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BAL
province of MUNSTER, 8 miles (S. S. E.) from Rath-
cormac; containing 1036 inhabitants. It comprises
6461 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and
valued at £3240 per annum: a very small portion is in
pasture, and the remainder is under tillage. The gen-
tlemen’s seats are Lemlara House, that of Garrett Stand-
ish Barry, Esq., situated in a well-cultivated and highly
improved demesne; Ballinaclashy, of the Rev. G. E.
Cotter; and Ballycrana, of Jos. Wilson, Esq. It is a
rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and forms part of the
union of Lisgoold and corps of the precentorship in the
cathedral of Cloyne: the tithes amount to £184. 12. 3¾.
In the R. C. divisions also it is included in the union
or district of Lisgoold.
BALLYCARNEY, a district parish, in the barony
of SCARAWALSH, county of WEXFORD, and province of
MUNSTER, 3 miles (W. by S.) from Ferns: the popula-
tion is returned with the parishes of Ferns, Temple-
shambo, and Monart, out of which this district parish
has been recently formed. The village, which is in the
parish of Ferns, is situated on the eastern bank of the
Slaney, over which is a neat stone bridge, and on the
road from Enniscorthy to Newtownbarry: it has a
penny post from Ferns, and is a constabulary police
station. The district church is a handsome structure in
the later English style of architecture, recently erected:
the living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Ferns,
and in the patronage of the Rectors of Ferns and
Templeshambo.
BALLYCARRY, a village, in the parish of TEMPLE-
CORRAN, barony of LOWER BELFAST, county of ANTRIM,
and province of ULSTER, 4½ miles (N. B.) from Carrick-
fergus; containing 247 inhabitants. This village is
pleasantly situated about a mile from the shore of Lough
Lame, opposite to Island Magee, and on the road from
Carrickfergus to Larne: it comprises about 50 houses,
and the inhabitants are partly employed in the spinning
of yarn and weaving of linen cloth, and partly in agri-
culture. There is a penny post to Carrickfergus and
Larne; and fairs are held on June 21st, Aug. 19th, and
Oct. 31st. Here are the ruins of the ancient parish
church, formerly a spacious and handsome cruciform
structure.
BALLYCASTLE, a sea-port, market and post-town,
in the parish of RAMOAN, barony of CAREY, county of
ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 9¼ miles (N. E. by E.)
from Dervock, and 132 miles (N.) from Dublin: con-
taining 1683 inhabitants. This place, in the Irish lan-
guage called Ballycashlain, or “Castletown,” derived that
name from a castle built here in 1609 by Randolph, Earl
of Antrim, who was directed, by Jas. I. to raise “faire
castels” at reasonable distances on his vast estates, that
the country might be the more speedily civilized and
reduced to obedience. The town is advantageously situ-
ated on the northern coast, at the head of the fine bay
to which it gives name, and in a beautiful valley at the
foot of Knocklayd, opposite to the island of Rathlin. It
consists of the Upper and Lower Town, of which the
latter, called the Quay, is separated from the former by
a road bordered with fine trees, which, sheltered by the
hills intervening between them and the coast, have
attained a stately and luxuriant growth. The houses,
amounting, in 1831,. to 275 in number, are in general
neatly built, and in both portions of the town are several
of handsome appearance. Within the distance of half
127
BAL
a mile from Ballycastle are the elegant seats of C.
McGildowny, Esq., Capt. Boyd, A. and J. M c Neale,
Esqrs., and several others. It was formerly a place of
great manufacturing and commercial importance, abound-
ing with various works upon a large scale, among which
were extensive breweries, glass-houses, salt-works, and
spacious warehouses 3 and in the immediate neighbour-
hood were extensive collieries, the produce of which
formed a material article in its trade. In 1730, endea-
vours were made in the Irish parliament to erect it into
a place of import and export, but were successfully
opposed by the Irish Society and the corporation of
Londonderry. It had a spacious harbour, in which.
74-gun ships could anchor in safety in any weather,
and upon the improvement of which £130,000 had been
expended; also a pier and quay, the construction of
which cost £30,000. But this high degree of prosperity,
which the town attained under the auspices of Hugh
Boyd, Esq., began to decline soon after that gentleman’s
decease, and all that at present remains of its trade is a
small fishery carried on by a few boats in the bay. The
harbour is now completely choked up; the pier and
quay are a heap of ruins; the custom-house has been
converted into a whiskey shop, the breweries are un-
tenanted, the glass-houses have been converted into
a carpenter’s shops, and the mansion-house is a parish
school. The collieries, which extended nearly a mile in
length along the coast, and from which from 10,000 to
15,000 tons were annually exported, subsequently de-
clined 5 the estate is now in chancery, and the works,
which had been conducted with success from a very
remote period, are discontinued. They were situ-
ated in the adjoining parish of Culfeightrin, but were
always called the Ballycastle collieries, and occupied
the northern face of Cross Hill, an eminence nearly 500
feet in height, of which, about 150 feet are formed by
a cap of columnar basalt resting on alternating of strata
sandstone and clay-slate, extending 150 feet in depth,
immediately under which is the bed of coal, at an
elevation of 200 feet above the level of the beach. No
manufactures are carried on at present, with the excep-
tion of a few webs of linen, which are woven in the
houses of some of the farmers; a little fishing is carried
on in the ‘bay, but the inhabitants are principally em-
ployed in agriculture. The market is on Tuesday, and
a great market is held on the first Tuesday in every
month; the fairs are on Easter-Tuesday, the last Tues-
days in May, July, and August, Oct. 25th, and Nov.
22nd, for Raghery ponies, horses, cattle, sheep, pigs,
linen yarn, and pedlery. Here is a station of the con-
stabulary police; also a coast-guard station, which is
the head of a district comprising also the stations of
Port Rush, Port Ballintrae, Port Balliutoy, Rathlin
Island, Tor Head, Cushendun, and Cushendall, and
under the charge of a resident inspecting commander.
A manorial court, is held by the seneschal every month,
for the recovery of debts and the determination of pleas
to the amount of £20 by attachment and civil bill pro-
cess; its jurisdiction extends over the entire barony of
Carey, with the exception of Armoy. A court baron is
also held in April and October; and petty sessions are
held every alternate Tuesday. There is a very good
market-house, and a commodious court-house, in which
the courts and petty sessions are held.
A handsome church, in the Grecian style of architec-