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AGLISH

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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

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

"AGLISH, a parish in the barony of Carra, in the county of Mayo, province of Connaught, Ireland. It contains the market town of Castlebar. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Tuam, Killala, and Achonry, united with Breafy and 3 others, value £665, in the patronage of the bishop. See CASTLEBAR."

"CASTLEBAR, a market town in the parish of Aglish, barony of Carra, in the county of Mayo, province of Connaught, Ireland, 7 miles to the N.E. of Westport, and 160 miles to the W.N.W. of Dublin. It is situated at the northern extremity of Lough Lanark, on a branch of the river Moy. The Great Northern and Western railway of Ireland has its terminus here. The town rose into importance early in the 17th century, when it was made a market town and a borough by James I. In the autumn of 1798, the French, under General Humbert, having landed in Kilcummin Bay, and taken Kilcummin and Ballina, attacked and took possession of Castlebar, defeating the English under Hutchinson and Lake. They quitted the town a few days afterwards, and were taken prisoners near Sligo. The town consists chiefly of one long street, with a large and pleasant green, adorned with trees, on which are most of the public buildings and many good private residences. The streets are paved. There are extensive barracks, a court-house, a large and handsome county gaol, the county infirmary, a dispensary, a neat linen hall, and a large lunatic asylum in course of erection. The business of the town is confined to the general retail trades, the linen manufacture, which formerly flourished here, having almost ceased. Good limestone is quarried in the parish, and part of the subsoil is red sandstone. Castlebar is the county town of Mayo. The assizes are held here regularly, and quarter sessions in January and October. Petty sessions are held weekly. The elective franchise was conferred on the borough by James I., and it returned two members to the Irish parliament until the Union, when it was disfranchised. Castlebar is the seat of a Poor-law Union, and contains the Union house. It has also chief police and revenue stations. Two weekly newspapers are published in the town, called the Mayo Constitutional and the Telegraph. The parish church of Aglish, which stands in the town, was erected about 1828; it is a handsome edifice in the perpendicular style, with a tower. The Roman Catholics and Wesleyan Methodists have chapels here. There are parochial and National schools, both free. In the vicinity is an ancient burying-ground, from which there is a good prospect; and on the opposite side of Lough Lanark are remains of an old fort. This place gives the title of baron to the Earl of Lucan, whose seat is The Lawn, an extensive and beautiful demesne on the Castlebar river. Other seats are Spencer Park, Mount Gordon, &c. Saturday is the market day. Annual fairs are hold on the 11th May, the 9th July, the 16th September, and the 18th November."

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