Ardagh

Cork

Ardagh

ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Youghal, on the new mail-coach road from that place to Tallow; containing 2658 inhabitants.

This parish is situated on the confines of the county of Waterford, and comprises 7629 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3402 per annum. The general aspect is mountainous, and a large portion of its surface is unreclaimed, affording a plentiful supply of turf. The soil is for the most part poor and stony; and excepting the waste, the land is wholly in tillage and only indifferently cultivated.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £600. The church is an old plain building of small dimensions. There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises five acres.

In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Killeigh: the chapel is a small thatched building, situated at Inch.

There is a school for boys and girls at Killeigh, aided by a donation of £5 per ann. from Lord Ponsonby, who also gave the school-house rent-free, and contributes to another school for both sexes; there is only one pay school in the parish. On the banks of the Turra, which runs through the centre of the parish, is the ruined castle of Kilnaturra, a massive square tower in excellent preservation.

Ardagh

Limerick

Ardagh

ARDAGH, a parish, in the Shanid Division of the barony of LOWER CONNELLO, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (N. W.) from Newcastle, on the road from that place to Shanagolden ; containing 2197 inhabitants, of which number, 415 are in the village.

This place is situated in the heart of an interesting and fertile district; the village consists of one long irregular street, containing 65 houses, which are in a very ruiuous condition. Near it are the interesting remains of the old parish church, which was destroyed in the insurrection of 1641, and has not been rebuilt. Fairs are held on the 11th of May, Aug. 14th, and Nov 21st, chiefly for the sale of cattle, pigs, and pedlery. The parish comprises 6572 statute acres, as applotted : under the tithe act, exclusively of a considerable tract : of bog; the land is some of the best in the county and , finely planted; the system of agriculture is little improved, the fcrtility of the soil and the abundance of the crops rendering the farmer unwilling to change his plans. On the west it is bounded by heathy and boggy mountains, which contain several strata of coal, but the two upper strata, which are very thin, are alone worked: the only pits now open are at Carrigkerry. Iron-stone and fire clay of very superior quality are also abundant, but no attempt has yet been made to work them.

The seats are Ardagh Lodge, the residence of T. Fitzgibbon, Esq, ; and Ballynaborney, of W. Upton, Esq.

The parish is in the diocese of Limerick, and the rectory forms part of the union of St. Michael and corps of the archdeaconry, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £184 12s. 3.75d.

In the Roman Catholic divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Rathronan and part of the parish of Kilscannell ; the chapel, a large but old and neglected building, is situated in the village, where a school-house is now in course of erection.

There are two schools, in which are about 100 boys and 80 girls.

Ardagh

Longford

Ardagh

ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MOYDOW, but chiefly in that of ARDAGH, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W.S.W.) from Edgeworthstown ; containing 4980 inhabitants; of which number, 142 are in the village, which comprises 25 houses and is wholly in the latter barony.

This ancient place derives its name from its elevated situation, and its origin may at the latest be ascribed to the middle of the fifth century, when its church was founded. Subsequently here was a friary of the third order of St. Francis, founded at Ballynesaggard by the family of O'Ferrall, and reformed in 1521 by the friars of the Strict Observance. The parish is situated on the nearest road from Mullingar to Longford over Ballicorkey bridge, but the coach road is through Edgeworthstown, from which there is a penny post. It comprises 10,063 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £8073 per annum; there is a moderate extent of bog, but no waste land. The land is good, and is principally under tillage, and the system of agriculture, though still very backward, has considerably improved.

Ardagh House is the seat of Sir G. R, Fetherston, Bart. ; Richfort, of J. A. Richardson, Esq,; Oldtown, of Thornton Gregg, Esq. ; and Drumbawn, of Peyton Johnston, Esq.

Fairs are held on April 5th and Aug. 26th. Petty sessions are held every Thursday; and here is a constabulary police station.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, and constituting the corps of the deanery, which is in the patronage of the Crown. The tithes amount to £482:11s:5.50d. ; and the mensal and other lands of the deanery, exclusively of several houses, tolls of fairs, a plot of nearly two acres on which the deanery-house is built, a farm of 13a. 1r. 10p., and a large a bog, comprise 714a. 2r. 35p., (statute measure) producing, with the annual renewal fines, a rental of £292:11s:2d. per annum. The church is a plain commodious building with a square tower, for the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £900, in 1812, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £301 for its repair. The deanery-house was built in 1823, by a gift of £100 and a loan of £1,200 from the same Board.

In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, which includes also the adjoining parish of Moydow, in each of which is a chapel; that of Ardagh is situated near the village.

The parochial school for boys is principally supported by a grant of £40 per ann. from Dr. Murray, the present dean, who also contributes annually £15 towards the support of the girls' school, which is further aided by an annual grant of £5 from the Ardagh Diocesan Society: the school-house is a good slated building of two stories, with apartments for the master and mistress, erected by Dr. Murray at an expense of £400, and attached to it is an acre of land. There are 40 boys and 30 girls in this school, and in the private pay schools are about 290 boys and 170 girls: there is also a Sunday school for boys and girls.

Some remains of the old cathedral church, a small edifice rudely built of fragments of rock of a large size, are still visible; it was superseded by another church, now also in ruins, and the present edifice was erected near its site, St. Mell (patron Saint of county Longford) was interred here, and his festival is annually celebrated on Feb. 6th.

The comedy of the "Mistakes of a Night" written by Dr. Goldsmith, derives its plot from an incident that occurred at this village to the author, who, on passing through it, having inquired for the "head inn," was directed by a humorous individual to the residence of the proprietor of the place, Mr. Fetherston, who perceiving the delusion, nevertheless indulged it, and hospitably entertained his guest; and it was not until next morning that, on finishing his breakfast and calling for the bill, the poet discovered his mistake.

Ardagh

Mayo

Ardagh

ARDAGH, a parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, miles (W.S.W.) from Ballina town; containing 1813 inhabitants.

This parish is situated on the shores of Lough Conn and the river Deel, and on the road from Ballina to Crossmolina: it comprises 3215 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1794 per annum; the land is chiefly under tillage. There are large tracts of bog, furnishing abundance of fuel.

Deel Castle, the seat of St. George Cuff, Esq., is delightfully situated on the river Deel, and in a fine demesne.

Fairs are held at Newtown on the 4th of Aug. and the 1st of Nov.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, with the vicarages of Ballynahaglish, Kilbelfad, Kilmoremoy, Attymass, and Kilgarvan episcopally united, constituting the union of Ardagh, in the patronage of the Bishop: the rectory is partly appropriate to the precentorship of the cathedral of Killala, and partly to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christchurch, Dublin. The tithes amount to £110:15:4 1/2 , of which £38:10:10. is payable to the precentor of Killala, £13:16:11. to the Vicars choral, and £55:7:84. to the vicar. The glebes which are detached, comprise together 31 acres; and the gross tithes payable to the incumbent amount to £948:19:2 1/4 . The church of this parish is in ruins, and the church of the union is situated at Kilmoremoy. An episcopal chapel has been partly built at Deel Castle, but is not yet roofed.

The Roman Catholic parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel, a neat slated building, is situated at Newtown.(Note : Lewis tells us that the civil parish of Kilfyan (Kilfian) is partly in the Union of Ardagh, and makes no mention of this in his Ardagh description)

Here is a school of 60 boys and 30 girls.

Ardagh

Meath

Ardagh

ARDAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MORGALLION, but chiefly in that of LOWER SLANE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (E.S.E.) from Kingscourt (Co. Cavan); containing 2408 inhabitants.

This parish, which is situated on the road from Drumconra to Kingscourt, and on the confines of the counties of Louth, Monaghan, and Cavan; comprises 3290 stature acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which 2835 are arable, 324 are pasture, 112 are bog, and 19 woodland. Here are extensive quarries of limestone, of which a large quantity is sent into the county of Cavan to be burnt for manure.

The living is a perpetual cure, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate; the tithes amount to £207.6 shillings 5 and one 1/2 pence, which is payable to the Bishop. The church is a plain edifice, built in 1805, for the repair of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted :6125. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of ten acres.

In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish is united to Drumconra : the chapel, a plain building, is situated at Ballinavoren. There are three hedge schools in the parish.

On the townland of Cloughrea are the remains of an old castle; and at the northern extremity of the parish, but principally in the county of Monaghan, there is a considerable lake, called Rahans.