DROMCREHY, or DRUMCREELY

DROMCREHY, or DRUMCREELY, a parish, in the barony of BURREN, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (W.) from Burren, on the bay of Ballyvaughan, and on the road from Burren to Kilfenora; containing 1758 inhabitants. It comprises 6186 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which a considerable portion is rocky mountain pasture, principally devoted to the grazing of sheep. The substratum is limestone, which in various places rises above the surface. Sea-weed, an abundance of which is procured in the bay, is the principal manure. The seats are Harbour Hill, the cottage residence of G. McNamara, Esq.: Sans Souci, of the Rev. J. Westropp; Ballyallaben, of J. O'Brien, Esq.; Mucknish, of J. S. Moran, Esq.; and Newtown Castle, of C. O'Loghlen, Esq. In the little creek of Pouldoody is a small oyster bed, the property of J. S. Moran, Esq., of Mucknish; the oysters taken there have long been celebrated for their delicious flavour, and are always disposed of by the proprietor in presents to his friends.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Kilfenora, united, in 1795, to the rectories and vicarages of Glaninagh, Rathbourney, and Killonoghan, together constituting the union of Dromcrehy and corps of the treasurership of Kilfenora, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes of the parish amount to £115, and of the entire benefice, to £330. The church is in ruins; that of the union is in the adjoining parish of Rathbourney. In the R. C. divisions the parish is part of the union or district of Glenarragha, or Glynn. A school is aided by the Duke of Buckingham, and another is about to be established. In this parish are the ruins of the castles of Mucknish and Ballynacraggy, and some vestiges of that of Ballyvaughan: at Newtown is a castle of unusual form, consisting of a round tower resting on a square base, and said to have been formerly the residence of the Prince of Burren; it is in good preservation and" inhabited. On the lands called "The Bishop's Quarter" are the remains of a religious house, of which no particulars are recorded.—See BALLYVAUGHAN.