CALRY, or COLRY, a parish

CALRY, or COLRY, a parish, in the barony of UPPER CARBERY, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT; containing, with a part of the borough and sea-port town of Sligo, 6247 inhabitants, of which number 3741 are within the borough of Sligo. This parish is situated on the river Garvogue, which separates it from the parish of St. John, in its course from Lough Gill to the sea, and on the roads from Ballyshannon and Enniskillen to Sligo. It contains 4383 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is generally light, with a small quantity of bog and some mountain wastes, and is principally under tillage; the state of agriculture is improving; there is an abundance of limestone, which is used for building. The manufacture of linen was formerly carried on extensively, but few are now employed in it. Lough Gill, part of which is in the parish, is an extensive and beautiful sheet of water, about a mile and a half from Sligo, with which it is connected by the river Garvogue, that is navigable for large boats seven or eight miles.

The scenery is very romantic, and is greatly embellished with the highly cultivated demesne of Hazlewood, the handsome residence of Owen Wynne, Esq. The lough is studded with islands, of which Church and Cottage islands are the largest. At Hollywell is another demesne belonging to Mr. Wynne, from which mountains covered with wood, the lake with its numerous islands, and the road sometimes running under stupendous rocks and sometimes through small planted glens, present scenes of great beauty. The other seats are Percy Mount, that of Sir Percy Gethin, Bart; Colga House, of T. Homan, Esq.; Ballyglass, of Gowan Gilmore, Esq.; Faught's Cottage, of R. Christian, Esq.; Willsboro, of W. Fausset, Esq.; Willybrook, of the Ormsby family; Barroe House, of Holies Clarke, Esq.; Rathbracken Cottage, of W. Christian, Esq.; Mount Shannon, of H. H. Slade, Esq.; Shannon, of Edward Patterson, Esq.; the Cottage, of J. Gethin, Esq.; Ballyternin House, of Mrs. Griffiths; and Ellenville, of H. Irwin, Esq., M. D.

The living consists of a vicarage and perpetual curacy, in the diocese of Elphin, the former being part of the union of St. John's, Sligo, and the latter in the patronage of the Incumbent of St. John's; the rectory is appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin. The tithes amount to £353. 11. 7., payable in moieties to the vicars choral and the vicar. The income of the perpetual curacy amounts to £73. 1. 6., arising from £23. 1. 6. paid by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and £50 from the vicars choral. The church, belonging to the perpetual cure, is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a beautiful spire: it was built by aid of a gift and loan from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1823. The glebe-house was also built by aid of a gift of £112 and a loan of £37, in 1821, from the same Board.

In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Sligo; the chapel is at Colga, Here are a school established and supported by the trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity; a female parochial school at Calry; and a school at Ballin, which was built by John Wynne, Esq., at an expense of £250, and supported by that gentleman. About 120 boys and 70 girls are educated in these schools; and there are also a private school of about 50 boys and 30 girls, and five Sunday schools. The part of the parish that is within the town of Sligo contains the county infirmary, fever hospital, and dispensary. The remains of antiquity consist of the Sod fort, which was defended by Sir Teague O'Regan against William III., the ruins of some churches in Church and Cottage islands, and what are supposed to be druidical remains in Mr. Wynne's park at Hazlewood.