Chapter 25.

Balrothery

was an ancient manor of the Barnewalls, extending over the townlands of Balruddery, Flemington, Stephenstown, Corkean, Turkentown, BAlaston, Leyton [457], Newmane, Percival’s freehold, Baldungan, &c. The common of the Ring here comprises 30 acres, and is partly composed of bog, on which the tenants of the town have still common of turbary.

The village, which, before the diversion of the great northern road into the Ashbourne line, was much more prosperous, presents a long, straggling, ruinous range of cabins, that are let without land each for about £1 10*s. *per annum. At the nearer end of the town, on a commanding height, are some fine ruins of the old church, presenting a square steeple with one angular rounded tower, somewhat resembling that adopted in the architecture of Lusk church. The church here is a plain modern addition to this steeple, and contains no monuments. Near it is a glebe of 19 acres, with a glebe-house upon it, while there is another glebe of 11 acres at the distance of three-quarters of a mile. In the graveyard are monuments to the Crosthwaites, the Moneypennies in 1743, an old vault of the Hamiltons, in which Baron Hamilton was interred in 1793, &c. In the adjoining field is a portion of a square castellated mansion. There is also an old Roman Catholic chapel here.

Near this town, according to Doctor Rutty, besides plenty of iron-mine, are several varieties of the iron-stone which are attracted by the magnet in their crude state. The fields about this place and Lusk used formerly to supply the clothiers of Dublin with the *dipsacus sativus, *or teasel plant, the richness of the soil contributing greatly to its luxuriance, although [458] the heads thus produced have fewer hooks in the same space, than when they shoot from a poorer soil. Those imported from England were, however, found more effective than the Irish, and machinery has now superseded all.

The parish, which includes Balbriggan, bears the name of this village, and, as the rectory is impropriate in the trustees of Wilson’s Hospital, it ranks as but a vicarage in the gift of the Baker family. In the Roman Catholic parochial arrangement it is united to Balscadden. It contains 6,994a. 1r.* 38p. in 37 townlands, and a population which was in 1831 returned, exclusive of Balbriggan, as 2,062 persons. In the village are male and female schools, for the support of which the National Board have allowed £25 per annum. The number of pupils in the former was returned in 1834 as 206. The Poor Inquiry Report of 1835 calculates that there are 600 labourers in this parish, of whom 200 are permanently employed, 350 occasionally, and 50 almost always unemployed. It also states, what should not be omitted, that “this parish has been distinguished in the worst of times for the quiet and peaceable conduct of its inhabitants.” The average acreable rent is about £1 15s., *exclusive of the town parks in the neighbourhood of Balbriggan. The principal proprietors are the Marquis of Lansdowne, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Smith of Beau, Mr. Baker, the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Taylor, Mr. Hutcheson, &c.

About the year 1200, the Archbishop of Dublin gave the church of Balrothery, with the chapels of Baidungan and Lambecher [459] at Bremore, and all other appurtenances, to the religious house of the Blessed Virgin of Kilbixy, and to the canons there serving God, to hold same in frankalmoign, reserving an annual rent out of the church of Balrothery to that of Lusk, in consequence of which, in a few years afterwards, this church was sought to be recovered, as an appendage to the rectory of Lusk; the claim was, however, on suit moved, rejected, and the said church was confirmed to the house of Kilbixy, together with all its appurtenances, and also, all the tithes of the mill of Balrothery, and a messuage outside the walls of Dublin, near that village of Hogges, on whose site College-green now stands.

In 1205 King John, by charter, granted to the commonalty of the counties of Dublin and Meath, commonage of turbary, in the bogs of Garristown, Balrothery, &c., to hold to them and their successors in pure and perpetual alms, which right was actually so enjoyed by the grantees and their successors for upwards of 200 years, when they complained to the king that the trust was abused by some exercising the right in improper places, and digging deep pits therein, &c.

In 1262 William de Clastonia, Prior of St. Mary’s of Kilbixy, ratified the Archbishop of Dublin’s collation of John de Cambridge to the vicarage of Balrothery, saving, however, the right of patronage on the decease or resignation of the said John.

Previous to the year 1318, Sir Hugh de Lacy was possessed of part of Balrothery, but he having aided the Scotch invader Bruce and his adherents, his several lands were forfeited at that period, and those in particular were granted to Richard de Ideshall, (Isdall,) and his heirs. In 1343 Richard de Constantine was seised of the manor of Balrothery, and in 1344 Walter de Cruise paid a fine of half a mark for his father’s transgression in acquiring the manor of Balrothery, from the aforesaid Richard de Constantine, without having obtained the king’s license.

In 1385 the king presented John Giffard, clerk, to this living. Soon afterwards Robert Burnell, an ancestor of that ancient family which afterwards settled at Balgriffin, held in fee half the barony of Balrothery. In 1402 the king granted Balrothery and certain other lands in the barony, to Richard Cloptoun. In 1410 Sirs [460] Christopher Preston and Edward Perrers were assigned to oversee the aforesaid bogs of Garristown,* *Balrothery, &c.

In 1415 the king granted the custody of all the manors, lands, &c., which Catherine, then late wife of Reginald Barnewall, held in Drymnagh, Ballyfermot, Tyrenure, Balrothery, &c., to be held during the minority of said Reginald’s heir. And in the same year, Nicholas Hill Archdeacon of Dublin, and vicar of this church, had the royal license to absent himself from Ireland for four years, to remain at the Court of Rome, and during the interval receive the profits of his ecclesiastical preferments, without incurring the penalties then incident upon non-residence. He was subsequently promoted to the deanery of St. Patrick’s. For a notice of Balrothery in 1530, see “Lusk?’

In 1532 the church was found to be tributary to Balrothery, which latter was at the same time recognised as a perpetual vicarage appertaining to the Prior of Tristernagh, and in a few years afterwards was valued to the First Fruits at £11 19s. 10d. The precentor and treasurer of St. Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, used at this time to receive a pension of £6 in moieties out of this benefice from the farmers of the tithes. An inquisition of 1562 ascertains the rights of the Prior of Tristernagh in this parish, in lands, glebes, and tithes. The extent and value of the latter are thus specified:- “The tithes of corn in the townland of Ballymoone, and its subdenominations of Cusack’s farm, Burnell’s land, Pippard’s land, Argillan, Bangyrath, Baltra, and Leyton, annual value, besides reprises, £11 ; the tithes of great Folkston, and little Folkstone, £4; Cloghrudder. and Tankardstown, £2 2s.; Balbriggan, £2; Darcystown, and the great farm of Curclagh, £6; Knockingen, Flemingstown, and Harbardstown, six shillings, &c. The hospital of St. John of Jerusalem had also some landed possessions within this parish, as then similarly ascertained. Balrothery was then accounted amongst “the walled and good towns” of this county. For a notice of the possessions of the Plunkett family here in 1582, see at “Dunsoghly.”

In 1590 all the estates of the religious house of Tristernagh, including Balrothery, were leased and subsequently granted to Captain Piers, while in 1600 Thomas Ram, Bishop of Ferns and [461] Leighlin, held its vicarage in commendam, vacant by the death of Richard Thompson, and in 1610 the king presented Ralph Kiernan thereto, who was succeeded in the following year by James Clarke, and Clarke in 1613 by Thomas Fagher. For a notice of the possessions of the Plunketts here in 1611, see at “Dubber.”

The regal visitation book of 1615 returns Balrothery as a rectory impropriate to the priory of Tristernagh, its vicarage being of the value of £30, and filled by Thomas Fagher, and adds that the church and chancel were in good repair.

In 1622 the king presented John Bynes to this vicarage with that of Kilsallaghan. In both of which he was succeeded in 1625 by Robert Worrall. For a notice in 1629 of the Fagan property here, see at “Kilmainham.”

In 1625 Peter Barnewall was seised in fee tail of the manor of Balrothery, the town of Ballymad, four messuages, 60 acres, &c. For a notice in 1637, see “Lough Shinny.”

In 1641 the right of holding three annual fairs and a weekly market was conceded to this town, and in the same year Sir Henry Tichburne, having received notice from the Lords Justices that a reinforcement sent to him from Dublin was likely to be attacked on the way by the rebels, marched out of Drogheda with a competent force to meet them; they, however, mutinied at Balrothery, and would proceed no farther.

In 1647 an engagement took place here, which is commemorated in an ancient manuscript, entitled “a bloody fight at Balruddery,” though possibly it was only one of those conflicts of petty faction, which, until very recently, were of too frequent occurrence over the country.

In 1665 the sheriff of the county of Dublin was by a vote of the house of commons ordered to restore to his Royal Highness, James Duke of York, the possession of the lands of Dromore, Cloghruddery, part of Balruddery, Ballyscadden, &c., of which his Grace had been unjustly disseised by the ter-tenants.

In 1666 Knockingen, 135a., Knock, 69a., part of Balrothery, 30a.; Leyton, 133a., Turkinstown, 56a., Castleland, 43a., Rath, 143a., Blackhall, 98A., Stephenstown, 233a., &c., plantation measure, were granted by patent to the aforesaid James Duke of York by that infamous policy, which, on the restoration enriched [462] the sons of the martyred king, with the estates which their ancient proprietors forfeited with their lives in his service;

“The gallant cavaliers, who fought in vain

For those who knew not to resign or reign.”

In 1669 Lord Gormanston had a grant of the Inch of Balrothery, 61a. profitable, and 19a. unprofitable, plantation measure. For a notice of Balrothery in 1697, see *post, *at “Balscadden.”

In 1700 Robert Lord Lucas claimed an estate in fee in Balrothery, as also in 50a. in Rathcoole, with other lands, in right of a patent thereof in 1674 to Sir Edward Sutton, and which were forfeited by King James; his claim was, however, disallowed. In 1703 the trustees of the forfeited estates sold to Sir Robert Echlin all those lands in the parish stated to have been granted to James Duke of York, and which were forfeited on his attainder. For a notice in 1718, see at “Balbriggan.”

There are in the Consistorial Court of Dublin two terriers of 1753 and 1783, respectivelyy defining the rights and endowment of the vicarage of Balrothery.

In 1811 the Board of First Fruits granted £250, and lent £550 more towards building the glebe-house here, and in 1813 the same body lent £1,000 towards building the church.

In shady places about Balrothery the botanist will find *lathroea squamaria, *greater toothwort, flowering early in May. - In the adjacent drains and bog pits, *alisma natans, *floating water plantain, a scarce and curious plant, stretching its ovate leaves over the water; *hydrocharis morsus ranae, *frogbit. - While between this and Balbriggan, *chara flerilis, *smooth chara, and the marsh mallow, are singularly abundant.

Proceeding, amidst the perfume of hawthorn blossoms, towards Balbriggan, Hampton Hall, the residence of Mr. George Alexander Hamilton, and Prospect [463], formerly a seat of the Earl of Bective, appear at right between the road and the sea, while at left are the mills of Stephenstown, and the head and race, which at times pour their superfluous waters in a little cataract through the town of

Ch. 26. Balbirggan.