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church was built in 1815, at an expense of £895, of
which the same Board gave £738, and the proprietor
of the estate the residue: it is a neat edifice, in the
Gothic style, with a lofty square tower. At Escragh is
a R. C. chapel, and there is a meeting-house for Presby-
terians in connection with the Associate Synod at
Longridge. A school-house at Beltony, with a resi-
dence for the master and mistress, was built partly by
the Rev. F. Gervais and partly by the trustees of Eras-
mus Smith’s charity; the school is endowed with two
acres of land by the Rev. F. Gervais. Escragh male
and female school is principally supported by the per-
petual curate; Lislee school is supported by R. W.
Maxwell, Esq.; Tullyvernon school was built and is
supported by the Rev. F. Gervais; and there is one at
Escragh Bridge in connection with the National Board,
in which divine service is every Sunday performed by
the curate, as it is 3½ miles from the church.
NEWTOWN-STEWART, a market and post-town,
in the parish of ARDSTRAW, barony of STRABANE, county
of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 7¼ miles (N. W.)
from Omagh, and 99¼ (N. N. W.) from Dublin, on the
road to Londonderry; containing 1737 inhabitants.
This town, which is beautifully situated on the western
bank of the river Mourne, about halfway between Omagh
and Strabane, and surrounded by the lofty mountains
of Munterloney, was anciently called Lislas, and appears
to have been a place of early importance, commanding
the only pass through this extensive and mountainous
district. The adjacent lands were granted by Jas. I.,
on the settlement of Ulster, to Sir J. Clapham, who not
having complied with the conditions of the grant, the
property became forfeited to the Crown, and was granted
by Chas. I. to Sir W. Stewart, from whom the present
town takes its name. Sir Phelim O’Nial, having obtained
possession of the castle in 1641, cut off all communica-
tion with this part of Tyrone, and compelled the King’s
forces to retreat from every post they occupied in this
part of the country. In the war of the Revolution,
Jas. II. lodged for one night in the castle on his way
to Londonderry, and also on his return from Lifford,
and on leaving it the following morning, ordered it
to be dismantled and the town to be burned, which
orders were carried into effect, and the town continued
in ruins till it was restored by one of the Stewart
family in 1722. After its restoration it soon became a
place of considerable trade, from its situation in the
centre of the great linen district; and in 1727, Dr. John
Hall, rector of Ardstraw, built a handsome church
here at his own expense, which has ever since continued
to be the parish church. The town, which is the
property of C. J. Gardiner, Esq., at present consists
of three principal and three smaller streets, and con-
tains 346 houses, which are neat and well built; the
principal streets are well paved, and the inhabitants are
amply supplied with water from a spring at the south-
western end of the town, conveyed by pipes to the more
respectable houses, and into public reservoirs in several
parts of the town for the supply of the poorer inhabit-
ants; in the main street are two good hotels. A con-
siderable trade is derived from its situation on a great
public thoroughfare, and many of the inhabitants are
employed in the numerous limestone and freestone quar-
ries in the neighbourhood, which are extensively worked,
the limestone found on the lands of Baronscourt is of
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remarkably fine quality for building. The market, on
Monday, is amply supplied with every kind of agricul-
tural produce, and with unbleached linen. Fairs, which
are numerously attended, are held on the last Monday
in every month, and are chiefly for cattle, sheep, and
pigs. A small constabulary police force is stationed
in the town, and petty sessions are held monthly. The
church is a large and handsome structure on a gentle
eminence, and has a lofty and well-proportioned octa-
gonal spire, which was added to it in 1803, in the time
of the Rev. G. Hall, then rector, and afterwards Bishop
of Dromore. There are also a R. C. chapel, two places
of worship for Presbyterians and two for Wesleyan
Methodists, and a dispensary. In the town are the
remains of the castle, which, with the exception of the
roof, is nearly entire, forming a noble and highly inter-
esting ruin.(???) In the vicinity is Baronscourt, the seat of
the Marquess of Abercorn, a stately mansion, situated
in a widely extended demesne, combining much romantic
and beautiful scenery, embellished with three spacious
lakes, and enriched with fine timber. Moyle House, the
residence of the Rev. R. H. Nash, D.D.; Newtown-
Stewart Castle, of Major Crawford; and Cross House,
of A. W. Colhoun, Esq., are also in the neighbour-
hood. Adjoining one end of the bridge is an ancient
fort thrown up to defend the ford of the river; there
is a similar one at Ardstraw bridge, and also at Moyle,
to guard the ford of the river Glenally. There are also
numerous other forts in the neighbourhood, and various
cairns, which are more particularly noticed in the article
on ARDSTRAW.
NEWTOWN-TRIM.—See NEWTOWN - CLON-
BUN.
NICHOLAS (ST.), a parish, in the barony of BAL-
LAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEIN-
STER, 5½ miles (N. N. E.) from Wexford; containing
311 inhabitants. This parish is situated near the south-
eastern coast, and comprises 1169 statute acres, as ap-
plotted under the tithe act. It is an impropriate cure,
in the diocese of Ferns, forming part of the union of
Ardcolme: the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of
Portsmouth. The tithes amount to £66. 9. 9¼., of which
£39. 1. 9½. is payable to the impropriator, and £27. 7.11¾.
to the incumbent. There are no remains of the old
church; that of the union is at Castlebridge. In the
R. C. divisions it is included in the union or district of
Castlebridge.
NICHOLASTOWN.—See ATHY.
NILTEEN, or NALTEEN, a grange, in the barony
of UPPER ANTRIM, county of ANTRIM, and province of
ULSTER, 3½ miles (E.) from Antrim, on the Six-mile
Water; containing 1109 inhabitants. According to the
Ordnance survey, it comprises 2737¾ statute acres, all
superior arable land. It is one of the four denomina-
tions which constitute the union of Donegore, in the
diocese of Connor; the vicarial tithes, payable to the
incumbent of Donegore, amount to £124.0. 11½.; the
rectorial tithes, payable to Jas. Moore, Esq., of Clover
Hill, to £248. 1.11. Within the grange are three pay
schools, in which about 65 boys and 40 girls are taught;
there is also a Sunday school.
NINE-MILE-HOUSE, a village, in the parish of
GRANGEMOCKLER, barony of SLIEVARDAGH, county
of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S.)
from Callan, on the mail road from Dublin, by Clonmel,