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BEL
this family. Petty sessions are held here and at Doone
every alternate Friday.—See LEMANAGHAN.
BELLEEK, county of ARMAGH.—See BALEEK.
BELLEEK, a parish, in the barony of Lurg, county
of Fermanagh, and province of Ulster, 3 miles (E.)
from Ballyshannon; containing 2702 inhabitants, of
which number, 260 are in the village. This place is
situated on Lough Erne, and on the road from Ennis-
killen to Ballyshannon, and was erected into a parish.
in 1792, by disuniting 36 town lands from the parish of
Templecarn; it comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 12,848½ statute acres, of which 9706 are ap-
plotted under the tithe act, and 2576 are water. The
land is principally heathy mountain, but that which is
under tillage is of very superior quality; the state of
agriculture, though very backward, is gradually improv-
ing; there is a large tract of bog, and abundance of
limestone. The seats are Castle Caldwell, the residence
of J. C. Bloomfield, Esq., and Maghramena, of W. John-
ston, Esq. The village contains 47 houses, and has a
penny post to Ballyshannon and Enniskllen. It is a
station of the constabulary police; fairs are held on Feb.
3rd, March 17th, May 17th, June 20th, and Oct. 10th,
and petty sessions every alternate Thursday. The living
is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher,
and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount
to £110. The church, a neat plain edifice, was erected
in 1790, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have re-
cently granted £267. 9. 2. for its repair. The glebe-
house is a handsome residence: the glebe comprises 660
statute acres. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms
part of the union or district of Templecairn or Pettigo;
the chapel is a spacious and well-built edifice, with a
slated roof. There are schools at Belleek and Tullyna-
behogue, partly supported by the rector; and at Castle
Caldwell is a school supported by Mrs. Bloomfield. In
these schools are about 60 boys and 80 girls; and there
are also three pay schools, in which are about 180 boys
and 70 girls, and a Sunday school. There are some
ruins of the old church; on the shore of Lough Keen-
aghan are those of an abbey; and there are remains of
several Danish forts in the parish.
BELLEWSTOWN, a village, in the parish of DU-
LEEK, barony of UPPER DULEEK, county of MEATH,
and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (E.) from Duleek;
containing 13 houses and 77 inhabitants. It is situated
on the road from Duleek to Lay town, and on the Nanny
water. Races are held in June on the hill of Bellews-
town, and are well attended; the days vary, but on the
last Thursday in the month the king’s cup is run for.
The view from this hill is very extensive, embracing the
Carlingford and Mourne mountains, and the bays of
Dundalk and Carlingford.—See DULEEK.
BELLOUGH, a village, in the parish of CLONOULTY,
barony of KILNEMANAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and
province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S. E.) from Cashel, on the
high road from Tipperary to Thurles; containing about
60 houses and 400 inhabitants.
BELMULLET, a small sea-port, in the parish of
KILCOMMON, barony of ERRIS, county of MAYO, and
province of CONNAUGHT, 32¼ miles (W. by N.) from Bal-
lina: the population is returned with the parish. This
place is beautifully and advantageously situated on an
isthmus to which it gives name, on the western coast,
and which separates the bay of Blacksod from that of
202
BEL
Broadhaven. It is a rapidly improving town: the sur-
rounding district, about 20 years since, was scarcely
accessible; but since that period, by the construction of
several lines of road by Messrs. Nimmo, Knight, and
Bald, the engineers, and more especially those from the
county town of Castlebar and Ballina, the whole barony
has been thrown open, and a great improvement has
taken place in the agriculture of the district and the com-
merce of the port. In 1822 the land in the barony pro-
duced only about 80 tons of oats and barley; but in
1834 and 1835, the annual produce was 1800 tons.
This great improvement has resulted from the reclaim-
ing of the adjacent lands, and from Belmullet having
become a very considerable mart, where the neighbouring
farmers can readily find immediate purchasers for all
their produce. The town owes its origin to the esta-
blishment of the head-quarters of the commander of
the coast-guard here, in 1822. It is uniformly built, and
contains 117 houses; it has a penny post to Ballina, and
its general appearance, as seen from Blacksod bay, is
pleasing and prepossessing. A new line of road has been
constructed along the coast, from Ballycastle to Bel-
mullet and thence to Westport, a distance of 57 miles,
forming a most interesting drive. The trade consists
chiefly in the export of grain, especially of oats and bar-
ley; and several spacious warehouses have been built for
the deposit of corn. A commodious quay was con-
structed in 1826, at an expense of £700, of which sum,
£300 was given by the late Fishery Board, and £300 by
Mr. Carter. The harbour is capable of very great im-
provement, and by cutting through the narrow part of
the isthmus, a canal might be made, at an estimated
expense of £2000, which would enable vessels of 150
tons’ burden to pass from Broadhaven into Blacksod
bay, and in all winds at full tide into the Atlantic ocean,
without being detained for months, as is now frequently
the case. Fairs are held on the 15th of every month,
except when it falls on Sunday, in which case the fair is
held on the following Monday. Here is a chief consta-
bulary police station; and the coast-guard district com-
prises the stations of Belmullet, Dugurth, Duhooma,
Ballyeovy, Blacksod, Ballyglass, and Renown Tower, and
is under the superintendence of Capt. Nugent, resident
inspecting commander, and a county magistrate. Petty
sessions are held every Saturday: the court-house was
built in 1833, at an expense of £200, by Mr. Ivers. There
is also a dispensary. In the vicinity are several gentle-
men’s seats, noticed in Kilcommon. and Kilmore-Erris,
which see.
BELTURBET, an incorporated market and post-
town, partly in the parish of DRUMLANE, but chiefly in
that of ANNAGH, barony of LOWER LOUGHTEE, county
of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 12 miles (N. N. W.)
from Cavan, and 67 (N. W.) from Dublin; containing
2026 inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated on the river
Erne, on the road from Cavan to Ballyconnell, and owes
its origin to the Lanesborough family, whose patronage
has also contributed materially to its prosperity. In 1610,
certain conditions were proposed by the lords of the coun-
cil in England to Sir Stephen Butler, of Bealetirbirt, Knt.,
for establishing a market here and erecting a corporation;
and in 1613 it received its first charter, whereby the king,
on petition of the inhabitants, and for the purpose of
furthering the plantation of Ulster, incorporated the vil-
lage and its precincts into a borough. By an indenture