BRYANSFORD, a village, in the parish of KILCOO,
barony of UPPER-IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province
of ULSTER, 2½ miles (S.) from Castlewellan;
containing 185 inhabitants. This village, which is
situated on the road from Newry to Newcastle, contains
about 30 houses neatly built, chiefly in the Elizabethan
style, the gardens in front of which give it a comfortable
and rural appearance, and the surrounding scenery is
agreeably diversified. Tollymore Park, the seat of the
Earl of Roden, is a beautiful residence situated in extensive
grounds embellished with some of the finest larch
trees in the country; it is approached by three noble
entrances, called respectively the barbican, the central,
and the hilltown; the central entrance from the village
is through a very lofty archway, and in the lodge is kept
a book for entering the names of visiters; the grounds
are always open to the public. There is a good inn and
posting-house, with every accommodation for families.
The parish church of Kilcoo, a spacious edifice with
a lofty embattled tower, is situated in the village; and
at a short distance to the north of it is a R. C. chapel,
belonging to the union of Bryansford or LOWER-Kilcoo;
it is a neat edifice in the later English style, erected in.
1831 at an expense of £900, on a site given by the Earl
of Roden. A school for boys, built in 1826, is supported
by the same nobleman; and adjoining it is a
circulating library also maintained by the Earl and
gratuitously open to all the people of the village: there
is a female school, built in 1822 and supported wholly
by the Countess of Roden. See KILCOO.