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Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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LAM<br />

the Burrin rock, dry at half tide, and on which a perch<br />

is placed; between it and the island are four fathoms<br />

of water. About a quarter of a mile from the north-<br />

western extremity of the island, or Scotch point, is a<br />

cluster of rocks called “the Tailors,” on which a beacon<br />

is placed; and between these rocks is a pier harbour,<br />

built by a grant of £591. 11.4. from the late Fishery<br />

Board, and of £451. 7. 8. from the proprietor, who after-<br />

wards obtained a grant from Government for its com-<br />

pletion. It has four feet depth at the entrance at low<br />

water, and small vessels may find good anchorage<br />

and shelter from the north-east and south-east gales.<br />

On the northern side of the island is the Cardurris<br />

rock; the remainder of the shore is lofty and precipi-<br />

tous, with clear ground at a short distance; and vessels<br />

may anchor in safety to leeward; on the south-eastern<br />

side is a spacious cavern, called “Seal Hole,” from the<br />

number of seals that breed there; and on the north side,<br />

between the Tailors and Cardurris rock, is a cavern<br />

about 150 feet in length, with stalagmites arising from<br />

the floor, and stalactites depending from the roof.<br />

Experienced pilots for the Dublin coast, and supplies of<br />

excellent spring water may always be obtained here, and<br />

on the island is a coast-guard station. The geological<br />

features are chiefly trap rock, greenstone in massive<br />

beds; greenstone porphyry alternating with small strata<br />

of clay-slate, conglomerate sandstone well adapted for<br />

mill-stones; grauwacke, and grauwacke slate; the por-<br />

phyry is found in abundance, and is susceptible of a very<br />

high polish, and indications of copper are found. The<br />

castle erected by Chalenor is of polygonal form, and is<br />

occasionally inhabited by the Rt. Hon. Lord Talbot de<br />

Malahide, proprietor of the island. In the R. C. divi-<br />

sions the island forms part of the union or district of<br />

Rush; the first stone of a chapel was laid in 1833 by<br />

the proprietor. There is an old burying-ground, also a<br />

well dedicated to the Holy Trinity.<br />

LAMBEG, a parish, partly in the baronies of UPPER<br />

BELFAST and UPPER MASSAREENE, county of ANTRIM,<br />

but chiefly in the barony of UPPER CASTLEREAGH,<br />

county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 2½ miles (N.)<br />

from Lisburn, on the old road from Belfast to Dublin;<br />

containing 1537 inhabitants, of which number, 175 are<br />

in the village. The parish, which is pleasantly situated<br />

on the river Lagan, comprises, according to the Ordnance<br />

survey, 1567 statute acres, of which 376¾ are in the<br />

county of Antrim. The land is good and the system of<br />

agriculture improved; and the surrounding scenery<br />

is pleasingly diversified. Lambeg House, the property<br />

and residence of A. Williamson, Esq., is a handsome<br />

modern mansion, formerly belonging to J. Williamson,<br />

Esq., author of an able treatise on the linen trade, and<br />

framer of the laws by which it is now regulated through-<br />

out Ireland; he was much persecuted for framing those<br />

laws, and was driven from his house and his native<br />

country by an infuriated mob. Chrome Hill, also a<br />

spacious modern mansion, was erected by R. Nevin,<br />

Esq., late of Manchester, who established here some<br />

extensive works for printing muslin, in which he first<br />

applied with success his invention of the “Ba Chrome,”<br />

now universally used, and also introduced, the oxyde of<br />

ohrome into the ornamental department of the china<br />

manufacture, from which circumstance he named his<br />

estate. The village is about a mile north of Lisburn,<br />

with which and also with Belfast it is connected by<br />

243<br />

LAN<br />

houses continued along the road between those towns.<br />

The blanket manufacture established by the Wolfenden<br />

family, who settled in this part of the country about<br />

two centuries since, is still carried on. On the river<br />

Lagan are two large bleach-greens; and further down<br />

the stream is the extensive printing establishment of<br />

Mr. Nevin, the buildings of which are capacious and<br />

furnished with every modern improvement in machinery.<br />

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Con-<br />

nor, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the<br />

rectory is appropriate as mensal, but the whole of the<br />

tithes, amounting to £103. 19. 2¾., are given by him to<br />

the curate. The church occupies the site of an ancient<br />

monastery, said to have been founded in the 15th century<br />

by Mac Donell for Franciscan friars of the third order;<br />

it is a small but handsome edifice in the Grecian style,<br />

with a tower at the west end. There is a place of worship<br />

for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster;<br />

also a national school, in which are about 90 children,<br />

and a private school of about 120 children. From a<br />

part of the churchyard being called the Nuns’ Garden,<br />

it has been supposed that there was a nunnery here, but<br />

no account of such an establishment is extant.<br />

LANESBOROUGH, a market and post-town (for-<br />

merly a parliamentary borough), partly in the parish of<br />

CLONTUSKERT, barony of BALLINTOBBER, county of<br />

ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, but chiefly<br />

in the parish and barony of RATHCLINE, county of<br />

LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (W.S. W.)<br />

from Longford, on the road to Roscommon, and 66¾<br />

(W. by N.) from Dublin; containing 390 inhabitants.<br />

This town derived its name from Sir G. Lane, whose<br />

lands of Ballyleagh and others in the county of Long-<br />

ford were erected into the manor of Lanesborough by<br />

charter of Chas. II. in the 17th of his reign; and to<br />

whom was also granted a court baron, with jurisdiction<br />

to the amount of 40s., and a court of record for the<br />

determination of pleas to the amount of £200. The<br />

same charter constituted the town a free borough, under<br />

a sovereign and two bailiffs, who were annually elected,<br />

and of whom the former, with his deputy, was a<br />

justice of the peace; 12 burgesses, elected by a majority<br />

of their own body as vacancies occurred; and an in-<br />

definite number of freemen, admitted by the burgesses,<br />

by whom also a recorder, town-clerk, serjeant-at-mace,<br />

and other officers were to be appointed. The corpora-<br />

tion continued to return two members to the Irish par-<br />

liament till the Union, when the borough was dis-<br />

franchised. For some time prior to the Union the<br />

corporation exercised scarcely any other municipal duty<br />

than that of returning the members to parliament,<br />

and since that period it has become virtually extinct.<br />

The town is advantageously situated for trade on the<br />

river Shannon, over which is a bridge of nine arches<br />

connecting the counties of Roscommon and Long-<br />

ford. The chief trade is the exportation of corn,<br />

pigs, and eggs, of which vast quantities are sent by<br />

the Shannon; eggs are also sent to Dublin by the<br />

Royal Canal from Killashee, near this town, to which<br />

place they are conveyed by land carriage. The market,<br />

which is abundantly supplied with agricultural produce,<br />

is on Wednesday; and a fair is held on the 12th of<br />

February. It has a sub-post-office to Longford; and<br />

there is a constabulary police station. About a mile to<br />

the south is Rathcline, the seat of Luke White, Esq.,<br />

212

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