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Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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DON<br />

the rector, and there are four other schools; in these<br />

together about 200 boys and 140 girls receive instruc-<br />

tion: there are also five pay schools, in which are about<br />

130 boys and 60 girls. The extensive cemetery of the<br />

parish is situated on the shore of the river Lagan; but<br />

there is not a vestige of the ancient church. A large<br />

bell was found in the bed of the river, and is now in<br />

the tower of Waringstown church; engraved upon it, in<br />

rude characters, is the inscription, “I belong to Donagh-<br />

cloney.”—See WARINGSTOWN.<br />

DONAGHCUMPER, or DONOCOMPER, a parish,<br />

in the barony of SOUTH SALT, county of KILDARE, and<br />

province of LEINSTER, 2½ miles (S.W. by S.) from Leix-<br />

lip; containing 1413 inhabitants. This place, which is<br />

also called Donocomfert, was distinguished at an early<br />

period by its priory for canons of the order of St.Victor,<br />

founded in 1202 by Adam de Hereford, in honour of St.<br />

Wolstan, Bishop of Worcester, then recently canonized.<br />

At the dissolution it was granted to Sir John Alen, the<br />

master of the rolls in Ireland, and afterwards lord chan-<br />

cellor, who was buried in the parish church, in which,<br />

till within a few years, was a monument bearing his<br />

effigy. The parish is situated on the road from Dublin<br />

to Celbridge, from which latter place it is separated only<br />

by the river Liffey, and comprises 4450 statute acres, as<br />

applotted under the tithe act. A bridge was erected<br />

over the Liffey, near the gate of St. Wolstan’s priory, by<br />

John Ledleer, in 1308, which is still called New bridge,<br />

and consists of four irregular arches; it was in contem-<br />

plation to rebuild it in 1794, but in that year a heavy<br />

flood having carried away nearly all the bridges on the<br />

river, this, which withstood its violence, was suffered to<br />

remain. A splendid mansion was erected here by Sir<br />

John Alen, on the priory lands, the site of which is now<br />

occupied by a handsome modern mansion, called St.<br />

Wolstan’s, the seat of Richard Cane, Esq. The grounds,<br />

which are tastefully laid out and kept in the highest<br />

order, are watered by the Liffey, towards which they<br />

slope gently; and the demesne is embellished with seve-<br />

ral portions of the abbey, which have been carefully<br />

preserved by the proprietor, and have a beautifully<br />

picturesque appearance. At a short distance higher up<br />

the river is Donocomper, the seat of William Kirkpatrick,<br />

Esq.; the house has been recently enlarged, in the Tudor<br />

style of architecture, and the grounds are tastefully dis-<br />

posed. From both these seats the splendid mansion and<br />

noble demesne of Castletown are seen to great advan-<br />

tage, being separated only by the river. A cotton-<br />

spinning and weaving manufactory, in which power-<br />

ooms are employed, has been established here, which,<br />

when in full work, affords employment to 100 persons.<br />

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin; one-<br />

half is appropriate to the prebend of Kilmactalway, in<br />

the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin, and the<br />

other half forms part of the union of Celbridge: the<br />

tithes amount to £190, one-half of which is payable to<br />

the prebendary, and the other to the incumbent of Cel-<br />

bridge. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of<br />

the union or district of Celbridge.<br />

DONAGHEADY, a parish, in the barony of STRA-<br />

BANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, on<br />

the road from Strabane to Cookstown; containing, with<br />

the post-town of Dunamanagh, 10,480 inhabitants. The<br />

greater part of this parish was granted by Jas. I. to Sir<br />

John Drummond, who founded the town of Dunama-<br />

467<br />

DON<br />

nagh, and built a bawn 109 feet square, no part of which<br />

remains, as the bawn was removed some years since,<br />

and the modern building called the Castle was erected<br />

on its site. It comprises, according to the Ordnance<br />

survey, 39,398½ statute acres, of which 28,728 are<br />

applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £10,271<br />

per annum. There are about 154 acres of water, and<br />

250 of bog; the remainder is arable and pasture land.<br />

There is abundance of excellent limestone, both for<br />

building and agricultural purposes, but the mountains<br />

are chiefly clay-slate. Many of the glens and banks of<br />

the rivers are covered with underwood, the remains of<br />

the extensive forests of Mounterlony. Formerly there<br />

were several bleach-greens in the parish, and a paper-<br />

mill near Dunamanagh, all of which are now unem-<br />

ployed; but the inhabitants unite linen-weaving at<br />

home with agricultural pursuits. The upper half of<br />

the parish, with the exception of the church lands,<br />

is in the manor of Eliston, the court for which is<br />

held at Gortin; and the lower half is in the manor of<br />

Donolonge, which was granted by Jas. I. to the Earl of<br />

Abercorn. A court is held at Donolonge monthly, for<br />

the recovery of debts under 40s. There are several<br />

handsome houses, the principal of which are Earl’s Gift,<br />

the residence of the Rev. C. Douglas; Loughash, of<br />

Capt. Kennedy; Tullarton House, of R. Bond, Esq.;<br />

Glenville, of R. M c Rae, Esq.; Silver Brook, of J. Carey,<br />

Esq.; Black Park, of R. Ogilbye, Esq.; Thorn Hill, of<br />

A. C. D. L. Edie, Esq.; and the Grange, of T. Hutton,<br />

Esq.<br />

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and<br />

in the patronage of the Marquess of Abercorn: the<br />

tithes amount to £1350. The glebe-house was erected<br />

in 1792, by aid of a gift of £100 from the late Board of<br />

First Fruits; the glebe comprises 1192 acres. The<br />

church is a small neat edifice, half a mile west from the<br />

ruins of the old church; it is in the Grecian style, with<br />

a small cupola and a bell at the western end; and the<br />

Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £202<br />

for its repair. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the<br />

head of a union or district, comprising Donagheady and<br />

Leckpatrick, and containing one chapel in the former<br />

and two in the latter: it is in the benefice of the dean<br />

of Derry, There are four Presbyterian meeting-houses,<br />

three of which are in connection with the Synod of<br />

Ulster, two being of the second class, and one with the<br />

Seceding Synod, also of the second class. The male and<br />

female parochial schools adjoin the church, and are<br />

supported by the Marquess of Abercorn and the incum-<br />

bent. At Loughash is a large and handsome school-<br />

house, erected at an expense of £200: the school is<br />

under the National Board, as is another at Lisnarrow.<br />

There are also schools at Killeany, Rusky, Tamnagh-<br />

brady, Tyboe, Grange, and Ballyneuse; and an agricul-<br />

tural school at Loughash, supported by Capt. Kennedy.<br />

At Mount Castle, which gives the title of baron in the<br />

Irish peerage to the Marquess of Abercorn, are some<br />

fragments of a castle, built in 1619, by Sir Claude Ha-<br />

milton, on an estate of 2000 acres, called Eden, which<br />

was granted to him by Jas. I.: it was the birth-place of<br />

Sir George Hamilton, who distinguished himself in the<br />

parliamentary war, and of his son, Gen. Hamilton, after-<br />

wards sixth Earl of Abercorn, who commanded the<br />

Protestant Irish army against Jas. II. at Londonderry<br />

and Enniskillen. Extensive ruins of the ancient church<br />

3 O 2

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