DROMCLIFFE, or OGORMUCK

DROMCLIFFE, or OGORMUCK, a parish, in the barony of ISLANDS, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, on the river Fergus, and on the road from Limerick to Galway; containing, with the assize, market, and post-town of Ennis, 14.083 inhabitants. This parish, including Inch, comprises 8387 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act. The land varies greatly in quality. There are about 240 acres of craggy pasture that might be easily converted into good arable land. At Cragleigh is some very fine close-grained black marble.

The gentlemen's seats are Stamer Park, the residence of M. Finucane, Esq.; Abbeyville, of T. Crowe, jun., Esq.; Willow Bank, of E. J. Armstrong, Esq.; Greenlawn, of T. Mahon, Esq.; Hermitage, of W. Keane, Esq.; Cahircalla, of C. Mahon, Esq.; Beechpark, of R. Keane, Esq.; Ashline Park, of R. Mahon, Esq.; Cranaher, of B. Blood, Esq.; Brookville, of J. Mahon, Esq.; and Green Park, of the Rev. W. Adamson.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, united in 1818, to those of Kilnemona, Kilraghtis, and Templemaly, forming the union of Dromcliffe, in the gift of the Bishop. The rectory is partly impropriate in R. Keane, Esq., and partly united, in 1803, to the rectories of Kilnemona and Kilmaly, in the patronage of the Marquess of Thomond. The tithes of the parish amount to £332. 6. 2 ½., of which, £101. 10. 9 ½. is payable to the impropriator, a similar sum to the rector, and the remaining £129. 4. 7 ¼. to the vicar; the tithes of the vicarial union are £285. 16. 10 ¾.

The glebe contains four acres near the old church, which is in ruins: the present church at Ennis consists of part of the ancient Franciscan abbey. The site of the old glebe-house has been added to the churchyard, where, during the prevalence of the cholera, no less than 340 bodies were buried in one pit. In the R. C. divisions the greater part of the parish forms the union or district of Ennis, where the chapel is situated: the western part, called Inch, is the head of the district of that name, which also includes the parish of Kilmaly. A new chapel is now being built at Inch, and there is a chapel in Kilmaly. The number of children educated in the public schools, exclusively of the college, is 650; and there are seven private schools. Near the old church are the remains of one of the ancient round towers, of which about 50 feet are still standing. At Inch is a strongly impregnated chalybeate spring which is occasionally resorted to.—See ENNIS.