KILBRONEY

KILBRONEY, a parish, in the barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, on the road from Newry to Kilkeel; containing, with the town of Rosstrevor, 4257 inhabitants. According to the Ordnance survey it comprises 13,208 ¼ statute acres, of which 275 are woodland, about 5,000 arable, and the remainder bog and mountain, the latter of which affords excellent pasture. Here are some large bleach-greens, and some lead mines.

The principal seats are the Lodge, the residence of D. Ross, Esq.; Brandensburg, of Mrs. Ross; Carpenham, of H. Hamilton, Esq.; Green Park, of Mrs. O'Brien; Amos Vale, of the Ven. Dean Carter; Ballyedmund, of A. Stewart, Esq.; Woodhouse, of Mrs. Reynell; Old Hall, of Smithson Corry, Esq.; and Crayfield, of W. J. Maguire, Esq.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Dromore, and in the gift of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate: the tithes amount to £155. 6. 6., of which one-third is payable to the vicar, and two-thirds to the Bishop. The church, which is in Rosstrevor, is a handsome cruciform edifice, with a lofty tower and pinnacles: it was built at an expense of £2000, of which the late Board of First Fruits, in 1814, gave £200 and lent £1100. The Board also granted £450 as a gift, and £120 as a loan, for the erection of the glebe-house, in 1821: the glebe comprises 11 acres. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains two chapels, one in Rosstrevor, the other at Killowen. About 600 children are educated in six schools, to one of which Mrs. Ross contributes £13. 16. 11., to another Mrs. Balfour contributes £20, and to a third the R. C. clergyman contributes £5, annually.

On the acclivity of a mountain is a very large stone, called Cloughmerne, which was formerly part of a cromlech; and near Killowen are the ruins of Green Castle. It was built by Walter de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, destroyed by the Irish in 1343, rebuilt soon after on a large scale, and dismantled by order of Cromwell. Here are also the remains of Castle Roe, or Ross Trevor Castle. On the Hillstown road are the ruins of Kilbroney church, in which a clogh-ban, or "white bell," was some years since discovered; also an ancient stone cross and a holy well. In 1834 a spacious cave was discovered, containing broken urns filled with calcined human bones and ashes. A chalybeate spring was formerly much resorted to, but is now almost neglected.—See ROSSTREVOR.