AShfield, County Cavan, Ireland

ASHFIELD, a parish, in the barony of TULLAGH-GARVEY, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, ½ a mile (S. W.) from Cootehill, on the road to Belturbet; containing 3013 inhabitants.

It formerly constituted part of the parish of Killersherdiny, from which it was separated in 1799; and comprises 4426 acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at about £4006 per annum. The land is in general good, and there is very little waste; the system of agriculture is slowly improving. The manufacture of linen for broad sheeting is carried on to a considerable extent.

Ashfield Lodge, the seat of Col. Clements, is beautifully situated on an eminence within view of the church, beneath which swiftly flows the Cootehill river, a tributary to Lough Erne, and is surrounded with extensive plantations. Fort Henry, formerly a seat of the Clements family, is now that of the Rev. J. Thompson.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Killersherdiny, with which parish the tithes are included and are payable to the vicar: the perpetual curate has a fixed annual income of £100, of which £50 is payable by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The church is a handsome edifice, with a lofty spire, occupying a very elevated site; it was built by aid of a gift of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1795, and, in 1818, the Board also granted £500, of which one half was a gift and the other a loan. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the same Board, in 1812; the glebe comprises 20 acres.

In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Killersherdiny: the chapel is situated at Drummurry. Besides the parochial school, there is one at Doohurrick under the patronage of Mrs. Clements; also three private pay schools.