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ACH
dairy farms; and the farm-houses are comfortable and
of neat appearance. The seats are the Glebe-House, the
residence of the Very Rev. Thos. P. Le Fanu, Dean of
Emly; Borroe Ville, of Dr. Wilkins; Maddebuoy House,
of Capt. Wickham; Balovarane, of T. Holland, Esq.;
Ash Row, of T. Evans, Esq.; Farnane, of Mrs. Costello;
Lillypot, of Mrs. Bradshaw; Castle Comfort, of the Rev.
T. O’Brien Costello; and the Deer-Park, the property of
Lord Carbery. Fairs are held on May 29th and Aug.
31st; besides which there are fairs at Murroe on April
29th and Oct. 27th. Petty sessions are held every alter-
nate Tuesday 3 and here is a station of the constabulary
police. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly,
with the rectory and vicarage of Tuough united, by act of
council in 1776 together forming the union of Abington,
in the patronage of the Archbishop of Cashel: the tithes
amount to £650, and of the, entire benefice, to £900.
The church is a neat small edifice, without tower or spire.
The glebe-house is situated on a glebe of 20 acres. In
the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a district,
comprising also Clonkeen and a small portion of Doone.
The chapel at Murroe is a large and handsome edifice,
built in 1811, and enlarged in 1836: there is another
old chapel at Borroe. The parochial schools are chiefly
supported by the rector; there is another school of
about 60 boys and 60 girls, also three pay schools.
Two handsome school-houses have been erected at
Kisikerk.
ACHILL, a parish, in the barony of BURRISHOOLE,
county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 14 miles
(W.) from Newport-Pratt; containing 5277 inhabitants.
This district comprehends the islands of Achill and
Achillbeg, and the peninsula of Coraan Achill. The
island of Achill, which is the largest off the Irish coast,
is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, and is separated from
the mainland by a narrow sound, of which the southern
part, at a place called Pollyranney, is fordable at low
water. It is bounded on the north by Blacksod and on
the south by Clew bays, and is 16 miles in length and
about 7 miles in breadth, forming a line of coast about
80 miles in circuit, and comprising 46,401 statute acres,
chiefly the property of Sir Richard A. O’Donnell, Bart.,
and partly belonging to the Marquess of Sligo. The
western side is mostly a precipitous range of cliffs, but
the eastern is in every part well sheltered. Achill
Head, a bold promontory, is situated on the south-
western extremity of the island, in lat. 58° 58’ 3” (N.),
and Ion. 10° 12’20” (W.); and at the northern extremity
is Saddle Head, at the entrance of Blacksod bay.
Between this and the smaller island of Achillbeg, which
is described under its own head, is a channel called
Achill Hole, where vessels drawing ten or twelve feet
of water may ride in safety in all states of the weather.
The peninsula of Coraan Achill, also called the Hook of
Achill, lies to the east of the island, and is connected
with the mainland by the narrow isthmus of Pollyran-
ney; a powerful tide runs in the sound at the narrows
called the Bull’s Mouth. The surface is very elevated,
rising into lofty eminences, of which the highest is the
hill of Coraan, 2254 feet above the level of the sea.
There is but little arable land, which is chiefly in the
valleys and near the shore. In addition to the mountains
of Coraan and Slievemore is Menal Hill, on which is a
precipice rising abruptly from the sea to the height of
700 feet. Till within the last fifteen years there were
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ACH
no roads in this retired district 5 the Sound is about a
mile across, and a house has been built and a ferry boat
established for the accommodation of travellers. There
are several good and safe harbours; and the Fishery
Board built a landing pier at this place. Keel is a coast-
guard station, and is one of the six that constitute the
district of Newport; and at Dugarth there is another,
which is one of the six included in the district of
Belmullet. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of
Tuam, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the
tithes amount to £100. There is neither church, glebe-
house, nor glebe: divine service is performed at the
house of the Achill mission, at Dugarth, twice every
Sunday, in the English and Irish languages. In the
R. C. divisions this forms a separate and distinct parish:
there are two places of worship, one at Kildavenet and
the other at Dookenella, but no regular chapel has been.
built. There are schools at Dugarth, Slievemore, Keel,
and Cashel, in which about 380 children receive instruc-
tion; also two pay schools, in which are 80 boys and 6
girls. There are remains of old churches, with burial-
grounds attached, at Kildurnet and Slievemore; and at
the former place are also the remains of an ancient
castle, which originally belonged to Grace O’Malley.
ACHILLBEG, an island, in the parish of ACHILL,
barony of BURRISHOOLE, county of MAYO, and province
of CONNAUGHT, 22 miles (W.) from Newport-Pratt: the
population is returned with the parish. This island is
situated on the western coast, and on the north side of
the entrance of Clew bay; it is separated from the larger
island of Achill by a narrow sound, which in some parts
is fordable and almost dry at low water. The western
shore is very wild, and, in consequence of the swells
running to a great height, is unapproachable even in the
calmest weather. It comprises about 200 statute acres,
the property of Sir Richard A. O’Donnell, Bart.; a
small portion of the land is arable, and the remainder is
rocky pasture. A coast-guard station has been esta-
blished here, and is one of the six stations constituting
the district of Westport.
ACHONRY, a parish and the head of a diocese, in
the barony of LENEY, county of SLIGO, and province
of CONNAUGHT, 6 miles (W. S. W.) from Ballymote;
containing 15,481 inhabitants. This place, anciently
called Achad, Achad-Conair, and Achad-Chaoin, was
granted about 530, by the chief of the territory of
Luigny, to St. Finian, Bishop of Clonard, who founded
an abbey here and placed over it his disciple St. Nathy,
who was afterwards made Bishop of Achonry. In 1798,
the French invaders marched from Castlebar through
Tnbbercurry, where a slight skirmish took place. The
parish is situated on the river Moy, and on the roads
from Boyle to Ballina and from Sligo to Swinford;
and comprises 40,500 statute acres, of which, 19,827
are applotted under the tithe act: about 24,300 acres
are arable and pasture land, and 16,200 are mountain
and bog, much of which the peasantry are reclaiming.
The land is generally good, and the system of husbandry
is improving: there are quarries of excellent limestone
and granite. The principal seats are Chaffpool, the
property of J. Armstrong, Esq.; Muckalta, of Jones
Irwin, Esq.; Achonry, of T. Rice, Esq.; Roadstown, of
D, O’Connor, Esq.; Corsalla, of D. O’Connor, Esq.;
Doornon, of H. Gray, Esq.; and Carrounaleck, or
J, Gray, Esq. Petty sessions are held at Tubbercurry