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CROSSMOLINA, a market and post-town, and a
parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO,
and province of CONNAUGHT, 6½ miles (W.by S.) from
Ballina, and 13l¼ (W. N. W.) from Dublin; containing
11,479 inhabitants, of which number, 1481 are in the
town. It stands on the river Deel, over which is a
large stone bridge, on the direct road to the barony
of Erris from Castlebar, and consists of a good main
street and two converging ones, containing 310 houses.
The market is on Thursday; and fairs are held on
May 23rd, Sept. 12th, Oct. 26th, and Dec. 17th; and
at Rakestreet on Feb. 2nd, March 25th, Aug. 23rd, and
Dee. 8th. Petty sessions are held weekly, and here are
also revenue and constabulary police stations. The
parish contains a portion of the stupendous mountain
of Nephin, 2840 feet above the level of the sea, on the
western extremity of Lough Conn, a grand sheet of
water, extending 10 miles in length, and in some places
4 in breadth. It comprises about 24,300 statute acres,
one-third of which is arable land; the remainder is bog
and mountain, the greater part reclaimable, but little
improvement has taken place in agriculture. About a
mile from the town, on the bank of the river Deel, are
quarries of very fine stone; and limestone and free-
stone abound. There are several gentlemen’s seats in
the vicinity: the principal are Eniscoe, the residence of
M. Pratt, Esq.; Gurtner Abbey, of G. Ormsby, Esq.;
Abbeytown, of W. Orme, Esq.; Knockglass, of T. Paget,
Esq.; Fortland, of Major Jackson; Glenmore, of W.
Orme, Esq.; Greenwood Park, of Capt. J. Knox; Belle-
ville, of W. Orme, Esq.; Millbrook, of W. Orme, sen.,
Esq; Netley Park, of H. Knox, Esq.; Castle Hill, of
Major M c Cormick; Ballycorroon, of E. Orme, Esq.;
Stone Hall, of T. Knox, Esq.; Fahy, of Ernest A. Knox,
Esq.; Cottage, of W. Ormsby, Esq.; Rappa Castle, of
Annesley Gore Knox, Esq. (See Kilfyan); and the Vicar-
age-house, the residence of the Rev. — St. George,
rector. Deel castle, on the banks of the river of the
same name, now a fine modern residence, surrounded
with much old timber, stands on the site of a very an-
cient structure.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala,
united to the vicarages of Addergoole, Kilfyan, and
Magaunagh, together forming the union of Crossmolina,
in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is partly
appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of
Christ-Church, Dublin, and partly to the prebend of
Errew in the cathedral of Killala. The tithes amount
to £460, of which £17 is payable to the vicars choral,
£213 to the appropriators, and £230 to the vicar: the
gross amount of the tithes of the union is £550. The
glebe-house was built by a gift of £100, and a loan of
£825, in 1814, from the late Board of First Fruits: the
glebe comprises 35 acres. The church is a neat plain
edifice, with a square tower and spire, erected in 1810,
by aid of a loan of £1000, in 1809, from the late Board
of First Fruits; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
have recently granted £197 for its repair. In the R. C.
divisions the parish forms part of the union or district
of Glanbest, and partly a distinct or parish in itself, in
which are two chapels, one at Kilmurra and one at
Crossmolina; the former was built in 1785, at an ex-
pense of £50, and the latter in 1806, and cost £200. A
painting of the Madonna over the altar was brought
from Rome by Archbishop M c Hale. There is a place of
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CRO
worship for Wesleyan Methodists at Crossmolina. There
are seven schools, one of which is aided by a donation
of £10 per annum from Mrs. Palmer, and a house and
two acres of ground, valued at £10 per annum, given
by the late Mrs. Palmer; also six hedge schools and a
Sunday school. The total number of children on the
books of these schools is upwards of 1000. A dispen-
sary has been established. At Errew, a peninsula
stretching from the barony of Tyrawley into Lough
Conn, are the ruins of a friary, which was dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin, having a beautiful east window.
There is also a ruin at Abbeytown; at Kildavarrogue
are the remains of the old church, with a burial-place;
and near the church are the ruins of an old castle.
CROSSNA, a village, in the parish of ARDCARNE,
barony of BOYLE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province
of CONNAUGHT, 6 miles (N. E.) from Boyle: the popu-
lation is returned with the parish. It occupies, with
Mount Prospect, the crest of a hill commanding a fine
view of the rich lower country around Lough Key; the
ridge is of sandstone. The village and neighbourhood
are improving in appearance: the pastures, though ge-
nerally rough, have been subjected to partial irrigation
in the lower grounds, and the arable lands produce good
crops of oats and potatoes. The superb house and de-
mesne of Rockingham (described in the article on Ard-
carne) stands here; and there is a large R. C. chapel in
the village.
CROSSPATRICK, a parish, partly in the half-ba-
rony of SHILLELAGH, county of WICKLOW, and partly
in the barony of GOREY, county of WEXFORD, and pro-
vince of LEINSTER, 3½ miles (E.) from Tinahely; con-
taining 1119 inhabitants. It is situated on the road
from Rathdrum to Carnew, and comprises 4058 statute
acres, which are chiefly under tillage. The soil is fertile,
and agriculture has greatly improved under the auspices
of the Agricultural Society established at Coollattin and
patronised by Earl Fitzwilliam; there is a bog at Cam-
mar, and another at Coolafancy. The principal seats
are Hill View, the residence of Sandharn Symes, Esq.,
and Coolafancy, of Christmas Johnston, Esq., both com-
manding extensive mountain views; and there are
several respectable farm-houses. The living is a rectory,
in the diocese of Ferns, united prior to any known
record to the rectory of Kilcommon, which two parishes
constitute the union and corps of the prebend of Cross-
patrick in the cathedral of Ferns, and in the patronage
of the Bishop. The tithes of the parish amount to
£217. 16. 11¼.; and the gross tithes of the benefice to
£674. 15.5. There are two churches in the union;
that of Crosspatrick was erected in 1828 by a grant of
£900 from the late Board of First Fruits: it is in the
later English style of architecture, with a square tower
surmounted with pinnacles, and the Ecclesiastical Com-
missioners have recently granted £203 for its repair.
In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the
union or district of Tomacork, also called the union of
Carnew and Crosspatrick; there is a chapel at Coo-
lafancy. There is also a place of worship for Wesleyan
Methodists. The parochial school, at Cootroe, is sup-
ported by the prebendary, and has an endowment in
land valued at £10 per annum by the late Earl Fitz-
william, who also built the school-house. Near Coolboy
is a substantial school-house, which was erected and
supported by the same nobleman. A school-house was