Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for CAHIRLAG

CAHIRLAG, a parish, in the barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (E. by N.) from Cork; containing 1840 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Cork to Youghal, and comprises 3530 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: nearly one-third is held by private gentlemen, and laid out in lawns, plantations, and pleasure grounds; the remaining two-thirds are almost equally divided between pasture and tillage. The dairy farms furnish Cork and its neighbourhood with a great quantity of butter, which is celebrated for its flavour The tillage is conducted on an improved plan, the Scottish system being generally prevalent; and, from the vicinity of Cork and the sea, an abundance of various kinds of manure is easily obtained. The river Glanmire turns several valuable mills, of which the Glanmire boulting-mill is the property of R. Shaw, Esq.; a steam-engine is being erected for this mill, which will enable it to manufacture more than 25, 000 barrels of flour annually. The river is navigable, at spring tides, to the bridge at Lower Glanmire for vessels of 40 tons' burden, which bring up coal, culm, and sea sand, for the supply of the neighbourhood. At Riverstown is a distillery belonging to Messrs. Lyons and Co., which is capable of making 180, 000 gallons of spirits annually.

The scenery of the parish and its vicinity is pleasingly diversified, and embellished with numerous gentlemen's houses, among which are Dunkettle, the seat of A. Morris, Esq.; Richmond, of R. Mannix, Esq.; Factory Hill, of W. Letch-field, Esq.; Glenville, of E. Newsom, Esq.; Glentown, of Mrs. McCall; Maryborough, of J. Wallis, Esq.; Rockgrove, of Simon Dring, Esq.; Glenburn, of A. Lewis, Esq.; Annmount, of the Rev. Dr. Coghlan; Killora Lodge, of the Rev. R. Berry; Woodville, of N. W. Cummins, Esq.; Killahora, of J. Martin, Esq.; Richmond, of the Rev. W. L. Beaufort; Northesk, of J. Carnegie, Esq.; New Glanmire Lodge, of the Rev. Dr. Collins; and Combermere Cottage, of J. Keane, Esq.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cork, united by act of council, in 1785, to the rectories and vicarages of Little Island and Rathcooney, together forming the union and corps of the prebend of Rathcooney, formerly Cahirlag, in the cathedral church of St. Finbarr, Cork the tithes amount to £300. There is a glebe comprising 7a. 3r. 3p. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, also called Glauntane or New Glanmire, comprising the parishes of Cahirlag, Little Island, and Kilquane, and containing two chapels, one in the village of New Glanmire, the other in Kilquane. The rents of two farms, one on the lands of Rockgrove, the other on those of Rusgrane, left by the late Rev. Murtagh Keene, formerly P. P. of Glauntane, in trust to the R. C. Bishop of the diocese, and James Cantillon, Esq., of Little Island, are appropriated to the education of poor children of this division, without regard to religious distinction; and a school-house has been built at Glauntane, adjoining the chapel. On a lofty eminence stand the picturesque ruins of the old parish church; and not far distant are the remains of a pagan judgment seat, druids' circle and altar.


(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions")
Administrative units: Barrymore IrlBarony       Cork IrlC
Place: Caherlag

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