Survey

A SURVEY OF BUTTEVANT TAKEN IN 1875-1876

Head post, money order, and telegraph office, 27 miles from Cork by rail (G.S.&W.Ry.) - fares, single 5/7. 4/2, 2/4; return 9/6, 7/-, 4/-. Buttevant was formerly a walled corporate town, governed by a mayor and alderman, and to

judge from its ruins It must have been of considerable importance. Here are the rums of an ancient abbey, founded

by the Barrys In the reign of Edward I. (1251). Within the walls are several tombs of ancient Irish families, as the

Barrys, Magners, Fitzgeralds, Donegans, Meades, Dowlings, Healys, Nagles, Lombards, and Supples. Buttevant Abbey must have been a pile of considerable magnitude and grandure. Close to the entrance was formerly a large heap of skulls and bones - now placed In the crypt by the late Canon Buckley - said to be the relics of those who fell at the Battle of Knockininoss In 1647.

About half a mile distant are the ruins of Ballybeg Abbey, also founded by the Barrys. Buttevant and its neighbourhood seems formerly to have been an assembly of churches and religious houses. Buttevant Castle, a fine ivy clad building on the banks of the Awbeg, was built by the Barrys, and afterwards enlarged by Sir James Anderson; it is now occupied by Mrs. Parsons. Near the castle is a fine flour mill, worked by both water and steam power; this mill is the property of Thomas Walsh of Mallow, who recently expended about £2,000 in the erection of the steam machinery.

This neighbourhood has been rendered classic by the pen of Spenser: at Kilcoleman, near Buttevant, the ruined

walls of which still remain, he completed his Fairy Queen. Buttevant is an important barrack station of the Cork or

south-western military district. The river Awbeg abounds with white trout. The Protestant church is a handsome structure in the later English style, built In 1826, with a square embattled tower. The R.V. church, erected through the unwearied exertions of the late Very Rev. Canon Buckley. P.P., was commenced in 1831, and is deservedly reckoned one of the handsomest ecclesiastical structures in the south of Ireland.

This district is very fertile, resting as it does principally on the limestone, as it is well suited either for tillage or grazing; limestone gravel, which is so efficacious as a top-dressing, is found in the parish of Imphrick,' it being the

only portion of the county where that useful mineral is available. On some of the high lying districts, on the limestone, water is scarce, and must be dug for; but is always found at a depth of one hundred feet and in most

cases at half that depth.

Several splendid specimens of variegated red marble have been raised from quarries in the neighbourhood, and a

good description of marble is found in all the mountains of Ballyhoura, north of the town. At Grange a lead ore, with a slight percentage of silver was discovered by the railway labourers. In a cutting about one and a half miles from

Buttevant; a culm vein has also been discovered in the same cutting. Two miles south-west of this town, near

Kllmaclenine, there is a pit of good yellow ochre, which was formerly used for painting. From Kilcoleman bog is obtained a very peculiar kind of peat, called by the peasantry, "moan-ye-nea"; it Is found floating on water, and when fresh it is somewhat like the liver of an animal in consistency and colour; when dried it becomes almost as hard and black as Jet, and burns with a beautiful white flame.

Buttevant - 27 Mar., 20 July, 14 Oct., 20 Nov.

Cahirmee Horse Fair - 12 and 13 July.

Mails' dispatched at 12.30 p.m. (day mail), and 10.30 p.m.

Postmaster - Denis Fitzpatrick.

Liscarroll, Churchtown Doneraile.

Parishes - Bregoge, Buttevant, Churchtown, Imphrick,

Poor Law Union - Mallow.

Registrar Births, Marriages, Deaths - P.L. Walsh, M.D.

Relieving Officer - T. Lenahan.

Collector of Poor's rate - P.W. Greene.

Petty Sessions Court held 2nd and 4th Thursday of month.

Court Clerk - Michael Hayes

Resident Magistrate - Capt R.C. Coote

Sub-Inspector - B.A. Somervllle

Head Constable - Patrick Keawell

Acting Constable - Berd Kelly.

National Schools:

Male - 185 pupils; teacher, Thos Ryan

Female - 177 pupils; Elizabeth Ryan.

Grange, Male - 75 pupils; Edwd. Looney

Female - 90 pupils; Bridget Ryan.

Justices of the Peace:

Barry John Harold, Ballyvonare

Creagh George W.B. Woodvllle

Lysaght William, Hazelwood

Spratt Harmer Devereux, Pencil Hill

Steward Spenser, Springfort Hall.

Gentry, Clergy, etc.

Buckley, Rev. Timothy, P.P.

Cahil, Rev. Wm., C.C., Churchtown

Cottor, Rev. W.H., Curate, Buttevant

Crofts, Richard Nason, Ballyhoura Lodge

Crofts, Christopher, Velvetstown

Daly, George F., Rathclare

Freeman, Col. Joseph D., Clogheen House

Fuge. Richard, Templemary

Harris, George, Crofts, Spitalfields

Henderson, D., Loughrea

Lenihan, Rev. Timothy, Churchtown, C.C.

McCarthy, Rev. Chas., Creggancourty, P.P.

McCarthy, James, Currymount

McGarry, William, Castleview

Neville, Rev. Edward., Main Street, C.C.

Norcott, Miss, Springfield

Parsons, Mrs., Buttevant Castle

Phair, Rev. John Pickering, Rector, Buttevant.

Medical Practitioners:

Corbett, Michael, M.D.

Sheehan, James, M.D.

Coughlan, Timothy, Main Street

Foley, Maurice, Main Street.

Mullins, James, Main Street

Taylor, Pelham. Barrick Street

Barrett, Patrick, Main Street

Coleman, John, Main Street

Connell, William, Main Street

Corbett, Cornelius, Main Street

Costelloe, Mrs., Main Street

Fahy, Philip, Main Street

Flannery, Francis, Churchtown

Foley, Thomas, Main Street

Guinea, Ellen, Main Street

Hayes and Cunnlngham, Main Street

Hayes, Michael, Main Street

Hennessy, Maurice, Main Street

Kincade, Johanna, Main Street

McGany, William H., Main Street

Mullins, James, Main Street

O'Brien, Thomas, Churchtown

O'Connell, Catherine, Main Street

O'Donnell, Jeremiah, Main Street

Roche, Patrick, Main Street

Russell, Thomas, Main Street

Sheahan, Elizabeth, Main Street

Sheahan, Michael B., Pawnbroker

Walsh, Thomas, Main Street.