantations. Slate, is found in several parts, but has been only procured in one quarry, which has not been worked sufficiently deep to produce a quality capable of resisting the action of the atmosphere. There are also mines of coal, especially on the estate of Lord Dufferin, whose father opened and worked them on a small scale, since which time they have been abandoned; and a lead mine was worked here to some extent about thirty years since, in which copper ore and manganese were also found.

The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Down, and in the alternate patronage of Viscount Bangor and -- Ward, Esq., in whom the rectory is impropriate. The parish is tithe-free, except two townlands, the property of Lord Dufferin, which pay tithe amounting to £52. 6. 9.; the curacy is endowed with a money payment of £55. 7. 8. per ann. by the impropriators. The church was built near the site of the old abbey, in 1623, and a very neat tower and spire were subsequently added to it by a bequest of the late A. Moore, Esq., of Tyrone. In attempting to enlarge it, in 1832, the foundation was so much disturbed by injudicious excavations that it was found necessary to take it down, with the exception of the tower; and a spacious and handsome structure, in the later style of English architecture, was erected in the following year, at an expense of £935, which was defrayed by the parishioners, aided by subscriptions to a considerable amount from some of the landed proprietors. There is a very good glebe-house, with a glebe of 12 Cunningham acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Newtownardes; but there is no chapel within its limits. There are two meeting-houses for Presbyterians, the first was built originally about the year 1650, by a congregation which began the erection of a new and beautiful building in 1831, and the other was built in 1829 by a new congregation: they are both in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and one is of the first and the other of the third class. The Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists have also each a place of worship. A school for girls and an infants' school are supported by the executors of the late Col. Ward; an infants' school is also supported by Mrs. Trench; at Ballyleidy is a school for girls, founded and supported by Lady Dufferin; a school for boys and girls at Crawfordsburn built in 1832, by the late Lord Dufferin, is supported with a bequest by the late Mr. John McGowan and other contributors; and there are two national schools at Crawfordsburn and Conlig, besides six other schools in the parish, aided by subscriptions. In these schools are about 460 boys and 340 girls, many of the latter of whom are clothed in each under the benevolent patronage of Lady Dufferin; and there are also eight private pay schools, in which are about 120 boys and 50 girls, and eleven Sunday schools. The first Sunday school in Ireland was formed at Rath-Gael in 1788, by J. R. Cleland, Esq. Here is a dispensary; a mendicity society is supported by subscription, and there are a friendly society and a savings' bank. Adjoining the town is a property called "Charity Lands," let for £42. 11.1. per annum, which is applied towards the support of some of the above institutions and other charitable purposes. Of the ancient abbey there is only a small fragment remaining in part of the garden wall of the glebe-house. Near the quay is an old building supposed to have been used as a custom-house, the tower of which has been converted into dwelling-houses. Vestiges of 25 raths and forts may be traced in the parish; the largest was Rath Gael, or "fort of the strangers," which . extended over more than two acres and was encompassed by a double vallum; part of it is now occupied by the plantations and house of that name. Druidical relics have been frequently found in various parts of the parish. Christian O'Conarchy, the first abbot of Mellifont, was born at or near this place; he was consecrated Bishop of Lismore about the year 1150, and was constituted the pope's legate in Ireland; he died in 1186. William Hamilton, a very ingenious poet, was also born here in 1704; his works were printed in 12mo. at Edinburgh, in 1760, eight years after his death. Bangor gives the titles of Viscount and Baron to the family of Ward, to whom the town and a considerable portion of the parish belong.

BANGOR, a village, in the parish of KILCOMMON, barony of ERRIS, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 10 miles (E. S. E.) from Belmullet: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road from Castlebar to Belmullet, and contains two comfortable inns. Fairs are held on the 20th of Jan., Feb., March, and April, May 10th, June 11th, July 20th, Aug. 11th, Sept. 8th, Oct. 16th, Nov. 16th, and Dec. 11th; and here is a station of the constabulary police. The parochial R. C. chapel of East Kilcommon is situated in the village. In the immediate vicinity is the shooting-lodge of W. Bingham, Esq.: the surrounding country is mountainous, and grouse is abundant during the season. Near the village is the lake of Carramore, celebrated for its salmon and trout: it communicates with the bay of Tulloghane by the rivers Munning and Owenmore.--See KILCOMMON.

BANNOW, a parish, formerly a corporate town and parliamentary borough, in the barony of BARGY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (N. E. by E.) from Fethard; containing 2185 inhabitants. This parish is of a peninsular form, being bounded on the south-east by Ballyteigue bay, in St. George's channel, and on the west by the bay or harbour of Bannow, which forms the estuary of the Scar river; and is situated near the new line of road along the east side of the mountain of Forth to Wexford. It formed part of the territory originally granted by Dermod Mac Murrough, last king of Leinster, to Hervey, who accompanied Robert Fitz-Stephen in his expedition, which landed at Bag-and-bun bay, within sight of this place. From an early period after the English settlement here was a town of some note, it being mentioned in the earliest charter of New Ross, by which, in the reign of Edw. I., Roger Bigod granted to the burgesses of that town "as extensive privileges as were enjoyed by the men of Bannow, Kilkenny, or any other town in Leinster." The old town has long since disappeared: part of its site is covered with sand drifted from the sea, in some places to the depth of many feet; and the inequalities of the surface immediately adjoining the churchyard are supposed by some to be occasioned by the ruins of the town lying at a considerable depth, from which circumstance it has obtained the appellation of the Irish Herculaneum. It does not appear that there is any charter of the borough on record; but there are extant numerous inquisitions, post mortem, of the reigns of Jas. I and Chas. I., finding the seisin of certain parties in premises and rents in the town and burgages, which appear to have been held in burgage tenure, but they make no mention of a corporation. Notwithstanding the decay, if not the total annihilation of the town, it continued to send two representatives to the Irish parliament until the Union, when the £15,000 awarded in compensation for the abolition of the franchise was paid to Charles, Marquess of Ely, and Charles Tottenham, Esq., of Ballycurry, in the county of Wicklow. The names of St. Mary's, St. Tullock's, and St. Benedict's streets are retained on the quit-rent books of the Crown, but their sites are merely conjectural. The only perceptible remains of antiquity are the ruins of its venerable church, situated within a walled enclosure at a short distance from the shore, and at an elevation of about 30 feet from the level of the sea: they are of considerable extent, and consist of the walls of the nave and chancel, surmounted by embattled parapets, and having two small chapels attached, the whole being unroofed; the east window of the chancel appears to have been in the decorated English style, and still retains some fragments of flowing tracery; the ancient font was removed some years since to the R. C. chapel at Danescastle, where it is preserved with great care. There are many ancient tombstones in the churchyard, one of which records the death of a person named French at the advanced age of 140.

The parish comprises by estimation about 2980 statute acres, as rated for the county cess, exclusively of Carrig, which is ecclesiastically incorporated with it. The soil, though light, is fertile and in a high state of cultivation, the system of husbandry having greatly improved; the land is well adapted to the growth of corn, and produces excellent crops; the situation is favourable for an abundant supply of sea manure, and has the advantages of navigation on both sides of the parish. The neighbourhood is thickly studded with comfortable farm-houses, decent cabins, and cottages of a superior description let to numerous families that resort hither during summer for the benefit of seabathing; and the roads throughout the parish are kept in excellent order. The principal seats are Grange, that of S. Boyse, Esq., who is the chief proprietor of land in the parish; Graige House, the residence of R. Boyse Osborne, Esq.; Kiltra, of W. Marchant, Esq.; and Barrystown, the property of the Rev. R. King. A lead mine was worked to some extent by the late celebrated George Ogle, Esq., but since his death the works have been discontinued, as it is said from the vein being exhausted; and, according to Mr. Frazer, in his statistical survey of the county, silver was anciently procured on the lands of Barrystown; but this silver mine was probably the lead mine worked by Mr. Ogle, which might have contained more than the usual proportion of silver, and have thence derived its denomination of silver mine. The small farmers and the peasantry are comfortable in their circumstances and highly exemplary in their manners: in the whole parish there is not one resident mendicant, all who are able to work finding full employment. This desirable state of society is attributable to the active exertions of T. Boyse, Esq., and to the beneficial effects of an agricultural school established some years since by the Rev. W. Hickey, then vicar, under the auspices of S. Boyse, Esq., father of the above, who granted 40 acres of improvable land for that purpose: the pupils divided their time between the pursuits of study and agricultural labour; the best practical treatises on agriculture were adopted, and the most improved agricultural implements were in use; the school-house was built partly by a grant from the fund at the disposal of the lord-lieutenant, and is now occupied as a farm-house, and the school was conducted by Mr. Hickey until his removal to another benefice. This gentleman has distinguished himself by many popular writings on agriculture and gardening, and gave evidence of the efficiency of the establishment before a parliamentary committee in 1830.

Bannow bay produces an abundance of various kinds of fish. The harbour is navigable for vessels of 120 tons' burden: one side of the entrance to it is called the Isle of Bannow, it being connected with the mainland only by an isthmus of sand; from this there is a ferry to the barony of Shelburne, and between it, and the little port of Fethard or Feathard, is Bag-and-bun bay, where Robert Fitz-Stephen landed his troops for the conquest of Ireland. The harbour or creek is an out-port of Wexford, and the business of the customs here, and of the bar of Lough at the south-eastern extremity of the parish, is transacted by an officer residing at Cullenstown, near the latter place. At New-town is a quay where coal, culm, and Welsh slate are landed and stored; timber is also brought hither from Waterford, and corn is occasionally shipped here, though mostly sent to Wexford by land; limestone from Slade, on the eastern side of Hook peninsula, is brought up the bay in boats averaging from 14 to 20 tons' burden. An agent from Lloyd's resides at this place. At the bar of Lough is a coast-guard station, being one of the five comprised in the Wexford district, and there is a small detachment at the Isle of Bannow. Off this bar, and about 1/2 a mile from the shore, are two small islands, called the Keroe islands, on the larger of which a house was built a few years since by Mr. Boyse, as a temporary shelter for shipwrecked persons. The coast on both sides of the parish is much frequented for the purpose of sea-bathing; accommodation is afforded by most of the farmers, who let their houses during the season. Some of the inhabitants are engaged in the herring and cod fishery At Cullanstown are the remains of a castle, which about 70 years since was converted into a dwelling-house; the parapet and upper story have been taken down, and it has now the appearance of a modern building.

It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ferns, and forms part of the union of Kilcavan or Kilkevan; the rectory is impropriate in Caesar Colclough, Esq. The tithes amount to £364. 17. 5 3/4., of which £212. 6. 2. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The church of the union is within the border of the parish of Kilcavan: the glebe-house, in this parish, about 2 1/2 miles distant from it, was built by aid of a gift of £400 and a loan of £330 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1821. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Ballymitty, also called Bannow: the chapel is at Danescastle, in the parish of Carrig. On the decline of the agricultural school, which took place after the removal of Mr. Hickey, a private school, called the Bannow grammar school, for the preparation of young men for the Irish University, was established here by the Rev. H. Newland, D.D., author of the "Apology for the Church in Ireland," and other works connected with the state of religion in this country. The parochial school, for children of both sexes, is partly supported by subscription: the school-house was built at an expense of £150, of which £60 was a grant from the lord-lieutenant's fund: there is a national school at Danescastle, in which about 50 boys and 20 girls are taught, and there are three hedge schools in the parish. A dispensary is supported in the usual manner. About a mile from Danescastle there is a small convent of Augustine Friars, who are reputed to be the representatives of the more sumptuous monastery of that order, of which the ruins are among others in the neighbourhood of Clonmines: attached to it is a small but elegant chapel erected in 1829.--See CARRIG.

BANSHA, or TEMPLENEIRY, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. S. E.) from Tipperary; containing 2975 inhabitants, of which number, 281 are in the village. The village is pleasantly situated on the mail coach road from Limerick, through Cahir, Clonmel, and Carrick-on-Suir, to Waterford, and in 1831 contained 45 houses. A mill is worked by a stream from the river Arra, which runs through the village. A penny post to Clonmel has recently been established; and it is a station of the constabulary police. The parish is bounded on the south by the summit of part of the Galtee mountains; on the west by Trinity College lands and a stream which separates it from part of the parish of Kilshane; on the north, by the parish of Clonfinglass and the river Arra; and on the east, by the parish of Clonbullogue. It comprises 11,443 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £4516 per annum; more than one-half is arable and pasture land, and the remainder mountain. The rivers Arra and Aherlow flow through the parish: the Arra is remarkable for its excellent trout, which are of a rich pink colour, and in season throughout the year; and the Aherlow abounds with trout and eels, and frequently has salmon. A considerable portion of the Galtee mountains extends through the parish from east to west, and is partly pasturable for sheep and goats and a few mountain cattle, producing various kinds of heath and fern, and abounding with grouse, hares, and rabbits. A portion of the Tipperary hills on the estates of E. O'Ryan and J. A. Butler, Esqrs., is also in the parish; these hills stretch in a direction parallel with the Galtees, and are much frequented by woodcocks and foxes. The intervening valley is very fertile and in a high state of cultivation. In the bogs near the base of the hills have been found several large black oaks lying horizontally near the surface. The parish is well wooded throughout; on the Galtees is Ballydavid, an extensive wood of oak, beech, birch, larch, fir, and Weymouth pine; and on the Tipperary hills is Bansha Wood, abounding with thickset, beech, birch, fir, and oak; there are also several plantations, and nearly adjoining the village is a good nursery. Limestone is the prevailing substratum, and is quarried for building, repairing the roads, and burning into lime for manure. A road from Cashel to Mitchelstown intersects the parish, and there are numerous other roads, which are kept in excellent repair. Lismacue, the seat of Hugh Baker, Esq., is a handsome castellated mansion, pleasantly situated in a highly cultivated demesne embellished with stately avenues of lime and beech trees, which latter are considered to be the finest in the kingdom, Bansha Castle, the seat of E. O'Ryan, Esq., an elegant building in the castellated style, and Aherlow Castle, of J. A. Butler, Esq., are also prettily situated. Ash-Grove Castle, or Castle-Mary, the seat of the Rev. Trevor Lloyd Ashe, lord of the manor of Bansha, is a castellated mansion in the Italian style of architecture, situated at the base of the Galtee mountains, 4000 acres of which are attached to the estate: the mountain scenery is exceedingly wild and romantic, and the rich and well-wooded vale beneath presents a pleasing contrast with the grandeur of the adjacent heights. On the estate is an ancient well, dedicated to St. Berryhearth, which is much frequented by the peasantry; and in the demesne is a small temple, in the Grecian style, with pleasure grounds attached, dedicated to the Virgin. About halfway to the summit of the mountains is Lake Musgrave, an extensive sheet of water, imbedded within rocks, whose frowning summits afford secure eyries to eagles, and retreats to other birds of prey. The other seats are Ballydavid House, that of G. Baker, Esq.; Ashgrove, of S. Moore, Esq.; Barnalough House, of P. Smithwicke, Esq.; and Ruan Lodge, of T. S. Manning, Esq.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, united from time immemorial to the rectory and vicarage of Graystown and the vicarage of Donohill, together constituting the corps of the precentorship of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £230. 15. 4 1/2., and the tithes of the benefice to £675. 7. 8 1/4.: the entire value of the precentorship, including glebe, is returned at £723. 7. 4. The church is a neat building, to which a handsome spire was added in 1813; it contains a marble monument to the late William Baker, Esq., of Lismacue. The glebe-house, near the church, is a commodious residence: the glebe contains nine acres, and there are also two pieces of ground in the parish of Donohill, containing 58a. 2r. 6p., belonging to the precentor and let on lease at £7 rent and a renewal fine of £14 annually. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel, adjoining the churchyard, is a neat building. There are four pay schools, in which are about 160 boys and 60 girls. In the marsh lands have been found heads, horns, and skeletons of the moose deer, one of which, of large dimensions, was found some few years since. The only relic of antiquity is a ruined wall, said to have formed part of the ancient castle of Bansha, but its history is quite unknown.

BANTRY, a sea-port, market and post-town, in the parish of KILMACOMOGUE, barony of BANTRY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 47 1/2 miles (W. S. W.) from Cork, and 173 1/2 (S. W.) from Dublin; containing 4275 inhabitants. This place, called anciently Kilgoban, derived that name from St. Goban, its original founder or patron, and its present appellation, Bantry, from Beant-Mac-Farriola, a descendant of the O'Donovans and Mahonys, chieftains of the western portion of this country. During the insurrection of the Earl of Desmond, in 1581, Lord Barry and Goran Mac Swiney attacked the garrison of this place, but were repulsed with the loss of many of their men. In 1689, a French fleet entered the bay, and being pursued by the English fleet under Admiral Herbert, bore down upon the latter in a line of 28 ships of war and 5 fire-ships, when a brisk action ensued, in which the English stood to sea in order to gain some advantage by manoeuvring, and which terminated by the French Admiral's returning into the bay. In 1691, a Dutch ship was captured in the bay by the native Irish in the interest of Jas. II., but was retaken by Col. Becher, with the loss, on the part of the Irish, of 36 men drowned and as many taken prisoners. In March of the same year, Sir David Collier with 300 men advanced to this place, where he encamped, and defeated a party of the Irish forces, of whom 70 were killed and 15 made prisoners: in the following May, some smaller skirmishes took place here; and in June, Col. Townsend, with his forces, killed 100 of the rapparees or insurgent marauders, and brought away a quantity of plunder. In 1697, a body of troops in the service of Wm. III. arrived from Flanders, and landed in the harbour; and in 1796, a French fleet with 15,000 men intended for the invasion of Ireland appeared in the bay; but being dispersed by a storm, in which one-fourth of their ships were lost, returned without attempting to make a descent upon the coast. In 1800, while the main body of the Channel fleet was at rendezvous here, the crew of his Majesty's ship Tremeraire mutinied; but by the spirited firmness of the captain, the late Admiral Eyles, 20 of the ringleaders were seized, taken to Portsmouth and tried, and thirteen of them were executed at Spithead.

The town is situated at the northern extremity of the bay to which it gives name, in a small valley encircled by lofty mountains, which attracting the clouds in their passage over the Atlantic, involve it in almost continual rains. It consists of two parallel streets leading towards the bay, on opposite sides of the river, over which are two bridges, and a cross street, affording communication between them: the streets are indifferently paved, and not lighted; the inhabitants are supplied with water from numerous springs. The approaches, with the exception of the new mail coach road along the margin of the bay, are steep and incommodious, and are lined with cabins of very inferior description. Little improvement has been made in the town, except by the erection of some very extensive stores by Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Corkery, merchants of the place, and the enlargement of the principal hotel, which now affords ample accommodation to the numerous tourists who, during the summer season, frequent this place on their way to Glengariff and the lakes. Anew and important line of road is in progress from Kenmare to Bantry, through Glengariff; it will afford a view of some of the most beautiful scenery in this part of the kingdom, embracing Glengariff and Bantry bay, of which latter it will command an extensive prospect, and is a continuation of the new line from Killarney to Kenmare. New roads have been opened from this town to Skibbereen, which will be highly advantageous to the neighbourhood, and other roads from Glengariff to Cork are also in contemplation. Nearly adjoining the town is Sea Court, the seat of the Earl of Bantry, situated on a gentle eminence commanding a magnificent view of the noble harbour and bay, with the lofty mountains on the opposite shore: the mansion is a spacious square edifice, containing a fine collection of paintings and some pieces of armour brought from the east by Viscount Bearhaven; and immediately in front of it is the undulating and fertile island of Whiddy, formerly a deer park, but now converted into valuable farms, the picturesque appearance of which is heightened by the ruins of an ancient castle, built by the O'Sullivans in the reign of Hen. VI.; the eminence behind the house is finely planted, and the demesne, including an extensive deer park, is tastefully laid out, and forms an interesting feature in the landscape. The trade of the port was formerly very considerable, and the town had attained a high degree of commercial importance. Previously to the withdrawing of the protecting duties, the manufacture of coarse linen and cotton began to thrive here and afforded employment to several hundred persons; these linens, here called "Vitries," were striped pieces chiefly used for bagging; and the sales frequently exceeded £4000 per annum. Butter, pork, and beef were formerly shipped from the port in great quantities, and, about the year 1775, several cargoes of butter were sent annually to Portugal. The only manufacture at present is that of flour, of which the Bantry Mills, belonging to Messrs. Kingston and Co., are capable of producing 12,000 bags annually. A small porter brewery is carried on in the town by Mr. L. Young; and at Donemark are the brewery and mills of Mr. Michael Murphy. A considerable trade prevails in corn raised in the neighbouring parishes, and since 1815 has been rapidly increasing; in 1835, not less than 10,000 barrels of wheat and 3000 barrels of oats were shipped from this port to the English markets. A very lucrative pilchard fishery was for many years conducted, but has long been discontinued, that fish having left the shores. The present fishery is principally confined to hake, in which 24 hookers are engaged, each carrying 15 men; but mackarel, herrings, and sprats are also taken. The fish are cured in houses formerly called fish palaces, and of late the sales of the three last kinds have produced more than £2000 per annum; they find a ready market within a circuit of 50 miles. The shores of the bay abound with a calcareous deposit which forms a valuable manure, and which, about Glengariff and in other parts of the bay, is so thickly impregnated with coral as to be considered little inferior in strength to pure lime: a considerable number of men are employed in procuring it, and the quantity raised produces on the average more than £4000 per annum. In the year ending Jan. 5th, 1836, 31 vessels of the aggregate burden of 1010 tons, principally laden with corn, cleared outwards from this port, and 26 vessels of the aggregate burden of 814 tons entered inwards, of which, two were foreign ships laden with timber from America, and the remainder coasters with cargoes of salt, coal, earthenware, and iron. The bay is spacious, safe, and commodious for ships of any burden. The principal market is on Saturday, and is amply supplied with provisions of all kinds; and there is also a market for provisions daily. Fairs are held on March 19th, May 1st, June 9th, July 15th, Aug. 21st, Oct. 15th, and Dec. 1st. Here is a chief constabulary police station. Petty sessions are held on alternate Fridays; and the quarter sessions for the West Riding of the county are also held here in February. The court-house is a neat building ornamented with a cornice and pediment supported by two broad pilasters, between which is a handsome window; and behind it is the bridewell for the barony. The parish church, a neat edifice in the early English style, with a lofty tower, is situated on the bank of the river, at the western extremity of the town; and on an eminence at the eastern extremity is a large R. C. chapel, erected at an expense of £2500. There is also a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. There are two school-houses in the town, one erected by subscription, and the other by a bequest of £200 from the Rev. D. Crowley, late parish priest of Bantry; and a dispensary. Bantry gives the titles of Earl, Viscount, and Baron, in the Irish peerage, to the ancient family of White, of whom the present Earl was created Baron in 1797, Viscount in 1800, and Earl of Bantry and Viscount Bearhaven in 1816.

BAPTIST GRANGE.--See GRANGE ST. JOHN.

BARNA, a village, in the parish of RAHOON, county of the town of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 3 miles (W.) from Galway: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the coast of Galway bay, and is chiefly noted for the quality of its butter, with which it supplies the town of Galway. A pier was originally built by a private individual in 1799, and rebuilt by Mr. Nimmo in 1822, but being only indifferently constructed, it was destroyed in 1830, and partially rebuilt in the following year by the officer of the coastguard and collector of Galway, with the aid of charitable funds at their disposal, and has been found very useful for the fishery; it is sheltered from the south and southwest gales, and is the only safety harbour for small craft in an extent of 27 miles of coast. Barna is the seat of Nicholas Lynch, Esq. Here are a constabulary police station and a coast-guard station, the latter forming one of the seven stations that constitute the district of Galway. The R. C. chapel for the parish, a small thatched building, is situated here.--See RAHOON.

BARNA, a hamlet, in the parish of DUNKERRIN, barony of CLONLISK, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (N. E.) from Moneygall; containing 81 inhabitants.

BARNAHELY, a parish, in the barony of KERRICURRIHY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (N. E. by E.) from Carrigaline: containing 1022 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the south-west shore of Cork harbour, and was anciently part of the possessions of Gill abbey: it comprises 882 3/4 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1025 per annum, and is almost entirely under tillage, which is gradually improving. There is no waste land: a tract of marshy land on the estate of Castle-Warren has been lately reclaimed and is now applied to grazing. There are some valuable limestone quarries, which are worked chiefly for burning. Ringaskiddy, or Ring, a small village on the shore, is resorted to in summer for seabathing: the building of boats and yachts is carried on here to some extent, and during the winter season a considerable number of yawls are engaged in fishing. Ballybricken, the elegant mansion and demesne of D. Conner, Esq., is delightfully situated on the margin of the harbour, of which it commands a most beautiful view, and from which the grounds rise with a gentle acclivity, and are embellished with a profusion of fine timber. Prospect Villa, the elegant residence of Lieut.-Col. Burke, is situated a little to the east of it; the grounds are well planted, and these two seats form prominent and attractive objects in every view of the harbour. Castle-Warren, the seat of R. Warren, Esq., is a spacious mansion erected in 1796, and incorporated with the ancient castle of Barnahely, said to have been built by Milo de Cogan, one of the early Norman settlers, who obtained extensive grants in this county, and is represented by local tradition to have been interred in the churchyard of this parish: the castle, of which a portion remains, belonged to the archdeacons of Monkstown in the middle of the 17th century. Raffeen is the seat of T. Dorman, Esq.; and there are several ornamental cottages which contribute to embellish the scenery of this beautiful district. The parish is in the diocese of Cork: the entire tithes, amounting to £100, are impropriate in the Earl of Shannon. The Protestant inhabitants attend divine service at the church of Carrigaline. In the R. C. divisions it forms part, of the union or district of Passage; the nearest chapel is that of Shanbally, in the parish of Carrigaline. The only school is a hedge school, in which 90 children are taught. There is a Danish fort in good preservation on the lands of Prospect Villa; and as some labourers employed in the construction of a new line of road were cutting through a limestone rock, a short time since, they discovered in its cavities a number of marine shells, at a distance of at least two miles from the nearest part of the strand. There is a chalybeate spa at Raffeen, which has been found efficacious in cases of dyspepsia, and is exceedingly valuable as a tonic diuretic.

BARNANE, or BARNANELY, a parish, in the barony of IKERRIN, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/4miles (W. N. W.) from Templemore; containing 775 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Burris-o-leigh to Dunkerrin, and comprises 2015 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1842 per annum: about 100 acres are common, 46 woodland, and the remainder is principally arable. It includes the "Devil's Bit Mountain," so called from its form, which appears as if a bit had been taken out of it. At the foot of this mountain lies the demesne of Barnane, the seat, of R. Garden, Esq., which is tastefully laid out and well planted; and within it are the ruins of the old parish church. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and is part of the union of Fithmone: the tithes amount to £105. There is a pay school of 25 boys and 20 girls in the parish.

BARONSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of UPPER DUNDALK, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. N. W.) from Dundalk; containing 1012 inhabitants. It is situated on the turnpike road from Dundalk, by Castle-Blayney, to Monaghan, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2208 1/2 statute acres. The lands are nearly all arable and pasture; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture has been greatly improved; there is very little waste land, and not more bog than is sufficient to supply the inhabitants with fuel. Derefalone, the seat of G. McGusty, Esq., is in this parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, with the curacies of Philipstown-Nugent, Kene, and Roche, united by act of council in 1785, forming the union of Baronstown, in the patronage of the Lord-Primate for three turns, and of the Dean and Chapter of Christ-Church, Dublin, for one: the tithes amount to £219. 10. 11 1/2., and of the entire benefice to £414. 7. 9 1/2 The church of the union, a neat edifice with a tower, and in good repair, is situated on an eminence at Philipstown-Nugent, nearly in the centre of the union; and almost adjoining it is the glebe-house, to which are attached 17 acres of profitable land. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly united with Philipstown-Nugent and Dunbin, forming the union or district of Baronstown, and partly included in that of Haggardstown; the chapel, called the chapel of Kilcurly, is close on the confines of this parish and of that of Dunbin. There is a school at Kilcurly of about 80 boys and 40 girls. At Belrobin was an ancient castle, formerly the residence of a branch of the Bellew family; its site is now occupied by the residence and offices of Mr. Owen. McKone, one of the most extensive occupiers of land in the county. There is also a rath or ancient fort at the same place, which has been planted, and another on the townland of Milltown.

BARRY, a village, in the parish of TASHINNY, barony of ABBEYSHRUEL, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER; 3 1/4miles (W. S. W.) from Colehill: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road to Ballymahon, and is a station of the constabulary police. Fairs are held on January 27th, April 28th, July 28th, and October 27th. A school for poor children is maintained by the Dowager Countess of Rosse. Near the village was formerly an ancient castle, of which only some trifling vestiges can be traced; and in the immediate vicinity is a high moat. --See TASHINNY.

BARTRA, or BARTRACH, an island, in the parish of KILLALA, barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 2 miles (S. E.) from Killala: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated at the mouth of the river Moy, forming part of the coast of the harbour of Killala, and is the residence of Capt. Kirkwood. At the south-east end is the bar of Moy, on which there is only three feet of water.

BASLICK, a parish, in the barony of BALLINTOBBER, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of Connaught, 5 miles (N. E.) from Castlerea; containing 3574 inhabitants. This parish, which was anciently called Baisleac-mor, is situated on the road from Elphin to Castlerea, and comprises 6560 statute acres. According to the Annals of the Four Masters and other authorities, here was an abbey in the time of St. Patrick, of which St. Sacell was abbot or bishop; and in the year 800, St. Cormac, its abbot, died here. The state of agriculture is almost wholly unimproved; there is little woodland, except in the demesnes of the several seats; of the remainder of the parish, about three-fourths are arable and one-fourth pasture, or what is called "Bottom" land. There are several quarries of limestone, used only in constructing the fences. The gentlemen's seats are Rathmile House, that of Rich. Irwin, Esq.; Milton, of Roderic O'Connor, Esq.; Emla, of Rob. Irwin, Esq.; Heathfield, of Nicholas Balfe, Esq.; and Ballyglass, of R. Kelly, Esq. Fairs are held at Castle-Plunkett on the first Thursday in May (O. S.) and on Aug. 13th and Oct. 11th. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, and forms part of the union of Ballintobber; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Essex: the tithes amount to £350, payable in moieties to the impropriator and the vicar. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel is a small building on the townland of Kilmurry. The remains of the old parish church are situated within a cemetery enclosed by iron railings and still used for interment.

BATTERJOHN, a hamlet, in the parish of DERRYPATRICK, barony of LOWER DEECE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER; containing 15 dwellings and 93 inhabitants.

BATTERSTOWN.--See RATHREGAN.

BAULICK.--See BUOLICK.

BAWN, or BLACKNOW, a grange, in the barony of GALMOY, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER. It is also called Baunrichen, and is said to have been part of the possessions of the monastery of Fertagh. In ecclesiastical matters it is one of the denominations which constitute the union of Burnchurch, in the diocese of Ossory. Fairs are held on Ascension-day, July 8th, Sept. 8th, and Oct. 29th.

BAWNBOY.--See KILSUB.

BAYLIN, a village, in the parish of BALLYLOUGHLOE, barony of CLONLONAN, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (E.) from Athlone, on the road to Mullingar; containing 39 houses and 225 inhabitants. It is a constabulary police station; and a manorial court is held on the first Monday in every month. A school-house was built here by Lord Castlemaine, who endowed it with an acre of land, and the school is supported by his Lordship and Lady Castlemaine. There is a mineral spring in the village, strongly impregnated with iron.--See BALLYLOUGHLOE.

BEAGH, or ST. ANNE'S, a parish, in the barony of KILTARTAN, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, containing, with part of the post-town of Gort, 5343 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the confines of the county of Clare, and on the road from Galway and Loughrea to Ennis. A monastery of the third order of Franciscans was founded here about the year 1441, but by whom is unknown: in an inquisition of the 28th of Elizabeth it is denominated a cell or chapel, and its possessions appear to have consisted of half a quarter of land, with its appurtenances and tithes, which had been long under concealment. The parish comprises 12,331 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and there is some bog; agriculture is improved, and there is good limestone. The seats are Loughcooter Castle, that of Viscount Gort; Cregg House, of F. Butler, Esq.; Ballygaagen, of W. Butler, Esq.; Ashfield, of D. McNevin, Esq.; Castle Lodge, of C. Lopdell, Esq.; River View, of Mrs. Lopdell; Sallymount, of J. Butler, Esq.; Prospect, of Mrs. Nolan; Rhyndifin, of E. Blaquiere, Esq.; Rose Park, of -- Hugo, Esq.; and Rose Hill, of A. Keeley, Esq. Large fairs for cattle, sheep, and pigs are held at the village of Tobberindony, on July 12th, and Sept. 20th. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, united with part of the rectory, and forming part of the union of Ardrahan; the remaining portion of the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to £218. 1. 6., of which £38. 15. 4 1/2. is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and £179. 6. l 1/2. to the incumbent. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel is a plain building, but a new one is about to be erected on a site given by D. McNevin, Esq. There are six hedge schools in the parish, in which are about 340 children. Here are the remains of the ancient castles of Fidane and Arddameilivan; those of the former are in good preservation and very massive. At a place called the Punch-bowl the Gurtnamackin river first disappears underground.

BEAMORE, or BEMOOR, a village, in the parish of COLPE, barony of LOWER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/4mile (S.) from Drogheda, on the road to Naule; containing 23 houses and 123 inhabitants.

BEATAE-MARIAE-DE-FORE.--See FEIGHAN of FORE (ST.).

BEAULIEU, county of KILKENNY.--See OWNING.

BEAULIEU, a parish, in the barony of FERRARD, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E. by N.) from Drogheda; containing 535 inhabitants. This place was occupied by Sir Phelim O'Nial and the insurgent forces during the siege of Drogheda, which was defended by Sir Henry Tichborne, one of the lords justices of Ireland, who, on the forfeiture of the estate by the Plunkett family, purchased and obtained a grant of it from Chas. II.; the Rev. Alexander Johnson Montgomery, his descendant by the female line, is the present proprietor. The parish is situated at the estuary of the river Boyne, on the eastern coast, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 1228 statute acres, including 218 3/4 of tideway of the Boyne. Beaulieu House, the seat of the Rev. A. J. Montgomery, was built by the lady of Sir H. Tichborne: it is a stately mansion, situated in an extensive and finely planted demesne, bounded on the south by the Boyne, and contains an ornamental sheet of water; a very handsome entrance lodge has been recently erected. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Lord-Primate: the tithes amount to £105. The church, a neat structure with a tower, was built by aid of a gift of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1807; and contains some handsome marble monuments to the Montgomery family, and one to the Donagh family of Newtown; in the churchyard is a curious stone with the figure of a skeleton in high relief and the date, apparently 1117. There is neither glebe nor glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Termonfeckan. The parochial school of 10 boys and 10 girls is aided by an annual donation from the rector, and the master has a house and land from the Rev. A. J. Montgomery; there is also a pay school, in which are about 20 boys and 10 girls.

BEAUMONt, a village, in the parish of KILSHARVAN, barony of LOWER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E.) from Duleek; containing 77 inhabitants. This village, which comprises only 12 houses, is situated on the road from Duleek to Laytown, and on the Nanny water, which is here crossed by a stone bridge. Here is an extensive flour and oatmeal-mill, with six pairs of millstones and a steam-engine of 20-horse power, which has been recently erected and fitted up with the most improved machinery. It is the property of J. McCann, Esq., whose residence adjoins the mill.--See KILSHARVAN.

BECAN, or BEKAN, a parish, in the barony of COSTELLO, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 4 miles (W. by N.) from Ballyhaunis; containing 5659 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Claremorris to Frenchpark, and is principally under tillage, with the exception of a few grazing farms. Becan is the residence of J. Bourke, Esq., and Ballenville, of J. Crean, Esq. The river Robe has its source within the limits of the parish. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and is part of the union of Kiltullagh: the tithes amount to £127. 8. 5 1/4. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel is a plain thatched building. At Brackloon is a school of about 60 boys and 50 girls; and there are five private schools in the parish, in which are about 300 boys and 100 girls. There are some ruins of the old church, with a burial-place annexed, which is still used.

BECTIVE, a parish, in the barony of UPPER NAVAN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Navan; containing 671 inhabitants, This parish, called also De Beatitudine, was granted by Chas. I. to Sir Richard Bolton, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, in 1639, and is now the property of his descendant, Richard Bolton, Esq. It derived considerable celebrity from a Cistertian monastery founded here, in 1146 or 1152, by Murchard O'Melaghlin, King of Meath, which was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and richly endowed: this establishment, of which the abbot was a lord in parliament, continued to flourish, and in 1195, by order of Matthew, Archbishop of Cashel, at that time apostolic legate, and John, Archbishop of Dublin, the body of Hugh de Lacy, which had been for a long time undiscovered, was interred here with great solemnity, but his head was placed in the abbey of St. Thomas, Dublin. In the same year, the Bishop of Meath, and his Archdeacon, with the Prior of the abbey of Duleek, were appointed by Pope Innocent III. to decide a controversy between the monks of this abbey and the canons of St. Thomas, Dublin, respecting their right to the body of De Lacy, which was decided in favour of the latter. Hugh de Lacy, who was one of the English barons that accompanied Hen. II. on his expedition for the invasion of Ireland, received from that monarch a grant of the entire territory of Meath, and was subsequently appointed chief governor of the country. He erected numerous forts within his territory, encouraging and directing the workmen by his own presence, and often labouring in the trenches with his own hands. One of these forts he was proceeding to erect at Durrow, in the King's county, in 1186, on the site of an abbey, which profanation of one of their most ancient and venerable seats of devotion so incensed the native Irish and inflamed their existing hatred, that whilst De Lacy was employed in the trenches, stooping to explain his orders, a workman drew out his battle-axe, which had been concealed under his long mantle, and at one blow smote off his head. The abbey and its possessions, including the rectory of Bective, were surrendered in the 34th of Hen. VIII., and were subsequently granted to Alexander Fitton.

The parish, which is. situated on the river Boyne, and on the road from Trim to Navan, comprises 3726 statute acres, chiefly under tillage; the system of agriculture is improved, and there is neither waste land nor bog. Limestone of very good quality is abundant, and is quarried both for building and for burning into lime, which is the principal manure. Bective House, the seat of R. Bolton, Esq., is a handsome modern residence, pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Boyne. The parish is in the diocese of Meath, and, being abbey land,is wholly tithe-f'ree: the rectory is impropriate in Mr. Bolton. There is no church; the Protestant parishioners attend divine service in the neighbouring parishes of Kilmessan and Trim. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Navan; the chapel at Robinstown is a neat modern edifice. There is a school near the R. C. chapel, for which it is intended to build a new school-room; and there is also a hedge school of 21 boys and 19 girls. The ruins of the ancient abbey occupy a conspicuous site on the west bank of the river, and have a very picturesque appearance: they consist chiefly of a lofty square pile of building, the front of which is flanked by a square tower on each side; the walls and chimneys of the spacious hall, and part of the cloisters, are remaining; the latter present a beautiful range of pointed arches resting on clustered columns enriched with sculpture, and displaying some interesting details. There are also some picturesque remains of an ancient chapel in the vicinity. Bective gives the inferior title of Earl to the Marquess of Headfort.

BECTIVE-BRIDGE, a village, in the parish of BALSOON, barony of LOWER DEECE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 3/4 miles (E. N. E.) from Trim; containing 142 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Dunshaughlin to Athboy, and on the river Boyne, over which is a stone bridge connecting it with the parish of Bective, from which circumstance it has derived its name. It contains about 30 dwellings, and has two annual fairs; one on the 16th of May, principally for dry cows and young heifers, which is well attended, and the other on the 1st of November, chiefly for cattle and pigs.--See BALSOON.

BEG-ERIN, or BEGRIN, a small island in Wexford harbour, in the parish of ARDCOLME, barony of SHELMALIER, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Wexford, This island, of which the name signifies in the Irish language "Little Ireland," is situated in the northern part of Wexford harbour, and was, at a very early period, distinguished as the residence of St. Ibar, or Ivore, who, according to Ware and Archdall, founded here, in 420, a celebrated monastery for Canons Regular of the order of St. Augustine, over which he presided till his death. He established a school here, in which he instructed numerous scholars in sacred literature and various sciences, and was in such reputation for learning, as well as for the sanctity of his life, that he obtained the appellation of Doctor Begerensis; he died on the 23d of April, in the year 500, and was interred in the monastery. St. Aengus, in his litany, invokes 150 saints, all of whom were disciples of St. Ibar. Of the monastery there are no vestiges, unless the ruins of a small chapel, of which the rudeness of the masonry indicates a very remote antiquity, may be regarded as such. In 1171, Robert Fitz-Stephen, after having been deceived into the surrender of his castle of Ferry-Carrig, and such of his garrison as were not perfidiously put to death, were brought to this place, where they were detained prisoners till the landing of Hen. II. at Waterford, soon after which they were liberated by that monarch. The island was, in 1549, alienated by a fee-farm lease, at a rent of seven shillings, to James Devereux, and is now occupied by Henry Cooper, Esq., who has built a handsome rustic cottage for his residence, which is surrounded with thriving shrubberies and plantations. Mr. Cooper has made several improvements in farming and embanking; and his family, with one or two of his workmen, constitute the whole of the population of the island.

BEGGARSBRIDGE -- See ROCHFORT-BRIDGE.

BEG-INNIS or BEGNERS ISLAND, in the parish of CAHIR, barony of IVERAGH, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, lying near the north-east end of the island and post-town of Valencia: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated nearly in the centre of the chief entrance to the harbour of Valencia, on the western coast, from which island it is separated by a channel varying in breadth from one-eighth to one-half of a mile; and comprises about 330 statute acres of land, held by J. Primrose, Esq., of Hill Grove. The opening to the north, called Lough Kay, has deep water, but is much exposed to the great ocean swell. The south-eastern shore is covered with a fine shell sand, which forms a valuable manure, and is conveyed in boats to a considerable distance. There is a quarry of slate on the island, in the working of which the greater portion of the inhabitants are employed. Nearly in the centre of it is a remarkable conical hill, called the Sugar Loaf.

BEHAGH, or BEAGH, a hamlet, in the parish of ABBEY, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER; containing 14 dwellings and 101 inhabitants. The parochial R. C. chapel, a small thatched building, is situated here.

BELAN, a parish, in the barony of KILKEA and MOONE, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. S. W.) from Ballytore: the population is returned with the parish of Timolin. It is situated on the road from Dublin to Castledermot, and comprises 1176 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £865 per annum. Belan House, the seat of the Earl of Aldborough, is an extensive pile of building, situated at the foot of Bolton hill and occupying the site of an ancient castle which formerly belonged to a branch of the Fitzgerald family, and was destroyed by Cromwell in the parliamentary war; in the house is preserved an ancient bed, in which Jas. II. and Wm. III. successively slept in the year 1690. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, and is part of the union of Timolin: the tithes amount to £102. 10. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Castledermot.

BELANAGARE, a village, in the parish of KILCORKEY, barony of BALLINTUBBER, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of Connaught, 2 miles (S. by E.) from Frenchpark: the population is returned with the parish. This place is situated on the mail coach road from Longford to Ballina, and consists of about 30 houses, of which several are neatly built. It was formerly the residence of the O'Conor Don, who has lately removed to a new lodge in the immediate neighbourhood, since which the village has been neglected and is falling into decay. The old mansion, now in ruins, was an irregular building with numerous gables and tall chimneys, and is surrounded with stately trees. The surrounding scenery is interesting, and the roads leading to the village are shaded by trees growing in the hedge-rows. Fairs are held on Jan. 6th, and the first Wednesdays in March, Aug. and Nov.; the January fair is noted for young horses and pigs. Petty sessions are held here irregularly. The R. C. parochial chapel is situated in the village, and was built by the late O'Conor Don, in 1819; the roof is covered with sandstone slate found in the neighbourhood. A large school is held in the chapel.--See KILCORKEY.

BELCARRA, a village, in the parish of DRUM, barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 4 miles (S.) from Castlebar: the population is returned with the parish. This place, which is situated on the road from Castlebar to Hollymount, and comprises about 35 houses, is a constabulary police station, and has fairs on Feb. 2nd, June 4th, and Nov. 10th. It contains the parish church and R. C. chapel. In the immediate vicinity is Elm Hall, once the seat of Lord Tyrawley, but now in ruins.--See DRUM.

BELCLARE, or BELCLARE-TUAM, a parish, in the barony of CLARE, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 3 1/2 miles (S. S. W.) from Tuam, on the road to Headfort; containing 2371 inhabitants. A monastery of Franciscan friars was founded here in 1291, and at an early period had acquired very ample possessions, but little more of its history is recorded. The celebrated hill of Knockman, or Knockma, from which is an extensive and delightful view, is situated in the parish; and there are several extensive tracts of bog, and a flour-mill. The gentlemen's seats are Thomastown, the residence of Capt. Kirwan, and New-Garden, of Roderick O'Connor, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and, with a portion of the rectory, forms part of the union of Tuam; the other portion of the rectory is appropriate to the deanery of Tuam. The tithes amount to £235, of which one-half is payable to the dean and the other to the incumbent. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called Clare-Tuam, comprising the parishes of Belclare, Kilmoylan, and Kilmacrean, and containing two chapels, situated respectively in Belclare and Kilmacrean; the former is a good slated building recently erected. A school for Protestant females is wholly supported by Mrs. Kirwan, of Castle Hackett; and there are two pay schools, situated respectively at Wood's quay and Carabeg, in which are 148 boys and 21 girls.

BELCOE, a village, in the parish of BOHOE, barony of GLENAWLEY, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 9 miles (W. S. W.) from Enniskillen: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated near Lough Macnean, on the confines of the county of Cavan, and has fairs on April 5th, June 5th, Aug. 5th, Oct. 6th, and Nov. 26th. Here is a noted well, called Darugh Phadric.-- See BOHOE.

Arms
BELFASt, a sea-port, borough, market-town, and parish, partly in the barony of LOWER, but chiefly in that of UPPER, BELFASt, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (S. by W.) from Carrickfergus, 13 1/4(S. E. by E.) from Antrim, and 80 (N.) from Dublin; containing, in 1821, 44,177, and in 1831, 60,388 inhabitants, of which latter number, 53,287 were in the town and suburbs, and 48,224 in the borough; and within three years after the latter census the population of the parish had increased nearly 7000 more. At a very early period this place obtained, according to some writers, the appellation of Beala-farsad, which has been supposed to signify "Hurdles-ford town," and according to others that of Bela-fearsad, "the town at the mouth of the river;" which latter is accurately descriptive of its situation on the river Lagan, near its influx into the lough or bay of Belfast. But, perhaps, a still more probable conjecture is that which ascribes its etymology to the Irish Ball-Fosaght, signifying "the town with a ditch or foss," which, from its low situation, were anciently constructed round the town, to protect it from the tide. Previously to the English conquests in the province of Ulster, it appears to have been a fortified station commanding the passage of the river, which is here fordable at low water, and important also from its position on the line between the ancient stations of Carrickfergus and Ardes, respectively in the counties of Antrim and Down, between which the Lagan has ever been regarded as the boundary. The original fort, of which the site is now occupied by St. George's church, was taken and destroyed about the year 1178, by John de Courcy, who soon after erected a noble castle on a more eligible spot. King John marched his army to this place, in 1210; but no notice of any town occurs till the year 1316, when the destruction of the town and castle by Edward Bruce is recorded. The Irish chieftains, having by his aid recovered their ancient possessions, rebuilt the castle, of which, through the intestine divisions in England and their union with the English settlers in Ulster, they kept uninterrupted possession for nearly two centuries, till the reign of Hen. VII., when the Earl of Kildare, at the head of a large army, in 1503, took and destroyed the town and castle; but the latter was soon afterwards repaired by the native chieftains, from which, however, their forces were again driven by the earl, in 1512, and compelled to retire to the mountains. From this period Belfast remained in a ruined and neglected state, till the year 1552, when Sir James Crofts, lord-deputy, repaired and garrisoned the castle; and during the same year the Irish of Ulster again appeared in arms, under the command of Hugh Mac Nial Oge, but the English government offered terms of accommodation which that chieftain accepted, and, swearing allegiance to Hen. VIII., he obtained a grant of the castle and town of Belfast, with other extensive possessions. After the death of Hugh, who was killed in 1555 by a party of Scottish marauders, his possessions passed to other branches of his family, with the exception of the castle, which was placed in the custody of Randolph Lane, an English governor; in the 13th of Elizabeth it was granted, with its extensive dependencies, to Sir Thomas Smythe and his son, on condition of their keeping a certain number of horse and foot in readiness to meet at Antrim after a brief notice, to attend upon the lord-deputy. In 1573 the Earl of Essex visited the fortress, which the Irish had previously, on different occasions, frequently attempted to take by surprise; and in 1575 the Lord-Deputy Sydney encountered the Irish forces at the ford of this place. About that period, Belfast is said to have had a forest and woods, of which all traces have long since disappeared. After the death of Elizabeth, the garrison, influenced by Hugh O'Nial, Earl of Tyrone, refused submission to the English crown; but, on the defeat of that powerful leader and his adherents, the English gained the ascendency, and Sir Arthur Chichester, lord-deputy in the reign of Jas. I., issued his summons requiring the supplies of horse and foot, according to the tenure by which the castle was held; and no one appearing in answer to this requisition, the castle and demesne became forfeited to the crown, and were given to Sir Arthur in 1612.

Prior to the civil war in 1641, the town had attained a considerable degree of commercial importance, and was the residence of many merchants and men of note; but the inhabitants, being chiefly Presbyterians, suffered severely for refusing to conform to the Established Church; many of them left the kingdom, and those who remained embraced the parliamentarian interest. The immediate local effect of this rebellion was the suspension of all improvements, but the town was saved from assault by the defeat of the rebels near Lisburn; and, while the insurgents were overpowering nearly all the surrounding country, Belfast was maintained in security by the judicious arrangements of Sir Arthur Tyringham, who, according to the records of the corporation, cleared the water-courses, opened the sluices, erected a draw-bridge, and mustered the inhabitants in military array. In 1643 Chas. I. appointed Col. Chichester governor of the castle, and granted £1000 for the better fortification of the town, which, while the people of the surrounding country were joining the Scottish covenanters, alone retained its firm adherence to the royal interest. The royalists in Ulster, anticipating an order from the parliament for a forcible imposition of the Scottish covenant, assembled here to deliberate upon the answer to be returned to Gen. Monroe, commander of the Scottish forces in Ireland, when required to submit to that demand; but the latter, being treacherously informed of their purpose, and favoured by the darkness of the night, marched to Belfast with 2000 men, surprised the town, and compelled them to retire to Lisburn. The inhabitants were now reduced to the greatest distress; Col. Hume, who was made governor of the castle for the parliament, imposed upon them heavy and grievous taxes, and the most daring of the Irish insurgents were constantly harassing them from without. After the decapitation of Chas. I., the presbytery of this place, having strongly expressed their abhorrence of that atrocity, were reproachfully answered by the poet Milton; and the Scottish forces of Ulster having, in common with the covenanters of their native country, embraced the royal cause, the garrison kept possession of it for the king. But Gen. Monk, in 1648, seized their commander, Gen. Monroe, whom he sent prisoner to England, and having assaulted Belfast, soon reduced it under the control of the parliament, who appointed Col. Maxwell governor. In 1649, the town was taken by a manoeuvre of Lord Montgomery; but Cromwell, on his arrival in Ireland, despatched Col. Venables, after the massacre of Drogheda, to reduce it, in which enterprise he succeeded.

On the abdication of Jas. II., the inhabitants fitted out a vessel, and despatched a congratulatory address to the Prince of Orange, whom they afterwards proclaimed king; but, within a few days, James's troops having obtained possession of the place, many of the inhabitants fled to Scotland and elsewhere for safety, and several of the principal families were placed under attainder. On the landing of Duke Schomberg at Bangor, on Oct. 13th, 1689, with an army of 10,000 men, the Irish forces evacuated the town, of which Col. Wharton took possession in the name of King William: a reinforcement of 7000 well-appointed troops from Denmark shortly after joined the forces of Schomberg, which had encamped under the walls; and on June 14th, 1690, the king arrived in person, and issued from this town a proclamation to the army forbidding them to lay waste the country. The king remained here for five days, whence he proceeded to the Boyne by way of Hillsborough, and on his march issued an order to the collector of the customs of Belfast, to pay £1200 per annum to the Presbyterian ministers of Ulster, which grant formed the origin of the more extensive royal bounty at present paid to that body. The castle was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1708, and has not been rebuilt. In 1715, on the threatened invasion of the Pretender, the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood formed themselves into volunteer corps for the better defence of the country; in 1745 they again had recourse to arms; and in 1760, by their prompt muster, in conjunction with the people of the surrounding country, they saved their town from the French under Thurot, who had landed at Carrickfergus, intending to surprise Belfast; but, overawed by the muster of 12,000 men, posted within two miles of Carrickfergus on the road to Belfast, he hastily re-embarked, after having obtained a considerable supply of brandy, wine, and provisions from the merchants of that town. The formation of the Irish volunteers, induced all the principal young men of Belfast again to accoutre themselves, and they assumed a formidable political attitude, until suppressed with the rest of that body. Notwithstanding the powerful excitement which prevailed towards the close of the 18th century, Belfast, although the centre of motion to the northern union, was preserved in peaceable subjection by the precaution of Government in placing in it a strong military force: but the spirit of disaffection had diffused itself considerably, and seven individuals were executed here for treason. With the exception of commercial difficulties, from which, however, this town suffered less than any other of equal importance in the kingdom, few circumstances have occurred in modern times to retard its progress; and it is now the most flourishing in the island, celebrated alike for its manufactures and commerce, and for the public spirit of its inhabitants in the pursuit of literature and science, and in the support of charitable and other benevolent institutions.

The town is advantageously situated on the western bank of the river Lagan, a long narrow bridge of 21 arches, erected in 1686, connecting it with the suburb of Ballymacarrett, in the county of Down, below which the river expands into the noble estuary called Belfast or Carrickfergus Lough; another bridge over the Lagan into the county of Down has been lately erected, and there is a third at some distance to the south. Its general appearance is cheerful and prepossessing; the principal streets and squares, which are well formed and spacious, are Macadamised, and the footpaths flagged with excellent freestone. The houses are handsomely built of brick and slated, and several new squares, terraces, and ranges of building have been recently erected, making the total number of houses 8022. The town is lighted with gas from works belonging to a company established by act of parliament in 1822. The inhabitants, previously to 1795, were but scantily supplied with water; but the late Marquess of Donegal granted to the trustees of the Incorporated Charitable Society a lease, for 61 years, of all the springs of water on his estate; and in 1805 the Malone springs were purchased, and the water was brought to the town at an expense of £3650. In 1817 an act was obtained, under the authority of which the trustees appointed water applotters, who took upon themselves the whole management, and now receive the rates, paying to the Society £750 per annum.

The town, though situated little more than six feet above high water mark of spring tides, is considered healthy, the air being pure and salubrious; and the surrounding scenery is richly diversified and, in many parts, picturesque. An extended range of mountains, 1100 feet in height, rises at the distance of two miles to the north-west; and within the limits of the parish is Divis mountain, 1567 feet above the level of the sea at low water. The views down the lough in a north-eastern direction are strikingly beautiful, the shores on both sides being decorated with elegant country seats and plantations. The inhabitants have long been distinguished for their zealous encouragement of literary pursuits, and the first edition of the Bible ever published in Ireland was printed at Belfast in the year 1704. In this town also was established, in 1737, the Belfast News Letter, the first newspaper ever printed in the North of Ireland: there are now several others, also a Mercantile Register and monthly periodicals. The Belfast Society for Promoting Knowledge, established in 1788, is supported by annual subscriptions of one guinea; the library contains more than 8000 volumes, and there are a cabinet of minerals, and a valuable philosophical apparatus. The Literary Society, for improvement in literature, science, antiquities, and the arts, was established in 1801; and the Historic Society, for the study of general history, the British laws and constitution, and the cultivation of oratory, in 1811. The Natural History Society, established in 1821, has recently erected a very handsome building: the lower story is an imitation of the Choragic monuments of Thrasyllus, with a portico, which is an exact copy of that of the octagon tower of Andronicus at Athens; and the upper portions are designed after the model of the temple of Minerva: the interior comprises several spacious, lofty, and elegant apartments, with lecture-rooms, an observatory, and a very valuable museum. The Botanic Gardens were formed in connection with the Natural History Society, by some of the members, who, in 1827, purchased for that purpose about 16 acres of land, on the banks of the Lagan, about a mile from the town, on the Malone road: they are under the direction of a committee of 21, elected from the holders of 500 shares of five guineas each, of whom those holding less than four shares pay also a subscription annually; the society has expended more than £4000 on these gardens, to which persons may subscribe without being shareholders. A spacious and handsome news-room, to which respectable strangers have free access, on entering their names in a book kept for the purpose, occupies the lower story of the Commercial Buildings: there is another large news-room in one of the wings of the White Linen Hall; a third has been recently opened in connection with the office of the Northern Whig newspaper, and a fourth under the patronage of the Belfast Society. Over the exchange is an elegant suite of assembly-rooms; there are also others in the Commercial Buildings, and there is a neat theatre in Arthur-street. On the north-eastern side of the town are artillery and infantry barracks; and a town-major is regularly appointed, this being nominally a garrison town: it is also a chief constabulary police station for the county.

Belfast owes much of its importance to the increase of the linen trade of Ulster, of which it is now become the grand depot. In 1830 a very extensive mill was erected for spinning linen yarn upon the same principle as in the chief houses at Leeds, in order to meet the increasing demand of the manufacturers; and, in 1832, a large cotton-mill was adapted to the spinning of the refuse flax of the linen-mill, for the use of the canvas weavers. In these two mills more than 700 persons are employed, and, since their erection, a linen cloth manufactory has been established on a very large scale at Ligoneil, two miles distant, which is the first of the kind in this part of the country. Seven more spinning mills, containing 48,000 spindles, and affording employment to more than 5000 persons, were built in 1834, and several others have been erected since; they are all of brick, roofed with slate, and are mostly five stories high. The celebrated Ardoyne damask manufactory was established in 1825; and the elegance of the fabric soon extended its reputation, and obtained royal patronage, an extensive order for his Majesty being at present under execution. Linens and sheetings of the stoutest fabric, for the London market, are likewise manufactured in this establishment, the proprietor of which, Michael Andrews, Esq., obtained the gold medal of the Royal Dublin Society for specimens of his productions, shewn at their exhibition of national manufactures, held in Dublin, in May 1835. The business of the linen trade of the whole kingdom was for a long time transacted solely in Dublin, by agents resident there; but the serious inconvenience experienced by the numerous bleachers in the province of Ulster, in consequence of the remoteness of the principal mart, prompted them to the establishment of a linen-hall at Belfast, and in 1785 a spacious and handsome quadrangular building was erected in the centre of Donegal-square, by public subscription, and called the White Linen Hall, which affords great facility for making up assorted cargoes for foreign countries; great quantities are exported to America, the West Indies, and various other places, and nearly all the London merchants are supplied by factors resident here. The Brown Linen Hall, erected about the same time, is an enclosed space on the south side of Donegal-street, containing several detached platforms, where the merchants attend every Friday for the purchase of brown webs from the weavers, who assembled here from the surrounding districts. The webs brought to this mart are principally one yard in width, and of the finest quality; and so great is the quantity purchased by the merchants, who are also bleachers, that in the Belfast district, situated within a distance of six miles of the town to the west and south west and containing in all fourteen bleaching-greens (of which eleven are within the parish of Belfast), 260,000 pieces are annually bleached, exceeding by 87,000 the number of pieces bleached in the same district in the year 1822; the value of the goods finished annually in these establishments is little less than one million sterling.

The cotton manufacture, of which Belfast is the centre and principal seat, was originally introduced here in 1777, by Mr. Robert Joy, father of Chief Baron Joy, and at that time one of the proprietors of the Belfast News Letter. That gentleman had been chiefly instrumental in establishing the incorporated poor-house, which under his auspices became the nursery of this important branch of manufacture, at that time unknown in any other part of Ireland, and which, after struggling with various difficulties, at length attained such rapidity of progress that, in 1800, it afforded employment to 27,000 persons within a circuit of ten miles round Belfast, and is still carried on here to a vast extent in all its branches, more especially in the spinning department, for which alone there are, in the town and neighbourhood, no less than 21 factories. The machinery used in these works is partly impelled by steam, but chiefly by water, for which the streams in the neighbourhood are particularly favourable, by reason of the rapidity of their currents and their numerous falls; and gives motion to about 982,000 spindles and 640 power-looms, which latter are of very recent introduction. The buildings are of very large dimensions, in general from six to eight stories in height, and in some of them from 800 to 2000 persons are employed. The principal articles manufactured are velvets, fustians, jeans, ticking, checks, ginghams, quiltings, calico muslins, and muslinets. There are also very extensive print-fields, bleach-greens, dye-works, and establishments for every department of the manufacture, which in the aggregate affords employment to 36,225 persons; but is at present in a declining state, several of the works having been recently suspended, and others applied to different purposes. Connected with these establishments are various manufactories for machinery, iron-forges, and works for the preparation of oil of vitriol and other chymical products used in bleaching, dyeing, and printing, together employing about 1000 persons; engraving also, as connected with the printing of cotton goods, is carried on extensively. An iron-foundry was first established here in 1792; in 1798 the Lagan foundry, in Ballymacarrett, was erected, where steam-engines are now made; and in 1811 the Belfast foundry, in Donegal-street, was built, in which the patent rotatory steam-engines, originally invented by one of the proprietors, have been manufactured. In 1834 the manufacture of machinery for spinning flax was first successfully introduced into Ireland, by the proprietors of the Belfast foundry; two other foundries have been since established,--the Phoenix, in York-street, and the Soho foundry, in Townsend-street, where spinning machinery is made; there are also several other foundries on a smaller scale, the whole affording employment to about 600 persons. The making of vitriol was introduced in 1799; at present there are two establishments, in which about 180 persons are employed. The manufacture of flint glass was commenced in 1776, and in a few years several extensive glass-houses were erected; at present there are only two in operation, employing together about 90 persons. There are two distilleries, which annually produce 311,000 gallons of spirits, nearly the whole of which is for home consumption: about 150 men are employed in the process; and at Brookfield, adjoining the town, is another upon an extensive scale. There are twelve extensive ale and porter breweries, from which many thousand barrels are annually exported; some large flour and meal-mills, worked by steam and water; and extensive manufactories for tobacco, soap, candles, starch, glue, and paper, both for home consumption and for exportation. The tanning of leather for exportation was formerly carried on to a great extent, and at the commencement of the present century there were 36 tanyards in the town and neighbourhood; but it has much declined, and is at present chiefly confined to the home market. The manufacture of ropes and canvas was originally introduced in 1758, to which were added, in 1784, the making of sail-cloth, and, in 1820, the making of sails, which has since grown into celebrity and affords employment to a great number of persons of both sexes. Ship-building was commenced in the year 1791, prior to which time all vessels belonging to the port were built and repaired in England and Scotland; there are now two extensive yards, with graving docks and every requisite appendage, in which more than 200 men are constantly employed, and from which four or five brigs of the first class, and schooners of from 100 to 360 tons' registered burden, are annually launched. Several ships have also been lately built, among which is the Hindoo, of 400 tons' register, for the East India trade.

The trade of the port, comparatively of modern origin, has been rapid in its growth and uniformly increasing in its progress: it originally rose into importance on the purchase by the Crown, in 1637, of the privileges possessed by the corporation of Carrickfergus (of which port Belfast was formerly only a dependency), of importing merchandise at a far lower rate of duty than was paid at any other port. After the completion of this purchase, the custom-house of that place was removed to Belfast, which, however, arose into distinguished notice only with the linen trade, as, at the commencement of the last century, there were only five vessels, of the aggregate burden of 109 tons, belonging to the port; and the amount of custom-house duties, in 1709, was not more than £1215. In 1740 it had not only become well known on the continent as a place of considerable trade, but was in equal repute with the most celebrated commercial towns in Europe, and in 1785 it became the principal depot of the linen trade, from which time its commerce rapidly increased. During the fluctuations of trade by which other places suffered so severely, Belfast experienced comparatively but little diminution of its commerce, and in 1825 derived a considerable addition to its trade in the increase of the cross-channel intercourse, from the introduction of steam navigation. In 1833, the number of vessels which entered inwards at the port was 2445, and which cleared outwards, 1391; and the amount of duties paid at the custom-house exceeded £412,000. The trade has been rapidly and uniformly increasing every year; and in that ending on Jan. 5th, 1836, the number of vessels that entered inwards was 2730, and that cleared outwards, 2047; and the amount of duties paid at the custom-house, was £357,645. 2. 10., and of quayage dues at the ballast-office, £9289. 19. 11. The commerce of the port consists of various branches, of which the most important at present is the cross-channel trade, which in 1747 employed only three vessels, collectively of 198 tons' burden; from that time it appears to have rapidly increased, and, since the more direct and expeditious intercourse with the principal ports of Great Britain, afforded by the introduction of steam navigation, has absorbed a considerable portion of the foreign and colonial trade. The principal exports connected with this branch are linen cloth, manufactured cotton goods, and agricultural produce. Its extensive trade in provisions is of very recent introduction, and affords a striking demonstration of the great improvements in the system of agriculture which have taken place since the commencement of the present century, previously to which considerable quantities of corn were annually imported, and in 1789 the only articles shipped from this port were beef and butter, in very limited quantities. The chief imports by the cross-channel trade are tea, sugar, cotton, wool, and various articles for the use of the manufacturers, bleachers, and dyers; also British manufactured goods, and articles of general merchandise. The number of vessels that entered inwards from British ports during the year 1835 was 2949, and the number that cleared outwards, 1534; of these there were nine steam-boats, of which four were employed in the Glasgow, three in the Liverpool, and two in the London trade. The first steam-boat that crossed the channel to this port was from Liverpool, in 1819, but it was not till 1824 that steam-boats were employed in the transmission of merchandise: the passage by steam navigation to Liverpool is performed, on the average, in 14 hours, to London in 132 hours, to Glasgow in 14 hours, and to Dublin in 14 hours.

The trade with the United States and with British North America is also very considerable: the chief exports are linen cloth, manufactured cotton goods, blue, starch, and whiskey; the imports are timber and staves, tobacco, cotton, wool, ashes, and flax and clover seeds. In 1835, the number of vessels in this trade which entered inwards was 78, and of those that cleared outwards 76, the latter taking out 2675 emigrants, of whom 1824 were destined for the British American colonies, and 851 for the United States. The trade with the West Indies commenced in 1740, and, of late, several first-class vessels have been built expressly for it; 9 vessels entered inwards, and 15 cleared outwards, in 1835, in connection with the British West India islands only. The trade with the Baltic, which is on the increase, consists in the importation of tallow, timber, ashes, flax, and hemp. Tallow and hides are also imported from Odessa; mats, pitch, tar, flax, and flax seed from Archangel; and wine, fruit, lemon and lime juice, olive and other oils, brimstone, and barilla, from the Mediterranean and the Levant. The total number of vessels employed in the foreign trade, which entered inwards in 1835, was 184, and of those that cleared outwards, 145. The coasting trade is also of great importance; exclusively of ordinary vessels of different classes, and of the regular steam-packets for goods and passengers to Liverpool, London, Dublin, Greenock, Glasgow, and Stranraer, it employs packets, in the summer season, to the Isle of Man, Whitehaven, North Wales, Port Stewart, Derry, and to several other places on the Irish and Scottish coasts. There is also engaged in this trade a regular establishment of vessels of different classes to London, Maryport, Workington, and Whitehaven, those to the last three ports being chiefly employed in the coal trade; the imports supply the greater part of the North of Ireland. The number of vessels belonging to the port is 219, of an aggregate burden of 23,681 tons; but they are very inadequate to the extent of its commerce, of which a very large portion is carried on in ships belonging to other countries.

The port is very advantageously situated for trade at the mouth of the Lagan in Belfast Lough, sometimes called Carrickfergus bay, a noble arm of the sea forming a safe and commodious harbour, well sheltered and easy of access; the entrance is about six miles in breadth from the point between Groomsport and Ballyholm bay, in the county of Down, and White Head in the county of Antrim; the length from the latter point to the quays at Belfast is 12 miles, decreasing gradually in breadth towards the bridge, where it is very much contracted by the different quays and landing-places, and the embankments of Ballymacarrett. The preservation and improvement of the port and harbour were vested in the Ballast Corporation, constituted by act of parliament in 1785, which was repealed by an act obtained in 1831, and a new "Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port and Harbour of Belfast" was created, consisting of "the lord of the castle" and "the sovereign," the parliamentary representatives for the counties of Antrim and Down, and the boroughs of Belfast, Carrickfergus, and Downpatrick, and sixteen other commissioners, of whom four go out of office annually, and their successors are elected subject to the approbation of the lord-lieutenant and privy council. Their annual income, arising from pilotage, tonnage, quayage rates on imports and exports, ballastage, &c., on an average of five years, ending Jan. 5th, 1836, amounted to £8868. 18. 8., and the expenditure to £8789 8. 4. The objects of obtaining the new act, in 1831, were to enable the commissioners to purchase quays and grounds for the improvement of the harbour, and to render the enactments suitable to the present state of the trade of the town, which had increased nearly tenfold since the passing of the former act. Below the bridge a fine range of quays extends along the north-west bank of the river, with two graving docks, which were constructed soon after the port was frequented by large vessels; three of these wet docks extend into the principal streets of the town. A spacious graving dock was completed in the year 1826, at an expense of £26,000, by the Ballast Corporation; and several extensive wet docks, quays, and warehouses are now being constructed below the town, under an act of parliament obtained in 1829, by Messrs. Holmes and Dunbar, who have already expended £35,000 in this undertaking: the first of these docks, completed in 1832, is 400 yards in length and 100 yards in breadth, and is intended for the large ships in the timber trade, and for those in the coal trade till the other docks are constructed. The harbour commissioners, under the act of 1831, contemplate the deepening and enlarging of the harbour, the formation of a new channel from the quays to the Mile-water river, the construction of floating docks with entrance locks, additional quays, and other improvements; but these works are at present delayed. The custom-house, a very indifferent building, is situated on Hanover-quay. The Lagan navigation, extending in a line of 22 miles from the port to Lough Neagh, by way of Lisburn, was constructed under an act of the 27th of Geo. III., confirmed by others to the 54th of the same reign, by which the proprietors were invested with a small duty on beer and spirits in the excise district of Lisburn, since commuted for an annual money payment out of the consolidated fund: the number of debentures issued from 1785 to 1793 was sixty-two, amounting to £62,000. The navigation is continued partly in the bed of the river, and partly by collateral cuts to a mile above Lisburn; but, from its circuitous course and the high rate of the tolls, goods are conveyed by land with greater expedition and at less expense. Divers new roads have been formed in the immediate neighbourhood of the town; and, under an act of parliament obtained in 1832, a railway from the harbour to Cave Hill is now being constructed, in a double line, which is the first work of the kind in the North of Ireland.

The Chamber of Commerce was originally established in 1783; its meetings were suspended from 1794 to 1802, since which time they have been resumed without interruption, greatly to the benefit of trade and the interests of the town. The Old Exchange, situated nearly in the centre of the town, at the end of Donegal-street, is the private property of the Marquess of Donegal; it was formerly the place of public resort for the merchants, but, since the erection of the Commercial Buildings, has been used only for the election of the chief magistrate. The Commercial Buildings were erected in 1822, opposite to the Exchange, at an expense of £20,000, by a proprietary of 200 shareholders incorporated by act of parliament in 1823, and by a committee of whom, annually elected, the affairs of the institution are conducted: the buildings comprise an excellent commercial hotel, a spacious and handsome news-room, over which is an elegant assembly-room, and behind these an area with a piazza. for the use of the merchants; and in connection with them are numerous offices principally occupied by professional men. The north front, of Irish granite, is decorated with eight lofty Ionic columns, and the west front is principally occupied by shops: the merchants assemble in the news-room and hold 'Change on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The revenue derived by Government from the post-office, in 1835, was £10,073. The banking establishments are the Northern Banking Company, established in 1824; the Belfast Banking Company, in 1826; and the Ulster Banking Company, in 1836: all have branches in the different large towns throughout the province. There are also branches of the Bank of Ireland, the Provincial Bank, and the Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland.

Jas. I., in 1605, 1608, and 1611, made grants of markets and fairs, which were all included in one grant to Arthur, Lord Chichester, in 1621, of a market to be held on Friday, and fairs annually on Aug. 1st and 2nd, and Oct. 23th and 29th; this grant was also confirmed by Charles II. to Arthur, Earl of Donegal, in 1668. Though the markets are open daily, the principal market day is Friday: the two fairs are now held on Aug. 12th and Nov. 8th. There are in Smithfield two market-places for meat, two for fish, and one for hay, straw, and hides, besides several others for meat and vegetables in various parts of the town, all of which are well supplied: the market for pork and butter is in the weigh-house and buildings adjoining; the sale of poultry of all kinds, collected from a great distance, forms a regular trade; and the fish market is well supplied with turbot and salmon from the coasts of Antrim and Derry.

Belfast is in some measure indebted for its incorporation to the favour shewn to the Chichester family by Jas. I., who, in 1612, granted to Sir Arthur Chichester, who had previously established a number of Devonshire men in the townland of Malone, the castle and an extensive surrounding territory; and in the following year incorporated the inhabitants by charter. In the 4th of Jas. II., on a seizure of the franchises, a charter, the provisions of which were in most respects similar to those of the former, was granted, but is now considered void. Geo. II., in the 33rd year of his reign, also granted a charter, which, however, is only an inspeximus of the charter of Jas. I. The corporation is styled "The Sovereign, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Belfast;" and consists of a sovereign, lord of the castle, constable of the castle, twelve other free burgesses, and an unlimited number of freemen, assisted by a town-clerk and two serjeants-at-mace. The sovereign is chosen annually on the 24th of June by the free burgesses, from three of their own body nominated by the lord of the castle (or, in default of such nomination, which seldom occurs, elected by themselves), and is sworn into office before the lord, or in his absence before, the constable of the castle, on Michaelmas-day. The lord of the castle is a member of the corporation by tenure of the castle of Belfast; the office is held by the Marquess of Donegal, in whose family it has continued since the date of the charter; the constable is appointed by instrument under seal of the lord of the castle, and becomes a free burgess. The other free burgesses are chosen, as vacancies occur, by the sovereign and the remainder of their body; the town-clerk is elected by the sovereign and burgesses; and the serjeants-at-mace are chosen by the corporation at large. The freedom of the borough is acquired only by gift of the sovereign and • free burgesses 5 at present there are no freemen. The borough returned two representatives to the Irish parliament from the date of its incorporation till the Union, after which it sent one to the Imperial parliament, but its original number was restored by the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 88, passed to amend the representation. The right of election was formerly vested exclusively in the free burgesses, but by the act above-named has been extended to the £10 householders: the number of voters registered at the close of 1835 was about 1600: the sovereign is the returning officer. The jurisdiction of the corporation and of the town police is supposed to extend on the north to the Mile-water, and on the south to the Blackstaff, both of which streams fall into the Lagan, which forms its boundary on the east; and on the west is also a boundary, but so imperfectly defined that disputes are constantly arising with respect to the county cess, which within it is levied on the houses, and without it only on the acre. Under the act now regulating the harbour a jurisdiction is given to the judges "of assize, justices of the peace for Antrim, and the sovereign of Belfast, over all offences committed within the limits of the port and harbour, or within 500 yards of the quays in the county of Down, as if such offences had been committed within the county of Antrim. The act of the 2nd and 3rd of Wm. IV., cap. 89, assigns a new boundary for elective purposes, which is minutely described in the Appendix. The sovereign is a justice of the peace for the borough, and usually holds the commissions of the peace for the counties of Antrim and Down; he is also clerk of the market, and, ex officio, a member of different bodies incorporated under local acts for the improvement of the town and port. The charter granted a court of record for the recovery of debts not exceeding £20, arising within the borough or its liberty, to be held every Thursday before the sovereign, but it has long since fallen into disuse. The manor court, held every third Thursday before the seneschal (who is appointed by the Marquess of Donegal, as lord of the manor of Belfast, within which the borough is situated), has jurisdiction over the entire parish, and over the townland of Ballynafeigh, in the county of Down, to the amount of £20 present currency, by process of attachment or arrest: the seneschal also proceeds by civil bill under the manor court acts: the prison of the court was abolished in 1828, and defaulters are now sent to the county gaol. Courts leet for the manor are also held by the seneschal; at that held in May, constables, applotters, and appraisers are appointed for the ensuing year. The sovereign holds petty sessions every Monday and Wednesday at the sessions-house, at which county magistrates may also attend. The stipendiary police magistrate, appointed in 1816, holds a court of petty session at the sessions-house every Thursday, at which other justices attend; a magistrate's court at the police-office every Tuesday and Saturday, where he disposes of cases respecting servants' wages, and other matters not requiring the attendance of two justices; and also sits daily at the office of the nightly watch establishment. The county quarter sessions are held in this town, in conjunction with other places, four times in the year; and the assistant barrister then determines causes by civil bill under his statutable jurisdiction, for the division of Belfast. The house of correction, adjoining the quarter sessions court-house, is a good building of brick, erected in 1817, but is not sufficiently adapted for the classification of prisoners, who are chiefly employed in breaking stones for the streets of the town: it contains good schools, for both sexes, to which two hours in the day are devoted. Commissioners of police were appointed by an act of parliament passed in 1800, and amended in 1816, under which a police tax, amounting on an average of five years, ending with 1835, to £9000 per annum, is levied for the maintenance of patrols by night and by day, and for lighting, cleansing, and paving the town and precincts.

The parish, according to the Ordnance survey, contains 19,559 statute acres, and was anciently called Shankill, but no church having existed at the latter place for more than two centuries, it is now generally designated the parish of Belfast. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Connor, and province of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Donegal, to whom the impropriate rectory belongs: the entire parish is under the tithe composition act, and, with the exception of a portion, called the Upper Falls, pays £950 per annum, of which £600 belongs to the lay impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar, who has also a glebe-house near the church, and 20 acres of land. The parochial church, dedicated to St. Anne, was erected in 1778, at the expense of the late Marquess of Donegal: it consists of a nave and chancel, with a lofty Ionic tower surmounted by a Corinthian cupola covered with copper, forming an interesting and conspicuous object for many miles round; the portico, which was inferior in character to the rest of the building, has been replaced by one of loftier elevation. About 1830 the late Board of First Fruits gave £666 for the repair, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £375 for the improvement, of the church. St. George's church, or chapel of ease, was erected in 1812, on the site of a former edifice, called the corporation church, which had been built on the ruins of the ancient castle: it is a splendid structure, consisting of a nave and chancel, with a magnificent and highly enriched portico of six noble columns and four fluted pilasters, supporting a cornice and pediment, in the tympanum of which are the arms of the united sees of Down and Connor, and of the town, in alto relievo; this splendid specimen of Corinthian architecture was removed from the front of a palace built by the late Earl of Bristol, when Bishop of Derry, on the shore of Lough Beg, the materials for which were quarried from the Derry mountains, and worked by Irish artists, and after that noble prelate's decease purchased, on the demolition of the palace, by Dr. Alexander, then Bishop of Down and Connor, and now of Meath, and by him presented to this church: the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £123. 6. 7. for the repair of the building. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar, and was endowed by the late Board of First Fruits with £3000, laid out in the purchase of the tithes of Naas, in the county of Kildare, producing under the composition act £126 per ann., and further endowed by the vicar with a portion of the tithes of the Upper Falls, now producing to the curate, under the same act, £50 per annum. Christchurch, containing 1000 free sittings, and situated near the Royal Institution, was erected by the late Board of First Fruits, aided by subscription, and was opened for divine service in 1833: the living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £50 per ann. by the Board, together with the rents of the pews, and in the patronage of the Vicar. It is also in contemplation to erect a church, or chapel, in the townland of Upper Malone, in this parish, about three miles south of the town.

Belfast is the seat of the R. C. see of Down and Connor, and the residence of the Bishop; there are two spacious chapels in the town, one of which, erected in 1811, and considered as the cathedral, is an elegant edifice, in the later style of English architecture: there are also other chapels at Ballymacarrett, Hollywood, Green Castle, and Ballyclare, all in the R. C. parish of Belfast. There are seven places of worship for Presbyterians, of which that for the third congregation (so called from the order of its formation), built in 1831 at an expense of £10,000. by Mr. Millar, a native and resident architect, is perhaps the most elegant edifice of its kind in the three kingdoms. The front is enriched with a stately Grecian-Doric portico of ten lofty columns resting on a basement of twenty steps, and surmounted by a beautiful attic balustrade, composed of a series of pedestals and light pierced work, having a novel and pleasing effect; the other portions of the building are noble and elegant in design, and beautiful in detail, especially the grand staircase leading to the gallery, from which may best be observed that agreeable harmony of design and unity of effect which are strikingly characteristic of this chaste and beautiful edifice. The meet-ing-house for the fifth congregation, in Fisherwick-place, erected in 1827 at an expense of £7000; and that for the sixth, in May-street, built in 1829 at an expense of £9000, are also spacious and elegant structures. There are three places of worship for the Seceders (sometimes called Burghers or Antiburghers), two for Covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians, two each for Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists, and one each for General Baptists, the Society of Friends, and Independents. Five of the Presbyterian meeting-houses are in connection with the Synod of Ulster, namely, those of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh congregations; the fifth and sixth are of the first class and the fourth and seventh of the second class. Two are in connection with the Presbytery of Antrim, namely, those of the first and second congregations, the first being a collegiate charge, and each of the first class; and two more in connection with the Seceding Synod are of the first class.

The "Royal Belfast Academical Institution," which reflects so much honour on its founders, was projected in ] 807; and, within a few weeks from the first promulgation of the design, subscriptions to the amount of £16,000 were raised for carrying it into effect: this sum was further increased by subscriptions from other parts of Ireland, and from England; and, under the patronage of the Marquess of Hastings, and by the unwearied exertions of several gentlemen, nearly £5000 was subscribed in India: making the total amount £25,000. In 1810, the patrons and principal subscribers were by act of parliament incorporated a body politic, to consist of the Lord-Primate, the Marquess of Donegal, the Bishop of Down and Connor, the Bishop of Dromore, and more than 70 of the principal subscribers, including all who should subscribe and pay 20 guineas, with power to elect a president, vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, managers, visitors, and auditors, of whom 21 should be competent to form a board, to transact all business relative to the institution, with license to take lands not exceeding £2500 per annum, and other privileges. The buildings were completed at an expense, including furniture and apparatus, of £28,954. 3. 8., leaving no provision for the endowment of professorships; for which object the managers applied to government, and in the year 1814 received from parliament a grant of £1500, which was continued during the years 1815 and 1816; after which it ceased till 1824, when it was renewed on the recommendation of the Commissioners of Education, and in the year 1834 was increased to £3500; of which sum £2000 was for additional buildings, and £1500 for general expenditure. The institution comprehends a collegiate and a school department, the former under the direction of seven professors of natural philosophy, moral philosophy, logic and the belles lettres, mathematics, Latin and Greek, Hebrew, and anatomy, respectively; there are also two professors of divinity, one appointed by the general Synod of Ulster, and the other by the Seceding Presbyterian Synod of Ireland. The professors were, in 1818, constituted a board of faculty for superintending the courses of instruction and discipline observed in the institution, as were also the masters of the school department for that branch of it. The collegiate department is conducted on a plan similar, in most respects, to that of the university of Glasgow; the session commences in November and ends in May, when public examinations take place; the mathematical class is generally very numerous, and is considered equal to any in the United Kingdom; the classical course is also extensive; the moral philosophy class has no prescribed course of reading, but lectures are given and examinations are held; the course of anatomy is pursued rather as a branch of general education than as a medical study, though admirably calculated as a first course for medical students, for whom it is in contemplation to establish a distinct class. The school department comprises the mercantile, English, classical, mathematical, Italian, French, and drawing schools, each superintended by a separate master. There are at present about 200 students in the collegiate, and 210 pupils in the school, department of the institution, to which is attached a good library, a museum, and a valuable philosophical apparatus. Nearly all the candidates for the Presbyterian ministry in Ireland are educated here; and the Synod of Ulster, and the Seceding Synod of Ireland, by whom the institution is cordially patronised, consider the general certificate of the faculty equivalent to the degree of M. A. in any of the Scottish universities, or to that of B. A. in Trinity College, Dublin, or either of the English universities: the total receipts of this establishment, for 1835, were £3646. 8. 5., and the expenditure was £3735. 19. 5. The number of children educated in the various charity and other free schools, excepting the Sunday schools, is about 2850, of whom 1480 are boys and 1370 girls; one on the Lancasterian plan was formerly a Sunday school, and was converted into a day school in the year 1811, when a spacious school-house of brick, with a residence for the master, was built at an expense of £2000, raised by lottery and by local subscriptions; the school in Brown-street was established in the year 1812, under the patronage of the Marquess of Donegal, and a large and handsome brick building, with houses for the master and mistress adjoining, was erected by subscription, at an expense of £1500; the school in Donegal-street, which was the first in the North of Ireland, that placed itself in connection with the National Board, was founded in 1829, under the patronage of the Right Rev. Dr. Crolley, R. C. Bishop of Down and Connor, and two large school-houses were built adjoining the R. C. cathedral; and in the townland of Malone the late Marquess of Donegal, in 1765, built a very large school-house on the demesne of Willmount, and endowed it with the rent of an adjoining farm, now let for £40 per annum, which appears to have been originally a charter school, but is now open to all children of the neighbourhood, of whom those attending it are educated gratuitously, and supplied with books. The number of private schools is 74, in which are 3630 boys and 2820 girls.

The Incorporated Poor-house, for the reception of the aged and infirm poor, and the support of their children during infancy, was built at an expense of £7000, raised by a lottery and by public subscription, on an elevated site at the upper end of Donegal-street, granted in 1771 by the Marquess of Donegal; and the founders of this humane institution were incorporated by act of parliament in 1774, under the title of "the President and Assistants of the Belfast Charitable Society." The funds, which from the improvement in property are likely to increase, at present exceed £2500 per annum, arising from an annuity of £750 paid by the commissioners of water, the surplus of the revenue of the harbour commissioners after paying the necessary expenses of improving and maintaining the harbour, rents of land and houses, annual subscriptions and donations, and from collections at the churches and principal chapels. There are at present more than 480 individuals who are lodged, clothed, and fed in the house, of whom the aged, both male and female, are employed in some useful occupation, or in its domestic management; and the children, for whose instruction a master and a mistress are appointed with salaries respectively of £25 and £20 per annum, are also taught some business in the house, or apprenticed to trades, or to the sea service: each is at liberty to attend his own place of worship on Sunday; and ministers of all denominations are allowed to officiate in the house during the week. The House of Industry, for the suppression of mendicity and the promotion of industry among the poor, was established in Smithfield in 1809; it is principally supported by voluntary contributions, and affords employment in weaving, spinning, knitting, net-making, and other branches of industry, to the unemployed poor, making up any deficiency in their earnings by donations of food and clothing; it assists poor housekeepers, relieves strangers and forwards them to their destination, supplies deserving mendicants with food and punishes the refractory, accommodates industrious families with small loans or occasional grants, and has diffused great benefit over this populous town, in which it has entirely abolished mendicity. The Fever Hospital was established in 1817, and a dispensary, instituted in 1792, has been incorporated with it: the buildings, situated in Frederick-street, are handsome and commodious, with a spacious area in front, and are adapted to the reception of 226 patients; it is supported by donations, bequests, and subscriptions, also by fines levied by magistrates and grand jury presentments, of which the last alone amount to about £400 per annum, and its annual income is about £1000: it is open to patients not only of the town, but from the county at large, of whom a great number are annually relieved. The Lying-in Hospital was originally established in Donegal-street, in 1794, but in 1830 removed to a more spacious and handsome building erected for it on the new road; it is liberally supported by subscription. The Belfast District Lunatic Asylum, for the reception of pauper patients from the counties of Antrim and Down, and from the county of the town of Carrickfergus, was erected on an eminence one mile from the town, near the Falls road, in 1829, at an expense, including furniture and other contingencies, of £25,319. 13., defrayed by Government under an act of the 1st and 2nd of Geo. IV.: the buildings, which are handsome, were originally adapted for 104 patients, and consist of a centre comprising the house of the governor and the committee-rooms, and two wings, in which are eight corridors containing each thirteen cells for patients, and two others of smaller size containing six cells each, for those of more violent derangement; each corridor has a day-room for the patients, and one also for the keeper: the grounds surrounding the house comprise an area of more than 21 acres, to which the patients have free access, and the whole is enclosed with a stone wall fourteen feet high, with a porter's lodge at the entrance: the males are employed in weaving linen and cotton, gardening, and cultivating the land; and the females in spinning, knitting, and domestic occupations. The management of the asylum is vested in a committee appointed by the general board in Dublin; the medical department is superintended by a physician, governor, and matron, assisted by 26 keepers and others: the annual expenditure, about £2000, is advanced by Government, but repaid by the grand juries of the respective counties. Many extraordinary cures have been effected, and upon an average nearly one-half of the patients have been restored to sanity by the skilful and humane system of treatment introduced and successfully practised by the governor. A savings' bank was established in 1816, for which a handsome edifice was erected in 1830, at an expense of £1400, raised from a fund which had accumulated from the gratuitous superintendence of the committee for the fourteen years preceding; the amount of deposits at present is nearly £90,000. There are also several minor establishments for the benefit of the poor, among which may be noticed the female penitentiary; the society for the relief of the destitute sick, established in 1826; the society for clothing the poor, in 1827; the society for discountenancing vice and promoting the Christian religion, also in 1827; the association for the protection of the rights of conscience, in 1830; the society for the religious improvement of the poor, also in 1830; a Bible society, tract societies, and a library of religious books for the use of the poor.

There are no remains of antiquity in the town, though some are scattered over the parish: near Stranmillis, on the Lagan, was an ancient chapel, called Capella de Kilpatrick; on the summit of a hill in Upper Malone was the Capella de Crookmuck; near Callender's Fort, on the Falls road, about two miles from the town, was that of Cranock, of which traces of the foundations and a large cemetery are still remaining; and on the same road, the chapel of Kilwee, where numerous elegantly carved crosses and other sepulchral monuments have been found. About three miles on the Carrickfergus road is a small fragment of an ancient fortress, called Greencastle; in Upper Malone was an extensive fort called Castle Cam, or Freeston Castle, on the site of which the elegant mansion of Malone House has been erected; at a small distance on the left of the road to Shaw's-bridge are seen the foundations of a third fort; in the grounds of Malone, near Lismoine, are the remains of a fourth; and in the R. C. burial-ground at Friar's Bush are the remains of a fifth. Among the most curious relics of antiquity are the caves in various places formed in the earth and in the hard limestone rock; of the former, three were discovered in 1792 at Wolf Hill, the largest of which is eight yards long and one yard wide, with four small chambers diverging from it; on the side of a small hill in the townland of Ballymargy is one of larger dimensions, and in a more perfect state, with two entrances; and near Hannahstown is one still larger, which since 1798 has been closed, having at that time been a place of concealment for arms. Three large caves, which give name to the. mountain called Cave Hill, are all formed in the perpendicular face of an immense range of basaltic rock; the lowest is 21 feet long, 18 wide, and from 7 to 10 feet in height; above this is another, 10 feet long, 7 wide, and 6 in height; and above that is a third, said to be divided into two unequal parts, each of which is more extensive than the largest of the other caves; but the ascent is so dangerous that few venture to visit it. The large ramparts of earth, called raths, or forts, are also numerous: of these the most extensive is Mac Art's fort, on the summit of Cave hill, protected on one side by a precipice, and on the others by a single ditch of great depth and a vallum of large dimensions; the enclosed area is nearly level, and, from the height of the mountain, which is 1140 feet, commands a view of vast extent, variety, and beauty, including the Isle of Man, the Shores and mountains of Scotland, and a large portion of the counties of Antrim, Down, Armagh, Derry, and Donegal. Near the base of Squires hill are many smaller raths, and two of large dimensions almost at the summit of the Black mountain; and near the shore, at Fort William, is an encampment, 70 feet square, surrounded by a deep fosse and defended by a bastion at each angle, and said to have been thrown up by King William in 1690; near it is another intrenchment of ruder construction. There are two large cairns on the Black mountain, in one of which, in 1829, was found a large urn filled with calcined human bones, a spear head, and two ornaments of brass; there is also a cairn on Gave hill, and one on Squires hill. Great numbers of stone and flint hatchets, and arrow heads of flint, have been discovered; and brazen celts and querns, or hand mill-stones, are occasionally found.

Among the gentlemen's seats in the parish the most conspicuous for their elegance are Ardoyne, the residence of M. Andrews, Esq.; Ballydrain, of H. Montgomery, Esq.; Ballysillen, of J. F. Ferguson, Esq.; Beech Park, of Arbuthnot Emerson, Esq.; Beech Mount, of Lewis Reford, Esq.; Brookfield, of T. Tripp, Esq.; Cromac, of T. Garret, Esq.; Duncairn, of A. J. Macrorey, Esq.; the Falls, of J. Sinclaire, Esq.; Fortfield, of W. Johnson, Esq.; Fort-William, of G. Langtry, Esq.; Glenbank of T. Mackay, Esq.; Glennalena, of W. Orr, Esq.; Glenville, of Mrs. McCance; the Grove, of W. Simms, Esq.; Jennymount, of R. Thomson, Esq.; Larkfield, of Henderson Black, Esq.; Ligoneil, of A. Stewart, Esq.; Lismoine, of R. Callwell, Esq.; the Lodge, of J. Emerson Tennent, Esq., M.P. for Belfast; Low-Wood, of J. Thomson, Esq.; Malone House, of W. Wallace Legge, Esq.; Mount Collier, of A. Mulholland, Esq.; Mount Vernon, of Hill Hamilton, Esq.; New Forge, of J. Ferguson, Esq.; Park-Mount, of J. McNeile, Esq.; Old Park, of H. Lyons, Esq.; Sea-view, of J. Boomer, Esq.; Springfield, of J. Stevenson, Esq.; Strandmillis, of G. Black, Esq.; Suffolk, of W. McCance, Esq,; Wheatfield, of J. Blair, Esq.; Willmount, of J. Stewart, Esq.; Wolf Hill, of Mrs. Thompson; Woodburn, of M. Charley, Esq.; Finaghy, of J. Charley, Esq.; and Strigoniel, of J. Steen, jun., Esq. The mineral productions are coal, iron, manganese, marble, limestone, freestone, gypsum, and fullers' earth, of which only the limestone is worked; the coal seams are seen in the Collin and Dunmurry water, and under the lands of Willmount, near which place also, and at New Forge, is the iron; the manganese, at the foot of the Black mountain, near which is a fine stratum of grey marble; and the gypsum, in the Collin and Forth water. Among the eminent natives of this place may be noticed, Dr. Black, the celebrated chymist; the Rev. T. Romney Robinson, author of an able mathematical work, and principal astronomer in the observatory at Armagh; J. Templeton, Esq., who left in manuscript the Botany and Natural History of Ireland, now in preparation for the press by his son; and J. Emerson Tennent, Esq., author of the History of Modern Greece, &c. Among the distinguished persons who have resided here may be mentioned the late Dr. R. Tennent, the philanthropist; Dr. Abernethy, author of the Attributes; Edward Bunting, a celebrated professor of music and collector of the ancient melodies of Ireland; Dr. J. L. Drummond, author of various scientific treatises and botanical works; Dr. Bruce, author of a life of Homer and other works; and Dr. W. H. Drummond, author of various poetical, religious, and political works. Belfast gives the titles of Earl and Baron to the ancient family of Chichester, Marquesses of Donegal.

BELGRIFFIN, or BALGRIFFIN, a parish, in the barony of COOLOCK, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. E.) from Dublin; containing 259 inhabitants. This place formerly belonged to the ancient family of the De Burgos, who held the manor in the 14th century, and by whom the castle was erected. It afterwards became the property of the O'Neills and De Bathes, and the castle was for some time the residence of Richard, Duke of Tyrconnel, Lord-Deputy of Ireland under Jas. II. The parish is situated on the turnpike road from Dublin to Malahide: the lands are chiefly under tillage; the system of agriculture is improving, and the parish generally is noted as a corn district. Belgriffin Park, the seat of the Rev.. T. F. Walker, is pleasantly situated; the mansion is built with the materials of the ancient castle, of which there are now no remains. The other seats are Bellcamp, the property of J. J. Baggot, Esq.; Clare Grove, of General Cuppage; Airfield, of Alderman Sir Edmund Nugent; and Sea View, of T. Franklyn, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin; the rectory is united to that of Drumshallen and to the half rectories of Kilcullen and Glasnevin, together forming the corps of the precentorship in the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin, in the patronage of the Crown; and the vicarage is part of the union of St. Doulogh's, in the patronage of the Precentor. The lands in this parish belonging to the precentor comprise 29a. 2r. 3p., let on lease for £3. 13. 4. per annum, and an annual renewal fine of £18. 9. 2 3/4.; and the lands of the union comprise altogether 680a. 3r. 21p., let on lease for £95. 19. 5. per annum, and annual renewal fines of £114. 9. 2.; making the gross income of the precentorship, including the tithes, £484. 19. 6 3/4. per annum. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Baldoyle and Howth. In 158O, Mr. John Bathe left a piece of land at Chapelizod for the support of an hospital for four poor men of this parish. There are some remains of the old church.

BELLAGAN, a village, in the parish of CARLINGFORD, barony of LOWER DUNDALK, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S.) from Carlingford; containing 155 inhabitants. It is situated on the south-west side of the entrance into the bay of Carlingford, and consists of about 25 houses, which are mostly inhabited by small farmers and agricultural labourers.--See CARLINGFORD.

BELLAGHY, a village and post-town, in the parish of BALLYSCULLION, barony of LOUGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 9 1/2 miles (S.) from Kilrea, and 100 1/4(N.) from Dublin: the population is returned with the parish. This" place became the head of a district granted in the reign of Jas. I. to the Vintners' Company, of London, who, in 1619, founded the village, and erected a strong and spacious castle, the custody of which they entrusted to Baptist Jones, Esq., who had a well-armed garrison of 76 men for its defence. In the war of 1641 the castle was besieged and taken by a party of insurgents under the command of one of the Mac Donnells, and in the following year burned to the ground. It occupied a gentle eminence on the north-west side of the village, but no portion of it is remaining; the very site has been cultivated as gardens, and the only traces are some of the arched cellars beneath the roots of some large trees. The village is situated on the western shore of Lough Beg, and on the roads leading respectively from Castle Dawson to Portglenone and from Kilrea to Toome; it consists of one long street intersected at right angles by two shorter streets; the houses are generally small, but well built; and the environs are remarkably pleasant, and are embellished with gentlemen's seats, of which the principal near the village are Bellaghy Castle, the residence of J. Hill, Esq., and Bellaghy House, of H. B. Hunter, Esq. Fairs are held on the first Monday in every month, for the sale of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and are well attended. A court for the Vintners' manor is held once every month, for the recovery of debts under £2: its jurisdiction extends over the parishes of Ballyscullion, Kilrea, Tamlaght-O'Crilly, Termoneeny, Maghera, Desertmartin, Kilcronaghan, Magherafelt, and Killelagh. Adjoining the village is the parish church of Ballyscullion, a large and handsome building; and at a short distance is a small R. C. chapel. Here is also a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists; and a meetinghouse is now being built for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster. The parochial school for boys and girls, a large and handsome building, was erected at the joint expense of the Marquess of Lothian, Earl of Clancarty, Lord Strafford, and the Hon. T. Pakenham, G.C.B., proprietors of the estate by purchase from the Vintners' Company, who have also endowed it with £5 per annum, and a like sum is granted by the rector: and there is a school for girls, supported by subscription, also a school built and supported by the Methodists.--See BALLYSCULLION.

BELLAGHY, a village, in the parish of ACHONRY, barony of LENEY, county of SLIGO, and province of Connaught, 10 miles (S. W.) from Ballyrnote, on the road to Swinford; containing 34 houses and 170 inhabitants. A market for provisions is held on Wednesday, and a fair is held every month: the market-house is situated in the centre of the village. Here is a station of the constabulary police.--See ACHONRY.

BELLAIR, a hamlet, in the parish of LEMANAGHAN, barony of GARRYCASTLE, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles from Clara; containing 81 inhabitants. The village, which is of modern origin, is situated on the road from Clara to Moat, and was founded by the family of Mullock: it has a neat and orderly appearance; the houses are built of stone and slated. Contiguous to it is the residence of Thos. H. Mulock, Esq., sheltered by plantations raised with great care. Mount Mulock, in the vicinity, is another seat of this family. Petty sessions are held here and at Doone every alternate Friday.--See LEMANAGHAN.

BELLEEK, county of ARMAGH.--See BALEEK.

BELLEEK, a parish, in the barony of LURG, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (E.) from Ballyshannon; containing 2702 inhabitants, of which number, 260 are in the village. This place is situated on Lough Erne, and on the road from Ennis-killen to Ballyshannon, and was erected into a parish in 1792, by disuniting 36 townlands from the parish of Templecarn; it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 12,848 1/2 statute acres, of which 9706 are ap-plotted under the tithe act, and 2576 are water. The land is principally heathy mountain, but that which is under tillage is of very superior quality; the state of agriculture, though very backward, is gradually improving; there is a large tract of bog, and abundance of limestone. The seats are Castle Caldwell, the residence of J. C. Bloomfield, Esq., and Maghramena, of W. John-ston, Esq. The village contains 47 houses, and has a penny post to Ballyshannon and Enniskillen. It is a station of the constabulary police; fairs are held on Feb. 3rd, March 17th, May 17th, June 20th, and Oct. 10th, and petty sessions every alternate Thursday. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £110. The church, a neat plain edifice, was erected in 1790, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £267. 9. 2. for its repair. The glebe-house is a handsome residence: the glebe comprises 660 statute acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Templecairn or Pettigo; the chapel is a spacious and well-built edifice, with a slated roof. There are schools at Belleek and Tullyna-behogue, partly supported by the rector; and at Castle Caldwell is a school supported by Mrs. Bloomfield. In these schools are about 60 boys and 80 girls; and there are also three pay schools, in which are about 180 boys and 70 girls, and a Sunday school. There are some ruins of the old church; on the shore of Lough Keen-aghan are those of an abbey; and there are remains of several Danish forts in the parish.

BELLEWSTOWN, a village, in the parish of DULEEK, barony of UPPER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (E.) from Duleek; containing 13 houses and 77 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Duleek to Laytown, and on the Nanny water. Races are held in June on the hill of Bellews-town, and are well attended; the days vary, but on the last Thursday in the month the king's cup is run for. The view from this hill is very extensive, embracing the Carlingford and Mourne mountains, and the bays of Dundalk and Carlingford.--See DULEEK.

BELLOUGH, a village, in the parish of CLONOULTY, barony of KILNEMANAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S. E.) from Cashel, on the high road from Tipperary to Thurles; containing about 60 houses and 400 inhabitants.

BELMULLEt, a small sea-port, in the parish of KILCOMMON, barony of ERRIS, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 32 1/4miles (W. by N.) from Bal-lina: the population is returned with the parish. This place is beautifully and advantageously situated on an isthmus to which it gives name, on the western coast, and which separates the bay of Blacksod from that of Broadhaven. It is a rapidly improving town: the surrounding district, about 20 years since, was scarcely accessible; but since that period, by the construction of several lines of road by Messrs. Nimmo, Knight, and Bald, the engineers, and more especially those from the county town of Castlebar and Ballina, the whole barony has been thrown open, and a great improvement has taken place in the agriculture of the district and the commerce of the port. In 1822 the land in the barony produced only about 80 tons of oats and barley; but in 1834 and 1835, the annual produce was 1800 tons. This great improvement has resulted from the reclaiming of the adjacent lands, and from Belmullet having become a very considerable mart, where the neighbouring farmers can readily find immediate purchasers for all their produce. The town owes its origin to the establishment of the head-quarters of the commander of the coast-guard here, in 1822. It is uniformly built, and contains 117 houses; it has a penny post to Ballina, and its general appearance, as seen from Blacksod bay, is pleasing and prepossessing. A pew line of road has been constructed along the coast, from Ballycastle to Belmullet and thence to Westport, a distance of 57 miles, forming a most interesting drive. The trade consists chiefly in the export of grain, especially of oats and barley; and several spacious warehouses have been built for the deposit, of corn. A commodious quay was constructed in 1826, at an expense of £700, of which sum, £300 was given by the late Fishery Board, and £300 by Mr. Carter. The harbour is capable of very great improvement, and by cutting through the narrow part of the isthmus, a canal might be made, at an estimated expense of £2000, which would enable vessels of 150 tons' burden to pass from Broadhaven into Blacksod bay, and in all winds at full tide into the Atlantic ocean, without being detained for months, as is now frequently the case. Fairs are held on the 15th of every month, except when it falls on Sunday, in which case the fair is held on the following Monday. Here is a chief constabulary police station; and the coast-guard district comprises the stations of Belmullet, Dugurth, Duhooma, Ballycovy, Blacksod, Ballyglass, and Renown Tower, and is under the superintendence of Capt. Nugent, resident inspecting commander, and a county magistrate. Petty sessions are held every Saturday: the court-house was built in 1833, at an expense of £200, by Mr. Ivers. There is also a dispensary. In the vicinity are several gentlemen's seats, noticed in Kilcomrnon and Kilmore-Erris, which see.

BELTURBEt, an incorporated market and post-town, partly in the parish of DRUMLANE, but chiefly in that of ANNAGH, barony of LOWER LOUGHTEE, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 12 miles (N. N. W.) from Cavan, and 67 (N. W.) from Dublin; containing 2026 inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated on the river Erne, on the road from Cavan to Ballyconnell, and owes its origin to the Lanesborough family, whose patronage has also contributed materially to its prosperity. In 1610, certain conditions were proposed by the lords of the council in England to Sir Stephen Butler, of Bealetirbirt, Knt., for establishing a market here and erecting a corporation; and in 1613 it received its first charter, whereby the king, on petition of the inhabitants, and for the purpose of furthering the plantation of Ulster, incorporated the village and its precincts into a borough. By an indenture in 1618 Sir Stephen Butler, in fulfilment of the conditions of the lords of the council, granted and confirmed to the corporation certain parcels of land amounting altogether to 284 acres, also a weekly market and two annual fairs, and a weekly court of record, the whole to be held of him or his successors in the fee, in fee-farm for ever, at the rent of 30s. yearly. This indenture contains a covenant on the part of the corporation that all the inhabitants should be ready at all times to be mustered and trained to arms whenever required by Sir Stephen, or his heirs or assigns, or by the Muster-master General of Ulster, or any of the king's officers duly authorised; and that they should grind their corn at Sir Stephen's mill. By Pynnar's survey, made in 1619, it appears that the newly erected houses were built of "cage work," and all inhabited by English tradesmen, who had each a garden, four acres of land, and commonage for a certain number of cows and horses. In 1690, the town, being garrisoned by a body of the forces of Jas. II., was taken by surprise by the Enniskilleners, who fortified it for their own party. It contains several neat houses, but the greater number are indifferently built and thatched. The wide expanse of Lough Erne to the north, and the varied character of the surrounding scenery, impart to the environs an interesting and highly picturesque appearance. A handsome bridge of three arches is in course of erection over the Erne, for which the Board of Works has consented to grant a loan of £1700, and has already advanced £500 on account. There is a cavalry barrack for 7 officers, 156 noncommissioned officers and men, and 101 horses. A very extensive distillery belonging to Messrs. Dickson, Dunlop, and Co., was erected in 1825 at an expense of £21,000, and enlarged and improved in 1830, at an additional cost of £6000: it is wrought by never-failing water power, and the quantity of whiskey made annually is from 90,000 to 100,000 gallons; about 100 persons are usually employed. There are also some malting establishments. The river Erne opens a communication through Lough Erne to within three miles of Ballyshannon; but in dry weather the navigation is interrupted by shoals, which might be removed, to the great improvement of the trade of the town. The market is on Thursday, and is principally for butter, oatmeal, potatoes, and yarn, of which last there is a good supply. Fairs are held on Ash-Wednesday, Sept. 4th, and the first Thursday in every other month. Here is a station of the constabulary police.

The charter of Jas. I., granted in 1613, after incorporating the inhabitants, empowered them to return two representatives to the Irish parliament, and to hold a court of record every Tuesday, before the provost, with jurisdiction to the extent of five marks, besides conferring other privileges, which were confirmed by the indenture made between Sir Stephen Butler and the corporation, by which the jurisdiction of the court of record in all actions, personal or mixed, was extended to £6. 13. 4., and it was ordered to be held before the bailiff and stewards of the corporation every Saturday. The corporation is styled "the Provost, Burgesses, Freemen, and Inhabitants of the borough of Belturbet," which in some degree differs from the style prescribed by the charter of Jas. I. and the indenture. The officers named in the charter are a provost, twelve free burgesses, and two serjeants-at-mace; the other officers are a treasurer, town-clerk, herd, marshal-keeper or corporation gaoler, pound-keeper, foreman of the market jury, and weigh-master. The provost is by the charter to be elected by the provost and free burgesses from among the latter annually on the 24th of June, and sworn in upon Sept. 29th. The burgesses are chosen from among the inhabitants by the provost and free burgesses, and by the usage of the corporation must be freemen prior to their election; there are at present only nine or ten, all non-resident, and they were formerly entitled to certain privileges and emoluments now lost. No recognised right to the freedom at present exists, nor does it appear that any freemen have been admitted by the provost and burgesses for many years, except for the purpose of qualifying persons immediately after elected burgesses. The town-clerk and other officers of the corporation, whose offices have not fallen into desuetude, are appointed by the provost. The municipal affairs are regulated by the inhabitants assembled by the provost at what are termed "Town Courts," which are held before the provost generally eight or ten times in the year, and in which are made by-laws for the government of the town, the corporation property is regulated, and complaints of trespass respecting commonage and upon the private lands within the district are referred for investigation and adjustment to the market jury. This jury consists of not less than twelve members appointed from the inhabitants by the provost, and sworn in at the town court; its duties are not only to inspect the meat brought to market, of which the foreman is appointed clerk by the provost, but to superintend the property of the corporation generally, forming, in fact, a court of arbitration, and exercising a jurisdiction highly beneficial to the inhabitants. The borough returned two members to the Irish parliament until the Union, when the £15,000 awarded as compensation for the abolition of its franchise was paid to Armar, Earl of Belmore, who had a short time previously purchased the borough for that amount from the Earl of Lanesborough. It comprises the town and precincts, forming a district termed "the corporation," the boundaries of which are clearly defined. The provost is chief magistrate, and is by usage the first magistrate named upon the commission in the county, and next in rank to the lieutenant; he formerly sat with the judges at the county assizes, but has not for many years exercised this privilege. The court of record, in which he presided, has fallen into disuse for nearly 30 years. Petty sessions are held by the county magistrates every Saturday in the market-house, of which the upper part is appropriated to that use and the lower to the purpose of the market. Beneath this building was the corporation gaol, a damp and unhealthy prison, which was prohibited to be used as a place of confinement after the passing of the act of the 7th of Geo. IV., c. 74. The commons in possession of the corporation comprise about 120 acres; the right of commonage enjoyed by the inhabitants is regulated by the possession of the whole or a portion of a homestead, to which also a proportionate quantity of bog is annexed: these homesteads include certain portions of the front of streets, defined and granted to individuals on the original foundation of the town, and subsequently divided among different tenants, and the right to commonage was by usage similarly apportioned. The lands allotted for the private occupation of the burgesses are said to have been granted to them and their heirs, instead of their successors, and, under the name of "burgess acres," are divided and separately enclosed as private properties. The only revenue which the corporation now possesses is derivable from some nominal reservations on fee-farm grants made, within the last few years, of small portions of the commons, the fines on which, amounting to £175, were applied to the repairs of the market-house.

The parish church of Annagh, a neat edifice with a tower surmounted by a spire, is situated in the town; it was rebuilt by a loan of £923 from the late Board of First Fruits in 1828, and of £800 in 1829. It is in contemplation to erect a handsome R. C. chapel. The parochial school for boys is on the foundation of Erasmus Smith, and was built on an acre of ground granted by the corporation, who also gave a site for the erection of a school for girls on the same establishment, which is supported by subscription; and there is an infants' school, also a dispensary. Six alms-houses for poor widows were built on a site granted by the corporation in 1733, the inmates of which are supported by a legacy bequeathed by a Mr. Maunsell, 6f Dublin, and distributed by the rector. He also distributes the interest of £100 paid by the Earl of Lanes-borough's agent, £3 per ann. derived from a charity called Fellor's List, and £6 per ann. accruing from another charity; and there is a house in the town bequeathed by Benjamin Johnson for the benefit of the poor, and let for £1. 16. 11. per annum. In the churchyard are vestiges of a strong fortification enclosing an extensive area, with bastions and salient angles of great strength; about two miles distant are some venerable ecclesiastical ruins, with others at Clinosy; and in the vicinity are the remains of an ancient castle.--See ANNAGH and DRUMLANE.

BENBURB, or BINBURB, a small village, in the parish of CLONFEACLE, barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 5 3/4 miles (N. N. W.) from Armagh: the population is returned with the parish. The first notice of this place under its present name occurs during the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone, when the Lord-Deputy Boroughs crossed the river Black-water at Beam-Bhorb, at the head of the English forces, in June 1597; and being seized with a sickness of which he died a few days after at Newry, was succeeded in the command of the army by the Earl of Kildare, between whom and the Earl of Tyrone a severe engagement took place, in which the English were defeated, the Earl of Kildare mortally wounded, and his two foster brothers slain; many of the English were killed in battle, and numbers perished in the river. Sir Henry Bagnall, with .4500 foot and 400 horse, marched against the Earl of Tyrone's army, with which he had a severe conflict; many of the English cavalry were dreadfully mangled by falling into pits dug by the enemy and covered with branches of trees; but after surmounting these and other obstacles, Bagnall made a vigorous attack upon the right wing of the Irish army commanded by the earl himself, and on the left under O'Donnell of Tyrconnell; a dreadful carnage ensued, the two armies being wholly engaged; but just when victory seemed to incline towards the English forces, Bagnall was shot by a musket ball in the forehead and fell dead on the field. The English, thrown into confusion by the loss of their leader, were defeated, and in their retreat to Armagh, many were trodden down by the Irish cavalry. This triumph of Tyrone was but of short duration; the Lord-Deputy Mountjoy defeated him in several battles, and had driven him back to the camp at Bean-Bhorb, where, on the 15th of July, 1601, a battle was fought, in which Tyrone was totally defeated and his army compelled to retreat in confusion to his chief fortress at Dungannon.

On the plantation of Ulster, Sir Robert Wingfield received from James I. a grant of 1000 acres of laud at Benburb, by a deed dated Dec. 3rd, in the 8th year of that monarch's reign; and previously to the year 1619 he had erected a castle on these lands, built the present church, and founded the village, which at that time contained 20 houses. This new establishment continued to flourish till the breaking out of the war in 1641, when the castle was surprised by order of Sir Phelim O'Nial, on the night of the 22nd of October, and the whole of the inmates put to death. On the 5th of June, 1646, this place became the scene of a battle between Sir Phelim O'Nial and Gen. Monroe; the former, with a large body of men, took up a position between two hills, with a wood in his rear and the river Blackwater, at that time difficult to pass, on his right. Monroe, with 6000 foot and 800 horse, marched from Armagh and approached by the opposite bank of the river, where, finding a ford, now called Battleford Bridge, he crossed and advanced to meet O'Nial. Both armies were drawn up in order of battle, but instead of coming to a general engagement, the day was spent in skirmishing, till the sun, which had been favourable to the British, was declining, when, just as Monroe was beginning to retreat, he was attacked by the Irish, who made a furious onset. An English regiment commanded by Lord Blayney fought with undaunted resolution till they were cut to pieces and their leader slain; the Scottish horse next gave way, and the infantry being thrown into disorder, a general rout ensued. More than 3000 of the British forces were slain and their artillery and stores taken, while, on the part of O'Nial, not more than 70 were killed. The castle was soon after dismantled, and has ever since remained in ruins; it was the largest in the county, and, though weakly built, occupies a remarkably strong position on the summit of a limestone rock rising perpendicularly from the river Blackwater to the height of 120 feet. In the village is a small ancient out-post strongly built and probably forming an entrance to the castle, which on every other side was defended by natural barriers. Near the village are Tullydoey, the seat of J. Eyre Jackson, Esq., where also is the residence of T. Eyre, Esq.; and Castle Cottage, of Capt. Cranfield. There were formerly very extensive bleach-greens near the village, and the mills and engines are still remaining; but the principal part of the business is carried on at Tullydoey, where large quantities of linen are finished for the English markets; the weaving of linen is also carried on to some extent. The Ulster canal, now in progress, passes on the eastern side of the river and village, and is here carried through a hill of limestone, which has been excavated to the depth of 80 feet, and is conducted longitudinally over the mill-race by an aqueduct of considerable length. A court is held on the first Friday in every month for the manor of Benburb, which extends over 47 townlands and comprises 9210 acres, for the recovery of debts not exceeding £2. The parish church is situated close to the village, in which is also a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster. The ruins of the castle are extensive and highly picturesque; and near the walls was found a signet ring bearing the arms and initials of Turlogh O'Nial, which is now in the possession of Mr. Bell, of Dungannon. The O'Nials had a strong hold here of greater antiquity than the castle erected by Sir R. Wingfield.--See CLONFEACLE.

BENDENSTOWN.--See GILBERTSTOWN.

BENEKERRY, otherwise BUSHERSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of RATHVILLY (but locally in that of Carlow), county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E. N. E.) from Carlow; containing 135 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Carlow to Tullow, and is bounded on the south-west and east by the river Burren: more than four-fifths consists of meadow and pasture land, and the remainder is arable, with a few acres of woodland. In the ecclesiastical divisions it is not regarded as a parish, but as forming part of that of Urglin, the incumbent of which receives the tithes, except of about ten acres, which pay tithe to the incumbent of Ballinacarrig or Staplestown.

BENMORE, or BALLYDUFF, a village, in that part of the parish of RATTOO which is in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 12 miles (N. N. W:) from Tralee; containing 448 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Tralee to Ballybunnian, by the Cashen ferry, and contains 71 houses, which are mostly thatched, and form one street. Fairs are held on the 1st of June and Sept., Nov. 10th, and Dec. 21st. It is a police station, and petty sessions are held every alternate week. The R. C. chapel, a slated building, is in the centre of the village. Ballyeagh, near it, was the scene of a desperate affray, in the summer of 1834, between the rival factions of the Cooleens and Lawlors, when sixteen of the former were killed or drowned, while endeavouring to cross the Cashen ferry, in their retreat. Ballyhorgan, the ancient seat of the Stoughton family, is in the neighbourhood.--See RATTOO.

BENNETTS-BRIDGE, a village, partly in the parish of KILLARNEY, barony of GOWRAN, and partly in that of DANESFORt, barony of SHILLELOGHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (W. S. W.) from Gowran; containing 426 inhabitants. This place is situated on the river Nore, which is here crossed by a good stone bridge on the road from Kilkenny to Thomastown, and contains 85 houses. There are some flour-mills in the immediate vicinity. Fairs are held on Feb. 24th, Aug. 26th, Sept. 19th, and Dec. 21st; and it is a station of the constabulary police. There is a R. C. chapel of ease to Danesfort, with a national school adjoining it.--See KILLARNEY and DANESFORT.

BENOWEN, or BUNNOWN, a parish, in the barony of KILKENNY WESt, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (N. by E.) from Athlone; containing 1418 inhabitants. This parish forms the north-eastern bank of an arm of Lough Ree, called the Inner Lake, and, near the village of Glasson,. touches for a few perches on the road from Athlone to Ballymahon. It was the retreat of Sir James Dillon, when driven from Athlone, which he had taken, in 1641, by one of the boldest military manoeuvres on record. In his retreat from that place Sir James at first took up his quarters at Bally-Kieran, and afterwards retired to the castle of Killinure, in this parish, whence, in about three weeks, he recaptured Athlone, which, after a short occupation, he was again compelled to abandon. The parish comprises 2937 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: about 160 acres are underwood and bog, and of the remainder, the principal portion is arable and pasture. Agriculture is in a state of slow but progressive improvement; the only waste lands are the rocky shores of the lake. Portlick Castle, the residence of Robert Smyth, Esq., is beautifully situated on the border of Lough Ree, and is one of the very few ancient feudal castles at present in good repair and inhabited. Killenmore, the residence of Capt. Fry, is also finely situated on the border of the lake. The other seats are St. Mark's, that of John Potts, Esq.; Lough Ree Lodge, of Gustavus H. Temple, Esq.; Killinure, of Major-Gen. Murray; Benowen, of Capt. Caulfield; and the beautiful cottage on Hare Island, in Lough Ree, belonging to Viscount Castlemaine. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate, as a mensal: the tithes amount to £92. 6. 1 3/4., payable to the lessee of the bishop. The church, a neat plain structure, was erected in 1822, by aid of a gift of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits in 1818. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £415 and a loan of £46 from the same Board, in 1829. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Noughoval. A school of 6 boys and 18 girls is aided by Lord Castlemaine and an annual donation from the rector: and there is a pay school, in which are about 12 children. The ruins of the ancient church, in which are some monuments to the Dillon family, are romantically situated on the verdant bank and at the very extremity of the Inner Lake; and a little higher up are the ruins of the ancient castle of Benowen. A small portion of Killinure castle still remains, occupying a site on a bold and picturesque eminence over the Inner Lake, and adjoining Killinure House; and on Hare Island are the ruins of a religious house, founded by the family of Dillon, some of whose descendants still live in the neighbourhood. There is also a well dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.--See GLASSON.

BERE, or BEAR ISLAND. This island forms part of the parish of KILACONENAGH, in the barony of BERE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER: it is situated on the north side of the bay of Bantry, 21 miles (W. by. S.) from Bantry, and contains 1898 inhabitants. It comprises 2849 acres, of which about one-fourth is under tillage, and the remainder consists of mountain, bog, and pasture land, and is the property of R. H. Eyre, Esq. The inhabitants are principally occupied in fishing and agriculture, but the system of husbandry is rude and unimproved. A pier has been built at Lawrence Cove, which is very useful to the fishery, affording protection to 16 hookers of 12 tons and 90 yawls of 3 or 4 tons each, belonging to the island, and employing about 1000 persons exclusively in the fishery. The southern shore is bold and rocky, but on the north the land slopes gently to the water's edge: there is a small lake on the south side. The whole island is of the clay-slate formation, and excellent stone for flagging is obtained in some of the quarries: copper ore has been found in several places, but no attempt has yet been made to search for mines. The chief communication is by boats from Castletown, and there are also boats from the Bank and other places on the mainland. After the arrival of the French fleet in the bay, in 1796, Government erected five Martello towers, a signal tower, a large and commodious barrack for two officers and 150 men, a quay, storehouses, and other public works, all of which are now in a neglected condition; the barrack has been taken down, and the rest of the works are under the care of a resident lieutenant. In the R. C. divisions this island forms part of the union of Castletown, in the diocese of Kerry: the chapel is a low thatched building of mean appearance, occupying the site of an ancient church. A school for boys and girls was established in 1825. Divine service is regularly performed in the school-house by the vicar. The sites of three churches are indicated by the burial-grounds, which are still used for interment. There are the remains of a Danish fort or rath on the island. Between the island and the mainland is Bere haven, capacious and well sheltered, and affording good anchorage in water sufficiently deep for the largest ships in the navy: it has two entrances, one at the west and the other at the east end of the island, both rendered somewhat dangerous by rocks. Bere-haven gives the inferior title of Viscount to the Earl of Bantry.

BEREGH, or LOWRYSTOWN, a market-town, in the parish of CLOGHERNEY, barony of OMAGH, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 7 miles (S. E.) from Omagh: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road from Omagh to Dungannon, and consists of one long wide street containing about 70 houses, most of which are well built, though rapidly falling into decay. The former residence of the Belmore family, proprietors of the town, an elegant and spacious mansion, is now in ruins; and the town exhibits every appearance of neglect. The inhabitants are principally employed in agriculture, with which they combine the weaving of linen cloth. The patent for the market and fairs was granted under the name of Lowrystown; the market is on Wednesday, and fairs are held regularly on the first Monday in every month for cattle, sheep, and pigs. A constabulary police force is stationed here; and petty sessions are held every alternate week. One of the chapels for the R. C. parish of Clogherney is situated in the town.--See CLOGHERNEY.

BETAGHSTOWN, or BETTYSTOWN, a village, in the parish of COLPE, barony of LOWER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (E. S. E.) from Drogheda; containing 214 inhabitants. This place is situated on the eastern coast, and contains 26 houses, chiefly thatched cabins; it is the property of R. Shepheard, Esq., whose seat is in the neighbourhood. The coast is here a shallow strand, and, from the extent of fine sandy beach, the village has become a place of some resort for sea-bathing, and would be much more numerously frequented if suitable accommodations were provided. The surrounding scenery is pleasingly diversified, and in the immediate vicinity are many handsome private residences.--See COLPE.

BEWLEY.--See OWNING.

BILLY, a parish, partly in the barony of CAREY, but chiefly in that of LOWER DUNLUCE, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Bushmills, 5845 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the west by the river Bush, and on the south-east by the sea; it is also intersected for nearly three miles by the road from Ballymoney, through Bushmills, to the Giants' Causeway, which is within its limits. Including eight townlands which now form part of the parish of Dunseverick, it comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 17,329 3/4 statute acres, of which 16,860 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £8139 per annum. The land is generally in a good state of cultivation; the system of agriculture is considerably advanced, and is still improving; there is very little waste land, except moss and bog, which together form nearly one-third of the surface. Whinstone abounds, and is quarried for building and for the roads; limestone is found in great quantity and occasionally burned for manure, and wood-coal is obtained near the Causeway. Among the principal seats are Bushmills House, the residence of Sir F. W. Macnaghten, Bart.; Ballylough, of W. Trail, Esq.; Ballydivity, of J. Stewart Moore, Esq.; Black Rock House, the property of Miss Wray, and now in the occupation of Hugh Lecky, Esq.; and Bentfield, formerly the residence of Col. Wray, but at present uninhabited. There are some weirs on the river Bush, near its influx into the sea, for taking salmon, of which great quantities are sent to Liverpool and London. A market on Tuesday, and five fairs are held at Bushmills (which see); and on the day after Dervock fair, which is generally on Aug. 12th (except that day falls on the Saturday or Sunday, on which occasions it is held on the Monday following), a pleasure fair, called the Causeway fair, is held at the Rock Head, above the Giants' Causeway, and is numerously attended by persons for many miles round, for whose accommodation tents are pitched. This parish was formerly the head of a union, which comprised also the parishes of Armoy, Ballyclug, Donegore, and Kilbride, together forming the corps of the archdeaconry of Connor; but by the act of the 5th of Geo. IV., obtained by Dr. Mant, the union has been dissolved, the parishes disappropriated from the archdeaconry, and the rectorial tithes annexed to their respective vicarages, with the exception only of this parish, of which the rectory and vicarage alone now constitute the corps of the archdeaconry, with the cure of souls, the former archdeacons having no cure of souls: it is in the diocese of Connor, and patronage of the Bishop. The late Archdeacon Trail, then rector of this parish, in 1830, separated nine townlands from it, giving the tithes of four; and his brother, the Rev. Robt. Trail, rector of Ballintoy, seven townlands from that parish, giving the tithes of three, for the formation and endowment of the perpetual curacy of Dunseverick, the patronage of which is vested alternately in the respective incumbents: the new church is a very neat building in a central situation. The tithes of the parish amount to £489. 4. 7 1/2., of which £37. 9. 3. is paid to the perpetual curate, and the remainder to the archdeacon. The church, a plain substantial building, was erected on the site of a former structure, by aid of a gift of £800 and a loan of £500, in 1815, from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was built in 1810, by the Rev. T. Babington, vicar, aided by a gift of £350 and a loan of £450 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Coleraine. There are two meeting houses for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, one of which is of the third class, and there are places of worship for Seceders, Covenanters, and Wesleyan Methodists. At Eagry is a school under the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, for which a good school-house has been erected, with a residence for the master, who has two acres of land; a school is held in a house hired for that purpose at Bushmills, and is supported by subscription; there is a parochial school for girls, for which a house was built, in 1832, by William Trail, Esq.; also schools at Moycraig, Carnbore, Straidbilly, and Dromiarran, and another is held in the Methodist meeting-house at Castle-Cat, which was endowed with £20 by the late Dr. Adam Clarke. The Rev. Archdeacon Trail, in 1831, bequeathed £50 for the use of the poor of the parish, which has been invested in Government securities, and the interest is annually distributed by his son, W. Trail, Esq. There are some remains of the ancient castle of Ballylough, which was of much importance; the lake on which it was situated has been drained, and is now under cultivation.

The GIANTS' CAUSEWAY, probably the most extensive and curious assemblage of basaltic columns in the world, is situated between Port-na-Grange and Port Noffer, in N. Lat. 55° 20' and W. Lon. 6° 50'; and derives its name from a popular tradition that it was erected by giants, as the commencement of a causeway across the ocean to Scotland. This very interesting natural curiosity forms part of a large promontory, of which Bengore Head, about a mile distant, is the most northern point in Ireland. The only access to it by land is down a winding path, cut at the expense of the late Earl of Bristol, while Bishop of Derry, on the western side of a verdant headland called Aird Snout, to two detached hills called the Stookans, whence the first view of this stupendous work of nature is obtained. This view is one of the most magnificent imaginable, embracing an immense bay broken with capes and headlands, rising abruptly to the height of 400 feet above the level of the sea, and consisting of lofty colonnades of the most symmetrically-formed basaltic pillars, inserted in the cliffs like artificial supporters, standing in groups like gigantic honeycombs, or scattered in pleasing disorder like the ruins of a city of temples and palaces. From the Stookans the road leads to the base of the causeway, which extends in a northerly direction from the promontory into the sea. This splendid natural pier is somewhat triangular in form; the base beneath the cliff being 135, the eastern side 220, and the western 300, yards long; while the breadth in the centre is about 60. The view of the causeway from the footpath suggests the idea of an immense unfinished embankment, forming an inclined plane, in some places rising by successive steps, in others presenting a nearly level pavement, formed by the tops of the closely united columns, with some chasms exhibiting the admirable arrangement of this wonderful structure. The causeway is divided into three unequal parts. The little, or western, causeway is 386 feet long, but only 16 high, and is separated from the central compartment by an enormous whin dyke, extending from the cliff to the sea. The middle section, which is the shortest, contains a magnificent group of lofty pillars, called "the honeycomb," and is also bounded on the east by a whin dyke. Beyond this is the grand causeway, which is 706 feet long by 109 wide in the middle: in that part of this compartment which is called "the loom " it attains an elevation of 34 feet, from which it diminishes in height gradually as it approaches the sea, into which it enters for some distance beyond low water mark. In the western and central compartments all the columns are perpendicular, but in the grand causeway they are vertical towards the east, inclining eastward as they approach the sea, and westward near the base of the cliff. The three divisions of the causeway comprise 37,426 distinct and perfect columns, besides many that are broken and scattered about in its vicinity. The columns consist of prisms of equal dimensions through their whole height, which ranges from 15 to 36 feet, with diameters of from 15 to 28 inches, and varying in their number of sides from 3 to 9, although the greater number are pentagons and hexagons. Each of the pillars is perfectly distinct, and almost invariably differs in size, number of sides, and points of articulation from the adjacent columns, to which, however, it is so close that not even water can pass between them. Almost every column is composed of several pieces, the joints of which are articulated with the greatest exactness, and in a strictly horizontal direction. Generally the upper part of the section is concave and the lower convex, but this arrangement is sometimes reversed. The cavity or socket is perfectly circular, from two to four inches deep, and in a few instances its rim is divided, covers two or three articulations, and terminates in sharp points. In a few of the columns no joints are visible; in some, three, four, or more may be traced; and, in "the loom," columns are found which are divisible into as many as 38 pieces. The basalt of which these columns is composed is of a very dark colour, approaching to black; its weight is three times as great as that of water; and of 100 of its constituent parts, 50 are silicious earth, 25 iron, 15 argillaceous earth, and 10 calcareous earth and magnesia. About 300 yards east of the causeway is the Giants' Organ, about 120 feet long, consisting of 60 columns, of which those in the centre are 40 feet high, but those on the sides are lower. At the eastern extremity of Port Noffer are four lofty and massive basaltic columns, rising to the height of 315 feet; they are hexagonal and jointed, and from their height and isolated position are called the Chimney Tops. Near these is the Theatre, consisting of three distinct colonnades, the successive tiers of which are separated by horizontal strata of amorphous basalt, red and grey ochre, and fossil coal, the alternations of which with the columnar basalt produce a very extraordinary and pleasing appearance. A little eastward of Port-na-Spagna is a perpendicular cliff, 326 feet high, composed of alternate layers of columnar and horizontal basalt, arranged with surprising regularity; but the most picturesque cliff is Pleaskin, which rises from the sea in a gentle acclivity for more than 300 feet, and then ascends perpendicularly 70 feet more to its summit. This beautiful headland is 382 feet in height, and strikingly exhibits the geological formation of this district, as it consists of numerous clearly distinguishable strata, which rise above each other in the following order; at the base is a bright red ochreous rock, on which are placed tabular basalt, grey ochreous rock, amorphous basalt, clear red basalt, irregular basalt with cracks, iron ore, imperfectly formed basaltic pillars, argillaceous rock, fossil coal, and the lower range of basaltic columns, which is 45 feet high. Imposed on this colonnade are grey rock containing nodules of iron, slightly columnar basalt, grey ochreous rock, amorphous basalt, and then the upper range of basaltic pillars, which forms a magnificent colonnade 64 feet high, and has broken basalt for a superstratum, above which is vegetable mould covered with green sod. This splendid headland, which is unrivalled for beauty of arrangement and variety of colouring, is seen to most advantage from the sea, from which also some of the grandest views of the causeway and its adjacent scenery are obtained. Fossil wood, as black and compact as coal, and fossil oysters and muscles are found in the limestone rock that forms the substratum of the causeway and its neighbouring promontories; and large opals, chalcedony, agates, &c., are collected here. Specimens of these fossils and minerals, and a wooden model of the causeway, are in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin.

BINGHAMSTOWN, or SALEEN, a village, in the parish of KILMORE-ERRIS, barony of ERRIS, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 3 miles (S. E.) from Bellmullet: the population is returned with the parish. This place is situated on the eastern shore of the peninsula called the Mullet, and consists of one long street indifferently built: it commands a good view of Saleen bay, in which a landing pier has been erected by the late Fishery Board, where considerable quantities of corn and potatoes are shipped for Westport, and various articles of merchandise are brought back. A fair is held on the first day of every month throughout the year; there is a market-house. Petty sessions are held in a court-house every Thursday; and here is a constabulary police station. The parish church, a neat plain edifice, is situated in the village, in which is also a R. C. chapel.--See KILMORE-ERRIS.

BIRMINGHAM (NEW), a village and post-town, in the parish of KILCOOLEY, barony of SLIEVEARDAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 11 1/2 miles (E. N. E.) from Cashel, and 82 (S. W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 298 inhabitants. This place, which is situated at the termination of the mail coach road branching from Littleton, contains about 50 houses, and is indebted for its origin and name to the late Sir Vere Hunt, Bart., who, struck with its favourable situation contiguous to the coal mines of the Killenaule district, used every effort to raise it into manufacturing importance. For this purpose he obtained patents for one or two weekly markets and twelve fairs, which are now discontinued; and the town, which was the residence of its founder, and is now the property of his son, Sir Aubrey de Vere, Bart., is at present comparatively deserted. It is a constabulary police station; and there is a small prison, to which offenders are committed occasionally by the county magistrates. The parochial R. C. chapel, a large and handsome structure in the later English style, and recently erected, is situated in the village; and there is a school of about 80 or 90 children.--See KILCOOLEY.

BIRR.--See PARSONSTOWN.

BLACKDITCHES.--See BOYSTOWN.

BLACKRATH, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (N. E. by E.) from Kilkenny; containing 730 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the mail coach road from Dublin to Cork, and on the river Nore, on the banks of which there are two considerable flour-mills; and within its limits are the marble works described in the account of the city of Kilkenny. Lyrath, the seat of Sir J. D. W. Cuffe, Bart., is pleasantly situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of that city. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ossory, forming the corps of the prebend of Blackrath in the cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £121. 1. 7 1/2. There is neither church nor glebe-house, but there is a glebe of eight acres attached to the prebend. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Gowran. There is a private pay school, in which about 50 boys and 30 girls are taught. Some remains of the old church yet exist.

BLACKROCK, a chapelry, in the parish of ST. FINBARR, county of the city of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/4miles (E. S. E.) from Cork: the population is included in the return for the parish. This place is beautifully situated on a peninsula bounded on the north and east by the river Lee, and on the south by Lough Mahon and the Douglas channel. The castle was originally built in 1604 by the Lord-Deputy Mountjoy, to protect the passage up the river from the harbour to the city, and was subsequently vested in the corporation, who held their courts of admiralty in it, and by whom, having been some years since destroyed by an accidental fire, it was rebuilt in 1829, from a design by Messrs. Pain, and is now assigned to the mayor of Cork as an occasional residence during his year of office. It is situated on a limestone rock projecting into the river, and consists of one bold circular tower of hewn limestone, containing a small banqueting room, from which there is a fine view over the river: from this tower springs a small turret rising to a considerable elevation and displaying from the upper part of it two brilliant lights; and attached to it is a water gate, with some low embattled buildings in the rear, which harmonise well with the principal feature of the castle. Numerous advantages resulting from its proximity to Cork; the beauty of its situation, the salubrity of its climate, and the excellent accommodations for bathing, have rendered this one of the most desirable places of residence in the South of Ireland. It has a penny post to Cork, and the railroad from Cork to Passage will; if carried into effect, pass through the village. The scenery is of the most varied and pleasing character, exhibiting numerous elegant villas and cottages, with lawns, gardens, and plantations reaching down to the margin of the Lee, which is here a noble expanse of water more than a mile broad, constantly enlivened by steam-boats and other vessels. Among the principal seats are Dundanion Castle, that of Sir T. Deane, Knt.; Beaumont, of W. Beamish, Esq., a noble mansion consisting of a centre and two wings, with two conservatories, situated in tastefully arranged grounds; Lakelands, of W. Crawford, Esq.; Clifton, of J. Moore Travers, Esq.; Ring-Mahon Castle, of J. Murphy, Esq.; Besborough, of Ebenezer Pike, Esq.; Cleve Hill, of S. Perrott, Esq.; Castlemahon, of Sir W. A. Chatterton, Bart.; Ferney, of J. H. Manley, Esq.; Filtrim, of W. Fagan, Esq.; Ashton, of J. Cotter, Esq.; Prospect, of Garden Terry, Esq.; Rochelle, of R. W. Topp, Esq.; Carrigduve, of R. Notter, Esq.; Sans Souci, of R. B. Shaw, Esq.; Carrigduve, of G. Sherlock, Esq.; Chiplee, of P. Maylor, Esq.; Ballinure House, of W. Crofts, Esq.; Lakeview House, of Miss Allen; Webbe Ville, of the Rev. C. Tuthill; Mary Ville, of J. Lindsay, Esq.; Lakeview, of P. Kearney, Esq., Templeville, of M. Murphy, Esq.; Rose Hill, of G. P. Rogers, Esq.; Lakeview, of W. Prettie Harris, Esq.; Temple Hill, of R. Hall, Esq.; Rosetta, of G. Frend, Esq.; Dean Ville, of J. Mac Mullen, Esq.; Knockrea, of A. W. Webb, Esq.; Barnstead, of the Rev. W. R. Nash; Midsummer Lodge, of Miss Jones; Clover Hill, of C. Connell, Esq.; North Cliffe, of J. Mac Donnell, Esq.; Prospect Lodge, of C: Terry Crofts, Esq.; Flower Lodge, of R. Mac Mullen, Esq.; Rockville Cottage, of J. Cogan, Esq.; Clifton Cottage, of F. C. Cole, Esq.; and Rock Cottage, of M. Smith, Esq. Besides these seats there are numerous villas which are let during the summer. The land is naturally very fertile, and is for the most part enclosed in lawns, gardens, and pleasure grounds; the rest, deriving from its contiguity to Cork an abundant supply of rich manures, and having the advantage of inexhaustible quarries of limestone and plenty of sea sand, is in a high state of cultivation, and supplies the Cork market with a large proportion of its vegetables. The substratum is limestone of excellent quality, which is extensively quarried for various purposes. Between the fissures of the rocks, near its junction with the clay-slate, are found numerous amethystine crystals, some of which are very large and clustery, and all are beautifully coloured; one specimen in the Cork Royal Institution weighs more than 40lb.

The church, dedicated to St. Michael, serves as a chapel of ease to the cathedral church of St. Finbarr, Cork, and was built in 1827, at an expense of £2100, of which £900 was given by the late Board of First Fruits, £100 by the corporation of Cork, and the remainder, with the exception of a few local subscriptions and the sale of pews, was defrayed by the dean and chapter, who appoint and pay the curate. It is a handsome edifice of hewn limestone, in the later style of architecture, with a tower crowned with battlements and pinnacles, and surmounted by a spire 60 feet high, which, with part of the tower and the western portion of the nave, was destroyed by lightning on Jan. 29th, 1836, but has been restored by aid of a grant of £310 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The R. C. chapel, erected in 1821, is a large and handsome building, and is a chapel of ease to the parochial chapel of St. Finbarr, or the South chapel: it was begun at the private expense of the late Dean Collins, aided by a subscription of £300, and was completed and elegantly fitted up by means of a bequest of £1100 from the late T. Rochford, Esq., of Garretstown, part of which, in 1834, was expended in the erection of a house for the officiating priest near the chapel. An Ursuline convent was removed hither from Cork, in 1825: it was founded in 1771, by the late Miss Honora Nagle, whose portrait is in the visiting-room, and is the original of all the institutions of this class founded in Ireland. The community consists of 35 professed nuns and 6 lay sisters, and is governed by a superioress, her deputy, and a council of six. At this institution many of the daughters of the R. C. gentry are instructed; and in a separate building about 100 poor girls are gratuitously taught and partially clothed. The convent has a demesne of 42 acres, and is an ornamental building, consisting of a centre and two wings, with a frontage of 350 feet. The chapel, which is in the east wing, is fitted up with simple elegance and ornamented with four Ionic pilasters supporting a pediment, on the apex of which is a cross, and at each of the other angles a vase. It contains a neat monument to the Rev. Dr. Lyons, who was many years chaplain to the convent. A school-house connected with St. Michael's chapel was erected at Ballintemple in 1836; a school for boys was built in 1834, at an expense of £160, of which two-thirds were contributed by the National Board, and the remainder by J. Murphy, Esq., of Ring-Mahon Castle; and there is a school for girls, supported by subscription. Here is a dispensary, and near Ballintemple are two private lunatic asylums. Cittadella, belonging to Joshua Bull, Esq., was established by the late Dr. Hallaran, in 1798, and has secluded pleasure grounds for the use of the patients. Lindville belongs to Dr. Osborne, and is pleasantly situated in a demesne of 14 acres. A temperance society was established in 1835. At the village of Ballintemple, situated on this peninsula, the Knights Templars erected a large and handsome church in 1392, which, after the dissolution of that order, was granted, with its possessions, to Gill abbey. At what period it fell into decay is uncertain; the burial ground is still used. There are fragments of some ancient towers at Dundanion and Ring-Mahon, but nothing of their history is known.

BLACKROCK, a village, in the parish of MONKSTOWN, half-barony of RATHDOWN, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S. E.) from Dublin Castle; containing 2050 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the southern shore of Dublin bay, consists of one principal street extending along the road from Dublin to the head of the village, and continued along the two roads which meet there from Kingstown, also of several minor streets and avenues, containing altogether 308 houses irregularly built, of which some are in pleasant and retired situations. The village itself possesses few pleasing features, but the country around it is beautifully diversified, and the immediate vicinity is embellished with numerous detached villas surrounded with pleasure grounds disposed with much taste. Maritimo, the marine villa of Lord Cloncurry, and Blackrock House, the residence of the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart., are beautifully situated; the Dublin and Kingstown railway passes through the grounds of both these seats. Carysfort House, the villa of the Right Hon. W. Saurin, commands a fine view of the sea and of the mountains in the neighbourhood; Newtown House, belonging to W. Hodgens, Esq., is finely situated, and from the rear is a noble view of the bay of Dublin. The other principal seats are Montpelier House, that of J. Duckett, Esq.; Mount Temple, of E. Brewster, Esq.; Frescati Lodge, of H. Cole, Esq.; Field Villa, of H. C. Field, Esq.; and Laurel Hill, of the Rev. Hugh White. Frescati, formerly the seat of the Fitzgerald family, a spacious mansion erected by the mother of Lord Thomas Fitzgerald, called "Silken Thomas," is now divided into four separate dwellings, and occupied by respectable families. The facilities for sea-bathing render this a place of great resort during the summer months; several respectable boarding-houses have been opened for the accommodation of visiters; and an excellent hotel, called Seapoint House, has been built and fitted up for the reception of families. Baths have been constructed by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway Company, on the side of the railway embankment, which passes along the sea-shore close to the village, and to these access is obtained by a handsome foot bridge from the high ground. An elegant bridge has been built over the railway, which passes close under Seapoint House, affording the inmates a facility of access to a boat pier on the opposite side. In the centre of the village is a large block of granite, on which are the remains of an ancient cross; to this spot, which is the southern extremity of the city of Dublin, the lord mayor, with the civic authorities, proceeds when perambulating the boundaries of his jurisdiction. The twopenny post has three deliveries daily from the metropolis; and in addition to the constant railway communication with the city, numerous cars are stationed here, plying in all directions. There is an Episcopal chapel in Carysfort avenue; it was formerly a dissenting place of worship, but was purchased a few years since, and endowed with £1000 from a fund bequeathed by Lord Powerscourt; the chaplain is appointed by the trustees. In the R. C. divisions this place forms part of the union of Booterstown; the chapel, situated in the village, was built in 1822, by subscription, at an expense of £750. A nunnery of Carmelite sisters was established in 1822, consisting of a superior, 20 professed nuns, and three lay sisters; the ladies of this convent support a school for the gratuitous instruction of 120 girls, who are also clothed annually at Christmas. A school for boys was built in 1822, by subscription, and is supported by collections at charity sermons; and a girls' school was erected in 1827, chiefly at the expense of the Rev. J. McCormick, R. C. clergyman, by whom it is partly supported. A savings' bank has been established.--See MONKSTOWN.

BLACKROCK, a village, in the parish of HAGGARDSTOWN, barony of UPPER DUNDALK, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E.) from Dundalk; containing 434 inhabitants. This place is situated on the bay of Dundalk, and contains about 80 houses, which are neatly built. The beach is smooth and soft, and peculiarly adapted to sea-bathing; and, if due accommodation were provided for visiters, it might become a watering-place of general attraction. It is at present much frequented, during the summer season, by the farmers of the inland counties, both for the purposes of bathing and drinking the sea-water. Alexander Shekelton, Esq., of Dundalk, has a beautiful marine villa here. --See HAGGARDSTOWN.

BLACKWATER, a village, in the parish of KILCROHANE, barony of DUNKERRON, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W.) from Kenmare, on the road from that place to Sneem: the population is returned with the parish. This small village is romantically situated on the west bank of a river of the same name, that issues from Lough Brinn, situated among the mountains, and after separating the parishes of Kilcrohane and Templenoe, flows into the estuary of Kenmare river. The banks of the Blackwater are richly clothed with wood on each side, and are so steep and lofty that the bridge across is upwards of sixty feet above the water. The river immediately beneath and above the bridge is confined in a narrow channel, and rushes over rocks in numerous cascades, while below it expands to a considerable breadth, and forms a deep basin, in which vessels may lie in safety. The bridge of two narrow and lofty arches, the salmon-leap beneath, and the richly wooded banks on each side, form a highly picturesque and interesting scene. This place is a favourite resort for salmon fly-fishing, permission for which is always granted by the proprietor on a proper application; but there is no accommodation for the angler nearer than Kenmare, where, however, there is a very good and commodious hotel. At the mouth of the Blackwater is a salmon fishery, where more than 100 fine fish are sometimes taken at a haul: it is chiefly the property of the Rev. Denis Mahony, of Dromore Castle. Fairs are held here in July and December; and petty sessions for the Blackwater district are held monthly, at Clover Field, in the adjoining parish of Templenoe.--See KILCROHANE.

BLACKWATER, a village, partly in the parish of BALLYVALDEN, and partly in that, of KILLELY or KILLILA, barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 7 miles (N. E. by N.) from Wexford; containing 58 houses and 255 inhabitants. It is situated on the old coast road from Wexford to Dublin, about a mile from the shore of St. George's channel; there is also a direct road hence to Enniscorthy, about eight miles distant. Fairs are held on March 25th, May 12th, June 1st, Aug. 10th, and Nov. 10th. It is a station both of the constabulary police and the coast-guard: the latter, which is one of the eight comprised in the district of Gorey, has a detachment at Curracloe. The R. C. chapel of the district is situated in the village.

BLACKWATERTOWN, a post-town, in that part of the parish of CLONFEACLE which is in the barony of ARMAGH, county of ARMAGH, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (N. N. W.) from Armagh, and 70 (N. N. W.) from Dublin; containing 103 houses and 528 inhabitants. This place is situated on the old road from Armagh to Dungannon,, and on the river Blackwater, from which it takes its name; it is connected by a stone bridge of three arches with the old village of Clonfeacle, now forming part of the town. During the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone, in the reign of Elizabeth, an English garrison was placed here to check the incursions of that chieftain, who, under a plea of some injuries done to his party by the English, in 1595, attacked and expelled the garrison, and obtained possession of the fortress, which he afterwards destroyed and abandoned on the approach of Sir John Norris. In 1596 the Earl covenanted to rebuild it, and to supply an English garrison to be then stationed in it with all necessaries, as one of the conditions upon which peace was granted to him by the queen. In the following year the English forces, under Lord-Deputy Borough, assaulted the place and easily took possession; but the insurgents soon reappeared, and commenced an attack; and though the further progress of the war was prevented by the death of the general, yet a strong English garrison was stationed here as a frontier post. Tyrone was once more compelled to agree to repair the fort and bridge, and to supply the garrison; but he shortly after attacked the former with the greatest vigour; and as the works were weak and imperfect, the assailants were repulsed only by the determined valour of the garrison. The earl afterwards attempted to reduce it by famine; and the besieged were driven to the last extremities, when Sir Henry Bagnall, with the English army of about 5000 infantry and cavalry, and some loyal Irish clans, marched to their relief. This force, however, suffered a total defeat between Armagh and the Black-water, and the fortress was immediately surrendered to the enemy, though it was soon after recovered.

This town, from its situation on the Blackwater, carries on a considerable trade in the export of corn and potatoes, of which great quantities are annually shipped to Belfast and Newry, and in the importation of coal and timber. Sloops of 50 tons' burden can deliver their cargoes at the quay; and the Ulster Canal, which is now in progress, passes close to the town. There is an extensive bleach-green at Tullydoey, belonging to Messrs. Eyre; and the extensive spirit and corn stores of Mr. Hanna furnish an abundant supply for the neighbourhood. Fairs are held on the second Wednesday in every month throughout the year; and a constabulary police force is stationed here. Tullydoey, the seat of J. Eyre Jackson, Esq., and also the residence of T. Eyre, Esq., are within a short distance of the town. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, also a dispensary. On the western side of the river is the ancient and extensive cemetery of Clonfeacle, the church of which being in ruins, another was erected at Benburb, which is now the parish church. Opposite to the town are vestiges of a fort, by some called the Blackwater fort, in the attempt to take which Sir Henry Bagnall lost his life; and by others supposed to have been the strong fortress of the Earl of Tyrone, and one of those for which he stipulated when he obtained a patent of favour from Queen Elizabeth.--See CLONFEACLE.

BLANCHARDSTOWN, a village, in the parish and barony of CASTLEKNOCK, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Dublin, on the road to Navan; containing 57 houses and 342 inhabitants. It is within the limits of the Dublin twopenny post delivery; and a constabulary police station has been established, in the barrack of which petty sessions for the district are held the second Monday in every month. The R. C. parochial chapel is situated here; also the Cabra nunnery, in which a school of 200 girls is maintained by the nuns, a few of the children paying a penny weekly merely to ensure their attendance; there is also a school for children of both sexes.--See CASTLEKNOCK.

BLANCHFIELDSTOWN, or BLANCHVILLESKILL, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (W. by S.) from Gowran; containing 224 inhabitants. This small parish is situated near the mail coach road from Dublin to Cork, by way of Kilkenny, and comprises 660 statute acres: the land is good and is principally under tillage, and there is plenty of limestone. Blanchvillestown, situated in a very neat demesne containing some fine timber, is the property of Major-Gen. Sir J. Kearney, and is held on lease by the Rev. Theobald Butler. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and forms part of the union of Kilfane and corps of the archdeaconry; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of Christ-church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £69. 10. per annum, of which £46. 6. 8. is payable to the vicars choral, and £23. 3. 4. to the archdeacon. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Gowran. There are some remains of the old church at Blanchvilleskill.

.--See LISBURN.

BLARNEY, a village, in the parish of GARRYCLOYNE, barony of EAST MUSKERRY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (N. W. by W.) from Cork; containing 417 inhabitants. It is situated on a river of the same name, over which is a handsome bridge of three arches, on the road from Cork to Kanturk, and comprises 57 houses, which are small but well built and slated. The noted castle of Blarney was built in 1446, by Cormac McCarthy, surnamed Laidir, who was descended in a direct line from the hereditary kings of Desmond or South Munster, and was equally distinguished by his extraordinary strength and feats of chivalry as by elegance and grace both of body and mind. It is situated on an isolated rock of limestone rising boldly over the junction of the rivers Blarney and Comane, and is the third castle occupying the site: the first was rather a hunting post of Dermot McCarthy, King of South Munster, and was built of timber; the second was built in the year 1200, and the present structure was raised on its foundations, which are still visible. In the reign of Elizabeth it was the strongest fortress in Munster, and at different periods withstood regular sieges, but was treacherously taken by Lord Broghill in 1646, and the army of King William demolished all the fortifications, leaving only the tower remaining. Donogh McCarthy, who commanded the forces of Munster, was first summoned to parliament in the reign of Elizabeth by the title of Baron of Blarney; and Chas. II., in 1658, conferred the title of Earl of Clancarthy on the head of this family, the last of whom was dispossessed after the siege of Limerick; and the estate, comprising all Muskerry, was forfeited to the crown for the earl's adherence to the cause of Jas. II. On the sale of the forfeited lands in 1692, the Hollow Sword Blade Company purchased all the land around this place, and more than 3000 acres in the parish were allotted to a member of the Company, and are now held by his descendant, George Putland, Esq., of Dublin. Justin McCarthy, of Carrignavar, the only lineal descendant of that family, holds a part of the ancient inheritance. The castle was purchased in 1701 by Sir James Jefferyes, governor of Cork, who soon after erected a large and handsome house in front of it, which was the family residence for many years, but is now a picturesque ruin. The top of the castle commands a very fine view over a rich undulating tract intersected by the rivers Blarney, Comane, and Scor-thonac, and bounded on the north-west by the lofty chain of the Boggra mountains. On the east is the Comane bog, many years since an impenetrable wilderness, and the last receptacle for wolves in this part of the country: that river, which takes its name from its serpentine course, flows through the bog and joins the river Blarney under the walls of the castle; and their united waters receive a considerable accession from the Scorthonac, a rapid stream which rises in the Boggra mountains. The interest which both natives and strangers take in the castle arises more from a tradition connected with a stone in its north-eastern angle, about 20 feet from the top, than from any other circumstance: this stone, which bears an inscription in Latin recording the erection of the fortress, is called the "Blarney stone," and has given rise to the well known phrase of "Blarney," in reference to a notion that, if any one kisses it, he will ever after have a cajoling tongue and the art of flattery or of telling lies with unblushing effrontery. Few, however, venture upon this ceremony, from the danger in being lowered down to the stone by a rope from an insecure battlement 132 feet high. The "groves of Blarney" are of considerable extent and very interesting; and beneath the castle are some spacious natural caves, one of which was converted into a dungeon by some of its early proprietors: it is entered by a very strong door, near which is a solitary window scarcely admitting a ray of light, and there are several massive iron rings and bolts yet remaining. Stalactites and stalagmites of beautiful formation and very compact are found in these caves.

The village, though now of little importance, was once the most thriving in the county, and between the years 1765 and 1782, when the linen manufacture was carried on, had not less than 13 mills in operation, erected by St. John Jefferyes, Esq., at an expense of about £20,000. The cotton trade was afterwards introduced and flourished for a time, but has decayed; and the only establishments now in operation are a spinning-mill belonging to M. Mahony, Esq., in which about 120 persons are employed in spinning and dyeing woollen yarn for the extensive camlet manufactory in Cork; and a paper-mill, erected by G. Jenkins, Esq., which employs about 170 persons. St. John Jefferyes, Esq., the proprietor of the village, has it in contemplation to rebuild it on an enlarged and improved plan. Just above it stands the parish church, which was repaired and enlarged in .1835, and is a very neat edifice. Fairs are held on Sept. 18th and Nov. 11th; here is a station of the constabulary police; and petty sessions are held on alternate Tuesdays. A national school, capable of accommodating 500 children, was built in 1836, at an expense of £300, of which the Commissioners gave £90, the parishioners £11, and the Rev. M. Horgan, P.P., gave the remainder; and there is a dispensary.--See GARRYCLOYNE.

BLASQUET ISLANDS, also called BLASQUES or FERRITER'S ISLANDS, lying off the shore of the parish of DONQUIN, barony of CORKAGUINEY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (W. S. W.) from Dingle; the population is returned with Donquin. These islands were granted by the Earl of Desmond to the family of Ferriter, but were forfeited to the Crown by their joining in the rebellion of that nobleman, and in 1586 were granted, with other possessions, to George Stone and Cornelius Champion; they were afterwards purchased by Sir Richard Boyle, ancestor of the present proprietor, the Earl of Cork. They are rated for the county cess with the parish of Donquin, but for tithes with that of Ballinvohir, on the northern shore of Dingle bay. In September, 1588, part of the Spanish Armada, consisting of the admiral's ship the St. John, a large ship of 1000 tons called "Our Lady of the Rosary," and some smaller vessels, came into the Sound in distress. Our Lady of the Rosary struck on a rock and was wrecked, and of 500 persons on board, among whom were the Prince of Ascule and 100 gentlemen, only the pilot's son was saved: a violent storm soon after dispersed the rest of the ships. The islands, which are the most westerly on the coast of Ireland, are situated in Lat. 52° 6' 40" (N.), and Lon. 10° 33' (W.), as taken from the southern point of the Great Blasquet; they are twelve in number, including those which are mere rocks, and extend 2 1/2 miles W. by S. The largest is called the Great Blasquet or Innismore, and is nearly two miles from the main land: it is about three miles in length, and is elevated mountain ground, with some arable land towards the north-east extremity: ten families reside upon it at present, and there are the ruins of a very ancient church, with a burial-ground. The second in size, and the southernmost, is Innismackilane, which lies about seven miles W. by S. from Dunmore, and is low and bleak, but yields a very rich herbage: it is the abode of two families, and contains the ruins of an ancient chapel with a burial-ground, and a small stone-roofed cell or hermitage, with the remains of several others. The third is Innisnebroe or Quern Island, so called from its resemblance to the old mill-stones called "querns." The fourth and most northern, called Innistuskard, is about an Irish mile in length: only one family resides on it, and there is a stone cell similar to that above noticed. Near the Great Island are three smaller, one of which is called Innisbeg or the Little island, and consists of about 16 acres of rich grazing land; the other two are of the same character, but not so large. Most of them are stocked with sheep and black cattle, and abound with rabbits and sea-fowl, of which the last breed in vast numbers on the stupendous pyramidal rock forming the eighth island, and situated four miles W. N. W. from the Great island, and are taken for their feathers: near this rock is another of a similar form but inferior height. Here are also numbers of hawks and eagles, the former of which were once held in great esteem for sporting; and a small bird, called by the Irish gourder, and said to exceed the ortolan in deliciousness of flavour, appears to be peculiar to these islands. Smith, in his History of Cork, published in 1749, says that, for the space of 45 years before he visited the Great island, "neither man, woman, or child died on it."

BLENNERVILLE, a small sea-port town, in the parish of ANNAGH, barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 1 mile (W.) from Tralee, containing 532 inhabitants. It is situated on the bay of Tralee, and consists chiefly of one street extending from a bridge over a small river which empties itself into the bay along the road to Dingle, and containing 88 houses, most of which are neatly built and roofed with slate. On the opposite side of the bay is an oyster bed, which with the fishery in the bay affords employment to a portion of the inhabitants. An extensive trade in corn is carried on with the port of Liverpool. Fairs are held on May 9th, Sept. 15th, Oct. 25th, and Dec. 19th; and there is a penny post daily between this place and Tralee. The Tralee ship canal, now in progress, will pass under the north end of the bridge and extend to the channel at a place called the Black rock; it is supposed that this work, when completed, will nearly annihilate the trade of Blennerville, which has hitherto been the port of Tralee. A portion of the slob on the east side of the bridge has been lately embanked by Mr. Blennerhasset, of this place. The parish church, a neat modern structure with a square tower, is situated in the town; as are also the Protestant and R. C. school-houses, and at Curragrague is a school under the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity.--See ANNAGH.

BLESSINGTON (ST. MARY), or BURGAGE, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of LOWER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 6 1/4miles (E. S. E.) from Naas, and 14 (S. S. W.) from Dublin; containing, with Burgage, 2677 inhabitants, of which number, 426 are in the town. This place is situated on the river Liffey, and on the high road from Dublin, by Baltinglass, to Wexford, Carlow, and Waterford. The town occupies a rising ground on the north-western confines of the county, and was built by Archbishop Boyle in the reign of Chas. II.: it consists only of one street, and contains about 50 houses, which are mostly of respectable appearance, and a good inn or hotel. Considerable improvement has taken place since the construction of the new turnpike road from Dublin to Carlow, by way of Baltinglass, in 1829, by which the Waterford mail and the Kilkenny day mail, and several coaches and cars to the counties of Wexford and Carlow, have been brought through it. The celebrated waterfall called Poul-a-Phuca, about three miles distant on the road to Baltinglass, and described under the head of Ballymore-Eustace, is generally visited from this place. The market is on Thursday; and fairs are held on May 12th, July 5th, and Nov. 12th. Here is a station of the constabulary police; and the chief officer of the peace preservation force resides in the town. The inhabitants were incorporated by charter of the 21st of Chas. II. (1669), granted to Michael Boyle, Archbishop of Dublin and Chancellor of Ireland, and certain forfeited lands assigned to him were at the same time erected into a manor, to be called the manor of Blessington. This charter empowered the archbishop to hold before the seneschal of the manor a court leet with view of frankpledge twice in the year; a court baron every three weeks, or less frequently, for claims not exceeding 40s.; and a court of record when and where he should think proper, with jurisdiction not exceeding £10: and prescribed the style, constitution, and mode of electing the officers of the corporation. The corporation was styled "The Sovereign, Bailiffs, and Burgesses of the Borough and Town of Blessington;" and consisted of a sovereign, two bailiffs, and twelve burgesses, with power to a majority to admit freemen and choose inferior officers, and the archbishop was authorised to appoint a recorder and town-clerk. The borough returned two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when the £15,000 awarded as compensation for the loss of the franchise was paid to Arthur, Marquess of Downshire; the right of election was vested in the corporation at large, which from that period has been extinct. Petty sessions are held on alternate Saturdays; and the Marquess of Downshire, as proprietor of the town, has power to hold a manorial court for the recovery of small debts.

The parish, which, previously to the erection of the town and church in 1683, was called Burgage, comprises 17,570 statute acres. The land is chiefly under tillage and pasturage, and there are some large tracts of mountain waste, on which are turf bogs; the state of agriculture has considerably improved. The subsoil is chiefly limestone gravel; and the mountains abound with granite, which is quarried and sent to Dublin for public buildings. The Marquess of Downshire had a handsome mansion and demesne of 410 statute acres, with a deer park of 340 acres, all surrounded by a wall, and situated on the right of the road from Dublin: the mansion was originally built by Primate Boyle, the last ecclesiastical chancellor of Ireland, who held his court of chancery here, and built houses for the six clerks, two of which yet remain; the interior was burnt by the insurgents in 1798 and has not been restored; the demesne is richly embellished with fine timber. About two miles from the town, on the road to Baltinglass, is Russborough, the elegant seat of the Earl of Miltown: the mansion, erected after a design by Mr. Cassels, architect of the Bank of Ireland, is in the Grecian style, and consists of a centre and two wings, connected by semicircular colonnades of alternated Ionic and Corinthian pillars, and presenting a noble facade of hewn stone 700 feet in extent; the interior is fitted up in a style of sumptuous magnificence; the floors of the principal apartments are of polished mahogany, and there is an extensive and valuable collection of paintings, chiefly of the Italian school, arranged in seven apartments appropriated to its reception: the demesne comprises 405 statute acres tastefully laid out and planted. Russellstown, the seat of J. Hornidge, Esq., is also in the parish. The living is a vicarage with Burgage, in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, to which the vicarages of Boystown and Kilbride were united by act of council in 1833, forming the vicarial union of Blessington, in the patronage of the Archbishop; the rectory is united to those of St. Andrew's and Ardree, and part of Lusk, together constituting the corps of the precen-torship in the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin. The tithes, including those of Burgage, amount to £218. 10., of which £120 is payable to the precentor, and the remainder to the vicar, and the gross tithes of the benefice amount to £210. 19. 5. The lands of Great Burgage, comprising 670a. 3r. l0p. statute measure, let on lease at a rental of £64. 12. 3 3/4., form part of the endowment of the precentorship. The church, a neat edifice with a lofty square tower, was erected at the expense of Primate Boyle, who also gave a ring of bells: it is neatly fitted up, and an organ was erected by the grandfather of the present Marquess of Downshire, who allows the organist a salary of £40 per ann., to which £10 was formerly added by the parish, and now by the new Ecclesiastical Board: a monument to the memory of the founder records his benefactions to the town, and the inscription concludes with the motto, "Abi, et fac tu similiter." During the disturbances of 1798 the church was used as a barrack. Viscount Blessington, a descendant of Primate Boyle, in 1736, endowed the living of Blessington, otherwise Burgage, with 130 statute acres of land in the adjoining parish of Tipperkevin, subject to the payment of £5 per annum by the incumbent to the school: there is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish is partly included in the union or district of Blessington, partly in that of Blackditches, and partly in that of Ballymore-Eustace: the first union comprises also the parishes of Rathmore, Kilbride, and Kilteel, and contains three chapels, situated at Cross and Eadestown, in Rathmore, and at Kilbride. A neat building, the upper part of which is used as a girls' school, and the lower as a court for holding the petty sessions, with a house for the master and mistress, has been erected at an expense of £800 by the Marquess of Downshire, who allows a salary of £20 to the master and £10 to the mistress, the latter of whom also receives the £5 payable by the incumbent: there are about 20 boys in the school, who are taught in a school-room a short distance from the building, and 30 girls. There are also five hedge schools in Blessington and Burgage, in which nearly 150 children are taught. A dispensary is supported in the customary manner. There are some ruins of the old church of Burgage, and in the churchyard are the remains of a castle, and on the outside is a very fine cross, hewn out of one large block of granite, and about 14 feet high. On the townland of Crosscool Harbour, near Liffey Cottage, are a burial-place and a holy well, the latter of which is much resorted to in June for its reputed efficacy in healing various diseases. On the townland of Three Castles are some remains of one of the ancient fortresses from which it has derived its name. Blessington gave the title of Earl to the family of Gar-diner, now extinct; and Russborough gives the inferior titles of Viscount and Baron to the Earl of Miltown.

BODENSTOWN, or BOWDENSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of NORTH NAAS, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (S. W.) from Clane; containing, with part of the village of Sallins, 458 inhabitants. It is bounded on the east by the river Liffey, over which is a very curious stone bridge of five arches, all differently shaped. About three-fourths of the land are pasture and appropriated to the fattening of stock for the Dublin and Liverpool markets, and the remainder is under tillage, producing good crops: there is no waste land or bog, yet the supply of fuel is abundant. The Grand Canal, which passes close to the parish, facilitates the conveyance of corn and potatoes to the metropolis, from which manure is also obtained in abundance. The gentlemen's seats are Blackhall, that of P. Wolfe, Esq.; Castlesize, of I. Manders, Esq.; Little Rath, of Mr. R. Hall, occupying the site of an ancient intrenchment; and Sallins Lodge, near which stood the old castle of Sallins, the residence of Mr. S. Holt. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, with the perpetual curacy of Sherlockstown episcopally united, forming the union of Bodenstown, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Mayo. The tithes amount to £90, of which £60 is payable to the impropriator and £30 to the vicar; and the tithes of the entire benefice amount to £65. There is no church, but a grant was made for the erection of one by the late Board of First Fruits; the Protestant parishioners attend the church of Clane. There is also no glebe-house: the glebe comprises 8 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kill. There is a pay school of about 10 children. The celebrated Theobald Wolfe Tone was a native of this parish, and lies in the same grave with his father in the churchyard.

BOHERBEE, or BOHERBUI, a village, in the parish of KILMEEN, barony of DUHALLOW, county of CORK and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (W.) from Kanturk: the population is returned with the parish. This place is situated on the new line of road recently constructed by Government, and leading from Roskeen-Bridge, through King-William's-town, to Castle-island. The village, from its advantageous situation on the road above mentioned, and also near the junction of the roads from Kanturk and Newmarket to Millstreet, promises to become a place of some importance. A police barrack has been lately erected by Mr. W. Allen, for the accommodation of the constabulary force stationed here; and the R. C. parochial chapel, a large slated building recently erected, is situated in the village.--See KILMEEN.

BOHERLAHAN.--See ARDMAYLE.

BOHILLANE, or BOHOLANE, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 3/4 miles (E.) from Cloyne; containing 487 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Ballycotton to Castlemartyr, and comprises 1848 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £959 per annum. The land in general is tolerably good, and the greater part is under an improved system of tillage: in some places the soil is light, and rests on a substratum of clay-slate; in others, stiff and compact, occasionally abounding with springs; and in some, loose and shivery, absorbing great quantities of moisture. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £191. 10. 3 1/2. There is no church; the Protestant inhabitants resort for divine service either to Itermorrough or Cloyne. The ruins of the old church form a picturesque object: near them is a glebe of 12a. 2r. 36p., but there is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Ballymacoda in Kilmacdonough.

BOHOE, a parish, partly in the barony of MAGHERABOY, but chiefly in that of CLANAWLEY, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 5 1/2 miles (W.) from Enniskillen; containing 2581 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Enniskillen to Sligo, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 15,058 1/2 statute acres, of which 6151 1/4are in the barony of Magheraboy, and 8907 1/4in that of Clanawley. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £120. The church, a plain edifice, was erected by aid of a gift of £200 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1777, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £157. 10. for its repair. There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises 142 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district, of Devenish or Derrygonelly, and also part of that of Innismacsaint; the chapel, an indifferent building, belongs to the union of Devenish. The parochial school is supported by an annual donation from the incumbent, aided by subscription; and affords instruction to about 50 boys and 30 girls; and there are four pay schools, in which are about 150 boys and 70 girls. The mountain of Belmore, in this parish, has an elevation of 1312, and that of Glenkeel 1223, feet above the level of the sea.

BOHOLA, or BUCHOLLA, a parish, in the barony of GALLEN, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 6 miles (S. by E.) from Foxford; containing 3658 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Gustien, and on the road from Swinford to Castlebar, and is principally under tillage; the mountain of Slieve Conn, which is within its limits, is cultivated to the very summit; there is some bog. The principal seats are Barley Hill, the residence of Bernard McManus, Esq.; Carragawn, of E. Deane, Esq.; and Rosslevin Castle, of H. Jordan, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry, and is part of the union of Templemore; the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of the late Roger Palmer, Esq. The tithes amount to £374. 17. 8., of which one-half is payable to the impropriators, and the other to the vicar. The church is in ruins. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel. There are two hedge schools, in which about 190 boys and 80 girls are educated.

BOLIES, a village, in the parish of DULEEK, barony of UPPER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S. W.) from Duleek, on the mail coach road from Dublin, through Duleek, to Belfast; containing 30 houses and 159 inhabitants.

BOLINALEA, or BONELEA, a village, in the parish of RATHNEW, barony of NEWCASTLE, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, adjoining the post-town of Ashford, and containing about 80 houses and 476 inhabitants. It is situated on the old road from Newtown-Mount-Kennedy by Cronroe, to Rathdrum; and is a place of great resort during the summer season, from its contiguity to some of the most varied and luxuriant scenery through which the river Vartrey flows, and with which the neighbouring district abounds. The fairs of Ashford are held at this village.--See RATHNEW.

BOLY, or GALVOLY, a parish, in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/4miles (S. S. E.) from Thurles; containing 426 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called Galbooly, and is situated on a branch of the river Suir, comprises 1268 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1012 per annum. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and is part of the union of Borrisleigh and corps of the treasurership in the cathedral of Cashel; the rectory is impropriate in John Bagwell, Esq., a minor. The tithes amount to £110, which is equally divided between the impropriator and the treasurer. There is a pay school, in which are about 70 boys and 30 girls.

BONAFOBLE.--See MOVILLE.

BONLAHEY, or BUNLAHEY, a village, in that part of the parish of GRANARD which is in the barony of GRANARD, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (W. N. W.) from Granard, on the road to Ballinamuck; containing 65 dwellings and 299 inhabitants. Fairs are held on the 16th of May, July 26th, Oct. 15th, and Dec. 12th.--See GRANARD.

BONMAHON, a maritime village, in the parish of BALLYLANEEN, barony of UPPERTHIRD, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (S.) from Kilmacthomas; containing 972 inhabitants. This place is situated on the coast of St. George's channel, and derives its name from the river Mahon, which rises in the Cummeragh mountains, and here falls into the sea. It is much frequented as a watering-place during the summer, and contains several neat private residences and convenient lodging-houses for the accommodation of visitors; and in the immediate vicinity are numerous houses built for persons employed in the mines. The beach is well adapted for bathing, and the village might be made a place of fashionable resort; but the land being principally the property of the College of Physicians, who cannot grant leases for more than 31 years, very little improvement has been made. The surrounding scenery is very pleasing, and a wooden bridge over the Mahon adds much to its picturesque character. A new church, with a school-house adjoining, has been recently erected on the eastern side of the river, in the parish of Kilbarrymeadan; the school is supported by Lady Osborne. The valuable mines of this place and in the neighbourhood produce copper and lead, with a portion of silver; they have been worked from an early period, and veins have been opened in several parts and worked to a considerable extent. In 1745 a Company rented these mines from Lord Ranelagh for a term of 31 years, under an agreement to give to his lordship one-eighth part of all the ore obtained; and the works were carried on with spirit for eight or ten years. They were subsequently worked by Mr. Wyse, who employed 300 men; and, in 1811, the Earl of Ormonde renewed the enterprise with every prospect of success, but, after a very large expenditure, was induced to desist; they are at present under the management of the Irish Mining Company. The veins are found in some parts of the rock within a few feet of the surface, and none have been worked to a greater depth than 25 yards. Copper ore is observed in many places along the beach. The principal mines are on the property of the Marquess of Ormonde, on the lands belonging to the see of Waterford, and on those of Lady Osborne and J. Power O'Shee, Esq.--See BALLYLANEEN.

BONNECONLAN.--See KILGARVEY.

BONOWEN.--See BENOWEN.

BOOTERSTOWN, a parish, in the half-barony of RATHDOWN, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/4miles (S. E.) from Dublin; containing 2875 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Dublin to Kingstown and Bray, and on the southern coast of Dublin bay, the shores of which here assume a most interesting and beautifully picturesque appearance. On the opposite side are the finely wooded lands of Clontarf, the mountainous ridge of Howth connected with the main land by a low sandy isthmus, and the islands of Ireland's Eye and Lambay. Of the other side the land swells into the romantic hill of Mount Anville, with slopes richly wooded and embellished with numerous handsome seats, and to the east are the projecting high grounds of the Blackrock covered to the water's edge with trees. The parish comprises 450 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1589 per annum; the substratum is chiefly limestone and limestone gravel. Of the numerous handsome seats and villas, many of which are delightfully situated in highly embellished demesnes, commanding beautiful views of the bay of Dublin and of the mountains, the principal are Seamount, that of the Rt. Hon. J. Doherty, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas; Sans Souci, of the late R. Roe, Esq.; Willow Park, of J. Ferrier, Esq.; Colognes, of I. M. D'Olier, Esq.; Rosemount, of C. Smith, Esq.; Rockville, of W. Murphy, Esq.; Sion Hill, of H. Lanauze, Esq.; Rockville House, of C. Hope, Esq.; Hermitage, of W. F. Mostyn, Esq.; Clareville, of Sir Ross Mahon, Bart.; Lota, of O'Gorman Mahon, Esq.; Chesterfield, of the Rev. W. Betty; Belleview, of J. Gillman, Esq.; Church View, of H. Higinbotham, Esq.; Arbutus Lodge, of W. Cullen, Esq.; South Hill, of A. Beytagh, Esq.; Mount Merrion, of H. Staines, Esq.; Woodview, of Lady Waller; Marino, of the Rev. R. H. Nixon; Brook Lawn, of J. McCulIagh, Esq.; Grace-ville, of J. Woods, Esq.; Albion Cottage, of J. C. Bacon, Esq.; Baymount, of Capt. Cockburn; Mereview, of T. Clinch, Esq.; Woodbine Cottage, of Capt. McNaghton; and Waltham, of A. Ormsby, Esq. The village, with those of Williamstown and Blackrock, nearly forms a continuous extent of town; and within the parish are the avenues of Merrion, Cross, Sydney and Williamstown, in each of which are rows of neat houses, with numerous detached villas. This place is much frequented during the summer season on account of its facilities for sea-bathing and its fine strand of smooth sand; numerous lodging-houses have been prepared for the accommodation of visiters; and a cross embankment communicating with the railway, which is carried on an embankment through the sea in front of the town, at a short distance from high water mark, has been constructed for their convenience. The twopenny post has three deliveries daily from the metropolis, and a constant and rapid communication with the city is maintained by the railway and by cars, which ply in both directions.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Dublin, erected out of the parish of Donnybrook by act of council in 1821, and in the patronage of the Archdeacon of Dublin; the rectory forms part of the corps of the archdeaconry. The tithes amount to £65. 0. 2., the whole of which is payable to the archdeacon, who allows the perpetual curate £16 per annum; the curacy was also endowed by the late Earl of Pembroke with £1000, since invested in ground rents now producing £73. 16. 10. The church is a handsome structure, in the later English style, with a square embattled tower with crocketed pinnacles at the angles, and surmounted by a lofty spire; the walls are strengthened with buttresses terminating in pinnacles, and crowned with an embattled parapet. It was erected in 1824, on a piece of ground given by the late Earl of Pembroke in Cross Avenue, at an expense of £5000, of which sum, £2700 was a gift from the late Board of First Fruits; and contains neat monuments to James Digges Latouche and Richard Verschoyle, Esqrs. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms the head of a union or district including also parts of the parishes of Donnybrook, Kill, Monkstown, Rathfarnham, Stillorgan, and Taney. The chapel is a spacious and handsome edifice, erected at the sole expense of the late Earl Fitzwilliam; there are also chapels at Blackrock and Dundrum. A neat parochial school-house, with apartments for a master and mistress, was built in 1826, near the church, at an expense of £600, defrayed by subscription; and an infants' school was built adjoining the former in 1833, in which is kept a parochial lending library; these schools are supported by subscription and collections at charity sermons. In connection with the R. C. chapel is a girls' school, to which Mrs. Verschoyle contributes £20 per annum. Here is a dispensary; and a Dorcas Society is supported by subscription and collections at charity sermons.

BORDWELL, a parish, in the barony of UPPER OSSORY, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (N. E.) from Rathdowney; containing 869 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Abbeyleix to Templemore, and comprises 2549 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The state of agriculture is improving; there is a small quantity of bog; and limestone is quarried in the parish. The principal seats are Grantstown, the residence of R. Vicars, Esq.; Coolfin, of T. Roe, Esq.; and Fernville, of-- Palmer, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £137. 10. The church is in ruins, and divine service is performed in the school-house. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Aghavoe; the chapel is a large building. The parochial school is supported by subscription, aided by annual donations from Lord Lorton, the rector, Mr. Roe, and others; and at Fox Rock is a National school; in these schools are about 50 boys and 30 girls. At Grantstown and at Kilbredy are the ruins of old castles.

BORRIS, or BORRIS-IDRONE, a village, in the parish of CLONAGOOSE, barony of IDRONE EASt, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S. E.) from Goresbridge; containing 671 inhabitants. This place is situated near the river Barrow, on the road from Carlow to Ross: it has a patent for a market on Friday, which is not held, and a penny post to Goresbridge. Borris House, the noble seat of the late T. Kavanagh, Esq., is situated in an extensive and richly wooded demesne, and commands fine views terminated on the south-east by the imposing range of the Blackstairs mountains. This mansion, which externally exhibits the appearance of an English baronial residence of the 16th century, while every advantage of convenience and splendour is secured within, has been for ages the chief residence of the posterity of Donald Kavanagh, natural son of Mac Murrough, last King of Leinster, whose name and authority he subsequently assumed. In 1642, being garrisoned by the parliamentarians, it was besieged by the Irish, and with difficulty the garrison was relieved and reinforced by Sir C. Coote. In the disturbances of 1798 it sustained two attacks; first, on May 24th, when the insurgents were repulsed by Capt. Kavanagh's yeomanry corps, with the loss of 50 killed and wounded; and afterwards on June 12th, from a detachment sent against it from Vinegar Hill, on which occasion it was defended with great bravery by a party of the Donegal militia, who compelled the assailants, after burning the out-offices and destroying some houses in Borris, to retire with considerable loss. At Kilcamney, in the vicinity, an action was also fought, in which the insurgents were routed with the loss of their stores by the king's forces under Sir C. Asgill. Petty sessions are held here every alternate Thursday, and road sessions occasionally: the court-house was lately erected by Mr. Kavanagh. This is a chief constabulary police station; and there is a small barrack for the accommodation of about 30 men. Fairs for cattle, sheep, pigs, &c., are held on Jan. 1st, Feb. 5th, May 1st, July 2nd, Aug. 15th, Oct. 4th, and Nov. 14th, and four more fairs have been lately obtained; that in July is a considerable fair for wool. Attached to Borris House is a very handsome private chapel, erected by the late Mr. Kavanagh, and open to the inhabitants. In the R. C. divisions this place is the head of a union or district comprising parts of the parishes of Clonagoose, Ullard (county of Kilkenny), St. Mullins, and Ballyellin, and the whole of that of Kiltennel: the parochial chapel is a handsome edifice, lately built at an expense of £2000. There is a school, in which 150 boys and 90 girls are taught: the school-house is a commodious building, erected and fitted up by local contributions amounting to £274. 5. 6., and a grant of £97. 5. 6. from the National Board. A dispensary is maintained in the customary manner; and there is an institution called the Borris Benevolent Society, established about eight years, to which the payment of one shilling monthly entitles each member, in case of sickness, to a weekly allowance of 5s. for the first three months, and of 2s. 6d. afterwards so long as he shall continue sick. At Borris House is preserved the "Figeen," a curious ornament of silver and tin, found on the demesne; and an ancient horn and a casket, called the Liath-Mersicith, esteemed among the most valuable curiosities in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin, are relics which formerly belonged to the Kavanaghs.--See CLONAGOOSE.

BORRIS, QUEEN'S county. -- See MARYBOROUGH.

BORRIS- IN -OSSORY. -- See BURROS- IN-OSSORY.

BORRISLEIGH, or TWO-MILE BURRIS, a parish, in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S. S. E.) from Thurles; containing, with the town of Littleton, 3020 inhabitants. This parish is situated at the junction of the roads leading respectively from Johnstown to Cashel, and from Killenaule and Thurles to New Birmingham; it comprises 7988 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5702 per annum. Within its limits is a small portion of the Bog of Allen, and the river Liscaveen forms a boundary between it and the parish of Ballymoreen. The village, which is small, is the property of Sir Hugh Nugent O'Reilly, and is only remarkable for the ruins of a church and castle, and the remains of a Danish fort, all within a few yards of each other. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, united from a period prior to any known record to the vicarages of Boly or Galvoly and Drom, and to the chapelry of Leogh, together constituting the union of Borrisleigh and the corps of the treasurership in the cathedral of Cashel, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £600, and of the benefice to £738. 1. 6 1/2. The church is a handsome edifice, partly in the later English style, and was enlarged by aid of a loan of £1000 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1820; and another loan of £923 was granted for its repair in 1828. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 30 acres, the latter subject to a rent; in the parish of Drom is also a glebe of 42a. 1r. 19p., statute measure, leased at £30. 9. 3., with a renewal fine of £6.10. per annum. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Moykarkey. The parochial school is supported by the rector, who contributes £20 per annum; and another school is maintained by private subscription. In these schools about 90 boys and 50 girls are instructed; and there are three pay schools, in which are about 100 boys and 80 girls.--See LITTLETON.

BORRISMORE, a townland, in the parish of URLINGFORD, barony of GALMOY, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. by N.) from Freshford: the population is returned with the parish. This place anciently formed part of the possessions of the abbey of Jerpoint: it contains 2037 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, for which the composition amounts to £83. 2. 5. per annum, appropriate to the benefice of Burnchurch, in the diocese of Ossory.

BORRIS-O'-KANE.--See BURRIS-O'-KANE.

BOTHON.--See BUTTEVANT.

BOURNEY, or BOURCHIN, a parish, in the barony of IKERRIN, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (S. E.) from Roscrea; containing 4061 inhabitants This parish is situated between the mail coach road from Dublin to Limerick, and the public road from Roscrea to Templemore; and comprises more than 9700 statute acres. The rivers Nore and Suir have their rise here in the side of the mountain of Benduff, their respective sources not being more than half a mile distant from each other; the Nore pursues nearly a direct course through this parish and Corbally into Burros-in-Ossory; the Suir forms the southern boundary of the parish. Dangan Lodge is the seat of J. Middleton, Esq.; Derrylahan, of J. Mason, Esq.; Mount Fresco, of Horatio Lloyd, Esq.; and Lorn Park, of G. Roe, Esq. Here is a station of the constabulary police. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, to which the rectory and vicarage of Burrisnefarney were united by act of council, forming the union of Bourney, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Ormonde. The tithes amount to £550, of which £350 is payable to the impropriator, and £200 to the vicar; and the gross tithes of the union payable to the incumbent amount to £384. 12. 4. The church is a plain building, for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £246. 8. 9. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £350 and a loan of £450, in 1814, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises about six acres in four detached portions in this parish. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parishes of Burrisnefarney and Corbally, and contains four chapels, all neat buildings, of which the principal is situated at Clonakenny, in this parish. There is a place of worship for the Society of Friends at Knockbally Meagher. The parochial schools afford instruction to about 40 boys and 40 girls; and there are also four private pay schools, in which are about 170 children. At Boulebane, Bawnmadrum, and Clonakenny are considerable remains of ancient castles; the first two are situated on an eminence very near each other.

BOVEVAGH, a parish, in the barony of KENAUGHt, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (N.) from Dungiven; containing 5552 inhabitants. At this place, anciently called Boith-Medhbha, a monastery was founded in 557 by St. Columb, of which Aidan, nephew of St. Patrick, was the first abbot. This establishment was situated on the western bank of the river Roe, and continued to flourish for some years, but was plundered and destroyed by the Danes, and was never afterwards rebuilt. The parish is intersected by two roads, one on each side of the river, leading from Dungiven to Newtownlimavady; and, according to the Ordnance survey, comprises 18,596 statute acres. The land is generally fertile, but the soil is very variable, passing through all the gradations from light sand to stiff clay and marl: on the banks of the river it is gravelly and remarkably productive. The system of agriculture is greatly improved; there is scarcely any mountain or waste land, and the bogs are mostly worked out and reclaimed. The geological features of the parish are highly interesting: the strata are laid open to view in the river and the several streams; the most valuable of those hitherto worked is the freestone, which is found in several parts, and of which the principal quarry is at Ballyhargan. From this quarry was procured the stone used in building the palace of Ballyscullion, the magnificent portico of which was removed to St. George's church, at Belfast; the stone found here is easily worked, but hardens by exposure to the air, and is of very good colour. Indications of manganese are also observable, and the beautiful pebbles called Dungiven crystals are frequently found. The weaving of linen cloth is carried on in many of the farm-houses and cottages. There are several seats, the principal of which are Streth House, the residence of Mrs. Edwards; Ballyhargan, of W. Osborne, Esq.; Ardenariff, of W. Douglas, Esq.; and Camnish House, of the Rev. Mr. Kidd.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £580. The church is a large and handsome edifice, in the later English style, with a lofty square tower crowned with pinnacles; it was erected in 1823, by aid of a gift of £300 from the late Board of First Fruits, and is situated on the west bank of the Roe, about a quarter of a mile from the site of the old church, which had fallen to decay some years previously. The glebe-house, a large and well-built residence, is situated on the east bank of the river: the glebe comprises 79 acres of fertile land. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Banagher, and contains two chapels, one at Derrylane, where service is performed every alternate Sunday, and the other at Ballymoney. There is a place of worship at. Camnish for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class. The male and female parochial school at Burnfoot is aided by an annual donation from the rector, and was endowed with half an acre of land by Mr. Edwards; the school-house, a good building of stone, was erected at an expense of £110, of which £50 was granted from the lord-lieutenant's fund, and the remainder raised by subscription. At Drumneesy is a male and female school, aided by the rector, who also contributes to the support of an infants' school at Bovevagh. In these schools are about 260 children; and there are six private schools, in which are about 280 children, and five Sunday schools. Near the old church is an artificial cave, 82 yards in length, with several galleries branching from it in different directions. About a mile northeast of the church is an upright stone, near which, according to tradition, a battle was fought, but which may probably be part of a cromlech, as there are other stones and vestiges of a druidical circle near the spot.

BOW, or BOA, ISLAND, partly in the parish of TEMPLECARNE, and partly in that of DRUMKEERAN, barony of LURG, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Pettigo; containing 382 inhabitants. This island, situated in the upper portion of the lower Lough Erne, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 1342 statute acres, of which nearly 787 are in Drumkeeran, and the remainder in the parish of Templecarne. The land is good, and the island is divided into a number of small farms varying from two to forty acres. There is a fine quarry of freestone. In the townland of Caldragh is a burial-ground.

BOYANAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of , but chiefly in that of HALF-BALLYMOE, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 6 3/4 miles (E. by N.) from Dunmore; containing 4861 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Dunmore to Castlerea, and comprises 13,840 statute acres, a large extent of which is waste land and bog. Here are two oatmeal-mills, and limestone is abundant. Springfield is the seat of W. McDermot, Esq.; Ashfield, of I. Kelly, Esq.; Clondoyle, of B. Kelly, Esq.; and Lakeview, of I. O'Flyn, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and is part of the union of Kilkerrin; the rectory forms part of the union and corps of the deanery of Tuam: the tithes amount to £185, of which £120 is payable to the dean, and £65 to the incumbent. The church is in ruins, but the ground is still used for burials. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, also called Glanamada, comprising the parishes of Boyanagh and Templetogher; there is a chapel in each, of which that of Boyanagh is situated at Kelnalag. A school, in which about 80 boys and 10 girls are taught, is supported by Lord Fitzgerald; and there are three private pay schools, in which are about 280 boys and 50 girls.

BOYLE, a corporate, market, and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of BOYLE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of Connaught, 19 1/4miles (S. S. E.) from Sligo, and 84 1/2 miles (W. N. W.) from Dublin; containing 12,597 inhabitants, of which number, 3433 are in the town. This place had its origin in the foundation of a religious establishment, in 1148, at Grelacdinach, which, after several removals, was finally settled here in 1161, by Maurice O'Dubhay, the third in succession to Peter Mordha, its first, abbot, who was promoted to the see of Clonfert, and was drowned in the Shannon in 1171. The abbey, which was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded for brethren of the Cistertian order of St. Bernard, and as a dependency of the great abbey of Mellifont, in the county of Louth. In 1197, Cornelius Mac Dermot, King of Moylurg (which included the greater part, if not the whole, of the barony of Boyle), died here in the habit of the order, and was interred within the precincts of the abbey. The English forces, commanded by the lords-justices Maurice Fitzgerald and Mac William, in 1235, encamped within the walls of the monastery, seized upon every thing belonging to it, and stripped the monks of their habits, to punish them for their endeavours to assist the King of Connaught. It was pillaged by Rory O'More, in 1315, but continued to flourish till the dissolution, and in 1569 was given by Queen Elizabeth to Patrick Cusacke, of Gerrardstown, in the county of Meath, by whom, or by a lay proprietor who afterwards succeeded him, it was forfeited. In 1589 it was granted to William Usher, on a lease of 21 years, at a rent of £14. 16. 4. per annum; and in 1595 it was besieged by the Earl of Tyrone with an army of 2300 Scottish Highlanders and Irish. In the 2nd, 4th, and 9th years of the reign of James I., inquisitions were made to ascertain its possessions; and in 1603 it was given to Sir John King, ancestor of the present Earl of Kingston and Viscount Lorton, which grant was, about 15 years afterwards, confirmed by another, which conferred also the privilege of holding courts leet and baron.

The town, which is the largest in the northern part of the county, and one of the principal within its limits, is situated on the river Boyle, which flows from Lough Gara into Lough Key, and on the mail coach road to Sligo. It is divided into two parts by the river, towards which the ground slopes precipitously on both sides; the older part extends up the acclivity on the north side, and the more modern portion stretches in a direction parallel with the north-west bank of the river, above the bridge; the most recent and improved part is on the south side of the bridge, ascending the hill and forming a crescent on its summit. The old bridge, an inconvenient structure, which connected these parts of the town, and on which was a statue of William III., has been taken down and replaced by a handsome structure of three arches, 100 feet long and 42 feet wide; the span of the principal arch is 30 feet, and the lightness and beauty of the design add greatly to the appearance of the town; it was erected at an expense of £500, one half of which was paid by the county and the other by Lord Lorton. Another bridge of a single arch, 50 feet in span, was thrown across the river in 1817; and below it there is a third, of five small arches. The old mansion of the Kingston family has been converted into infantry barracks for 12 officers and 260 non-commissioned officers and privates, with stabling for 5 horses and an hospital for 30 invalids. The principal street is on the line of approach from the new bridge to the barracks; the houses are built generally of limestone, but sandstone is used in some of the public buildings. On the erection of a new sessions-house, the old building was given up to Lord Lorton, and on the site of it a handsome lecture-room has been built, partly from a bequest by the late Rev. J. Gouldsbury, and partly by his lordship; in the back part of the building are the savings' bank, the charitable loan fund, the infants' school, and the dispensary. This town is the commercial centre of the extensive agricultural district which surrounds it, and carries on a considerable trade with Drumsna and Sligo. A market and fairs were granted to John Bingley and John King in 1604, prior to which date scarcely any notice occurs of the town. The staple articles are corn and butter: of the former very little is sold in the town, the greater part or nearly the whole being sent to Sligo; the butter market is on Monday, when great quantities are sold in firkins for exportation; yarn is also sold in large quantities to the purchasers who attend from the north for that purpose on the principal market day, which is Saturday; the sale of frieze and flannel has of late very much diminished. The market for provisions is held in an enclosure on the north west side of the bridge, formed at the expense of Lord Lorton about the year 1826, and is well supplied, not only with fish from the rivers and lakes, but also with sea-fish in abundance. Fairs are held on March 6th, April 3rd, May 9th and 30th, July 9th and 25th, Aug. 16th, Oct. 1st, and Nov. 25th. The only line of communication is the mail coach road from Dublin to Sligo, and all the trade of the town is conducted by land carriage. Here is a chief station of the constabulary police, for whose accommodation a barrack, with a handsome residence for the chief officer, has been erected near the abbey, at the expense of Lord Lorton.

The borough was incorporated by charter of the 11th of Jas. I. (1613), and a new charter was granted in the 4th of Jas. II., but as it was never acted on the former is the governing charter. The corporation is styled "the Borough-Master, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Boyle," and consists of a borough-master, twelve other free burgesses, and an indefinite number of commonalty; of which the last-named body is not now recognised in practice. The borough-master is chosen annually from and by the free burgesses, but his duties are very limited, and he exercises little practical power; the free burgesses are also chosen, as vacancies occur, by the members of their own body, and hold office for life, but are removable for misconduct; and the charter empowers the corporation to appoint two serjeants-at-mace, but at present there is only a town-serjeant. They have also the power of creating a guild of merchants, of which there is now no trace, and of making by-laws. The borough, of which the limits include the town and a small district immediately surrounding it, returned two members to the Irish parliament, who were elected by the borough-master and free burgesses; and on its disfranchisement at the time of the Union, the £15,000 granted in compensation for the loss of that privilege was paid to Lord Lorton, as executor of his father, the late Earl of Kingston, to whom the borough belonged. The charter granted a court of record to be held every Tuesday, with civil jurisdiction to the amount of five marks, in which the borough-master is judge; but the business done being inconsiderable, it is not usually held oftener than about once in a month. According to practice the jurisdiction is exercised in cases of which the cause of action either arises within the borough, or where it arises without and there are goods of the defendant within the borough: the process is by attachment on oath made by the plaintiff. Quarter sessions are held here every nine months, for the Boyle division of the county, which comprises also the towns of Castlerea and Strokestown, where they are likewise held every nine months; and petty sessions are held by the county magistrates every Monday. A seneschal's court is held in the town, having no jurisdiction within the borough, but over several baronies within the county, extending to the distance of many miles round the town. The new sessions-house, towards the erection of which Lord Lorton contributed £500, is situated on the slope of the hill on the south side of the river fronting the main street, and is built of sandstone. Connected with it is the district bridewell, containing a keeper's house and eight cells upon the improved plan of construction: the entire expense, amounting to £2400, was advanced by government, to be repaid by the county in instalments.

The parish, which is also called Assylin, comprises 10,139 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The lands are chiefly under tillage, and the system of agriculture is improved; there is little woodland, except on the demesnes of the resident gentry; about 1010 acres are bog and waste land. Limestone and freestone are found in abundance, and there are also some quarries of a species of marble; it is said that coal exists on the Curlew mountains, and that there were formerly iron-works on the river. Rockingham House, the superb residence of Viscount Lorton, is beautifully situated about two miles from the town, and on the south-east side of Lough Key: the building is of Grecian Ionic architecture, with a noble portico of six columns, on each side of which the facade is decorated with as many of the same order; on the north is a colonnade of six Ionic columns, and on the east is an entrance through an orangery: the grounds are tastefully laid out, and there are four grand entrance lodges leading into the demesne, which comprises about 2000 statute acres, richly planted. On the northern bank of the river, close to the town, is Frybrook, the seat of H. Fry, Esq.; and near the abbey is Abbeyview, now occupied by the agent of Lord Lorton. On the south side of the river is Tangier, the seat of Capt. Caleb Robertson; and about two miles west of the town is Knockadoo, the handsome residence of Owen Lloyd, Esq. Near Knockadoo is Ballymore, the residence of the Rev. J. Elwood; and about a mile to the east is Mount Erris, the seat of Capt. Duckworth, commanding some fine views of Lough Key and the adjacent mountains. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, to which the vicarages of Taunagh, Kilmacallane, Drumcollum, Kilross, Aughanagh, Ballynakill, and Ballysumaghan, were episcopally united in 1802, which eight parishes constitute the union of Boyle, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in Viscount Lorton. The tithes amount to £313. 16. 10., of which £166. 3. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar; and the tithes for the whole benefice, including the rectorial tithes of four of the above-named parishes, which form the corps of a prebend held by the vicar, to £638. 6. l 1/2. There are three churches in the union, situated respectively at Boyle, Ballysumaghan, and Kilmacallane: the church at Boyle serves for the town and parish; that at Ballysumaghan serves also for the parishes of Kilross and Ballynakill; and that at Kilmacallane for the parishes of Taunagh and Drumcollum. The church of Boyle, situated near the old park, is a spacious building, for the repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have granted £182; it was erected by aid of a loan of £1000 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1818. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £100 from the same Board, in 1805. There are two glebes; one in this parish, comprising 20 1/2 acres, and one in Kilmacallane of 18a. 3r. 34p. Arrangements have been made for forming this union into three benefices on its next avoidance. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising the parishes of Boyle and Kilbrine; there are two chapels in the town; and there are also places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists and Baptists. There are six public schools, of which a large girls' school and an infants' school are supported by Lady Lorton: in these about 350 boys and 330 girls receive instruction; there are also four Sunday schools and ten private schools, in which are 460 boys and 380 girls. A charitable loan society was established in 1824, under the patronage of Lord and Lady Lorton, by which about £90 is weekly distributed to the poor in small loans, to be repaid by instalments with a trifling interest; a dispensary is supported in the customary manner, and another is maintained by Lord Lorton, for the poor on the Rockingham estate and its vicinity.

The ivy-clad remains of the ancient abbey are situated near the river, and not far distant from the new bridge; they consist of vestiges of the conventual buildings, dispersed in the grounds of Capt. Robertson's seat, and of the principal part of the church, of which the nave, choir, and transepts, with the lofty and massive central tower, are in good preservation; the nave, 131 feet long and 25 feet wide, is separated from the aisles by a noble range of massive circular arches, supported partly by circular and clustered columns, with richly ornamented bases and capitals of various designs, between which are enriched corbels, from which sprang the arches of the groined roof; the wall of the south aisle is wanting, and the pillars stand exposed; some of the clerestory windows are partly remaining, though concealed by the thick ivy that crowns the irregular summit of the range; the central tower is supported on four massive columns, 48 feet high, of which the bases, formerly concealed by accumulated earth, have been cleared by Capt. Robertson, and are beautifully ornamented with various sculptured designs; of the arches, three are circular and the fourth pointed; the east window of the choir is of the triple lancet form; and the prevailing style of this once magnificent church is of the later Norman passing into the early English: within the walls is a tomb of the King family. To the north of the town is the low ridge of the Curlew mountains, over which are scattered numerous white cottages; and on which Sir Conyers Clifford, governor of Connaught in the reign of Elizabeth, was intercepted by O'Rourke, one of the petty chieftains of the district, his detachment routed, and himself slain. At Ardcarne, three miles to the east of the town, commence the plains of Boyle, extending ten miles in length and four in breadth, consisting of elevated limestone, with an undulating surface of rich pasture lands noted for fattening oxen and sheep. About a mile from the town, up the north bank of the river, on a knoll terminating abruptly, are the remains, of the old church of Assylin, or Isselyn, which, from the extent of the ruined walls, appears to have been a very spacious building; around it is a large cemetery, which is still used as a place of sepulture by the inhabitants of the town. Below this spot the river rushes over the rocks with great impetuosity. At a small distance was a ford, formerly called Athdalaragh and now Ardagh, where was anciently an abbey of Canons Regular, which became the seat of a bishoprick, over which St. Comgallan presided in the time of St. Patrick; the abbey existed till 1201. On the right side of the road to Lough Gara is one of the largest cromlechs in Ireland; the table stone, which has a considerable inclination, is 15 feet long and 11 feet wide, and was formerly supported on five upright pillars, of which one has been removed.

BOYSTOWN, or BALTIBOYS, a parish, in the barony of LOWER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (S.) from Blessington; containing 3235 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the Liffey and King's rivers, and comprises, with the chapelries of Granabeg and Kilbeg, about 20,000 statute acres, of which nearly two-thirds are mountain, and the remainder is chiefly pasture land, with a small portion under tillage. The system of agriculture is improving; there is an extensive tract of bog, called Ballynahown, near Blackditches. At Baltiboys is a good quarry of slate, which was formerly worked to advantage, but is at present discontinued; and there are quarries of granite at Ballyknocken, which are still in operation. The surrounding scenery is bold and mountainous, and there are several gentlemen's seats, among which are Tulfarris, the seat of R. Hornidge, Esq., which was partly burnt by the insurgents in 1798; Baltiboys, of Lieut.-Col. Smith, who has recently erected a handsome mansion on the demesne, which commands some fine and extensive views; Humphreystown, of W. Cotton, Esq., the demesne of which is tastefully laid out and planted; Willmount. of W. Dunbavin, Esq., commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country; and Stormount, of W. Brown, Esq., from which also is a fine view, including the mansion and demesne of Russborough. There are also two shooting lodges, one at Kilbeg, belonging to W. Brady, Esq., and one at Marfield, the property of Robert La Touche, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, and is part of the union of St. Mary Blessington, or Burgage; the rectory is appropriate to the corps of the treasurership in the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin. The tithes amount to £181. 10., of which £110 is payable to the treasurer, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Blackditches, which comprises the whole of this parish and a part of Blessington; there are chapels at Blackditches and in the small village of Lacken, both of which are in this parish. A school-house, with apartments for a master and mistress, was built at the expense of Lieut.-Col. Smyth; there are eight hedge schools, in which are about 145 boys and 114 girls. There is an ancient cemetery at Baltiboys, and another at Templepooda.

BOYTONRATH, or LAGINSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER; containing 331 inhabitants. It comprises only 935 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; and is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, entirely appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Cashel, who pay a stipend of £2. 15. 4 1/2. per ann. to the clergyman of the adjoining parish for the performance of occasional duties: the tithes amount to £35. There are two pay schools, in which about 80 boys and 40 girls are taught.

BRABAN.--See PREBAN.

BRACKHILL, a village, in the parish of KILCOLEMAN, barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 1 mile (N. E.) from Milltown: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated on the road from Milltown to Castlemaine, of which latter it may be considered a suburb, being connected with it by Castlemaine bridge.

BRACKLINTOWN, a village, in the parish of CLONBERN, half-barony of BALLYMOE, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing 41 inhabitants.

BRANACH ISLES.--See ARRAN.

BRANDON.--See CLOGHANE.

BRANNICKSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of NAAS, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, adjoining the post-town of Kilcullen, and containing 272 inhabitants. This parish comprises 800 statute acres, 72 of which are plantations in gentlemen's demesnes, 19 are artificial water, about 10 are waste, 19 are bog, and the remainder arable and pasture land in nearly equal portions; the bog is well adapted for grazing in the summer and autumn. It forms part of the impropriate or perpetual curacy of Kilcullen, in the diocese of Dublin.

BRAY, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the half-barony of RATHDOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 14 miles (N.) from Wicklow (by the sea road), and 10 (S. E. by S.) from Dublin; containing 3509 inhabitants, of which number, 2590 are in the town. This place derives its name, originally Bre or Bree, signifying a "hill " or "headland," from the precipitous promontory of clay slate and quartz, called Bray Head, which rises immediately on the south of the town to an elevation of 807 feet above the level of the sea, and from the singular indentation of its summit forms a well-known landmark to mariners. The manor, or lordship, of Bray, with all the territories of the O'Tooles, was granted, in 1173, by Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, lord-deputy, to Walter de Riddlesford, one of the earliest of the Norman adventurers, to be held of the Crown by three knights' service, to be performed at Dublin. This grant, together with the seigniory of Castledermot and extensive privileges, was confirmed to him by John, Lord of Ireland, who subsequently granted him an annual fair to be held at Bray, with free warren and other privileges. Among the earliest notices of this place is the record of a grant of a burgage, with a portion of arable land, to the abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin, by the same Walter de Riddlesford, whose estates, on failure of male issue, were at his death divided between two coheiresses; and in 1215 the abbot of St. Thomas obtained a grant of all the lands held by Walter de Riddlesford in fee, in the town of Bray, at a yearly rent of 3 and a fine of 60 marks. The town was frequently assailed by the mountain septs of the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles, to whose territories it was contiguous, and who, on the 16th of April, 1316, destroyed the castle; but they were on the same day attacked and defeated by Edmond Le Boteler. A fierce conflict took place near the town, in 1402, between these septs and the citizens of Dublin, headed by John Drake, their provost, on which occasion, according to Ware and Camden, 4000, but according to Hervey de Marlbrigge, 400 of the former were slain. At the dissolution of the religious houses, the possessions of the abbey of St. Thomas were granted to Sir Thomas Brabazon, whose descendant, the Earl of Meath, is the present proprietor in fee of the greater part of the town.

The town is situated on the Dargle or Bray river, which here forms a boundary between the counties of Dublin and Wicklow, and after passing under an old bridge of five arches, connecting the portions of the town which lie on different sides of it, falls into the sea a little below this place. That part of the town which is on the Wicklow side of the river consists of one long street of irregularly built houses, at the head of which are two smaller streets, one branching off on the left, from which the lower road to Wicklow is continued over the hill of Windgates; and the other on the right along the road to the glen of the Downs, and together containing about 450 houses. That part which is in the county of Dublin is called Little Bray; it forms part of the parish of Old Connaught, and contains about 230 houses and cottages, and 1168 inhabitants. The houses in both are in general neatly built, and the town has a cheerful and interesting appearance; it is neither paved nor lighted, but the road is kept in good order. The surrounding scenery is exceedingly romantic, and combines with its short distance from Dublin to render this place a favourite resort during the summer season for seabathing. A number of thatched cottages of great neatness, and containing, exclusively of offices, from three to eight rooms each, have been appropriated to the accommodation of visiters, to whom they are let furnished at rents varying from £40 to £50 and more for the season. The hotel and posting-house, conducted by Mr. Quin, jun., is fitted up with every regard to the superior accommodation of families and visiters of the highest respectability; hot and cold sea water baths may be had at all hours without delay, and the house has long been a favourite resort of parties on excursions of pleasure, and of wedding parties to spend the day in festivity and in the enjoyment of the beauties of the surrounding scenery. A spacious gravel walk, half a mile in length and perfectly straight, has been made from the rear of the hotel through the private grounds to the sea, forming a beautiful promenade, and commanding fine views. On the Dublin side of the river a race-course has been formed and races are held annually.

The trade, exclusively of what is requisite for the supply of the town, consists principally in the importation of coal, timber, slates, and limestone, in which two vessels of 70 tons each, one of 50 tons, and one of 25 tons, belonging to the place, are regularly employed. There is a very extensive brewery, with a malting store, capable of producing 300 barrels weekly; and near the brewery is a large flour-mill. The small haven is very incommodious, having a bar at the entrance, and only eight feet of water at spring and five feet at neap tides: from a change in the channel of the river, an outer beach has been formed, which breaks in some degree the violence of the sea. A plan for its improvement was suggested by the late Mr. Nimmo, who proposed to construct a pier of about 30 perches in length at the mouth of the river; but it has not been carried into effect. The river abounds with excellent trout, which are taken in great quantities and sent to Dublin and different parts of the country, and even to London. The market is on Tuesday and Saturday, and is abundantly supplied with provisions of every kind of the best quality. Fairs for friezes are held on Jan. 12th, May 4th, Aug. 5th, and Nov. 12th, and are attended by all the Dublin dealers; and fairs for cattle are held on the 1st of March, May, and July, Aug. 15th, Sept. 20th, and Dec. 14th. A constabulary police force has been stationed here, and also in Little Bray, the old castle in the latter having been fitted up as a barrack. A coast-guard station has also been fixed here, forming one of the five that constitute the district of Kingstown, to which use a martello tower near the mouth of the river, in which four guns are mounted, has been appropriated. There is also a martello tower on the strand near Bray Head, occupied by a private of the artillery. Petty sessions for the division are held in the school-house in Little Bray, every alternate Saturday; and the Earl of Meath, as lord of the manor of Kindlestown, holds a court here by his seneschal every month. By an inquisition taken in the reign of Chas. I. it appears, from various records, that the town had been in times past incorporated and endowed with many privileges.

The parish abounds with interesting and strikingly diversified scenery, and is embellished with numerous seats and pleasing villas. Kilruddery, the splendid mansion of the Earl of Meath, situated about one mile south of the town, was erected in 1820, on the site of the old family house, from a design by Mr. Morrison. It is an elegant structure, in the later English style of architecture; the entrance is under an octangular tower crowned with a cupola in the centre of the north front, opening into a spacious hall, in which are tastefully displayed several suits of armour and various warlike instruments brought from foreign countries; the saloon, drawing and dining rooms, and other apartments are richly and tastefully embellished and furnished in a style of costly magnificence. The demesne, which comprises more than 900 acres, is richly wooded, and is bounded on one side by the little Sugar Loaf mountain, and on the other by the rugged heights of Bray Head; in the pleasure grounds is a circular sheet of water surrounded with a fine hedge of beech, 20 feet high, through which are several entrances; and not far from it is the theatre, a quadrangular area enclosed on three sides by tiers of seats, and in which plays were formerly acted. Shanganagh, the residence of Gen. Sir G. Cockburn, is described in the article on Rathmichael. Bray, Head, the seat of G. Putland, Esq., is finely situated near the foot of the promontory of that name, in a well-planted demesne of about 650 acres: the mansion is a chaste and elegant structure of the Tuscan order, with an embattled roof, from which are obtained extensive views of mountain scenery and of the sea; from the drawing-room antechamber is a noble conservatory of polygonal form, erected at an expense of £5000, and containing a fine collection of the most choice and rare exotics; the pleasure grounds and gardens are laid out with the greatest taste and kept in the finest order, presenting one of the principal attractions in this truly picturesque and much frequented part of the country. There are numerous handsome villas situated in grounds tastefully laid out and commanding very fine views: the principal are St. Valorie, the residence of the Hon. P. Cecil Crampton, third Justice of the Court of King's Bench; Springfield, of Alderman West; Fassarow House, of H. Crampton, Esq.; Old Court, of Major Edwards; Rich View, of Capt. Kettlewell; Fairy Hill, of P. W. Jackson, Esq.; Killarney Cottage, of -- O'Reily, Esq.; Vevey, of the Misses Weldon; New-Court, of Mrs. McMahon; Fairy Hill (Bray), of J. Quin, Esq.; Prospect Cottage, of C. Tandy, Esq.; Riversdale, of C. La Grange, Esq.; Le Valle, of Miss Draper; Fassarow Cottage, of Capt. Sitwell; Navarra, of Mrs. Brady; and Glenbrook, of J. H. Brush, Esq.

The living consists of a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough; the rectory is in the patronage of the Crown; and the vicarage, which has been from time immemorial united to the vicarage of Old Connaught, is in the patronage of the Archbishop. The tithes of this parish amount to £230, and of Bray, Old Connaught, and Rathmichael (which last was separated from the union in 1826), to £430. The church, a plain building with a small spire, situated on the verge of an eminence overhanging the river, was erected in 1609, and enlarged, by aid of a loan of £1020 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1818. There is no glebe-house: the glebe comprises nine statute acres of excellent land. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Powerscourt, Kilmacanogue, and part of the parish of Delgany, and containing three chapels, situated respectively at Bray, Kilmacanogue, and Castletown: the chapel at Bray is a spacious and handsome edifice, erected in 1833, and embellished with an altar-piece presented by Gen. Sir G. Cockburn. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians. There are two national schools; and a school, in which more than 100 children are clothed and educated, is supported by Mrs. Putland: in these schools are about 120 boys and 220 girls. An infants' school, held in a spacious building erected in 1829 by the late Viscount Powerscourt, is supported by private contributions; and there are also three pay schools, in which are about 57 boys and 25 girls, and a Sunday school. A building, originally intended for a barrack, has been converted into an hospital for cholera and fever patients, with a dispensary, erected by a grant from the Association for the Suppression of Vice and individual subscriptions. In Little Bray is a neat range of building, erected by subscription, part of which is used as school-rooms, and part as a savings' bank for the parishes of Bray, Delgany, and Powerscourt. A provident society was established in the town in 1832; a loan society has been lately instituted; and a manufactory of flax and wool is supported entirely by Mr. and Mrs. Putland, in which more than 40 poor women are employed; the materials, when wove into linens and linseys, are distributed gratuitously among the poor of the neighbourhood. One-third of the produce of an estate in the county of Longford, bequeathed to the parishes of Bray, Delgany, and Powerscourt by F. Adair, Esq., and amounting to about £60 per annum to each, is distributed among the poor.

Besides the remains of the castle at Little Bray, there are the ruins of two others in the parish; one in the grounds of Old Court, consisting of a tower, with some fragments of the walls. Near these is a rude pyramidal block of granite, on which are some faint traces of ancient sculpture, which, from a print taken before it was so much mutilated, appears to have represented the sacrifice of a ram; on the top of it is a cavity apparently designed for the reception of a cross. The remains of the other castle, at Fassarow, which was demolished by Cromwell, are not in any way remarkable; coins of William have been found near them, on the road to Old Connaught, where is an ancient cross with a rudely sculptured representation of the Crucifixion. Under Bray Head are the ruins of an ancient chapel, 40 feet long and 18 feet wide; it is built in a north and south direction, with a circular-headed window at each end, and the doorway on the east side; and near the glebe land is an ancient burial-ground. On levelling a bank of sand near the sea, in 1835, to make an approach to the demesne of Mr. Putland, several human skeletons of large dimensions were discovered, lying regularly east and west, with a stone at the head and another at the feet of each, but which crumbled into dust on exposure to the air; several Roman coins of the Emperor Adrian were found at the same time, and are now in Mr. Putland's possession. There are medicinal springs in the grounds of Kilruddery and Old Court.

BREAFY, or BREAGHWEE, a parish, in the barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 2 miles (S. E.) from Castlebar; containing 2315 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Castlebar to Clare, and is bounded by a very considerable river, called the Minola, which by its frequent inundations does more injury to the surrounding districts than any other in the county or province. From its contiguity to Castlebar it was the scene of much skirmishing, foraging, and plundering, while the French troops under Gen. Humbert had possession of that town, in 1798. The parish comprises 5000 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land in cultivation is partly under tillage and partly in pasture, in nearly equal portions: there is a very considerable extent of bog, which might be reclaimed by draining. On the estate of Major Blake, of Fisher Hill, is a very fine quarry of stone, which is fit for buildings of the first order. Races are held generally in August, on a course within the parish. The principal gentlemen's seats are Breafy Lodge, the residence of Major Browne, who has made extensive improvements and plantations in the demesne; Windsor House, of Col. McAlpine; Fisher Hill, of Major Blake; Hawthorn Lodge, of C. O'Malley, Esq.; and Rocklands, of J. C. Larminie, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and is part of the union of Castlebar: the tithes amount to £57. 15.11. In the R. C. divisions this is one of the three parishes that constitute the union or district of Aglish, or Castlebar; it contains a chapel, but no service is at present performed in it. A school at Lightfoot is supported by Mrs. O'Malley and J. Larminie, Esq.; and there are two others, in which are about 200 boys and 100 girls. There are some remains of a very ancient monastery.

BREDA.--See KNOCKBRIDE.

BREGOGUE, a parish, in the barony of ORRERY and KILMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 1 mile (N. N. W.) from Buttevant; containing 450 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the road from Buttevant to Liscarrol, is not known in civil matters as a parish, having for all such purposes merged into that of Buttevant. It comprises 1314 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which are of good quality, and mostly under tillage, producing ample crops: there is an abundant supply of limestone for manure and for other uses. The gentlemen's seats are Dunbarry, the residence of T. Heffernan, Esq.; Currymount, of J. O'Leary, Esq.; and Bregogue Castle, of J. Rogers. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, and is part of the union of Buttevant and Cahirduggan, formerly called the union of Bregogue; the rectory is impropriate in C. S. Oliver, Esq. The tithes amount to £150, payable in equal portions to the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Buttevant. There are some remains of the old castle incorporated into the dwelling-house of Mr. Rogers; also of the ancient church in the burial-ground.

BRICKENDOWN, a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E.) from Cashel; containing 431 inhabitants. This parish is situated near the road from Cashel to Fethard, and contains a small village called Mocklershill: it comprises 1030 statute acres. Coleraine is the neat residence of -- Price, Esq.; and Meldrum, situated in a well-planted demesne, is in the occupation of the Rev. R. Lloyd. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £64. 12. 3 3/4. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe.

BRIDECHURCH, a parish, in the barony of CLANE, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (N. W. by N.) from Naas; containing 376 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the east by the river Liffey, over which the Grand Canal is carried by the Leinster aqueduct, a handsome building of five arches, with a parapet ornamented with balustrades of stone, erected in 1783. It comprises 2143 statute acres of good land, of which a considerable portion is woodland, and the remainder arable and pasture. The land being chiefly in the occupation of gentlemen, is in an excellent state of cultivation: there is neither waste land nor bog; but the Grand Canal passing through it, affords every facility for the supply of fuel, and for the conveyance of goods. Landerstown is the handsome seat of the Rev. J. Digby. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Kildare, and is part of the union of Caragh: the tithes amount to £92. 2. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Caragh and Downings. There are some ruins of the ancient church.

BRIDESWELL, a hamlet, in the parish of KILCLOAN, barony of UPPER DEECE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER; containing 8 dwellings and 48 inhabitants.

BRIDESWELL, a village, in the parish of CAMMA, barony of ATHLONE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of Connaught, 5 1/2 miles (W. N. W.) from Athlone; containing 130 inhabitants. This place derives its name from a copious spring of very pure water, close to which is an ancient building, formerly a chapel, from which a doorway leads to the well, now converted into a bath. Over the doorway are an inscription and a coat of arms, from which it appears that this alteration was made by Sir Randal MacDonnell, the first Earl of Antrim, in 1625. The village is built around a level green, on which was formerly kept one of the most celebrated patron festivals, but, on account of its immoral tendency, it has been suppressed by the exertions of the R. C. clergy. A constabulary police force has been stationed here; and there is also a dispensary.--See CAMMA.

BRIDGETOWN, a parish, in the barony of FERMOY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 1 mile (S.) from Castletown-Roche; containing 970 inhabitants. This place is situated on the river Blackwater, and near the road from Mallow to Fermoy: it derived its name from a bridge that formerly existed here, which is said to have been destroyed by Cromwell. A priory for canons of the congregation of St. Victor was founded here in the reign of John, by Alexander Fitz-Hugh Roche, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin: it was liberally endowed by the founder, and supplied with monks from the priory of Newtown, in the county of Meath, and from the abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin. Edw. I. confirmed the original endowment, which was greatly augmented by the Roche family; and in 1375, when Edw. III. issued his writ to the Bishops and commons, to elect persons to assist him and his council in the government of the kingdom, and in the prosecution of the war in which he was then engaged, Thomas, the prior of this house, was one of those deputed for that purpose. The extensive remains of the abbey are pleasantly situated at the confluence of the rivers Awbeg and Blackwater, here flowing through a rocky glen; they consist principally of parts of the church, and the refectory and cloisters may still be traced. On the south side of a chapel, near the site of the altar, under an arch of irregular construction, is a monument, supposed to be that of the founder, from an inverted armorial shield charged with one fish, but without any inscription; the present arms of the Roche family are three fishes. In a small chapel adjoining is a tomb, inscribed "Theobald Roche," with the date 1634; and in both chapels are several ancient and curiously sculptured gravestones. The parish comprises 3022 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2071 per annum: about one-third of the land is coarse mountain pasture, forming part of the range called the Nagle mountains, on the south side of the river; the land under tillage is good, and produces abundant crops. The only seat is Clifford, the residence of T. Lloyd, Esq., pleasantly situated on the north bank of the Blackwater. Prior to the year 1835, the parish formed part of the union of Castletown-Roche, from which it was then separated and made a distinct benefice: it is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £180. In the R. C. divisions it still forms part of the union or district of Castletown-Roche.

BRIDGETOWN, a village, in the parish of MULRANKIN, barony of BARGY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 7 miles (S. S. W.) from Wexford; containing 21 houses and 113 inhabitants. It is situated on a small river of the same name, which runs into the lough formed by the Burrow of Ballyteigue, and has a penny post to Wexford. Here are a constabulary police station, and a dispensary. The glebe-house of the union is situated within a short distance of the village.--See MULRANKIN.

BRIGHt, a parish, in the barony of LECALE, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (S. by E.) from Downpatrick; containing 2030 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Downpatrick to Killough, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 5544 1/4statute acres, of which 5503 are applotted under the tithe act. The land, with a trifling exception, is all in an excellent state of cultivation, and there is neither waste land nor bog. Oakley, the handsome residence of J. Birney, Esq., is situated in a fertile demesne of 168 acres, tastefully disposed and embellished with some of the finest timber in the county. The parish was formerly one of the six which constituted the union and the corps of the deanery of Down, from which it was separated by act of council in 1834, when, with the townland of Carradressy, which formerly belonged to Kilclief but was annexed to Bright by the same act, it was constituted a separate and distinct parish. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Down, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £583.18. 9. The church, a small edifice in the Grecian style, erected in 1745, is situated on the summit of an eminence, and is an excellent landmark for mariners: it contains an elegant monument to the memory of Lord Lecale. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Rathmullen, and containing three chapels, situated respectively at Conierstown in Bright, and at Killough and Rossglass in Rathmullen. Here is a school of about 80 boys and 50 girls, for which a school-house in the churchyard was built by subscription; also a pay school, in which are about 20 boys and 20 girls. Near the church are the ruins of Bright castle; and about a mile and a quarter to the west are those of Castle Screen, built within the area of a Danish rath, near which are the remains of the ancient abbey of Erynagh, founded by Magnell Makenlefe, King of Ulster, Sept. 8th, 1126 or 1127. This abbey was garrisoned against De Courcy in 1177, who, for that reason, levelled it with the ground and transferred its possessions to the abbey of Inch, which he subsequently founded in the Isle of Inis Courcy, on the ruins of a pagan temple. A circle of upright stones and other Druidical remains are still existing near the spot.

BRIGOWN, a parish, in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, on the road from Fermoy to Cahir; containing, with the market and post-town of Mitchelstown, 9169 inhabitants. It comprises 14,502 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £12,101 per annum; 104 acres are woodland, 2726 mountain and bog, 83 roads and waste, and the remainder good arable and pasture land, principally under tillage. The soil is mostly a heavy loam; and the system of agriculture is in a state of progressive improvement. Limestone abounds in the parish: on the lands of Kilshanna are some fine quarries, which are worked for various purposes; some of this stone is susceptible of a high polish, and several handsome mantel-pieces have been made of it for Mitchelstown Castle, the spacious and superb castellated mansion of the Earl of Kingston, which adjoins Mitchelstown and is described under that head. A new line of road between Mitchelstown and Lismore, was opened in 1835, at the expense of the county. Ballinvillin, the property of the Earl of Kingston, and occasionally the residence of his lordship's agent, is pleasantly situated near the river Gradogue, commanding a fine view of the castle and demesne. The glebe-house, the residence of the Rev. R. H. Graves, D. D., is a handsome and commodious mansion, situated on a gentle eminence near the town.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, constituting the corps of the prebend of Brigown in the cathedral of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £1000. The church was originally built in 1801 at the sole expense, of the late Countess of Kingston; it fell down in the year following, and was rebuilt by her ladyship in 1803; it again fell down in 1804, and was rebuilt in the following year. It was enlarged in 1830, by aid of a loan of £1300 from the late Board of First Fruits, and a gift of £500 from the Earl of Kingston towards the erection of the tower and spire, which are much admired for their beautiful proportions and elegant design. The glebe-house was completed by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1000, in 1807, from the same Board, in addition to an outlay of £1300 by the then incumbent, chargeable on his successor. The original glebe comprised 9 Irish acres, to which 12 more were added under a lease for ever from the late Countess of Kingston, at a rent of £4. 4. per acre. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, which is also called Mitchelstown, and comprises the parishes of Brigown and Marshalstown, and the hamlet of Ballinamona, in the parish of Kilbehenny. The chapel, a spacious and handsome cruciform structure, is situated in the town; the first stone was laid by the Earl of Kingston, who contributed £500 towards the expense of its erection. The parochial school occupies a site given by the noble family of King; and was built in 1827 by a grant from the lord-lieutenant's school fund. All children that apply for instruction are taught gratuitously, without distinction of religion; the master and mistress are supported by annual donations of £25 from that family and £15 from the rector, who also supplies coal and other requisites. A school kept in the old R. C. chapel is aided by a grant of £30 per annum from the National Board and collections at the chapel. In these are about 500 children; and there are also five pay schools, in which are about 190 children. The late Robert Crone, Esq., bequeathed £15 per annum to be distributed by the rector among the poor of the parish. On the lands of Kilshanna is a chalybeate spring, but not used for medicinal purposes. The college chapel is the burial-place of the Kingston family. The ruins of the old parish church are situated in the Mitchelstown demesne; and there are vestiges of a more ancient one near the glebe, said to have been founded by St. Finnahan. Here was also an ancient round tower, which is supposed to have fallen about the year 1720.--See MITCHELSTOWN.

BRINNY, a parish, partly in the Eastern Division of the barony of EAST CARBERY, and partly in the barony of KINNALEA, but chiefly in that of KINNALMEAKY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. E.) from Bandon; containing 1949 inhabitants. In the civil war of 1641 a running fight took place between a part of the garrison of Bandon and a body of insurgents, which terminated at Brinny bridge in the defeat of the latter, of whom 50 were killed. The parish is situated on the north road from Cork to Bandon, and comprises 7200 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. About two-thirds of the land are under tillage, and the remainder in pasture; the soil is good, and the system of agriculture is greatly improved; there is neither waste land nor bog. Good building stone, of which there are several quarries, and flags of excellent quality abound in the parish. The surrounding scenery is pleasingly diversified, and there are several handsome gentlemen's seats, the principal of which are Upton, the residence of the Rev. Somers Payne; Brinny House, of J. Nash, Esq.; Garryhankard, of T. Biggs, Esq.; Beechmount, of T. Hornebrook, Esq.; Brothersfort, of W. Whiting, Esq.; and Kilmore, of W. Popham, Esq. There are some extensive flour-mills near the bridge, and in the demesne of Upton is a police barrack. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cork, with the rectory and vicarage of Knockavilly episcopally united in 1810, forming the union of Brinny, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £405, of which £5 is payable to the dean of Cork and £400 to the rector; and the gross amount of tithe is £1025. The church was wholly rebuilt by aid of a loan of £300 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1813; it is a neat edifice with a tower. Divine service is also performed in a licensed house at Knockavilly, and in a school-house in the summer evenings. The glebe contains only eight acres, and there is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions this is one of the five parishes constituting the union or district of Innishannon. The parochial school, in which are 27 boys and 18 girls, is supported principally by the rector, who also superintends a Sunday school; and a school of 58 boys and 30 girls is supported by subscription, aided by an annual donation of £3 from the parish priest.

BRITWAY, a parish, partly in the barony of KINNATALOON, But chiefly in that of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 1/2 miles (E. S. E.) from Rathcormac; containing 1098 inhabitants. It is bounded on the north by the river Bride, and comprises 3712 statute acres, of which 3568 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2206 per annum. Of its entire surface there are 646 acres of mountain, capable of great improvement, and 380 acres of marshy land and exhausted bog, the whole of which is reclaimable. The land in cultivation consists of a light shallow soil, and the greater part is under tillage. Ballyvolane, the seat of Capt. Pyne, is a neat residence, situated in a well-wooded demesne. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and is part of the union of Ahern: the tithes amount to £281. 8. 0 1/4. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Castlelyons. The male and female schools for Britway and Ahern are near the latter place; and there is a hedge school in this parish, in which are about 50 boys and 20 girls.

BROADFORD, a post-town, in the parish of KILSEILY, barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 8 miles (N.) from Limerick, and 94 miles (S. W. by W.) from Dublin; containing 71 houses and 383 inhabitants. It is picturesquely situated on the road from Killaloe to Ennis, at the foot of a range of hills extending to Lough Derg on the Shannon, and has a post-office dependent on that of Limerick; a constabulary police force is stationed here, and fairs are held on the 21st of June and the 21st of November. The parish church, a neat building with a square tower, is situated in the town; and a large and handsome R. C. chapel is now in course of erection on an eminence overlooking it. Here are the parochial school, (chiefly supported by the minister) and a public dispensary. This place is much visited by anglers and sportsmen: the neighbourhood affords excellent grouse shooting, and about a mile to the west is Doon lake, remarkable for the size of its pike, and abounding also with bream. In the vicinity are several gentlemen's seats and shooting-lodges, which are more particularly noticed in the article on Kilseily. There are some excellent quarries near the village, producing slate of superior quality.-- See KILSEILY.

BROADISLAND.--See TEMPLECORRAN.

BROADWAY, a village, in the parish of ST. IBERIUS, barony of FORTH, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (S. S. E.) from Wexford; containing 160 inhabitants. It is situated at the northern extremity of Lady's Island lake, on the high road from Wexford to Carne, and till lately was a regular post town, but it is now only a sub-office to Wexford. Fairs are held on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and on Oct. 18th. Here is a public dispensary. At Doyle's Cross, near the village, is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists; and near it is Broadway Cottage, the residence of Dr. Lindsay.--See IBERIUS (ST.).

BROOKBOROUGH, a post-town, in the parish of AUGHAVEA, barony of MAGHERASTEPHANA, county of FERMANAGH, and province of ULSTER, 13 miles (E.) from Enniskillen, and 75 1/4miles (N. W.) from Dublin; containing 83 houses and 480 inhabitants. This town is situated on the road from Lisnaskea to Five-mile-town, and is a chief constabulary police station. Fairs are held on the third Tuesday in every month, for the sale of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and of butter, cloth, and yarn; premiums are given every fair day to the largest purchasers and sellers, by a committee who have the management of the fairs. A manorial court is held occasionally, at which small debts are recoverable; and petty sessions are held every alternate Tuesday. Divine service, according to the form of the Established Church, is performed in a parochial school-house every Sunday evening; and there is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Here is also a dispensary.

BROOKLODGE-- See BALLYLOOHERA.

BROSNA, a parish, in the barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (N. by E.) from Castleisland; containing 2168 inhabitants. It is situated on the small river Clydagh, and on the confines of the counties of Limerick and Cork, and comprises 18,013 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2180 per annum. A large portion of the land consists of coarse mountain pasture and bog, the greater part of which might be reclaimed. A new line of road, about eight miles in length, is now in progress, at the expense of Col. Drummond and C. Fairfield, Esq., extending from the bridge over the Clydagh (an arch of 60 feet span), on the new road from Listowel to Newmarket, and passing through this and the adjoining parish of Ballincuslane to the village of Ardnagrath, on the old mountain road from Castleisland to Millstreet. It is in contemplation to extend this road to Scortaglin, to form a junction with the new Government road from Castleisland to King-William's-town, by which the surrounding country will be greatly improved. This place was occasionally the head-quarters of the Whiteboys, during the disturbances of 1822; but since the opening of the road from Listowel to Newmarket, the neighbourhood has enjoyed perfect tranquillity. In that part of the parish which borders on the counties of Limerick and Cork is a constabulary police station. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £175. There is neither church nor glebe-house; the glebe comprises 2 1/4acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of the union or district of Brosna or Knocknagashel, which comprises also parts of the adjoining parishes of Castleisland and Ballincuslane; the chapel is a thatched but commodious building, and during the summer months a school is held in it, under the superintendence of the parish priest; there is also a chapel at Knocknagashel, in the parish of Castleisland. There are two private schools, in which about 120 children are educated. Some slight vestiges of the ancient parish church may still be traced in the burial-ground.

BROUGHSHANE, a market and post-town, in the parish of RACAVAN, barony of LOWER ANTRIM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 28 3/4 miles (N .N. W.) from Belfast, and 109 miles (N.) from Dublin; containing 828 inhabitants. This town is pleasantly situated on the river Braid, at the termination of the mail coach road from Ballymena, to which it has a sub-post-office, and consists of one long street, containing about 180 houses indifferently built. In the neighbourhood are several gentlemen's seats; and at no great distance is Tullymore Lodge, finely situated on a stream tributary to the Braid. The market is on Tuesday, and is principally for butter and pork: fairs are held on June 17th and Sept. 3rd. A constabulary police force has been stationed here; and the manorial court of Buckna is held here every month, for the recovery of debts amounting to £20. The church of the union of Skerry, or the Braid, a neat edifice with a spire, is situated in the town; in which are also a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and a dispensary. At Dumfare, in the vicinity, is a large mount of very imposing aspect.--See RACAVAN.

BROWN-MOUNTAIN, an extra-parochial district, in the barony of KELLS, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER; containing 25 inhabitants. This place is Crown land, and has never paid tithes; it is united with the impropriation of Tullahought, and the spiritual duties are performed by the curate of Kilmoganny.

BROWNSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of UPPER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Navan; containing 487 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Navan, through Ashbourne, to Dublin, and comprises 864 statute acres of arable and pasture land, with the exception of about 32 acres of waste and bog: the land is fertile and principally under tillage, and the system of agriculture is improving. There is a good limestone quarry; a valuable stratum of potters' clay has been discovered; and there are strong indications of the existence of copper ore, but no attempt to work it has hitherto been made. The only seat is Brownstown House, the property and formerly the residence of the Somerville family, and now being put into a state of repair. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, entirely impropriate in Sir W. Meredyth Somerville, Bart.: the tithes amount to £73. There is no church or chapel, only an ancient burial-ground: the clerical duties of the parish are performed by the incumbent of the adjoining parishes forming the union of Kentstown. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Blacklion. There are two hedge schools, in which are about 34 boys and 24 girls.

BRUFF, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of COSHMA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 11 1/2 miles (S. S. E.) from Limerick, and 105 1/4(S. W.) from Dublin; containing 2932 inhabitants, of which number, 1772 are in the town. This appears to have been a place of importance at a very early period; a castle was built in the town and another at no great distance from it by the De Lacy family, in the reign of Hen. III. This family subsequently became tributary to the Fitzgeralds, and held the castle under the princes of Desmond, in all whose misfortunes they largely participated, especially during the reign of Elizabeth. On the 4th of April, 1600, a severe engagement took place here between Pierce De Lacy, governor of the castle, and some troops from the garrison of Kilmallock, under the command of Capt. Slingsby, in which the former was defeated with the loss of 300 men; and on the 18th of the same month the lord-president obtained possession of the castle, in which he placed a garrison of 140 men. In 1641 this place was the scene of a sanguinary battle between the English forces and the insurgents, in which the latter were victorious, and committed acts of great cruelty. In 1762 the Whiteboys assembled here in great numbers and committed outrages; and in 1786 they again visited the town, and on the 15th of July in that year, they burnt several houses and destroyed much valuable property. In 1793 a large body of the Defenders made a desperate effort to seize the town, but were repulsed by the 34th regiment of foot and many slain on both sides. In 1822 the Rockites assembled here in great numbers, and made an attempt to burn the church and several private houses, but were frustrated by the active and judicious exertions of the neighbouring gentry, aided by a large body of the military stationed in the town. The town, which, with the surrounding neighbourhood, was formerly the property of the Hartstonge family, and now forms part of the estate of the Earl of Limerick, is situated on the river Dawn, or Morning Star, and on the road from Limerick to Cork: it consists of one principal street and several smaller streets and lanes, and contains 314 houses. The market is on Friday; and fairs are held on May 24th, July 23rd, Oct. 18th, and Nov. 28th. A stipendiary magistrate resides at this place, which is a chief constabulary police station; and the quarter sessions are held here in January and June, and petty sessions every alternate Wednesday. The court-house is a large commodious building, and there is also a small but well-regulated bridewell.

The parish comprises 1264 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe composition act: the land is of the best quality, producing abundant crops, though the system of agriculture is by no means good; the greater portion is meadow and pasture land, all resting upon limestone, which is extensively quarried for building, repairing the roads, and for agricultural uses. The principal seats are Rockbarton, the elegant residence of Lord Guillamore, near the town; Caher, of Lieut.-Col. O'Grady; Kilballyowren, of the De Courcy O'Grady; Uregare House, of Mrs. Gubbins; Green Park, of R. Ivers, Esq.; and Miltown, of G. Gubbins, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Kenmare. The tithes amount to £180, of which £120 is payable to the impropriator and £60 to the vicar. The church, a large edifice in the early English style, with a tower surmounted by a lofty octagonal spire of stone, contains an ancient monument of the Hartstonge family rather in a neglected condition: the chalice bears a curious inscription in Latin, recording its formation and the changes which it has undergone. The glebe-house, a neat little residence about half a mile from the town, is situated on an excellent glebe of 8 1/2 acres, for which the vicar pays a rent of £25. 6. 11. per annum. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Tullybracky, Grange, Meanas, Manister, and part of the parishes of Uregare, Glenogra, and Dromin; and containing three chapels, situated respectively at Bruff, Grange, and Meanas. The first is a handsome building, in the early English style, erected in 1833; the interior is well arranged, and the altar, of scagliola marble, is embellished with a very beautiful painting of the three Marys, by J. Haverty, Esq., a native artist; the building was commenced by the late R. C. incumbent, the Very Rev. Dr. Ryan, and completed by the R. C. dean of Limerick, the present parish priest. The male and female parochial school, in which are 20 boys and 20 girls, is chiefly supported by the vicar, by whom it was instituted in 1831. There are two pay schools, in which are about 200 children, and a school for adults. A few fragments of the ancient castle are still remaining; and not far distant are the foundations of an ancient friary. To the north-west of the town are some traces of Templebodeen, or Templeen, said to have been erected by the Knights Templars in 1284; foundations of buildings are frequently discovered.

BRUHENNY.--See CHURCHTOWN, barony of ORRERY, county of CORK.

BRUIS, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Tipperary; containing 1350 inhabitants. This parish contains Mount Bruis, the pleasant residence of Mrs. Doherty. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly, and forms part of the union and corps of the prebend of Lattin in the cathedral of Emly: the tithes amount to £150. In the R. C. divisions also the parish is included in the union or district of Lattin.

BRUMBRUSNA, a hamlet, in the parish of LENEY, barony of CORKAREE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (N. N. W.) from Mullingar; containing 16 houses and 94 inhabitants. It is situated on Lough Hoyle, and on the mail coach road from Mullingar to Longford, and is surrounded by three lofty hills.

BRUREE, or BRUGHRIGH, a parish, partly in the barony of SMALL COUNTY, but chiefly in that of UPPER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Charleville, on the direct line of road to Limerick; containing 4364 inhabitants, of which number, 451 are in the village. This place was distinguished at a very early period for a half-yearly meeting of the Irish bards, which, according to O'Halloran, was continued till the year 1746. The parish comprises 8530 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which the greater portion is pasture and meadow land connected with extensive dairy farms, and the remainder under tillage: the land is remarkably good, and the system of agriculture is improving. The river Maigue winds through a beautiful valley, of which the rich meadows on its banks slope gently to its margin: the meadows in the southern part of the parish are subject to frequent inundations from the overflowing of this river. The eastern portion of the parish consists entirely of limestone, which is extensively quarried for agricultural purposes and for the roads; but the grit is generally worked for building. The scenery is pleasingly varied, and in the parish are several handsome houses, of which the principal are Harding Grove, the residence of H. Harding, Esq.; Rockhill, of J. Cushin, Esq.; Bruree House, of R. Fetherston, Esq., J.P.; and Bruree Lodge, of J. Langton, Esq., J.P. The village, containing, in 1831, 87 houses, is a constabulary police station, and is much improving; several good houses have lately been built; here are also a boulting-mill, a grist-mill (used chiefly for oatmeal), and a manufactory for combing, carding, and spinning wool, and for napping and tucking the cloth, which is of great advantage to the population for many miles round. Fairs are held on May 9th, June 25th, Sept. 14th, and Nov. 25th, for cattle, sheep, pigs, and pedlery. A new road has recently been formed from Croom to Charleville through the western part of the parish, which will become the principal road between Limerick and Cork.

It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick; the rectory forms part of the union and corps of the deanery of Limerick, and the vicarage is in the patronage of the Dean. The tithes amount to £600. 4., of which two-thirds are payable to the dean and the remainder to the vicar. The church is a neat edifice, in the early English style, with a square tower and octangular spire of hewn stone; it was built near the site of the old church, by aid of a gift of £800 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1812. The glebe-house, which belongs to the vicarage, was built by a gift of £400 and a loan of £380 from the same Board, in 1813. Attached to the rectory is a glebe of 7a. 1r. 8p.; the glebe belonging to the vicarage comprises 15 acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, called also Rockhill, which comprises the parishes of Bruree and Colemans-well, and contains three chapels, situated respectively in the village of Bruree, at Rockhill, and at Colemans-well. The parochial schools are situated on the rector's glebe, and endowed by the present dean with half an acre of land; and there are two pay schools, in which are about 100 boys and 60 girls. In the village are a dispensary, and a good building erected during the prevalence of the cholera, in 1832, and now used as a fever hospital. Here are the ruins of a strong fortress erected by the De Lacys, who formerly possessed the surrounding country: it consisted of three strong castles enclosed by a wall and ramparts more than 120 yards in circumference; two of the castles are remaining. Adjoining the church is a large and strong castle in a tolerably perfect state, erected by the Knights Templars in the 12th century. There are some remains of the small church of Cooleen,or Temple-Colman, now called Howardstown, built by the Knights Templars in 1287, and on the suppression of that order annexed to this parish.

BRUSNA, a village, in the parish of KILMURRY-ELY, barony of CLONLISK, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 1 3/4 mile (E.) from Shinrone; containing 134 inhabitants. It is situated on the river of the same name, and is a station of the constabulary police. Here is a R. C. chapel.--See KILMURRY-ELY.

BRYANSFORD, a village, in the parish of KILCOO, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S.) from Castlewellan; containing 185 inhabitants. This village, which is situated on the road from Newry to Newcastle, contains about 30 houses neatly built, chiefly in the Elizabethan style, the gardens in front of which give it a comfortable and rural appearance, and the surrounding scenery is agreeably diversified. Tollymore Park, the seat of the Earl of Roden, is a beautiful residence situated in extensive grounds embellished with some of the finest larch trees in the country; it is approached by three noble entrances, called respectively the barbican, the central, and the hilltown; the central entrance from the village is through a very lofty archway, and in the lodge is kept a book for entering the names of visiters; the grounds are always open to the public. There is a good inn and posting-house, with every accommodation for families. The parish church of Kilcoo, a spacious edifice with a lofty embattled tower, is situated in the village; and at a short distance to the north of it is a R. C. chapel, belonging to the union of Bryansford or Lower Kilcoo; it is a neat edifice in the later English style, erected in 1831 at an expense of £900, on a site given by the Earl of Roden. A school for boys, built in 1826, is supported by the same nobleman; and adjoining it is a circulating library also maintained by the Earl and gratuitously open to all the people of the village: there is a female school, built in 1822 and supported wholly by the Countess of Roden.--See KILCOO.

BUCHOLLA..--See BOHOLA.

BULGADINE, a parish, in the barony of COSTLEA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N.) from Kilmallock; containing 1152 inhabitants. In the ecclesiastical divisions this is not known as a separate parish, being regarded as forming part of the parishes of Uregare, Kilbreedy-Major, and Athnassey: it comprises 3395 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The occupiers of land in this neighbourhood are subjected to a penalty of £10 per acre if more than two acres out of every twenty are tilled; hence the meadows and pastures are very extensive, and are considered as the most fertile in the county. Near the village, which is very small, consisting only of a few thatched houses, is the ancient and neglected mansion of the family of Evans, now the property of Lord Carbery, which, though at present in a state of miserable dilapidation, was formerly one of the most magnificent residences in the province. In the R. C. divisions this place is partly in the union or district of Kilmallock; and partly in that of Athnassey or Ballinvana; it contains a chapel for this part of the union.

BULLANE, a parish, in the barony of ATHENRY, county of GALWAY, and province of Connaught, 4 1/2 miles (N.) from Loughrea; containing 551 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Loughrea to Castle-Blakeney, and comprises 1283 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, partly appropriate to the prebend of Annacalla, partly to the sacristy of the cathedral of Clonfert, and partly included in the union of Kilcolgan, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh. The tithes amount to £46, of which £23 is payable to the prebendary of Annacalla, £12 to the sacristan, and £11 to the incumbent of Kilcolgan. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of New Inn, and contains a chapel.

BULLOCK, BLOYKE, or BULLOG, a village, in the parish of MONKSTOWN, half-barony of RATHDOWN, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 6 3/4 miles S. E.) from Dublin: the population is returned with the parish. This place, which is now only a small fishing village, situated close to the southern shore of Dublin bay, was formerly defended by a castle of considerable extent. The period of its erection is unknown, though it is supposed to be co-eval with those of Dalkey; it is an octangular building, having but few windows and surmounted by a graduated parapet. Near it is a neat residence occupied by Capt. Hutchinson; and in the vicinity is Perrin Castle, the residence of Alderman Perrin, a handsome building in the castellated style, beautifully situated in grounds tastefully laid out and commanding some fine mountain and sea views. The Ballast Board of Dublin have a small quay here for shipping granite, with which this neighbourhood abounds. On blasting the rocks, a large quantity of silver coins was found a few years since. The fishery, at the commencement of the present century, employed several yawls in taking whiting, pollock, and herrings; at present there are about tea yawls belonging to the village.--See MONKSTOWN.

BUMBOA HALL, a small village, in the. parish of BALLYNURE, barony of UPPER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (N.) from Baltinglass; containing 81 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Baltinglass to Ballitore, and contains a good house called the Hall, the residence of Stephen Wilson, Esq. Near it are Ballynure and Grange-Con, the former the seat of H. Carroll, Esq., and the latter, till of late, the residence of H. Harrington, Esq. A peace preservation force is stationed in the village; and there is a neat R. C. chapel belonging to the union or district of Baltinglass, with a school adjoining it.--See BALLYNURE.

BUMLIN, or STROKESTOWN, a parish, in the barony and county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing, with the market and post-town of Strokestown, 4913 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the new mail coach road from Dublin to the West of Ireland, and comprises 4399 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act and valued at £4038 per annum. Part of Slievebawn mountain is situated within its limits, the summit of which towards the east commands a most extensive view. The land is chiefly under tillage; limestone abounds, and there are considerable tracts of bog. Castlenode is the seat of J. Morton, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, to which the vicarages of Kiltrustan and Lissonuffy were episcopally united in 1811, which three parishes form the union of Bumlin, in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is partly appropriate to the prebendary of Kilgoghlin in the cathedral church of Elphin, but chiefly impropriate in C. and R. Armstrong, Esqrs. The tithes amount to £285. 3. 9., of which £100.3. 5. is payable to the impropriators, £21 to the prebendary, and £164. 0. 4. to the vicar; and the gross vicarial tithes of the benefice amount to £533. 14. 7 1/2.; the annual income of the prebendary of Kilgoghlin is £310. 14. 2. The church, situated at Strokestown, is a handsome edifice with a spire, built in 1814 by aid of a loan of £2700 from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was also built by a gift of £337 and a loan of £150 from the same Board: the glebe comprises ten acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Kiltrustan, and containing three chapels, situated at Strokestown, Scramogue, and Kiltrustan, the two former in the parish of Bumlin. The parochial school, in which are about 50 children, is chiefly supported by the Vicar and by private subscriptions; there are also seven hedge schools, in which about 100 boys and 90 girls are taught. The late B. Mahon, Esq., bequeathed £800 late currency for the benefit of the poor of the three parishes forming the union.-- See STROKESTOWN.

BUNCLOADY.--See NEWTOWN-BARRY.

BUNCRANA, a market and post-town, in the parish of LOWER FAHAN, barony of ENNISHOWEN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 11 miles (N. N. W.) from Londonderry, and 129 1/2 miles (N. W. by N.) from Dublin; containing 1059 inhabitants. Though of some importance in the reign of Elizabeth, this place subsequently fell into great decay, but was restored and laid out in its present form by Sir John Vaughan, in 1717. The town is beautifully situated on the eastern shore of Lough Swilly, at the foot of the mountains of Ennishowen, and, from the romantic and picturesque beauty and salubrity of its position, has of late years become a bathing-place of considerable resort. It consists of three principal and several smaller streets, remarkably clean, and contains 248 houses, of which the greater number are large and well built of stone; the environs are adorned with several handsome houses, villas, and bathing-lodges. Buncrana Castle, close to the town, was the residence of the O'Donnells and O'Doghertys; but after the flight of O'Nial, O'Donnell, and other northern chieftains, in 1607, the territory escheated to the Crown. In the following year, Sir Cahir O'Dogherty, having rebelled against the English authority and carried on a sanguinary war for nearly six months, was defeated and taken prisoner by Sir Arthur Chichester, and was closely confined in this castle, which was shortly after granted to Sir Arthur: one of the towers, with the staircase of stone and the dungeon beneath, remains tolerably entire. A new castle, now the property and residence of Mrs. Todd, was built by Sir John Vaughan in 1717; it is approached by a very handsome bridge over the river, and in front are extensive gardens and terraces, all in excellent preservation. Lough Swilly here expands into an arm of the sea, bounded by mountains and rocks, of majestic character, and forming a capacious haven of easy access, suitable for vessels of any burden. On the south side of the entrance are the Swilly Rocks, about half a mile from the shore; on the west side, at Fannet Point, there is a lighthouse, with a fixed light of nine lamps, showing a deep red colour seaward and a bright light towards the lough. Two rivers empty themselves into the lough, one on each side of the town, after falling over several ledges of rock in their channels: in the northern, or, as it is commonly called, the Castle river, is an extensive and valuable salmon fishery; on the southern river are flax, oatmeal, and flour-mills. From its central situation the town has been chosen as the head-quarters of the artillery forces attached to the batteries on the Foyle and Swilly. At Naiads' Point is a battery, which is one of six erected on the threatened invasion of the French, with accommodation for one officer and 27 men, now under the care of a master-gunner and five men; and at Ballynary there is a coast-guard station. Considerable portions of the adjacent mountain district are being brought into cultivation: copper and lead ores are found, and slate of excellent quality abounds in these mountains, but has never been worked. In 1745 the linen manufacture was introduced by Col. Vaughan, and flourished for some time, and, in 1784, various branches of the cotton trade, particularly the weaving of velvets, fustians, corduroys, and plain cloth, to which the printing of cotton was added, but, although carried on with much spirit, it declined after his death. A manufactory for sail-cloth and ducking was afterwards established, and continued to flourish till the year 1830, when the premises were destroyed by fire. There are now in course of erection extensive mills and factories for weaving fine and coarse linens for the Manchester market, also a large flour-mill and fulling-mill nearly adjoining. Several vessels are engaged in fishing for soles, plaice, and turbot, which are taken off these shores in large quantities and of a superior kind, carried over land to Derry, and sent from that port by steam to Liverpool. Oysters of large size and good flavour are also taken in the lough. The markets are on Tuesday and Saturday, and in the winter season there is a large market on the last Friday in every month. Fairs are held on May 9th, July 27th, Sept. 8th, and Nov. 15th. General quarter sessions are held once, and road sessions six times, in the year; and petty sessions are held every alternate week. The court-house, a large and handsome building in the centre of the town, was erected at an expense of £1300 by the late Wm. Todd, Esq., and presented to the county on this being made a town for holding quarter sessions. A court for the manor of Buncrana is held on the first Monday in every month, for the recovery of debts under 40s. Here is a station of the constabulary police. The parochial church, situated in the town, is a neat edifice: it was built in 1804, considerably enlarged and improved in 1816, and, being still too small, is again about to be enlarged, for which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £370. 6. 8. There are places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and for Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists. A large and handsome building for a school was erected by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, by whom and the incumbent the school is supported; and at Cock Hill there is a national school. A dispensary is maintained in the customary manner.--See FAHAN (LOWER).

BUNDORAN, a village, in the parish of INNISMACSAINt, barony of TYRHUGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (S. W.) from Ballyshannon: the population is returned with the parish. This village, which consists of one street on the road from Ballyshannon to Sligo, is situated on Ballyshannon harbour, on the western coast, and on the confines of the county of Sligo: the coast is bold and rocky. It is a favourite place of resort for sea-bathing during the summer; several small but respectable houses have been built for the accommodation of visiters; and extensive hot and cold sea-water baths have been fitted up. There is a daily penny post to Ballyshannon and Sligo.

BUNGOWLA, a hamlet, in the parish and island of ARRANMORE, barony of ARRAN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated at the western extremity of the island of Arranmore, in the entrance of the bay of Galway. Off the shore of this part of the island are the Branach Isles, six in number, three of which are rocks.

BUNNAWN, or BONANE, a parish, in the barony of GLANEROUGH, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S.) from Kenmare; containing 1158 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the confines of the county of Cork, is not in the ecclesiastical divisions known as a separate parish, but considered as forming part of the parish of Kilcaskin, in the adjoining barony of Bere, county of Cork, and diocese of Ross. It is the property of the Marquess of Lansdowne, and consists chiefly of rocky mountain and bog; it is intersected by two old roads, both impassable for carriages; one running direct, by a wild rocky pass called the "Priest's Leap," to Bantry bay, and the other to Glengariff. A new road from Kenmare to Glengariff is now in progress, under the Board of Public Works, which will pass through the parish, over the range of mountains separating the counties of Cork and Kerry, and will in some places be carried to an elevation of 1000 feet above the level of the sea, affording great facilities for the improvement of this wild and mountainous district. At Dromfeaghny is an ancient burial-ground, in which are the ruins of an old church. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kilcaskin, in the county of Cork, and diocese of Kerry; the chapel is at Deelis. A school-house is about to be built at Tulloha, at the joint expense of the Marquess of Lansdowne and the National Board of Education.

BUNRATTY, a post-town, and parish, in the barony of BUNRATTY, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W. by N.) from Limerick, and 100 miles (W. S. W.) from Dublin; containing 1300 inhabitants. This place is situated on the mail coach road from Limerick to Ennis, and on the northern shore of the river Shannon. The castle was erected in 1277, by the De Clares, and was subsequently the residence of the Earls of Thomond; it was besieged in 1305, but not taken; and the small town adjacent to it was burned in 1314. The castle was either enlarged or rebuilt by Sir Thomas de Clare, in 1597, and is still the largest in the county. Till within the last few years it was the residence of T. de Clare Studdert, Esq., who has erected a handsome modern mansion in the demesne, and the old castle is now used as a constabulary police barrack. It is a lofty and massive quadrangular structure, with a tower at each angle; the upper parts of the towers at each end of the quadrangle are connected by an arch; it still retains its old baronial hall unaltered, and, till deserted by the family, displayed a spacious and lofty banqueting-room; the outworks and appendages were of great extent, as is evident from the vestiges that may still be traced. A handsome bridge of one arch was built over the river Ougarnee, by Mr. Studdert, who also constructed near it a commodious quay, which is about to be enlarged; boats of large size can come up to it. Considerable quantities of sea manure are landed here for the supply of the neighbourhood, and turf is brought from Kilrush. In the Shannon near this place are several islands, one of which, called Quay Island, is inhabited by only one family: the anchorage off this island, called Bunratty Roads, is considered to be the best in the Shannon, and here the West India vessels discharge their cargoes for Limerick. Off Clonmoney is another island, called Saints' Island, containing about 50 statute acres of the richest land, and inhabited by two families. Fairs are held here on Feb. 3rd, the second Tuesday before Easter, June 3rd, July 19th, and Oct. 20th, for cattle, pigs, and sheep. A seneschal's court for the manor of Bunratty is occasionally held, in which debts not exceeding £10 late currency may be recovered.

The parish comprises 2649 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and mostly in pasture; those parts bordering on the Shannon afford rich grazing land. Bunratty Castle, the seat of T. de Clare Studdert, Esq., is pleasantly situated within the ancient demesne, and commands fine views of the Shannon and of an extensive tract of country: the mansion is spacious and of modern design, and the demesne is embellished with fine timber of stately growth. Immediately adjoining the village is Bunratty, the residence of Mrs. Paliser, in the rear of which are the ruins of an old church, the walls of which are in good preservation. The other seats are Clonmoney, that of D. Canny, Esq., and Woodpark, of M. Dalton, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe; the rectory forms part of the union of Tomfinlogh or Traddery, in the patronage of the Earl of Egremont; and the vicarage part of the union of Kilfinaghty. The tithes amount to £150, of which £100 is payable to the rector, and £50 to the vicar. The church of the union is at Six-mile-bridge, in that parish. The glebe-house is situated on a glebe of 11 acres in this parish, subject to a rent of £21. 10. per annum late currency. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Newmarket, and is held with several others by the administrator of the R. C. Bishop of Killaloe; the chapel is a commodious modern building. There is a small school under the superintendence of the vicar, in which are about 20 children; and at Clonmoney is a school under the direction of the R. C. clergyman. There is also a private school, in which about 65 children are educated.

BUOLICK, or BAOLICK, a parish, in the barony of SLIEVARDAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N. E.) from New Birmingham; containing 2271 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the confines of the county of Kilkenny, and on the road from Johnstown to Killenaule: it is skirted on the west by the bog of Alien, and comprises 6355 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5120 per annum. A considerable quantity of coal is obtained here, and works are now being opened on the estate of Mark Byrne, Esq. Littlefield is the property of E. Cooke, Esq., who occasionally resides here. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: it is at present held by the treasurer of the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Cashel, but forms no part of the endowment of that dignity: the tithes amount to £420. There is neither church, glebe, nor glebe-house; some remains of the old church yet exist, covered with ivy; the inhabitants resort to Burris church. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, called Gurtnahoe, comprising also the parishes of Kilcooley and Fennor, and containing two chapels, situated at Gurtnahoe in Buolick, and at New Birmingham in Kilcooley: the former is a spacious building, in digging the foundations for which many human bones were discovered, supposed to be those of the slain in a battle said to have been fought at Ballysloe by the kings of Leinster and Munster. Three national schools are situated at Ballysloe, Clonimiclan, and Gurtnahoe, in which are about 180 boys and 100 girls. There are considerable remains of an old castle, which appears to have been of great strength; it was the residence of the family of Butler, Viscounts Ikerrin, and is now the property of R. La Touche, Esq., who has a considerable estate in the parish. Here are also two large Danish forts.

BURGAGE.--See BLESSINGTON.

BURGESS, or BURGESS-BEG, a parish, in the barony of OWNEY and ARRA, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 65 miles (S. W.) from Nenagh; containing 3570 inhabitants. It is situated on the mail coach road from Dublin to Limerick, and comprises 4749 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £4002 per annum. About 97 acres are mountain and bog; the remainder is good arable land. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, and forms part of the union of Castletown-Arra: the tithes amount to £276. 18. 5 1/2. In the R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of Youghal-Arra, and contains a modern chapel on the townland of Ballywilliam. There are three private pay schools, in which about 160 boys and 90 girls are taught. Some remains of the church yet exist, with a monument on which is inscribed "Donato O'Brien de Gort-more."

BURNCHURCH, or KILTRANEEN, a parish, partly in the barony of GALMOY, but chiefly in that of SHILLELOGHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S. S. W.) from Kilkenny; containing 1450 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Kilkenny to Carrick-on-Suir, and comprises 5373 statute acres: it is principally under an improved system of tillage; there is plenty of limestone, used chiefly for burning into lime. Farmley, the seat of R. Flood, Esq., is situated in a well-planted demesne, and was the residence of the Rt. Hon. Henry Flood, one of the most distinguished members of the Irish House of Commons, who died here in 1791, and was interred in the parish church. This place has a patent for fairs, but none are held. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, to which the vicarages of Danesfort, Kilfeara, Abbey-Jerpoint, West-Jerpoint, Ballylinch, and Grangeleggan or Grangeclovan, and the denominations of Dunbell, Grange-Kilree, Woollen-Grange, Blackrath-Grange, Garran, Mocktown or Rathbin, Ardera, Lismatigue, and Plebestown have been immemorially united and were consolidated by act of council in 1678, forming the union of Burnchurch, which is in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christchurch, Dublin: the tithes of the parish amount to £320. 12. 6. payable in moieties to the vicars choral and the vicar. The church is a neat edifice with a steeple, built by aid of a loan of £600, in 1810, from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1500, in 1815, from the same Board: the glebe comprises 20 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish is included in the four several unions or districts of Danesfort, Freshford, Moncoin, and Ballyhale. The parochial school is supported by the incumbent; and there is a private school, in which are about 70 boys and 30 girls; also a Sunday school. Near the church is a fine old castle in a good state of preservation.

BURREN, or BURRIN, a village and post-town, in the parish of ABBEY, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 18 miles (N. by W.) from Ennis, and 115 3/4 miles (W. by S.) from Dublin: containing 23 houses and 147 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Ballyvaughan to Curranroe Bridge, and about a quarter of a mile from the small harbour of Burren, now called New Quay, from the construction of a quay within the last few years, a little to the east of the former, of which there are still some remains: it is a constabulary police station. A court is held every six weeks by the seneschal of the manor, in which small debts are recoverable. The harbour is frequented by 30 hookers of "about 12 tons' and 150 yawls of 3 tons' burden each, engaged in the fishery, which affords employment to about 500 men. Large quantities of corn, butter, sheep, and pigs, are shipped here; and such is the convenience of the harbour, that in hard weather 100 sail of small craft have taken refuge in it at a time. The coast is noted for its oysters, which are in high repute for their superior flavour and quality; the great oyster bed, called the Burren Red bank, and the harbour, are more particularly described in the account of the parish of Abbey, which see.

BURRISCARRA, a parish, in the barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of Connaught, 5 3/4 miles (N. N. W.) from Hollymount; containing 1535 inhabitants. This place was distinguished at a very early period for its monastery of Carmelites or White friars, which Pope John XXIII. gave to Eremites of the Augustinian order in 1412; it existed till the general dissolution, and there are still some small remains of the ancient buildings, which appear to have been extensive and of elegant character. The parish is situated upon Lough Carra, and within a mile and a half of the road from Castlebar to Dublin: it comprises 4510 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is of a light sandy quality; there is but a small quantity of bog. The principal seats are Moore Hall, that of G. Moore, Esq., beautifully situated on Lough Carra, in an extensive demesne richly planted; Tower Hill, of Major Blake; Carnacon, of J. McDonnell, Esq.; Clogher, of Crean Lynch, Esq.; and Castlecarra, of T. Lynch, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, episcopally united for more than 65 years to the rectories and vicarages of Ballyhane and Ballyovey, together forming the union of Burriscarra, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £65, and of the whole benefice to £368. 14. 9 1/2 The church of the union is in Ballyhane; there is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Ballintobber: the chapel, a good cruciform building, erected in 1835 at an expense of £2000, and decorated with a painting of the crucifixion, is situated at Carnacon. A school of 60 boys and 20 girls is held in the chapel. There are some remains of a nunnery, and a very fine mineral spring.

BURRISHOOLE, a parish, in the barony of BURRISHOOLE, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing, with the market and post-town of Newport-Pratt, 11,761 inhabitants. This place, from a bull of Pope Innocent VIII., dated February 9th, 1486, appears to have been distinguished as the seat of a monastery for friars of the Dominican order, founded by Richard de Bourke, Lord Mac William Oughter, head of the Turlough family, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The monastery was granted to Nicholas Weston, who assigned it to Theobald, Viscount Costello-Galen; there are still some remains. The parish is situated on the north-east shore of Clew bay, and on the high road from Castlebar to Achill island: it comprises 12,550 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The lands are chiefly under tillage; and many of the islands in Clew bay, which are within the parish, afford good pasturage for sheep. There is a large tract of mountain and bog, about two-thirds of which are reclaimable. Salt-works were formerly carried on here. The principal inhabited islands are Mynishmore, Inish-na-crusna, Inish-cougha, Inishurken, Inishtubride, and Inishturk. There are two large lakes in the parish, called Lough Feagh and Lough Furnace; and on the narrow neck of land between these are the ruins of an old smelting furnace; there is also another at the old abbey. The river of Burrishoole, on which is an excellent salmon fishery, has its source in these lakes. The principal seats are Newport House, that of Sir R. Annesley O'Donell, Bart.; Newfield, of J. McLoughlin, Esq.; Seamount, of Connell O'Donnell, Esq.; Tymore, of J. T. S. Stuart, Esq.; Newfort, of J. Hilles, Esq.; and Abbeyville, of J. McDonnell, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £350. The church is a neat plain structure, for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £338. 9. 3. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £400 and a loan of £360, in 1819, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 5la. 3r. 26p. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains two chapels, one at Newport-Pratt and the other at Newfield, both good slated buildings. There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists, open each alternate Wednesday and Friday; and a Presbyterian minister attends occasionally and performs divine service in the parish school-house. There are twelve public schools in the parish; that at Trienbeg is aided by an annual donation from the Marquess of Sligo, and a school-house at Newport-Pratt was erected at the expense of the Rev. Jas. Hughes, P. P. In these schools are about 1300 children; and in a hedge school at Carrig-a-neady are about 20 children. There are the remains of a castle, formerly belonging to the O'Malley family; also several Druidical caves, many of which contain large rooms arched over with flags. A patron is held here on St. Dominick's day, the 4th of August. --See NEWPORT-PRATT.

BURRISNEFARNEY, a parish, partly in the barony of IKERRIN, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, but chiefly in the barony of CLONLISK, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (W.) from Moneygall; containing 269 inhabitants. This parish is situated near the high road from Dublin to Limerick, which runs on the north-west, and is bounded on the south-east by the Devil's Bit range of mountains, near which the little river Allitrim has its source, which separates the parish from that of Aghnameadle on the west, and abounds with fine trout. It comprises 4138 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3438 per annum, exclusive of waste. The land is good, and, being chiefly in the hands of gentlemen, is much improved and in grass; there is very little bog, not more than sufficient to supply the inhabitants with fuel. The gentlemen's seats are Loughton, formerly the residence of T. Ryder Pepper, Esq., and now of Lieut.-Gen. Lord Bloomfield, who is making extensive additions and improvements to the house and demesne; Thorn Vale, of George Garvey, Esq.; Barnagrotty, of J. Tydd Abbott, Esq.; White Ville, of R. White, Esq.; and Larch Vale, the neat residence of the Rev. W. Gresson. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, united by act of council to the vicarage of Bourney or Bourchin: the tithes amount to £184. 12. 3 1/2. The church is a neat modern building, with a metal roof, situated contiguous to the Loughton demesne, and erected under the patronage of T. R. Pepper, Esq., to whose memory it contains a handsome marble tablet.

In the R. C. divisions, also, it forms part of the union or district of Bourney. The parochial school, on the Laughton demesne, was founded and is partly supported by a donation of £20 per annum from Mrs. Pepper, sister of Lord Bloomfield and widow of T. R. Pepper, Esq.; about 50 girls are taught in it. The Rev. Kennedy O'Kennedy, late rector of the union, bequeathed £500 to the poor of this parish and Bourney, to be disposed of for their benefit at the discretion of the rector and churchwardens; but no part of it has yet been received. A parochial relief fund now exists, founded on the plan of the Rev. Dr. Chalmers. There are some remains of an old castle on the Loughton demesne.

BURRIS-O'-KANE, or BURROS-O'-KEANE, a post-town and parish, in the barony of LOWER ORMOND, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 12 3/4 miles (W. by N.) from Roscrea, and 7l 3/4 miles (W. S. W.) from Dublin; containing 2635 inhabitants. This town is situated on the road from Nenagh to Portumna and Banagher, and of late years has undergone much improvement; many new houses have been built, and others are in contemplation. Fairs are held on the 26th of April, June, and September, and on Dec. 15th. Petty sessions are held every Saturday; and here is a chief station of the constabulary police. There is a bridewell, comprising two small cells, a day room, and a cell for females, but it is on a confined plan and in a bad situation. The land is principally under an improving system of tillage: there is a considerable extent of bog, in detached portions. In the townland of Tumbricane is a quarry of limestone of superior quality, which is mostly used for tombstones and building. The principal seats are Arran Hill, the property of the Marquess of Ormonde, but in the occupation of T. G. Stoney, Esq.; Greyfort, the property of -- Saunders, Esq.; Killavalla, the seat of R. Johnston Stoney, Esq.; and Bushey Park, of T. Towers, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £185. 2. 4 3/4. The church is a plain structure, built by aid of a loan of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1812, and for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £631. 17. 2, The glebe-house was built at the same time, by a gift of £400 and a loan of £300 from the Board: the glebe comprises 11 3/4 acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parishes of Eglish and Ballingarry, and contains a chapel in each parish; that of Burris-O'Kane, now in course of erection, will be a commodious and handsome building. The parochial schools are aided by the rector; and there are a free school and two schools aided by private subscription. About 140 boys and 90 girls are taught in these ' schools; and there are two private pay schools, in which are about 30 of each sex. A fever hospital and dispensary are maintained in the usual manner. There are considerable remains of a square tower castle, called Tumbricane, which appears to have been of great strength.

BURRIS-O'-LEAGH, a post-town, in the parish of GLANKEEN, barony of KILNEMANAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 36 1/4miles (N. N. W.) from Clonmel, and 72 3/4 miles (S. W.) from Dublin; containing 1340 inhabitants. This is a place of considerable antiquity; it is situated on the road from Thurles to Nenagh, and comprises 237 houses. An extensive distillery was formerly carried on here; there is a brewery; and at Fantane, in the vicinity, is another, both on a small scale. Fairs are held on June 9th, Aug. 6th, and Nov. 27th, which is a large fair for pigs. Petty sessions are held once a fortnight; and here is a chief station of the constabulary police. The parish church and a R. C. chapel are situated in the town. A school for the children of Roman Catholics is aided by a donation of £10 per annum from the parish priest; and there is a dispensary.--See GLANKEEN.

BURROS-in-OSSORY, a market and post-town, in the parish of AGHABOE, barony of UPPER OSSORY, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 13 miles (S. W. by W.) from Maryborough, and 53 miles (S. W. by W.) from Dublin; containing 770 inhabitants. This place was formerly of some importance: being bounded on the north by the river Nore, and encompassed on every other side by bogs, it formed the great pass to Munster; and for its defence the Fitzpatricks, proprietors of the district, at an early period built a castle, of which, as appears by his will, Sir Barnaby Fitzpatrick, second baron of Upper Ossory, was in possession in 1582. In 1600, Queen Elizabeth granted this place, among other possessions, to Florence Fitzpatrick and his son, which grant was confirmed by Jas. I. in 1611. The castle was, in 1641, besieged by Florence; and the garrison, consisting of Protestants of Upper Ossory, though enduring the greatest sufferings from want of provisions, refused to surrender, and kept possession of it till they were relieved by Sir C. Coote. In 1642, Bryan, the sixth baron, accompanied the insurgents to besiege this castle, which was subsequently granted to the Duke of Ormonde, and, with the townland of Burros, comprising 600 acres, is now part of the estate of the Duke of Buckingham. The town is situated on the mail coach road from Dublin to Limerick, and consists of one long street containing about 130 houses. It has a market; and fairs are held on Jan. 25th, March 21st, May 31st, June 24th, Aug. 15th, Oct. 11th, Nov. 21st, and Dec. 20th. A constabulary police force is stationed in the town; and the quarter sessions for the county are held in April and October, and petty sessions irregularly. Here is also a dispensary. Near the town, on the estate of the Earl of Mountrath, are some remains of the old castle of Ballaghmore, built by the Fitzpatricks, which, in 1647, was attacked by Capt. Hedges and the garrison of Burros, to whom it surrendered, and was partly dismantled; the captain, on his return, was intercepted, and before he reached his quarters lost several of his men. On Kyle hill, about two miles from the town, is a rude stone chair, called by the peasantry the "Fairy Chair," which was probably in former times a seat of judgment of the Brehons.--See AGHABOE.

BURRY, a parish, in the barony of UPPER KELLS, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 1 3/4 mile (S. W.) from Kells; containing 1027 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from Mullingar to Kells and Drogheda, and comprises 3339 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The land, which is of great fertility, is almost equally divided between tillage and pasture, and the system of agriculture is in a highly improved state. There is a considerable tract of bog, which partly supplies the town of Kells with turf; and there are some quarries of limestone and greenstone.

Balrath, the seat of C. A. Nicholson, Esq., is a handsome residence, pleasantly situated in an extensive and well-wooded demesne, with a park well stocked with deer, and in which are some remains of the old church, with a burial-ground attached. The other seats are Springville, the residence of P. O'Reilly, Esq.; and Berford, of J. Dyas, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, and is part of the union of Kells and corps of the archdeaconry of Meath: the tithes amount to £150 The glebe comprises 2r. 19p., valued at £1. 10. per annum. In the R. C. divisions, also, it forms part of the union or district of Kells. There are two daily pay schools, one at Drumbarrow and the other at Scurlogstown, in which are about 100 boys and 60 girls.

BURt, a parish, in the barony of ENNISHOWEN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (N. W.) from Londonderry; containing 3765 inhabitants. This parish, which anciently formed part of the parish of Templemore, is situated on Lough Swilly, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 10,672 1/2 statute acres. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Dean, to whom the tithes are payable: the curate's stipend is £100 per annum late currency, of which £75 is paid by the dean, and the remainder is advanced from the augmentation funds of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The church, a neat small edifice, was built about a century since. There is no glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Iskahan, Burt, and Inch, and contains a chapel. There is also a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the first class. A parochial school, in which are about 40 boys and 4 girls, is supported by the Dean of Derry; and there are three pay schools, in which are about SO boys and 30 girls, and three Sunday schools. On the shore of Lough Swilly are the ruins of the castle of Burt, or Birt, erected by Sir Cahir O'Dogherty in the 15th century, consisting of a single tower, situated on a commanding eminence.

BUSHMILLS, a market and post-town, in that part of the parish of BILLY which is in the barony of CAREY, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 6 1/4miles (N. E. by N.) from Coleraine, and 125 1/2 (N.) from Dublin; containing 108 houses and 507 inhabitants. This place is pleasantly situated near the mouth of the river Bush, from which it derives its name: it is neatly built, and is the general place of resort for parties visiting the Giant's Causeway, about two miles distant, for whose accommodation a large and handsome hotel has been erected by Sir F. W. Macnaghten, Bart., who, in 1827, established a weekly market here. A distillery is carried on, and is much celebrated for the quality of its whiskey, of which about 12,000 gallons are annually made and principally sent to England, Scotland, the West Indies, and America. There is a manufactory of spades, shovels, scythes, and sickles upon the river Bush; extensive paper-mills have been erected by F. D. Ward, Esq., for the supply of the home and Scottish markets, and near them are mills for flour and for dressing flax. The market is on Tuesday, and is well supplied with grain, linen yarn, pork, and provisions of all kinds; and fairs are held on Jan. 28th, March 28th, June 28th, July 21st, Oct. 21st, and Dec. 12th. Here is a constabulary police station; and the petty sessions for the district are held every fortnight. The court-house, a large and handsome building, recently erected by Sir F. W. Macnaghten, contains also apartments for the police, and some cells for the confinement of prisoners. The parish church of Dunluce is situated in the town; and there are also a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and one for Methodists. A school has been established by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, for the instruction of the children of parishioners, the master of which has a good house and two acres of land; there are also several schools in various parts of the parish. In the immediate neighbourhood is Bushmills House, the seat of Sir F. W. Macnaghten, Bart., who has made numerous improvements on his estate: the mansion is at present being rebuilt in a very splendid style, and with the grounds will form an interesting ornament to the place. In the bed of the river, near the bridge, are some small but beautiful basaltic columns fantastically curved.

BUTLERSBRIDGE, a village, in the parish of CASTLETERRA, barony of UPPER LOUGHTEE, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (N. N. W.) from Cavan; containing about 40 houses and 211 inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated on the river Ballyhaise, and on the road from Cavan to Enniskillen, and has a fair on the second Monday in every month throughout the year. Here is a R. C. chapel of ease to those of Castleterra and Ballyhaise; and a daily penny post to Cavan and Belturbet has been established.

BUTLERSTOWN. -- See KILRONAN, county of WATERFORD.

BUTTEVANt, a post-town and parish (formerly an incorporated market-town), in the barony of ORRERY and KILMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 22 miles (N. by W.) from Cork, and 121 3/4 (S. W.) from Dublin; containing 5535 inhabitants, of which number, 1536 are in the town. This parish, which is situated on the river Awbeg and on the road from Mallow to Charleville, was anciently called Bothon, and is said to have derived its present name from the exclamation Boutez en avant, "Push forward," used by David de Barry, its proprietor, to animate his men in a contest with the McCarthys, which was subsequently adopted as the family motto of the Earls of Barrymore, who derived their title of Viscount from this place. It appears to have attained considerable importance at an early period after the first invasion, from the notices of it which occur in ancient records still existing. On the 26th of September, 1234, a grant was made by Hen. III. to David de Barry of a market on Sunday, and a fair on the vigil and day of St. Luke the Evangelist and for six following days. In the 11th of Edw. II. (1317), a grant of release of £105 required of the commonalty of the town of "Botavant" by the exchequer, to be applied in enclosing it with walls, was made at the request of John Fitz-David de Barry, to whom the town belonged, and who was required to see that the money was duly employed in the same. In the 49th of Edw. III., another grant, dated Aug. 6th, 1375, was made to the "Provost and Commonalty of Botavaunt," ratifying a former grant of part of the "waste" of the town, with the north gate and customs there. A priory and a nunnery were founded here at an early period; the priory was restored in 1290, by David Oge Barry, Lord Buttevant, for Conventual Franciscans, and dedicated to St. Thomas the martyr; the nunnery was under the invocation of St. Owen, or St. John the Baptist, but there are no particulars of its foundation or order. During the war between the houses of York and Lancaster, the town suffered considerable devastation; and in 1568 the castle was taken by the Lord-Deputy Sydney. In 1641 the Irish army of the south assembled here under the command of Lord Mountgarret, and proceeded to Mallow: and early in the year 1643, Lord Inchiquin assembled his forces here, consisting of 4000 foot and 400 horse. The manor of Buttevant continued in the possession of the Barrymore family, and was sold by Richard, the last Earl, to the late John Anderson, Esq., of Fermoy: it was purchased, in 1831, by Lord Doneraile, the present proprietor.

The town is situated on the western bank of the river Awbeg, over which are two bridges, one on the old and the other on the modern road from Cork to Limerick: it consists principally of one main street extending along the mail coach road, and in 1831 contained 204 houses. Immediately adjoining, on the north-west, are the barracks, an extensive range of buildings, occupying a spacious enclosed area of nearly 23 statute acres, divided into two quadrangles by the central range, in which is an archway surmounted by a cupola and affording communication between them. Near Buttevant Castle is an extensive and substantial flour-mill, erected by Sir James Anderson and furnished with machinery of superior construction; it is capable of manufacturing 20,000 barrels of flour annually, but at present is not in operation. The market has been long discontinued; but fairs are held on March 27th, July 20th, Oct. 14th, and Nov. 20th, chiefly for cattle. The market-house is situated on the west side of an open square at the southern extremity of the town; the upper part is used as the courthouse. A constabulary police force is stationed here; a seneschal's court for the manor of Buttevant is occasionally held, in which debts, not exceeding 40s. late currency, are recoverable; and petty sessions are held every alternate Wednesday. Including Lisgriffin, the parish comprises 7543 statute acres: the land is of very good quality and principally under tillage; there is neither woodland nor waste, and but a small quantity of bog. Limestone abounds, and there is one quarry near the town of very superior quality, of a light grey colour and very fine grain, from which the stone for building the new R. C. chapel has been taken. Buttevant Castle, the residence of Sir J. Caleb Anderson, Bart., was originally called King John's Castle, and formed one of the angles of the ancient fortifications of the town; it was considerably enlarged and modernised by the late Mr. Anderson, and has lost much of its antique appearance; it is beautifully situated on a rocky eminence on the margin of the river, of which it commands a fine view; within the demesne is the church, the spire of which combining with other features of the scenery adds much to the beauty of the landscape. The other seats are Castle View, that of Barry Gregg, Esq.; Velvetstown, of T. Lucas Croft, Esq.; and Temple Mary, of J. O'Leary, Esq.: there are also several neat cottage residences. The river Awbeg, celebrated by Spenser under the appellation of the "Gentle Mulla," abounds with fine white trout.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Cloyne, episcopally united, at a period prior to any existing record, to the vicarages of Bregogue and Kilbroney, and to the perpetual curacy of Cahirduggan, together forming the union of Buttevant and Cahirduggan, formerly called the union of Bregogue, in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in C. Silver Oliver, Esq. The tithes, amounting to £926. 10., are wholly payable to the impropriator. The curate is also chaplain of the barracks; and the tithes of the benefice amount to £139. 4. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a finely proportioned spire: it is situated near the river and within the castle demesne, and was built in 1826, near the site of an ancient church, of which there are still some remains, and on the site of another of more recent date; the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £1600 for its erection: a handsome mural monument has been erected to the Rev. T. Walker, late minister of the parish. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms the head of a union or district, which comprises also the parishes of Ballybeg, Bregogue, and Kilbroney, and contains the chapels of Buttevant and Lisgriffin, both in this parish. The new chapel at Buttevant, commenced in 1831, is now nearly completed; the estimated expense was £3000, of which £600 was granted on loan by the Board of Public Works, and the remainder raised by subscription, through the unwearied exertions of the Rev. C. Buckley, P.P., towards which Lord Doneraile contributed £30, and also presented the site. It is a very handsome structure of hewn limestone, in the later English style, consisting of a nave and transept, between which, on each side, rises a square embattled tower crowned with richly crocketed pinnacles; the walls are strengthened with buttresses at the angles and between the windows of the nave, terminating in crocketed pinnacles above an embattled parapet carried round the building; and the gables of the transept are surmounted by Maltese crosses, beneath which, on each side, is a cinquefoiled niche resting on a projecting corbel. The nave is lighted by a range of three windows of two lights ornamented in cinquefoil, with a quatre-foiled circle in the crown of the arch; and the transept is lighted at each end by a noble window of five lights, 26 feet high, and elaborately enriched with tracery: the tower on the east side was a detached watch-tower belonging to the abbey, erected by one of the Earls of Desmond for the protection of the brethren in times of violence, and incorporated with the present building. A parochial house will be built near it for the priest's residence; and part of the old chapel has been converted into a national school, in which are 240 boys. The parochial school, in which are 40 boys and 30 girls, is kept in a house rented by the Rev. Dr. Cotter and Col. Hill, and is supported by subscription, aided by an annual donation of £10 each from Lords Doneraile and Arden; there are also six private schools, in which are about 340 children. The fever hospital, which contains also a dispensary, is a substantial stone building near the river, capable of receiving 30 patients.

The ruins of the abbey are finely situated on the steep bank of the river Awbeg, and consist chiefly of the walls of the nave, chancel, and some portions of the domestic buildings; the upper part of the central tower, supported on arches of light and graceful elevation, fell down in 1814; the tomb of the founder, David de Barry, is supposed to be in the centre of the chancel, but is marked only by some broken stones which appear to have formed an enclosure. On the south side of the nave are the remains of a finely proportioned chapel, in which, and also in the nave and chancel, are numerous tombs and inscriptions to the memory of the Barrys, Fitzgeralds, Lombards, and others. Near the abbey are some vestiges of an ancient building supposed to have been the nunnery. Nearly in the centre of the town are the remains of Lombards' castle, a quadrangular building flanked at each angle by a square tower, one of which is nearly in a perfect state, and, with a portion of the castle, has been converted into a dwelling-house. At Lisgriffin are the ruins of an ancient castle of the family of Barry. Some remains of the old town walls may yet be traced; and in a burial-ground at Templemary are the ruins of an ancient church or chapel. The title of Viscount Buttevant, conferred on the Barry family in 1406, has been dormant since the death of the last Earl of Barrymore, but is now claimed by James Redmond Barry, Esq., of Glandore, in the county of Cork.

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