BALLINVOHIR, a parish

BALLINVOHIR, a parish, in the barony of CORKAGUINEY, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER, 12 miles (E.) from Dingle; containing 2924 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated on the bay of Dingle, and on the road from Dingle to Tralee, comprises 13,190 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large portion of which consists of coarse mountain pasture, with some patches of bog. The mountain of Lack, from the summit of which is obtained a panoramic view of the various mountains on this side of the bay, and of the Iveragh mountains on the opposite shore, is within its limits; and at the foot of Acres mountain is a small portion of the parish, which is entirely detached from the rest. A new road, about three English miles in length, is about to be constructed from Inchbridge, in this parish, through Glaunaheera, to the mail coach road from Dingle to Tralee, by which travellers from Dingle to Cork may pass through Killarney, instead of the more indirect way through Tralee, now in use. The system of agriculture is gradually improving; and from the abundance of sea manure on the shores of the bay, for the conveyance of which this new road will afford greater facility, there is every prospect that the greater portion of the waste land will be brought into cultivation. Some of the inhabitants are employed in the fishery.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, constituting the corps of the archdeaconry of Ardfert, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes of the parish amount to £203. 1. 6., and of the entire benefice to £253. 18. 11.: the Blasquet Islands are included in the payment of tithes for this parish. There is neither church nor glebe-house, but there is a glebe of 22a. 3r. 14p. The Protestant parishioners attend the church of Ballinacourty, and the occasional duties are performed by the curate of that parish. In the R. C. divisions the parish partly forms the head of a union or district, in which is also included the parish of Ballinacourty, and is partly in the union of Cappaclough or Kilgobbin: there is a chapel at Lack, and a new chapel is in course of erection at Annescall, in the former parish. A school is held in the chapel at Lack, and other children of the parish attend the school at Annescall; there are also three pay schools in the parish. At Inch are the ruins of a church, or chapel, overshadowed by a white thorn tree of large size; there are no remains of the parish church, but the old burial-ground near Annescall lake is still used.