MARY'S-DE-FORE-ST, or BEATIAE-MARIAE-DE-FORE, a parish, in the barony of DEMIFORE, county
of WESTMEATH, and province of LEINSTER, 4 miles
(E.) from Castlepollard, on the road to Kells; containing
1217 inhabitants. It comprises 1624½ statute acres
of good land, mostly under tillage, though there is much
bog: limestone is found here. On the north it is in
part separated from Meath by Lough Bawn, which,
though pent tip by high hills, is of considerable breadth;
it is remarkable for having most water in summer; no
stream emerges from it, and it abounds with large pike
and eels. On the opposite side the parish reaches to
Lough Lene, and the small Lough-a-Deel. Here is
Glenidan, the residence of - Blandford, Esq. It is a
curacy, in the diocese of Meath, forming part of the
union of Rathgraff: the rectory is entirely appropriate
to the vicars choral of Christ-Church, Dublin, to whom
the tithes, amounting to £159.. 14.7., are wholly payable.
In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or
district of Fore. There is a school at Glenidan, and
another at Camberstown, the former aided by a bequest
of the late Col. Monk; in these schools 98 boys and 50
girls are taught. Ruins of the mansion of Carrick
exist; and there are several large raths in different parts
of the parish.