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BRI
river Liffey, over which the Grand Canal is carried by
the Leinster aqueduct, a handsome building of five
arches, with a parapet ornamented with balustrades of
stone, erected in 1783. It comprises 2143 statute acres
of good land, of which a considerable portion is wood-
land, and the remainder arable and pasture. The land
being chiefly in the occupation of gentlemen, is in an
excellent state of cultivation: there is neither waste
land nor bog; but the Grand Canal passing through it,
affords every facility for the supply of fuel, and for the
conveyance of goods. Landerstown is the handsome
seat of the Rev. J. Digby. It is a rectory, in the diocese
of Kildare, and is part of the union of Caragh: the
tithes amount to £92.2. In the R. C. divisions it forms
part of the union or district of Caragh and Downings.
There are some ruins of the ancient church.
BRIDESWELL, a hamlet, in the parish of KIL-
CLOAN, barony of UPPER DEECE, county of MEATH, and
province of LEINSTER; containing 8 dwellings and 48
inhabitants.
BRIDESWELL, a village, in the parish of CAMMA,
barony of ATHLONE, county of ROSCOMMON, and pro-
vince of CONNAUGHT, 5½ miles (W. N. W.) from Athlone;
containing 130 inhabitants. This place derives its name
from a copious spring of very pure water, close to which
is an ancient building, formerly a chapel, from which
a doorway leads to the well, now converted into a bath.
Over the doorway are an inscription and a coat of arms,
from which it appears that this alteration was made by
Sir Randal Mac Donnell, the first Earl of Antrim, in
1625. The village is built around a level green, on
which was formerly kept one of the most celebrated
patron festivals, but, on account of its immoral tendency,
it has been suppressed by the exertions of the R. C.
clergy. A constabulary police force has been stationed
here; and there is also a dispensary.—See CAMMA.
BRIDGETOWN, a parish, in the barony of FERMOY,
county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 1 mile (S.)
from Castletown-Roche; containing 970 inhabitants.
This place is situated on the river Blackwater, and near
the road from Mallow to Fermoy: it derived its name
from a bridge that formerly existed here, which is said to
have been destroyed by Cromwell. A priory for canons
of the congregation of St. Victor was founded here in
the reign of John, by Alexander Fitz-Hugh Roche, and
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin: it was liberally endowed
by the founder, and supplied with monks from the priory
of Newtown, in the county of Meath, and from the
abbey of St. Thomas, near Dublin. Edw. I. confirmed
the original endowment, which was greatly augmented
by the Roche family; and in 1375, when Edw. III.
issued his writ to the Bishops and commons, to elect
persons to assist him and his council in the government
of the kingdom, and in the prosecution of the war in
which he was then engaged, Thomas, the prior of this
house, was one of those deputed for that purpose. The
extensive remains of the abbey are pleasantly situated
at the confluence of the rivers Awbeg and Blackwater,
here flowing through a rocky glen; they consist prin-
cipally of parts of the church, and the refectory and
cloisters may still be traced. On the south side of a
chapel, near the site of the altar, under an arch of irre-
gular construction, is a monument, supposed to be that
of the founder, from an inverted armorial shield charged
with one fish, but without any inscription; the present
224
BRI
arms of the Roche family are three fishes. In a small
chapel adjoining is a tomb, inscribed “Theobald Roche,”
with the date 1634; and in both chapels are several
ancient and curiously sculptured gravestones. The pa-
rish comprises 3022 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act, and valued at £2071 per annum: about
one-third of the land is coarse mountain pasture, form-
ing part of the range called the Nagle mountains, on the
south side of the river; the land under tillage is good,
and produces abundant crops. The only seat is Clifford,
the residence of T. Lloyd, Esq., pleasantly situated on
the north bank of the Blackwater. Prior to the year
1835, the parish formed part of the union of Castletown-
Roche, from which it was then separated and made a
distinct benefice: it is a rectory and vicarage, in the
diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop;
the tithes amount to £180. In the R. C. divisions
it still forms part of the union or district of Castletown-
Roche.
BRIDGETOWN, a village, in the parish of MUL-
RANKIN, barony of BARGY, county of WEXFORD, and
province of LEINSTER, 7 miles (S. S. W.) from Wexford;
containing 21 houses and 113 inhabitants. It is situated
on a small river of the same name, which runs into
the lough formed by the Burrow of Ballyteigue, and
has a penny post to Wexford. Here are a constabulary
police station, and a dispensary. The glebe-house of
the union is situated within a short distance of the vil-
lage.—See MULRANKIN.
BRIGHT, a parish, in the barony of LECALE, county
of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (S. by E.)
from Downpatrick; containing 2030 inhabitants. This
parish is situated on the road from Downpatrick to
Killough, and comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 5544¼ statute acres, of which 5503 are applotted
under the tithe act. The land, with a trifling excep-
tion, is all in an excellent state of cultivation, and there
is neither waste land nor bog. Oakley, the handsome
residence of J. Birney, Esq., is situated in a fertile
demesne of 168 acres, tastefully disposed and embel-
lished with some of the finest timber in the county. The
parish was formerly one of the six which constituted the
union and the corps of the deanery of Down, from which
it was separated by act of council in 1834, when, with
the townland of Carradressy, which formerly belonged
to Kilclief but was annexed to Bright by the same act,
it was constituted a separate and distinct parish. The
living is a rectory, in the diocese of Down, and in
the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to
£583.18. 9. The church, a small edifice in the Grecian
style, erected in 1745, is situated on the summit of an
eminence, and is an excellent landmark for mariners:
it contains an elegant monument to the memory of Lord
Lecale. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the
R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district,
comprising also the parish of Rathmullen, and contain-
ing three chapels, situated respectively at Conierstown
in Bright, and at Killough and Rossglass in Rathmullen.
Here is a school of about 80 boys and 50 girls, for which
a school-house in the churchyard was built by subscrip-
tion; also a pay school, in which are about 20 boys
and 20 girls. Near the church are the ruins of Bright
castle; and about a mile and a quarter to the west are
those of Castle Screen, built within the area of a Danish
rath, near which are the remains of the ancient abbey