No. XII.

PARISH OF

FAUGHART,

(Diocese of Armagh, and County of Louth.)

BY THE REV. GERVAIS TINLey, Rector,

I. The Name of the Parish, Situation, Extent, &c. THE ancient name of this parish is Foghard, the Name. modern Faughart. It is situated in the barony of Situation. Lower Dundalk, in the north-east of the county of Louth, and Diocese of Armagh. It is bounded on the cast by Dundalk; west by Fork hill; north by Jonesborough; and south by Roche; containing about 1,400 acres, divided into the townlands of Balriggan, Rosskeeah, Carrick Edmond, Lurgankeel, and Dungooley.

Its extent from east to west is nearly two miles. Extent. About four-fifths of the parish produce good corn, wheat, barley, and oats; and the remainder is in pasture and potatoes. There are no rivers running through Rivers. the parish; but it is bounded on the south by Dungooley river, which separates it from Roche. Neither Mountains. are there any bogs or mountains in it; though it is bounded on the north by the Fork hill mountains,

which are for the most part pasturable, yet high and beautifully grand.

II. Mines, Minerals, &c.

The mineralogy of this parish, in consequence of the want of mountain, presents us with very little interestLimestone. ing matter. Limestone is the chief substratum; it is found in great abundance, and of a good quality, equally useful for building and manure. rich marl in various parts of the parish.

Marl.

Gentle

men's Seats.

III. Modern Buildings, &c.

There is also

An elegant mansion house was lately built by Colonel Ogle on the right side of the main road from Dundalk to Fork hill, in the townland of Carrick Edmond, three miles from Dundalk, and two from Fork-hill: Flour Mill, the same gentleman is now erecting a flour mill in the townland of Balriggan, at a great expense, but which promises to be of the utmost utility to the neighbourhood. The high road from Dundalk to Fork hill, Market hill, and Armagh, runs through this parish.

Roads.

IV. Ancient Buildings, &c.

There are no ancient buildings, either monastic or castellated here; nor at present is there either town, church, or glebe-house. One small Danish fort, called Fort hill, is the property of the Earl of Roden. This hill was probably the scene of the celebrated battle in which the Scotch were finally defeated, and their leader

Edward Bruce killed, in the 15th year of the reign of Edward II. by the English of the pale, under the command of Sir John Bermingham, who was created Earl of Louth, for this service. Here also Lord Mountjoy, Essex's successor in the government of Ireland, gave the first check to the progress of Tyrone.* Another Ancient fort is the property of Lord Clermont, from whom, a grant of half an acre of land has just been purchased whereon to build a church; an undertaking much to be desired, and which is to be commenced immediately.

V. Present & Former State of Population, Food, Fuel, &c.

Fort.

There are in the parish of Faughart twelve Pro- Population. testant families, containing 56 persons; two Dissenting families, containing 11 persons; and two hundred and thirty-seven Roman Catholic families, making a total of 1,361 persons.

The general food of the inhabitants is potatoes, Food. meal, and milk; some of the wealthier farmers occasionally eat animal food. Their chief employment is agriculture, by which they support themselves very decently; they appear well clothed, and look healthy. There are but few paupers. No remarkable instances of longevity are recorded, though the climate is dry and healthy.

VI. Genius and Disposition of the Poorer Classes, &c.

The genius and disposition of the people are good: Genius and Disposition they are capable of much mental and corporeal exertion;

* Vide Moryson's Hist. of Ireland, Book i. c. 2.

A A

but have few opportunities of shewing their talents for any thing out of the common course of their daily occupation. The men are sober and industrious; and the females sedulously employed in spinning. They have no particular customs, or patron days. Language. Most of them can speak English tolerably well; but their common language with each other is Irish.

Schools.

VII. Education and Employment of Children, &c.

The children have no particular employment; they are tolerably well educated, and aid their parents on their little farms, as soon as they arrive at an age capable of labour.

There are two good schools in the parish; one of which is kept by a Protestant master, consisting of 40 children; the other by a Roman Catholic, containing upwards of 50 children; but no particular plan is purRates of sued, nor is there any endowment to either.

tuition,

Advowson,

The

parents pay a small salary of two shillings and sixpence quarterly; and the rector gives the masters an annual stipend, and provides the children with writing paper, prayer-books, and testaments. There is no public library, or any collection of manuscripts in this parish.

VIII. State of Religious Establishment, Tythes, &c.

In the parish of Faughart there is a Protestant rector, and a Roman Catholic priest. The patron is his

Grace the Lord Primate.

At present there is no church, neither glebe land nor house; but ground has been lately purchased whereon to build a church; and the rector is preparing to build a house on his own farm in the parish.* There is a good Chapel. Roman Catholic chapel. The tythe of wheat, barley, Tythes. oats, hay, and flax, are viewed, and set at a valuation agreed on, for which, tythe notes are passed by the farmers (at setting in September) to the rector, payable on the first day of November ensuing; but seldom paid until the following harvest.

IX. Modes of Agriculture, Crops, &c.

Farms.

Few farmers hold more than fifty acres of land; Size of the rest diminish until they come to 15, 10, or five acres. The price of land, particularly late takes, Rents. is from four guineas to five pounds; but what has been held under old leases rates variously, from one guinea to three.

ture.

The mode of tillage is not good. The ploughs are Mode of Agriculheavy, and the horses weak; yet from the goodness of the soil, aided by lime and marl, in addition to the manure each farmer makes at his offices, their crops are productive, particularly that of potatoes, which enables

* By a grant of £800 pounds, obtained through his Grace the Lord Primate, from the board of First Fruits, a very beautiful church has been erected since the above was written; it has been consecrated, and divine service is performed in it every week. A very good house, which cost £1,300 has also been erected by the incumbent, in the townland of Balriggan, at his own expense, on a farm of land called Fork hill, within one mile and a half of Dundalk, on the left hand side of the road, leading from Dundalk to Fork Hill,