DROMAHAIRE, a village, in the parish of DRUMLEASE,
barony of DROMAHAIRE, county of LEITRIM,
and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (S. E. by E.) from
Sligo, on the road from Collooney to Manor-Hamilton;
containing 336 inhabitants. A castle was built here in
early times by a chieftain of this district, called O'Rourke,
and named after him, part of which still exists, but
most of it was used by Sir William Villiers in the erection
of the castle of Dromahaire, under a patent dated
in 1626, by which 11,500 acres of land, with power to
empark 2000 acres, and hold two markets, was granted
to the Duke of Buckingham. Of this castle, seven
massive and ornamented stacks of chimneys remain, and
the lodge occupied by Mr. Stewart, agent to G. L. Fox,
Esq., occupies part of its site. At Creevlea a monastery
for Franciscans of the Observantine order was
established, in 1508, by Margaret ny Brien, wife of
O'Rourke. This building was never completed, but the
walls, in which are some curious figures, are entire, and
the altar is nearly so. The effigy of the great O'Rourke
lies at full length on a tomb over the burial-place of his
family, and there are also curious figures over the
graves of the Morroghs, Cornins, and others. The village,
which, together with the entire neighbourhood, has
been greatly improved under the auspices of Mr. Lane
Fox, contained, in 1831, 64 houses: it has a penny post
to Collooney and is a constabulary police station. A
market is held on Monday in a neat market-house, and
a fair on the 13th of every month, and petty sessions are
held on alternate Wednesdays. A dispensary is partly
supported by a subscription of £20 per annum from Mr.
kane Fox. On the side of a hill are the ruins of an
old church, consisting of a nave and chancel, divided by
a heavy tower supported by elliptical arches. The conventual
buildings, of which the foundation is attributed
to St. Patrick, formed two squares contiguous to the
church.