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Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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STR<br />

lynakill, containing 137 acres of land: it has a small<br />

quay, to which brigs can come up, and on it are the ruins<br />

of a castle, formerly the summer residence of the Knox<br />

family. Strangford Lough is a safe and deep harbour,<br />

admitting vessels of the largest draught, but, owing to<br />

the great rapidity of the tides and the rocks near its<br />

entrance, on which the sea breaks violently, it is not<br />

prudent for a strange vessel to attempt to enter. There<br />

are two passages to it, divided by a reef nearly in the<br />

centre of the channel, and half a mile long, called Rock<br />

Angus, corrupted into “the Rock and Goose,” on which<br />

is a stone beacon, and at the south extremity a perch<br />

called the Garter, which is dry at half ebb; south-west-<br />

ward from this perch, at a cable’s length, are the Pots<br />

rocks. The passage on the south side of Rock Angus<br />

has 2½ fathoms of water, and is navigable only for<br />

small vessels. The tide runs in and out of the lough<br />

with such velocity as on some occasions to carry vessels<br />

against the wind. Strangford gives the title of Vis-<br />

count to the family of Smythe.<br />

STRANOCUM, a village, in the parish of BALLY-<br />

MONEY, barony of UPPER DUNLUCE, county of ANTRIM,<br />

and province of ULSTER; containing 29 houses, and<br />

132 inhabitants. Fairs are held on April 20th and<br />

Dec. 29th.<br />

STRANORLAR, a market and post-town, and a<br />

parish, in the barony of RAPHOE, county of DONE-<br />

GAL, and province of ULSTER; 10¼ miles (W. by S.)<br />

from Lifford, and 118 (N. W. by N.) from Dublin,<br />

on the road from Strabane to Ballyshannon, and on<br />

the river Fin; containing 6114 inhabitants, of which<br />

number, 641 are in the town. The parish, according<br />

to the Ordnance survey, comprises 15,509 statute acres,<br />

of which 159 are under water. That part which<br />

forms the estate of Sir Edmund Hayes is under an<br />

improved system of agriculture, but the other part<br />

appears to be neglected. Here appear two veins con-<br />

taining spar, ochre, and apparently lead ore; they are in<br />

a limestone rock, and in the vicinity are great bodies of<br />

decomposed limestone, forming excellent manure, and<br />

some is quarried for building. The stupendous moun-<br />

tains of Barnesmore, alike remarkable for their perpen-<br />

dicular ascent and for their beautifully varied rocks and<br />

herbage, form the Gap of the same name, situated at the<br />

south-western extremity of the parish; through this gap<br />

a fine stream flows into Lough Esk, and it is also the<br />

pass between the north and west of Ireland, coastwise,<br />

and on the leading road to Donegal. The town com-<br />

prises 116 houses, of which 20 are well built, the re-<br />

mainder being occupied by labourers and artisans. Here<br />

is a good hotel; also a market and court-house. The<br />

market, at which fine brown linen is sold, is held every<br />

Saturday; and there are fairs on March 29th, June 11th,<br />

July 6th, Aug. 12th, Oct. 10th, and Dec. 9th and 10th.<br />

Manor courts are held in the court-house before the<br />

seneschal on the first Saturday in every month; and<br />

petty sessions are held on alternate Wednesdays. The<br />

linen manufacture is partially carried on; there are two<br />

extensive bleach-greens near the town, one belonging to<br />

J. Johnston, Esq.; the other, adjoining Summer Hill, to<br />

J. and C. Johnston, Esqrs. In the neighbourhood are<br />

numerous gentlemen’s seats, among which are Drumboe<br />

Castle, the residence of Sir E. Hayes, Bart., M.P., situated<br />

on a pretty lawn in the centre of an improved demesne;<br />

Tyrcallen, of H. Steevens, Esq., in a beautiful and exten-<br />

580<br />

STR<br />

sively planted demesne, on the principal elevation in<br />

which the proprietor has erected an observatory; Eden-<br />

more, of J. Cochran, Esq., J.P., a neat mansion, in a<br />

small but handsome demesne, on the south bank of the<br />

Fin; Woodlands, a handsome modern residence, of J,<br />

Johnston, Esq., J.P.; Summer Hill, of C. Johnston,<br />

Esq.; Glenmore, of C. Style, Esq., a handsome man-<br />

sion in improved grounds; the Glebe-house, of the Rev.<br />

T. Fullerton; and Cloghan Lodge, the occasional resi-<br />

dence of Sir T. C. Style, Bart., near the romantic<br />

waterfall and salmon leap of this name on the Fin.<br />

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of<br />

Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Crown; the tithes<br />

amount to £485. The glebe-house was built in 1812, at<br />

a cost of £692, British currency, of which £46 was a<br />

loan, and the remainder a gift from the late Board of<br />

First Fruits. The church is an old building, to which<br />

the same Board, in 1825, granted a loan of £300 for the<br />

erection of a gallery. Prior to the 24th of March, 1835,<br />

this parish, forming part of the deanery of Raphoe, con-<br />

sisted of the two perpetual cures of Stranorlar and<br />

Kilteevock, but by an order in council of the above date<br />

it was disappropriated from the deanery, and erected<br />

into a separate and distinct parish, or benefice. It was<br />

provided, however, that the incumbent should pay to<br />

the perpetual curate of Kilteevock the same salary as<br />

had been paid by the dean. The R. C. parish is co-<br />

extensive with that of the Established Church; there are<br />

two chapels, one in the town, and one about five miles<br />

westward. There are places of worship for Presby-<br />

terians, in connection with the Synod of Ulster (of the<br />

third class), for Seceders (of the second class), and for<br />

Wesleyan Methodists; also a dispensary. The parochial<br />

school has an endowment from Col. Robertson’s charity;<br />

there is another under the trustees of Erasmus Smiths<br />

charity; and four more are aided by subscriptions; in<br />

these schools are about 350 children. There are also<br />

two private schools, in which are about 130 children;<br />

and two Sunday schools.<br />

STRATFORD-UPON-SLANEY, a market-town<br />

and a parochial district, in the barony of UPPER TAL-<br />

BOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEIN-<br />

STER, 2¼ miles (N. N. E.) from Baltinglass (to which it<br />

has a penny post), near the road to Wexford, through<br />

Tullow; containing 2833 inhabitants, of which number,<br />

952 are in the town. This town, which is of recent<br />

date, owes its origin to Edward, late Earl of Aldborough,<br />

who, towards the close of the last century, conferred<br />

upon it his family name, “Stratford,” and distinguished<br />

it from other places of that name by the adjunct which<br />

describes its situation on the Slaney. A battle was<br />

fought here during the disturbances of 1798. It is<br />

built on the summit of a considerable hill rising from<br />

the bank of the river, and is regularly laid out in streets<br />

and squares, and commands most extensive views, in-<br />

cluding the windings of the river. Adjoining the town,<br />

on the bank of the river, are extensive cotton and calico-<br />

printing works, established in 1792, by Messrs. Orr and<br />

Co., the present proprietors; they employ from 800 to<br />

1000 persons: the machinery is worked by water power,<br />

and the average number of pieces printed and finished<br />

weekly is about 2000. The market is on Tuesday and<br />

Saturday, and by the patent the town is entitled to two<br />

annual fairs, which have never yet been held. The dis-<br />

trict parish, also called Rathbran, is a perpetual curacy,<br />

11

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