HILLTOWN

HILLTOWN, a village, in the parish of CLONDUFF, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (S.) from Rathfriland, on the road from Newry to Downpatrick; containing 39 houses and 170 inhabitants. It is a handsome village, with a small but remarkably well kept inn, strikingly indicating the care which its noble proprietor, the Marquess of Downshire, has bestowed on the improvement of his estates, and the fidelity with which his lordship's views have been promoted by his agent, W. E. Reilly, Esq. In the grant of it to the Hillsborough family it is called Carquillan. There is a market on Saturday, and a large fair for cattle and linen yarn on the second Tuesday in every month. It is a chief constabulary police station, and has a good inn. The parish church of Clonduff having been destroyed in the war of 1641, a church was built here in 1766. It is a large and handsome edifice with a tower, erected by aid of a gift of £338 from the late Board of First Fruits, and recently repaired by a grant of £230 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Here is also the glebe-house, with a glebe of 21 acres; a Presbyterian meeting-house, in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the third class; a R. C. chapel, and the parochial school, for which a house was built in 1824 by the Marquess of Downshire, who has endowed it with £10 per annum.