MAGOURNEY

MAGOURNEY, a parish, partly in the barony of BARRETTS, but chiefly in that of EAST MUSKERRY, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, on the road from Cork to Killarney; containing, with the parish of Kilcoleman, and the post-town of Coachford, 2397 inhabitants. This parish is bounded on the south by the river Lee, over which is a stone bridge at Nadrid; and intersected by the river Dripsey, a mountain stream which falls into the former at the Dripsey paper-mills, in the adjoining parish of Mattehy, and over which also is a bridge of stone on the new road to Macroom. The land, with the exception of about 150 acres of bog and waste, is of good quality and in a state of excellent cultivation; the system of agriculture has been greatly improved under the auspices of the resident gentry, and more especially of Messrs. Colthurst, Good, and P. Cross, who have been extensively successful in raising green crops. Stone of good quality is quarried for building and for mending the roads, which throughout the district are kept in excellent repair.

The principal seats are Dripsey House, the residence of J. H. Colthurst, Esq.; Myshell, of Dr. Barter, whose demesne of 200 acres, formerly an unprofitable waste, has, since 1826, been reclaimed and brought into a state of high cultivation; Nadrid, of H. O'Callaghan, Esq.; Classis, of H. Minhear, Esq.; Carhue, of J. Rye Coppinger, Esq.; Beechmount, of Dr. Godfrey; Abbeville, of — McMahon, Esq.; Broomhill, of H. Cross, Esq.; Shandy Hall, of P. Cross, Esq.; Lee Mount, of T. Golloch, Esq.; River View, of Mrs. Welstead; Old Town, of S. Crooke, Esq.; Rock Grove, of J. Good, Esq.; the glebe-house, of the Rev. H. Johnson; and Green Lodge, of R. Coppinger, Esq. At Coachford a sub-post-office to Cork and Macroom has been established; petty sessions are held monthly at Dripsey, and fairs at Nadrid on Jan. 1st and Oct. 10th.

The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, united perpetually to the vicarage of Kilcoleman, and in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes, including those of Kilcoleman, which has merged into this parish, amount to £684. The glebe-house, towards the erection of which the late Board of First Fruits contributed a gift of £100 and a loan of £1350, in 1812, is a handsome residence; the glebe comprises 73 acres. The church, a handsome structure, was enlarged in 1818, for which purpose the same Board granted a loan of £200, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £224 for its repair.

In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Aghabologue; the chapel, a neat and spacious edifice, is situated at Coachford, where there is a national school. A small parochial school is aided by the rector; and there is also a private school. In Dripsey demesne are the ruins of the church of Kilcoleman, and of the ancient castle of Carrignamuck, which belonged to the McCarthys and was built in the 15th century by the founder of Blarney castle; it is situated on a rock on the bank of the Dripsey, and is surrounded with trees, forming an interesting feature in the picturesque scenery of the parish.