LITTER

LITTER, or CASTLEHYDE, a parish, partly in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, but chiefly in that of FERMOY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2 miles (W. by N.) from Fermoy, on the road to Mallow; containing 1926 inhabitants. This parish, anciently called Carrigneady, is situated on the river Blackwater, by which it is divided into two nearly equal parts, and comprises 5154 ½ statute acres, as rated for the county cess, and valued at £4312 per annum. The land is in general good and chiefly under tillage, and the state of agriculture has of late years been much improved, chiefly through the exertions of the late John Hyde, Esq.; there is but little waste land and no bog. A substratum of limestone extends to the north, and one of a brown or greyish kind of stone to the south, of the river, both of which are worked either for building or repairing the roads; and the limestone is also extensively burnt for manure. On the south side of the Blackwater is a flour-mill worked by a mountain stream which runs through a finely-wooded glen. A court for the manor of Castlehyde is occasionally held by the seneschal, for the recovery of debts not exceeding 40s., late currency.

The principal seat is Castlehyde, the spacious and handsome mansion of John Hyde, Esq., beautifully situated on the northern margin of the Blackwater, in the midst of a highly picturesque and richly-wooded demesne extending on both sides of the river, of which it forms one of the most attractive scenes. Within the demesne, which spreads into the adjoining parish of Fermoy, are the ivied ruins of the ancient castle, which at a former period, gave name to the parish; and the river was here formerly crossed by a wooden bridge, in lieu of which there is now a ferry a little to the east of its site. The other seats are Creg, the residence of Colonel Stewart; and Templenoe, of W. Lane Hyde, Esq.: at Creg is also the residence of the Rev. S. Adams.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne; part of the rectory is in the gift of J. Hyde, Esq., the remainder being impropriate in John Nason, Esq.: the vicarage is in the patronage of the Bishop.

The tithes amount to £681, of which £288 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the incumbent: there is no glebe-house or glebe. The church, a small but handsome structure with a tower and spire, stands in the demesne of Castlehyde, of which it forms an interesting feature: it was built in 1812, on the site of the ancient edifice, partly at Mr. Hyde's expense, aided by a gift of £400 and a loan of £363 from the late Board of First Fruits, and has since been much improved from a design by G. R. Pain, of Cork, Esq.; the interior is embellished with a richly groined ceiling and most of the windows are of stained glass.

In the R. C. divisions the parish, (with the exception of the village of Templenoe, which is within the district of Ballyhooley) forms part of the union or district of Fermoy About 30 children are educated in two private schools. At Creg are the ruins of a castle, said to have been built by the Condons, consisting of a lofty square tower, still nearly entire; and near the border of Killathy parish are the ruins of the castle of Bally-Mac Philip.