DONAGHCAVEY, or FINDONAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of OMAGH, but chiefly in that of CLOGHER, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Fintona, 11,187 inhabitants.
At the general plantation, this parish was known as the smaller portion of Fintona, and was granted by Jas. I., partly to Sir F. Willoughby, and afterwards to John Leigh, Esq., under the name of Fentonagh, and partly to Sir. W. Cope, under the name of Derrybard : it is now called the manor of Castlemaine. It is situated on the road from Omagh to Enniskillen (Co. Fermanagh), and contains, according to the Ordnance survey, 23,052¼ statute acres, of which 18,342¼ are in the barony of Clogher, and 4710¼ in that of Omagh ; 9403 acres are applotted under the tithe act. Much of the mountainous land affords good pasturage for sheep and cattle, and is reclaimable ; the bogs afford fuel, but they are fast being worked out. Great benefit has been derived from the improvements of the resident gentlemen in cultivation and planting, and by new lines of road. The country around Fintona is fertile and well planted ; and the woods around Eccles are large and flourishing. Limestone it found within the parish, in which are some indications of coal and iron-ore. The inhabitants combine the weaving of linen cloth with their agricultural pursuits : there is a small forge, called a 'plating mill,' for manufacturing spades, shovels, &c. At Fintona a court is held monthly for the manor of Castlemaine.
The gentlemen's seats are, Ecclesville, the residence of C. Eccles, Esq. ; Derrabard House, of S. Vesey, Esq.; Cavan House, of W. Dickson, Esq. ; Cavan Lodge, of C. Lucas, Esq. ; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. J. McCormick.
The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop ; the rectory forms the corps of the prebend of Findonagh in the cathedral of Clogher. The tithes amount to £600 ; there is a glebe-house, and two globes comprising 400 acres. The gross annual value of the prebend is returned at £865. 17s. 8d. The church adjoins the town of Fintona, and was built after the civil war of 1641, during which the old one was destroyed ; it is a large and venerable edifice, with a modern square tower, which was erected and the church much improved by aid of a loan of £400, in 1818, from the late Board of First Fruits.
The Roman Catholic parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church ; the chapel is near Fintona.
There are two large meeting-houses for Presbyterians, and one for Wesleyan Methodists.
Here are thirteen schools, in which about 580 boys and 300 girls are taught ; and about 400 boys and 200 girls are educated in fifteen private schools : there are also six Sunday schools.
On an eminence, in the midst of an extensive cemetery, the remains of the old church form an interesting object; near the bridge are the remains of a very large cromlech. Nearly adjoining the glebe-house is a valuable sulphureous chalybeate spring.
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