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LABASHEEDA, or POUNDSTREET, a village, in the parish of KILLOFIN, barony of CLONDERALAW, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S. W.) from Kildysart, on the lower road to Kilrush; containing 93 houses and 466 inhabitants. From its situation on the Shannon a considerable quantity of corn is brought hither in winter, and sent in boats to Limerick; culm obtained in the vicinity is also sent hence to Limerick, Ennis, and other places: the erection of a small pier and quay would be of great advantage to the trade. There is a ferry across the Shannon to Tarbert. A court for Lord Egremont's manor of Clonderalaw is occasionally held by the seneschal for the recovery of small debts; and a constabulary police force is stationed in the village. Near it a large R. C. chapel, a handsome cruciform building, has been lately erected.--See KILLOFIN.

LACKAGH, a parish, in the barony of CLARE, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (N. E. by N.) from Galway, on the road to Castle-Blakeney; containing 2190 inhabitants. In 1504, Mac William of Clanricarde, O'Brien of Thomond, and other chieftains, suddenly captured Galway, but were soon afterwards defeated by the lord-deputy, the Earl of Kildare, at Knock-tuadh, in this parish, with great slaughter, when two of Mac William's sons were made prisoners; Galway was recovered, and Athenry surrendered. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, forming part of the union of Annaghdown; the rectory forms the corps of the prebend of Lackagh in the cathedral of Tuam. The tithes amount to £205. 3. 4 1/2., of which £100 is payable to the prebendary, and the remainder to the vicar. The R. C. parish is co-extensive, with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel. There are four private schools, in which about 230 children are educated.

LACKAGH, a parish, partly in a detached part of the KING'S county, but chiefly in the barony of WEST OPHALY, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 2 3/4 miles (W.) from Kildare, on the road to Monastereven, and on the Grand Canal; containing 1450 inhabitants. It comprises 6431 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Kildare, united to the vicarage of Doneny, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £258. 9. 2 1/2., and the value of the benefice is £302. 1. 10 1/2. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a loan of £350 and a gift of £450 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816; the glebe of the union comprises 18a. 2r. 16p. The church was rebuilt by aid of a grant from the same Board, about 1835. There are two private schools, in which, about 80 children are educated. There are some remains of a castle that formerly belonged to the Fitzgeralds; and of Mount Rice, a large mansion erected by the Rice family.

LACKAN, a parish, in the barony of TYRAWLEY, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Killala, on the north-western coast; containing 2911 inhabitants. The land is partly under tillage and partly in pasture, but there are large tracts of bog and reclaimable mountain, and some fine quarries of freestone, limestone, and slate. Copper is supposed to exist at Castlerea, and there is a fine fishery at Baltra. The principal seats are Castle Lackan, the residence of C. N. Knox, Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. G. Birmingham; Curramore, of R. Palmer, Esq.; Heathfield, of O. Bourke, Esq.; and Lissadrone, of A. Pugh, Esq., which commands views of the bay of Killala and of the Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal mountains, and in the grounds of which are 9 Danish forts and a very strong chalybeate spring. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, episcopally united to those of Templemurry and Kilcummin, and in the, patronage of the Bishop; the rectory forms the corps of the prebend of Lackan in the cathedral of Killala. The tithes amount to £220, of which £100 is payable to the prebendary, and the remainder to the vicar: the entire tithes of the benefice amount to £241. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 3la. 1r. The church is a small ancient building. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising this parish and Kilcummin, and has a chapel at Lackan. Here is a public school of about 60 children, endowed with £20 per annum by Mrs. R. Palmer; also a private school, in which about 80 children are educated.

LACKEEN, a parish, in the barony of ORRERY and KILMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, l 1/4 mile (W.) from Churchtown, on the road to Liscarrol; containing 89 inhabitants. It comprises only the townlands of Lackeen and Granard, containing 277 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £246. 9. 2., as rated for the county cess. The land is of excellent quality and chiefly in tillage; limestone is quarried for burning, lime being generally used for manure, and the state of agriculture has been much improved. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne, forming the corps of the prebend of Lackeen in the cathedral of Cloyne, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £31. The occasional duties are discharged by the curate of Churchtown. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union of Liscarrol. The ruins of the old church still remain in the burial-ground.

LACKEN, a village, in the parish of BOYSTOWN, barony of LOWER TALBOTSTOWN, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER; containing 31 houses and 167 inhabitants. Here is a R. C. chapel for the union or district of Blackditches.

LADIES'-BRIDGE, a village, in the parish of IGHTERMURRAGH, barony of IMOKILLY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 1 1/2 mile (S.) from Castle-Martyr, on the road to Ballycotton; containing 41 houses and 231 inhabitants. Here is the R. C. chapel for the union or district of Ightermurragh, Garryvoe, and Bohilane; near which is a male and female national school.

LADY'S - ISLAND, county of WEXFORD. -- See MARY'S (ST.).

LADYTOWN, a parish, in the barony of CONNELL, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Naas; containing 402 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river Liffey, comprises 2629 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1683 per annum. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kildare, forming part of the union of Great Connell; the rectory is impropriate in Sir T. Molyneux, Bart., Sir G. Cockburn, K.G.H., and A. Rourke, Esq. The tithes amount to £95. 9. 6., of which £63. 13. is payable to the impropriators, and £31. 16. 6. to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Caragh and Downings.

LAGAN, county of LONGFORD.--See KILGLASS.

LAHINCH, or LAHENZY, a village, in the parish of KILMANAHEEN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (W.) from Ennistymon, on the bay of Lisca-nor, on the western coast; containing 195 houses and 1033 inhabitants. This place has of late rapidly improved on account of its fine bathing strand, situated at the inner extremity of the bay, and much resorted to during the season. The roads in the vicinity have been greatly improved, and when the new bridge over the estuary of the river Inagh between this place and Liscanor shall be completed, there will be an uninterrupted drive along the coast from Miltown-Malbay to the cliffs of Moher. The village affords good accommodation for visitors, and races are generally held every season for their amusement. In the vicinity are the natural curiosities called the "Puffing Holes" and the "Dropping Well;" the former is described under the head of Miltown-Malbay; the latter is similar to the dropping well at Knaresborough, in Yorkshire: the surrounding scenery is extremely picturesque and diversified. In the village is the R. C. chapel for this portion of the district of Ennistymon, in which a school is held under the superintendence of the parish priest.

LAMBAY, an island, in the parish of PORTRANE, barony of NETHERCROSS, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 3 miles (E. S. E.) from Rush; containing 100 inhabitants. This island, which is situated off the eastern coast, appears to have belonged at an early period to the cathedral establishment of Christ-Church, Dublin; by license from Edw. VI., in the 5th of his reign, it was, with the consent of the chapter, granted by the archbishop to John Chalenor and his heirs, at a fee-farm rent of £6. 13. 4., for the use of a colony which he had brought to inhabit it, on condition that within six years he should build a town for the habitation of fishermen, with a place of defence surrounded by a wall and ditch, and a convenient harbour for their boats. In the reign of Elizabeth the island was granted to Archbishop Ussher, who resided here for a considerable time, during which he is said to have written part of his works; after his decease it was purchased from his representatives by the family of Talbot, who are its present proprietors. It is about four miles in circumference, and forms an elevated ridge, with rocky knolls and cragged brows, strongly contrasting with the flat sandy shore of the mainland, appearing like the last offset of the Wicklow mountains in this direction, and corresponding with the detached heights of Ireland's Eye, Howth, and Dalkey, at the opposite extremity. It contains more than 650 plantation acres of land well watered with numerous streams and susceptible of cultivation, to which a portion of it has been subjected; it abounds with rabbits, sea parrots, puffins, and Cornish choughs. The rocky grounds surrounding the island form a plentiful lobster and crab fishery, and are much frequented by the Lough Shinny fishermen, who carry on a lucrative trade here. The channel between the island and the main land at Rush point and Portrane is about three miles wide; and about 200 yards from the west end is the Burrin rock, dry at half tide, and on which a perch is placed; between it and the island are four fathoms of water. About a quarter of a mile from the northwestern extremity of the island, or Scotch point, is a cluster of rocks called "the Tailors," on which a beacon is placed; and between these rocks is a pier harbour, built by a grant of £591. 11.4. from the late Fishery Board, and of £451. 7. 8. from the proprietor, who afterwards obtained a grant from Government for its completion. It has four feet depth at the entrance at low water, and small vessels may find good anchorage and shelter from the north-east and south-east gales. On the northern side of the island is the Cardurris rock; the remainder of the shore is lofty and precipitous, with clear ground at a short distance; and vessels may anchor in safety to leeward; on the south-eastern side is a spacious cavern, called "Seal Hole," from the number of seals that breed there; and on the north side, between the Tailors and Cardurris rock, is a cavern about 150 feet in length, with stalagmites arising from the floor, and stalactites depending from the roof. Experienced pilots for the Dublin coast, and supplies of excellent spring water may always be obtained here, and on the island is a coast-guard station. The geological features are chiefly trap rock, greenstone in massive beds; greenstone porphyry alternating with small strata of clay-slate, conglomerate sandstone well adapted for mill-stones; grauwacke, and grauwacke slate; the porphyry is found in abundance, and is susceptible of a very high polish, and indications of copper are found. The castle erected by Chalenor is of polygonal form, and is occasionally inhabited by the Rt. Hon. Lord Talbot de Malahide, proprietor of the island. In the R. C. divisions the island forms part of the union or district of Rush; the first stone of a chapel was laid in 1833 by the proprietor. There is an old burying-ground, also a well dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

LAMBEG, a parish, partly in the baronies of UPPER BELFAST and UPPER MASSAREENE, county of ANTRIM, but chiefly in the barony of UPPER CASTLEREAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 2 1/2 miles (N.) from Lisburn, on the old road from Belfast to Dublin; containing 1537 inhabitants, of which number, 175 are in the village. The parish, which is pleasantly situated on the river Lagan, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 1567 statute acres, of which 376 3/4 are in the county of Antrim. The land is good and the system of agriculture improved; and the surrounding scenery is pleasingly diversified. Lambeg House, the property and residence of A. Williamson, Esq., is a handsome modern mansion, formerly belonging to J. Williamson, Esq., author of an able treatise on the linen trade, and framer of the laws by which it is now regulated throughout Ireland; he was much persecuted for framing those laws, and was driven from his house and his native country by an infuriated mob. Chrome Hill, also a spacious modern mansion, was erected by R. Nevin, Esq., late of Manchester, who established here some extensive works for printing muslin, in which he first applied with success his invention of the "Ba Chrome," now universally used, and also introduced the oxyde of chrome into the ornamental department of the china manufacture, from which circumstance he named his estate. The village is about a mile north of Lisburn, with which and also with Belfast it is connected by houses continued along the road between those towns. The blanket manufacture established by the Wolfenden family, who settled in this part of the country about two centuries since, is still carried on. On the river Lagan are two large bleach-greens; and further down the stream is the extensive printing establishment of Mr. Nevin, the buildings of which are capacious and furnished with every modern improvement in machinery. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate as mensal, but the whole of the tithes, amounting to £103. 19. 2 3/4., are given by him to the curate. The church occupies the site of an ancient monastery, said to have been founded in the 15th century by Mac Donell for Franciscan friars of the third order; it is a small but handsome edifice in the Grecian style, with a tower at the west end. There is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster; also a national school, in which are about 90 children, and a private school of about 120 children. From a part of the churchyard being called the Nuns' Garden, it has been supposed that there was a nunnery here, but no account of such an establishment is extant.

LANESBOROUGH, a market and post-town (formerly a parliamentary borough), partly in the parish of CLONTUSKERT, barony of BALLINTOBBER, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, but chiefly in the parish and barony of RATHCLINE, county of LONGFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (W. S. W.) from Longford, on the road to Roscommon, and 66 3/4 (W. by N.) from Dublin; containing 390 inhabitants. This town derived its name from Sir G. Lane, whose lands of Ballyleagh and others in the county of Longford were erected into the manor of Lanesborough by charter of Chas. II. in the 17th of his reign; and to whom was also granted a court baron, with jurisdiction to the amount of 40s., and a court of record for the determination of pleas to the amount of £200. The same charter constituted the town a free borough, under a sovereign and two bailiffs, who were annually elected, and of whom the former, with his deputy, was a justice of the peace; 12 burgesses, elected by a majority of their own body as vacancies occurred; and an indefinite number of freemen, admitted by the burgesses, by whom also a recorder, town-clerk, serjeant-at-mace, and other officers were to be. appointed. The corporation continued to return two members to the Irish parliament till the Union, when the borough was disfranchised. For some time prior to the Union the corporation exercised scarcely any other municipal duty than that of returning the members to parliament, and since that period it has become virtually extinct. The town is advantageously situated for trade on the river Shannon, over which is a bridge of nine arches connecting the counties of Roscommon and Longford. The chief trade is the exportation of corn, pigs, and eggs, of which vast quantities are sent by the Shannon; eggs are also sent to Dublin by the Royal Canal from Killashee, near this town, to which place they are conveyed by land carriage. The market, which is abundantly supplied with agricultural produce, is on Wednesday; and a fair is held on the 12th of February. It has a sub-post-office to Longford; and there is a constabulary police station. About a mile to the south is Rathcline, the seat of Luke White, Esq., proprietor of the town, pleasingly situated at the base of Rathcline hill and on the shore of Lough Ree; and on the banks of the Shannon, about the same distance from the town, is Clonbony, the seat of Capt. Davys, but now occupied by G. Davys, Esq., commanding a fine view of the river and the town. The parish church of Rathcline, of which the chancel is in ruins, is situated here; and there are a R. C. chapel and a dispensary. Adjoining the church are the shattered remains of a large tower, which is said to have been destroyed from the opposite side of the river by the army of Jas. II. Lanesborough gives the title of Earl to a branch of the family of Butler of Newtown, in which it was revived after it had become extinct in the family of Lane.

LANGFIELD (EAST or UPPER), a parish, in the barony of OMAGH, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (W.) from Omagh; containing, with the market-town of Drumquin (which is separately described), 2919 inhabitants. The old parish of Langfield was, in 1800, divided by act of council into the two parishes of East and West Langfield; the former portion comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 9716 1/4: statute acres, of which 22 1/4 are water. The land in some parts is good, but the soil is generally light, particularly near the mountains, which, though lofty, afford good pasturage for cattle; the system of agriculture is slowly improving, and there is an extensive tract of bog. Excellent free-stone is found at Claremore, and in several parts of the parish are indications of coal. The principal seats are Drumrane Lodge, the residence of J. Boyle, Esq.; Burle's Folly, of E. Sproule, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. J. Pilkington. The manufacture of linen is carried on in the farm-houses to a considerable extent. The townland of Magheraney, on which is the church, is the property of the Bishop of Derry. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £245. The glebe-house, towards which the late Board of First Fruits gave £100, in 1804, is a good residence; the glebe comprises 26 Cunningham acres. The church, which was erected soon after the separation of the parish, is a small neat edifice with a square tower; the late Board of First Fruits gave £500, in 1800, towards its erection, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £254 towards its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish, with that of West Langfield, forms the union or district of Langfield; there is a place of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the third class. About 180 children are taught in three public schools, of which the parochial school, situated on the glebe, is supported by the rector; there are also four private schools, in which are about 150 children. About a quarter of a mile from the parish church are the remains of an ancient church with a burial-ground.

LANGFIELD (WEST or LOWER), a parish, in the barony of OMAGH, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (W.) from Omagh, on the road from Londonderry to Enniskillen; containing 4865 inhabitants. The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 23,906 3/4 statute acres, of which 176 are water, and about 6700 are mountain and bog. The mountains afford good pasturage for cattle and sheep, and their declivities are in a state of progressive cultivation; a great portion of the bog is also being rapidly reclaimed, and the system of agriculture is fast improving. In Dunwest are extensive beds of coal in three strata, all easy of access; and though at every flood large masses are detached by the river Poe, and carried down the stream, no attempt has yet been made to work them: coal of very good quality is also found in other parts of the parish. In Kerlis are extensive and valuable quarries of freestone, from which was raised the stone for the portico of the court-house of Omagh and for other public edifices; the higher mountains, of which Dooish rises, according to the Ordnance survey, 1119 feet above the level of the sea, are of mica slate. The river Poe rises in these mountains, and after passing through Drumquin falls into the river Foyle, about two miles below Omagh; there are several lakes in the parish, of which the largest is 58 acres in extent. The inhabitants combine with their agricultural pursuits the weaving of linen, and many of the females are employed in spinning linen and cotton yarn; there is also a small tuck-mill for dressing home-made woollen cloth, and there are several corn-mills. The parish is partly within the bishop's manor of Derg, and partly in that of Hastings, which was granted to Sir J. Davies by Jas. I., under the name of Clonaghmore; and for which a court is held at Drumquin monthly, for the recovery of debts under 40s. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £295. 17. The glebe-house is a good and comfortable residence, situated near the church on a glebe of 108 acres, and embosomed in thriving plantations; there are also belonging to the rectory 10 townlands at Gortnasoal, about three miles distant, comprising together 2589 acres, of which 1426 are under cultivation, and the remainder mountain and bog. The church is a small ancient edifice surmounted by a cupola. In the R. C. divisions the parish, together with that of East Langfield, constitutes the union or district of Langfield; there is a large chapel at Drumquin, which serves for both parishes. About 460 children are taught in six public schools, of which the parochial school is principally supported by the rector, who in 1820 erected a good house for the master on the glebe, with an excellent garden; he also erected a school-house for another on the glebe at Loughmulharn, which he also supports. There are three private schools, in which are about 80 children, and five Sunday schools. There are some extensive remains of the spacious and handsome castle of Kerlis, or Curlews, built by Sir John Davies, prior to 1619, upon the manor of Clonaghmore, with freestone found on the spot, and with which he constructed a road eight feet wide and seven miles in length, leading over mountains and morasses, to his other castle on the Derg; much of the road may still be traced near the castle, paved with large blocks of stone. There are numerous forts in various parts of the parish, some of which are very large and tolerably perfect.

LARACOR, a parish, in the barony of LOWER MOYFENRAGH, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER; containing, with the post-town of Summerhill, (which is separately described), 2418 inhabitants. The parish comprises 7787 statute acres, of which about two-thirds are under tillage; the remainder, with the exception of some bog near Summerhill, is good pasturage. The western part consists of limestone gravel, and the eastern of a strong clayey loam. The principal seats are Rock Lodge, the residence of T. Disney, Esq.; Freffans, of W. Battersby, Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. Blayney Irwine; Spring Valley, of R. Butler Bryan, Esq.; Braymount, of G. J. Murphy, Esq.; Adamstown, the property of T. Disney, Esq.; and Summerhill, the property of the Earl of Longford. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of the Crown; the tithes amount to £415. 7. 8. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £200 and a loan of £550 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1813; the glebe comprises 21 acres. The church is an ancient edifice, which it is intended to rebuild; it contains a handsome monument to the memory of Sir Colley Wellesley, Knt., this having been formerly the burial-place of the Wellesley as it still is of the Perceval family. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, called Summer-hill, which includes the parishes of Laracor, Agher, Drumlargan, and Gallow; there is a chapel at Dangan, in Laracor, and another at Agher. At Summerhill is a place of worship for Presbyterians, in connection with the Synod of Munster, the minister of which receives an annual grant of £53. 10. 8. royal bounty. The parochial school is at Summerhill, and there is a school at Dangan, and another at Rocklodge, to which T. Disney, Esq., subscribes £15 annually: about 270 children are educated in these schools, and about 30 in two private schools. Here are the ruins of Dangan castle, which was the ancient manorial seat of the Wellesleys, and in which the Duke of Wellington, the Marquess Wellesley, and Lords Maryborough and Cowley, were born. It was a splendid residence, surrounded by a noble demesne, but was burnt some years since and is now the property of Major Burrowes. Of Knightsbrook, formerly the handsome residence of the Perceval family, only the offices remain. This parish was for several years the benefice and residence of Dr. Jonathan Swift, afterwards Dean of St. Patrick's, who was instituted to the living in 1699; and of Esther Johnson, known by the poetic name of Stella.

LARAH, a parish, partly in the barony of UPPER LOUGHTEE, but chiefly in that of TULLAGHGARVEY, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Stradone, 7808 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey it comprises 17,282 1/2 statute acres, including 180 1/2 of water; of these, 5166 1/2 are in Upper Loughtee, and 12,116 in Tullaghgarvey. The state of agriculture is rather backward, and in the upper part of the parish there is a quantity of bog. There are quarries of limestone, which is used for building and as manure. The principal seats are Stradone House, the residence of Major Burrowes, a handsome structure in a well-planted demesne; and Ravenswood, of R. Saunderson, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, forming part of the union of Drung; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £559. 8., of which £221. 19. 9. is payable to the impropriator, and £337. 8. 3. to the vicar; the glebe comprises 556a. 1r. 23p. The church is a neat and commodious edifice, erected by aid of a grant from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1832. In the R. C. divisions this district is divided into Upper and Lower Larah, and has chapels at Larah and Cleffernah. There are two public schools, in which about 270 children are educated, and eleven private schools, in which are about 720 children, also two Sunday schools. On the townland of Knockatoother is a very remarkable cairn, and several Danish raths are scattered over the parish.

LARNE, a sea-port, market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of UPPER GLENARM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 11 miles (N.) from Carrickfergus, and 97 (N. by E.) from Dublin, on the road from Belfast to Ballycastle; containing 3182 inhabitants, of which number, 2616 are in the town. This place is situated on the shore of Lough Larne, which was formerly called Olderfleet, and gave name to a castle built on the extreme point of the promontory of Curraan, which forms the small bay adjacent to the town. This fortress, under the protection of which the town arose, is supposed to have been erected by a Scottish family named Bisset, to whom a settlement on this part of the coast was granted by Hen. III., and to have been subsequently improved by the English. Edward Bruce landed here in 1315 with an army of 6000 men for the conquest of Ireland; and during the same reign, Hugh Bisset forfeited his lands here by taking part in the rebellion. These were subsequently claimed in right of the same family, by James Mac Donnell, Lord of Cantire, and after his death were granted by Queen Elizabeth during her pleasure, to his son Angus, on condition that he should carry arms only under the King of England, and pay annually a certain number of hawks and cattle. Olderfleet castle was at that time considered so important a defence against the Scots that, in 1569, it was entrusted to Sir Moyses Hill, but was dismantled in 1598. Jas. I., in 1603, granted the entire headland to Sir Randal Mac Donnell, surnamed Sorley-Boy; but in 1612 gave the castle and lands to Sir Arthur Chichester, together with the right of ferry between this place and Island Magee. During the disturbances of 1798, the town was attacked by the insurgent army from Ballymena, but the assailants were repulsed by the Tay fencibles, assisted by the yeomanry and inhabitants.

The town is beautifully situated on the shore of Lough Larne, on the eastern coast, and is divided into the old and new towns, containing together 482 houses, most of which are well built, and of very neat appearance; the streets in the old town are narrow and indifferently paved; the new town consists of one long and regular street, in which the houses are of stone and handsomely built. There are two public libraries, supported by subscription, both containing good collections. During the last century a very extensive trade was carried on in salt, of which large quantities prepared here from rock salt imported from Liverpool were sent from this port to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Prussia; the duties paid thereon, on the average, amounted to £18,000 per annum. About the middle of the last century this was the only port in the North of Ireland from which emigrant vessels sailed. The present trade consists chiefly in the exportation of oats, beans, flour, and, occasionally, black cattle, and a very considerable quantity of lime; and the importation of coal, slates, wheat, and North American timber. The number of vessels that entered inwards during the year ending Jan. 5th, 1835, was 340, of the aggregate burden of 13,517 tons, and of which 298 were from British ports and 42 employed in the coasting trade; and during the same year, 113 vessels, of the aggregate burden of 4329 tons, cleared out from this port, of which 64 were bound to British ports and 49 were coasters. The port, which is a member of that of Belfast, has an excellent harbour for small vessels, for which there is good anchorage between the Curraan, and the peninsula of Island Magee, in 2 or 2 1/2 fathoms, quite land-locked; great numbers of vessels from Scotland anchor off this place, while waiting for their cargoes of lime from the Maghramorne works. There are some good quays on both sides of the lough about a mile from the town, the water being too shallow to float vessels further up. The royal military road along the coast passes through the town. The market is on Tuesday; a great market is held on the first Monday of every month, and there are fairs on Dec. 1st and July 31st, principally for black cattle, a few inferior horses and pigs. A constabulary police force has been established in the town, and there is also a coast-guard station belonging to the Carrickfergus district. A court for the manor of Glenarm is held here every six weeks; and petty sessions are held every alternate week.

The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2210 statute acres of good arable and pasture land; the system of agriculture is slowly improving, and there is neither waste land nor bog. Limestone abounds, and is quarried both for building and agricultural purposes; at Ballycraigey, about a mile to the north of the town, is a quarry of felspar, worked occasionally for building; and at Bankhead a fine stratum of coal has been discovered, but is not worked. The principal seats are Gardenmore, the elegant villa of S. Darcus, Esq.; the Curraan, the residence of M. McNeill, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. S. Gwynn. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Dean; the tithes amount to £135. 11. 11., of which £123. 15. 7. is payable to the curate, who receives also £23. 8. from Primate Boulter's fund. The glebe-house was built in 1824, by a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the late Board of First Fruits; the glebe comprises 3 1/4 acres. The church, previously to its alteration in 1819, had some interesting details of ancient architecture. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Carrickfergus and Larne; a chapel was erected here in 1832 by subscription. There are places of worship for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster and the Seceding Synod, each of the second class, and with the Presbytery of Antrim of the first class, also for Wesleyan Methodists. About 150 children are taught in the national school of the parish, and a dispensary is supported by subscription. There are some remains of the ancient castle of Olderfleet on the promontory of Curraan; and on the sea side, about a mile north of the town, is a cavern called the Black Cave, passing under the projecting base of a huge rock; the length of the cave, which is open at both ends, is 60 feet, and its height from 3 to 30 feet; the sides are formed of basaltic columns of large dimensions. On the shore of the lough, near the town, are some singular petrifactions of a blue colour, apparently the result of a spring issuing from a bank at high water mark. In a short road leading from the east to the north of the town is a chalybeate spring, at present little used.

LATTERAGH, a parish, in the barony of UPPER ORMOND, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 1/2 miles (N. by W.) from Burris-o'-leagh, on the new line of road from Nenagh to Clonmel; containing 995 inhabitants. This place was celebrated at a very early period for its monastery, the foundation of which is uncertain. It became an extensive seat of learning, and St. Odran of Leatrach-odhrain, who died in 548, presided over this establishment, in which were at that time not less than 3000 monks. In 1304, the neighbourhood was laid waste by Tirlogh, son of Teig-Cao-luiske, King of Thomond, who spared only the churches and the dwellings of the clergy. From this period no further notice of the monastery occurs, neither are there any remains of the ancient buildings. The parish comprises 4050 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Killaloe, united at a period unknown to the rectory and vicarage of Innisdadrom, together constituting the corps of the precentorship in the cathedral of Killaloe, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £138. 9. 2 3/4. There are two private schools, in which are about 120 children.

LATTIN, a parish, in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/4 miles (S. W.) from Tipperary; containing 1423 inhabitants. It comprises 2932 statute acres, principally in pasture and of a superior quality. A fair is held at Knockordan on Nov. 7th. Here is Mooresfort, the handsome seat of Maurice Crosbie Moore, Esq., situated in a well-planted demesne. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly, united at a period unknown to the rectory of Bruis and the vicarages of Corroge, Clonpet, and Cordangan, which union forms the corps of the prebend of Lattin in Emly cathedral, and in the gift of the Archbishop of Cashel. The tithes are £97. 15. 4 1/2., and the annual value of the prebendal union is £355. 10. 5, In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a district, comprising the parishes of Lattin, Cullen, Shronell, Bruis, and Clonpet, and containing a neat chapel at Lattin and one at Cullen.

LAURENCETOWN, a village, in the parish of CLONFERT, barony of LONGFORD, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 6 miles (S.) from Ballinasloe, on the road to Eyrecourt, to which places it has a penny post: the population is returned with the parish. It is a chief constabulary police station, and petty sessions are held weekly on Thursday. A considerable quantity of wooden ware and furniture is manufactured here, and fairs are held on May 8th, Aug. 22nd, and Dec. 15th, for cattle, sheep, and pigs. The R. C. chapel for this part of the district is a good modern building; and the Wesleyan Methodists also have a chapel here and support a school. The seats in the vicinity are Bellevue, or Liscreaghan, the residence of Walter Laurence, Esq., situated in an extensive and well-wooded demesne containing a number of remarkably fine cedars of Lebanon and evergreen oaks; Gortnamona, the elegant seat of P. Blake, Esq.; Somerset House, of Simeon Seymour, Esq.; Somerset Glebe, of the Rev. J. Hanigan; and Ballymore Castle, of Thos. Seymour, Esq., a fortified structure erected in 1620, and modernised at a considerable expense in 1815. Near the town are the ruins of the castle of O'Hill, from which it formerly took the name of Ohillmore.

LAVAY, or LOWEY, a parish, in the barony of UPPER LOUGHTEE, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Cavan, on the road to Virginia; containing 6305 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey it comprises 10,679 statute acres, of which 76 1/2 are water. The land is highly cultivated; there are some large tracts of bog, affording an abundant supply of fuel. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £386. 5., of which £153. 15. is payable to the impropriator, and £232. 10. to the vicar. The church, a very neat edifice, was erected by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1817, and has been recently repaired by a grant of £152 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The R. C. parish is coextensive with that of the Established Church, and contains the Upper chapel, built in 1820, and the Lower chapel, which has been recently built, at an expense of nearly £2000, on a site given by Major G. Burrowes. There are seven private schools, in which about 490 children are educated. Here are some Danish raths; and several heads of battle-axes and brazen spears were discovered on an artificial island while draining Lake Lavey in 1832, and are in the possession of J. Smith, Esq.

LAYDE, a grange, in the barony of LOWER GLENARM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 4 1/2 miles (W.) from Cushendall; containing 444 inhabitants. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 7834 statute acres; and is extra-parochial, never having paid church cess or tithes: there being no provision for the cure of souls, the members of the Established Church attend the parish church of Layde.

LAYDE, a parish, in the barony of LOWER GLENARM, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER; containing, with the post-town of Cushendall (which is separately described), 4056 inhabitants. This parish, called also Cushendall, from its post-town, and Newtown Glens, from its situation in the centre of the Glyns, was the residence of the Mac Auleys of the Glyns, who joined the standard of Mac Donnel at the celebrated battle of Aura, in 1569, after which the combined armies spent some days in festivity on the mountain of Trostan, on which they raised a cairn, still called "Coslin Sorley Boy." According to the Ordnance survey it comprises, exclusively of the Granges of Layde and Innispollan, 20,476 1/4 statute acres, one-third of which is arable, and the remainder chiefly in pasture; the surface is undulating and in some parts mountainous; in the low grounds are some good meadow lands, the valleys are well cultivated, and the mountainous districts afford tolerable pasturage. Here are quarries of coarse freestone and of white limestone, which is burnt for manure. Salmon and many other kinds of fish are found in the rivers, and on the coast of this parish, which is skirted by the coast road from Belfast to the Giants' Causeway, and is intersected by the royal military road. On the former road is a splendid viaduct over the river Glendon, which connects this parish with Culfeightrin and the barony of Glenarm with that of Carey. Mount Edward is the residence of Gen. Cuppage; and Glenville, of the Rev. W. McAuley. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Connor, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £235. 7. 7 1/2.; the glebe comprises 4 acres. A church was built about a mile from Cushendall in 1800, but having gone to ruin, another was built in the town in 1832. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, called Cushendall, including this parish and Ardclinis, and containing chapels at Cushendall and Redbay. The parochial school is partly supported by the rector; and F. Turnley, Esq., has built a good school-house for a national school. In these and three other public schools about 340 children are educated, and about 45 are taught in a private school; there are also four Sunday schools, and a dispensary. The ancient church is in ruins, but the cemetery is still used. The poet Ossian is said to have been born here.

LEA, or LEY, a parish, in the barony of PORTNEHINCH, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, on the road from Dublin to Maryborough; containing, with the greater part of the post-town of Portarlington and with the village and post-town of Ballybrittas (both separately described), 7926 inhabitants. This parish is situated in the north-eastern part of the county, and bounded on the north-east and north-west by the river Barrow, which separates it from the county of Kildare and King's county. From its central situation and proximity to the Barrow it was selected, on the seizure of Leix and the rest of the province of Leinster by Strongbow, as one of the first settlements of the English; and a strong castle was erected here, either by William, Earl Marshall, by the family of De Vesci, or by William de Braosa, to whom it came by marriage with one of the Earl's daughters. This fortress, from its commanding situation, was frequently the subject of contest between the English lords and the native chieftains; in 1292 it is noticed by Camden as being in the possession of John Fitzthomas, one of the Geraldines, who, during the hostilities that desolated the surrounding country, brought Richard, Earl of Ulster, prisoner to this place. Contiguous to the castle, which, though the territory had descended to the Mortimers, appears to have been retained by the Fitzgeralds, was a small burgh with a market and fairs, which is said to have been destroyed in 1315 by Edward Bruce, who also burned the castle. In the latter part of the reign of Edw. II., this place was taken by Lysagh O'Moore; and on the decline of the English power, nearly the whole of the surrounding territory fell into the possession of the native septs. In 1534 the castle belonged to the Earl of Kildare, and was considered one of the six strongest castles in his possession; it was taken in 1642 by the insurgents, who were afterwards expelled by Lord Lisle; in commemoration of which an ash tree was planted in the old market-place, which is now rapidly falling to decay. The castle was dismantled by the parliamentarians under Cols. Hewson and Reynolds; and the subsequent foundation of the neighbouring town of Portarlington prevented the revival of the old burgh or town of Lea, which has since dwindled into an inconsiderable village. The parish comprises 17,932 statute acres, of which about 500 are woodland, about 1000 waste and bog, and the remainder divided in nearly equal portions between tillage and pasture. The surface is mostly level, with a few hills of small elevation, of which the chief are Spire hill, Windmill hill, and Mullaghalig; the soil is light and shallow, and the system of agriculture improving. The substrata are limestone, limestone gravel, and reddish sand; the limestone, which is of good quality, is extensively quarried. Besides the seats noticed in the articles on Portarlington and Ballybrittas, are Gray Avon, the residence of J. Armstrong, Esq.; Mount Henry, of H. Smith, Esq.; Jamestown House, of R. Cassidy, Esq.; Ballintoher, of D. French Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. J. Powell; Fisherstown House, of T. L. Kenney, Esq.; Killamullen, of G. Blakeney, Esq.; Ballycarrol, of J. Reed, Esq.; Kilbracken, of A. W. Alloway, Esq.; and Abbeyview Cottage, of the Rev. D. Maher. The Grand Canal passes for three miles through the parish, and the river Barrow might be rendered navigable from Portarlington to Monastereven at a trifling expense. Fairs are held at Portarlington, and petty sessions arc held there weekly on Wednesday, and at Ballybrittas on Monday. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese, of Kildare, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the dean and chapter. The tithes amount to £830. 15. 4 1/2., of which £553. 16. 11. is payable to the lessee of the dean and chapter, and the remainder to the vicar. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £369 and a loan to the same amount from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1829; the glebe comprises 25 acres. The church, a small neat edifice, was built by subscription, aided by a loan of £350 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1810; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £375 for its repair. There are two chapels of ease at Portarlington. In the R. C. divisions nearly the whole of the parish forms part of the union or district of Portarlington, Emo, and Killeynard; the chapel, at Killeynard, has been lately rebuilt. About 750 children are taught in six public schools; there are also six private schools, in which are about 130 children. At Portarlington and Ballybrittas are dispensaries, and a mendicity society on Dr. Chalmers' plan is supported by subscription. There are ruins of the old churches of Old Lea, Tierhoghar, and Ballyadden; and on the bank of the river Barrow are the remains of the ancient castle, consisting of a massive round tower, with several quadrangular buildings, apparently parts of the original structure and of great strength; the whole enclosed within massive walls pierced with embrasures, and presenting an imposing and venerable appearance as seen from the river. There are six raths in the parish. Near Portarlington is a powerful chalybeate spa, efficacious in scorbutic cases.

LEARMONT, an ecclesiastical district, partly in the barony of TIRKEERAN, county of LONDONDERRY, and partly in that of STRABANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (W.) from Dungiven, on the road to Omagh; containing 4411 inhabitants. It was formed in 1831, under the 7th and 8th of Geo. IV., by separating nine townlands from Banagher, eight from Upper Cumber, and one from Lower Cumber, the whole of which are in Londonderry, except Stranagalvally, which is in Tyrone. Much of the land is very good and under an excellent system of cultivation, and the waste land is being reclaimed under the liberal encouragement of Barre Beresford, Esq., proprietor of the chief portion of this district. Sawel mountain, on the verge of the two counties, rises to the height of 2236 feet above the level of the sea; near it are the precipitous rocks called the Eagle's Nest. Blue limestone is burnt here for manure, and manganese and lead ore are found, also iron ore almost in a metallic state. The village of Learmont, or Park, is situated on the Faughan water, near the base of Sawel mountain, and has been much improved lately by its proprietor. The principal seat is Learmont, the elegant residence of Barre Beresford, Esq., which he is enlarging and finishing in the Elizabethan or Tudor style. Around it is an extensive demesne, containing large and valuable timber, and ornamented with baths and groups of statues. Here is also Kilcreen, the residence of J. C. Beresford, Esq.; Straid Lodge, of the Rev. J. Hunter; and Tamna, the shooting-lodge of Hugh Lyle, Esq. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Derry, and in the alternate patronage of the Rectors of Banagher and Upper Cumber, except the fifth turn, which devolves on the Rector of Lower Cumber. The curate's income is £85 per annum, which is paid by the three rectors. The late Bishop Knox proposed to make this district a parish of itself, the tithes of which exceed £300 per ann., in which case Mr. Beresford proposed to exchange land planted and improved for a glebe. The church, a small neat edifice, was built in 1831, at an expense of £750, of which £400 was given by the late Board of First Fruits, £100 by the late Bishop Knox, £100 by B. Beresford, Esq., £50 by the Irish Society, £25 by the Skinners' Company, £25 by Robt. Ogilby, Esq., and the rest by various individuals. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Banagher; and has a chapel at Altenure. There is a school at Park, to which Mr. Beresford allows £5 per annum and a house, and three other public schools, in which about 260 children are educated; there are also three private schools, in which about 150 are educated, and a Sunday school.

LECK, a parish, in the barony of RAPHOE, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 1 mile (E.) from Letterkenny, on the road to Strabane; containing 4046 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey it comprises, including a detached portion, 10,744 3/4 statute acres, of which 10,393 are applotted under the tithe act and valued at £4047 per annum, and 264 are in the tideway of the river Swilly, which is navigable through the whole of the parish. A large cattle fair is held at Old Town on June 8th. Here is Rock Hill, the beautiful seat of J. Vandeleur Stewart, Esq. The parish formed part of the corps of the deanery of Raphoe, but was separated from it by act of council in 1835, and is now a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £324. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1820; the glebe comprises 32 statute acres, valued at £25 per annum. The church is an ancient structure, and is about to be rebuilt. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Conwall. The parochial school is aided by an annual donation from Col. Robertson's fund; and there are two other public schools, one of which is supported by Sir E. Hayes, Bart.; about 160 children are educated in these schools, and there are two Sunday schools.

LECKARROW, a village, partly in the parish of St. JOHN'S, and partly in that of KILLENVOY, barony of ATHLONE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (N. W.) from Athlone, on the road to Roscommon, to both which places it has a penny post; containing 80 inhabitants. Fairs are held in March, June, Sept., and Dec.; and petty sessions every alternate week. In the village are a flour and an oatmeal mill; and in the vicinity is a dispensary.

LECKEN, or LACKEN, a parish, in the barony of CORKAREE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 7 1/2 miles (N. N.W.) from Mullingar, and between Lough Derevaragh and Lough Hoyle; containing 934 inhabitants. An abbey existed here in the early part of the 7th century, under the superintendence of St. Crumin. The parish comprises 2883 1/2 statute acres, of which 2529 are applotted under the tithe act, and contains some limestone and a small quantity of moory land. Lacken is the seat of Mrs. Delamere. It is a curacy, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Leney; the rectory is impropriate in Sir J. B. Piers, Bart. The tithes amount to £133. 13. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Multifernam, and has a chapel. On the summit of a hill is Wilson's Hospital, founded and endowed by A. Wilson, Esq., of Piercefield, for the support and education of 160 Protestant boys, with whom an apprentice fee of £10 is given on their leaving the school; and for 20 old male Protestants. The inhabitants of Westmeath have the preference, but those of the adjacent counties are also eligible. The house is a handsome building in the form of a square, adorned with a cupola and two receding wings connected by a corridor, one of which includes the school-room and a dormitory, the other, the dining-hall and a dormitory, and there is a chapel handsomely fitted up. The trustees are the Archbishops of Armagh, Dublin, and Tuam, and the bishops of Meath and Kilmore. A body of insurgents posted themselves at this hospital in the night of Sept. 5th, 1798, but were almost all killed the following day by part of Lord Cornwallis's army. Besides the school connected with Wilson's Hospital, there is a private school in which about 40 children are educated. There are vestiges of an old fort at Carrick, and on a hill near the church is a large rath, with two others in its vicinity.

LECKNOWE.--See PIERCETOWNLANDY.

LECKPATRICK, a parish, in the barony of STRABANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER; containing, with part of the post-town of Strabane, 6030 inhabitants This parish, which is also called Leghpatrick, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 13,451 statute acres, of which 10,087 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5806 per annum; and 104 are in the tideway of the Foyle. The soil is generally cold and wet, but part of the land is well cultivated and fertile. There are considerable tracts of mountain pasture and valuable bog. Here is an extensive bleach-green, not used at present; also two manufactories for spades and edged-tools. The Strabane canal passes through this parish from its lower lock on the Foyle to the quay of Strabane. The principal seats are Holy Hill the residence of J. Sinclair, Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. G. Smithwick; and Mount Pleasant, of F. O'Neill, Esq. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the gift of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £646. 3. 1. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 148a. 3r. 12p., Cunningham measure, of which 112a. 1r. 32p. are cultivated land. The church, a plain edifice without tower or spire, was built by a loan of £600 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816, and much enlarged in 1834. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Donagheady, and has chapels at Cloghcor and Glenmornan. A Presbyterian meeting-house is in course of erection at Artigarran. There is a parochial school, to which the Marquess of Abercorn, who is proprietor of nearly all the parish, subscribes £10, and the rector £5 annually; and three other public schools, to two of which the Marquess of Abercorn contributes £5 each: about 520 children are educated in these schools, and about 160 in five private schools; there are also five Sunday schools. Near the glebe-house is an ancient rocking-stone.

LEIGHLIN (OLD), a parish, the seat of a diocese, and formerly a parliamentary borough, in the barony of IDRONE WEST, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/4 mile (S. S. W.) from Leighlin-Bridge, on the road to Castlecomer; containing 3530 inhabitants. This place has from a remote period been distinguished for its religious establishments, of which the earliest was a priory for Canons Regular, founded by St. Gobban about the close of the 6th or commencement of the 7th century. A grand synod was held here in 630 to deliberate on the proper time for celebrating the festival of Easter, which was attended by St. Laserian, who had been consecrated bishop by Pope Honorius and sent as legate from the holy see. In 632, St. Gobban built a cell for himself and brethren at another place, and relinquished the abbey to St. Laserian, who made it the head of an episcopal see, over which he presided till his death in 638; and so greatly did the monastery flourish that, during the prelacy of St. Laserian, there were at one time not less than 1500 monks in the establishment. The priory was plundered in 916, 978, and 982, and in 1060 it was totally destroyed by fire. Among its subsequent benefactors was Burchard, son of Gurmoud, a Norwegian, who either founded or endowed the priory of St. Stephen, which being situated in a depopulated and wasted country, had frequently afforded refuge and assistance to the English, in acknowledgment of which Edw. III. granted to the prior a concordatum in 1372. This priory was dissolved by Pope Eugene IV., in 1432, and its possessions annexed to the deanery of Leighlin. The town appears to have derived all its importance and all its privileges from the see. . Bishop Harlewin, who governed it from 1201 till 1216, granted the inhabitants their burgage-houses, with all franchises enjoyed by Bristol, at a yearly rent of 12d. out of every burgage, which grant was confirmed by his successor; and in 1310, Edw. II. granted to Ade Le Bretown certain customs to build a tower for the defence of the town, and to maintain three men-at-arms and two hobblers, to protect the inhabitants from the attacks of the native Irish. During the prelacy of Richard Rocomb, who succeeded in 1399, there were 86 burgesses in the town, but it was so frequently plundered and desolated by successive hostilities, that it was reduced to an insignificant village. The inhabitants received a charter of incorporation from Jas. II., in the 4th of his reign, the preamble of which recites that the town had been a free borough, and returned two members to the Irish parliament, which it continued to do till the Union, when it was disfranchised, and the £15,000 awarded as compensation was paid to the late Board of First Fruits, to be applied in promoting the residence of the clergy. Since the Union the corporation has become extinct; there are only 20 thatched houses and about 100 inhabitants in the village.

The DIOCESE of LEIGHLIN is the smallest of the five which constitute the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Nothing particularly worthy of notice is recorded of the successors of St. Laserian till the time of Donat, who was made bishop in 1158, and after whose death the succeeding prelates were invariably appointed from the Arms of the Bishoprick. English clergy. Notwithstanding the devastation and plunder of the see in the continued hostilities of early times, it experienced no irreparable impoverishment till the succession of Daniel Cavanagh, in 1567, during whose prelacy various grants and long leases were made to his friends, reserving for his successors only some very trifling rents; and to such poverty was it reduced that, after his decease in 1587, it was granted in commendam to Peter Corse, Archdeacon of the diocese, and afterwards held with the deanery of St. Patrick's, Dublin. In 1600, Robert Grave was advanced to the see of Ferns, to which this diocese was then annexed, and both continued from that time to be held together till 1836, when, on the death of Dr. Elrington, the last bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, both sees were united to the bishoprick of Ossory, under the provisions of the Church Temporalities' Act, according to which, the see estate of Ferns and Leighlin remains with the bishop of the three united dioceses, Ferns, Leighlin and Ossory; and the see estate of Ossory, which is the suppressed bishoprick, becomes vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, together with the mensal lands of Ferns and Leighlin; the residence of the bishop being by that act fixed at Kilkenny, where the bishops of Ossory have heretofore resided; the bishop therefore keeps his former residence and acquires a larger see estate. The diocese of Leighlin is of very irregular form, extending 50 miles in length and varying from 8 to 16 miles in breadth: it comprehends part of the counties of Kilkenny and Wicklow, a considerable portion of the Queen's county, and the whole of the county of Carlow; and comprises an estimated superficies of 318,900 acres, of which 17,500 are in the county of Kilkenny, 42,000 in Wicklow, 122,000 in Queen's county, and 137,050 in the county of Carlow. The lands belonging to the see comprise 12,924 statute acres of profitable land; and the gross annual revenue, on an average of three years ending 1831, amounted to £2667. 7. 6 3/4. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and the prebendaries of Tecolme, Ullard, Aghold, and Tullowmagrinagh. The economy estate of the cathedral arises from rents of tithes reserved by lease out of the parishes of Tullowcrine, Slyguff, Ballinacarrig, Rahill, Liscoleman, and Old Leighlin, which, on an average of three years ending Sept. 1831, amounted to £158. 13. 10. per ann., applied to the payment of the perpetual cure and the repairs of the cathedral. There are four rural deaneries, namely, Leighlin, Carlow, Tullow, and Maryborough. The consistorial court of the diocese is held at Carlow, and consists of a vicar-general, three surrogates, a registrar, and two proctors. The total number of parishes is 80, comprised in 59 benefices, of which 14 are unions of two or more parishes, and 45 are single parishes; of these, 5 are in the patronage of the Crown, 10 in lay or corporation patronage, 9 in joint or alternate patronage, and the remainder are in the patronage of the Bishop or incumbents. The number of churches is 49, and there are four other episcopal places of worship; the number of glebe-houses is 25. In the R. C. divisions this diocese is united with Kildare, and is suffragan to the R. C. archiepiscopal see of Dublin: the number of parochial benefices and clergy is given with the diocese of Kildare; the number of chapels is 64.

The parish comprises 9738 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and there are about 400 acres of bog. Agriculture is improving; there are limestone and flagstone quarries, and coal exists but is not worked. Old Leighlin is a rectory, belonging in moieties to the bishop, as part of the see estate, and to the chapter of the cathedral, as part of the economy fund: the rectory of Tullowcrine belongs also to the economy fund, and a perpetual curate is endowed to officiate at the cathedral and to attend to the duties of both parishes, of which the dean and chapter are the incumbents. The tithes amount to £461. 10. 9 1/4.; the glebe-house was built by a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1820; the glebe comprises 12a. 1r. The cathedral, which is also the parish church, is situated in a secluded spot surrounded with hills: it is a plain ancient structure, consisting of a nave, 84 feet long, and chancel, 60 feet in length, with a square tower 60 feet high, surmounted by a low spire. It was rebuilt, after having been destroyed by fire during the prelacy of Bishop Donat; and the choir was rebuilt by Bishop Sanders in 1527; the western entrance has a handsome doorway and window, and there are two side entrances; in the chancel are the bishop's throne and the stalls of the dean and chapter; and the interior contains several ancient monuments, with many of the 16th century and upwards. On the north side are the remains of two roofless buildings, one of small dimensions, and the other 52 feet long and 22 feet wide, with a window of elegant design at its eastern extremity. Of the episcopal palace, which was repaired by Bishop Meredyth in 1589, there are no remains. About 100 yards from the west end of the church is the well of St. Laserian, formerly much resorted to; and in the church-yard is a stone supposed to have marked the boundary of the old borough. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Leighlin-Bridge. About 80 children are taught in the parochial school, which is supported by donations from the dean and chapter, the incumbent, and the governors of the Foundling Hospital; and there are six private schools, in which are about 420 children. There are some chalybeate springs, which are used medicinally.

LEIGHLIN-BRIDGE, a market and post-town partly in the parish of AUGHA, barony of IDRONE-EAST, but chiefly in that of WELLS, barony of IDRONE-WEST, county of CARLOW, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (S.) from Carlow, and 45 (S. S. W.) from Dublin, on the mail coach road to Cork; containing 2035 inhabitants. This place derives its name from a bridge over the river Barrow, which connects the two parts of the town on its opposite banks with each other, and also with the road leading to Old Leighlin, in contradistinction to which, previously to the erection of the bridge, it was generally called New Leighlin. It was originally granted by Hugh de Lacy to John de Clahul, or de Claville, who in 1181 erected a strong castle or fortress, called the Black Castle, which was one of the earliest defences of the English in Ireland. Towards the close of the reign of Hen. III., a Carmelite monastery was founded near the castle, on the eastern bank of the Barrow, by a member of the Carew family, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The bridge, of nine arches, was built in 1320 by Maurice Jakis, a canon of the cathedral of Kildare, to facilitate the intercourse between the religious houses of Old and New Leighlin. As the English settlement here became more insecure, the monastery was much exposed to the hostile attacks of the native Irish; and in 1371, Edw. III. granted ten marks annually for the repair and rebuilding of the house, which grant was renewed six years afterwards. In 1378, Rich. II., in consideration of the expense and labour of supporting the house and the bridge against the king's enemies, granted to the prior an annual pension of 20 marks out of the rents of the town of Newcastle of Lyons, which he confirmed in 1394, and it was also ratified by Hen. IV. and Hen. V., the latter monarch ordering that all arrears then due should be paid. In 1408, Gerald, fifth Earl of Kildare, built another fortress here, which he called White Castle; and after the dissolution the monastery was also converted into a fort and occupied as a military station by Sir Edward Bellingham, Marshal of the English army and Lord-Deputy of Ireland. This fortress was taken in 1577 by Rory Oge O'More, dynast of Leix, who destroyed the town by fire; and in 1649 it surrendered to the parliamentarians under Col. Hew-son, soon after which the main army under Ireton, on their march to Carlow, laid waste the neighbouring country.

The town, which is chiefly the property of W. R. Stewart, Esq., still retains many indications of its earlier importance as a military station; it is pleasantly situated on the river Barrow, by which it is divided into two nearly equal parts, and contains 369 houses, of which 178 are in the parish of Augha and 191 in that of Wells. The market is on Monday and Saturday, and is amply supplied with corn and butter; fairs are held on Easter-Monday, May 14th, Sept. 25th, and Dec. 27th; and there is a constabulary police station. The parish church of Wells and a R. C. chapel are in that portion of the town which lies on the Wells side of the river, and there is also a national school. About a mile distant is a celebrated spa, which is much resorted to. At the foot of the bridge, and on the eastern bank of the river, are the ruins of Black Castle, consisting of an oblong tower, about 50 feet high, completely capped with ivy; one of the floors resting on an arch is still remaining, and there is a flight of steps leading to the summit; it appears to have formed the north-western angle of a quadrangular enclosure, 315 feet in length and 234 feet wide, surrounded by a wall seven feet thick, with a fosse on the outside; part of the wall is standing on the west side, and at the south-eastern angle are the ruins of a round tower, the walls of which are ten feet in thickness. At the south end of the west wall of the quadrangle was the ancient monastery, of which an old building with loop hole windows and a stone doorway are supposed to be the only remaining portion; adjoining it and within the enclosure was a cemetery, now converted into a garden. In the neighbourhood was the abbey of Achad-finglass, founded by St. Fintan, who died in the 6th century; it was plundered by the Danes in 864, and there are no remains, even the precise site being unknown.

LEIGHMONEY, LEOFFONEY, or LIFFANY, a parish, in the barony of KINNALEA, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, l 1/2 mile (S. S. E.) from Innishannon, on the road from Kinsale to Bandon; containing 855 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the south by the river Bandon, on the margin of which are the remains of Shippool castle (formerly called Poolna-long), built in 1496 by the Roche family, and, from its vicinity to Kinsale, twice attacked by the Spaniards in 1601, but vigorously defended by the garrison, who repulsed the assailants with considerable loss. In 1642 it was taken by the garrison of Bandon for the king, and by this means a communication was kept open with Kinsale and the eastern parts of the county, which very greatly assisted the royal cause; it was occupied by the father of the present proprietor till 1794. The remains consist of one lofty square tower, apparently battered by artillery, and several cannon balls have been found in the vicinity. The parish comprises 2645 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £935 per annum: the land is generally poor and chiefly under tillage; about 200 acres are waste, and there is no bog. The system of agriculture is slowly improving under the spirited example of Capt. Herrick; and there are some quarries of good freestone, particularly at Shippool, which is worked into pillars and used for building. The river Bandon is navigable for small vessels up to Colliers' quay, opposite to the parish, and great quantities of sea-sand are landed for manure at four small quays at this place. The only seat of importance is Shippool, that of Capt. W. H. Herrick, R.N., a handsome residence in a richly-wooded demesne, sloping gradually to the water's edge. There are some extensive hanging woods, through which the new road from Kinsale to Bandon passes, disclosing some of the richest scenery in the county. There are several salmon weirs on the river Bandon, and great quantities of fish are taken. Near the castle are some singular rocks of the greenstone formation. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the tithes amount to £110. 5., but there is neither glebe nor glebe-house. The church is in ruins, and divine service is performed in the parochial school-room, which has been licensed for that purpose. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Innishannon. About 70 children are taught in the parochial school, which also serves for the parish of Dunderrow, and for which a house and five acres of land were given by Capt. Herrick: it is further aided by the rector of Dunderrow and the curate of Leighmoney. On an eminence near the ivy-clad ruins of the old church are the remains of an extensive fortress, called Leoffoney Castle, which was occupied by the Spaniards in 1601, and by the royalists in 1641. There are several chalybeate springs, which are not much used.

LEITRIM (County of): a county, of which a very small portion is maritime, in the province of CONNAUGHT, bounded on the west by the counties of Sligo and Roscommon, on the south by that of Longford, on the east by those of Cavan and Fermanagh, and on the north by that of Donegal and by Donegal bay. It extends from 53° 45' to 54° 29' (N. Lat.) and from 7° 33' to 8° 8' (W. Lon.); and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 420,375 statute acres, of which 266,640 are cultivated land, 128,167 are unimproved mountain and bog, and 25,568 are under water. The population, in 1821, was 124,785, and in 1831, 141,303. According to Ptolemy, this tract, together with that comprised in the counties of Fermanagh and Cavan, was occupied by the Erdini, called in Irish Ernaigh, who possessed the entire country bordering on Lough Erne. This county, together with that of Cavan and part of Fermanagh, afterwards formed the territory of Breffny or Brenny, which was divided into two principalities, of which the present county of Leitrim formed the western, under the name of Lower or West Breffny, and Hy-Briuin-Breffny, from Brian, son of Eachod, and grandson of Muredach, first king of Connaught of the Scottish race. Sometimes this county was also designated Breffny O'Ruark, 0'Rorke, 0'Roirk, or O'Rourk, from the name of the family that ruled over it from a very early period. Its subordinate divisions were Dromahaire, the present barony of the same name; Lietdrumai or Liathdromen, the modern Leitrim; Munster Eolus, or Hy Colluing, the present baronies of Carrigallen and Mohill, the principal families of which were the Maghrannals, or Mac Granells; and Hy Murragh, the modern barony of Rossclogher, of which the chiefs were the O'Murroghs, or O'Murreys. For some time after the arrival of the English, the whole was considered to form part of the ill-defined county of Roscommon: but the O'Rourks maintained an independent authority in their own territory until the middle of the 16th century. Tiernan O'Rourk, an active military chief, governed here in the latter part of the 12th century, when the princes of Connaught and Leinster combined to expel him from his territory; and Dermod Mac Murrough, the king of Leinster, taking advantage of their success, carried off his wife Dervorghal; but the expelled chieftain having applied for aid to Turlogh, supreme king of Ireland, the latter not only reinstated him in his principality, but regained him his wife. The English, soon after their arrival, in conjunction with their ally Dermod, invaded the territory of Breffny, where, however, Dermod was twice defeated, and compelled to secure his safety by a precipitate retreat. O'Rourk afterwards made an unsuccessful attack on Dublin, when in the possession of Strongbow's forces; yet subsequently he joined Hen. II. against Roderic, king of Connaught. The line of independent chieftains of this family terminated in Brian O'Rourk, lord of Breffny and Minterolis, who, relying on the promises of Pope Sixtus V. and the king of Spain, threw off his allegiance to Queen Elizabeth; but having been forced to flee to Scotland, he was there taken prisoner and conveyed to London, where he was executed as a traitor, on which occasion it is recorded that the only favour he asked was to be hanged, after his country's fashion, with a rope of twisted withe. His territory having escheated to the Crown, extensive grants were given to English proprietors, and, in 1565, it was erected into a county by Sir Henry Sidney, under the name of Leitrim, from its chief town. The O'Rourks ruled over several subordinate septs, the principal families of whom were the O'Murrey's, Mac Loghlins, Mac Glanchies, and Mac Grannels, some of whose posterity still exist; the descendants of the last-named family are now called Reynolds, a corruption of the original name.

The native Irish were constantly at variance with the English settlers to whom the lands had been parcelled out by Elizabeth and James I.: in the war of 1641 they were among the first, who joined the standard of O'Nial, and in a short time the whole country was in the possession of the insurgents, and so continued during the greater part of this war, on the termination of which the lands of all engaged on the part of the Irish were forfeited. At the Restoration, Chas. II. made extensive grants to new settlers; and on the abdication of Jas. II. many more grants of a similar nature were made by his successor. During the insurrection of 1798, this part of the kingdom was undisturbed except by a few isolated acts of violence.

The county is partly in the diocese of Ardagh, but chiefly in that of Kilmore. For purposes of civil jurisdiction it is divided into the baronies of Carrigallen, Dromahaire, Leitrim, Mohill, and Rossclogher. It contains the disfranchised borough, market, and assize town of Carrick-on-Shannori; the disfranchised borough of Jamestown; the market and post-towns of Manor-Hamilton, Ballinamore, and Mohill; and the post-towns of Drumod, Drumsna, and Ruskey. The largest villages are Cashcarrigan, Carrigallen, Dromahaire, Drumkeerin, Drumshambo (each of which has a penny-post), Leitrim (once the county and assize town), and Kinlough. Leitrim sent six members to the Irish parliament: since the Union two only have been returned for the county to the Imperial Parliament; the election takes place at Carrick-on-Shannon. The number of electors registered under the provisions of the 2nd and 3rd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, in January 1836, was 1491, of whom 186 were £50, 161 £20, and 1105 £10 freeholders; and 39 £10 leaseholders. The county is in the Connaught Circuit: the assizes and general quarter sessions are held at Carrick-on-Shannon; quarter sessions are held also at Manor-Hamilton and Ballinamore. The county gaol and court-house are at Carrick; and there are court-houses and bridewells at Manor-Hamilton and Ballinamore. The number of persons charged with criminal offences and committed to prison for this county, in 1835, was 310. The local government is vested in a lieutenant, twelve deputy-lieutenants, and sixty-one magistrates, with the usual county officers. There are 18 constabulary police stations, having a force of a stipendiary magistrate, a sub-inspector, 5 chief officers, 21 constables, 105 men and 6 horses, the expense of whose maintenance is defrayed by Grand Jury presentments and by Government, in equal proportions. The county infirmary is at Carrick-on-Shannon; the district lunatic asylum for Connaught is at Ballinasloe, where accommodations are provided for 13 cases from this county; and there are dispensaries at Ballinamore, Carrick-on-Shannon, Carrigallen, Drumsna Kinlough, Kiltubrid, Manor-Hamilton, and Mohill. The Grand Jury presentments for 1835 amounted to £15,638. 12. 10., of which £2107. 0. 10. was for the roads and bridges of the county at large; £2794. 7. 4 1/2. for those of the baronies; £5291. 8. 11. for public buildings, charities, salaries, and incidents; £2338. 3. 71/2. for the police, and £3107. 12. 1. for repayment of money advanced by Government. In military arrangements the county is included in the western district, and contains one barrack for infantry at Carrick-on-Shannon, having accommodations for 4 officers and 126 men.

The form of the county is somewhat pyramidal, or approaching to that of a slender cone, having its base resting on Longford, and its apex on the sea coast: its extreme length is about 46 miles; its breadth varies from 16 at the former extremity to 2 at the latter. The greater part of the surface not strictly mountainous being occupied by steep hills and deep valleys, it displays many varieties of picturesque scenery heightened by striking and sudden contrasts of wild heathy mountain, and rich cultivation, wood, and water. The southern extremity from Rusky to Carrick is fertile and well cultivated, particularly on the banks of the Shannon, which here separates Leitrim from Roscommon and spreads into Lough Boffin, backed by the heights of Sheebeg and Sheemore, forming a fine relief to the lofty grandeur of the more distant mountain of Slieve-an-irin, and the luxuriant swell of the adjacent part of Roscommon. Proceeding northward to Lough Allen, the country, though available for tillage, gradually assumes a gloomy aspect, and immediately from the verge of this lake steep ascents stretch to a distance of two, three, and four miles to the mountains, which on almost every side terminate the view: but even here various delightful prospects are obtained, especially near the points where the Shannon enters into and emerges from the lake. The summit of the group called Slieve-an-irin, or Slieve-an-Jaroin, to the east of Lough Allen, is the highest point in this mountainous district, which extends five or six miles northward; but large tracts of good land appear around Dromahaire, Manor-Hamilton, and Glencar, where the face of the country is extremely varied and pleasing. Not far distant are the mountains of Lacka, 1315 feet high; Lugnacuillagh, 1485 feet high; Doon; Glanfarn or Mullaghusk; Benbo, 1403 feet high; and Green Mountain, 920 feet. These mountains do not form a connected chain or group, but are separated by deep and broad valleys, containing innumerable low but steep hills. The mountains, too, like those of the Slieve-an-irin group, are all of similar character, rising at a steep angle from their bases, and, except Benbo, frequently presenting mural precipices from 60 to 100 feet deep; but their summits are all nearly flat and covered with coarse herbage. Further northward, on approaching the sea, the most barren mountains rise from the fertile vale, amid which many scenes of superior beauty arrest the eye. The Shannon and its tributaries add greatly to the beauty of the south-western part of the county, which is still further augmented by the numerous lakes scattered over its surface. The principal of these is Lough Allen, stretching about seven miles in length, between Drumkerrin and Drumshambo, and with a mean breadth of five miles; its south-western extremity is in the county of Roscommon; it is in some places very deep, and owing to the surrounding mountains, the storms upon it are extremely sudden and violent. Lough Gill, though forming part of the western boundary of the county, is chiefly in that of Sligo: it is about five or six miles in length, and two in breadth; and its shores, naturally romantic, have been richly planted and cultivated. Lough Melvyn, which separates the counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh for some distance, is 5 miles in length and varies in breadth from 3 miles to 3/4 of a mile; Lough Clane, otherwise Belhovel Lake, is situated about 4 miles to the north-west of Lough Allen, with which it communicates by the river Duibhachar; this lake is nearly two miles long and one broad. Loughs Bodarrig and Boffin are merely expansions of the Shannon to the south of Drumsna; the only other lake worthy of particular notice is that of Garadise, an extensive and pleasing expanse of water, which, with Newtown-Gore Lake and several smaller in the vicinity of Ballinamore and Cashcarrigan, add greatly to the picturesque beauties of this part of the county.

The climate is very cold and damp, and more variable, perhaps, than that of any other county in Ireland, owing to the great elevation of its surface and its contiguity to the Atlantic. The soil is also very various; the tops and sides of most of the hills towards the south have a surface composed of a thin layer of hungry ferruginous loam, resting on a hard gravel of similar nature, and forming a stiff heavy cold clay: that of the valleys is of a more valuable kind, being deeper, and much more fertile. The whole is exceedingly retentive of water, its hard gravelly substance being based on clay-slate of various colours, beneath which occurs, in many places, a yellow, brown, or blackish stiff argillaceous substratum, while in some parts this sort of raw unproductive earth, most commonly of a reddish colour, is found immediately beneath the surface. Large tracts of deep, dark, rich loam on a limestone bottom are found in the neighbourhoods of Sheemore, Mohill, Dromahaire, and Manor-Hamilton. The ordinary varieties of peat, forming the soils of the bogs, moors, and much of the mountain, occupy large tracts. This is by no means an agricultural county, although considerable tracts of land have been brought into cultivation within these few years. The principal crops are oats, potatoes, and flax; the culture of wheat has become more general of late, and bere, barley, and clover, are occasionally sown. The general rotation is potatoes, flax, and afterwards successive crops of oats, until the land is exhausted, when it is generally much encumbered with weeds, and in this state is left to recruit itself by natural means alone; fallowing is unknown, and grass or clover seeds are rarely sown; hence the land is almost useless until broken up again for potatoes after a few years. When the soil is considered to be too good for flax, wheat sometimes succeeds potatoes, but the land is scarcely ever manured for any but the potatoe crop. The old heavy wooden plough is generally used in the low country, while in the mountain districts the land is chiefly cultivated by the loy, a narrow spade, with a blade about 14 inches long by 3 inches broad, and much bent, with a strong handle 5 or 6 feet long; but neither with the plough nor the loy is fresh soil turned up, the same thin surface being merely broken year after year; and even where the wealthier farmers have introduced the Scotch plough, the ploughman, attached to the old method, will not cut his furrow deep enough. The light angle harrow is found only with the gentry and wealthier farmers, who are doing much to improve the system of agriculture. Potatoes are in some instances dibbled in with a pointed stake called "a steeveen," in others spread on the sward or on manure, and the soil dug out of the trenches is thrown over them with a broad awkward shovel. The grass lands are of every quality, from the richest herbage to mountain heath and rushes. It is observed, however, that even on the coarsest and most marshy soils, the old native cow thrives well, and both milk and butter are of excellent flavour. Though there are no regular or extensive dairies, almost every family, however poor, has one or more cows, and hence great quantities of butter are made, which is principally carried to market in firkins and bought up to be shipped for England. Leitrim, generally, is not a feeding county like Roscommon, yet there are some excellent farms on which great numbers of cattle are annually fed, principally for the Dublin or English markets. In most of the valleys are found limestone gravel and marl, which are extensively used for manure; and in the districts of Ballynagleragh and Glenfarn, which are deficient in these materials, the inhabitants bring lime from a distance of three or four miles: sea weed, shells, and sand are not only used in all parts contiguous to the shores, but are carried several miles into the - interior. The fences are chiefly a trench from four to six feet wide, having on one side a bank of earth thrown out of the trench, which becomes durable by exposure to the air; a layer of sods is sometimes added, and quicksets are planted on the breast of the bank; but this sort of hedge or fence is found only in the southern parts of the county, where, on some of the larger farms, double-faced banks, with trenches on each side, and planted with thorn, crab, and forest trees, are sometimes to be seen. Farms of every size, from 4 acres to 3000, are to be met with, the larger principally in the mountainous districts and mostly under pasture, with some enclosures near the dwelling-houses. Vast numbers of young and store cattle are reared, and in some districts there are large flocks of sheep, but they are not so general as they might be: horned cattle are preferred, because they require less attention. In the southern parts of the county, and generally in the fertile districts, great improvements have been made in the breed of this latter stock, by the introduction of English and Scotch cows of the most esteemed sorts. The Durham is a general favourite, but is too delicate for the climate except in sheltered situations: the North Devon and Hereford do not attain to so great a size as at home. The cross which appears best suited to the richer parts of the county is that between the old Leicester and Durham; and in the upland districts, the blood of the Leicester mixes well with that of the native long-horned stock, producing a large and useful animal, well adapted to the soil and climate, which thrives well, fattens rapidly, and makes excellent beef. The breed of sheep has also been greatly improved: the New Leicester answers well on the limestone soils, and in both size and fleece is not inferior to any in England. But the breed most encouraged is a cross between the Leicester and the native; the fleece is good and the flavour of the mutton highly esteemed. Pigs, though numerous, are neither so general nor so good as in some of the northern and southern counties. Goats are found most frequently at the foot of the mountains, and are often an appendage to the cabin on the plain, but they are not by any means so general as in the mountainous counties of Munster. The horse, which appears to combine the characteristics of all the breeds to be met with in Roscommon, Longford, and Sligo, is not so good as that of any of those counties, being mostly small and light: the gentlemen and large farmers, however, have horses admirably adapted for the saddle. A light and useful one-horse cart has every where superseded the old solid wheel and slide car. Leitrim was formerly celebrated for its numerous and extensive forests. So lately as 1605, five are distinctly mentioned as being of very considerable extent, under the names of the forests of Drummat, Clone, Drumdaragh, Cortmore, and Screeney; all of these have long since disappeared, and this county, like the rest of Connaught, presents a bleak and denuded aspect; yet vestiges of woods are seen around Lurganboy and Woodville, which have some appearance of the remains of ancient forests; and there are old plantations, containing full-grown timber, in various parts, with others of modern growth around several of the mansions of the gentry; there are also several nurseries. An orchard and a good kitchen garden is a usual appendage to the farm-house.

The geology of the county presents many remarkable features. The lowest strata are those of the primary mountain range entering from the county of Sligo and extending from south-west to north-east: this range is mostly composed of mica slate; a green steatite, thickly studded with valuable garnets, has been found at the foot of a mountain near Lurganboy. On the western base of Benbo a clay of a blueish white hue has been found and used for fullers' earth: the western side of the same mountain is traversed by a metallic vein containing copper pyrites, which was formerly wrought. Veins of the sulphuret of lead have also been largely wrought in several places between Benbo and Lurganboy. This primary range is generally bordered on both sides by beds of variously coloured freestone, to which limestone succeeds in every direction, occupying the remainder of the northern portion of the county and forming part of the great limestone field of Ireland. All the central portion of the county forms part of the great Connaught coal field, constituting a vast basin of which Lough Allen is the centre. The principal vein of coal is about 3 feet thick, of very great extent, and of excellent quality both for domestic purposes and for smelting; but the beds are often interrupted by faults, by which portions of the strata are, broken and thrown upwards from 20 to 40 yards. It was originally discovered in the Munterkenny mountains, and such was the importance attached to the discovery that a parliamentary grant was made for the formation of roads to it, but the workings were soon discontinued in consequence of a fault, by which the stratum was considerably elevated, which induced the workmen, who were ignorant of the cause of the interruption and of the means of remedying it, to relinquish any further operations. In the northern part of the coal district the beds are found only in the higher parts of Lugnacuillagh and Lacka. Extensive quarries of very fine-grained yellowish white sandstone are worked near the summit of Glanfarn mountain for window seats and various ornamental purposes. Lacka mountain contains a great bed of sandstone, the strata of which form a succession of abrupt precipices with considerable flat intervals between them: above the sandstone are beds of slate clay succeeded by layers of coal from 4 to 6 inches thick, alternating with beds of sandstone: this field has been but little worked. The stratification of Lugnacuillagh mountain, on the borders of Cavan, much resembles that of Lacka. The remainder of the coal district to the east of Lough Allen is composed of the great mountain group of Slieve-an-irin, or Slieve-an-Jaroin, "the Iron Mountain;" its stratification is extremely irregular. Three layers of coal have been discovered in it, one of good quality, 18 inches thick. Rich clay ironstone abounds also at various elevations, and was worked so long as timber could be procured to feed the furnaces: those of Drumshambo, the last in operation, were abandoned in 1765. The ore of this mountain is said to be far richer than that on the Roscommon side of the lake. In the channels of many of the streams descending from it are found beds of pipe clay and yellow ochre. Manganese is also found in great abundance.

The manufactures are few and unimportant; the principal are the spinning of flax and the weaving of linen cloth, which are carried on in some parts to a considerable extent; the greater part of the cloth is sold in the open market to the merchants and bleachers of the county, and the remainder is purchased by buyers from the neighbouring northern counties. There are only four bleach-greens now in operation, in which about 32,000 pieces are annually finished, principally for the English market. Coarse pottery is made near Dromahaire and Leitrim, in quantities merely sufficient to supply the domestic demand. Friezes, flannels, and woollen stuffs are made in various parts, and are considered equal to any of Irish fabric, particularly the flannels, which are in great esteem and always command good prices. The commerce of the county is also on a very limited scale, consisting chiefly in the sale of butter, live cattle, pigs, and a small portion of the manufactured articles above noticed. Fresh-water fish of every kind are abundant in all the rivers and lakes; very fine salmon are caught in the Bundoran river below Lough Melvin: and off the coast great quantities of herrings, sprats, cod, ling, and whiting are taken.

The principal of the numerous rivers is the Shannon (originally Sionan, signifying "calmness," but anciently written Shenan), which enters the county in a copious stream about four miles from its source in the midst of the lonely district of Glangavlin, in the county of Cavan, and descends southward into Lough Allen, whence it emerges near Drumshambo and pursues a winding southern course by Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon, Jamestown, and Drumsna; it thence proceeds southeastward, and after forming the Loughs Bodarig and Boffin, quits the county below Roosky. Throughout the whole of its course from Lough Allen to this point it separates the county from that of Roscommon, and is navigable. The Abhain-Naille, which takes its name from St. Naille, or Natalis, who built a monastery at its source, rises in Killowman lake, on the summit of Lacka mountain, whence it issues in a copious stream, and being soon joined by other rivulets, becomes a river of considerable size, and descends with rapidity to join the Shannon. The Duibhachar river runs from Belhovel lake southward into Lough Allen, it is but four miles in length and is at first a small stream; but being joined by numerous tributaries descending from the mountain and hills of Barradaaltdeag, or "the tops of the twelve dingles," it becomes both wide and deep. The smaller rivers are very numerous, rippling through endless varieties of scenery in various parts of the county, but the only one worthy of especial notice is the Boonid or Bonnet, which flows through the beautiful vale of Dromahaire into Lough Gill. The Shannon has been rendered navigable throughout its entire length by means of several cuts, or short canals; the principal is that from the south-eastern extremity of Lough Allen to Battle Bridge, four miles, above Carrick: it was completed in 1817 by means of a parliamentary grant of £15,000, and is about 5 miles in length; hitherto it has been of little advantage, but from the great mineral wealth of the districts with which it is connected, the high reputation the iron found in them has already acquired, the railway now in progress from the Arigna works to Lough Allen, and the numerous advantages to be expected from a spirit of internal commerce judiciously directed, it is to be hoped that this fine canal, now nearly choked with reeds, will be made available towards increasing the internal prosperity of the country. Other short cuts, more or less connected with the Shannon near the shores of Leitrim, belong properly to Roscommon, and are described in the article on that county.

The roads are numerous, but by no means well laid out, nor do they pass through the districts where they would be most useful to the public. Throughout every part of the mountainous tracts, with one exception, there are no passable roads; the want is generally felt, and universally admitted, but no effort was made to remedy it until the present year, when the Grand Jury decided upon opening a new mail line from Sligo to Ballyshannon, through the mountains of Rocclogher, between Cartrongibbough and the Deerpark; the line is already marked out, but its formation has not yet commenced. This improvement, however, will not touch upon, or afford an opening into the rich mineral districts of Leitrim. Some important roads have been formed in various parts, but being made by contract the foundations are defective, and the roads themselves are now much neglected, although the materials are everywhere most abundant and of superior quality.

Vestiges of the remotest antiquity are not numerous: there are but two druidical altars, one within half a mile of Fena, and the other on the demesne of Letterfyan: they are called respectively by the inhabitants Leaba Dearmudi Graine, or "Darby and Graine's bed or altar." Fifteen religious houses are recorded to have formerly existed within the limits of the county; and there are still remains of those of Fena, Annaghduff, Clone, Kilnaille, and Ince in Lough Allen. The castles and fortified mansions were also very numerous; those which still remain, more or less in ruin, are O'Rourk's Castle, near the fortified residence called Dromahaire Castle, those of Jamestown and Longfield, Castlefore, Castle John, Cloncorrick Castle, Castle Car, the fortresses of Dungarbery and Manor-Hamilton, and two castles on the banks of Lough Gill. The modern seats, which are not remarkable either for number or grandeur, are noticed under the heads of the parishes in which they are respectively situated. The farm-houses are usually long narrow cabins, which sometimes shelter the cattle in common with the family; but houses of a better description, with chimneys, partitions, and separate or detached buildings, are gradually superseding them. The fuel is everywhere turf, procured in great abundance through every part of the county. The general food is potatoes and oaten bread, sometimes with buttermilk, or fish; butchers' meat is only used at Easter and Christmas, or on other great festive occasions. The clothing of the men is neat and strong, the coat mostly of frieze, the small clothes of corduroy; the females mostly wear a coarse woollen stuff petticoat, and of late cotton gowns have become common. The general character of the people is that of sobriety and industry: the English language is everywhere spoken by adults and children, and mostly by elderly people, except in the remote mountain districts, and even there it rarely occurs that a person is met with who cannot speak it. The principal natural curiosities, besides those already noticed as forming the grand features of its surface, are its chalybeate and sulphureous springs, of which the most noted are the sulphureous spas of Drumsna, Meelock, and Athimonus, besides several others about Drumshambo, and Cashcarrigan. The principal chalybeate spas are those on the border of Cavan, at the northern extremity of Lough Allen; and Oakfield, within two miles of the sea. In 1783, Robert Clements, Esq., was created Baron Leitrim of Manor-Hamilton, advanced to the viscounty in 1793, and created Earl of Leitrim in 1795, which titles are now enjoyed by his son.

LEITRIM, a parish, partly in the barony of COSHMORE and COSHBRIDE, county of WATERFORD, but chiefly in that of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (E.) from Kilworth, on the north side of the river Blackwater, and on the road from Fermoy to Lismore; containing 2032 inhabitants. It comprises 6597 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £3826. 7. 10. per annum. Of the land, which is of variable quality, that portion situated on the banks of the river is the best: limestone, brownstone, and slate are found in this parish, of which the former is quarried for agricultural purposes, but the latter two are not worked. The only seat is Kilmurry, the residence of Thos. St. John Grant, Esq., beautifully situated in the midst of some extensive improvements at the junction of the two counties, which are here separated only by a small glen stream. and a mountain path. It is in the diocese of Cloyne: the rectory is impropriate in Wm. Norcott, Esq., and the vicarage forms part of the union of Kilworth. The tithes amount to £460, payable in equal portions to the impropriator and the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it also forms part of the union or district of Kilworth. About 80 children are educated in two private schools. In the demesne of Kilmurry was discovered, some years since, a number of human skeletons, which, combined with the word Kil, has led to the inference that a church or cell to some religious house formerly existed here.

LEITRIM, a parish, partly in the barony of LOUGHREA, but chiefly in that of LEITRIM, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (W. N. W.) from Portumna, on the road to Loughrea; containing 1679 inhabitants, of which number, 280 are in the village. This parish, which is bounded by the Slievebaughta mountains, comprises 2797 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is in general in a profitable state of cultivation, and there is very little bog. The principal seats are Carrowkeel, the residence of J. Ulick Burke, Esq.; and Dalystown, of Dr. O'Ferrall. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clonfert, forming part of the union of Lickmolassey; the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to £68. 11. 6 1/2., of which £13. 16. 11. is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and £54. 14. 7 1/2. to the vicar. There is no church, glebe-house, or glebe. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, comprising also the parish of Kilcooley; the chapel is a neat edifice, and there is also a chapel at Kilcooley. There is a school supported by subscription, of which the school-house was built by the Hon. F. Ponsonby; and about 100 children are taught in a private school. There are considerable remains of the castle of Leitrim, in good preservation; and the ruins of an old chapel are attached to it, the cemetery of which is still used. Petrified cockle and muscle shells are found at Carrowkeel, which is about 18 miles distant from the sea.

LEITRIM, a village, in the parish of KILTOGHART, barony and county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3 miles (N. by E.) from Carrick-on-Shannon, on the eastern bank of the river Shannon; containing 50 houses and 274 inhabitants. It is recorded that St. Mac Liegus, son of Cernac, was bishop of Lietdrumai, or Liathdromen, which was the ancient name of this place. A castle existed here in ancient times, from which, or, as some state, from the castle of Dromahaire, Dervorghal, wife of O'Rourk, Prince of Breffny, was taken by Dermod, King of Leinster, which was one of the causes of the English invasion. There are some remains of ancient buildings, which probably formed part of the castle. Fairs are held here on Jan. 22nd, Feb. 21st, March 25th, May 5th, June 16th, July 23rd, Sept. 1st, Oct. 13th, and Dec. 1st. Leitrim was formerly a place of some importance and gave name to the county.

LEIXLIP, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of NORTH SALT, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 12 miles (N. N. E.) from Naas, and 8 (W.) from Dublin: containing 1624 inhabitants, of which number, 1159 are in the town. This place was included in the grant originally made to Adam Fitz Hereford, one of the earliest of the English adventurers, who is said to have built the castle, which is situated on an eminence overlooking the river Liffey, and according to tradition was the occasional residence of John, Earl of Morton, while governor of Ireland in the reign of his father, Hen. II. It was afterwards granted to the abbey of St. Thomas' court, Dublin; and by an inquisition in 1604 it appears that Thomas Cottrel, the last abbot of that house, was seized of the manor of Leixlip and the right of a flagon of ale out of every brewing in the town. The castle and manor were subsequently purchased by the Rt. Hon. Thomas Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and are now the property of Col. Conolly, of Castletown. This venerable mansion was the favourite retreat of several of the viceroys, of whom Lord Townsend usually spent the summer here; it is at present the residence of the Hon. George Cavendish, by whom it has been modernised and greatly improved. The other seats are Rye Vale, the residence of Dan. P. Ryan, Esq.; Leixlip House, of John D. Nesbitt, Esq.; and Music Hall, of Capt. Hackett, R. N. The town is situated near the confluence of the Rye Water with the river Liffey, over which is an ancient stone bridge of three arches, and on the mail coach road from Dublin to Galway. It consists only of one street; the houses are irregularly built, and with the exception of a few of handsome appearance, have generally an aspect of negligence and decay; the inhabitants are amply supplied with water from springs. The woollen manufacture is still carried on, though at present on a very limited scale, employing only six persons. On the banks of the Liffey are rolling-mills for the manufacture of bar and sheet iron; and near them is a flour-mill; a mill race 40 feet wide has been constructed in the castle demesne, for the purpose of turning another mill, or for applying water power to some manufactory. On the Rye Water is the Rye Vale distillery, which produces more than 20,000 gallons of whiskey annually. The Royal canal approaches within half a mile of the town, and is carried over the river Liffey by an aqueduct nearly 100 feet high, affording facility of water carriage to Dublin. The market is on Saturday, and fairs are held annually on May 4th and Oct. 9th. There is a constabulary police station in the town.

The parish comprises 7974 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; a considerable portion of the land is in pasture for fattening stock for the Dublin, Liverpool, and Bristol markets, and the remainder is under tillage. The soil is good, and the system of agriculture slowly but progressively improving; there is neither waste land nor bog, and, from the consequent scarcity of fuel, the peasantry are dependent on such precarious supplies as they can find in the roads and hedges. Limestone is very abundant, and is quarried to a considerable extent, for building, and also for burning into lime for manure. The country around, though deficient in those striking features of romantic grandeur which distinguish the neighbouring county of Wicklow, concentrates much that is pleasing and picturesque in landscape. The surface is finely undulating and richly diversified with wood and water, and the view embraces the town with its ancient bridge, numerous elegant seats with highly cultivated demesnes, ancient and picturesque ruins, distant mountains, and a variety of other interesting features of rural scenery. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Dublin, united by act of council, prior to 1662, to the vicarages of Esker and Lucan, the curacies of Confoy and Stacumnie, and the denominations of Aldergh, Westmorestown and St. Catherine's, and in the patronage of the Archbishop. The tithes for the whole union amount to £600; the glebe-house was built by a loan of £562 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1822; the glebe comprises 28 acres of profitable land. The church, an ancient structure with a massive square tower, has been recently repaired by a grant of £291 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Maynooth and Leixlip; the chapel is a small edifice, situated on the banks of the Rye Water, and is about to be replaced by a handsome structure of larger dimensions. About 70 children are taught in an infants' school, and there are three private schools, in which are about 170 children. In the parish is a chalybeate spring of great strength and purity, which was in high repute towards the close of the last century; in winter the water is somewhat tepid; it is situated about half a mile from the town, by the side of the canal; the Rt. Hon. Thos. Conolly intended to build a pump-room and an hotel, but dying before they were commenced, the design was abandoned for the more fashionable spa of Lucan, which is nearer to Dublin.

LEMANAGHAN, or KILNEGARENAGH, a parish, in the barony of GARRYCASTLE, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (S. W.) from Clara; containing, with the villages of Ballycumber, Bellair, and Grogan (which are separately described), 5785 inhabitants, of which number, 290 are in the village of Lemanaghan. This place, which is also called Melain, is situated on the river Brosna, and appears to have derived its name from St. Manchan, probably the founder of the monastery, of which he died abbot in 661. The establishment continued to flourish till 1205, after which it became a parish church; and there are still some remains of the building surrounded by a large tract of bog. The parish comprises 18,690 statute acres, of which 200 are woodland, 6740 arable, 4000 pasture, and 7/50 bog; the system of agriculture is very backward, little improvement having been made within the last two centuries; limestone abounds, and is quarried for agricultural and other purposes. The principal seats are Bellair, the residence of T. Homan Mulock, Esq.; Prospect, of C. Holmes, Esq.; Moorock, of G. A. Holmes, Esq.; the Doon, of R. J. Enright Mooney, Esq.; Castle Armstrong, of Col. Armstrong; Ballycumber House, of Capt. Armstrong; Twickenham, of Mrs. Armstrong; and Hollybrook, of J. Henderson, Esq. Fairs are held at Ballycumber on Dec. 1st and May 2nd, for horned cattle, sheep, and pigs, but they are very indifferently attended; and petty sessions are held alternately at Bellair and Doon on Fridays. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, formerly held by faculty with the rectory and vicarage of Tessauran, but now separately, and in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £415. 7. 8.; the glebe-house is a neat small residence occupied by the curate, and the glebe comprises 70 acres. The church, a neat plain edifice, situated at Liss, was built in 1830, at the expense of the parish, and an organ was erected in it at the cost of T. H. Mulock, Esq. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the diocese of Ardagh, and forms part of the union or district of Ballinahone. The chapel is a very humble building; on the altar is an ancient shrine, supposed to contain the bones of St. Manachan. About 140 children are taught in four public schools, of which one tor 40 girls is supported by Mrs. Mulock, at Bellair; and there are also seven private schools, in which are about 340 children. A dispensary is supported solely at the expense of Dr. Molloy, who has also invested £500 in a loan fund, which is supported solely by him. There are some remains of the ancient castle of Lemanaghan, and at Doon are the remains of the ancient castle of the O'Mooneys, now in the possession of R. J. E. Mooney, Esq., a lineal descendant of that family, whose residence is on the estate. Of the castle, which was a spacious structure on a rock, only one tower is remaining; it is thickly overspread with ivy and forms a picturesque object.

LENEY, a parish, in the barony of CORKAREE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 6 miles (N. N. W.) from Mullingar, on the mail coach road from Dublin to Sligo; containing, with the villages of Ballinalack and Brumbrusna (both of which are separately described), 1479 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the south-west by Lough Iron, and on the south-east by Lough Hoyle, comprises 3560 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The lands are chiefly under tillage; the system of agriculture is unimproved, and there is but very little bog; black stone of a good quality is quarried for building and also for flags. Clanhugh, a lodge belonging to Lord Forbes, and Lakeview, the residence of E. Daly, Esq., are in the parish. Fairs are held at Ballinalack twice in the year. The living is an impropriate curacy, in the diocese of Meath, episcopally united to the curacies of Templeoran, Kilmacnevin, Lecken, and Tyfernon, together constituting the union of Leney, in the patronage of Sir J. B. Piers, Bart., in whom the rectory is impropriate: the tithes amount to £118. 2. 1., payable to the impropriator; the curate's stipend is £78, arising from payments of £64 per ann. from Primate Boulter's and £14 from Bishop Evans's fund. The glebe-house was erected in 1817, by a gift of £450 and a loan of £50 from the late Board of First Fruits; the glebe comprises 20 acres of profitable land, subject to a rent of £36. 2. 6. The church, a plain edifice, was rebuilt near the village of Brumbrusna by a loan of £350 from the same Board, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have granted £129 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Multifarnam. About 150 children are taught in three public schools, of which the Farra Charter school, for boarding, clothing, and apprenticing 100 children with a premium of £7, and a gratuity of £3 to each boy on the expiration of his indentures, was endowed by the Rev. W. Wilson; and the parochial school is supported under the patronage of J. Gibbons, Esq., who gives the master £10 per ann. with a house and garden, and appropriates 2 1/2 acres of land to it.

LERRIGS, a village, in the parish of KILMOILEY, barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (N.) from Tralee, on the road to Causeway; containing 117 houses and 723 inhabitants. The R. C. chapel for this portion of the district of Ardfert is situated in the village.

LESKINFERE, or CLOUGH, a parish, in the barony of GOREY, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 2 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Gorey, on the high road to Enniscorthy; containing 1213 inhabitants. During the disturbances of 1798, a battle was fought at Tubbernecarig Rock, in this parish, between the king's troops and the insurgents, in which Col. Walpole, who commanded the former, was killed. The parish comprises 5355 statute acres, the greater portion of which is under tillage; the soil in some parts is poor and shingly, but in general moderately good; there is an abundance of marl, which is used as manure. Monalawn, the residence of R. Brownrigge, Esq., a very pleasant villa; and Bernardown, another residence of the Brownrigge family, are in the parish, which is pleasingly studded with neat farm-houses. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ferns, united by act of council, in 1739, to the rectories of Ballycannew, Kiltrisk, and Monomolin, forming together the union of Leskinfere and constituting the corps of the treasurership of Ferns, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £318, and of the entire benefice to £1037; the glebe-house was built by the late incumbent, in 1805, at an expense of £1400, towards which the late Board of First Fruits gave £100; it has been surrounded by the present incumbent with a thriving plantation. There are 64 acres of glebe in the union, of which 16 are attached to the glebe-house. The church, a handsome edifice in the later English style, with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles, was erected in 1831 by a loan of £1250 from the late Board of First Fruits; the churchyard is well planted. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Camolin; there is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. About 25 children are taught in the parochial school; the school-house is a neat building, erected chiefly by aid of a grant of £60 from the Lord Lieutenant's fund: the master receives annally £7 from the rector, and £7 from the Association for Discountenancing Vice, with a house and an acre of ground. At Tubbernecarig is a strongly impregnated chalybeate spring.

LETTERKENNY, a market and post-town, in the parish of CONWALL, barony of KILMACRENAN, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 13 miles (W.) from Lifford, and 118 (N. W.) from Dublin, on the road from Lifford to Ramelton and Dunfanaghy; containing 2160 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Swilly, over which is a bridge of one arch, and consists of one street with a spacious market-square, containing 416 houses. The market is on Friday, and is well supplied with provisions; the fairs are on the first Friday in January, May 12th, July 10th, the third Friday in August, and Nov. 8th. A constabulary police force is stationed here; petty sessions are held every Wednesday, and the quarter sessions for the county are held here in April and October; the court-house is a neat building, and there is a bridewell, containing six cells and two day-rooms, with two airing-yards. In the mountains in the vicinity are great quantities of stone of good quality, and marl; about half a mile from the town, and about the same distance from Lough Swilly, is a good quarry of slate; and on the shores of the lough are great quantities of potters' clay and clay for bricks. The river is navigable from Lough Swilly to this place for vessels of 150 tons' burden. The parish church, and the R. C. chapel of the district of Aughnish, a plain small building, are situated in the town; and there are three places of worship for Presbyterians respectively of the Ulster and Seceding Synods and for Covenanters. There are also a national school, a dispensary, and a small fever hospital. Near this place were the ancient English settlements of Drummore and Lurgagh, comprising about 2000 acres, with a bawn of brick and a castle of stone in a strong position, also a village at some distance, in which were 29 British families able to muster 64 men-at-arms; and Dunboy, a territory comprising 1000 acres, where, at the time of Pynnar's survey, in 1619, Mr. John Cunningham had a strong bawn, 70 feet square and 14 feet high, defended with two lofty towers, with a castle and 26 houses and a mill within the enclosure, the houses tenanted by British families, able to muster 50 armed men.

LETTERLUNA, or LETTER, a parish, in the barony of BALLYBRIT, KING'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 1 1/2 mile (N.) from Kinnitty, on the road from Dublin to Parsonstown; containing, with the village of Cadamstown, 1000 inhabitants. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe; the rectory is partly impropriate in H. Malone, Esq., and partly united to the vicarage, which forms part of the union of Kinnitty; the tithes amount to £73. 16. 11., of which £18, 9. 2 3/4. is payable to the impropriator and the remainder to the incumbent. There is neither church, glebe-house, nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kinnitty or Longford. About 120 children are taught in the parochial school, and there is a private school, in which are about 40 children.

LETTERMACWARD, a parish, in the barony of BOYLAGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 21 miles (W. S. W.) from Letterkenny, on the road from Killybegs to Rutland Island; containing 2039 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the river Guibarra, comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 20,8003 statute acres, of which 512 are in the tideway of the river, and 503 in lakes; of the remainder, a very large portion is mountain waste and bog. The system of agriculture is in an unimproved state, a very small portion of the land being under tillage; there are strong indications of rich lead ore, in which silver ore has been found. Fairs are held on Feb. 20th, May 20th, Aug. 20th, and Oct. 1st, for cattle and sheep; and manorial courts are held occasionally. Prior to the 25th of March 1835, this parish formed part of the corps of the deanery of Raphoe, from which it was then separated. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes amount to £89. 8. 7. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £415 and a loan of £46. 3. from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1828; the glebe comprises 4 acres. The church is a plain edifice, erected about 60 years since. In the R. C. divisions, the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also a portion of the parish of Templecroan; the chapel is a small building, and there is also a chapel at Templecroan. About 13 children are taught in the parochial school, which is partly supported from Col. Robertson's fund; and there is a private school, in which are about 18 children. A school-house was also built with the surplus funds granted by the late Board of First Fruits for erecting the glebe-house, but has not been opened. Very large seals are taken in the river Guibarra. Near the glebe-house is a large moat.

LEWISBURGH, or LOUISBOURG, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish of KILGAVOWER, barony of MURRISK, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 11 miles (W. S. W.) from Westport: the population is returned with the parish. This place is pleasantly situated on the southern shore of Clew bay, on the western coast. The village is neatly built; a market for provisions is held on Monday, and there are fairs on the 24th of June, Aug. 4th, and Sept. 29th; a constabulary police force is also stationed here. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Tuam, and in the patronage of the Incumbent of Aughaval: the stipend is £75, paid by the incumbent, and the curate has also a glebe-house and a glebe comprising 22 acres. The church of the district, a neat edifice, was erected by a gift of £415. 7., and a loan of £46. 3. from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1828. In the R. C. divisions this place constitutes a separate union or district; the chapel is a good slated building.

LICKBLA, or LICKBLAGH, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (N. W.) from Castlepollard, on the road to Finae; containing 2066 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the north by Lough Sheelin, and on the west by Lough Kinail and the river Inny, and is intersected by the river Glore, which issues from that lake and falls into the Inny. It comprises 5608 statute acres, of which a very large portion is mountain and bog; the system of agriculture is improving, and limestone is quarried for building and for burning into lime. The surface is very uneven, and towards the east is marked by mountainous elevations; the high rock of Curreagh and the mountain of Moil rise within the limits of the parish. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the union of Rathgraff; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £276. 18. 5 1/2., of which £123. 1. 6. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The church has long been a ruin. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Castle-pollard; the chapel is near Carlanstown. About 80 children are taught in a school at Carlanstown, supported by an annual donation from the Duke of Buckingham;