Drumgooland

DRUMGOOLAND, a parish, in the barony of UPPER-IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 4 miles (N. E.) from Rathfriland, on the road from Castlewellan to Banbridge; containing 10,281 inhabitants.

It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 19,653 statute acres, of which, 133¾ are under water, 3240 are mountain and bog, and the remainder is cultivated with great labour and expense, and in some parts is very pro ductive: many of the inhabitants are employed in linenweaving.

Ballyward, a large handsome house, situated in a beautiful demesne, is the residence of C. F. Beers, Esq.; the Cottage, of Capt. Tighe; and Ballymacaveny, of the Rev. J. B. Grant. The parish is in the diocese of Dro more: the rectory is partly appropriate to the see and partly to the deanery of Dromore, and partly consoli dated with the vicarage, which, from time immemo rial, has been united to the vicarage of Drumballyroney, together forming the union of Drumgooland, in the pa tronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £495.3.0½., of which £380. 2. 8½. is payable to the incumbent, £59 to the bishop, and the remainder to the dean; and the gross value of the benefice, tithe and glebe inclusive, is £570. 16. 0½, The church is a large handsome edifice, in the early English style, erected, by aid of a gift of £900 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1822; it contains a handsome monument erected by the parish- 3U2 of bog. Limestone abounds, and at Dromahaire is a good marble quarry. Besides the fai ??> rs at Dromahaire, twelve monthly fairs are held at N ??> wtown, where there are also fairs on the 25th of Feb ??>., May, Aug., and November. The gentlemen's seats a ??> re Shriff Villa, the residence of Capt. H. Palmer; ??> ellvue, of P.

Carter, Esq.; and Dromahaire Lodge, ??> f D. Stewart, Esq., agent of G. L. Fox, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to ??> the see. The tithes amount to £130, of which, £86. 13 ??>.4. is payable to the bishop, and £43.6. 8. to the vica ??>. The glebehouse was built by aid of a gift of £100, ??> and a loan of £900, in 1834, from the Ecclesiastical Co ??> mmissioners; the glebe comprises 577 acres. The ch ??> urch is a neat edifice, in a picturesque situation, rebnil ??> t by aid of a loan of £1000 in 1817, from the late B ??> oard of First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissio ??> ners have recently granted £154. 19. 6. for its repair. In the R.C. divisions the parish is the head of a uni ??> or district, comprising also a small portion of Cl ??> nlogher; the chapel is in the townland of Luglustra ??>. There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists ??>. About 420 children are taught in the four public s ??> chools of the parish, and there are five private schools ??> in which are about 450 children. Near the villa of Sh ??> riff is an ancient burial-ground, used by the Roman C ??>atholics. By the side of Loughgill are the ruins of a f??>ne old castle; and there are remains of religious houses near Dromahaire, and at the Lodge. There are a sul??>phureous and a chalybeate spring. Crystal spars aboun??>d in the rocks of the mountains.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.