DRUMLEASE

DRUMLEASE, a parish, in the barony of DROMAHAIRE, county of LEITRIM, and province of CONNAUGHT, on the road from Manor-Hamilton to Sligo; containing, with the village of Dromahaire (which is described under its own head), 3901 inhabitants. An abbey was erected here by St. Patrick, who placed St. Benignus over it; the site is said to have been that occupied by the parish church. The parish comprises 14,403 statute acres: there is a considerable quantity of bog. Limestone abounds, and at Dromahaire is a good marble quarry. Besides the fairs at Dromahaire, twelve monthly fairs are held at Newtown, where there are also fairs on the 25th of Feb., May, Aug., and November.

The gentlemen's seats are Shriff Villa, the residence of Capt. H. Palmer; Bellvue, of P. Carter, Esq.; and Dromahaire Lodge, of D. Stewart, Esq., agent of G. L. Fox, Esq. The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to £130, of which, £86. 13. 4. is payable to the bishop, and £43. 6. 8. to the vicar. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of £100, and a loan of £900, in 1834, from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; the glebe comprises 577 acres. The church is a neat edifice, in a picturesque situation, rebuilt by aid of a loan of £1000 in 1817, from the late Board of First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £154. 19. 6. for its repair.

In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising also a small portion of Clonlogher; the chapel is in the townland of Luglustran. There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists. About 420 children are taught in the four public schools of the parish, and there are five private schools, in which are about 450 children. Near the villa of Shriff is an ancient burial-ground, used by the Roman Catholics By the side of Loughgill are the ruins of a fine old castle; and there are remains of religious houses near Dromahaire, and at the Lodge. There are a sulphureous and a chalybeate spring. Crystal spars abound in the rocks of the mountains.