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County Sligo, Ireland
Civil Parishes
Easkey
descriptions from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
EASKEY, a parish, in time barony of TYRERAGH; county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 11 1/2 miles (N. N. E.) from Ballina (Co. Mayo) on the old road to Sligo town ; containing 6124 inhabitants, of which numbers 289 are in the village.
This parish is situated on the north-west coast, between the entrances to the bays of Sligo and Killala ; it includes the Point of Kinesharrow, called also Rathlee Point, and comprises 12,977 statute arrest principally under an improving system of tillage ; there is a large quantity of bog. Limestone, which abounds with fossils, is found on the sea shore : much sea-weed is collected for manure. The village consists of one long street of 76 houses, and has petty sessions once a fortnight, a market on Wednesday for provisions, fairs on June 3rd and Nov. 18th, and is a chief constabulary police station ; fairs are also held at Rosslee in July, and on Oct. 28th.
Portland, pleasantly situated on the banks of the river Easkey, is the residence of R. Jones, Esq., proprietor of the salmon fishery here; Castletown, of T. Fenton, Esq. ; and Rathlee, of T. Jones, Esq.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to £586. 14s. 5d., equally divided between the bishop and the vicar. The glebe-house, on a glebe of nine acres, was built by a gift of £300, and a loan of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1815. The church is a neat building with a square tower, erected by aid of a loan of £1342, from the same Board ; the Ecclesiastical Commissioned have recently granted £130 for its repair
The Roman Catholic parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel.
Here is also a place of worship for Baptists.
About 600 children are educated in live public schools ; and at Killenduff is a school supported by Col. Irwin, who built the school-house, and endowed it with three acres of land.
In the village
are the ruins of the old parish church ; and there are considerable remains
of the old castle of Rosslee, formerly belonging to the O’Dowds,
and, on the opposite side of the river, the remains of another, on the lands
of Castletown. There are several Danish forts, and on the lands of
Townamodagh is a cromlech, seven feet high, and supported by four square
pillars. The shores of the parish are bold and rocky, and abound with curiosities.
At Alternan is a station, holy well, and saint’s bed, named after
St. Eranus, and much frequented by pilgrims ; the patron is held on
the last Sunday in July. Near Portland is a chalybeate spring.
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