BALLINVOHIR, a parish, in the barony of CORKAGUINEY,
county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER,
12 miles (E.) from Dingle; containing 2924 inhabitants.
This parish, which is situated on the bay of Dingle, and
on the road from Dingle to Tralee, comprises 13,190
statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, a large
portion of which consists of coarse mountain pasture,
with some patches of bog. The mountain of Lack,
from the summit of which is obtained a panoramic view
of the various mountains on this side of the bay, and of
the Iveragh mountains on the opposite shore, is within
its limits; and at the foot of Acres mountain is a small
portion of the parish, which is entirely detached from
the rest. A new road, about three English miles in
length, is about to be constructed from Inchbridge, in
this parish, through Glaunaheera, to the mail coach
road from Dingle to Tralee, by which travellers from
Dingle to Cork may pass through Killarney, instead of
the more indirect way through Tralee, now in use. The
system of agriculture is gradually improving; and from
the abundance of sea manure on the shores of the bay,
for the conveyance of which this new road will afford
greater facility, there is every prospect that the greater
portion of the waste land will be brought into cultivation.
Some of the inhabitants are employed in the
fishery. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of
Ardfert and Aghadoe, constituting the corps of the
archdeaconry of Ardfert, in the patronage of the Bishop.
The tithes of the parish amount to £203. 1. 6., and of
the entire benefice to £253. 18. 11.: the Blasquet
Islands are included in the payment of tithes for this
parish. There is neither church nor glebe-house, but
there is a glebe of 22a. 3r. 14p. The Protestant parishioners
attend the church of Ballinacourty, and the occasional
duties are performed by the curate of that parish.
In the R. C. divisions the parish partly forms the head
of a union or district, in which is also included the
parish of Ballinacourty, and is partly in the union of
Cappaclough or Kilgobbin: there is a chapel at Lack,
and a new chapel is in course of erection at Annescall,
in the former parish. A school is held in the chapel
at Lack, and other children of the parish attend the
school at Annescall; there are also three pay schools in
the parish. At Inch are the ruins of a church, or
chapel, overshadowed by a white thorn tree of large
size; there are no remains of the parish church, but the
old burial-ground near Annescall lake is still used.