Mayo history: A glimpse of Crossmolina in 1838

By Tom Gillespie

SAMUEL Lewis (circa 1782 to 1865) was the editor and publisher of topographical dictionaries and maps of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The aim of the texts was to give in 'a condensed form' a faithful and impartial description of each place.

The firm of Samuel Lewis and Co. was based in London. Samuel Lewis the elder died in 1865. His son of the same name predeceased him in 1862.

The names of places are those in use prior to the publication of the Ordnance Survey Atlas in 1838.

The dictionary comprised several counties, cities, boroughs, corporate, market, and post towns, parishes and villages with historical and statistical descriptions embellished with engravings of the arms of the cities, bishopricks, corporate towns, and boroughs, and the seal of the several municipal corporations with an appendix describing the electoral boundaries of the several boroughs, as defined by the Act of the 2d & 3d of William IV.

The dictionary gives a unique picture of Ireland before the Great Famine.

Lewis’ reference to Crossmolina reads:

CROSSMOLINA, a market and post town, and a parish in the barony of Tyrawley, county of Mayo, and providence of Connaught, 6.5 miles (W. by S.) from Ballina and 131.25 miles from Dublin, containing 11,479 inhabitants, of which number 1,481 are in the town. It stands on the River Deel, over which is a large stone bridge, on the direct road to the barony of Erris from Castlebar, and consists of a good main street and two converging ones, containing 310 houses.

The market is on Thursday; and fairs are held on May 23, September 12, October 26 and December 17; and at Rakestreet on February 2, March 25, August 23 and December 8.

Petty sessions are held weekly, and here are also revenue and constabulary police stations.

The parish consists of a portion of the stupendous mountain of Nephin, 2,840 feet above the level of the sea, on the western extremity of Lough Conn, a grand sheet of water, extending 10 miles in length and in some places four in breadth.

It comprises about 24,300 statute acres, one-third of which is arable land, but little improvement has taken place in agriculture.

About a mile from the town on the banks of the River Deel are quarries of very fine stone; and limestone and free-stone abound.

There are several gentlemen’s seats in the vicinity; the principal are Enniscoe, the residence of M. Pratt Esq., Gurtner Abbey, of G. Ormbsy, Esq.; Abbeytown, of W. Orme, Esq.; Knockglass, of T. Paget, Esq.; Fortland, of Major Jackson; Glenmore, of W. Orme, Esq.; Greenwood Park, of Capt. J. Knox, Esq.; Belleville, of W. Orme, Esq.; Millbrook, of W. Orme, sen., Esq.; Netley Park, of H. Knox, Esq.; Castle Hill, of Major McCormick; Ballycorroon, of E. Orme, Esq.; Stone Hall, of T. Knox, Esq.; Fahy, of Ernest A,. Knox. Esq.; Cottage, of E. Ormsby, Esq.; Rappa Castle, of Annesley Gore Knox; and the Vicarage-house, and residence of the Rev. St. George, rector.

Deel castle on the banks of the river of the same name, now a fine modern residence, surrounded with much old timber, stands in the site of a very ancient structure.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killala, united to the vicarages of Addergoole, Kilfyan and Magunagh, together forming the union of Crossmolina, the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is partly appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ-Church, Dublin, and party to the prebend of Errew in the cathedral of Killala.

The tithes amount to £460, of which £17 is payable to the vicars choral, £213 to the appropriators, and £230 to the vicar: the gross amounts of the tithes of the union is £550.

The glebe-house was built by a gift of £100, and a loan of £825, in 1814, from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 35 carries.

The church is a neat, plain edifice, with a square tower and spire, erected in 1810, by a loan of £1,000, in 1809, from the late Board of First Fruits; and the Ecclesiastical Commissions have recently granted £197 for its repair.

In the R.C. divisions the parish forms part of the union or district of Glenhest, and partly a district of parish in itself, in which are two chapels, one at Kilmurray and one at Crossmolina; the former was built in 1785, at an expense of £50, and the latter in 1806, and cost £200.

A painting of the Madonna over the altar was brought from Rome by Archbishop McHale.

There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists at Crossmolina.

There are seven schools, one of which is aided by a donation of £10 per annum from Mrs. Palmer, also six hedge schools and a Sunday school. The total number of children on the books of these schools is upwards on 1,000. A dispensary has been established.

At Errew, a peninsula stretching from the barony of Tyrawley into Lough Conn, are the ruins of a friary, which was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, having a beautiful east window.

There is also a ruin at Abbeytown; at Kildavarrogue are the remains of an old church, with a burial-place; and near the church are the ruins of an old castle.