Loughgilly civil parish, Co. Armagh

LOUGHGILLY, a parish, partly in the barony of LOWER FEWS, and partly in that of UPPER FEWS, but chiefly in the barony of LOWER ORIOR, county of ARMAGH, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (E. S. E.) from Market-Hill, on the road from Armagh city to Newry; containing, with the district parish of Baleek and the village of Mountnorris, 10,198 inhabitants.

This parish, which takes its name from the lake on which it is situated, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 16,029½ statute acres, including 80½ of water ; of these, 5299 are in Lower Fews, 2289½ in Upper Fews, and 8441¼ in Lower Orior. The lake extended several miles in length from Pointz-pass to Mountnorris, forming a continued morass and fortified by a military post at the former, and at the latter by another erected by Gen. Norris, from whom that station had its name ; but with the exception of about 5 acres of water near the glebe-house, the whole has been drained and brought into cultivation. The land is fertile ; about three-fourths are under tillage and in a very high state of cultivation ; the remainder, though in some parts rocky, affords good pasture. Slate is found in the parish, but the quarries are not at present worked.

There are several substantial and some handsome houses, of which the principal are Glendale, the elegant residence of W. Atkinson, Esq. ; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. Dr. Stuart.

In the southern part of the parish is a small lake, called Loughshaws, from which a small stream flowing through Glenaune affords a conveneint site for some extensive malls that have been established here for spinning cotton and weaving calico, in which are 170 power-looms, affording employment to nearly 300 persons ; and also for bleach-greens and other mills, in which the manufactured goods are finished for the English markets. Since the establishment of these works, the proprietor has planted a great portion of mountainous and rocky land, introduced a good practical system of agriculture, and greatly improved the entire neighbourhood. A manorial court for the district of Baleek is held here every month, in which debts to the amount of 40s. are recoverable.

The district of Baleek was separated from this parish in 1826 and erected into a perpetual curacy. The living of Loughgilly is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Lord-Primate; the tithes amount to £926. 18s. 4d. The glebe-house was built in 1782, at an expense of £923. 1s. 6 ½ d., and subsequently enlarged and improved at a cost of £1819 ; the glebe comprises 500 statute acres, valued at £585. 11s. 8d., per annum. The church is a spacious and handsome edifice with a tower, originally built at art expense of £1384. 12s. 3¼d., a loan from the late Board of First Fruits, and rebuilt in 1828 by aid of a gift of £830. 15s. from the same Board. (In 1771 townlands from this parish were taken to form the parish of Forkhill)

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Ballymoyler and Baleek, in each of which is a chapel.

There are places of worship for Presbyterians it connection with the Synod of Ulster and the Seceding Synod, also for Covenanters.

About 350 children are taught in four public schools, of which the male and female parochial schools are supported by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's fund, and one by Lord Gosford, who has endowed it with an acre of land. The parochial school-house was built on the glebe in 1813. at an expense of £250. There are also a private school, in which are about 60 children, and seven Sunday schools. A school-house is being built at Killycarran by the Education Society, who intend endowing it with £30 per annum from the surplus funds of the collegiate school at Armagh, which latter was founded by Chas. I., who granted seven townlands in this parish for the foundation of a school at Mountnorris, but which was some years afterwards established at Armagh.

Four unendowed almshouses were built by Dean Dawson, in 1811, for four aged women; and the late Lord Gosford bequeathed a sum of money, of which the interest is annually distributed among the poor.

During the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone, the garrison of this place was put to the sword by the O'Donells ; it also suffered greatly in the war of 1641, when a dreadful carnage took place. There are several remains of fortifications in the neighbourhood; the “Tyrone Ditches '' are near the junction of the parish with those of Killevy and Ballymore ; but of the extensive fortress of Port-Norris, or Mount-Norris not a vestige can be traced.

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