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POR
in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to
£85; and the gross value of the union, tithes and glebe
inclusive, is £193. 1. 1¾. The church, glebe-house, and
glebe of the union are in Portshangan, and are noticed
in the article on that parish. In the R. C. divisions
the parish forms part of the union or district of Mul-
lingar. There is a school aided by an annual dona-
tion of £25 from Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons, and one also
by a donation from Lord Forbes, in which 35 boys and
23 girls are taught. Besides the rath on Frum hill,
there are several others within the parish.
PORTMAGEE.—See KILLEMLAGH.
PORTMARNOCK.—See PORT-ST.-MARNOCK.
PORTNESCULLY, a parish, in the barony of IVERK,
county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles
(N. W.) from Waterford, on the river Suir; containing
1084 inhabitants. It is a vicarage, in the diocese
of Ossory, forming part of the union of Poleroan;
the rectory is impropriate in the corporation of Water-
ford. The tithes amount to £200, of which £125 is
payable to the lessee of the impropriators, and the
remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is
part of the union or district of Moncoin, and contains
the chapel of Carrigeen. About 240 boys are educated
in two private schools; there is also a Sunday school.
PORTNESHANGAN.—See PORTSHANGAN.
PORTRANE, PORTRAHAN, or PORTRAVEN
(anciently called Portraehern), a parish, in the barony of
NETHERCROSS, county of DUBLIN,and province of LEIN-
STER, 4¼ miles (N. E.) from Swords; containing 725 in-
habitants. It comprises a great variety of substrata,
including red sandstone, conglomerate, limestone, green-
stone in rugged rocks, on the north side of the promon-
tory; and grauwacke-slate, clay-slate, greenstone-slate,
and a great variety of conglomerates, and minor minerals,
on the coast, all curiously intermingled. The coast is
remarkably grand and bold, and the sea has worked its
way into the rocks, so as to form several excavations of
large extent, in one of which is a curious well of fresh
water, called Clink. Portrane House, the property and
residence of Geo. Evans, Esq., M.P., is a spacious brick
building nearly in the centre of a fine demesne of 420
acres, well stocked with deer, and commanding exten-
sive and splendid views; some of the best land in the
county is within this beautiful demesne, and its large
plantations are more thriving than is usual in situations
so much exposed to the sea blasts. It is a vicarage, in the
diocese of Dublin, forming part of the union of Dona-
bate; the rectory is impropriate in G.Evans, Esq., and W.
Ward, Esq,, who pay a small rent. The tithes amount
to £137. 7. 7., of which £107. 3. 9. is payable to the
impropriators, and £30. 3. 10. to the vicar. In the R.
C. divisions the parish forms a portion of the union or
district of Donabate: the chapel is in the form of a T,
and was erected, about 12 years since, on land given for
that purpose by the late Lord Trimleston; it has a
burial-ground attached, and there is a residence for the
priest. About 120 children are educated in two public
schools, of which one for boys is supported by G.
Evans, Esq., by whom the school-house, a neat rustic
building, situated in a garden of about an acre in extent,
was erected, and who gives the master a lodging and
half an acre of land for a garden; the other school, for
girls, is supported by Mrs. Evans, who built the school-
house, with apartments for the mistress; at a proper
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POR
age the children are taught embroidery, and several
very elegant dresses and aprons have been worked here,
one of which was for her Majesty Queen Dowager
Adelaide: these schools are conducted on the Lancaste-
i rian system, and are open to all religious sects. Re-
mains of the old castle exist, consisting of a small
square tower, long since deserted as a habitation:
the last occupant was Lady Acheson.
PORTRUE, a village, in the parish of CASTLETOWN-
ARRA, barony of OWNEY and ARRA, county of Tip-
PERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W.)
from Nenagh, on one of the public roads to Killaloe;
containing 150 inhabitants. It is a station of the con-
stabulary police: fairs are held on March 22nd, May
14th, July 23rd, and Nov. 11th, for cattle, sheep, and
pigs, but chiefly for the last. The parochial R. C.
chapel is situated in the village.
PORTRUSH,asea-port,in
the parish of BALLYWILLAN,
barony of LOWER DUNLUCE,
county of ANTRIM, and pro-
vince of ULSTER, 5 miles
(N. E.) from Coleraine, to
which it has a penny-post;
containing 337 inhabitants.
It is situated at the north-
western extremity of the
county, on a peninsula of
basalt jutting a mile into the
sea toward the Skerries,
having on the west a small
but deep bay. According to the early annalists, this
was the chief landing-place in the territoiy of the Rowte
or M c Quillan’s country; it was also chosen by Sir John
Perrot, as the landing-place of his artillery at the siege
of Dunluce castle.. On the plantation of Ulster by
Jas. I., it was made a creek to Coleraine, but it latterly
has absorbed all its trade, as the accumulation of sand
on the bar of the latter port has rendered it very dan-
gerous. A large artificial harbour has been just finished
at Portrush, the entrance to which is 27 feet deep at
low water, which has not only secured to it this advan-
tage but has considerably increased its trade. The
number of vessels now trading hither is 120, of the
aggregate burden of 10,260 tons. The principal trade
is with Liverpool, Whitehaven, the Clyde and Campbel-
town. The chief imports are timber, coal, iron, barilla
and general merchandise; the exports, linen cloth,
provisions, grain, live stock, poultry, eggs and salmon,
the export of which last is very great during the season,
which commences in May and ends in September; the
numbers of salmon taken off the shore have been much
increased by an improved kind of net, but the principal
supply is from the Bann and Bush rivers. The grain
shipped in 1834 exceeded 6000 tons; the butter, 8166
firkins. Steam-boats ply weekly to Liverpool and
Glasgow, and three times a week to Londonderry,
Moville and Ennishowen. The town, owing to these
causes, is rapidly improving. Many villas and lodges
have been built in it or its immediate neighbourhood;
and the beauty of its situation, commanding an exten-
sive and varied range of scenery, makes it a favourite
place of resort for strangers, particularly during the bath-
ing season. A chapel of ease is about to be built in it,
the parish church being a mile distant: there is a meet-
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