BALLINABOY, a parish

BALLINABOY, a parish, partly in the county of the city of CORK, and partly in the baronies of EAST MUSKERRY and KERRYCURRIHY, but chiefly in the barony of KINNALEA, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (S. S. W.) from Cork, on the road to Kinsale; containing 2887 inhabitants. This place, which is situated on the river Awinbuoy, formerly belonged to the abbey of St. Finbarr, and, in 1582, was, with other lands, granted by Queen Elizabeth to Henry Davells; it subsequently became part of the estate of the first Earl of Cork, from whom the property descended to the Earl of Shannon, the present owner. In 1600, Florence McCarthy assembled here 2000 of his followers, and made a desperate attack on the English, whom he compelled to take refuge behind the walls of an old castle. During their retreat a party of English musqueteers, having concealed themselves behind the bank of a ditch, fired upon the Irish forces, and the English cavalry charging them at the same time, put them completely to the rout.

The parish comprises about 8219 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which 6903 are arable, 1000 pasture, 300 waste, and 16 woodland. The land on the north side of the river is cold and mountainous, and 500 or 600 acres are covered principally with heath; the system of agriculture is in a very unimproved state. There being no bog, fuel is obtained from the bog of Annagh, in the adjoining parish. Ballinaboy House, the seat of J. Molony, Esq., is a handsome modern mansion surrounded with young and thriving plantations:the other seats are Tuligmore House, the residence of D. Keller, Esq.; Mount-Mary, of W. Fortune, Esq.; Barretts Hill, of James Donagan, Esq.; and Glenview, of the Rev. T. Beamish.

There is a flour-mill at Five-mile-bridge belonging to Mr. Herrick; and there is also another in the village of Ballinahassig. At a short distance from the latter place a fine arch, 50 feet in height and nearly of the same span, has been thrown over the glen, at the back of Mount-Mary, over which the high road passes from Ballinahassig to Inni-shannon. A new road now forming from Cork to Kinsale will contribute to the improvement of this place. At the Half-way House is a constabulary police station. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Cork, and in the patronage of the Earl of Shannon, the impropriator, who contributes £25 per ann. towards the curate's stipend, which is augmented to £75 from Primate Boulter's fund: the tithes are estimated at £500, and have long since merged into the rent. The church is a small dilapidated building, said to have been new-roofed about 60 years since. There is neither glebe-house nor glebe. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union of Ballinahassig, in which there are two chapels. There is a pay school, in which are 50 boys and 20 girls.—See BALLINAHASSIG.