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BEN
burb, which extends over 47 townlands and comprises
9210 acres, for the recovery of debts not exceeding £2.
The parish church is situated close to the village, in
which is also a place of worship for Presbyterians in
connection with the Synod of Ulster. The ruins of the
castle are extensive and highly picturesque; and near
the walls was found a signet ring bearing the arms and
initials of Turlogh O’Nial, which is now in the posses-
sion of Mr. Bell, of Dungannon. The O’Nials had a
strong hold here of greater antiquity than the castle
erected by Sir R. Wingfield.—See CLONFEACLE.
BENDENSTOWN.—See GILBERTSTOWN.
BENEKERRY, otherwise BUSHERSTOWN, a pa-
rish, in the barony of RATHVILLY (but locally in that
of Carlow), county of CARLOW, and province of LEIN-
STER, 2½ miles (E. N. E.) from Carlow; containing 135
inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road from
Carlow to Tullow, and is bounded on the south-west
and east by the river Burren: more than four-fifths
consists of meadow and pasture land, and the remainder
is arable, with a few acres of woodland. In the ecclesi-
asfical divisions it is not regarded as a parish, but as
forming part of that of Urglin, the incumbent of which
receives the tithes, except of about ten acres, which pay
tithe to the incumbent of Ballinacarrig or Staples-
town.
BENMORE, or BALLYDUFF, a village, in that part
of the parish of RATTOO which is in the barony of CLAN-
MAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER,
12 miles (N. N. W.) from Tralee; containing 448 inha-
bitants. It is situated on the road from Tralee to Bally-
bunnian, by the Cashen ferry, and contains 71 houses,
which are mostly thatched, and form one street. Fairs
are held on the 1st of June and Sept., Nov. 10th, and
Dec. 21st. It is a police station, and petty sessions
are held every alternate week. The R. C. chapel, a slated
building, is in the centre of the village. Ballyeagh,
near it, was the scene of a desperate affray, in the sum-
mer of 1834, between the rival factions of the Cooleens
and Lawlors, when sixteen of the former were killed or
drowned, while endeavouring to cross the Cashen ferry,
in their retreat. Ballyhorgan, the ancient seat of the
Stoughton family, is in the neighbourhood.—See RAT-
TOO.
BENNETTS-BRIDGE, a village, partly in the pa-
rish of KILLARNEY, barony of GOWRAN, and partly in
that of DANESFORT, barony of SHILLELOGHER, county
of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (W.
S. W.) from Gowran; containing 426 inhabitants. This
place is situated on the river Nore, which is here crossed
by a good stone bridge on the road from Kilkenny to
Thomastown, and contains 85 houses. There are some
flour-mills in the immediate vicinity. Fairs are held on
Feb. 24th, Aug. 26th, Sept. 19th, and Dec. 21st; and
it is a station of the constabulary police. There is a
R. C. chapel of ease to Danesfort, with a national school
adjoining it.—See KILLARNEY and DANESFORT.
BENOWEN, orBUNNOWN, a parish, in. the baro-
ny of KILKENNY WEST, county of WESTMEATH, and
province of Leinster, 2¾ miles (N. by E.) from Athlone;
containing 1418 inhabitants. This parish forms the
north-eastern bank of an arm of Lough Ree, called the
Inner Lake, and, near the village of Glasson, touches
for a few perches on the road from Athlone to Ballyma-
hon. It was the retreat of Sir James Dillon, when
205
BER
driven from Athlone, which he had taken, in 1641, by
one of the boldest military manoeuvres on record. In
his retreat from that place Sir James at first took up
his quarters at Bally-Kieran, and afterwards retired to
the castle of Killinure, in this parish, whence, in about
three weeks, he recaptured Athlone, which, after a short
occupation, he was again compelled to abandon. The
parish comprises 2937 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act: about 160 acres are underwood and bog,
and of the remainder, the principal portion is arable
and pasture. Agriculture is in a state of slow but pro-
gressive improvement; the only waste lands are the
rocky shores of the lake. Portlick Castle, the residence
of Robert Smyth, Esq., is beautifully situated on the
border of Lough Ree, and is one of the very few an-
cient feudal castles at present in good repair and in-
habited. Killenmore, the residence of Capt. Fry, is also
finely situated on the border of the lake. The other
seats are St. Mark’s, that of John Potts, Esq.; Lough
Ree Lodge, of Gustavus H. Temple, Esq.; Killinure, of
Major-Gen. Murray; Benowen, of Capt. Caulfield;
and the beautiful cottage on Hare Island, in Lough Ree,
belonging to Viscount Castlemaine. The living is a
perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Meath, and in the
patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appro-
priate, as a mensal: the tithes amount to £92. 6. 1¾.,
payable to the lessee of the bishop. The church, a neat
plain structure, was erected in 1822, by aid of a gift
of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits in 1818.
The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £415 and
a loan of £46 from the same Board, in 1829. In
the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union
or district of Noughoval. A school of 6 boys and 18
girls is aided by Lord Castlemaine and an annual dona-
tion from the rector; and there is a pay school, in which
are about 12 children. The ruins of the ancient church,
in which are some monuments to the Dillon family, are
romantically situated on the verdant bank and at the
very extremity of the Inner Lake; and a little higher up
are the ruins of the ancient castle of Benowen. A small
portion of Killinure castle still remains, occupying a site
on a bold and picturesque eminence over the Inner Lake,
and adjoining Killinure House; and on Hare Island are
the ruins of a religious house, founded by the family of
Dillon, some of whose descendants still live in the neigh-
bourhood. There is also a well dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin.—See GLASSON.
BERE, or BEAR ISLAND. This island forms part
of the parish of KILACONENAGH, in the barony of BERE,
county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER: it is situ-
ated on the north side of the bay of Bantry, 21 miles
(W. by. S.) from Bantry, and contains 1898 inhabitants.
It comprises 2849 acres, of which about one-fourth is
under tillage, and the remainder consists of mountain,
bog, and pasture land, and is the property of R. H. Eyre,
Esq. The inhabitants are principally occupied in fishing
and agriculture, but the system of husbandry is rude and
unimproved. A pier has been built at Lawrence Cove,
which is very useful to the fishery, affording protection to
16 hookers of 12 tons and 90 yawls of 3 or 4 tons each,
belonging to the island, and employing about 1000 persons
exclusively in the fishery. The southern shore is bold and
rocky, but on the north the land slopes gently to the wa-
ter’s edge: there is a small lake on the south side. The
whole island is of the clay-slate formation, and excellent