Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, Ireland

 

BALLYJAMESDUFF, a market and post-town, and a district parish, in the barony of CASTLERAHAN, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 8½ miles (S. E.) from Cavan town, and 44¾ miles (N. W. by W.) from Dublin city ; containing 3557 inhabitants, of which number, 863 are in the town.

The town is situated on the old mail coach road from Virginia to Cavan, and consists of five streets, containing together 150 houses. The market is on Tuesday, and is amply supplied ; and fairs are held on Feb. 4th, March 8th, April 16th, May 7th, June 10th, July 17th, Aug. 15th, Sept. 2nd, Oct. 26th, Nov. 29th, and Dec. 23rd. Here is a constabulary police station and petty sessions are held.

The parish was created in 1831, by disuniting nine town-lands from the parish of Castlerahan, five from that of Denn, two from Lurgan, and four from the parish of Kildrumferton. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the several Incumbents of the above parishes, who present in rotation : the stipend of the perpetual curate is £80 per annum, towards which £30 is contributed by the incumbent of Castleraghan £20 by the incumbent of Kildrumferton, and £15 each by the incumbents of Denn and Lurgan. The church is a plain edifice, erected in 1834 by aid of a grant of £900 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and subscriptions amounting to £200.

In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Castleraghan and Munterconnaught; the chapel is a spacious building.

There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and of the third class also two for Wesleyan Methodists.

A school at Remonan is supported by Lord Farnham, and another at Ballyjamesduff is aided by private subscriptions : about 140 boys and 150 girls are instructed in these schools, and there are three pay schools, situated respectively at Rawson, Lackenmore, and Lackenduff, in which are about 150 boys and 90 girls.