KILLESHILL

KILLESHILL, KILLISHIL, or KILLESHAL, a parish, in the barony of DUNGANNON, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (S. W.) from Dungannon, on the road from that place to Ballygawley; containing 4615 inhabitants. This parish was formed by order of council in 1732, by separating 27 townlands from the parish of Carrenteel, and Archbishop Robinson endowed the living with the townland of Glencal for a glebe, which was exchanged for the present glebe adjoining the church. According to the Ordnance survey it comprises 9839 ¼ statute acres (including a detached portion of 241 ¼ acres), of which 8879 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £4817 per annum. About half the land is arable, one-fourth pasture, and the remainder bog and waste land; limestone is abundant and is burnt for manure. The soil is cold and thin, but is well cultivated: the inhabitants combine weaving with their agricultural pursuits. The principal seat is Anahue, the residence of H. Crosslee, Esq.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Armagh, and in the gift of the Lord Primate; the tithes amount to £300. The church is a small neat edifice, built in 1776 by aid of a gift of £481 from the late Board of First Fruits. The glebe-house was erected by aid of a gift of £100, in 1817, from the same Board: the glebe comprises 514a. 3r. 26p.

In the R. C. divisions this parish forms part of the union or district of Donaghmore; it has no chapel, but an altar in the open air. There are places of worship for Presbyterians in connexion with the Synod of Ulster and the Seceding Synod. The parochial school, in which are about 140 children, is on Erasmus Smith's foundation, and is aided by the rector; the late Rev. D. Kelly contributed £50 towards the erection of the school-house: there are five other public-schools, two of which are aided by a donation of £7 per annum from Colonel Verner, and two by £8 per annum from J. Gough, Esq.; they afford instruction to about 440 children.