INNISCARRA, a parish, in the barony of BARRETTS, county of
CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (W. by S.) from Cork, to
which place it has a penny post; containing 3442 inhabitants. This
parish, which is situated on the river Lee, comprises 9982 statute
acres, valued at £8387. 10. per annum. The surface is varied; to the
west of the bridge over the Lee is a fine expanse of meadow, which,
with the old church, backed by a range of hills, and some rich
woodland scenery, forms a pleasing landscape; and from the heights
is obtained an extensive view of the course of the river from west
to east through a richly diversified tract of country, abounding
with objects of local interest. The farms are in general very small,
and the lands are continued under tillage till they are quite
exhausted; the system of agriculture, though improving, is still in
a backward state; there is no bog. A slate quarry is worked on a
very limited scale. Ardrum, the seat of Sir N. Colthurst, Bart., is
pleasantly situated in an extensive and well-wooded demesne;
Cloghroe, the residence of J. C. Fitzgerald, Esq., is also in the
parish; and the glebe-house, the residence of the Hon. and Rev. W.
Beresford, is delightfully situated on the river Lee, to the margin
of which the lawn and shrubberies extend in beautiful contrast with
the steep and rocky mountains on the opposite bank, which rise to a
considerable elevation and are partially ornamented with
plantations; the house commands a beautiful view of the vale formed
by the ranges of hills on each side of the river. At the western
extremity of the parish are the Dripsey paper-mills, belonging to
Messrs. Magnay and Co., and situated in a deep and well-wooded glen;
the buildings are of handsome appearance, and the works afford
employment to a number of persons, varying from 70 to 100, in the
manufacture of large quantities of paper for the English market. In
another part of the parish is a small stream which turns the
Cloghroe boulting-mills, which are capable, when there is a
sufficient supply of water, of producing 140 sacks of flour weekly.
A new line of road has been formed to facilitate the communication
of this parish and the neighbouring district with the parish of
Macroom. A manorial court is held by the seneschal of the manor. The
living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Cloyne, united
by act of council to the rectory and vicarage of Mattehy and the
chapelry of Kilmurry, which together constitute the union, and the
corps of the prebend of Inniscarra in the cathedral of Cloyne, and
in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes amount to £635. 5. 9.,
and the value of the prebend, including tithe and glebe, is £1076
per annum. The glebe-house was built by a gift of £100 and a loan of
£1500 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1816: the glebe
comprises 15 acres. The church, a neat structure on an elevated spot
near the road, was built in 1818, by a grant of £1000 from the same
Board. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district,
including the parishes of Inniscarra, Mattehy, and Carrigrohane-beg,
and has three chapels, two of which, at Cloghroe and Berrings, are
in this parish. About 30 children are educated in the parochial
school, which is aided by the rector, who, with the late Sir N. C.
Colthurst, Bart., built a handsome school-house. There are two
private schools, in which are about 200 children, a Sunday school,
and a dispensary.