Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for MOUNT-MELLICK

MOUNT-MELLICK, a market and post-town, partly in the parish of COOLBANAGHER, barony of PORTNEHINCH, but chiefly in that of ROSENALLIS, barony of TINNEHINCH, QUEEN'S county, and province of LEINSTER, 5 miles (N. W.) from Maryborough, and 40 (W. S. W.) from Dublin, on the road from Portarlington to Clonaslee; containing 4577 inhabitants. This town, which is nearly encircled by the small river Owenas or Onas, was anciently called Moun-cha-Meelick, signifying "the green island." It consists of one principal with some smaller streets, and in 1831 contained 700 houses, many of which are very neat and some elegant buildings: from the extent of its trade and manufactures it ranks as the chief town in the county. The weaving of cotton is carried on very extensively, and affords employment to about 2000 persons in the town and neighbourhood; the manufacture of woollen stuffs and coarse woollen cloths also is conducted on a very extensive scale by the Messrs. Beale and Messrs. Milner and Sons, who have lately erected very spacious buildings adjoining the town for spinning and weaving, in which nearly the same number of persons are employed. In 1834, Messrs. J. and D. Roberts, from Anglesea, established an iron and brass foundry here, on an extensive scale, for the manufacture of steam and locomotive engines and machinery in general, in which about 40 persons are employed. There are also an extensive manufactory of bits and stirrups, a tanyard, three breweries, a flour-mill, two soap manufactories, a distillery making about 120,000 gallons of whiskey annually, and some long established potteries for tiles and the coarser kinds of earthenware. A branch of the Grand Canal, which has been brought to the town from Monastereven has greatly promoted its trade in corn, butter, and general merchandise, which is rapidly increasing. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday; fairs for cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs are held on Feb. 1st, March 17th, May 1st, June 2nd, Thursday after Trinity-Sunday, July 20th, Aug. 26th, Sept. 29th, Nov. 1st, and Dec. 11th. A chief constabulary police force is stationed in the town, and there are subordinate stations at Clonaslee, Kilcabin, and Rosenallis. By a recent act of parliament, quarter sessions are held here in April and October; and petty sessions are held by rotation weekly at Mount-Nugent, Ballymachugh, and Ballyjamesduff. A new court-house is about to be erected in or near a new street at present in progress from the church square to Irishtown. A branch of the Bank of Ireland was opened here in 1836. Here is a chapel of ease to the parish of Rosenallis, a handsome edifice, lately repaired by a grant of £110 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, In the R. C. divisions this place is the head of the union or district of Mount-Mellick and Castlebrack, comprising parts of the parishes of Rosenallis, Castlebrack, and Coolbanagher, and containing the chapels of Mount-Mellick and Castlebrack: the former is a spacious structure. There are also in the town places of worship for the Society of Friends, and the Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists. A parochial school of the Leinster Society of Friends was established here in 1788; there are also a school in connection with the church, a national school, and a dispensary; and a Temperance Society has been formed. There is a chalybeate spring at Derryguile.


(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a market and post-town"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Laoighis IrlC
Place names: MOUN CHA MEELICK     |     MOUNT MELLICK
Place: Mountmellick

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