ARDARA, a post-town and district parish

ARDARA, a post-town and district parish, in the barony of BANNAGH, county of DONEGAL, and province of ULSTER, 7 ½ miles (N.) from Killybegs, and 134 ½ miles (N. W.) from Dublin; containing 456 inhabitants. This place is situated on the river Awinea, at the bottom of Lockrusmore bay on the northern coast, and on the road from Narin to Killybegs. The village consists of 85 houses: it is a constabulary police station, and has a fair on the 1st of November; petty sessions are held at irregular intervals. The parochial district was formed by act of council in 1829, by disuniting 38 townlands from the parish of Killybegs, and 49 from that of Inniskeel. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Raphoe, and in the alternate patronage of the Rectors of Killybegs and Inniskeel. The income of the curate is £90 per annum, of which £35 is paid by each of the rectors of the above-named parishes, and £20 is given from Primate Boulter's augmentation fund.

The church is situated in the village. The R. C. parochial district is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains a chapel. The Wesleyan Methodists assemble in a school-house once every alternate Sunday. A parochial school is aided by an annual grant from Col. Robertson's fund; and there is a school under the Wesleyan Missionary Society. In these schools are about 160 boys and 80 girls; and there are also two pay schools, in which are about 70 boys and 20 girls, and a Sunday school. On an island in the lake of Kiltorus, off Boylagh, near Mr. Hamilton's, of Eden, are the rums of an old fortified building, near which were formerly some rusty cannon.