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ARD
lands of the deanery, exclusively of several houses, tolls
of fairs, a plot of nearly two acres on which the deanery-
house is built, a farm of 13a. 1r. 10p., and a large
bog, comprise 714a. 2r. 35p., (statute measure) pro-
ducing, with the annual renewal fines, a rental of
£292. 11. 2. per annum. The church is a plain com-
modious building with a square tower, for the erection
of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan
of £900, in 1812, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
have lately granted £301 for its repair. The deanery-
house was built in 1823, by a gift of £100 and a loan
of £ 1200 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions
this parish is the head of a union or district, which
includes also the adjoining parish of Moydow, in each
of which is a chapel; that of Ardagh is situated near
the village. The parochial school for boys is principally
supported by a grant of £40 per ann. from Dr. Murray,
the present dean, who also contributes annually £15.
towards the support of the girls’ school, which is further
aided by an annual grant of £5 from the Ardagh Dio-
cesan Society: the school-house is a good slated build-
ing of two stories, with apartments for the master and
mistress, erected by Dr. Murray at an expense of £400,
and attached to it is an acre of land. There are 40 boys
and 30 girls in this school, and in the private pay schools
are about 290 boys and 170 girls: there is also a Sunday
school for boys and girls. Some remains of the old
cathedral church, a small edifice rudely built of fragments
of rock of a large size, are still visible; it was superseded
by another church, now also in ruins, and the present
edifice was erected near its site. St. Mell was interred
here, and his festival is annually celebrated on Feb. 6th.
The comedy of the “Mistakes of a Night,” written by
Dr. Goldsmith, derives its plot from an incident that
occurred at this village to the author, who, on passing
through it, having inquired for the “head, inn,” was
directed by a humorous individual to the residence of
the proprietor of the place, Mr. Fetherston, who per-
ceiving the delusion, nevertheless indulged it, and hospi-
tably entertained his guest; and it was not until next
morning that, on finishing his breakfast and calling for
the bill, the poet discovered his mistake.
ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY,
county of MAYO, and province of CONNATUGHT, 2¾ miles
(W. S. W.) from Ballina; containing 1813 inhabitants.
This parish is situated on the shores of Lough Conn and
the river Deel, and on the road from Ballina to Cross-
niolina: it comprises 3215 statute acres, as applotted
under the tithe act, and valued at £1794 per annum;
the land is chiefly under tillage. There are large tracts
of bog, furnishing abundance of fuel. Deel Castle, the
seat of St. George Cuff, Esq., is delightfully situated
on the river Deel, and in a fine demesne. Fairs are held
at Newtown on the 4th of Aug. and the 1st of Nov.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, with
the vicarages of Ballynahaglish, Kilbelfad, Kilmorermoy,
Attymass, and Kilgarvan episcopally united, constituting
the union of Ardagh, in the patronage of the Bishop: the
rectory is partly appropriate to the precentorship of the
cathedral of Killala, and partly to the vicars choral of
the cathedral of Christchurch, Dublin. The tithes
amount to £110. 15. 4½., of which £38. 10. 10. is
payable to the precentor of Killala, £13. 16. 11. to the
vicars choral, and £55. 7. 8½. to the vicar. The glebes,
which are detached, comprise together 31 acres; and
VOL. I.—41
ARD
the gross tithes payable to the incumbent amount to
£948. 19. 2¼. The church of this parish is in ruins,
and the church of the union is situated at Kilmoremoy.
An episcopal chapel has been partly built at Deel Castle,
but is not yet roofed. The R. C. parish is co-extensive
with that of the Established Church: the chapel, a neat
slated building, is situated at Newtown. Here is a
school of 60 boys and 30 girls.
ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MOR-
GALLION, but chiefly in that of LOWER SLANE, county
of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E. S. E.)
from Kingscourt; containing 2408 inhabitants. This
parish, which is situated on the road from Drumconra
to Kingscourt, and on the confines of the counties of
Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan; comprises 3290 statute
acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which 2835
are arable, 324 are pasture, 112 are bog, and 19 wood-
land. Here are extensive quarries of limestone, of
which a large quantity is sent into the county of Cavan
to be burnt for manure. The living is a perpetual cure,
in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the
Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate; the tithes
amount to £207. 6. 5½., which is payable to the Bishop.
The church is a plain edifice, built in 1805, for the
repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have
lately granted £125. There is a glebe-house, with a
glebe of ten acres. In the R. C. divisions this parish
is united to Drumconra: the chapel, a plain building,
is situated at Ballinavoren. There are three hedge
schools in the parish. On the townland of Cloughrea
are the remains of an old castle; and at the northern
extremity of the parish, but principally in the county
of Monaghan, there is a considerable lake, called
Rahans.
ARDAMINE, a parish, in the barony of BALLAGH-
KEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER,
3¾ miles (S. S. E.) from Gorey; containing 1535 inha-
bitants. This parish is situated near the coast of the
Irish sea, and comprises 4078 statute acres, as applotted
under the tithe act; the soil is generally a strong marl
favourable to the growth of wheat, and the system of
agriculture is improving. A fishery in the bay of
Ardamine promises to become very valuable when the
harbour of Courtown, which is now in progress, shall
be completed. Ardamine, the seat of J. Goddard
Richards, Esq., is beautifully situated at a short distance
from the sea; and the grounds have been recently em-
bellished with thriving plantations and other improve-
ments. Owenavarra Cottage, the residence of Mrs.
Richards, sen., is also in the parish. The living is an
impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Ferns, with that
of Killenagh episcopally united, and in the patronage
of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in H. K. G.
Morgan, Esq. The tithes amount to £190, payable to
the impropriator, who allows £23. 1.6½. per ann. for
the performance of the clerical duties of both parishes
to which has been lately added an annual grant of £25
from Primate Boulter’s fund. The church is situated
on the confines of both parishes; there is neither glebe
nor glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the
head of a union, or district, also called River chapel,
comprising the parishes of Ardamine and Donaghmore,
in each of which is a chapel: that in this parish, with a
comfortable residence for the clergyman adjoining it,
was erected by subscription, together with a school-
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