AFFANE, a Parish in the Barony of Decies-Without-Drum, Containing a Small Village of the Same Name, Co
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
PARLIAMENTARY GAZETTEER OF IRELAND 1844-44 [WATERFORD EXTRACTS] ABBEYSIDE, a district and town, in the barony of Decies-without-Drum, and suburban to the borough of Dungarvan, co. Waterford, Munster. The district is described by the Commissioners on municipal corporations as one of three parishes which compose the union, or manor of Dungarvan, as forming with Dungarvan- West the parish of Dungarvan mentioned in the ancient charter of the borough, and as now a distinct parish in itself; and it is laid down in one of two maps of Dungarvan in the report on Borough Boundaries, as “Abbeyside parish, now part of East Dungarvan; but, in all the other parliamentary documents before us, both it and ‘East Dungarvan’ are treated as strictly a part of Dungarvan parish.Yet in the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical division, it forms a distinct parish in the dio. of Waterford and Lismore. See Dungarvan.- The town of Abbeyside extends along the north-east or left side of Dungarvan Harbour, directly opposite to the borough; and is included in both the municipal and the parliamentary boundaries. In 1832, it had 40 tenements of value to qualify for the franchise. A very handsome bridge, built solely at the expense of the duke of Devonshire, was erected in 1816 to connect it with Dungarvan; and previous to that time communication could be maintained only by means of a ferry. The ruins of an ancient castle, and of the abbey whence the suburb is named, combine with the harbour to form a pleasant view from the Dungarvan side. The castle belonged to the Magraths, and, along with some adjacent lands, was given by them to the monks. The abbey, an Augustian one was founded in the 13th century, patronized by the earls of Desmond, and endowed partly by the O’Brien’s of Cummeragh. It had also the rectorial tithes of the parish. The cells have nearly or quite disappeared; and, together with the refectory and other monastic parts of the pile now in ruin, occupied a very considerable area. “The walls of the church and steeple,” says Dr. Smith, “still remain, and show it to have been a neat light Gothic building. The steeple is about 60 feet height; and is supported by a curious Gothic vault, sustained by ogyves passing diagonally from one angle to another, forming a cross with four arches, which make the sides of the square of the building. The key- stone in the centre of the vault cut, being shaped into a union cross of eight branches, four of which being the diagonal ones, constitute the ogyves; the other four send members to the key-stones of the lateral arches, which are acute at the top. The Key-stone of each arch sends members to the contiguous arches in the same manner, as do the imposts of the pilasters, which support the whole, each affording three branches from the same stone.” On the north side of the church, near the alter, is the tomb of Donald Magrath, who was interred there in 1400. Pop. Of town, in 1831, 1,859; in 1841, returned with Dungarvan. AFFANE, a parish in the barony of Decies-without-Drum, containing a small village of the same name, co. Waterford, Munster. Length, 7 miles; breadth, 5; area, 7,773 acres. Population, in 1831, 1,879; in 1841, 2,115. Houses 301. The Blackwater runs southward along the western boundary, and the Phinisk runs westward to it near the village of Affane. The land in general is excellent, and in high cultivation. The parish has long been noted (for its fine cherries, introduced to it from the Canary Islands, by Sir Walter Raleigh. The chief seat is Dromana: which see. - The village of Affane stands 4 miles south-east by east of Lismore. It has fairs in May, August, and November. Its ancient or uncorrupted name, was Aghmean; from agh, ‘a ford;’ the Blackwater being fordable in the vicinity. In 1564, a conflict occurred here between the clans of Butler and Fitzgerald; when the leader of the latter, Gerald, earl of Desmond, was wounded, and 300 of his followers slain. The discomfited earl, who was taken prisoner in his gore, and carried on the shoulders of some of his antagonists from the field, was exultingly asked by a leader of the Ormond party, "Where is now the great earl of Desmond?" when he indignantly replied, "Where, but in his proper place? on the necks of the Butlers!" The occasion of the feud is said to have been a litigation respecting some lands, covetousness leading to bloodshed, and bloodshed to gloriation in culpable principles. "The lands of Affane," remarks T. C. Croker, Esq., "are said to have been given by Garret Fitzgerald, for a breakfast to Sir Walter Raleigh." This parish is a vicarage in the dio. of Lismore. The vicarial tithes are compounded for £184 12s. 3d.; and the rectorial tithes, which consist of one moiety of the whole tithes, and are impropriate, and belong to the duke of Devonshire, are compounded for the same sum. The vicarage, and that of Aglish [which see], constitute the benefice of Affane. Gross income £378 2s.; nett £289 7s. 7½d. Patron, the diocesan. Within the benefice is the chapelry of Villerstown: see that article. The church of the united parish was built- in 1819, at a cost of £646 3s. 1d. Brit.; of which £461 10s. 9¼d. was granted by the late Board of First Fruits. Sittings 200; average attendance from 25 to 30. Four Roman Catholic chapels, one of which is in Affane, and the others in Aglish, are attended by, respectively, from 300 to 400, 700,275, 12. The last is the chapel of a friary. In 1834, the inhabitants of Affane parish consisted of 49 Churchmen, and 1,952 Roman Catholics; and those of benefice, of 156 Churchmen, and 5,631 Roman Catholics. In the same year a National school in Affane had 330 children on its books, and received £20 from the Board. ARDMORE, a parish on the coast of the barony of Decies-within-Drum, co. Waterford, Munster. It contains a village of its own name: see next article. Length, about 8 miles; breadth, 5; area, 34,215 acres. Pop., in 1831, 7,318; in 1841, 8,737. Houses 1,374. Pop. of the rural districts, in 1831, 6904; in 1841, 8,031. Houses 1,258. The coast is prevailingly bold and rocky; it is perforated with various caverns, the chief of which, called the Parlour, is large and curious; and it describes a boldly sinuous or serpentine curve, projecting in Ardmore head on the west, and receding round Ardmore bay or harbour on the east. The headland is a conspicuous promontory of St. George’s Channel, 8 miles south-west of Helvick Point, and the same distance north-east of Ring Point; the bay will be noticed in connection with the village. The surface along the seaboard is champaign, and generally excellent land, either rich artificial pasture, or luxuriant crops of corn. But inward, and athwart the larger part of the interior, it consists of a congeries of lofty upland, topographically designated Slievegrine, or ‘the Mountain’ and is only partially arable. The higher ridges of the upland are generally carpeted with a light gravelly soil, while the hollows are, to a considerable extent, occupied by bog. Cattle grazed on the unarable summits and declivities, especially toward the sea, where snow seldom lies 48 hours, have long been observed to bear the rigour of a severe winter better than such as are pastured on richer lands. Iron ore was at one time dug from some large pits, on the side of the upland road leading from Dungarvan to Youghal. ‘The Mountain,’ or Slievegrine, is separately noticed in the census of 1831, and had then a pop. of 2,374. The chief objects of interest belong to our notice of the village. –This parish is a vicarage in the dio. of Lismore. The vicarial tithes are compounded for £216, and the rectorial for £432; and the latter are appropriated to the precentorship of the cathedral church of Lismore. The vicarages of Ardmore and Ballymacart [see that article], constitute the benefice of Ardmore. Length, 10 miles; breadth, 6. Gross income, £254 8s. patron, the diocesan. A curate has a stipend of £75. The church is so ancient, that the state of erection is unknown. Sittings 150; attendance, from 30 to 60. The Ardmore Roman Catholic chapel is attended by from 700 to 1,000; and in common with the chapels of Ballymacart and Kinsalebeg, has 3 officiates. In 1834, the Protestants of Ardmore Parish amounted to 55, and the Roman Catholics to 7,565; the protestants of the union to 63, and the Roman Catholics to 8,580; and 5 pay-schools in Ardmore, and a national school in Ballymacart, had on their books 367 boys and 118 girls. ARDMORE, village is charmingly situated near the west end of Ardmore bay, in the parish just described, about 4 miles east-north-east of Youghal. Area, 39 acres. Pop., in 1831, 414; in 1841, 716. Houses 116. This village overlooks a smooth, sheltered, and extensive beach; and ought to be a favourite retreat of sea-bathers. Several neat and pleasant cottages, occupied by annuitants, or designed for the use of visiters have already been built. The inhabitants are supported chiefly as agriculturalists and fishermen. The harbour possesses many natural advantages; and, if it had a pier and a quay, it would afford shelter not only to large Fishing-boats, but to vessels of from 6 to 8 feet draught.