All Lewis entries for Aghavallen

AGHAVALLIN

AGHAVALLIN, or AGHAVALAH, a parish, in the barony of IRAGHTICONNOR, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 4- miles (W. S. W.) from Tarbert; island containing, with the town of Ballylongford and the of Carrigue, 5688 inhabitants. This place anciently belonged to the O'Connors of Kerry, whose principal seat, Castle Carrig-a-foile, signifying in the Irish language "the rock of the chasm," was situated on the south-west side of the inlet between the main land and the small island of Carrigue, which is encircled by the river Shannon. This castle was defended on the land side by a double wall flanked with circular and square bastions, which are still remaining, and was fortified against Queen Elizabeth by O'Connor, who placed in it a garrison under the command of Julio, an Italian officer. The castle, with the entire barony, excepting only one estate, was forfeited by the O'Connors of Kerry, in 1666, and conferred by the act of settlement upon the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin. The parish is situated on the river Shannon, and within a mile and a half of the high road from Tralee to Limerick, and comprises 15,152 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. About one-third of it is good arable land, rather more than one-third of a coarser quality, and the remainder is mountain pasture and bog. Limestone for manure is brought from Askeaton by turf boats returning from Limerick; and sea manure is also extensively used. A species of brown stone of good quality is quarried for building. The principal seats are Kiletton, the residence of W. Hickey, Esq.; Litter, of G. Wren, Esq.; Rusheen, of F. Crosbie, Esq.; Rushy Park, the property of Godfrey Leonard, Esq., at present occupied by Terence O'Connor, Esq.; Ahanogran, the seat of J. O'Connor, Esq.; and Asdee,

of Barry Collins, Esq. A steam-boat passes daily from Kilrush to Tarbert and Limerick, and vessels of 30 tons enter the creek for potatoes and turf, in which a considerable traffic is carried on. Dredging for oysters off the island of Carrigue, and fishing, employ several persons in the season. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, to which those of Liseltin, Killehenny, Galey, Murhir, Kilnaughten, Disert, Finuge, Listowel, and Knockanure are united, constituting the union of Aghavallin, in the patronage of Anthony Stoughton, Esq., in whom the rectory is impropriate. The tithes amount to £304. 12. 2., of which £152. 6. 1. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar: the gross amount of tithes of the union payable to the incumbent is £774. 17. 11. The church, having been condemned, is about to be rebuilt by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. There are churches at Liseltin, Kilnaughten, and Listowel. There are several glebes in the union, but all in the possession of the impropriator. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of the union or district of Ballylongford, also called Tarbert, which comprises the parishes of Aghavallin and Kilnaughten: a chapel has been recently erected at Asdee, as a chapel of ease to that at Ballylongford; and there is also a chapel at Tarbert, in the parish of Kilnaughten. A large and commodious school-house has been erected at Ballylongford: but the Protestant children of the parish attend a school at Sallow Glin, the demesne of Mr. Sandes, on the border of the adjoining parish; there are six pay schools.-See BALLYLONGFORD and CARRIGUE.

BALLYLONGFORD

BALLYLONGFORD, a town, in the parish of AGHAVALLIN, barony of IRAGHTICONNOR, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER 4 miles (W. by S.) from Tarbert; containing 1300 inhabitants. This town is situated on the road from Tarbert to Ballybunnian, at the head of an estuary or creek of the river Shannon, and contains about 300 houses. Its position is favourable for the export trade, the creek forming a port for lighters which carry corn and turf to Limerick; the trade in turf is very considerable from the vast supply afforded by the extensive tracts of bog in the vicinity, forming part of the possessions of Trinity College, Dublin. The harbour has 16 feet of water at high tides, and is capable of being made one of the best on the Shannon; but that of Tarbert being considered to possess superior advantages, is more likely to be improved. A fair or market is held every alternate Thursday, chiefly for pigs and cattle. This place has a penny post dependent on Tarbert. Petty sessions are held every Monday, and, once in three weeks, a baronial court for the manor of Carrig-a-foile; and here is a station of the constabulary police. There are several gentlemen's seats in the vicinity, enumerated in the article on Aghavallin, which see. The parochial church is situated about 1/4 of a mile to the north of the town, but having been condemned by the provincial architect as unworthy of repair, it is expected that a new church will be shortly built by the Ecclesiastical Board, at an estimated expense of about £650. The R. C. chapel in the town is a spacious slated building with two galleries, erected in 1806 at an expense of £2000; and near it a large building for a school has been lately erected, at a cost of £350. Here is also a dispensary. In the vicinity of the town, but in Kilnaughten parish, are the extensive and picturesque ruins of Lislaghtin abbey.

CARRIGUE

CARRIGUE, or CARRIG, an island, in the parish of AGHAVALLIN, barony of IRAGHTICONNOR, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 1? mile (N. W.) from Ballylongford: the population is included in the return for the parish. This small island is situated in the river Shannon, nearly opposite to the island of Inniscattery, but on the Kerry side, and is about a mile and a half in circumference, containing 120 statute acres, of which 100 are arable; it belongs to Trinity College, Dublin, and is farmed by the Rev. S. B. Lennard, of Adare, and in a high state of cultivation. It is pleasantly situated for bathing, and abounds with a variety of water-fowl. There are a battery and bombproof barrack for 20 men; and it is a station of the coast- guard. The north shore is the only place where ships of heavy burden can ride in safety; the south, west, and east being very shallow at low water: and about a mile from the northern part of the island is a shoal, which has only a boat passage at ebb tide. Here is an extensive ruin, which was formerly a monastery, subject to the O'Connors, from whom the barony is named, and who owned the castle of Carrigafoyle, known as "the impregnable castle," from its long resistance to the attacks of Cromwell; it was one of the last taken by him, and the 12 people found in it were hanged. Off the island is an excellent oyster bed, also a good plaice and mullet fishery.