AHAMPLISH, a parish

AHAMPLISH, a parish, in the barony of LOWER CARBERY, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 9 miles (N. N. W.) from Sligo; containing, with the villages of Ballintample and Grange, and the islands of Innismurray and Dernish (which are separately described), 7483 inhabitants. It is situated on the northwest coast, near the entrance to the bay of Sligo, and on the road from Sligo to Ballyshannon; and comprises 9286 statute acres, of which 6509 are applotted under the tithe act, and of which, also, 7311 are arable and pasture, and 1975 bog and waste. The surface is naked and unadorned, having only one small wood on the lands of Grellagh, near the river Bunduff, the estate of Viscount Palmerston, who is proprietor of the greater part of the parish. The mountain of Benbulbin extends in a direction from east to west, and separates this parish from Drumcliffe.

The principal village is Grange, consisting of one street, in which are only four decent houses, and the rest are thatched cabins. Some improvement in the mode of tillage has taken place of late years, but the system of husbandry is comparatively still very deficient, and the farming implements are of a very inferior kind: limestone and turf are plentiful. A great extent of bog has been reclaimed by Lord Palmerston, who has also planted large scopes of sandy banks with bent. Considerable improvements at Mullaghmore have been made exclusively by the direction and at the expense of that nobleman, which are noticed under the head of that place. There is a salmon fishery in the river Bunduff; and at Mullaghmore several boats were formerly employed in taking turbot, cod, and other kinds of fish, which abound on this part of the coast. There are some corn-mills in the parish.

The principal seats are Moneygold, the residence of J. Soden, Esq.; Streeda, of Booth Jones, Esq.; Grange, of the Rev. C. West, the incumbent; and Creenymore, of the Rev. J. McHugh, P.P. Seven fairs for live stock are held at Grange; and a fair on Feb. 1st is held at Cliffony, which has also a penny post from Sligo. Grange is both a coastguard and a constabulary police station. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Elphin, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in Lord Palmerston. The tithes amount to £221. 10. 9., divided in moieties between the impropriator and the incumbent. The church is a plain edifice, built in 1813, for which the late Board of First Fruits granted a loan of £700, and Lord Palmerston contributed £100: it contains a marble monument to the Soden family, with an inscription recording the death of James Soden, in 1705, at the age of 109 years: the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £119 for its repair. There is neither glebe nor glebe-house. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: there are two chapels, situated at Grange and Cliffony, and built at the sole expense of Lord Palmerston. Three schools are supported principally by his lordship, each of which has a house and garden, and in which are 170 boys and more than 100 girls; and in other private schools are taught more than ] 00 boys and 60 girls.