AGHALEE,
or AGHANALEE, a parish, in the Upper half-barony of MASSAREENE,
county of ANTRIM, and province
of ULSTER, 1 mile (N. by W) from Moira, on the road from that
place to Antrim (town); containing 1411
inhabitants. This place obtained the name of Soldiers' town from
its having had, during the war in 1641, a barrack in the village, in
which were quartered two troops of horse and foot belonging to the royal
army.
The parish
is bounded on the west by Lough Neagh, and comprises, according
to the Ordnance survey, 2499 1/2 ; statute acres: the land is fertile
and in a very high state of cultivation; there is neither bog nor waste
land. Limestone abounds, and great quantities are shipped off by the
Lagan canal from Lough Neagh to Belfast
city.
Broom-mount
House is the property and residence of Statford Gorman, Esq.
Many of the working class are employed at their own houses in weaving
linen and cotton for the manufacturers of Belfast.
The parish
is in the diocese of Dromore; the rectory is impropriate
in the Marquess of Hertford; the vicarage forms part of
the union of Magheramesk.
The tithes amount to £100.16 shillings, of which £21.16sh.
is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar.
The church
of the union, situated here, is a small plain edifice in substantial
repair. The glebe-house, about half a mile from the church, was built
in 1826; and the glebe contains 13a., 3r., 9p., valued at £12.
8. 6. per annum.
In the
Roman Catholic divisions it forms part of the union or district of
Aghagallen (civil parish), and Ballinderry.
The parochial school, near the church, is principally supported by the
vicar; and there are two other public and two private schools.
A finely
wrought and flexible piece of gold, shaped like a gorget, was found
near this place a few years since.
