KILSKERRY, a parish, in the barony of OMAGH,
county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, 7 miles
(N. by E.) from Enniskillen, on the road to Omagh;
containing, with the market-town of Trillick, 8790 inhabitants.
This place, during the war of 1641, was attacked
by the Irish forces under Sir Phelim O'Nial,
whom the inhabitants succeeded in driving back to the
mountains; but they suffered severely in a subsequent
attack, in which the assailants were successful. Near
Corkhill Lodge are the remains of a fortress, which was
garrisoned by the inhabitants, who resolutely defended
the ford of the river, where a handsome bridge was
subsequently erected. The army of Jas. II. encamped
twice in this parish during his contest with Wm. III.,
and marched hence against Enniskillen. The parish,
which is six miles long and as many broad, comprises,
according to the Ordnance survey, 20,439 statute acres, of
which 14,650 are applotted under the tithe act; the
surface is boldly undulating and the soil generally fertile.
The system of agriculture is rapidly improving; more
than 1000 acres of waste land have been already brought
into cultivation, principally under the encouragement of
the rector. The principal seats are Trillick Lodge, the
property of Gen. Archdall, near which are the remains
of Castle Mervyn, built by a person of the name of
Mervyn, from whom Gen. Archdall derives his title to
his estate in this county; Relagh, of J. H. Story, Esq.;
Corkhill Lodge, of J. Lendrum, Esq.; Corkhill, of the
Rev. A. H. Irvine; and the glebe-house, of the Rev.
J. Grey Porter. There are two other seats almost
dilapidated, which were formerly the residences of the
Barton and Bryan families. There are several mountains
in the parish, and several lakes, from which small streams
descend to Lough Erne, between which and Lough Foyle
it is in contemplation to form a communication by a
canal. There is a small establishment for milling
blankets. A manorial court, petty sessions, and fairs
are held at Trillick, which see. The living is a rectory
and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, constituting the
corps of the prebend of Kilskerry in the cathedral of
Clogher, in the patronage of the Bishop: the tithes
amount to £675. 9. 4. The glebe-house, a spacious
and handsome residence, surrounded by old plantations,
was built in 1774 at an expense of £1200, of
which £92. 6. was a gift from the late Board of First
Fruits. The glebe comprises 380 acres of profitable
land, valued at £1 per acre, besides which there are
636¾ acres of mountain glebe, which is annually in process
of being reclaimed and rising in value. The church,
an elegant structure in the early English style, with a
square tower surmounted by an octagonal spire, was
built in 1790, at an expense of £1060, defrayed by the
Rev. Dr. Hastings; the original spire was taken down
and the present one erected in 1830, at the expense of
the parish. Divine service is performed by the clergymen
of the Establishment in the Wesleyan meeting-houses
at Trillick, monthly in winter, and once a fortnight
in summer. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that
of the Established Church; the chapel, a spacious building,
is at Maralough. There are places of worship for
Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists at Trillick. The
parochial school is supported by the rector and the
Association for Discountenancing Vice, and a schoolhouse
at Magheralough was built by the Rev. A. H.
Irvine, curate, on land given by Col. Perceval, who
allows a salary to the master; one by J. H. Story, Esq.,
a female school on the glebe by Mrs. Porter, and there
are four other public schools, 12 private, and six Sunday
schools, and a dispensary. Here was a monastery
in the 7th century, of which no vestiges can be traced,
nor are any particulars of its history recorded.