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BRU
vicar, by whom it was instituted in 1831. There are
two pay schools, in which are about 200 children, and a
school for adults. A few fragments of the ancient castle
are still remaining; and not far distant are the foun
dations of an ancient friary. To the north-west of
the town are some traces of Templebodeen, or Tem-
pleen, said to have been erected by the Knights Tem-
plars in 1284; foundations of buildings are frequently
discovered.
BRUHENNY.—See CHURCHTOWN, barony of
ORRERY, county of CORK.
BRUIS, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM,
county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3
miles (S. W.) from Tipperary; containing 1350 inhabit-
ants. This parish contains Mount Bruis, the pleasant
residence of Mrs. Doherty. It is a rectory, in the
diocese of Emly, and forms part of the union and
corps of the prebend of Lattin in the cathedral of
Emly: the tithes amount to £150. In the R. C. divi-
sions also the parish is included in. the union or district
of Lattin.
BRUMBRUSNA, a hamlet, in the parish of LENEY,
barony of CORKAREE, county of WESTMEATH, and pro-
vince of LEINSTER, 6 miles (N. N. W.) from Mullingar;
containing 16 houses and 94 inhabitants. It is situated
on Lough Hoyle, and on the mail coach road from
Mullingar to Longford, and is surrounded by three
lofty hills.
BRUREE, or BRUGHRIGH, a parish, partly in the
barony of SMALL COUNTY, but chiefly in that of UPPER
CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUN
STER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Charleville,’ on the direct
line of road to Limerick; containing 4364 inhabitants,
of which number, 451 are in the village. This place was
distinguished at a very early period for a half-yearly
meeting of the Irish bards, which, according to
O’Halloran, was continued till the year 1746. The
parish comprises 8530 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act, of which the greater portion is pasture and
meadow land connected with extensive dairy farms, and
the remainder under tillage: the land is remarkably
good, and the system of agriculture is improving. The
river Maigue winds through a beautiful valley, of which
the rich meadows on its banks slope gently to its mar-
gin: the meadows in the southern part of the parish
are subject to frequent inundations from the overflowing
of this river. The eastern portion of the parish con-
sists entirely of limestone, which is extensively quarried
for agricultural purposes and for the roads; but the
grit is generally worked for building. The scenery is
pleasingly varied, and in the parish are several hand-
some houses, of which the principal are Harding Grove,
the residence of H. Harding, Esq.; Rockhill, of J.
Cushin, Esq.; Bruree House, of R. Fetherston, Esq., J.P.;
and Bruree Lodge, of J. Langton, Esq., J.P. The village,
containing, in 1831, 87 houses, is a constabulary police
station, and is much improving; several good houses
have lately been built; here are also a boulting-mill, a
grist-mill (used chiefly for oatmeal), and a manufactory
for combing, carding, and spinning wool, and for nap-
ping and tucking the cloth, which is of great advan-
tage to the population for many miles round. Fairs
are held on May 9th, June 25th, Sept. 14th, and
Nov. 25th, for cattle, sheep, pigs, and pedlery. A
new road has recently been formed from Croom to
228
BRY
Charleville through the western part of the parish.,
which will become the principal road between Limerick
and Cork.
It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Lime-
rick; the rectory forms part of the union and corps of
the deanery of Limerick, and the vicarage is in the
patronage of the Dean. The tithes amount to £600. 4.,
of which two-thirds are payable to the dean and the
remainder to the vicar. The church is a neat edifice,
in the early English style, with a square tower and
octangular spire of hewn stone; it was built near the
site of the old church, by aid of a gift of £800 from
the late Board of First Fruits, in 1812. The glebe-
house, which belongs to the vicarage, was built by a gift
of £400 and a loan of £380 from the same Board, in 1813.
Attached to the rectory is a glebe of 7a. Ir. 8p.; the
glebe belonging to the vicarage comprises 15 acres. In
the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or
district, called also Rockhill, which comprises the pa-
rishes of Bruree and Colemans-well, and contains three
hapels, situated respectively in the village of Bruree, at
Rockhill, and at Colemans-well. The parochial schools
are situated on the rector’s glebe, and endowed by the
present dean with half an acre of land; and there are
two pay schools, in which are about 100 boys and 60
girls. In the village are a dispensary, and a good
building erected during the prevalence of the cholera, in
1832, and now used as a fever hospital. Here are the
ruins of a strong fortress erected by the De Lacys, who
formerly possessed the surrounding country: it consisted
of three strong castles enclosed by a wall and ramparts
more than 120 yards in circumference; two of the castles
are remaining. Adjoining the church is a large and strong
castle in a tolerably perfect state, erected by the Knights
emplars in the 12th century. There are some remains
of the small church of Cooleen, or Temple-Colman, now
called Howardstown, built by the Knights Templars in
1287, and on the suppression of that order annexed to
this parish.
BRUSNA, a village, in the parish of KILMURRY-
ELY, barony of CLONLISK, KING’S county, and province
of LEINSTER, 1¾ mile (E.) from Shinrone; containing
134 inhabitants. It is situated on the river of the same
name, and is a station of the constabulary police. Here
is a R. C. chapel.—See KILMURRY-ELY.
BRYANSFORD, a village, in the parish of KILCOO,
barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and pro-
vince of ULSTER, 2½ miles (S.) from Castlewellan;
containing 185 inhabitants. This village, which is
situated on the road from Newry to Newcastle, contains
about 30 houses neatly built, chiefly in the Elizabethan
style, the gardens in front of which give it a comfortable
and rural appearance, and the surrounding scenery is
agreeably diversified. Tollymore Park, the seat of the
Earl of Roden, is a beautiful residence situated in exten-
sive grounds embellished with some of the finest larch
trees in the country; it is approached by three noble
entrances, called respectively the barbican, the central,
and the hilltown; the central entrance from the village
is through a very lofty archway, and in the lodge is kept
a book for entering the names of visiters; the grounds
are always open to the public. There is a good inn and
posting-house, with every accommodation for families.
The parish church of Kilcoo, a spacious edifice with
a lofty embattled tower, is situated in the village; and