Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

LOU
principal seats are Seaforde House, the splendid mansion
and demesne of Col. M. Forde, noticed in the article on
Seaforde; Ardilea, of the Rev. W. Annesley, a hand-
some residence near Clough; and Draper Hill, of J.
Cromie, Esq., about halfway between Ballynahinch and
Castlewilliam. The linen manufacture was established
here in 1815 by Mr. Cromie, and not less than 42,000
webs are annually made from English mill-spun yarn,
affording employment to more than 3000 persons. The
living is a rectory, in the diocese of Down, constitut-
ing the corps of the precentorship of the cathedral, and
in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to
£550. The. church, situated at Seaforde, is a handsome
edifice in the Grecian style, with an octagonal spire of
wood covered with copper; it was built in 1720, and
has been recently repaired by a grant of £362 from the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners; the approach to it is
through a fine avenue of trees. In the R. C. divisions
the parish is partly in the union or district of Bally-
kindlar, and the remainder forms the head of the dis-
trict of Loughin-Island; the chapel is a plain building,
and there is also a chapel at Drumaroad for the union
of Ballykindlar. There is a place of worship at Clough
for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of
Ulster, of the third class, and at Seaforde for Presby-
terians in connection with the Seceding Synod, of the
second class. About 570 children are taught in seven
public schools, of which one, for which a house was
built by the governors and Col. Forde, at an expense of
£600, is supported by the trustees of Erasmus Smith’s
fund, who pay £30 per ann. to the master, who has also
an annual donation from the rector, and a house and
garden with two acres of land; and a female school was
built in 1816, and is endowed with £14 per ann. by Col.
Forde: in these two schools 95 children are annually
clothed by Col. and Lady Harriet Forde, by whom two
other schools are also endowed with £8 per ann.; and
there are two national and three Sunday schools. Mrs.
M c Kenny, in 1832, gave £50 to the poor of Clough, the
interest of which is annually divided among them; and
there is an annual fund of £24 for the purchase of blan-
kets to be distributed among the poor in the winter.
Near Seaforde are the ruins of Drumcaw church, for-
merly a separate parish: near it is a perfect circular
fort, and at the termination of the townland is a very
ancient bridge of one lofty arch over the Moneycarry
river. At Clough are the ruins of an old castle within
an ancient fort on the summit of a hill commanding a
full view of two separate lines of forts, and the whole
of Dundrum bay and castle. At Anadorn is a mound,
called Castle Hill, on which was the castle of the
M c Cartans, ancient proprietors of the country; near it
is a cairn, 60 yards in circuit, having in it a kistvaen,
in which were found calcined bones and ashes. There
are some remains of the ancient church with its ce-
metery, of the old church built in 1547, and of the cell
of St. Fynian, afterwards a private chapel and the
burial-place of the ancient family of the M c Cartans.
LOUGHMORE EAST.—See CALLABEG.
LOUGHMORE WEST, or LOUGHMOE, a parish,
in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and
province of MUNSTER, 2½ miles (S. by E.) from Temple-
more, on the road to Thurles and Clonmel; containing
2878 inhabitants, and, with Loughmore East, compris-
ing 6923 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act.
316
LOU
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, and
in the gift of the Archbishop; the rectory is impropriate
in the Marquess of Ormonde. The tithes amount to
£536. 6., of which £296. 6. is payable to the impro-
priator, and the remainder to the vicar. There is no
church or glebe-house. In the R. C. divisions it forms
part of the union or district of Loughmore and Castle-
inny, which also comprises the parish of Temple-erry,
and contains a chapel in each parish. About 220 chil-
dren are educated in three private schools.
LOUGHRASK, a hamlet, in the parish of DROM-
CREEHY, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and pro-
vince of MUNSTER; containing 17 houses and 95 in-
habitants.
LOUGHREA, a market and post-town, and a pa-
rish, in the barony of LOUGHREA, county of GALWAY,
and province of CONNAUGHT, 18 miles (E. by S.) from
Galway, and 86½| (W. by S.) from Dublin; containing
7876 inhabitants, of which number, 6268 are in the
town and suburbs. This place, which is situated on the
shore of Lough Rea, was chiefly remarkable for its
monastery, founded by Richard de Burgh, about the
year 1300, for Carmelites or White friars; after the
dissolution it was granted to Richard, Earl of Clan-
ricarde, ancestor of the present proprietor. A castle
was erected here by the Earl of Ulster at an early period,
and the town, from its situation in the approach to
Galway, was deemed of so much importance that it was
fortified. It at present consists of several streets, and
contains 1229 houses, of which many are neat and well
built. There is a promenade called the Mall, which is
much frequented, and the neighbourhood abounds with
pleasingly diversified scenery The lake, which is about
one mile in diameter, has three small islands of pictu-
resque appearance, and its shores are enlivened by some
pleasing cottages, and embellished on the south and east
with hills of beautiful verdure. An extensive brewery
has been erected on the side of the lake by Mr. L.
Fahy. The market is on Thursday, and is well supplied
with grain and provisions of every kind, and with
poultry in abundance. Fairs are held on Feb. 11th, May
26th and 27th, Aug. 20th, and Dec. 5th; the May fair is
numerously attended by purchasers for horses, cattle,
sheep, and pigs, of which last great numbers are sold at
all the fairs. A chief constabulary police force is stationed
in the town, which is also the head station of the central
district of the revenue police, including those of Lough-
rea, Galway, Ballinasloe, and Athlone, and comprising
a force of three lieutenants, three Serjeants, and 58
privates, under the control of a resident sub-inspector.
A manorial court is held before the seneschal; petty
sessions are held every Thursday, and quarter sessions
twice in the year before the assistant barrister for the
county.
The parish comprises 5373 statute acres, as ap-
plotted under the tithe act; the soil is fertile and the
system of agriculture improving; there is a moderate
quantity of bog and scarcely any waste land; building
stone is found and extensively quarried. The living is
a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert;
the rectory is partly appropriate to the deanery, and
partly to the vicarage, which latter is episcopally united
to the vicarages of Kilteskill Kilrickill, and Kilnadeema,
and in the patronage of the Marquess of Clanricarde.
The tithes amount to £154.12.2¼., of which £23.1.6½.