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BIL
stone for flagging is obtained in some of the quarries:
copper ore has been found in several-places, but no at-
tempt has yet been made to search for mines. The chief
communication is by boats from Castletown, and there
are also boats from the Bank and other places on the
mainland. After the arrival of the French fleet in. the
bay, in 1796, Government erected five Martello towers,
a signal tower, a large and commodious barrack for two
officers and 150 men, a quay, storehouses, and other
public works, all of which, are now in a neglected con-
dition; the barrack has been taken down, and the rest
of the works are under the care of a resident lieutenant.
In the R. C. divisions this island forms part of the union
of Castletown, in the diocese of Kerry: the chapel is
a low thatched building of mean appearance, occupying
the site of an ancient church, A school for boys and
girls was established in 1825. Divine service is regularly
performed in the school-house by the vicar. The sites
of three churches are indicated by the burial-grounds,
which are still used for interment. There are the re-
mains of a Danish fort or rath on the island. Between
the island and the mainland is Bere haven, capacious
and well sheltered, and affording good anchorage in water
sufficiently deep for the largest ships in the navy: it
has two entrances, one at the west and the other at the
east end of the island, both rendered somewhat danger
-ous by rocks, Bere-haven gives the inferior title of
Viscount to the Earl of Bantry.
BEREGH, or LOWRYSTOWN, a market-town, in
the parish of CLOGHERNEY, barony of OMAGH, county
of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 7 miles (S. E.)
from Omagh: the population is returned with the pa
-rish. It is situated on the road from Omagh to Dun-
gannon, and consists of one long wide street containing
about 70 houses, most of which are well built, though
rapidly falling into decay. The former residence of the
Belmore family, proprietors of the town, an elegant and
spacious mansion, is now in ruins; and the town exhibits
every appearance of neglect. The inhabitants are prin-
cipally employed in agriculture, with which they combine
the weaving of linen cloth. The patent for the market
and fairs was granted under the name of Lowrystown;
the market is on Wednesday, and fairs are held regularly
on the first Monday in every month for cattle, sheep,
and pigs. A constabulary police force is stationed here;
and petty sessions are held every alternate week. One
of the chapels for the R. C. parish of Glogherney is situ-
ated in the town.—See CLOGHERNEY.
BETAGHSTOWN, or BETTYSTOWN, a village, in
the parish of COLPE, barony of LOWER DUIEEK, county
of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 3½ miles (E. S.
E.) from Drogheda; containing 214 inhabitants. This
place is situated on the eastern coast, and contains 26
houses, chiefly thatched cabins; it is the property of
R. Shepheard, Esq., whose seat is in the neighbourhood.
The coast is here a shallow strand, and, from the extent
of fine sandy beach, the village has become a place of
some resort for sea-bathing, and would be much more
numerously frequented if suitable accommodations were
provided. The surrounding scenery is pleasingly diver-
sified, and in the immediate vicinity are many handsome
private residences.—See COLPE.
BEWLEY.—See OWNING.
BILLY, a parish, partly in the barony of CAREY,
but chiefly in that of LOWER DUNLUCE, county of
206
BIL
ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER; containing, with
the post-town of Bushmills, 5845 inhabitants. This
parish is bounded on the west by the river Bush, and
on the south-east by the sea; it is also intersected for
nearly three miles by the road from Ballymoney, through
Bushmills, to the Giants’ Causeway, which is within
its limits. Including eight townlands which now form
part of the parish of Dunseverick, it comprises, accord-
ing to the Ordnance survey, 17,329¾ statute acres, of
which 16,860 are applotted. under the tithe act, and
valued at £8139 per annum. The land is generally
in a good state of cultivation; the system of agri-
culture is considerably advanced, and is still improv-
ing; there is very little waste land, except moss and
bog, which together form nearly one-third of the sur-
face. Whinstone abounds, and is quarried for building
and for the roads; limestone is found in great quantity
and occasionally burned for manure, arid wood-coal is ob-
tained near the Causeway. Among the principal seats are
Bushmills House, the residence of Sir F. W. Macnagh-
ten, Bart.; Ballylough, of W. Trail, Esq.; Ballydivity,
of J. Stewart Moore, Esq.; Black Rock House, the pro-
perty of Miss Wray, and now in the occupation of
Hugh Lecky, Esq.; and Bentfield, formerly the resi-
dence of Col. Wray, but at present uninhabited. There
are some weirs on the river Bush, near its influx into
the sea, for taking salmon, of which great quantities are
sent to Liverpool and London. A market on. Tuesday,
and five fairs are held at Bushmills (which see); and on
the day after Dervock fair, which is generally on Aug.
12th (except that day falls on the Saturday or Sunday,
on which occasions it is held on the Monday following),
a pleasure fair, called the Causeway fair, is held at the
Rock Head, above the Giants’ Causeway, and is nume-
rously attended by persons for many miles round, for
whose accommodation tents are pitched. This parish
was formerly the head of a union, which comprised also
the parishes of Armoy, Ballyclug, Donegore, and Kil-
bride, together forming the corps of the archdeaconry of
Connor; but by the act of the 5th of Geo. IV., obtained
by Dr. Mant, the union has been dissolved, the parishes
disappropriated from the archdeaconry, and the rectorial
tithes annexed to their respective vicarages, with the
exception only of this parish, of which the rectory and
vicarage alone now constitute the corps of the archdea-
conry, with the cure of souls, the former archdeacons
having no cure of souls: it is in the diocese of Connor,
and patronage of the Bishop. The late Archdeacon
Trail, then rector of this parish, in 1830, separated
nine townlands from it, giving the tithes of four; and
his brother, the Rev. Robt. Trail, rector of Ballintoy,
seven townlands from that parish, giving the tithes of
three, for the formation and endowment of the perpetual
curacy of Dunseverick, the patronage of which is vested
alternately in the respective incumbents: the new
church is a very neat building in a central situation.
The tithes of the parish amount to £489. 4. 7½., of
which £37. 9. 3. is paid to the perpetual curate, and
the remainder to the archdeacon. The church, a
plain substantial building, was erected on the site of
a former structure, by aid of a gift of £800 and a
loan of £500, in 1815, from the late Board of First
Fruits. The glebe-house was built in 1810, by the
Rev. T. Babington, vicar, aided by a gift of £350 and a
loan of £450 from the same Board. In the R. C. divi-