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Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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BAL<br />

also that of Dunluce, in both of which are chapels in<br />

which the parish priest officiates. There are places of<br />

worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod<br />

of Ulster, for those of the Remonstrant Synod, Seceders,<br />

and Covenanters; the first is a first class congregation,<br />

and that of the Seceding Synod a second class. A<br />

school was established in 1813 by the trustees of Eras-<br />

mus Smith’s fund. Sampson Moore, Esq., J. Leslie,<br />

Esq., and C. O’Hara, Esq., have each built and endowed<br />

schools on their own estates, for the education of the<br />

poor; and there are also other schools in different parts<br />

of the parish. In these schools are about 200 boys and<br />

100 girls; and there are 13 private schools, in which<br />

are about 300 boys and 200 girls, and 11 Sunday<br />

schools. A mendicity association for suppressing vagrant<br />

mendicity, by giving employment and relief to the poor<br />

at their own dwellings, was established in 1821, and a<br />

dispensary in 1827. On the estate of Major Rowan is<br />

a fine moat, commanding a very extensive view; there<br />

is also another at Moore Fort, and one in the town-<br />

land of Cross. A double patera of gold, weighing 19<br />

ounces and 10 drachms, of elegant form and curious<br />

workmanship, was discovered in this parish by a peasant<br />

a few years since.<br />

BALLYMONEY, a parish, in the Eastern Division<br />

of the barony of EAST CAUBERY, county of CORK, and<br />

province of MUNSTER, 10 miles (W. by S.) from Ban-<br />

don; containing 3802 inhabitants. This parish, which<br />

is intersected by the river Bandon, and skirted on the<br />

north by the mail coach road from Bandon to Dunman-<br />

way, comprises 7056 statute acres, as applotted under<br />

the tithe act and valued at £4017 per annum. The<br />

land is of good quality; about two-thirds of the parish<br />

are under cultivation, and the remainder is chiefly<br />

mountain and bog. The old heavy wooden plough is<br />

generally in use, and, except on the lands of the resident<br />

gentry, agriculture as a system is unknown. The open-<br />

ing of a new line of road through the parish to Clona-<br />

kilty, whence sea manure is obtained in abundance, has<br />

afforded the means of bringing much poor land into<br />

cultivation. Great quantities of fuel are raised from<br />

the bogs, which supply turf and bog wood for the neigh-<br />

bourhood to the south. Near Ballyneen is Phale House,<br />

the residence of E. H. Good, Esq.: a mile to the west is<br />

Kilcascan, the seat of W. J. O’Neill Daunt, Esq., a hand-<br />

some castellated mansion embosomed in young and thri-<br />

ving plantations; and at Ballincarrig is the neat residence<br />

of J. Heazle, Esq. A domestic manufacture of coarse<br />

linen is carried on for home consumption. At Ballin-<br />

carrig are Rockcastle mills, the property of Mr. Heazle,<br />

capable of grinding 5000 bags of wheat annually, and<br />

affording constant employment to 20 persons; and at<br />

Ballyneen a few persons are engaged in weaving cotton<br />

cord, but the principal pursuit is agriculture. Ballyneen<br />

is a constabulary police station, and petty sessions are held<br />

there every alternate Monday. The living is a rectory, in<br />

the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop:<br />

the tithes amount to £785. The church is an old but a<br />

very neat edifice. The glebe-house, pleasantly situated in<br />

the centre of some extensive improvements, was built by<br />

aid of a gift of £100 from the late Board of First Fruits,<br />

in 1789: the glebe comprises 43 acres. In the R. C.<br />

divisions, one-half of the parish is included in the union<br />

or district of Dunmanway, and the other half in that of<br />

Kinneigh or Enniskean: the chapel at Ballincarrig, be-<br />

151<br />

BAL<br />

longing to the former, is a small neat edifice recently<br />

erected. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan<br />

Methodists at Ballyneen. The parochial male and female<br />

school is aided by annual donations from the rector and<br />

his lady; and another school is supported by the rector.<br />

These schools afford instruction to about 60 boys and<br />

40 girls; and there are also three hedge schools, in<br />

which are about 150 children, and a Sundayschool. There<br />

are some remains of Ballincarrig castle, originally built<br />

to command a very important pass in the valley; it is<br />

a lofty square pile of building, 96 feet high, the walls<br />

of which are 6 feet in thickness; a spiral stone stair-<br />

case, still in tolerable preservation, leads to the battle-<br />

ments; the platform and one of the gables are entire,<br />

but the roof has been long destroyed. The upper apart-<br />

ment is lighted by circular arched windows in the Nor-<br />

man style, with mouldings enriched with curious devices,<br />

and various scriptural emblems, among which is Our<br />

Saviour on the cross between the two thieves, and on<br />

two sides of the room are seats: there are also the<br />

initials R.M.—C.C., and the date 1585, above which is an<br />

angel with expanded wings. This inscription is supposed<br />

to commemorate the founder, Randal M c Carty, and his<br />

wife Catherine Collins. Below this apartment is a<br />

lofty vaulted hall, which, from the brackets and small<br />

windows still remaining, is supposed to have been<br />

originally divided into three different stories. At a<br />

short distance to the south-east is a circular keep or<br />

watch tower; to the south is a lake; and to the north<br />

is a bog of considerable extent terminated by a low ridge<br />

of rugged rocks. Though the date of the castle is sup-<br />

posed to be 1585, the original tower is evidently of<br />

much greater antiquity, and probably of the 12th or 13th<br />

century. Near the castle have been found several silver<br />

coins.<br />

BALLYMORAN.—See ALMORITIA.<br />

BALLYMORE, or TANDERAGEE, a parish, in the<br />

barony of LOWER ORIOR, county of ARMAGH, and pro-<br />

vince of ULSTER: containing, with the town of Tan-<br />

deragee, the village of Clare, and the greater part of<br />

the village of Poyntz-Pass (all which are separately de-<br />

scribed) 7963 inhabitants. This parish is situated on<br />

the road from Newry to Portadown, and comprises, ac-<br />

cording to the Ordnance survey, 14,158¾- statute acres,<br />

of which 13,958 are applotted under the tithe act and<br />

valued at £10,052 per annum: about 100 acres are un-<br />

der plantation, 300 are bog, and 60 waste and water;<br />

the remainder is all arable land, remarkably good and in<br />

a high state of cultivation, producing abundant crops.<br />

There are veins of potters’ clay and fullers’ earth, both<br />

of excellent quality and lying near the surface close to<br />

the town; but neither have been worked. Several<br />

quarries in the parish yield excellent building stone;<br />

that at Tullyhue is now being worked for building the<br />

splendid castle of Tanderagee, and produces stone of<br />

very superior quality. This castle, which is now being<br />

rebuilt by its proprietor Viscount Mandeville, is situated<br />

near the town, and forms a conspicuous and highly in-<br />

teresting feature in the view. The other seats are Dro-<br />

menargoole House, that of Davis Lucas, Esq.; Acton<br />

House, of Conway R. Dobbs, Esq.; Harrybrook, of R.<br />

Harden, Esq.; Cooley Hill, of R. Hardy, Esq.; Orange<br />

Hill, of J. Creery, Esq.; and Derryallen, of J. Behan. Esq..<br />

Fairs are held in the town on July 5th and Nov. 5th, and<br />

on the first Wednesday in every month; and at Clare on

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