ABBEYSTROWRY

In 1868, the parish of Abbeystrowry contained the following places:

"ABBEYSTROWRY, a parish in the barony of Carbery-east, in the county of Cork, and province of Munster, Ireland; containing part of the market-town of Skibbereen. It is intersected by the river Ilen, near which are the remains of an abbey, from which the parish takes its name; but of whose age and founder nothing is known. Less than two-thirds of the land in the parish is under cultivation, the remainder being waste or bog. The bog is not very extensive, and the rest consists of rocky hills, with small tracts of pasture scattered here and there. Farming has not made much progress. It is said that the old wooden plough is used still. At Derrygoole there are some slate-quarries, but they have not been worked very extensively or profitably. Here are several fine residences of the gentry, as Hollybrook, Lakelands, Abbeyville, &c. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross, value £118, in the patronage of S. Townshend, Esq. The parish contains 9,396 acres. See Skirbereen."

"SKIBBEREEN, a post and market town in the parishes of Creagh and Abbeystrowry, barony of West Carbery, county Cork, province of Munster, Ireland, 45 miles S.W. of Cork, and 217 from Dublin. It is situated on the banks of the river Ilen, which empties itself into Baltimore harbour and St. George's Channel. It has several well-built streets, and two or three good hotels. It contains the parish church, a Roman Catholic chapel, two Methodist meetinghouses, and National schools, also a bridewell, barracks, two branch banks, a savings-bank, and union poorhouse. Linen and woollen manufactures were formerly carried on. There are a brewery, tannery, and two flour-mills. General sessions are held in May, and petty sessions once a week. The Skibbereen Poor-law Union contains 20 electoral divisions in the county of Cork. There are remains of a monastery, and of two fortresses formerly of the MacCarthy Reagh family. Wednesday and Saturday are market days. Fairs are held on 14th May, 10th July, 2nd August, 12th October, 11th and 23rd December."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018