Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

NAV
reeve, who is also justice of the peace, is annually-
elected on the 13th of September by the corporation
at large, and may appoint a deputy, who is also a justice
of the peace; the burgesses, as vacancies occur, are
chosen from the freemen, who are admitted only by
favour of the corporation, by whom also the town-clerk
and serjeants-at-mace are appointed. The corporation
continued to return two members to the Irish parliament
till the Union, when the borough was disfranchised.
The borough court, formerly held before the portreeve or
his deputy, has issued no process since 1820, and has
since fallen into total disuse; the borough officers exer-
cise no municipal jurisdiction, and though a portreeve
is annually chosen, the corporation may be considered
as virtually extinct. General sessions are held twice in
the year, and petty sessions on alternate Mondays before
the county magistrates and the portreeve, who acts also
as a magistrate for the county. The court-house, or
Tholsel, contains the requisite apartments for holding
the courts, and a suite of assembly-rooms, and pre-
viously to the erection of the present bridewell, the
basement story was used as a prison; the bridewell has
separate wards and day-rooms, with airing-yards, for
the classification of prisoners.
The parish comprises 3498¾- statute acres, of which
2802 are applotted under the tithe act. The land is of
middling quality, and about two-thirds of it are under
tillage; the system of agriculture is much improved,
and there is very little waste land or bog. Limestone
of good quality abounds, and is quarried both for burn-
ing into lime and for building. The principal seats are
Boyne Hill, the residence of Lieut. Col. T. Gerrard,
beautifully situated on the bank of the river; Belmont,
of J. Goggan, Esq.; and a handsome residence recently
erected, near the road to Dublin, by L. Byron, Esq.,M.D.,
commanding some pleasing views. In the immediate
vicinity of the town, though within the limits of Do-
naghmore parish, is Black Castle, the handsome seat of
R. R. Fitzherbert, Esq., beautifully situated in a taste-
fully improved demesne. The living is a rectory, in the
diocese of Meath, united by act of council, in the 17th
century, to the rectories of Ardsallagh and Donagh-
more, and in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes
amount to £275: the glebe of the union comprises 15½
statute acres, valued at £23.15. per ann.; and the gross
revenue of the benefice is £728. 15. The church,
towards the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commis-
sioners have recently granted £226, is a neat modern
edifice, rebuilt, with the exception of the old tower,
which is of elegant design, in 1818, at an expense of
£1700, of which £600 was a gift and £1100 a loan
from the late Board of First Fruits; it contains a hand-
some organ, presented to the parish by Mrs. Savage.
In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or
district, comprising also the parishes of Donaghmore,
Ardsallagh, and Bective: the chapel is a handsome
Grecian edifice, now in course of erection upon an ex-
tensive scale; there is also a chapel at Bective. Near
the R. C. chapel is the convent of the Ladies of Loretto,
a handsome edifice, attached to which are two school-
rooms, one in connection with the National Board, in
which are 200 girls, who are gratuitously instructed by
the sisters of the convent; and the other a private se-
minary for young ladies. The Navan endowed school
was founded by Alderman Preston, of Dublin, who by
422
NEN
will bequeathed 800 plantation acres of land in Queen’s
county, of which he appropriated seven-sixteenth parts
to this school, five to a similar school at Ballyroan, and
four-sixteenths to the Blue Coat school in Dublin; the
course of education includes an efficient preparation for
the University, for which the charge must not exceed
one guinea per quarter; the appointment of the master
is vested in the Rev. Joseph Preston, of Bellinter.
There is also an extensive R. C. seminary for students
intended for the priesthood or for any of the learned
professions: the school is under the direction and
superintendence of three R. C. clergymen; the premises
are extensive, and annexed to them is a private chapel.
About 400 children are taught in the public schools of
the parish; and there are nine private schools, in which
are about 450 children. The County Infirmary is a
plain building, not well adapted to its purpose; the
fever hospital is of modern date, and contains ample
accommodation of a superior kind. There are also
a charitable loan society, entirely supported by Mrs.
Fitzherbert, and a society for the relief of the des-
titute sick poor. At the western extremity of the
town is a large moat of considerable elevation, com-
manding from its summit a very extensive and inte-
resting prospect.
NEALE, a village, in the parish of KILMOLARA,
barony of KILMAINE, county of MAYO, and province of
CONNAUGHT, 2½ miles (S.) from Ballinrobe, on the road
to Cong; the population is returned with the parish.
This place, which is usually called “The Neale,” is a
constabulary police station, and has fairs on Feb. 5th,
May 6th, Aug. 4th, and Nov. 5th. Immediately adjoin-
ing is Neale Park, a seat of Lord Kilmaine: the grounds,
which are very extensive, contain some curious monu-
ments, noticed under the head of Kilmolara. In the
R. C. divisions Neale gives name to the union or dis-
trict, comprising the parishes of Kilmolara and Ballin-
challa, and contains the only chapel in the district.
NEDDINS, a parish, in the barony of IFFA and OFFA
WEST, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER,
6¼ miles (S. W.) from Clonmel, on the river Suir; con-
taining 616 inhabitants. This parish comprises 1461 statute
acres, as applotted under the tithe act. It is
a vicarage, in the diocese of Lismore, forming part of
the union of Ardfinnan: the rectory is impropriate in
Mrs. Emily Cudworth, The tithes amount to £185, of
which £105 is payable to the impropriator, and the re-
mainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions also it
forms part of the district of Ardfinnan.
NENAGH, a market and post-town, and a parish,
partly in the barony of UPPER ORMOND, but chiefly
in that of LOWER ORMOND, county of TIPPERARY, and
province of MUNSTER, 19 miles (N. E.) from Limerick,
and 75 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the mail road between
these cities; containing 9159 inhabitants, of which
number, 8446 are in the town, which is the largest
(except one), as to population, that does not return a
member to parliament. It was one of the ancient
manors of the Butlers, by whom the old castle now in
ruins is supposed to have been founded. In 1200, an
hospital was founded here for Augustinian canons,
who were to admit into it the sick and infirm: it was
dedicated to St. John the Baptist, whence it was
usually called Teacheon, Tyone, or St. John’s house,
and was endowed by Theobald Walter, the first. Butler