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CON
age of the Marquess of Londonderry, in whom the rec-
tory is impropriate. The parish is tithe-free, with the
exception of the townlands of Ballyanwood, Ballycreely,
and Ballyhenry, the tithes of which are paid to the
Marquess of Londonderry, who pays the curate’s stipend.
A glebe-house was built in 1738, towards the erection
of which the late Board of First Fruits gave £100: the
glebe consists of eleven acres. The church is a small
ancient building, in the later style of English architect-
ture, and contains some neat marble monuments, par-
ticularly those to the memory of the Rev. Robert Mor-
timer, Capt. Chetwynd, Lieut- Unet, and Ensign Sparks,
of the York fencible infantry, who fell in the battle of
Saintfield, during the disturbances of 1798,—and of the
Rev. Messrs. Birch, father and son, the former of whom
died in 1827, the latter in 1830, whose monument was
erected by the subscriptions of 520 of their parishioners.
Some fragments of the abbey are incorporated in its
walls. There are a meeting-house at Comber for
Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster,
of the first class; another at Moneyreagh, connected
with the Remonstrant Synod, of the same class; and
a third at Gransha, connected with the Seceding Synod,
of the second class: there is also a place of worship for
Wesleyan Methodists. The parochial school, in which
about 100 boys and 70 girls are taught, was built in
1813, at the joint expense of the Marchioness of Lon-
donderry and the trustees of Erasmus Smith’s charity;
the building is kept in repair by the Marchioness, who,
in 1832, erected a house for the master. There are also
national schools at Ballymaglaff, Tullygiven, and Bally-
stockart More than 300 children are educated in these
schools, besides which, 740 are taught in 12 private
schools. A house of industry was founded in 1824, by
the Marquess of Londonderry, who subscribes £25 an-
nually towards its support; it affords an asylum for 12
of the aged poor, and also distributes meal, potatoes,
&c, to 60 families at their own dwellings. There is
a large druidical altar in Ballygraphan, the table stone
of which, now lying on the ground, measures 19 feet by
6 and is 4 feet thick: the five upright stones are in an
adjoining hedge-row. Numerous forts and raths are
scattered over the parish.
COMER.—See CASTLECOMER.
COMMER.—See KILMACREAN.
CONABURY, a village, in the parish of CASTRO-
PETRE, barony of COOLESTOWN, KING’S county, and pro-
vince of LEINSTER, adjoining the town of Edenderry,
and containing 24 houses and 143 inhabitants. This
village is situated on the road from Dublin to Tul-
lamore, and is divided into Upper and Lower Cona-
bury.
CONEY ISLAND, county of Clare.—See INNIS-
DADROM.
CONEY ISLAND, an island, in the parish of KIL-
LASPICBROWN, barony of CARBERY, county of SLIGO,
and province of CoNNAUGHT: the population is returned
with the parish. This island, which is situated in the
bay of Sligo, was anciently called Inishmulcloghy, and is
enumerated among the territories settled on the Earl of
Strafford and Sir Thomas Radcliffe, in 1663. It is at pre-
sent the property of J. Meredith, Esq., and near it is a
small island called Church island, on which are the
ruins of the ancient parish church of Killaspicbrown,
nearly covered with sand.
391
CON
CONFOY, a parish, in the barony of NORTH SALT,
county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1½ mile
(N. W.) from Leixlip; on the road from Dublin to May-
nooth; containing 165 inhabitants. It is intersected
by the Royal Canal, and had formerly a town and a castle
of some importance, which are noticed by Camden. Of
the latter there are some considerable remains, consist-
ing of a massive square tower of five stages, with turrets
at, the north and west angles; that at the north angle
contains a winding staircase opening through pointed
arches into each story; both are lighted by loopholes;
the principal entrance was under a semicircular arch-
way. In the war of 1688 the castle is said to have been
strongly garrisoned, and to have sustained an attack.
It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin,
forming part of the union of Leixlip, with which the
amount of its tithes is returned. In the R. C. divisions
also it is part of the union or district of Leixlip
CONG, a post-town and parish, partly in the barony
of Ross, county of GALWAY, but chiefly in that of KIL-
MAINE, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT,
19 miles (S.) from Castlebar, and 121 (W.) from Dub-
lin; containing 8378 inhabitants. This place, though
now only an inconsiderable village, was formerly a town
of some importance, and the ancient residence of the
kings of Connaught. A monastery, dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin, was founded here by St. Fechan, who
died in 664; though by some writers its foundation is
ascribed to Donald, son of Ed, nephew of Amirach,
King of Ireland, who is said to have made St. Fechan its
first abbot. Little further is recorded of its history till
1134, when a great part of the town was burnt and the
abbey plundered by the people of Munster. Roderic
O’Connor, the last native king of all Ireland, spent the
last 15 years of his life in seclusion within this monas-
tery, where he died on the 29th of November, 1198, in
the 82nd year of his age; he was interred at Clonmac-
nois. In 1201 the town and monastery were plun-
dered by William de Burgo, who repeated his ravages
in 1204; and in 1310, the town was plundered by
Hugh Breifneach. The family of De Burgo afterwards
became munificent benefactors to the abbey, to which
they gave ample endowments in land, and it continued
to flourish till the dissolution. Queen Elizabeth granted
part of its possessions to the Provost and Fellows of
Trinity College, Dublin; and Jas. I. granted a lease of
the abbey to Sir John King, Knt, ancestor of the pre-
sent Earl of Kingston
The town is situated on an island formed by the
several openings of a subterraneous river that flows
from Lough Mask into Lough Corrib; the principal of
these openings rises in a great body from a depth of 73
feet, forming a powerful eddy which turns two large
mills, and the approaches are over three bridges. It
consists of two streets of small houses, of which the
greater number are thatched, and has a sub-post-office
to Ballinrobe. There are two large mills, the property
Mr. John Thompson, erected about 40 years since, and
each grinding on an average 300 tons of wheat annually.
Fairs are held at Funshinough in May and September;
and petty sessions are held every Saturday alternately
for Mayo and Galway.
The parish comprises 17,622 acres, as applotted
under the tithe act, of which about 240 are woodland,
480 mountain and bog, and, with the exception of about