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Upper Moville
(Taken from Inishowen Its History, Traditions, and Antiquities)
by Maghtochair
The parish of Upper Moville is contiguous to the former (Lower
Moville), and is traversed by the road from Derry to Greencastle.
It contains 19,081 acres; population, 4,207. The land rises gradually
from the shores of the lough to the summits of the mountains of
Crucknanonian, Crunlieve, Drung, and Leemacrosson. Nearly one-half
of it, therefore, is mountainous, and through the rest are detached
patches of bog land. The soil is tolerably rich near the shore,
and in a fair state of cultivation. Excellent sandstone is to be
found near Whitecastle, with indications of coal, and convenient
to Whitecastle there is a very extra-ordinary whin dyke. The produce
of the land is chiefly corn and flax. At the northern boundary of
the parish a pier has been constructed which is called Carrickarory
Pier. Carrickarory means the knell or rock of Rory.
There is a tradition among the people that a friar, named Roger
or Rory Hegarty, once lodged here. When a sick call came to him,
and when inquiry was made for the priest, the answer generally was,
"he is walking around the rock." It was said he had also
another brother a priest, some say two. At Drung are the remains
of an ancient cromleach; and terraces and remains of ancient buildings
may be traced near Redcastle, Whitecastle, and at Castlecarey. As
before remarked, the French writer, Feller, says that Redcastle
was the birthplace of that misguided genius, John Toland, but in
compliance with traditions and local information received by me,
and which I believe to be accurate, I have set down the parish of
Clonmany as the place where he was born, and where he lived to the
age of twelve or thirteen years.
There is a neat Presbyterian Meeting house at Claar; and another
very elegant one has lately been erected on Greenbank, at Paul's
Strand, on the shore of Lough Foyle. A third one stands near the
town of Moville. These Meeting houses are in connexion with the
General Assembly; and that at Greenbank has been erected for the
accommodation of the members of the Presbyterian religion resident
in Iskaheen, and the southern limits of the parish of Upper Moville.
The National Schools are at Terryroan, Ballylawn, Carrickmaquigley,
Drung and Cabry.
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