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QUI
ancient edifice; Ballykilty, the residence of John Blood
Esq.; Dangan, the property of Rich. Creagh, Esq.;
and Lough O’Connell, of Thos. Steele, Esq. From a
turret on the summit of Mount Cullane, in Mr. Steele’s
demesne, is obtained an extensive and interesting view
of the surrounding country, embracing a number of
lakes, of which that called “Lough O’Connell” lies
immediately at its base.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of
Killaloe; the rectory is united to those of Cloney, Dowry,
Kilraghtis, Templemaly, Kilmurrynegaul, and the half-
rectory of Tullagh, together constituting the union of
Ogashin, in the patronage of the Earl of Egremont; the
vicarage is episcopally united to those of Cloney and
Dowry, together forming the union of Quin, in the gift
of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £175. 7. 8½., of
which £71. 1. 6½. is payable to the rector, £81. 4. 7½.
to the vicar, and the remaining £23. 1. 6½. to the pre-
bendary of Tullagh: the gross tithes of the rectorial
union amount to £495. 13. 10¼, and of the vicarial
union to £279. 13. 10¼. The glebe-house, towards
the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits, in
1822, granted £450 as a gift and £200 as a loan, is a
commodious residence; the glebe of the union com-
prises 15 acres. The church is a small plain building
with a low tower, erected in 1797, by aid of a gift of
£500 from the late Board; and the Ecclesiastical Com-
missioners have lately granted £100 for its repair. In
the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or
district, comprising also the parish of Cloney, each con-
taining a chapel. A new chapel is now in course of
erection at Quin; it is a handsome and spacious cruci-
form structure, in the Gothic style, with a portico of
hewn stone; the estimated expense, £2000, is being
defrayed by subscription. About 130 children are
educated in two private schools. At the village is a
dispensary. Quin abbey is considered to be one of
the finest and most complete remains of monastic
antiquity in Ireland: it is situated on a gentle slope
near a small stream, having an ascent of several steps
to the church, which consists of a nave and chancel,
with a tower in the centre, and a chapel on the south
side of the altar. In the chapel is a rudely sculp-
tured figure in relief of some saint, and in the chancel
is the monument of the founder’s family. The clois-
ters are adorned with coupled pillars and ornamen-
tal buttresses, and on three sides of them extend res-
pectively the refectory, dormitory, and a grand room
to the north of the chancel, under all of which are vault-
ed rooms. To the north of the large room is a private
way to a strong tower, the walls of which are nearly
ten feet thick; and adjoining the abbey are the remains
of a building supposed to have been appropriated to the
accommodation of strangers. The south end of the
abbey is of much superior workmanship to the adjoin-
ing parts, but the whole is much disfigured by the cus-
tom of burying within the walls. Besides the castles of
Knopouge and Fergus before mentioned, there are the
remains of the castles of Ballymarkahan, Dangan, and
Danganbrack. Dangan castle is said to be one of the
oldest in Munster, having been built by Philip de Clare,
from whom the county of Thomond has since been
called Clare. It was with other possessions granted
by Chas. II. to Pierse Creagh for his services against
Cromwell, and still remains in the possession of the
479
RAG
descendants of the original grantee. It was formerly
a place of some strength, and was of a quadrangular
form, flanked at each angle by a small round tower:
from the centre rose the donjon or keep. The ruins
form a picturesque object in the well-planted demesne
of Dangan. The castle of Danganbrack is now in the
Scott family, having, with Knopouge, been purchased
from the Macnamaras, as Moriesk has more recently
been by the father of Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci.
R
RACAVAN, or RATHCAVAN, a parish, in the
barony of LOWER ANTRIM, county of ANTRIM, and
province of ULSTER, on the road from Larne to Bally-
mena; containing, with the post-town of Broughshane
(which is separately described), 4479 inhabitants. This
parish, which is also called Rathcoon, is situated on
the river Braid, and according to the Ordnance survey
comprises, including a small detached portion, 17,563
statute acres, of which 12,271 are applotted under the
tithe act, and valued at £5176 per annum. The surface
is boldly varied; there are large tracts of mountain,
bog, and waste; the remainder is arable land of a light
gravelly soil. There are several basaltic quarries in
operation; greenstone is found in great abundance;
and near the base of Slemish, a detached mountain of
greenstone, gold is said to have been found. Race
View, the seat of R. Harrison Esq., is in the parish.
There are four extensive bleach-greens, with beetling-
engines and other apparatus, in which together more
than 100,000 webs of linen are finished annually; there
is also a large mill for spinning linen yarn, and the
weaving of linen cloth is extensively carried on in vari-
ous parts of the parish. A large fair is held at Brough-
shane on the 17th of August, for horses, cattle, and
pigs; and great numbers of carcases of pigs are sold in
the market every Tuesday, to the agents of the Belfast
merchants. The parish is within the jurisdiction of the
manorial court of Buckna, held every month at
Broughshane, for the recovery of debts.not exceed-
ing £20.
The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor,
forming part of the union of Skerry, or the Braid;
the tithes amount to £316. 16. 1. The church at
Broughshane has been built within the last 50 years.
There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in con-
nection with the Synod of Ulster, of the first class,
a spacious handsome building with a cupola, contain-
ing a bell; also for Covenanters at Craigamuoy. About
100 children are taught in the national school at
Broughshane; and there are four private schools, in
which are about 800 children, and two Sunday schools.
Here is an excellent institution for the accommoda-
tion of the poor, and a clothing society, affording
clothing to 50 males and 50 females annually; both
are supported by subscription. Mr. Jamieson, in 1829,
bequeathed. £600 to the poor, but the legacy has not
been yet paid over for that purpose. There is a small
ancient churchyard at some distance from the main
road, and difficult of access; it is of triangular form and