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VEN
soil in general is light; the system of agriculture is im-
proving; the want of lime for manure, of which there
is none in the island, is supplied by sea-weed and sand;
the collection of this and the spreading of it on the
potato gardens are parts of the employment of the
women. Ahout 400 persons are exclusively occupied
in the fisheries, in which 100 seine boats and 150
yawls are engaged. The slate quarry on the Knight of
Kerry’s estate at Doghilli, on the western shore, is
profitably worked and gives constant employment to 150
men: the slate, which is of very fine quality, is now
mostly cut into flags of considerable dimensions, which
are chiefly exported to London, where they are in
great demand for flooring cellars and warehouses: the
women assist in shipping the slates. The property of
the island chiefly belongs to the Rt. Hon. Maurice Fitz-
gerald, Knight of Kerry; H. A. Herbert, of Muckross,
Esq.; and to the Corporation of Trinity College, Dublin.
Glanleem is the beautiful seat of the Knight of Kerry;
Coarhubeg, of Capt. Spotswood; and Ballymanagh is the
occasional residence of Miles Mahony. Esq., of Cullina.
The Rev. Mr. Day, the present incumbent, is erecting
a private residence near The Foot.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese
of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage of the
Crown: the tithes amount to £150 British. The glebe-
house, built in 1815 by a gift of £400 and a loan of
£300 from the late Board of First Fruits, is now in
a dilapidated state: the glebe at Kilmore comprises 56
statute acres. The church, situated at the north-east-
ern extremity of the island, is a small plain building,
with a square tower, erected in 1815. In the R. C.
divisions the island constitutes a separate parish: the
chapel is nearly in its centre. The parochial school,
held at the coast-guard station, is chiefly supported by
the incumbent and the Knight of Kerry; a school is
also held in the chapel: about 250 children are educated
in both these. The ruins of the old church are to be
seen in the burial-ground, which is still used as a place
of interment by the Catholic inhabitants.
VASTINA.—See CASTLETOWN-KINDELANE.
VENTRY, a parish, in the barony of CORKAGUINEY,
county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4½ miles
(W.) from Dingle; containing 2596 inhabitants. The
parish is situated in the interior of a harbour of the
same name, on the northern shore of Dingle bay and
near Dunmore Head, the most western point of Ireland:
it contains 7087 statute acres, of which 2268 are coarse
mountain land and bog. The harbour is spacious and
is considered to be a dependency on the port of Dingle,
being separated from it by a narrow peninsula, con-
cerning which there is a tradition that it was the last
ground possessed by the Danes in Ireland, which is
somewhat corroborated by a statement given by Han-
mer in his Chronicle from the “Book of Howth,” that
a great battle way fought here between the Irish and the
Danes. The harbour is exposed to the gales from the
south-east. On its western point, called Cahir Trant, is
an ancient Danish intrenchment, and at Rathlanane
are the remains of an old castle of the Knight of Kerry.
At a place called Fane, or Fahan, is a small cell or her-
mitage with a pointed roof of stone. There is a coast-
guard station at East Coumtra, belonging to the Dingle
district. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage
VOL. II.—673
VIR
of the Representatives of the Rev. John Crosbie: the
tithes amount to £120; the glebe, which is in three
portions, contains 4a. 3r. 25p. The clerical duties are
performed by the curate of the neighbouring parish of
Dunurlin. In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part
of the union or district of Dingle, and has a chapel in
the village of Ventry. About 30 children are educated
in a private school. Ventry gives the title of Baron to
the family of Mullins.
VICARSTOWN, a village, in the parish of MOY-
ANNA, barony of STRADBALLY, QUEEN’S county, and
province of LEINSTER, on a branch of the Grand Canal
from Monastereven to Athy; containing 14 houses and
77 inhabitants. It is a constabulary police station.
VILLARAIDE.—See RAYLESTOWN.
VILLIERSTOWN, a chapelry, in the parish of AG-
LISH, barony of DECIES-within-DRUM, county of WA-
TERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (N. W. by
W.) from Dungarvan, on the road from Clashmore to
Cappoquin; containing 263 inhabitants. This is a re-
markably neat village, beautifully situated near the river
Blackwater and close to the demesne of Dromana, com-
prising 41 houses. It is a constabulary police station,
and petty sessions are held once a fortnight. Fairs are
held on June 5th and Sept. 4th. The chapelry is a
donative, in the gift of H. Villiers Stuart, Esq., origin-
ally endowed by John, Earl of Grandison. The church
is a small building; within a short distance is a house
and garden, the residence of the chaplain, whose stipend
is £54, and he has also 25 acres of land.
VIRGINIA, a market and post-town, in the parish
of LURGAN, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER,
14¾ miles (S. E.) from Cavan, and 40¼ (N. W.) from
Dublin; containing 930 inhabitants. It was founded
in pursuance of the plan for colonising Ulster in the
reign of Jas. I., when 250 acres were allotted for the
site of a town to be erected between Cavan and Kells,
and called Virginia, which was to have been made a
borough, but has never been incorporated. The patent
was originally granted to Capt. Ridgway, but was as-
signed to Capt. Culme, who, in 1719, had a house and
large bawn in a strong situation, and there were at that
time in the town eight houses built of timber and occu-
pied by English tenants and a minister, who kept a
good school. Capt. Culme also held the lands of Lough
Ramor, or the manor of Chichester, comprising 1000
acres. The town, which is pleasantly situated on Lough
Ramor, consists of about 130 houses and, within the
last few years, has been greatly improved by its noble
proprietor, the Marquess of Headfort. The market
is on Thursday, and fairs are held on Jan. 24th,
March 7th, April 2nd, May 11th, July 9th, Aug. 22nd,
Sept. 23rd, Nov. 21st, and Dec. 20th. Here is an ex-
tensive malting and brewing establishment, and a
constabulary police station; petty sessions are held
once a fortnight, and a manorial court monthly, for the
recovery of debts under 40s. The parochial church,
situated in the town, is a new and handsome structure
in the Gothic style, with a fine spire surmounted by a
gilt cross. A church was built here by a loan of £2000
from the late Board of First Fruits in 1818, but soon
after its completion a storm blew down the steeple,
which falling on the roof completely destroyed it; and
on Christmas night, 1832, the church by which it was
replaced was entirely consumed by an accidental fire.
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