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ARB
amounting to about £15 per ann., and two Sunday
schools. The total number of children on the books of
these schools, exclusively of the Sunday schools, is
about 300; and in the private pay schools are 230
boys and 100 girls. A mendicity society has been esta-
blished for some years; a temperance society was
formed in 1829; and a branch savings’ bank, in con-
nection with the Belfast savings’ bank, was established
here in Dec. 1832, in which the deposits during the first
half year amounted to £1369. 9- 3, About half a mile
to the north-east of the church, and in the middle of
the plantations of G. J. Clark, Esq., in a part of the
valley leading to Lough Neagh, is one of the most per-
fect round towers in the island: it is built of unhewn
stone and mortar, perfectly cylindrical in form, and is
95 feet in height and 49 feet in circumference at the
base; the summit terminates with a cone 12 feet high;
the door is on the north side, and at a height of 7 feet
9 inches from the ground; the walls are 2 feet 9 inches
in thickness, and the tower contains four stories, the
ascent to which appears to have been by a spiral stair-
case 3 each of the three lower stories is lighted by a
square window, and the upper story by four square per-
forations, corresponding with the cardinal points; im-
mediately above the doorway is a Grecian cross rudely
sculptured in alto relievo on a block of freestone, which
appears to be part of the original building. Around the
base of the tower great quantities of human bones and
some vestiges of the foundations of buildings have been
discovered j the latter are supposed to indicate the site
of the ancient monastery founded by Aodh. In a garden
adjoining the tower is a large detached mass of basalt,
having nearly a level surface, in which are two cavities
or basins, evidently the work of art, of which the larger
is 19 inches in length, 16 inches wide, and 9 inches
deep, and during the driest seasons is constantly filled
with fine clear, water. There is a very powerful chaly-
beate spring in the garden of Frederick Macauley, Esq.
John Abernethy, Esq., the eminent surgeon, was a
native of this place. Antrim gives the title of Earl to
the family of Macdonnel, of which the present repre-
sentative is the Countess of Antrim and Viscountess
Dunluce, in the peerage of Ireland, who succeeded
her father, Randal William, Marquess and sixth Earl
of Antrim, in 1791, in the earldom and viscounty only,
by virtue of a new patent which the earl, having no son,
obtained in 1785, with remainder to his datighters and
their heirs male.
ARBOE, or ARDBOE, a parish, partly in the barony
of LOTJGHINSHOLIN, county of LONDONDERRY, but
chiefly in the barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE,
and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from Stew-
artstown; containing 8148 inhabitants. A monastery
was founded here by St. Colman, son of Aidhe, and sur-
named Mucaidhe, whose reliques were long preserved in
it: it was destroyed in 1166, by Rory Makang Makill-
mory Omorna, but there are still some remains. The
parish is situated on the shore of Lough Neagh, by
which it is bounded on the east, and comprises, accord-
ing to the Ordnance survey, 33,504 statute acres, of
which 21,000 form part of Lough Neagh, and 5,6 are in
small islands. The greater portion is under tillage, and
there are some tracts of good meadow, about 50 acres
of woodland, and 1000 acres of bog. The system of
agriculture is improved: the soil is fertile, and the
39
ARD
lands generally in a high state of cultivation. There
are several large and handsome houses, the principal of
which is Elogh, the. residence of Mrs. Mackay. The
living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the
patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College,
Dublin: the tithes amount to £507. 13. 10§. The
church, a neat small edifice, was erected in the reign of
William and Mary, on a site two miles westward from
the ruins of the ancient abbey. The glebe-house is a
handsome building 3 and the glebe comprises 212 acres.
The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Esta-
blished Church; the chapel, a spacious and handsome
edifice, is situated at New Arboe; and there are two
altars in the open air, where divine service is performed
alternately once every Sunday. There is a place of
worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Seced-
ing synod. There are four public schools, in which about
320 boys and 240 girls are taught; and there are also
five private schools, in which are about 140 boys and
50 girls, and five Sunday schools. On the western shore
of Lough Neagh are the ruins of the ancient abbey,
which form an interesting and picturescaie feature 3 and
the remains of an old church, of which the walls are
standing. Near them is an ancient ornamented stone
cross in good preservation.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY,
county of CORK, and province of MUNSTEII, 3 miles (N.
W.) from Youghal, on the new mail-coach road from
that place to Tallow 3 containing 2658 inhabitants.
This parish is situated on the confines of the county of
Waterford, and comprises 7629 statute acres, as ap-
plotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3402 per
annum. The general aspect is mountainous, and a
large portion of its surface is unreclaimed, affording a
plentiful supply of turf. The soil is for the most part
poor and stony; and excepting the waste, the land is
wholly in tillage and only indifferently cultivated. The
living is a rectory, in the diocese of Goyne, and in the
patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £600.
The church is an old plain building of small dimensions.
There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises five acres.
In the R. C, divisions this parish forms part of the
union or district of Killeigh: the chapel is a small
thatched building, situated at Inch. There is a school
for boys and girls at Killeigh, aided by a donation of
£5 per ann. from Lord Ponsonby, who also gave the
school-house rent-free, and contributes to another school
for both sexes j there is only one pay school in the
parish. On the banks of the Turra, which runs through
the centre of the parish, is the ruined castle of Kilna-
turra, a massive square tower hi excellent preserva-
tion.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the Shanid Division of the
barony of LOWER CONNELU), county of LIMERICK, and
province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Newcastle,
on the road from that place to Shanagolden 3 containing
2197 inhabitants, of which number, 415 are in the vil-
lage. This place is situated in the heart of an interesting
and fertile district 3 the village consists of one long
irregular street, containing 65 houses., which are in a
very ruinous condition. Near it are the interesting
remains of the old parish church, which was destroyed
in the insurrection of 1641, and has not been rebuilt.
Fairs are held on the 11th of May, Aug. 14th, and
Nov. 21st, chiefly for the sale of cattle, pigs, and pedlery,