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FAHAN (LOWER), a parish, in the barony of ENNISHOWEN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Buncrana (which is described under its own head), 5614 inhabitants. This parish originally formed the Lower, or Northern portion of the extensive parish of Fahan, from which it was separated in 1795; it is bounded on the west by Lough Swilly, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 24,782 3/4 statute acres. A great portion is mountain, affording good pasturage, of which Slieve Snaght, on the north-eastern boundary, rises, according to the above survey, 2019 feet above the level of the sea. The valleys are well watered and productive, and agriculture is improving. Freestone is abundant, and limestone is found in almost every part: there are also indications of lead, copper, and iron ore. There is a coast-guard station at Ballinary; and at Neids' point is a battery, erected in 1812, now under the care of a master-gunner and five artillerymen. Lough Swilly is very spacious and deep, affording anchorage for large ships; vast numbers of oysters, cod, and haddock are taken in it. Here are many gentlemen's seats, the principal of which are Buncrana Castle, the residence of Mrs. Todd, which was once the seat of the powerful sept of The O'Doherty, who governed the entire country for several centuries; the Lodge, unoccupied; Rockfort, of the Rev. W. H. Stuart; Townsend Lodge, of Col. Downing; River-View, of W. Camac, Esq.; and the Cottage, belonging to Dr. Evans. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Rector of Upper Fahan: the tithes amount to £420. The church, in the town of Buncrana, was built in 1804, by aid of a gift of £500, and considerably enlarged by a loan of £390 in 1816, from the late Board of First Fruits; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £370 for its further enlargement and repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Upper and Lower Fahan and Desertegney; there is a large chapel at Cock Hill. At Buncrana is a meetinghouse for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster; and the Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists have each a place of worship. The parochial school, at Buncrana, is aided by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity: there are also male and female schools at Luddon, and a national school at Cock Hill. In these schools about 280 children are instructed; and there are eight private schools, in which are about 320 children, and a Sunday school. Not far from Ballinary is a very curious fort, or cairn, called Dooninary, chiefly composed of loose stones, having smaller ones as outposts.

FAHAN, or FOCHAN (UPPER), a parish, in the barony of ENNISHOWEN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 7 miles (N. W.) from Londonderry, on the road to Buncrana; containing 3309 inhabitants. St. Columb founded here the Abbey of Fathenmura, also called Fochan Mor, or Fothenmor, which subsequently became richly endowed and for many centuries was held in great veneration: it contained many relics of antiquity, among which was the Book of the Acts of St. Columb, written by the Abbot St. Murus, or Muran, (to whom the great church was dedicated,) in Irish verse, some fragments of which still remain; also a very large and ancient chronicle, held in high repute. The parish is bounded on the west by Lough Swilly, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 10,040 1/4 statute acres; some of the land is very rich and well cultivated. The mountains afford good pasturage; the Scalp rises, according to the above survey, 1589 feet above the level of the sea. Near Fahan Point are slate rocks, lying close upon the shores of the Lough, which have not yet been much worked: there is also an abundance of millstone grit, which is quarried for making and repairing the roads, and excellent freestone. The principal seats are Glengollan, the residence of Charles Norman, Esq., proprietor of the greater part of the parish; Birdstown, of the Rev. P. B. Maxwell; Roseville, of Miss Schoales; Fahan House, of T. Kough, Esq.; and the Glebe-house, of the Rev. W. Hawkshaw. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £360. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £100, in 1822, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 52 acres. The church is a large handsome edifice, built by aid of a loan of £1000, in 1820, from the same Board; it has a square tower with pinnacles.

In the R. C. divisions the parish is united to Desertegney and Lower Fahan, and has a large chapel, built in 1833. At Cashel is a meeting-house for Presbyterians in connection with the Seceding Synod. The parochial school, in which are about 50 children, is aided by subscriptions; the school-house, a large and handsome building, was erected in 1828, by the Kildare-place Society. There are also two other public schools, one of which is aided by the Rev. P. B. Maxwell; and a national school is held at the R. C. chapel. About 220 children are taught in five private schools, and there are four Sunday schools. There are no remains of the abbey, but several valuable relics have been found, some of which are in the possession of the rector: the east window of the old church is nearly entire, affording an elegant specimen of the architecture of the 15th century. St. Murus's bed, or grave, and a holy well, are much resorted to by the peasantry.

FAHEERAN, a hamlet, in the parish of KILCUMREAGH, barony of KILCOURSEY, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER; containing 14 houses and 70 inhabitants.

FAHEY, a parish, in the barony of LONGFORD, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3 1/4 miles (S. W.) from Clonfert, on the road from Eyrecourt to Loughrea; containing 1233 inhabitants, and comprising 2572 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, forming part of the union of Dononaughta; the rectory is appropriate partly to the see of Clonfert, and partly to the prebend of Kilmeen in the cathedral of Tuam. The tithes amount to £74. 10., of which £35 is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £12. 10. to the prebendary, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Kilquane, or Queenborough, and contains a chapel.

FAITHLEGG, a parish, in the barony of GAULTIER, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (E.) from Waterford, at the confluence of the rivers Suir and Barrow 5 containing 724 inhabitants. This parish forms the termination of a promontory commanding a magnificent and highly interesting view, comprehending, towards Waterford, the course of the Suir winding between cultivated hills and encircling Little Island, with the confluence of the rivers forming an expanse of nearly three miles, terminated in the back ground by Mount Leinster, and on the right by Tory Hill, Slievekielta, and the Wexford mountains. At the extremity of the promontory is the small village of Checkpoint, formerly the Waterford post-office packet station, and the seat of a cotton and a rope manufactory, which since the removal of the packets to Dunmore have been discontinued. The parish comprises 1291 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the system of agriculture, with few exceptions, is unimproved, and there is very little bog. Limestone for burning, and other manures, are brought hither by means of the Suir; stone of good quality for building is found in abundance; and slate and lead ore, with a large proportion of cobalt, were procured till lately. Faithlegg House, the seat of N. Power, Esq., is spacious and situated in a well-planted and highly improved demesne, commanding a fine view up the river; Woodlands is the pleasant residence of M. Dobbyn, Esq.; and Ballycanvan, of R. Morris, Esq. A patent exists for fairs, but none have been held for many years. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Waterford, and forms part of the union of Kill-St. Nicholas: the tithes amount £110. In the R. C. divisions, it is part of the union or district of Passage; the chapel was built at the expense of N. Power, Esq. About 40 children are taught in a national school in the R. C. chapel, and there are two private schools, in which are about 60 children. Dr. W. Downes, who was interred in the old church (now in ruins), bequeathed £50 per annum, to be paid to the person employing the greatest number of poor persons in some useful manufacture; and large sums to the Dublin University, to be distributed as premiums among such students as had made the greatest proficiency in theology, and in reading the liturgy of the Established Church with the most impressive solemnity. There are some remains of an old castle and a rath, near which several cannon balls have been found in turning up the ground; the former was defended against the forces of Cromwell in 1649, when besieging Waterford, by its proprietor, Aylward, but surrendered to Capt. Bolton, who afterwards obtained possession of the estate, now the property of N. Power, Esq.

FALLS UPPER, a district of the parish of BELFAST, in the barony of UPPER BELFAST, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER: the population is returned with Belfast. It is a perpetual cure, or chapelry, in the diocese of Connor, endowed with the small tithes, amounting to £50, and in the gift of the vicar of Belfast: the rectorial tithes, amounting to £100, are impropriate in the Marquess of Donegal.

FAMAGH CHURCH, a parish, in the barony of GOWRAN, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (S. S. E.) from Thomastown, on the road to Innistiogue; containing 128 inhabitants, and comprising 623 statute acres. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Thomastown; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Ormonde, to whom the tithes, amounting to £26, are wholly payable. In the R. C. divisions also it is part of the union or district of Thomastown. Brownsbarn is the residence of John Nixon, Esq.

FANLOBBUS, a parish, in the Western Division of the barony of EAST CARBERY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, on the river Bandon, and on the road from Cork to Bantry; containing, with the post-town of Dunmanway (which is described under its own head), 11,405 inhabitants. It comprises 32,743 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £12,494 per annum; about 370 acres are woodland, 16,100 good arable and pasture, and the remainder mountain and bog, of which a great part is reclaimable. Much of the land was brought into cultivation for flax during the prosperity of the linen manufacture, for which the town of Dunmanway was one of the principal marts in this part of the country; but at present wheat is the principal produce and is raised in large quantities for the supply of the boulting-mills in the neighbourhood. The system of agriculture is still capable of improvement; the old heavy wooden plough is in general use. There is a large proportion of bog, and at Dareens are some remains of an extensive forest of oak. At Mohany are some small slate quarries, and at Corrigscullighy is found calcareous schist. The principal seats are the Manor House, a handsome building, erected by the late H. Cox, Esq., and now the residence of his family; Manch House, the seat of D. Conner, Esq., an elegant villa four miles from the town, situated on a terrace, and surrounded with a highly cultivated demesne; Woodbrook, of H. Gillman, Esq.; Kilronan, of N. B. Jagoe, Esq.; and Laurel Mount, of R.Townsend, Esq. There are fairs at Dunmanway, and a fair is annually held at Ballybuie on the 5th of August. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is partly appropriate to the vicars choral and partly constitutes the corps of the prebend of Dromdaleague in the cathedral of St. Finbarr, Cork. The tithes amount to £923. 1. 4 1/2., which is equally divided between the appropriators and the vicar. There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises 23 acres. The church, situated in the town of Dunmanway, was rebuilt in 1821, by aid of a loan of £1200 from the late Board of First Fruits, and has recently been repaired by a grant of £210 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the old burial-ground, about a mile and a half from the town, are some remains of the former church, consisting only of a circular-headed window. In the R. C. divisions the parish is united to part of Ballymoney, forming the union of Dunmanway, in which are three chapels, two being in this parish, one at Dunmanway, and the other at Togher. There is a place of worship at Dunmanway for Wesleyan Methodists. About 500 children are taught in eight public schools, of which one is aided by the vicar, one supported by D. Connor, Esq., one by W. L. Shuldham, Esq., and two under the National Board; and there are 13 private schools, in which are about 480 children, and two Sunday schools. About three miles to the north of the town is Togher Castle, a lofty tower, said to have been built by Randal McCarty, who also built the castle of Ballinacorrigy, at the same distance to the south-east, in the adjoining parish of Ballymoney. In Owen Mountain, in this parish, the rivers Bandon, Ilen, and Moyalla, have their sources.

FARBANE, a post-town, partly in the parish of GALEN, and partly in that of WHERRY, barony of GARRYCASTLE, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (N. E.) from Banagher, and 57 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the river Brosna, and on the road from Clara to Banagher; containing 501 inhabitants. This town, which is within a few miles of the junction of the Brosna with the Shannon, is pleasantly situated on the banks of the former river, over which is a bridge commanding a beautiful view of the verdant plains and rich plantations through which it winds its course. It contains 106 houses, has a customary market on Thursday, fairs on Aug. 2nd and Oct. 20th, and a constabulary police station. The parochial church of Wherry is situated here, and a large R. C. chapel has been recently erected. There is also a dispensary. In the vicinity are several gentlemen's seats, which are noticed in the articles on the parishes of Galen and Wherry.

FARCET, FARSIDE, or ROSTELLAN, a village, in the parish of AGHADA, barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Cloyne, on the road to Whitegate, and on the harbour of Cork; containing 123 inhabitants. It is situated at the head of a small creek, and consists of a range of neat houses extending along the shore and chiefly occupied by the domestics and workmen of the Marquess of Thomond, whose seat, Rostellan Castle, immediately adjoins the village. Fairs are held on Feb. 2nd and March 25th for general farming stock. Near the village are a convenient quay and stores, where coal, sea-sand, and other articles are landed. Here is the parochial school, founded by the late Bishop Brinkley, who endowed it with two acres of land; it is almost entirely supported by the Marchioness of Thomond.--See ROSTELLAN and AGHADA.

FARIHY, a parish, in the barony of FERMOY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W.) from Mitchelstown, on the road to Doneraile; containing 2085 inhabitants. It comprises 4770 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3475 per annum. The land is of medium quality and chiefly under tillage; and the state of agriculture is gradually improving. There is a considerable portion of mountain pasture in the north of the parish, where it borders on the county of Limerick, from which it is separated by part of the range called the Galtees. Two small oatmeal-mills are worked by streams from these mountains, at the foot of which is situated Bowenscourt, the seat of H. C. Bowen, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, forming the corps of the deanery of Cloyne, in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £410. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £900, in 1819, from the late Board of First Fruits, and has a glebe attached of about 25 statute acres. The church, a plain building with a tower surmounted by a small wooden spire, is now undergoing a thorough repair, for which purpose the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently made a grant of £317. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Kildorrery. About 12 children are instructed in a Sunday school, under the superintendence of the Protestant clergyman.

FARTAGH, or FERTAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of CRANAGH, but chiefly in that of GALMOY, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (S. W.) from Durrow, on the mail coach road from Athy to Cashel; containing, with the post-town of Johnstown (which is described under its own head), 3205 inhabitants. A priory for Canons Regular of the order of St. Augustine was founded here in the 13th century by the Blanchfield family, which, after its dissolution, was granted by Queen Elizabeth to a member of the family of Butler. The ancient chapel is still remaining, and contains a large table monument with the recumbent figure of a warrior, and formerly of a female by his side, supposed to be members of the Fitzpatrick family; and another tomb with a female figure, having a singular head dress. A few yards to the west of this building are the roofless remains of an ancient round tower, still 96 feet high and cracked from the doorway to the summit. The parish comprises 6353 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £4067 per annum, which, with the exception of a very small portion of wood and a little waste, is good arable and pasture land. Near Ballyspellan is a quarry of fine limestone used for tombstones. The principal seats are Violet Hill, the residence of Gorges Hely, Esq.; Melross, of C. Hely, Esq.; and Ellenville, of Mrs. Hely. Fowks Court, formerly the residence of Chief Justice Hely, and now the property of his descendant, G. Hely, Esq., was a very handsome seat, but is now in ruins. A fair, chiefly for pigs, is held on the 5th of March. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £360. 19. The glebe-house was erected by a gift of £323 and a loan of £415 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1828; and there is a glebe. The church is a very neat edifice, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £174 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish is part of the union or district of Eirke; there is a chapel at Johnstown, and another at Galmoy. About 120 girls are taught in the parochial school, and there are four private schools, in which are about 380 children. Here are the ruins of the castle of Killesheelan. The Ballyspellan spa, in this parish, is a powerful chalybeate, and is in great repute for its medicinal properties.

FAUGHANSTOWN.--See FAUGHLEY.

FAUGHANVALE, a parish, in the barony of TIRKERAN, county of LONDONDERRY, and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (S. E.) from Londonderry, on the mail coach road to Coleraine; containing 6218 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the north by Lough Foyle, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 18,582 1/4 statute acres, the greater portion of which was granted in 1609, by Jas. I., to the Grocers' Company of London, who in 1619 erected a strong and handsome castle, surrounded by a bawn, in which they placed a powerful garrison. In the war of 1641 this castle sustained a siege for several months, and resolutely held out against the parliamentarians till the garrison was relieved; it was again besieged and finally taken and dismantled by the parliament; the ruins were standing till 1823, when they were removed, and the present glebe-house erected on the site. Of the remainder of the parish, part is held in perpetuity equally by Lesley Alexander, Esq., and the heirs of the late Sir Wm. Ponsonby, who pay a chief rent of £200 per ann. to the Goldsmiths' Company; part belongs to Major Scott, part to the see of Derry, and a few of the native townlands in the Grocers' proportion to the Marquess of Londonderry. The land is generally fertile, especially round the villages of Faughanvale and Muff, and the system of agriculture has been greatly improved under the auspices of the North West Agricultural Society, and the gentry resident in the district. Many thousand acres of bog and waste land have been reclaimed and brought into profitable cultivation; the lands are well drained and fenced, and there are extensive and flourishing plantations, exclusively of the ancient oak woods of Walworth, which are principally in this parish. At Creggan and Tullynee are quarries of excellent slate, but they are only partially worked, and principally for flags and tombstones. The principal seats are Willsborough, that of Major Scott; Foyle Park, of Lesley Alexander, Esq.; Campsey, of J. Quin, Esq.; Creggan, of T. Major, Esq., Coolafeeney, of T. Lecky, Esq.; Muff House, of the Rev. J. Christie; and Tullybrisland, of T. Major, Esq. A manorial court, in which debts not exceeding 40s. are recoverable, is held at Muff for that part of the parish which belongs to the Grocers' Company. The living is a rectory and perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Derry; the rectory forming part of the union of Templemore and of the corps of the deanery of Derry, and the curacy in the patronage of the Dean. The tithes amount to £700, payable to the dean, and the glebe comprises 1035 statute acres. The curacy was instituted in 1823; the stipend is £92. 6. 2., of which £69. 4. 7 1/2. is paid by the dean, and £23. 1. 6 1/2. from Primate Boulter's fund. The glebe-house, with a glebe of 10 acres, was given to the curate by the Grocers' Company. The church, a spacious and handsome edifice, with a square tower crowned with pinnacles, was built in 1821, by a loan of £1000 from the late Board of First Fruits, near the ruins of a former church built by the Grocers' Company in 1626, in the village of Muff, and about three miles distant from the ruins of the ancient parish church. The R. C. parish is coextensive with that of the Established church; the chapel is at Creggan. At Tullinee there is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the second class. About 370 children are taught in six public schools, of which the parochial school at Muff is supported by a grant of £30 per ann. from the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, and annual donations from the Grocers' Company and the rector; the school-house, adjoining the church, a large and handsome edifice, was erected in 1814. A school at Graceteel is under the Fishmongers' Company, who pay the whole charges for children of cottiers and one-half for those of farmers on their estate; two are aided by the Marquess of Londonderry and Major Scott; and an agricultural school is supported by shareholders and subscribers, and by the labour of the scholars on the farm. There are also three private schools, in which are about 150 children, and three Sunday schools. A valuable donation of sacramental plate and furniture for the altar and pulpit was bequeathed to the church, in 1665, by Bishop Wild, who also left £5 for the poor.

FAUGHART, or FAUGHER, a parish, in the barony of UPPER DUNDALK, county of LOUTH, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (N. N. E.) from Dundalk, on the road, through Forkhill, to Armagh; containing 1640 inhabitants. This place, which is also called Foghard, probably takes its name from a very ancient fort of singular construction, which occupies an elevated situation in the neighbourhood. In 638 St. Monenna founded a nunnery here for 150 sisters, over whom she presided for some years, but subsequently resigned her charge to Orbila and Servila, and erected a convent for herself at Kilslieve, in the county of Armagh. A monastery for Canons Regular was also founded at an early period and dedicated to St. Bridget; but there are no remains of either of the buildings, and the only vestiges are two small pillars or crosses, called respectively the stone and pillar of St. Bridget, one having the figure of a horse-shoe sculptured in high relief, and the other a square pillar raised on two circular steps. The ancient fort of Faughart consists of an artificial mount 60 feet high, surrounded by a deep trench with a counterscarp; the whole area of the summit is circumscribed by the foundations of an octagonal building, but whether a tower or only a parapet is uncertain. It is situated near the ancient frontier of the English pale, and in 1596, the Archbishop of Cashel and the Earl of Ormonde, on the part of the English government, held a conference here with the Irish chieftains O'Nial and McDonnel, to negotiate a treaty of peace, which was rejected by the latter. During the insurrection of the Earl of Tyrone, Lord Mountjoy frequently encamped at this place and in the neighbourhood, and in 1600 remained here from the 15th of October till the 9th of November, while the Earl held the pass of Moira, about a mile distant. The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2480 1/2 statute acres, three-fourths of which are arable and the remainder pasture; there is neither waste land nor bog; the soil is fertile and the system of agriculture improved. Limestone of good quality abounds, and there are several limekilns. The principal gentlemen's seats are Faughart House, the residence of Neale McNeale, Esq., pleasantly situated in a well-planted demesne; Fort Hill, of the Rev. G. Tinley, beautifully situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of the town and bay of Dundalk, and having in the demesne a Danish fort, from which it takes its name; and Mount Bayly, the residence of D. Courtenay, Esq. A constabulary police force has been established here. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the Lord-Primate: the tithes amount to £250: there is neither glebe-house nor glebe. The church, a very neat modern edifice, was erected by aid of a gift of £800 and a loan of £800 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1815; it is situated on the townland of Kilcurry, which is a detached portion of the parish of Ballymascanlon. In the R. C. divisions this is the head of the union or district of Faughart and Jonesborough, comprising those parishes and part of Ballymascanlon, and containing two chapels, one in this parish and one in Jonesborough; the former is on the townland of Kilcurry. About 80 children are taught in the parochial school which is aided by the rector; and a school is held in the R. C. chapel. There are some remains of the ancient church of Urney, and also of the old castle of Dungooley, on the townland of that name; the latter is said to have been one of the seats of the Earl of Tyrone. St. Bridget is said to have been born in this parish.

FAUGHLEY, or FAUGHANSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Castlepollard, on the road to Mullingar; containing 1551 inhabitants, and comprising 4059 statute acres. It extends along the entire north side of Lough Derveragh, and includes within its limits the hill of Knock Ion. The land is prinpally under an improving system of tillage; limestone abounds; there is very little bog. Near the upper end of the lake stands Gartlandstown, the seat of J. Murray, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Rathoraff, or Castlepollard; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £320, of which £142. 4. 5 1/2. is payable to the impropriators, and £177. 15. 6 1/2. to the incumbent. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Mayne and Faughanstown, also called Tarbotstown, and has a chapel at Milltown. A school at Dernagaragh, in which are 46 boys and 24 girls, is aided by a bequest of the late Col. Monk; and there are three private schools, in which 76 boys and 48 girls are instructed. On contiguous eminences, overlooking Lough Derveragh, are two very large raths, and near Gartlandstown are two others. At Dernagaragh are the ruins of an old castle; and on the shore of the lake are the remains of the parochial church, near which are those of a chapel.

FAVORAN, or FOYRAN, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N.) from Castle-Pollard; containing 1897 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the north by Lough Sheelin, and on the west by the river Inny, which separates it from the county of Longford, contains 4187 statute acres, as rated for the county cess. The surface is mountainous towards the south; in other parts the soil is fertile, and principally under tillage, except in the lower situations towards the north, where there are large quantities of bog. Limestone abounds, but the state of agriculture is rather backward. The gentlemen's seats are Clare Island, the handsome residence of Capt. A. Walker, beautifully situated on the shore of Lough Sheelin; and Williamstown, of J. Lahy, Esq. Fairs are held at the village of Finae. It is a curacy, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Rathgraff, or Castle-Pollard; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of Christ-Church cathedral, Dublin: the tithes amount to £156. 1. 11., the whole payable to the vicars choral, who allow the curate a small stipend for discharging the clerical duties. Application has been made to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for aid in the erection of a church, and Lord Longford has guaranteed to advance the whole amount required by the Commissioners to be subscribed. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Castle-Pollard, and has a chapel at Tullystown. About 180 children are educated in two private schools. There are the remains of an ancient church; at Togher are those of a castle; and near Finae is a breastwork, the vicinity of which was anciently the scene of several battles.--See FINAE.

FEACLE, a parish, in the barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (W. N. W.) from Scariff, on the new road to Gort; containing 8844 inhabitants. This parish, which is the largest in the county, comprises about 30,000 statute acres, of which two-fifths consist of arable and pasture land, and the remainder, with the exception of 300 acres of woodland, is coarse mountain pasture, waste, and bog, a large portion of which is improvable. It presents, throughout, a succession of mountain and valley, extending to the confines of the county of Limerick, and includes the extensive and picturesque lake called Lough Graney, or "the lake of the sun," situated nearly in its centre. Prior to the year 1828 there was scarcely a road on which a wheel carriage could be used; but through the spirited exertions of Jas. Moloney, Esq., of Kiltannan, excellent roads have been constructed, partly by the Board of Public Works and partly by the county; and this district has now a direct communication with Limerick, Gort, Ennis, Killaloe, and Loughrea. These roads encompass three sides of Lough Graney, the banks of which are in several places finely planted: the soil in the vicinity of the lake is well adapted for the growth of oak and larch; and it is expected that planting will be extensively carried on, and a considerable portion of the waste land brought into cultivation. A beautiful river flows from this lake, which is 18 feet above the level of the Shannon, through Lough O'Grady, at the south-eastern extremity and partly within the limits of the parish, and falls into the Shannon at Scariff bay, with which a navigable communication could be formed at a moderate expense, by a canal about five miles in length. A court for the manor of Doonas is occasionally held by the seneschal, in which small debts are recoverable; and it is in contemplation to establish a court of petty sessions and a dispensary in the parish. There are several tuck-mills and a large bleach-green; and there were formerly extensive iron-works at a place still called Furnace-town. The gentlemen's seats are Caher, the occasional residence of Barry O'Hara, Esq., situated in a finely planted demesne on the banks of Lough Graney; Ayle, the ancient seat of J. McNamara, Esq.; Lakeview, of T. Bridgeman, Esq.; and Kilbarron, of E. McGrath, Esq., rebuilt on the site of the old mansion. It is a rectory, vicarage, and perpetual cure, in the diocese of Killaloe; the rectory is part of the union of Omullod, the vicarage, part of the economy estate of the cathedral of Killaloe, and the perpetual cure is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter, who, as trustees of the economy fund, allot a stipend of £69. 5. to the curate. The church, a small neat edifice, was . built about the year 1823, by aid of a gift of £300 from the late Board of First Fruits. The R. C. parish is coextensive with that of the Established Church, and contains four chapels: the principal chapel, at Feacle, is a spacious cruciform structure, built in 1827, under the superintendence of the Rev. T. McInerny, at an expense of £1300; it is provided with galleries, and has a very handsome altar embellished with well-executed paintings and a very large bell: the site was granted gratuitously by Henry Butler, of Castle Crinn, Esq., who has also contributed £50 towards its erection. A school-house on an extensive scale is now being built near the chapel by subscription. The chapel at Killenana is intended to be rebuilt, and those at Kilcleran and Cahirmurphy to be taken down, and a large chapel erected at Knockbeagh, on a site presented by J. Molony, Esq., who will also contribute liberally towards its erection. In a school, superintended and partly supported by the R. C. clergyman, and four private schools, about 360 children are educated. Lead ore has been discovered at Glendree, and on the shores of Lough Graney is found a fine sand, chiefly composed of crystals, and much used for scythe boards.

FEDAMORE, a parish, partly in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, but chiefly in that of SMALL COUNTY, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S.) from Limerick, on the road to Bruff; containing 3420 inhabitants, of which number, 277 are in the village. This parish comprises 5958 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £7964 per annum. The soil is remarkably fertile; about one-fourth of the land is under tillage, and the remainder, with the exception of about 800 acres of valuable bog, is good pasture and meadow land. The meadows are subject to inundation from the river Commogue, and sometimes the crops of hay are entirely swept away. The neighbourhood is highly interesting, and embellished with several gentlemen's seats, of which the principal are Ballyneguard, that of J. Croker, Esq., a handsome mansion in a well-wooded and richly varied demesne of 700 plantation acres; Sandville, of J. Barry, Esq.; Grange, of H. O'Grady, Esq.; Friarstown, the ancient residence of the Hunt family; and the Glebe-house, of the Rev. J. Bennett. The village contains 26 houses. Fairs are held here on May 5th and Oct. 9th, chiefly for cattle and pigs, and occasionally for horses; and there is a constabulary police station. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, united at an unknown period to the vicarage of Glenogra, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £553.16. 11., of which £369.4.7 1/2. is payable to the lessees of the appropriators, and the remainder to the vicar: the tithes of the benefice amount to £379. 11. 3 1/2. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £300 and a loan of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816; there are six acres of glebe attached to it, and there are also two other small glebes in the parish. The church is a small ancient edifice. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Ballycahane, Manister-Nenagh, and Kilpeacon, in which are two chapels; the chapel at this place is a large and handsome edifice, which cost £700. About 200 children are taught in two public schools, of which the parochial school is endowed with half an acre of land from the glebe, on which it is situated. A residence for the master was built at the expense of the Rev. Godfrey Massey, then curate of the parish. The other school, at Grange, is liberally supported by H. O'Grady, Esq., who built the school-house. At Fanningstown, near the northern boundary of the parish, are the remains of Temple Roe, a church erected by the Knights Templars in 1288. Adjoining the demesne of Ballyneguard is Rockstown Castle; and in it is Williamstown Castle, erected by the Bourke family, a plain square building in its exterior, but curiously fitted up internally in the Gothic style; it has been renovated and restored to its ancient appearance by the Messrs. Pain, architects. At English-town is another castle, built by Sir J. Fitzgerald.

FEIGHAN of FORE, or FOWRE (ST.), a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (E.) from Castle-Pollard, on the road to Kells; containing, with the market-town of Collinstown (which is separately described), 2447 inhabitants, of which number, 119 are in the village. This place, which is situated on Lough Lene and is of great antiquity, was formerly a borough, comprising the parishes of St. Feighan and St. Mary, and appears to have originated in the foundation of a priory for Canons Regular by St. Fechan, about the year 630, in which, while presiding over 3000 monks, he died in 665. From this time till 1169 the priory and the town, which had risen up around it, were repeatedly destroyed by fire; but in 1209, Walter de Lacy re-founded the priory under the invocation of St. Taurin and St. Fechin, for Benedictine monks, and made it a cell to the monastery of that order at Evereux, in Normandy. The town appears to have acquired all the privileges exercised by other corporate boroughs in Meath. In 1436, Hen. VI. granted certain customs upon all merchandise coming to its market, or to any other within three miles of it, for the purpose of enclosing it with a stone wall, as a barrier against the incursions of the Irish, who had thrice destroyed it by fire; and in 1448 he made his farmer of the priory lands, though a layman, prior of the monastery, in reward for the trouble he had taken, and the expense he had incurred, in erecting a strong castle for the defence of the town. After the dissolution, the priory was granted by Queen Elizabeth, in 1588, to Christopher, Baron Delvin, whose successor, Richard, Lord Delvin, obtained for the town the grant of a fair. It appears to have been a borough by prescription, and to have sent two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when it was disfranchised and the £15,000 awarded as compensation was paid to Arthur, Marquess of Downshire. There are still some remains of the ancient abbey and of an anchorite's cell, the latter a small massive building of very ancient character; and the ruins of several square towers, evidently built for defence, round which may be traced the walls of a very considerable town, of which two of the gates are still remaining. The present village, which is situated at the base of the Ben of Fore, in a fertile valley sheltered by some high hills, separating it from Lough Lene, contains only 20 small houses, and possesses but a few indistinct remains of its ancient importance. The parish extends along the borders of the county of Meath, having on one side the small lake called Lough Glore, and on the other the White Lake, between which is a range of heights terminating in a lofty mountain, called the Ben of Fore. It comprises 6506 statute acres, of which a small portion is mountain land, and the remainder principally under tillage; the soil is light and gravelly. Limestone abounds, but of inferior quality, and there are some quarries of good building stone. Lough Lene, about half a mile south of the village, is a fine sheet of water, studded with small islands and surrounded by rising grounds; on the south-east a stream issues from it, and passing under the hills emerges close to the village, where it turns a mill, and thence continuing its course, under the name of the Glore, falls into the river Inny; another stream, issuing from the east of the lake, takes an opposite course and falls into Lough Dele. The principal gentlemen's seats are Benison Lodge, that of the Rev. T. Smyth; Lough Park, of N. Evans, Esq.; Barbavilla, of W. B. Smyth, Esq.; Hilltown, of W. Webb, Esq.; and Sallymount, of G. S. Rotheram, Esq. A market, fairs, and petty sessions are held at Collinstown.

It is a curacy, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Rathgraff, or Castle-Pollard; the rectory is wholly appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £390. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district comprising also the parishes of St. Mary and Kilcumney, and containing two chapels, situated respectively at Fore and Collinstown. A school is supported by Mr. Smyth, of Barbavilla, and there are three private schools, in which are about 100 children. On a high hill to the south-west of Lough Lene is a fort, said to have been constructed by Turgesius, the Danish king of Ireland. The family of Nugent, Marquesses of Westmeath, have a burial-place at Fore; and there are some remains of a monastery on one of the islands in Lough Lene, the property of Mr. Smyth. The surrounding country abounds with raths.

FEIGHCULLEN, a parish, partly in the barony of EAST OPHALY, but chiefly in that of CONNELL, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 3/4 miles (N.) from Kildare, on the Grand Canal; containing 890 inhabitants. It comprises 3835 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, exclusively of a large tract of bog, and about 20 acres of common: the state of agriculture is gradually improving. At Grange Hill is a vein of lead ore. The gentlemen's seats are Newington, the residence of S. Neale, Esq.; Christian's Town, of J. Forbes, Esq.; Whilan, of -- Cooper, Esq.; and Washington, of R. Mothersill, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, and in the gift of the Crown: the tithes amount to £180. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 10 acres. The church is a small but handsome structure, erected by a gift of £830 and a loan of £277 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1829, and for its repair a grant of £248 has been recently made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kilmaogue, also called Allen and Milltown: the chapel is a large building at Milltown. A public school has been established there, for which a house was built by the late Rev. J. Lawler, P. P. About 60 children are educated in two private schools.

FENAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of MOHILL, but chiefly in that of LEITRIM, county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, 2 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Ballinamore, on the road to Carrick-on-Shannon; containing 4172 inhabitants. In the time of St. Columb a monastery was founded here, over which St. Callin, or Kilian, presided, and which became celebrated as a school of divinity, being resorted to by students from all parts of Europe. The conventual church is still remaining, and has an east window of curious design; across the gable is a band carved in high relief, and on the north side is sculptured the figure of a griffin, with a cord in his mouth. The western portion, which is groined, was fitted up for the Protestant parishioners, and divine service was performed in it till the erection of the present church, about the close of the last century. The parish comprises 7279 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which about 6220 are arable and pasture land, 670 bog, and 380 waste. The surface is greatly diversified with hill and dale, and studded with several small lakes; the soil is generally poor, and the system of agriculture unimproved. Limestone of good quality is raised for burning, and there are some quarries of gritstone at Curnagan, from which mill-stones are procured. Mough is the residence of W. Lawder, Esq. The village of Castlefore, in this parish, on the road from Ballinamore to Cashcarrigan, is of small extent, and takes its name from a castle built by Col. Coote, about the middle of the 17th century, which was plundered and burnt through the treachery of a female servant; from the present remains it appears to have consisted of three irregular sides, defended by three bastions, half of one of which is still in existence. There was anciently a furnace for smelting iron-ore found in the neighbourhood, and the iron made here was considered equal in quality to that of Sweden. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardagh, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £191. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £92 and a loan of £830 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1829, and £400 from the incumbent; the glebe comprises 708 acres. The church is a plain edifice, without either tower or spire. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel is about to be rebuilt. There are two public schools, in which about 130 children are taught. About half a mile north-east of the village are the remains of a cromlech, called by the peasantry Leaba Dearmid i Graine, "Darby and Graine's bed." At Coolkilla, two miles north of Fenagh, was an abbey, said to have been founded by St. Columb; it is on the shore of a small lake, of which about 16 acres are in this parish, and near it is a stone with the figure of a fish carved on it; the lake abounds with fish of excellent flavour. A bell, said to have been given by St. Patrick on his landing in this country, and an Irish MS., called the "Annals of Fenagh," are preserved here with much care. In the parish is a sulphureous spring. Judge Fox and P. Dignum, both Judges in the Prerogative Court, and Edmund Bourke or de Burgo, author of the "Hibernia Dominicana," were educated in this parish.

FENIT, formerly called FENOR, an island and parish, in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (W. by N.) from Tralee, on the north side of Tralee bay: the population is returned with the parish of Ardfert. Between this island and the main land, with which it is connected by a long narrow isthmus, is a small creek, called Barra harbour, fit only for small craft. It is entered from the north by a narrow passage between rocky cliffs, nearly 100 feet high; and it is the opinion of scientific men that a sea wall might be constructed, and the whole of the creek drained; and as it is not much used as a harbour, a large tract of valuable land would be thus brought into cultivation. The island, which is the property of Wm. Lock, Esq., has been latterly much improved by draining, and is remarkable for producing good crops of barley. Sea-weed and sand are procured in great abundance on its shores, and used for manure: the state of agriculture is improving. The manufacture of kelp was formerly carried on here to a considerable extent, but it has been long on the decline. Opposite Samphire island are procured limestone flags of superior quality and unusual size, which have been used in the construction of the Tralee ship canal. Between Samphire island and the south shore of Fenit is good anchorage, where vessels may take shelter from the prevalent north-easterly winds. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and forms part of the union and corps of the chancellorship of the cathedral of Ardfert: the tithes amount to £100. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Ardfert. There are some remains of an old church; and on the north-eastern shore of the island, near the entrance of the harbour, are those of Fenit castle.

FENNAGH, or FENAGH, a parish, partly in the barony of SHILLELAGH, county of WICKLOW, but chiefly in that of IDRONE EAST, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (S. E.) from Leighlin-Bridge, on the rivers Slaney and Burrin, and on the road from Bagnalstown to Newtown-Barry; containing 4324 inhabitants. This parish comprises 11,942 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1230 per ann.; about 600 acres are mountain, nearly 120 bog, and the remainder good arable and pasture land in a good state of cultivation; there are some quarries of fine granite. The village of Fennagh is beautifully situated, commanding picturesque and grand views of Mount Leinster; the surrounding country is thickly planted, and the gentlemen's seats afford some good specimens of ancient architecture. Here was a well-fortified castle, the seat of one of the kings of Leinster. The principal seats are Castlemore House, the residence of J. Eustace, Esq.; Hardy Mount, of J. Hardy Eustace, Esq.; Janeville, of W. Garrett, Esq.; Lumclone, of T. H. Watson, Esq.; Kilconner, of -- Watson, Esq.; Ballydarton, of J. Watson, Esq.; Upton, of I. Grey, Esq.; Clonferta, of T. Dillon, Esq.; and Garryhill House, a residence of Viscount Duncannon. A penny post to Leighlin-Bridge has been established, and here is a constabulary police station. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Leighlin; the rectory is in the patronage of the Crown; and the vicarage is endowed with the townlands of Castlemore, Ballybenard, Tullowbeg, Drumphey, and Ardowen (which in the vicar's title are called chapelries), and is in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £646. 3. 1., of which £415. 7. 8 1/4. is payable to the rector, and £230. 15. 4 3/4. to the vicar. The glebe-house is a neat building, and the glebe comprises 16 acres. The church, a neat plain edifice, was erected in 1790; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £206 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Myshall; the chapel is at Drumphey. There is a place of worship for the Society of Friends. The parochial school for boys is aided by donations from the rector and vicar, and about 50 girls are taught in a school supported by subscription; there are also five private schools, in which are about 270 children, and a dispensary. At Ranegeragh are some remains of a castle, which anciently belonged to the Kavanaghs; at Drumphey are the ruins of an ancient monastery; and at Castlemore is a remarkable moat.

FENNOR, a parish, in the barony of LOWER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 1/2 a mile (S.) from Slane, on the river Boyne, and on the mail road from Dublin to Londonderry; containing 225 inhabitants, and comprising 954 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The Boyne, which bounds the parish on the north, is here crossed by a good stone bridge. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Meath, entirely impropriate in Blaney T. Balfour, Esq., to whom the tithes, amounting to £104, are payable. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Slane. There are some remains of the old church, near which are those of an ancient mansion.

FENNOR, a parish, in the barony of SLIEVARDAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S.) from Johnstown, on the mail coach road from Dublin by Cashel to Cork; containing 2073 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the north and west by the bog of Allen and a small stream separating it from the barony of Eliogarty, comprises 5674 statute acres, which, with the exception of a considerable tract of bog, is chiefly under tillage. In the bog of Allen, and in this parish, is one of those verdant spots called islands, containing about 60 acres of excellent pasturage for sheep: the substratum of the island is limestone, but of almost every other part of the parish, freestone. The small river, at a very trifling expense, might be greatly improved by deepening the shallow parts, and would thus afford a facility for draining the bog, and supply abundance of water for turning the several mills upon its banks. Some limestone of a blue colour is worked for agricultural uses, but the general manure is a compost of lime and clay. Poyntstown, the property of Phanuel Cooke, Esq., is in ruins. Here is a constabulary police station. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, forming the corps of the prebend of Fennor, in the cathedral of Cashel, in the patronage of the Archbishop: the tithes amount to £489. 4. 7 1/2. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a grant from the late Board of First Fruits; the glebe comprises 25 acres. The church is a neat modern structure, rebuilt by aid of a gift of £800 from the same Board, in 1815. In the R. C. divisions the parish is part of the union or district of Gurtnahoe, or Buolick. About 250 children are taught in three public schools, of which the parochial school is aided by a donation of £10 per ann. from the incumbent. The ruins of the old castles of Fennor and Graigue Padeen are in the parish, in which are also the remains of the old church, and several Danish raths.

FENOAGH, or FINNOOGH, a parish, in the barony of UPPERTHIRD, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, 3 miles (S. E.) from Carrick-on-Suir; containing 881 inhabitants. This parish, which is separated by the Suir from the county of Kilkenny, comprises 2143 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Lismore, and part of the union of Dysart; the tithes amount to £193. 17.

FERBANE.--See FARBANE.

FERMANAGH, an inland county, of the province of ULSTER, bounded on the east by Monaghan and Tyrone, on the north by Tyrone and Donegal, on the west by Donegal and Leitrim, and on the south by Cavan. It extends from 54° 7' to 54° 40' (N. Lat.), and from 7° 1' to 8° 5' (W. Lon.); and comprises an area, according to the Ordnance survey, of 456,588 1/2 acres, of which 320,599 are cultivated land, 46,755 are under water, and the remainder are unprofitable bog and mountain. The population, in 1821, amounted to 130,997; and in 1831, to 149,555.

The Erdini, according to some authorities, were the inhabitants of this district in the time of Ptolemy; but Whitaker considers it to have been part of the territory of the Nagnatae. By the ancient Irish it was called Feor Magh Eanagh, or "the Country of the Lakes," and Magh Uire, or "the Country of the Waters:" it was also called Ernai or Ernagh, and the inhabitants who lived round Lough Erne, Ernains and Erenochs, a name supposed to be derived from the Erdini. It was divided into two great portions, one called Targoll, the ancient seat of the Facmonii, and of the Macmanii, or the Mac Manuses; the other named Rosgoll, occupied by the Guarii or Guirii, from whom the Mac Guires, or Maguires, derive their origin. This family was so powerful that the greater part of the county was for several centuries known by the name of Mac Guire's country. It was made shire ground in the 11th of Elizabeth, by the name which it still retains. The unsettled state of the district at this period may be inferred from the anecdote told of its chieftain, when the lord-deputy sent to inform him that he was about to send a sheriff into his territory; Maguire's answer was, "that her majesty's officer would be received, but at the same time he desired to know his eric, the fine to be imposed on his murderer, in order that, if he happened to be slain by any of his followers, the amount might be levied on the offender's chattels." It was one of the six counties which escheated to the Crown by the flight of the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnel, on an imputed conspiracy, and which were included in the celebrated scheme of James I. for the improvement of the north of Ireland, under the name of the Plantation of Ulster. According to the arrangements therein made, the county is supposed to have consisted of 1070 tates of 30 acres each, besides 46 islands, great and small: of these, 212 tates, containing about 6360 acres, were assigned to the church, and the remainder disposed of among the English and Scotch settlers, who, from their undertaking to fulfil the conditions of the plantation, were called Undertakers. A portion, consisting of 390 tates, was assigned to the head of the Mac Guire family; and the rest of the native inhabitants were here, as in the other five counties, removed to waste lands in Munster or Connaught. The principal settlers were Sir James Belford, Sir Stephen Butler, Sir Wm. Cole, Sir John Hume, Malcolm Hamilton, John Archdall, George Hume, and John Dunbar, who were Scotchmen; John Sedborrow, Thomas Flowerdew, Edward Hatton, Sir Hugh Wirrall, George Ridgwaie, Sir Gerrard Lowther, Edw. Sibthorp, Henry Flower, Sir Edw. Blenerhasset, and Thomas Blenerhasset, Englishmen; besides whom, Sir John Davis, Capt. Harrison, Sir Henry Folliott, and Captains Gore and Atkinson, acquired large tracts in the allotments set apart for such natives as were suffered to reside. Of these, Con Mac Shane O'Neal, and Brian Mac Guire were the only persons of sufficient consequence to be noted in the report to the English government on the state of the plantation in 1619. In the war of 1688, this county became famous by the gallant stand made by its inhabitants, under the name of the Enniskillen men, in favour of King William, during which period they not only maintained themselves in the town of Enniskillen, thus preserving this important pass between Ulster and Connaught, in spite of all the attempts made to obtain possession of it, but made incursions into the neighbouring counties, from which they carried off many prisoners and much booty, and paralysed the operations of a large portion of the Irish army before Derry, from an apprehension of an attack from this quarter. After the relief of this city, they joined the army of William in Ulster, and from their gallant demeanour and knowledge of the country rendered him good service, and made the name of the Enniskilleners respected among their English friends and dreaded by the Irish enemy. The military spirit thus drawn forth has been maintained ever since, so that not only do the sons of the native farmers frequently prefer a soldier's life abroad to that of an agriculturist at home, but young men from other counties anxious to enlist travel thitherto the recruiting parties which are always ready to receive them.

According to the Ecclesiastical arrangements the county is partly in the diocese of Kilmore, but chiefly in that of Clogher. For the purposes of civil jurisdiction it is divided into the baronies of Clonkelly, Coole, Glenawly, Knockninny, Lurg, Magheraboy, Magherastephana, and Tyrkennedy; it contains the borough, market and county town of Enniskillen, the market and post-towns of Irvinestown (formerly Lowtherstown), Lisnaskea, and Brookborough; the market-town of Maguires-bridge (which has a penny post); and the post-towns of Florence-Court, Kesh, Tempo, Church Hill, Newtown-Butler, Belleek, and Lisbellaw, together with the villages of Ballinamallard, Ederney, and Holywell. Prior to the Union it sent four members to the Irish parliament, viz., two knights of the shire, and two burgesses for the borough of Enniskillen; and since that period it has returned three representatives to the Imperial parliament, the number for the borough having been then reduced to one, and so continued under the Reform act. The elections take place in the county town. The county constituency, as registered at the close of the January sessions, 1836, consists of 220 freeholders of £50,246 of £20, and 1120 of £10; one leaseholder of £50, 24 of £20, and 36 of £10; two rent-chargers of £50, and 11 of £20; making a total of 1660 registered electors. The county is included in the North-west circuit. The assizes and general quarter sessions of the peace are held at Enniskillen, where the county gaol and courthouse are situated: quarter sessions are also holden at Newtown-Butler, where there are a sessions-house and bridewell. The number of persons charged with criminal offences, and committed for trial in 1836, was 409. The local government is vested in a lord-lieutenant, 14 deputy-lieutenants, and 64 other magistrates, together with the usual county officers, including a coroner. The constabulary police consists of an inspector, paymaster, stipendiary magistrate, 4 officers, 21 constables, 90 sub-constables, and 5 horses, quartered in 20 stations; the expense of their maintenance is defrayed in equal proportions by Grand Jury presentments and by Government. The district lunatic asylum is at Armagh, the county infirmary is at Enniskillen, and there are dispensaries at Church Hill, Rosslea, Kesh, Brookborough, Maguires-bridge, Lisnaskea, Irvinestown, Newtown-Butler, Holywell, Ballinamallard, Belleek, and Lisbellaw. The amount of Grand Jury presentments for 1835 was £16,346. 8. 1 3/4., of which £3098. 19. 9 1/2. was for the roads, bridges, &c., of the county at large; £4380. 11. l 1/4. for the roads, bridges, &c., being the baronial charge; £6566. 11. 6 1/2. for public buildings, charities, officers' salaries, and incidents; and £2300. 5. 8 1/2. for the police. In the military arrangements the county is included in the northern district, and contains barracks for artillery and infantry at Enniskillen, affording accommodation for 14 officers and 547 non-commissioned officers and men, with 98 horses.

The surface is very uneven, and presents great varieties both of soil and aspect. On the eastern verge of the county the land is elevated and sterile, and on the western still more so: indeed, with the exception of small portions in the north and south, the county may be said to consist of hills environed by mountains, and having its centre depressed into a great natural basin or reservoir, serving as a receptacle for the numerous rivers and streams from the higher grounds, whose accumulated waters form one of the noblest lakes in Ireland. Of these mountains the most elevated is Cuilcagh, which, though generally considered as belonging to Leitrim and Cavan, has its lofty eastern extremity, 2188 feet high, altogether in Fermanagh. The Slievebaught or Slabby mountain, which forms the boundary towards Monaghan and Tyrone, extends far westward into this county, and, in like manner, that of Barnesmore in Donegal penetrates southward into it. The most conspicuous of the mountains which are wholly within the county is Belmore, 1312 feet high, between the Shannon and the Erne. Tosset, or Topped mountain, of inferior elevation, commands a range of prospects, which for grandeur, variety, and extent is not surpassed by any other in the north of Ireland. Turaw mountain, rising boldly from the waters of Lough Erne, forms a beautiful and striking feature of its scenery. The other mountains of remarkable elevation are Glenkeel near Derrygonnelly, 1223 feet; North Shean, 1135; Tappahan on the borders of Tyrone, 1110; and Carnmore near Rosslea, 1034 feet. But the grand distinguishing characteristic of the county is Lough Erne, which extends forty miles from north-west to south-east, forming in reality two lakes, embayed by mountains and connected by a deep and winding strait, on an island in the centre of which stands the county town of Enniskillen. Of the two lakes, the northern or lower, between Belleek and Enniskillen, is the larger, being upwards of 20 miles in length, and 7 1/2 in its greatest breadth; the southern or upper, between the latter town and Belturbet, is 12 miles long by 4 1/2 broad. Both are studded with numerous islands, which in some parts of the upper lake are clustered so closely together as to present the appearance rather of a flooded country than of a spacious lake. It is a popular opinion that the number of these islands equals that of the days in the year; but accurate investigation has ascertained that there are 109 in the lower lake, and 90 in the upper. The largest is Bo or Cow island, near the northern extremity of the upper lake; it takes its name from being mostly under pasture. Ennismacsaint, also in the upper lake, is noted for a burying-ground, which is held in great veneration; Devenish island, in the same lake, near Enniskillen, is particularly remarkable for its ancient round tower and other relics of antiquity, all of which are described in the article on the parish of that name. The other more remarkable islands in this division are Eagle, Innisnakill, and Gully, all richly wooded; Cor and Ferney, mostly under pasture, and Herring island, said to derive its name from the quantities of fresh-water herring found near its shores.

Innismore, the largest island in the upper lake, forms part of the two nearest parishes on the main land. Belleisle has long been celebrated for its natural beauties, which were much heightened by the judicious improvements they received when it was the residence of the Earl of Rosse: it is connected with the main land by an elegant bridge. Near it is Lady Rosse's island, so called from the improvements bestowed on it by that lady. Knockninny was used as a deer-park by the nobleman just named. In descending the lake from Belturbet, the first two miles present the appearance of a large river winding through the county without any striking features to arrest attention; but as the lake widens, a succession of rich and picturesque views opens upon the eye. The banks on each side, as well as the islands that present themselves in rapid succession, are clothed with stately timber, which rises boldly from the water's edge, occasionally interrupted by sweeps of low marsh overgrown with rushes and enlivened by herons and other aquatic fowl. After narrowing in to the strait of Enniskillen, and expanding again into a still wider sheet of water in the lower lake, it is finally contracted into a river which quits the county at the village of Belleek in a magnificent fall. The lakes called Lough Melvin, Lough Macnean, and Lough Kane, which form part of the boundary between Fermanagh and Leitrim, may be considered as partly belonging to the former county.

The soil in some parts is a rich loam upon a substratum of limestone, or calcareous gravel; in others, a light friable soil on slaty gravel; and again in others, a heavy soil mixed with stones, beneath which is blue and yellow clay on a substratum of basalt, here called whinstone; but throughout almost every part, the soil is wet and cold, obstinately retaining the surface water unless counteracted by constant draining. The size of farms varies from 3 acres to 500; those of large size are mostly near the mountains, and occupied in grazing young cattle. Considerable tracts of land are let in bulk, and the holders of them are generally middlemen, who sublet in small portions: proprietors of this description are called Terney begs, or "Little Lords." The manure, which is seldom used for any crop except potatoes, is generally a compost of stable dung, lime, and bog mould; the scourings of ditches are sometimes used as a substitute for lime. Marl is in high repute; it is of a dusky white colour, mostly found at the bottom of bogs; near Florence-Court and in some other places it shews itself in large ridges resting upon gravel, whence issue numerous springs impregnated with vitriolic acid: in the vicinity of these springs the marl is found in various curious shapes, cylindrical, spherical, oblong, and curved, highly indurated, and of a dirty red colour, but when exposed to the action of a winter's atmosphere, and used either in top-dressing or as a compost, it retains its efficacy for two or three successive seasons. The staple crops are oats and potatoes, with some wheat; flax, barley, turnips, clover, and vetches are occasionally planted; the culture of barley is every year extending, but that of all the others is chiefly confined to the gentry and wealthy farmers. In the mountain districts, much of the land is cultivated with the spade or the old heavy wooden plough; in other parts, the use of the improved iron plough and light angular harrow is universal, as well as that of all other new and improved implements. The old car with solid wooden wheels has given way to the light cart with spoke-wheels, and the slide-car is rarely used, except in the most mountainous districts to bring turf down the precipitous roads. These mountain farms are chiefly appropriated to the rearing of young cattle, great numbers of which are annually purchased in Leitrim, Sligo, and Donegal, at a year old, and kept by the mountain farmer for one or two years, when they are sold to the graziers of the adjoining counties; great numbers of milch cows are kept, and large quantities of butter made, which is mostly salted in firkins, and bought up in the neighbouring markets, chiefly for the merchants of Belfast and Newry. Perhaps less attention is paid to the breed of cattle in this than in any other county in Ireland; almost every sort of stock known in the kingdom is to be found here in a day's journey, but so crossed as to defy the possibility of distinguishing the original breeds; that best adapted to the soil and climate is the long-horned Roscommon. Sheep are numerous in some districts; they are generally a small mountain breed, and mostly kept for the purpose of furnishing wool for domestic clothing, but many of the gentry have very excellent stocks, being for the most part a cross between the Leicester and Sligo breed. Pigs, though found in all parts, are by no means so numerous as in the adjoining county of Monaghan; indeed in many instances the food which should be given to the pig is carefully saved for the cow. Goats are so numerous as to be highly detrimental to the hedges, which are everywhere stunted by the browsing of this animal.

The horses are bad, being neither of the hack nor waggon kind; larger than the poney and smaller than the galloway: but great numbers of a very superior description are brought into the county by dealers for the use of the gentry. The fences for the most part are dry stone walls, or sods, except in the lower and level districts, where white thorn and other quicksets have been planted; these, wherever properly protected, thrive remarkably well. Draining is sometimes practised, mostly by open trenches; irrigation rarely or never. Every part of the county appears to produce forest timber spontaneously, particularly ash and beech; to such an extent does the former grow, as to be called the weed of the country; and towards the northern part and in some other districts, excellent ash and beech are to be seen growing to a large size as hedgerow timber. At Crum and Castle Caldwell there are excellent and extensive woods of oak, beech, and ash, and much full-grown ornamental timber and young plantations around Florence-Court and Castle Coole; indeed, plantations are more or less connected with the residence of almost every gentleman, and they are yearly increasing. The fuel universally used is turf, cut from the numerous bogs scattered over every part of the county, from the lowest levels to the sides, and even to the summits of the mountains. Coal is sometimes brought to Enniskillen, but the expense of conveyance limits its use to the more wealthy part of the community.

In a geological point of view this county is highly interesting: the great central limestone district of Ireland terminates in it, and the western coal and iron formation commences; here the granite of Donegal forms a junction with the basaltic range, which, with little intermission, extends to the coast of Antrim; here also the Escars (that extraordinary chain of low hills, which extends from Lough Neagh to the remotest part of Galway and Mayo,) seem to form a nucleus, whence they radiate in every direction; so that within a very limited space are found almost every kind of rounded nodule, from the jasper and agate down to the softest clay slate. Generally speaking, the rock of the county is either secondary limestone, abounding with organic remains (particularly encrinites), or quartose sandstone, in some districts equal in closeness of grain, uniformity of structure, and durability to any in the British islands. Limestone of several kinds is found in the islands of Lough Erne, and in other places on the main land; the quarries of the latter are extensively worked. Near Florence-Court is brown marble beautifully veined; it receives a fine polish, and when worked into ornaments presents a surface which, for mellowness of tint and variety of veins, is not excelled even by the celebrated marble of Iona. In the parish of Killasher are large beds of marble, having a perpendicular face of 53 feet in height, projecting boldly from the neighbouring cliffs; it is of a grey colour, often beautifully clouded, but it has never been worked for ornamental purposes. Near the foot of Cuilcagh are vast deposits of ironstone, veins of which can also be traced in the bed of the neighbouring streams: numerous mines were opened, and the ore extensively wrought as long as the forest afforded fuel; but when this source failed, the works were abandoned, and the furnaces and mills have gone to decay. In this mountain and in the Tosset are thin seams of coal, which appear to form the verge of the great Leitrim and Roscommon field, the indications and strata of the base of Cuilcagh, exactly corresponding with those of the Iron mountain in the county of Leitrim; some slight excavations have been made by the peasantry, but no effort on an extended scale has been attempted to search for this valuable fossil. In the hills of Glengarron are also indications of coal; but the great quantity of turbary in every part affords so many facilities for procuring turf at a cheap rate, as to prevent any effort towards the working of the collieries. When the canal between Loughs Neagh and Erne is finished, and the navigation opened to Ballyshannon, there is every reason to hope that the mineral treasures of Fermanagh will prove a new source of national wealth and prosperity.

Fermanagh may be said to be almost exclusively an agricultural county: the only staple manufacture is that of linen, which in some districts is briskly carried on; the cloth for the most part is 7/8ths; a stronger kind, principally for domestic use, is made from the refuse and tow. Flax-spinning is general throughout the county; scarcely a house is without a wheel and reel. The yarn is carried to the market-towns, and bought up in large quantities for the manufactures of the more northern counties. Wool-spinning prevails in the mountain districts, and excellent flannels and blankets are made: druggets, with linen warps of a very superior quality, are also manufactured; likewise a very useful stuff, principally for domestic wear.

The fish most common in Lough Erne are salmon, perch, pike, bream, trout, and eels. It is said that perch first appeared in this lake about the year 1760, and that they were seen in all the other lakes in Ireland and in the Shannon at the same period. There are some large eel-weirs at Enniskillen, where great quantities of that fish are caught: they come from the sea when young, and are intercepted in their return; those which are not sold fresh, or sent to Dublin, are cured in barrels containing about eight dozen each, and sold at Belturbet. There is also an eel-weir near the falls of Belleek; but this town is more remarkable for its salmon fishery, considered, in conjunction with that at Ballyshannon, a little lower down the river, to be one of the most productive in Ireland. Large flights of wild geese and swans occasionally visit Lough Erne towards the close of the year, the appearance of which is considered to prognosticate a severe winter.

The only river of any consequence is the Erne, which, entering the county a short distance from Belturbet, flows into Lough Erne at its southern extremity, and, after passing Belleek at its northern extremity, discharges itself into Donegal bay at Ballyshannon; all the other rivers empty themselves into Lough Erne. The Finn is navigable for boats as far as Cumber bridge, on the confines of Monaghan; the Pettigo and the Omna rise near Lough Derg, in Donegal, and after uniting their streams fall into the lake a mile south of the town of Pettigo: the Scillies rises near Church hill, and takes a southern direction to the lake. There are upwards of fifty smaller streams, all contributing to augment the waters of the great central reservoir. The Ulster canal, intended to unite Lough Neagh and Lough Erne, will enter this county from Monaghan, not far from Clones; thence proceeding towards Belturbet, it is to fall into Lough Erne. The roads are numerous, but for the most part badly laid out; many of them are flooded during winter, exceedingly inconvenient, and kept in indifferent repair.

The number of Danish raths in all parts is very great, but none of them are peculiarly singular in their construction. Tumuli also occur, surrounded with circles of upright stones; when opened, urns and stone coffins have been found in them. At Wattle bridge, three miles from Newtown-Butler, on the banks of the Finn, are the remains of a Druidical temple. There are but few remains of monastic institutions: those of Devenish and Gola are the only structures in which traces of the original buildings can be discovered: the abbeys of Ennismacsaint, Cleenish, Kilskerry, and Rossory have been converted into parish churches: those of Ariodmuilt, Derough, Domnachmore, Inniscasin, Inniseo, Innisrocha, and Loughuva are now known only by name. About a mile from Pettigo stand the ruins of Castle Mac Grath, the residence of the first Protestant bishop of Clogher, from whom the building took its name. Lisgool, a castle on the bank of the Rale opposite to Enniskillen, also suffered during the civil war of 1641, being burnt by the Irish. The ruins of Callahill castle are near Florence-Court. Castle Hume, which was the seat of Lord Loftus, is now a pile of ruins. Enniskillen, which was little more than a fort in Elizabeth's time, has since completely changed its character; the castle is in ruins, and its defences and outworks have been gradually converted by the progress of civilization into peaceful and substantial dwelling-houses. The modern residences of the nobility and gentry are noticed in the articles on the parishes in which they are respectively situated.

The peasantry are a fine race, much superior in appearance to those of any of the other northern districts: they are tall, well formed, and robust: their countenances display the bloom of health, and they possess that uninterrupted flow of spirits which is the constant attendant on regular living and active, yet not overstrained, industry. Whether from habit or a natural propensity, the people do not rise until a late hour in the morning, and the cows are not milked until noon. The cottiers who dwell in the more retired and mountainous parts are poor, and their cabins are wretched huts, with a wattled door and a straw mat on the inside; many of the herdsmen, who are able to give their daughters a marriage portion of £20 and a feather bed, live in these cabins. The lower classes have no confidence in physicians: when one is called in, the patient despairs of life; hence a dislike is entertained for the whole medical profession. Yet, notwithstanding the reluctance to spend money upon medicine, considerable sums are lavished on the wake which precedes interment. The English language is universally spoken, and most of the children are educated in the parochial and national schools. Mineral springs are very numerous: Rutty gives a list of twenty, partly chalybeate, partly sulphureous. Of the former are those of Aghalun, Coolauran, Drumcroe, Killinshanvally, Largy, and Tullyveel; of the latter, Aghnahinch, Ashwood, Derryinch, Derrylester, Killasher, Lisbleak (two springs), Meham (two springs), Owen Brewn, and Pettigo: the water of the last-named is more strongly impregnated with the mineral than even the celebrated spring at Swanlinbar. A spring at Maguires-bridge, and two at Drumgoon, are sulphureous, with a prevailing admixture of an alkali. Four miles north-west of Enniskillen, near Ballycassidy, are some natural caves called the Daughton: the entrance is by a large arch, 25 feet high, the roof being composed of various pieces of rock in regular order; the passage leads to a second vault of the same form, but not so high, and thence it is continued by narrow windings to a brook, which, passing through unknown recesses, discharges itself at the first entrance. At Belcou, a small distance west of Enniskillen, is a celebrated well, called Davagh Phadric, reputed the best cold bath in Ireland, and in great esteem for nervous and paralytic disorders: it discharges a large stream which turns two mills at the short distance of 150 yards from its mouth. This county gave the title of Viscount to the Verney family, now extinct.

FERMOY, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 17 1/4 miles (N. by E.) from Cork, and 108 1/2 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the river Blackwater, and on the mail coach road from Cork to Dublin; containing 8690 inhabitants, of which number, 6976 are in the town. This place, which is now a grand military depot, is said to have originated in the foundation of a Cistertian abbey by the family of the Roches, in 1170, which was known as the abbey of Our Lady de Castro Dei, and after its dissolution was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Rich. Grenville, Knt. The town, which commanded an important pass of the river, over which a bridge had been erected the preceding year, was, in 1690, attacked by 1500 of the Irish in the service of Jas. II., commanded by Gen. Carrol. The garrison, consisting only of a small party of Danes under Col. Donep, had recourse to the stratagem of two trumpets sounding a march as of reinforcements advancing to their aid, and the assailants retreated with precipitation. Though the inhabitants had obtained letters patent for a market and fairs, this place, at the close of the last century, consisted of a common carrier's inn and a few mud cabins only; but, in 1791, the late John Anderson, Esq., having purchased four-sixths of the manor, erected a commodious hotel and some good houses, and laid the foundation of its present prosperity. In 1797, Government wishing to form a military station in a central part of the south of Ireland, made overtures to the proprietor, who, foreseeing the advantages to be derived from such an establishment, made a free grant of a site for that purpose, and erected temporary barracks on the south side of the river. A handsome and substantial range of buildings, now called the East Barracks, was erected on the north-east side of the bridge in 1806, and in 1809 a second range, called the West Barracks. The former occupy three sides of a quadrangle, 800 feet long and 700 feet wide, with barracks in the rear for cavalry, the whole occupying an area of 16 1/2 statute acres, and affording accommodation to 112 officers and 1473 non-commissioned officers and privates of infantry, and to 24 officers and 120 noncommissioned officers and privates of cavalry, with stabling for 112 horses, and other requisite appendages. The West Barracks are nearly similar in arrangement, but less extensive. The whole establishment is adapted for 14 field officers, 169 officers, and 2816 non-commissioned officers and privates, with stabling for 152 horses. Attached to the West Barracks is an hospital for 42 patients, and at a short distance from the East Barracks is the general military hospital for about 130 patients.

The town is finely situated on the opposite banks of the river Blackwater, over which is a handsome stone bridge of 13 arches, widened about 40 years since by the late Mr. Anderson, and consists of a spacious square of handsome houses, the south side of which was the guard-house of the temporary barracks, and of several principal streets connected with others in a parallel direction by shorter streets intersecting them at right angles; also of Barrack-street, and a range of neat houses extending from the north end of the bridge. The streets are partially paved and watched, under the provisions of an act of parliament obtained in 1808, and the inhabitants are amply supplied with water. There is a circulating library, and a news-room is supported by subscription at the principal hotel, where also is a billiard-room, and where assemblies and concerts are held. The theatre, some few years after it was built, was converted into a coach-manufactory; but a spacious warehouse on the north side of the river is occasionally fitted up for dramatic performances by the Cork company. Races are held annually about the end of September, and continue for a week, and it is in contemplation to apply for a king's plate; the race-course, a fine area of 120 acres to the north of the town, is also used as a ground for military exercises. The environs abound with pleasing scenery, and the east side of the bridge, which is the only remaining portion of any building connected with the ancient village, is richly covered with ivy, presenting a picturesque object, heightened by the water of a mill-dam, which, crossing the river diagonally under its numerous arches, has the appearance of a natural waterfall. Adjoining the bridge is the entrance to Fermoy House, the residence of the late J. Anderson, Esq., to whom not only the town owes its prosperity, but the entire country is indebted for the important advantages resulting from the introduction of the mail coach system and the formation of many new and useful lines of road: it is now occupied by the lady of the late Major Hennis, and is a handsome mansion, beautifully situated on a gently sloping lawn bounded by the river. The number of military stationed here is on an average nearly 2000, the supply of whom, in addition to its own population, affords employment to tradesmen and artisans of every kind; and hence the necessaries and luxuries of life are found here in as great profusion as in any of the larger towns in Ireland. There are some extensive flour-mills, paper-mills, and a public brewery, with a large malting establishment attached to it, formerly celebrated for its ale, but now principally brewing porter. The staple trade of the town is in corn and butter, of which considerable quantities are sent off; but a great impediment to its commercial prosperity results from the want of water conveyance, the Blackwater not being navigable within many miles of this place. Coal and culm are brought by lighters to Tallow, and thence by land carriage to Fermoy, a distance of 10 miles; and in the same tedious manner is the produce of the town and neighbourhood conveyed to the shipping-place for exportation, although it is calculated that a rail road or canal might be made at a moderate expense from this town to Tallow, the line between those places being nearly level throughout. A savings' bank has been also established. The market is on Saturday, and is abundantly supplied with live stock, provisions of every kind, and various articles of merchandise; and fairs for general farming stock are held on June 21st, Aug. 20th, and Nov. 7th. The market-place, near the river, though well adapted to the purpose, is used only for the corn market. Two mails from Cork to Dublin, and Bianconi's cars, pass daily through the town. The quarter sessions for the East Riding are held here in January; a manorial court, formerly held every three weeks, with jurisdiction extending to debts not exceeding 40s., late currency, is about to be revived; petty sessions are held every Monday, and a constabulary police force is stationed in the town. The court-house, a neat and appropriate building at the east end of the town, was erected in 1808.

The parish comprises 3319 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5281 per annum. The land is generally of good quality, and the system of agriculture has within the last few years been greatly improved, under the auspices of an agricultural society established by the late Mr. Anderson, which holds its annual meetings in October for the distribution of premiums, on which occasion there is a ploughing match. The substratum on the north side of the river is limestone, and on the south a kind of brown stone; there is no bog, and but very little waste land. About a mile from the town are the extensive nursery grounds of Mr. P. Baylor, on which about 50 persons are generally employed; the produce is sent to Cork, Limerick, and other principal towns. The principal seats are Mill Bank, the residence of D. Reid, Esq.; Fermoy House, already noticed; Fermoy Lodge, of G. Shaw, Esq.; Ashfield, of J. W. Anderson, Esq.; Uplands, of S. Perrot, Esq.; Corren, of Major Coast; Grange Hill, of W. F. Austin, Esq.; Richmond, of H. Smyth, Esq.; Richmond Lodge, of Mrs. Collis; and Fairfield, of Capt. Roberts. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Cloyne, and in the patronage of Sir Robt. Abercromby, Bart., the present lord of the manor, in whom also the rectory is impropriate, by purchase from the Anderson family. The tithes amount to £591. 9. 10., which is wholly payable to the impropriator. The curacy is endowed with £20 per annum by the late Mr. Anderson, and with £80 per annum by the late Board of First Fruits; the curate receives also a stipend for the performance of a separate service for the military every Sunday in the church. There is no glebe-house; the glebe, at the northern extremity of the parish, comprises about 4 acres. The church, a remarkably elegant structure with a square tower formerly surmounted with a spire, which has been taken down, was erected at the joint expense of the late Mr. Anderson, who presented the site, and at different times contributed nearly £3000; the late Mr. Hyde, who gave £1500; and the late Board of First Fruits, which gave £500 and granted a loan of £2000. The internal arrangement corresponds with its external appearance: the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £172 for its repair.

In the R. C. divisions the parish is united to that of Clondullane, the greater part of Litter, and a part of the parish of Kilcrumper. The chapel, a spacious and handsome edifice on an eminence, was erected by subscription, towards which the late Mr. Anderson contributed the site rent-free and £500; the altar-piece, of light tracery, is embellished with a good painting of the Crucifixion. A convent for nuns of the order of the Presentation has been built in a very handsome style on the brow of a hill to the south of the town, to which it is a great ornament; it consists of a centre connected by corridors with two wings, of which one is a chapel and the other a school-house for girls; and was built at an expense of £2000, of which £1500 was obtained from funds appropriated by Miss Goold to the establishment of convents in this county, and the remainder raised by subscription. Adjoining the convent is a handsome dwelling-house, erected by the Rev. T. Murphy, sen., R.C.C., (and now occupied by Capt. Royce, chief officer of police), the rent of which is intended by him to be permanently applied to clothe the children educated at the convent school. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. About 400 children are taught in three public schools, of which one was founded and endowed with £1000 by the Rev. Dr. Adair, and is kept in a house given by the late Mr. Anderson, and there are 12 private schools, in which are about 350 children, and a Sunday school. The Fermoy college school, conducted by Dr. Fahie, for the preparation of young gentlemen for the university, was originally built by the late Mr. Anderson for a military college; the buildings occupy two sides of a square, comprising, besides the usual accommodations, a gymnasium, reading-room, and a ball court, and are surrounded by 11 acres of playground. The national school is a large and substantial building, lately erected at an expense of £600, and affording accommodation for 400 children. Nothing remains of the old monastery of Our Lady de Castro Dei, which was taken down to afford materials for building several houses in the town, and the only memorial of it is preserved in the name of a street built upon the site, and thence called Abbey-street. At Corrin, under the mountain of that name, about l 1/2 mile south of the town, is a chalybeate spa; and at Grange, close to Castle Hyde, is a sulphureous and chalybeate spring, both strongly impregnated. Fermoy formerly gave the title of Baron to the ancient family of Roche.

FERMOYLE, or LETTERCANNON, a village, in the parish of KILLONOGHAN, barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER; containing 42 houses and 220 inhabitants.

FERNS, a post-town and parish, and till lately the seat of a diocese, partly in the barony of GOREY, but chiefly in that of SCARAWALSH, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 17 3/4 miles (N.) from Wexford, and 56 3/4 (S. by W.) from Dublin, on the road from Gorey to Enniscorthy; containing 4038 inhabitants, of which number, 571 are in the town. This place, according to Colgan, derives its name from Ferna, son of Caril, King of Decies, who was slain here in battle by Gallus, son of Morna; but according to other writers from "Fearn," signifying either an alder tree, or the well-known weed so common in uncultivated districts. It is said to have been granted, in 598, by Brandubh, King of Leinster, to St. Edan, who built a monastery here, in the church of which his benefactor and himself were subsequently interred. Early in the 9th century, the growing importance of the town, which had gradually risen around the monastery, was checked by successive incursions of the Danes, in 834, 836, and 838; afterwards in 917 and 928, and in 930 they plundered the abbey and burnt the town.

In 1041 the city was destroyed by Dunchad, son of Brian, and in 1165 it suffered from an accidental fire. In the following year it is said to have been burnt by Dermod Mac Murrough, the last King of Leinster, to prevent its falling into the hands of Roderic, King of Ireland; but according to more numerous authorities, it was destroyed by the confederate army under Roderic, who, advancing to Ferns during Dermod's absence in England, took the castle and restored Dervorghal, whom Dermod had forcibly carried off, to her husband O'Rourke, King of Breffny. On his return from England, towards the close of 1168, Dermod secretly took refuge in the Augustine monastery which he had founded here; and after the capture of Wexford by his English auxiliaries, concentrated his forces at this place, where he remained for three weeks refreshing his men, and concerting plans of future operations. After a successful attack on the King of Ossory, Dermod again retired to Ferns, whither Roderic, alarmed at his continued successes, advanced to give him battle. Dermod, sensible of his inferiority in numbers, stationed his troops in the bogs and woods which surrounded the castle, and awaited the contest; and Roderic, fearing to attack him in that position, concluded, at the solicitations of the clergy, a treaty of peace, in which he acknowledged Dermod's right to the crown of Leinster. Dermod died the year following, and was interred either in the cathedral of Ferns or at Baltinglass. After his death, Strong-bow visited this city, where he subsequently solemnized the marriage of his daughter, by a former wife, with his standard-bearer, Robert de Quiney, whom he created Lord Daffren and appointed constable of Leinster.

The city appears never to have recovered from its previous devastations; for when it was given by Hen. II. to Robert Fitz-Aldelm, it was described as an inconsiderable place, and exposed to the hostile assaults of the native chieftains. Fitz-Aldelm, having seized the castle of Wicklow, gave this lordship in exchange to the sons of Maurice Fitzgerald, who began to build a strong castle here, which was treacherously rased to the ground before it was completed. The castle, which subsequently became the occasional residence of the bishops of the diocese, and of which there are some remains, was most probably built in the reign of John, by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke. It was attacked, in 1312 and 1313, by the O'Tooles, who also set fire to the city; and Bishop Esmond, whose prelacy was disputed, maintained himself in it by force of arms against William Charnells, who was appointed to succeed him. The latter, after the sheriff had declared his inability to displace the former, put himself at the head of his own servants and forcibly obtained possession of the castle, in the occupation of which he was greatly annoyed by the Irish septs. In the reign of Hen. VIII., Mac Murrough, chieftain of Leinster, was made governor of the castle for the king; and during the reign of Edw. VI. and Mary, the custody of it was given to Richard Butler, Viscount Mountgarret. In 1641, Sir Chas. Coote, the parliamentary general, dismantled the fortress and greatly oppressed the inhabitants. The town is romantically situated on the river Bann, in an open and healthy district, and is sheltered on the north and west by a range of mountains. It consists chiefly of one irregular street, and contains 106 houses indifferently built, retaining no trace of its ancient importance. The market has been long discontinued; but fairs are held on Feb. 11th, March 25th, May 12th, June 29th, Sept. 4th, Oct. 29th, and Dec. 27th. Here and at Ballycarney are constabulary police stations.

Arms of the Archbishoprick

The DIOCESE of FERNS appears to have been founded by St. Edan, commonly called St. Maidoc or Mogue, a descendant of Colla Vais, King of Ireland, who, having left his country, resided for some years with St. David, bishop of Menevia, in Wales, by whom he was carefully instructed in the principles of the Christian religion. After his return to Ireland, St. Maidoc founded a church at Ferns, which soon after became the seat of a diocese. In a great synod held afterwards at Leinster, Brandubh decreed that the archbishoprick of Leinster should forever remain in the chair and see of St. Maidoc; who, after presiding over it for nearly 50 years, died in 632 and was succeeded by St. Molin. The see was governed by a regular succession of bishops till 814, from which date there is a chasm of more than a hundred years, arising probably from the ravages of the Danes of Ulster. It was afterwards governed by Laidgnene, under the title of Comorban, who died in 937: of his successors little worthy of notice is recorded till after the arrival of the English in Ireland. On the refusal of Giraldus Cambrensis to accept the see, which, with that of Leighlin, had been offered to him by John, Earl of Morton, Albin O'Mulloy succeeded in 1186; and during his prelacy it was forcibly deprived of two manors by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke. Adam de Northampton, who succeeded in 1312, was attainted of treason for his adherence to Edward Bruce, and for furnishing Robert Bruce with provisions, arms, and men during his invasion of Ireland. The revenues of the see were greatly diminished during the prelacy of Alexander Devereux, who succeeded to it in 1539, and remained in undisturbed possession of it, notwithstanding the changes then taking place in religion; and the manor of Fethard was alienated by Hugh Allen, who succeeded in 1582, but it was subsequently recovered by Bishop Ram. During the prelacy of Bishop Graves, who was consecrated in 1600, the see of Leighlin, which had been for some time vacant, was united with Ferns; and his successors continued to be bishops of Leighlin and Ferns from that period till 1836, when, on the death of the last bishop, Dr. Elrington, both dioceses were annexed to the see of Ossory, and the temporalities of the latter became vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The diocese is one of the five which constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin: it comprises a small part of the county of Wicklow and of Queen's county, and nearly the whole of that of Wexford, extending 46 miles in length and 18 in breadth, and comprehending a superficies of 570,564 statute acres, of which 550,800 are in the county of Wexford, and 19,764 in that of Wicklow. The lands belonging to the see comprise 13,370 statute acres of profitable land; and the gross revenue of the bishoprick amounts to £5882. 15. 3 1/4. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and the ten prebendaries of Kilrane, Coolstuffe, Fethard, Edermine, Taghmon, Kilrush, Tomb, Clone, Crosspatrick, and Whitechurch. The consistory court, held at Enniscorthy, consists of a vicar-general, two surrogates, and a registrar, who is also keeper of the records, of which the earliest are of the date of 1618. The total number of parishes is 142, which, with the exception of two without cure of souls, are comprised within 58 benefices, of which 34 are unions of two or more parishes, and 24 single parishes; of the benefices, one (the deanery) is in the patronage of the Crown, 10 in lay patronage, and the remainder are in the patronage of the Bishop or the incumbents. The number of parish churches is 61, and there are also two other places in which divine service is performed; there are 31 glebe-houses. The diocesan school, the master of which is paid a salary by the bishop and beneficed clergy of the diocese, is at Wexford. In the R. C. divisions this diocese, as originally constituted, forms a distinct bishoprick, and is one of the three suffragan to the archiepiscopal see of Dublin: it comprises 36 parochial unions or districts, and, exclusively of the friary chapel at New Ross, contains 90 chapels, served by 36 parish priests and 54 coadjutors or curates; the episcopal parishes or districts are Enniscorthy and Camolin: the Bishop resides at the former place.

The parish comprises 15,085 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the greater portion of the land is under tillage, and there is a considerable tract of hilly pasture. The gentlemen's seats are Ballymore, the residence of R. Donovan, Esq., proprietor of the town and the largest estate in the parish; and Clobemon Hall, of T. Derinzey, Esq., beautifully situated on the eastern bank of the Slaney, which here abounds with rich and varied scenery: the latter is a handsome modern mansion of the Grecian Doric order, erected from a design by Mr. Cobden, and is surrounded by an extensive and finely wooded demesne, in which are the ruins of a castle formerly belonging to the ancestors of Lord Baltimore. The living is a vicarage, united by act of council, in 1776, to the rectory of Kilbride, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate. The tithes amount to £830. 15. 4 1/2., of which £553. 16. 11. is payable to the bishop, and £276. 18. 5 1/2. to the vicar; the tithes of the vicarial union amount to £480. The glebe-house, the residence of the Rev. H. Newland, D. D., is pleasantly situated on a rising ground near the church; it was erected by aid of a gift of £800 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1805. The glebe comprises more than 29 acres of cultivated land, held under the see at a yearly rent of £15, by deed executed in 1778. The present cathedral, which is also the parish church, was erected in 1816, by aid of a loan of £500 from the late Board of First Fruits; it is a small structure, in the later English style, with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles; and adjoining it is a small building used as a chapter-house. In removing the ruins of the old building, the date 632 (the year of St. Edan's death) was found inscribed on several pieces of timber, and also on a huge beam of oak; an ancient monument to the memory of that saint is still preserved in the present church. In the wall of the churchyard have been inserted the fragments of one of those ancient crosses which are usually referred to the 10th or 11th century. The Episcopal palace is equally conspicuous for the simple elegance of its design and the beauty of the grounds: it was commenced during the prelacy of Bishop Cope, who, in 1785, obtained an act enabling him to carry into effect two bequests, one made in 1715 and the other in 1772, for the erection of an episcopal residence at this place. The church of the ecclesiastical district of Ballycarney (which see), recently erected out of the parishes of Ferns, Templeshanbo, and Monart, is situated in this parish. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parishes of Kilbride and Kilcomb:, the chapel, erected in 1826, is a neat modern building, with a low tower of granite surmounted by a cupola supported on eight pillars of grit-stone; adjoining it is a good house for the priest. About 150 children are taught in two public schools, of which one is aided with £30 per ann. by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity, and the other is chiefly supported by Dr. Newland; there are also three private schools, in which are about 100 children, and a dispensary.

Of the Augustine monastery founded by Dermod Mac Murrough, the chief remains are the walls of a narrow building with lancet-shaped windows, and a tower of two stages, of which the lower is quadrangular and the upper polygonal and covered with moss and ivy, which give it a circular form; within is a geometrical staircase leading to the top of the square tower. There are extensive remains of the ancient castle on an eminence in the town: it appears to have been of great strength, of quadrangular form, and defended at the angles with round towers, of which one is still entire and contains a beautiful small chapel with a groined roof, the interior of which has been recently fitted up; it commands from its summit a pleasing and extensive prospect, and is the property of R. Donovan, of Ballymore, Esq., who is using every precaution to preserve it: part of one of the other towers is also remaining. Near the churchyard is St. Mogue's well, said to have been sunk by Molin, successor to St. Edan, and held in veneration for the miraculous efficacy attributed to its waters.

FERRITERS ISLANDS.-- See BLASQUETS.

FERRYBANK, a village, in the parish of KILCULLIHEEN, within the liberties of the county of the city of WATERFORD, and in the province of MUNSTER, on the river Suir: the population is returned with the parish. The river is here crossed by a long and handsome wooden bridge, connecting the village with the city of Waterford, of which it may be considered a suburb. It contains a large distillery, an establishment for building and repairing vessels, and several store-houses and respectable dwelling-houses. Here are also three schools, one of which is under the patronage of Mrs. Nevins. -- See KILCULLIHEEN.

FERRYCARRIGG.-- See CARRIGG.

FERTAGH.-- See FARTAGH.

FERTIANA, a parish, in the barony of ELIOGARTY, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Thurles; containing 1168 inhabitants. This parish comprises 3397 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2700 per ann. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Cashel, and forms part of the mensal of the Archbishop; the tithes amount to £184. 12. 3 3/4.

FETHARD, an incorporated market and post-town, (formerly a parliamentary borough), and a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (N.) from Clonmel, and 78 (S. W.) from Dublin by Urlingford; containing 3962 inhabitants, of which number, 3400 are in the town and liberties. This place, which appears to have derived its name from the Irish Faith-Ard, the "summit or hill of the plain," is of considerable antiquity. In 1306, the friars Eremites of the order of St. Augustine obtained from Edw. I. a full and free pardon for having acquired, contrary to the statute of mortmain, some land for rebuilding their monastery, which had been founded here at a very early period. In 1376, Edw. III. granted to the provost and commonalty certain customs, to enable them to surround their town with walls, and a similar grant was made to them by Hen. IV. The monastery, to which was attached a certain portion of the town, was granted, on its dissolution, by Hen. VIII. to Sir Edmund Butler, Knt., at an annual rent of 5s. 4d. Irish; and in 1553, Edw. VI. granted the burgesses a new charter, with liberties and immunities similar to those of Kilkenny, which was confirmed and extended by a charter of Jas. I., under which the town is now governed. In 1650, the town was besieged by Cromwell, to whom, after a short resistance, it capitulated on honourable terms; the original articles are still extant, and in the possession of W. Barton, Esq., of Grove. It is irregularly built, and contains 626 houses, the inhabitants are supplied with good water from a public pump; and there are some extensive barracks, at present occupied by infantry. The old walls, in which were five gates defended by towers, are much dilapidated. The river Clashanly, or Clashaluin (more correctly Glaisealuin, "the lovely stream," from Glaise, "a stream," and Aluin, "lovely"), which rises in the bog of Allen, passes through the town and gives motion to two flour-mills, which, except in dry seasons, are constantly at work, and furnish the principal trade of the town. The market is on Saturday, but, from its vicinity to that of Clonmel, is of very inferior importance. Fairs are held on April 20th, Friday before Trinity-Sunday, Sept. 7th, and Nov. 21st, and are well supplied with cattle; the Nov. fair is the largest in the county for fat stock. The town has latterly become a great dep6t for the sale of culm from the Slievardagh collieries, eight miles distant: it is calculated that 30,000 barrels, or about 5000 tons, have been sold here in a year.

The corporation, by the charter of Jas. I., consists of a sovereign, twelve chief burgesses, a portreeve, and an indefinite number of freemen, assisted by a recorder, town-clerk, serjeant-at-mace, and other officers. The sovereign, who is also coroner and clerk of the market, is chosen annually from the burgesses by a majority of that body, and may with their consent appoint a vice-sovereign, who also is a justice of the peace within the borough. The burgesses, as vacancies occur, are chosen from the freemen by the sovereign and burgesses; the portreeve is annually elected from the freemen by the chief burgesses, and the freemen are admitted only by favour of the corporation. The recorder is chosen by the sovereign and chief burgesses, and holds his office during pleasure; the town-clerk is appointed either by the sovereign or the chief burgesses, and the serjeant-at-mace by the sovereign. The corporation, under their charter, continued to return two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when the borough was disfranchised, and the sum of £15,000 awarded in compensation was paid in moieties to Cornelius, Lord Lismore, and T. Barton, Esq. A Tholsel court, in which the sovereign presides, assisted by two burgesses, is held every three weeks, for the recovery of debts within the borough to any amount; and petty sessions are held generally on alternate Mondays before the county magistrates. A constabulary police force is stationed here.

The parish comprises 1524 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, which, with the exception of a small portion of woodland and about 130 acres of common, are chiefly good arable land. Near the town are some very fine limestone quarries, whence very large blocks are procured; the stone takes a fine polish and is used for tombstones and other purposes. Grove, the handsome seat of W. Barton, Esq., is pleasantly situated in an extensive demesne intersected by the river Clashanly, and richly planted; the house commands a fine view of Kiltinan Castle and the Waterford mountains; the park is well stocked with deer, and in the grounds are the ruins of an old church. There are several other gentlemen's seats in the union, which are described in their respective parishes. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, united by act of council, in 1682, to the rectories and vicarages of Pepperstown, Kilbragh, Cloneen, and Rathcoole, and to the entire rectories of Kilconnel and Railstown, together forming the union of Fethard, in the patronage of the Archbishop. The tithes of the parish amount to £140, and of the whole union to £1361. 7. 5 1/4. The glebe-house is a neat building, and there are four glebes, comprising together 22 acres. The church is the remaining aisle of an ancient structure of which the chancel is in ruins; it is in the decorated English style with a venerable tower (in which are four fine-toned bells), and an east and west window of very elegant design, and is 100 feet in length and 50 in breadth; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £440 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions, the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Killusty; and containing a chapel in each; the chapel of this parish, a large plain modern building, was erected on ground given by W. Barton, Esq. There is also a chapel attached to the Augustinian friary in the town, an ancient edifice with a very handsome east window, the beauty of which is concealed by a modern roof, which intercepts the crown of the arch. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians, erected in 1739, in connection with the Synod of Munster, the minister of which receives a grant of £53. 10. 8. per ann. royal bounty; also a temporary place of worship for Primitive Wesleyan Methodists. The parochial school is aided by donations from the rector, W. Barton, Esq., and the parishioners: the school-house, a good slated building, was erected at an expense of £325, of which £100 was a grant from the Association for Discountenancing Vice, and Mr. Barton gave £50; the site was part of the glebe given by the rector, the Rev. H. Woodward. A national school is chiefly supported by the Very Rev. M. Laffan, and a school has been established by Mrs. Barton for females, who are also taught spinning and needlework. There are nine private schools, a charitable loan fund, and a dispensary. There are remains of the ancient walls, with four of the gateway towers; in removing some stones near one of them a gold ring was recently found, bearing the inscription, "No Frende to Fayth." At Market Hill is a mineral spring; at Kiltinan is a subterraneous stream; and in the neighbourhood are the remains of many ancient castles, one of which, at Knockelly, occupies about an acre of ground, and is surrounded by a high wall with towers at each angle, and in good preservation.

FETHARD, a small sea-port, post-town, and parish, in the barony of SHELBURNE, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 15 3/4 miles (S.) from New Ross, and 81 (S. W.) from Dublin, on the bay of Fethard; containing 2153 inhabitants, of which number, 320 are in the town. This place is supposed to have derived its ancient name, "Fiodh Ard," from the abundance of wood in the neighbourhood, though at present no part of the country is more destitute of timber. Robert Fitz-Stephen, on his first invasion of the country, landed his forces in a bay about a mile to the south of the town, since called Bagenbon bay, from the names of the ships Bag and Bon, both of which, immediately after his landing, he burnt in the presence of his men, telling them that they must either succeed in their enterprise or perish in the attempt. After the settlement of the English in Ireland, this place was given by Strongbow to Raymond le Gros, who had married his sister Basilia, and who is said to have erected a strong fortress here for the protection of his newly acquired territory. Basilia, with the concurrence of Fitz-Stephen, granted the church lands and tithes of the whole lordship to the abbey of St. Thomas near Dublin: and some of its earlier lords obtained for the inhabitants a charter of incorporation. The castle afterwards became the episcopal residence of the Bishops of Ferns, and here Alexander Devereux, the last abbot of Dunbrody, and the first Bishop of Ferns after the Reformation, died in 1556, and was buried in the church, in the aisle of which his tombstone still remains. In 1648, the manor of Ferns was exchanged by Bishop Andrews for value belonging to the Loftus family.

The town, which is neat and well built, consists principally of one wide street on the line of road from Ross to Bagenbon Head, and contains 50 houses, partly occupied by persons in the coast-guard department, of which a branch is constantly stationed here. Some trade is carried on in coal, timber, iron, and slates, and cattle and pigs are occasionally shipped from the port, for which its situation affords every facility. About 15 boats are employed in conveying limestone from the south-west side of the parish, near Loftus Hall, to this place, whence it is sent up the Scar river into the interior of the country. A considerable fishery of herrings, lobsters, and other fish of superior quality, especially plaice, is carried on off this coast. The harbour, which was constructed by Government in 1798, and is capable of receiving about four small sloops, is situated on the north side of Inguard Point. Between the pier heads are from 11 to 12 feet of water at high spring tides, and from 8 to 9 at ordinary neap tides. There is also a harbour for small craft at Slade, in the parish of Hook, between which and this place is Bagenbon bay, one of the best shipping stations on the coast, for vessels of any burden, both for its depth of water, and from its sheltered situation, from the west and north-west winds. Fairs for cattle are held on Jan. 31st, April 30th, July 28th, and Oct. 20th. The town was incorporated in 1613, by charter of Jas. I., by which the corporation was made to consist of a portreeve and 12 free burgesses, in whom was vested the right of nominating freemen to form a commonalty, and of returning two members to the Irish parliament. They had also the power of holding a court of record weekly, for the recovery of debts not exceeding five marks, with the privilege of a market and fair; but this corporation has long been extinct. The borough continued to send two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when it was disfranchised, and the £15,000 awarded in compensation was paid to Charles, Marquess of Ely, and C. Tottenham, Esq.

The parish, which is the property of the Marquess of Ely, is on the western side of Fethard bay, and with the parishes of Hook and Templetown forms a peninsula which separates Waterford harbour from Ballyteigue bay. It comprises 3775 statute acres, of which the greater portion is under tillage, and the remainder good meadow and pasture land: the soil is fertile and the system of agriculture improved; the chief manure is sea-sand and lime. On the shore is a species of hard red granite, which is used for millstones and other purposes; several unsuccessful attempts to procure coal and slate have been made. Fethard Castle, the property of the Marquess of Ely, and in the occupation of the Rev. A. Alcock, is pleasantly situated on the left of the road to New Ross; and Innyard, the seat of the Lynn family, is situated in tastefully disposed grounds. The Turret, a bathing lodge, formerly the property of Mrs. Savage, has been recently taken down. There are numerous comfortable farmhouses and bathing lodges in the parish, which is much frequented, for the benefit of sea-bathing. The sands are firm and smooth; the surrounding country is pleasant, and the air salubrious; and the neighbourhood abounds with objects of interest, among which are the remains of the abbeys of Dunbrody, Tintern, and Clonmines. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, and the corps of the prebend of Fethard in the cathedral of Ferns, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £330. The glebe-house, a handsome building, was erected in 1830 by the Rev. C. W. Doyne, the present incumbent, at an expense of £1060, towards which the late Board of First Fruits contributed a gift of £277, and a loan of £461. The glebe comprised originally 1 3/4 Irish acres, to which 5 acres were added by purchase in 1834. The church, an ancient structure in a very dilapidated state, is about to be rebuilt. In the R. C. divisions the parish is part of the union or district of Hook; the chapel, on the lands of Dungulph, is a neat , cruciform edifice, recently built by subscription. About 70 children are taught in the public schools, which are supported by the Marquess and Marchioness of Ely; aided by an annual donation of £10 from the rector; there are also two private schools, in which are about 90 children, and a Sunday school supported by the rector. On the narrow promontory of Bagenbon Head are the remains of an encampment, said to have been formed by Fitz-Stephen on his landing; and at Fethard are the ruins of a castle, at one angle of which is a round tower in good preservation. Bagenbon Head projects considerably from the line of the coast; the land is high, and the shore bold; the water is deep, with a stiff clay bottom, covered with sand, extending nearly to the base of the cliffs. This bay has afforded refuge to many vessels in heavy gales, and the Milford packets have frequently put in and landed the mails, when it has been impracticable for them to reach Waterford; there is a martello tower on the Head.

FEWS, a parish, in the barony of DECIES-WITHOUT-DRUM, county of WATERFORD, and province of MUNSTER, l 1/2 mile (W. N. W.) from Kilmacthomas, on the river Mahon; containing 1247 inhabitants, and comprising 5986 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. Its surface is chiefly mountainous, and in several places commands fine views towards the ocean. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Lismore, forming part of the union of Mothill; the rectory is impropriate in the Duke of Devonshire. The tithes amount to £221. 10. 9. of which £147. 13. 10., is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Kilrosanty and Fews, and has a neat chapel.

FIDDOWN, a parish and village, in the barony of IVERK, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, on the high road from Kilkenny to Carrick; containing, with the post-town of Pilltown (which is separately described), 4296 inhabitants, of which number, 193 are in the village. This parish, the name of which is said to be derived from Fiodh, "a wood," and Doon, a "rath" or "fort," is bounded on the west by the river Lingawn, which is crossed by a good stone bridge, and on the south by the river Suir; it comprises 10,485 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £8145 per annum. The soil in some parts is of astonishing fertility, and there is no waste land; the system of agriculture has much improved within the last seven years, through the exertions of the Irish Farming Society. There are numerous limestone and sandstone quarries; and near Pilltown is a quarry of variegated grey marble, susceptible of a high polish. The village of Fiddown consists of 36 houses, and has fairs on April 25th, June 10th, Sept. 29th, and Nov. 30th. It is situated on the bank of the river Suir, which is navigable throughout the extent of the parish for vessels of large burden, and abounds with excellent salmon and trout. Besborough, the fine old mansion of the Earl of Besborough, and from which his lordship takes his title, is situated in a well-wooded park of more than 500 acres. The house, which is built of hew