By Samuel Lewis, 1837
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OAGHILL, a village, in the parish and island of ARRANMORE, barony of ARRAN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated nearly in the centre of the island, which forms the principal of the group called the Arran Islands. Here are a signal tower and lighthouse, the latter exhibiting a bright revolving light, which attains its greatest magnitude every three minutes, and being nearly 500 feet above the level of the sea, is seen at a great distance in clear weather. In the village is a neat R. C. chapel.
O'BRENNAN, a parish, in the barony of TRUGHENACKMY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (N. N. E.) from Tralee, on the old road to Castle-Island; containing 847 inhabitants. It comprises 6543 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, the greater part of which consists of coarse mountain pasture and bog, mostly reclaimable. A portion of the mountain tract is now being reclaimed and brought into cultivation by John Cuthbert, Esq., who has a large property in this parish. Here is a large flour-mill belonging to Mr. John Mac Carthy. The principal residence is O'Brennan, that of Mr. Edw. Gorham. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the gift of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £68. 16. 2 1/2. The church is in ruins; the Protestant parishioners attend that of Tralee. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Ballymacelligott. Within its limits is the entrance to the principal caverns in the limestone strata in the adjoining parish of Ballymacelligott, which see.
O'BRIEN'S-BRIDGE, a village, in the parish of KILLALOE, barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S. W.) from Limerick, on the road to Killaloe; containing 350 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the Shannon, derives its name from a bridge of 14 arches built over that river by one of the O'Briens, which for several centuries has withstood the violent impetuosity of the current. The arches vary in span from 19 to 28 feet, and four of them at the north end have been taken down by the Government engineers, who have replaced them by two cast-iron arches, each 60 feet span, and dredged the river to the depth of 7 feet. The village consists of one street and contains about 60 houses neatly built; the neighbourhood is embellished with several handsome seats, of which the principal are Clonboy, the residence of J. Brown, Esq.; Ross, of T. Westropp, Esq.; the residence of Major Boucher, on the margin of the Shannon; Fuhers Lodge, of M. Garvin, Esq.; and Fairy Lawn, of Capt. Twiss. An extensive flour and oatmeal mill, worked by steam, the property of Messrs. Hood and Boyd, late of Glasgow, affords employment to 50 men. Fairs are held on July 25th and Nov. 7th, and packet boats pass daily to Dublin and Limerick. Near the village is Montpelier, a strongly impregnated sulphureous spring, in high repute for its efficacy in cutaneous diseases, and much frequented. A church was erected here in 1822, for which purpose the late Board of First Fruits made a free grant of £300. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Killaloe, and in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter; the stipend is £75, payable by the Bishop; a glebe-house has been built at Ross, on a site presented by Thomas Westropp, Esq., who also gave 6 acres of glebe.
ODDER, a parish, in the barony of SKREEN, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N. N. W.) from Dunshaughlin; comprising 1204 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. Towards the close of the twelfth century, a nunnery was founded here for Regular Canonesses of the order of St. Augustine by the family of Barnwall, of which some remains still exist: several cells of nuns in Meath were annexed to this house. It is in the diocese of Meath; the rectory is entirely impropriate in the Misses Blundell: the tithes amount to £40.
ODOGH, or THREE CASTLES, a parish, in the barony of CRANAGH, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Kilkenny, on the road to Freshford and Durrow; containing 1367 inhabitants. This parish, which is intersected by the river Nore, comprises 4439 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The river, over which is a neat stone bridge, adds much interest to the surrounding scenery, which is also enlivened by the seat of L. S. Ball, Esq., called Three Castles, which is situated in a pleasing demesne; and the Grange, the neat residence of W. Stannard, Esq. At Mount Eagle is an extensive distillery, the property of R. O'Donnell, Esq.: a constabulary police force is stationed in the parish. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, united by act of council, in 1797, to the vicarages of Donoughmore and Coolcraheen, and in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Bishop: the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of Sir James Tynte, Bart. The tithes amount to £300, of which £200 is payable to the impropriators, and £100 to the vicar. The glebe-house, towards the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits contributed a gift of £100, in 1800, is a neat residence; the glebe comprises 20 acres; the gross income of the benefice is £370. The church, a neat building, was erected about the year 1796, and for that purpose the late Board of First Fruits made a free grant of £500. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union or district of Conahy, but chiefly in that of Freshford: the chapel, situated on the townland of Tullow, and called Three Castles, belongs to the latter union. About 30 children are taught in the parochial school, which is chiefly supported by the incumbent, and also by the rector of the adjoining parish of Mayne; and there are five private schools, in which are about 240 children, and a Sunday school.
O'DORNEY, a parish, in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (N. by E.) from Tralee, on the new road to Listowel; containing 2986 inhabitants. At this place, otherwise called Kyrie Eleison, an abbey under the invocation of the Virgin Mary was founded in 1154, for Cistertian monks. Its possessions, formerly very extensive, were at the dissolution granted by Hen. VIII. to Edmond, Lord of Kerry, created Baron O'Dorney in 1537. In 1596, the abbey was granted by Queen Elizabeth to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin; and in 1603 the rectory of O'Dorney was granted by the Queen to Wm. Taaffe, Esq.: it is now the property of W. Talbot Crosbie, Esq., of Ardfert Abbey. The parish comprises 10,140 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £5236 per annum. The living is an impropriate cure, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, and in the patronage of Mr. Crosbie, who receives the tithes, amounting to £184; he has appointed a curate, and a church and school-house are about to be built. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Abbeydorney, which also comprises the parishes of Kilflyn and Killaghin, and contains the chapels of Abbeydorney and Kilflyn. About 200 children are educated in three private schools. The ruins of the ancient abbey church are situated near the village of Abbey-dorney, which see.
OFFERLANE, a parish, in the barony of UPPER OSSORY, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 3 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Mountrath, on the road to Roscrea, and on that from Dublin to Limerick; containing 9915 inhabitants. This parish, which is also called De Foralain, is situated on the river Nore, and comprises 53,131 statute acres, (of which 36,987 are applotted under the tithe act) 311 being woodland, 8000 brown mountain and bog, 4000 green mountain and moor, 16,820 arable, and 24,000 pasture, comprehending an extensive range of the Slieve Bloom mountains, stretching from east to west about seven miles in length, by about two miles in breadth, the greater part of the land in this extent being too rugged and barren to admit of cultivation. Gritstone is in great abundance, and there is a quarry for a fine stone similar to that of Portland: there are also limestone quarries and a slate quarry. Petty sessions take place on alternate Fridays at Castletown and Cooleraine; and fairs are held at Castletown on June 29th, and at Rushall on the first Monday in every month. Police stations have been established at Castletown, Cooleraine, and Cartown. There are extensive flour and oatmeal mills at Cooleraine and Castletown, which manufacture at least 25,000 barrels annually. The principal seats are Roundwood, the residence of W. Hamilton, Esq.; Westfield Farm, of J. R. Price, Esq.; Laca, of J. Pim, Esq.; Cartown, of Col. Price; Coolnagour, of J. C. Seymour, Esq.; Shanderry, of A. P. Jessop, Esq.; Cooleraine House, of T. Palmer, Esq.; Donore, of W. Despard, Esq.; Moorefield, of R. Senior, Esq.; Peafield, of R. Belton, Esq.; Springhill, of Capt. J. Knipe; Monderhilt, of R. Walpole, Esq.; Larch Hill, of the Rev. J. Bourke; Laurel Hill, of -- Bradish, Esq.; Altavilla, of Mrs. Watson; Derrynaseera, of A. Graves, Esq.; and Castleview, of P. Mansergh, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ossory, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the dean and chapter of St. Canice, Kilkenny. The tithes amount to £900, of which £600 is payable to the dean and chapter, and the remainder to the vicar. The old church, situated at Annatrim, is in so bad a condition as long to have been condemned as unsafe for use; a new building is about to be erected near it, by subscription and by a grant from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The glebe-house was never finished; it stands on a glebe of 254 acres, of which 120 are bog and mountain. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; it is called Underwoods, and contains four chapels, one at Cormorass, one at Rushall, one at Castletown, and one at Killinure. About 350 children are educated in four public schools, of which the parochial school at Cooleraine is aided by an annual donation from the Dean of Ossory, who gave the school-house and an acre of land; a national school at Castletown is aided by annual donations from the Ladies Fitzpatrick, who built the school-house, and another school is aided by the Dean of Ossory; there are also four private schools, in which are about 290 children; and two Sunday schools. There is a dispensary at Cooleraine. Ruins exist of the old monastery of Monderhilt, of which St. Laserian was abbot about the year 600, and of a church at Churchtown, near Castletown; there are also remains of the castles of Sharahane and Castletown, and ruins of a castle at Rushall. Several raths are in the parish.--See CASTLETOWN.
OGASHIN.--See QUINN.
OGONNILLOE, a parish, in the barony of TULLA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (N. by W.) from Killaloe, on the road to Scariff; containing 2966 inhabitants. It is situated on the southern side of Scariff bay, which opens into Lough Derg, and comprises 5554 statute acres, including the island of Coskerry, in Lough Derg, which contains 157 acres. The whole of the parish, with the exception only of about 97 acres, is the property of Major Purdon. The land is partly in pasture, but chiefly in tillage, and there is some mountain bog. An excellent new road has been lately constructed along the shores of Lough Derg, by which the hilly road from Scariff to Killaloe, through the centre of the parish, is avoided. Petty sessions are held generally on alternate Mondays at Annacarriga. The more elevated parts, and in particular the Gap of Ogonnilloe, command fine views of the lough, the Derry hills on the opposite shore, and the Keeper mountain in the distance. Tinerana, the residence of Major Purdon, is beautifully situated on the banks of Lough Derg, in an extensive and well-wooded demesne. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, and in the gift of the Bishop; the rectory is partly appropriate to the economy fund of the cathedral of Killaloe, and the remainder forms part of the union of Omullod: the tithes amount to £175. 7. 8 1/4., of which £38. 15. 4 1/2. is payable to the economy fund, £78. 9. 2 3/4. to the incumbent of Omullod, and the remainder to the vicar, who also receives £34. 6. from the economy fund. The glebe-house was built in 1814, when the late Board of First Fruits contributed a gift of £450, and a loan of £63, towards its erection: attached is a glebe comprising about 10 acres. The church is a neat edifice, with a tower surmounted by minarets, erected in 1810, by aid of a gift of £800 from the same Board. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms a separate district: the chapel is at the Gap of Ogonnilloe. About 70 children are educated in a school at Tinerana, under the superintendence of the vicar, and supported by subscription; the school-house was built by Mr. Purdon. A Sunday school is superintended by Miss Purdon, and about 230 children are educated in three private schools. At Ballybran are the ruins of an old church, and on a small island about 100 yards from the shore are the remains of Cahir castle. Until lately this castle was almost perfect, but having been used for illicit distillation, it was partly blown up a few years since, and now forms a picturesque ruin.
OGULLA, a parish, in the barony and county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (N.) from Roscommon, on the road to Boyle, containing, with the village of Tulsk (which is separately described), 1832 inhabitants. This parish comprises 4862 1/2 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act; the land is principally excellent grazing pasture; there is very little bog. Petty sessions for the district and fairs are held at Tulsk. Cargins is the seat of D. Kelly, Esq.; and Toomona, of Peter O'Connor, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Elphin, forming part of the union and corps of the deanery of Elphin: the tithes amount to £91. 4. 6. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Kilcooly, also called Ballybrogh. Here is a private school, in which 20 boys and 10 girls are taught.
OLDBRIDGE, a village, in the parish of DONORE, barony of LOWER DULEEK, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 2 miles (W.) from Drogheda, on the river Boyne; containing 22 houses and 107 inhabitants. In the account of the possessions of the abbey of Mellifont, taken at the time of the suppression of the monasteries, are enumerated sixteen fishing corraghs at this place, producing an annual rental of £13. 13. 4. It is celebrated as being the principal scene of the battle of the Boyne, in 1690, for the details of which see the article on Drogheda.
OLD CASTLE, a market and post-town, and a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county of MEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 20 miles (N. W.) from Trim, and 45 3/4 (N. W.) from Dublin, on the road to Killesandra; containing 4718 inhabitants, of which number, 1531 are in the town. The name of this place is supposed to be derived from the ruins of a castle, of which, however, not a vestige can be traced. The town occupies about 6 acres, and contains 241 houses. The market-house, in the centre of the town, is a handsome oblong building, affording accommodations for the market. below, and for the petty sessions above; here is a dispensary. The largest market in the county is held here, every Monday, for yarn, particularly the finer kinds; and it is also plentifully supplied with pigs, meal, potatoes, butter, butchers' meat, &c. There are three principal fairs, on the 2nd Monday in June, Aug. 20th, and Oct. 28th; and some minor fairs have been lately established, for cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, yarn, butter, and wool. Petty sessions are held on alternate Mondays. The parish, also called Clolyne, comprises 7559 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £1. 10. per acre. Agriculture is in a prosperous state; about half the land is under tillage, and the other half is pasture; the supply of peat is abundant. There are several fine quarries of limestone, which is carried to a great distance, in the county of Cavan, for burning into lime. Extensive flour and oatmeal mills, at Millbrook, were erected, in 1777, by John Henry, Esq., on his estate, which consists of 200 acres; the establishment is conducted by his grandson, W. Henry, Esq.; they have the convenience of a sixty-horse power by water supplied from Lough Crew; the concern employs 50 hands: the mansion, on an eminence, commands extensive views of the surrounding country; and here the river Inny takes its rise. Newcastle is the residence of T. Battersby, Esq.; Millbrook House, of W. Henry, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. N. J. Halpin. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Meath, and in the patronage of Lord Dunsany: previous to the demise of the late incumbent, it was united to the rectory of Castlecorr, otherwise Kilbride, but is now a separate benefice: the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Westmeath. The tithes amount to £415. 19. 11., of which £184. 16. 8 1/2. is payable to the impropriator and the residue to the vicar. The glebe-house was erected at an expense of £738, of which £277 was a gift, and £461 a loan from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises six acres, valued at £12 per ann., but subject to a small quit-rent. The church is a plain substantial building, with a tower and spire, in very good repair; it was rebuilt by a loan of £1000 from the same Board, in 1816, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £284 for its repair: the spire was erected at the expense of J. L. W. Naper, Esq., of Loughcrew, lord of the manor. In the R. C: divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also those of Loughcrew and Moylough, in which union are two chapels; that of Oldcastle is a large plain building, erected in 1815, at an expense of £2000, on a site given by J. L. W. Naper, Esq., who also contributed £1000 towards the building. The altar-piece is by Craig, a native of this parish; it is copied from the original by Angelo, and represents the Taking down from the Cross. There is a neat chapel for the Primitive Wesleyan Methodists, who are in strict communion with the Established Church. Here is a large school upon the Lancasterian principle, established by the late Lawrence Gibson, Esq., a native of the parish, who realised a large fortune in London, which he left to endow a male and female school: the school-house is a very handsome building, erected at the cost of £6000, and capable of accommodating 1000 children; the average attendance being 800. It stands upon an enclosed space, containing 2 acres, divided into gardens and shrubberies, and a play-ground: the land was the gift of J. L. W. Naper, Esq.: the annual income of this foundation, from debentures in the three and a half per cents, is £800. There are also five private schools, in which are about 150 children; and a Sunday school.
OLD CONNAUGHT.-- See CONNAUGHT, OLD.
OLD ROSS.-- See ROSS, OLD.
OMAGH, an assize, market and post-town, partly in the parish of CAPPAGH, but chiefly in that of DRUMRAGH, barony of OMAGH, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 26 1/4 miles (S. E.) from Londonderry, and 86 (N. N. W) from Dublin, on the mail road between these two cities; containing 2211 inhabitants. This place, which was anciently called Oigh-Magh and Oigh-Rath, signifying "the seat of the chiefs," is supposed to have owed its origin as a town to an abbey founded here in 792, which was converted into a house for the third order of Franciscans in 1464, and continued to flourish as such until the dissolution, when its site and possessions were granted to Sir Henry Piers. No notice is taken of the town as a fortress or place of defence until 1498, when Mac Art O'Nial, having taken up arms against the English government, fortified himself in the castles of Omy and Kinnard, upon which the Earl of Kildare, then Lord-Deputy, marched against the former, took it, razed it to the ground and compelled Mac Art to submit to the King's authority. In 1602, Lord Mountjoy, Lord-Deputy, placed a strong garrison in Omy, under the command of Sir Henry Docwra, whence he marched with all his forces against the Earl of Tyrone and succeeded in taking the whole of his magazines, military chest and other valuables; and after driving the discomfited Earl to Castle Roe, on the Bann, penetrated as far as Enniskillen. Tyrone never recovered after this defeat, and soon after made his final submission at Mellifont. On the plantation of Ulster in 1609, the town, with its surrounding district, was granted to Lord Castlehaven in the following divisions; 2000 acres at Addergoole, being Omagh and the adjoining townlands: 2000 acres at Fintona; 2000 at Brade and 3000 at Ravone. But this nobleman having neglected to erect castles and settle British subjects on the land, according to the articles of plantation, the grant re verted to the Crown; and the district of Addergoole was granted by Chas. I., in 1631, to James Mervyn, Esq., under the name of the manor of Arleston or Audleston; and the greater part of Fintona or Ballynahatty, to the same person, tinder the name of the manor of Touchet. Gen. Archdall, the descendant of the grantee, is now lord of the manor. In 1641, Sir Phelim O'Nial, shortly after the commencement of the war, marched against the castle of Omagh, which by an immediate surrender escaped the sufferings inflicted on those places in the county that made a more vigorous resistance. Jas. II. passed through the town in the spring of 1689, on his march northward to Strabane. The garrison which he placed here was soon afterwards driven out with great slaughter, but before they evacuated it the soldiers set it on fire and destroyed it, with the church and the castle built by Mervyn. In 1743, the town, having been rebuilt in the intermediate period, was again destroyed by fire, two houses only having escaped the flames. It was soon after rebuilt on a new plan, and has become a thriving and rapidly improving place. It is situated on a gentle eminence on the southern bank of the river Stroule, here known by the name of the Drumragh water, a branch of the Foyle, and consists of three principal streets with several smaller branching from them: many of the houses are large and well built; the streets are paved, but not lighted; and the inhabitants have but a scanty supply of water, as there are no public fountains or wells. It is now the county town, a distinction formerly enjoyed by Dungannon, but at what time the change took place has not been ascertained, farther than that it occurred previously to 1768. It contains 715 houses, of which 585 are of respectable appearance and slated. The communication between the parts of the town in the parishes of Drumragh and Cappagh is maintained by a fine bridge over the Stroule. A reading-room is furnished with newspapers, but not with periodicals or other literary works. The trade is very limited; the only manufactures are those of tobacco and of ale and beer, of which latter there is an extensive brewery, the produce of which has acquired some celebrity. The land in the vicinity is tolerably cultivated and well planted; the seats not noticed under the head of either of the parishes of which the town forms part, are New Grove, the residence of Sam. Galbraith, Esq.; and Mount-Pleasant, of the Rev. C. Cregan. The market, held on Saturday, is well supplied with provisions, and on alternate Saturdays brown linens are exposed for sale: a market-house was built in 1830, in which grain and vegetables are sold, and a very convenient range of shambles was opened in 1834. Fairs are held on the first Saturday of every month for all kinds of cattle. The assizes for the county are held here; as are the quarter sessions for the baronies of Omagh and Strabane, alternately with the town of Strabane. A court baron is also held every third Thursday for the manor of Audleston, at which the seneschal of the lord of the manor presides: debts to the amount of £4 are recoverable in it. The court-house is a large and handsome edifice, erected on the highest ground in the town: it has in front a fine portico of four Doric columns, with the royal arms in the tympanum: the stone of which the front is formed was raised from the quarries of Kirlis, eight miles distant. On the northern side of the town is the county prison, built in 1804, and enlarged in 1822, according to a plan adapted to the better classification of the prisoners: it has a tread-mill, which is not applied to any profitable use. To the north of the gaol are the barracks, originally intended for artillery, but now enlarged and fitted up for infantry, being the depot and head-quarters of the north-west military district; they contain accommodations for a field officer, 7 other commissioned officers, 110 privates and 60 horses, with an hospital for 12 patients. Here is a chief constabulary police station, with a barrack. The county infirmary was established here in 1796, and though considerably enlarged in 1810, its arrangements being still, considered imperfect, further additions are now being made to it; a building for a fever hospital is also in progress. A dispensary, established in 1831, is supported in the usual manner. The parochial church of Drumragh, in the town, is a large and handsome edifice, erected in 1777, by the Mervyn family, and enlarged in 1820 with a north aisle and galleries, at the expense of the parish: it is in the Grecian style, with a lofty tower and spire, built at the expense of Dr. Knox, late Bishop of Derry. In the town is a large and handsome R. C. chapel for the union or district of Drumragh and Omagh; there are also two meeting-houses for Presbyterians in connection with the Synod of Ulster, and two others belonging respectively to the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists. The male and female parochial schools, near the church, were built and are supported by the rector and parishioners: there is also a school in connection with the Board of National Education. No trace of the ancient abbey is now in existence, and even the locality of its site is matter of doubt: a small fragment of the ruins of Castle Mervyn is still visible on the side of a brook near the pound. Dr. John Lawson, author of "Lectures on Oratory," was born in this town, in 1712.
OMEY, an island, in the parish of OMEY, barony of BALLINAHINCH, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Clifden, on the western coast: the population is returned with the parish. The island, which comprises 296 statute acres of arable land, lies very low, and is connected with the mainland at low water: the channel forms a natural harbour at each end. The female inhabitants are generally employed in spinning wool and knitting stockings, in the manufacture of which they are very expert, and produce an excellent article known by the name of Connemara stockings. There are three burial-places on the island, two of which are kept as distinct cemeteries for men and women, according to an ancient custom, supposed to have originated with a religious fraternity established by St. Feighan, who died in 664. The island is said to have been given to St. Feighan, after he left Fore, by Guaira, King of Connaught.
OMEY, or UMMA, a parish, in the barony of BALLINAHINCH, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing, with the sea-port and post-town of Clifden (which is separately described), 6721 inhabitants. This parish, which is called also Umond, is situated on the coast of Connemara, and forms the extreme western portion of that very extensive and highly interesting district. It comprehends within its limits the islands of Omey, Tarbert, Ennisturk, Cruagh, Ardilane or High island, and Friar island, with the harbour of Ardbear or Clifden; and is 9 miles in length and 3 in breadth, comprising 3553 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The surface is strikingly diversified with numerous mountains, lakes, and bogs; and the coast, which is rugged and abrupt, is deeply indented with bays and creeks, forming excellent harbours. Though extremely wild and but very badly cultivated, it contains many tracts of fertile land, and the substratum is rich in mineral wealth. A great portion of the mountain land and bog might be easily reclaimed, and from the abundance of sea-weed and coralline sand found in the numerous creeks and bays, might soon be brought into a state of profitable cultivation. The oats grown in this parish and district are of remarkably fine quality, and in the London market obtain higher prices than any others. Copper ore abounds, and on the estate of T. B. Martin, Esq., in this parish, two shafts were sunk from which about 60 tons of very rich ore were raised. Coal has also been found, and there is every probability that, when good roads shall have been opened throughout the district, and its natural advantages fully developed, it will be found rich in agricultural produce and in mineral wealth. The scenery in many parts is boldly and impressively majestic, and in others beautifully picturesque and romantic. On the High island, which comprises about 50 acres, and which is of very dangerous access except in very fine weather, are the remains of an ancient religious house; the stone cells of the monks are still in a perfect state. The entrance to the bay of Clifden is obstructed by many shoals and rocks; at the distance of five miles to the south of that island are the Carrigarone rocks, always above water. The inlet, a little farther up, divides into two branches, of which the southern or Ardbear has a bar of one fathom at the entrance, but within has deep water; the upper part is rocky and has a good salmon fishery at its head; the northern branch runs up to Clifden and is dry at low water, but the tide rises 12 feet at the quay. Leaving Clifden, there is a channel for small vessels on the north of Carrigarone, between Rualie and Tarbert island; and between Tarbert island and Kingstown is a bar, passable only by small vessels at high water. The sound between Ennisturk and the mainland is called Kingstown, and forms a good harbour for small vessels, but is difficult of access from the rocks at its mouth. Streamstown bay or river is an inlet navigable for five miles, but almost dry at low water: the channel at Omey island forms a natural harbour at each end. From this place to Aghris Point, in lat. 53° 32' 45" (N.), and lon. 10° 8' 30" (W.), the coast to Cleggan bay is a low granite shore with rocks in the offing, outside of which are the small isles of Cruagh, High, and Friars; between these and the main land is deep water, but with several rocks and breakers. This district, which is regarded as the Irish Highlands, was the strong hold of the celebrated Grana-Uile, or Grace O'Malley, whose heroic exploits by sea procured for her the honour of an interview with Queen Elizabeth. The parish is the nearest point of land in Europe to the continent of America.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, forming part of the union of Ballynakill: the tithes amount to £50. 15. 4 1/2. The glebe-house, a very comfortable residence, situated in the town of Clifden, was built in 1823, at an expense of £507, of which £415 was a gift, and £92 a loan, from the late Board of First Fruits, which also granted £554 for the erection of the church, also in the town of Clifden, and which serves for the whole union. The glebe comprises 40 acres, valued at £40 per annum. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union, called Clifden, comprising also the parish of Ballindoon, and containing three chapels, two in this parish and one in Ballindoon. About 30 children are taught in the parochial school, under the Tuam Diocesan Society, to which Mr. D'Arcy has given a house and two acres of land; and there are five private schools, in which are about 200 children, and a dispensary. At Errislaneen are the ruins of a church, and within a mile of the town are evident traces of a Druidical station; there are chalybeate springs at Clifden and Kingstown.
OMULLOD.--See CLONLEA.
ONOUGHT, a village, in the parish and island of ARRANMORE, barony of ARRAN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated at the western extremity of the island, which is the principal of the group called the Islands of Arran, at the entrance of the bay of Galway. The inhabitants subsist chiefly by fishing. Near the village are the ruins of seven churches and of a monastery of the Augustinian order.
OOLLA, or ULLOE, a parish, in the barony of COONAGH, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 7 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Tipperary, on the new line of road to Limerick; containing 2735 inhabitants, of which number, 192 are in the village. James, Earl of Kildare, Deputy Governor of Ireland, in 1497, took Ballyneety castle, and destroyed the fortress. In 1691, Gen. Sarsfield surprised this castle in the night, blew it up, and destroyed all the cannon destined for the siege of Limerick, together with the ammunition, stores, &c., which had been brought hither, at an enormous expense, by Wm. III.; who afterwards partially repaired the castle. The parish is situated on the borders of the counties of Tipperary and Limerick: the land is tolerably good, and is chiefly meadow and pasture, about a fifth only being under tillage. The substratum is limestone of very superior quality, though not in much use for manure. The village consists of 35 houses, mostly small, but well built; it has much improved since the formation of the new road: there is a constabulary police station. Newtown-Ellard is the ancient seat of the Lloyd family; and Castle Lloyd is the handsome residence of T. Lloyd, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Emly, and in the patronage of the Crown, during the legal incapacity of the Earl of Kenmare; the rectory is impropriate in Edw. Deane Freeman, Esq. There are two excellent glebes, comprising together 35 3/4 acres. The parishioners attend the church of Cullen, the curate of which performs the occasional duties of the parish: divine service is also performed in Castle Lloyd, and in the spacious parochial school-house, which is principally supported by the Lloyd family and others, and in which are about 50 children. Near it stands the R. C. chapel, a large old edifice. The remains of Ballyneety castle present a stately heap of ruins, with here and there a wall nearly entire. The ruins of the church, and of Oolla castle, stand close to the R. C. chapel. In 1825, some large and perfect antlers of the elk were discovered; and, in 1828, a brazen trumpet, and spear and arrow heads of bronze were found, which are now in the museum of Trinity College, Dublin.
ORAN, a parish, in the half-barony of BALLYMOE, county of ROSCOMMON, and province of CONNAUGHT, 5 1/4 miles (N. W.) from Roscommon, on the road to Castlerea, and on the river Suck; containing 1560 inhabitants. This place was anciently called Huaran-Hichlaback, and is of great antiquity. St. Patrick is said to have founded a church here, of which St. Cethecus was bishop; this prelate was interred here. The old cemetery, adjacent to the high road, is still a favourite place of burial, and the reputation of its sanctity attracts many pilgrims. The parish comprises 4859 1/4 statute acres of good land, chiefly under tillage, there being neither waste nor bog: the soil rests on limestone, of which there are quarries. It is a prebend and rectory, in the diocese of Elphin, episcopally united from time immemorial to the vicarage of Drimtemple, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the Earl of Essex. The tithes amount to £146, and the gross tithes of the union to £179. 6. 8, The church of the union is at Drimtemple; it was erected in 1815, at an expense of £554, a gift from the late Board of First Fruits. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Glinsk and Kilcroan. There are still some ruins of the old church, and the remote antiquity of the place is proved by the fragment of an ancient round tower, now only 12 feet high, and 11 feet 3 inches in internal diameter, having walls 4 feet 6 inches thick, well built of two different kinds of limestone.
ORANMORE, a post-town and parish, partly in the county of the town of GALWAY, but chiefly in the barony of DUNKELLIN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Dublin to Galway, and on the bay of Galway, 4 1/2 miles (E.) from Galway, and 100 miles (W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 6993 inhabitants, of which number, 673 are in the town. Here was an ancient fortress of the Earl of Clanricarde, who placed it, on the breaking out of the war in 1641, under the command of Capt. Willoughby, who also held the fort of St. Augustine, at Galway; and both these he surrendered to the Catholic forces in 1643. The parish comprises 14,220 statute acres, of which 14,197 are applotted under the tithe act: the land is of very good quality; there are about 100 acres of bog. The town comprises 97 houses, and is well built. A manor court is held here every three weeks, petty sessions every Thursday, and it is a constabulary police station; fairs take place on May 23rd and Oct. 20th, for the sale of corn and farming stock. The bay of Oranmore is shallow and full of rocks. The seats are Wallscourt, the residence of Lord Wallscourt; Ranville, of T. L. Athy, Esq.; Merlin Park, of C. Blake, Esq.; and Oran Castle, of W. Blake, Esq. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam; the rectory forms part of the union of St. Nicholas and of the corps of the Wardenship of Galway; the vicarage is in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £380. 5. 3., of which £300 is payable to the warden, and the remainder to the vicar. The glebe, which belongs to the warden, comprises 27 statute acres. The church is a neat building, lately erected. In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the diocese of Galway, and is the head of a union or district, comprising this parish and that of Ballinacourty, in each of which there is a chapel: that of Oranmore is a neat slated building. There are four private schools, in which are about 188 children. At Murrough are the ruins of an ancient round tower, of which about 40 feet remain; the internal diameter is about 10 feet: the thickness of the walls is four feet, and the height of the door from the ground is about six feet: in the interior there appear to be courses of stone, on which to rest the timbers of a floor. Ruins of the ancient castle of Oran also exist. Oranmore gives the title of Baron to the family of Browne, of Castlemacgarret.
OREGAN.--See ROSENALLIS.
ORITOR, a village, in the parish of KILDRESS, barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 3 miles (W.) from Cookstown, on the road from Omagh to Belfast; the population is returned with the parish. The village comprises 22 houses; fairs are held here on the second Wednesday in July, Aug. 3rd, Oct. 10th, and the third Wednesday in Nov., for cattle, sheep and pigs. A court for the manor of Oritor is held on the first Monday in each month, for the recovery of debts under 40s: its jurisdiction extends over 12 townlands in the parish of Kildress, which were granted by Jas. I. to the Annesley family, and are now the property of Lord Castle-Steuart. Here is a large Presbyterian meeting-house, erected in 1825.
OSBERSTOWN, a parish, in the barony of NORTH NAAS, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 1 mile (N.) from Naas; containing, with part of the village of Sallins, 518 inhabitants. This place is not known as a parish in the ecclesiastical divisions, but is considered to form part of that of Naas, in the diocese of Kildare.
OUGHTERAGH.--See OUTRAGH.
OUGHTERARD, a village and post-town, in the parish of KILCUMMIN, barony of MOYCULLEN, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 13 1/2 miles (W. N. W.) from Galway, and 118 (W. by N.) from Dublin, on the mail coach road from Galway to Clifden; the population is returned with the parish. This place is beautifully situated on Lough Corrib, and is intersected by a river descending from a neighbouring mountain, which rushing over a mass of rocks above the town, forms a picturesque waterfall. The river appears to have had originally a subterraneous source, the limestone rock projecting over the stream for about 100 yards in length, in the form of a broken arch. The pearl muscle is found in this river, in some of which pearls of large size have been found. Here are infantry barracks, at present unoccupied, for 7 officers and 142 non-commissioned officers and privates, with stabling for three horses. A chief constabulary police force, and a party of the revenue police, are stationed here. The town is much frequented by invalids for its chalybeate spa; the well is but indifferently constructed, and little care is taken to secure it from admixture with the water of the mountain stream. About a mile from the town, a fine quarry of black marble has been opened within the last few months, and is now worked by the proprietor of the estate, T. B. Martin, Esq.; the marble is of the same quality as that of Menlough and Merlin Park; there is another quarry of the same marble in the neighbourhood, belonging to T. H. O'Flaherty, Esq. About two miles from the town, the road to Galway passes over a natural bridge of rocks, and the river flows under the castle of Aghenure, which is built on a ledge of limestone rock. This castle, which is about two miles from the town, was anciently a seat of the O'Flaherty family, and was at a later period inhabited by the Earl of Clanricarde; it was a place of great strength. The river, after flowing under it, falls into Lough Corrib. The parish church, a small neat edifice, and the R. C. chapel, a handsome building with a steeple, are situated in the town, in which are also the parochial school and a dispensary.
OUGHTERARD, a parish, in the barony of SOUTH SALT, county of KILDARE, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles (W. by S.) from Rathcoole, on the road from Dublin to Naas; containing 223 inhabitants, and comprising 1075 statute acres. In the ecclesiastical divisions it is not known as a separate parish, but is enumerated as a townland in the parish of Kill, in the diocese of Kildare, the tithes of which are payable to the vicar of that parish. Here are the ruins of a small church, rebuilt in 1609 on the site of a chantry of great antiquity; under the west end is an ancient crypt, now used as the cemetery of the family of Ponsonby, of Bishops-court, in this county. In its vicinity are the remains of an ancient round tower, on a steep hill; the doorway is formed by a circular arch, 10 feet from the ground, and 10 feet higher on the south side is a window of the same shape and dimensions: from the summit is obtained an extensive prospect, including the promontory of Howth.
OUGHTERLEAGUE, or AUGHTERLEIGH, (also called BILL) a parish, in the barony of KILNEMANAGH, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N. W.) from Cashel; containing 975 inhabitants. It comprises 2252 statute acres, including the fine demesne of Killenure Castle, the seat of Wm. Cooper, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cashel, forming part of the union of Ballintemple: the tithes amount to £138. 9. 3. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a district, comprising also the parish of Ballintemple: in each is a chapel. About 190 children are educated in two private schools.
OUGHTMANNA, or OUGHTMAMA, a parish, in the barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S.) from Burren; containing 793 inhabitants. It is chiefly situated on the confines of the county of Galway, but two detached portions, forming the headlands called respectively Aughnish point and Finvarra point, are situated on Galway bay: on each of these points is a Martello tower. The parish comprises 9558 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large portion of which consists of rocky mountain pasture: sea weed is in general use for manuring the parts in tillage. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kilfenora, forming part of the union of Kilcorney and of the corps of the chancellorship of Kilfenora: the tithes amount to £120. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of Abbey. About 120 children are taught in a school under the superintendence of the R. C. clergyman. On the border of a lough, in this parish, are the ruins of Turlough castle, of which no account is extant.
OULART, a town, in the parish of MILLENAGH, barony of BALLAGHKEEN, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 6 1/2 miles (E.) from Enniscorthy, on the road from Gorey to Wexford; containing 161 inhabitants. During the disturbances of 1798, a large body of the insurgents encamped on Oulart hill, on Sunday, the 27th of May; and on the same morning a detachment of the North Cork Militia, consisting of 110 chosen men, commanded by Lieut.-Col. Foote, marched from Wexford and attacked the insurgents on the south side of the hill, who fled at the first onset, and were pursued at full speed by the militia, but the latter being flushed with their success, neglected to preserve any order in the pursuit. While the insurgents were endeavouring to escape on the north side of the hill, they were informed that a large body of cavalry from Gorey was advancing to cut off their retreat, and turning round on their pursuers, who had nearly reached the summit of the hill almost breathless and in disorder, charged them with their pikes, and destroyed the whole detachment, with the exception only of the Lieut.-Colonel, one serjeant, and three privates. The town, which in 1831 contained 30 houses, is a chief station of the constabulary police, and has a penny post to Enniscorthy. Fairs are held on Twelfth day, Shrove-Tuesday, Easter-Monday, Ascension-day, and Michaelmas-day, for cattle, pigs and sheep. Oulart gives name to the R. C. district, comprising the greater part of the parish of Melina, the whole of Kilnemanagh, the greater part of Killesk and Kilcormuck, part of Castle-Ellis, and a small portion of Ballyhuskard: the chapel adjoins the town. A school is about to be established in the house now occupied by the parish priest, a new residence having been recently built for him. In the vicinity of the town, but within the limits of the adjoining parish of Kilnemanagh, is a fever hospital and dispensary, established in 1827: it is under the care of a physician, who also acts as apothecary, and has a residence rent-free, with a salary of £100 per annum.
OUTRAGH, or OUGHTRAGH, a parish, in the barony of CARRIGALLEN, county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Carrick-on-Shannon to Killesandra; containing, with the market and post-town of Ballinamore (which is separately described), 8449 inhabitants. A small river runs through the parish, which comprises 16,331 statute acres of middling land, mostly under tillage; there is a large quantity of bog and a considerable mountain tract. Limestone abounds, of which there are fine quarries, and there is a flagstone quarry in the mountain, where mines are also said to exist. General and petty sessions, and fairs, are held at Ballinamore. The gentlemen's seats are Clover hill, the residence of E. Lawder, Esq.; Riversdale, of J. Shanly, Esq.; Willyfield, of H. Percy, Esq.; Kilrush, of W. Shanly, Esq.; Willsbrook, of W. Slack, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. F. Percy. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the Bishoprick. The tithes amount to £248, payable to the vicar, by whom £9. 13. 10 1/2. is paid to the bishop in lieu of the rectorial tithes. The glebe-house was built in 1816, by aid of a gift of £100 and a loan of £750, late currency, from the late Board of First Fruits; the cost of its erection was £1089, the residue having been supplied by the incumbent. The glebe comprises 407 1/4 acres, valued at £240 per ann.; about 60 acres are mountain pasture. The church is an ancient building, in bad condition, erected in 1787 by parochial assessment; the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £318 towards its repair. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; there is a good and spacious chapel in Ballinamore, and another at Dernasmalan. Here is also a Methodist meeting-house. In Kilrush is a public school, in which about 70 children are instructed; and in 18 private schools are about 800 children. A dispensary is supported in the usual manner, and Mrs. Percy has given £6 per ann. to the poor of the parish.
OUTRAGH, or OUGHTERAGH, a parish, in the barony of MIDDLETHIRD, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 3 1/2 miles (N. by E.) from Cahir, on the road from Cashel to Clonmel; containing 602 inhabitants. It comprises 1482 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Lismore, episcopally united to that of Mortlestown, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £92. 6. 1., and of the union to £142. 6. l.; there is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 12 acres. The Protestant parishioners attend the church at New Inn. About 50 children are educated in a school supported by Wray Palliser, Esq., and the rector.
OUTRATH, a parish, in the barony of SHILLELOGHER, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, l 1/2 mile (S.) from Kilkenny; containing 1529 inhabitants, and comprising 2008 statute acres. It is a prebend, in the diocese of Ossory, forming part of the union of Inchiolaghan and of the corps of the chancellorship of Ossory: the tithes amount to £200. In the R. C. divisions it is part of the union or district of St. Patrick's, and contains the chapel of Grange. About 50 children are educated in a private school.
OVENS.--See ATHNOWEN.
OWEN (ST.) --See ATHNOWEN
OWENDUFFE, or AWINDUFFE, a parish, in the barony of SHELBURNE, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 6 1/2 miles (S. W.) from Taghmon, on the road to Ballyhack; containing 2348 inhabitants. it is situated on a stream called the Awenduffe or Blackwater, which is tributary to the Bannow or Scar river, and separates the baronies of Shelburne and Shelmalier; and it comprises 7799 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. At Yoletown are two flour-mills, worked by the Blackwater, and there are also two bleach-greens on the banks of that river. The parish is in the diocese of Ferns, and is an impropriate cure, forming part of the union of Tintern: the rectory is impropriate in Caesar Colclough, Esq., to whom the tithes, amounting to £340, are payable. The church is in ruins. In the R. C. divisions also it is in the union or district of Tintern. About 100 children are educated in three private schools.
OWEY, or WYE, an island, in the parish of TEMPLECROAN, barony of BOYLAGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (N.) from Rutland; containing 76 inhabitants. It forms one of the group of islands called the Rosses, situated off the north-western coast.
OWNING, or BEAULIEU, also called BEWLEY, a parish, in the barony of IVERK, county of KILKENNY, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/2 miles (N.) from Carrick-on-Suir, and near the confines of the county of Tipperary; containing 1281 inhabitants, and comprising 3652 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £2867 per annum. The village comprises about 12 houses. The parish is in the diocese of Ossory, the rectory being one of the four denominations constituting the union of Fiddown: the tithes amount to £180. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Templeorum, and contains a chapel, About 140 children are educated in two national schools; there is also a Sunday school.
OWREGARE, or UREGARE, a parish, partly in the barony of SMALL COUNTY, but chiefly in that of COSHMA, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Bruff, on the road from Limerick to Kilmallock; containing 1874 inhabitants. This place, in 1660, was the scene of an obstinate and severe skirmish between the celebrated Pierce Lacy and a detachment of the English garrison of Kilmallock, which pursued him to this place, where he was defeated and many of his followers were slain. The parish comprises 4748 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is chiefly under tillage, with some large tracts of meadow and pasture; the soil is fertile, and the system of agriculture improved. The principal seats are Greenpark, the residence of R. Ivers, Esq.; the Cottage, of Miss Ivers; Owregare House, of Mrs. Gubbins; Miltown, of G. Gubbins, Esq.; and Ballincolloe, of J. Gubbins, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Limerick, and in the patronage of the Earl of Buckinghamshire; the rectorial tithes are impropriate in the Grady family. The tithes amount to £385. 4. 3., of which two-thirds are payable to the impropriators, and the remainder to the vicar. The church is in ruins; the Protestant parishioners attend the church of Bruff. In the R. C. divisions the parish is partly in the union of Dromin, and partly in that of Bruff. Near the ruins of the church, of which the foundations only now exist, are the extensive remains of the castle of Ballygrenane, the once splendid residence of the De Lacy family, and now the property of Lord Carbery; and near the southern extremity of the parish is Bulgadine Hall, also the property of that nobleman, but in a neglected and ruinous condition. Within ten yards of Owregare House, two skeletons of unusually large size were discovered in digging. Admiral Sir Edward Nagle was a native of this place.
OYLGATE, a village, in the parish of EDERMINE, county of WEXFORD, and province of LEINSTER, 4 1/4 miles (S.) from Enniscorthy, on the mail road to Wexford; containing 14 houses and 86 inhabitants. Fairs for cattle are held on March 1st, May 21st, and Aug. 15th. Here is the principal R. C. chapel of the district, which has been recently rebuilt; and adjoining it a residence for the parish priest and a school-house have been erected by subscription.
OYSTER-ISLAND, in the parish of KILLASPICBROWN, barony of UPPER CARBERY, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 5 miles (N. N. W.) from Sligo: the population is returned with the parish. It is situated in the Pool of Sligo, and is remarkable for the purity of its herbage, and for restoring diseased cattle. Its ancient name was Inishroras, and it is enumerated among the lands granted by Chas. II. to the Earl of Strafford and Thomas Radcliff, Esq., in 1666.