Aghalee

AGHALEE, or AGHANALEE, a parish, in the Upper half-barony of MASSAREENE, county of ANTRIM, and province of ULSTER, 1 mile (N. by W.) from Moira, on the road from that place to Antrim; containing 1411 inhabitants. This place obtained the name of Soldiers'- town from its having had, during the war in 1641, a barrack in the village, in which were quartered two troops of horse and foot belonging to the royal army.

The parish is bounded on the west by Lough Neagh, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2499½ statute acres: the land is fertile and in a very high state of cultivation; there is neither bog nor waste land.

Limestone abounds, and great quantities are shipped off by the Lagan canal from Lough Neagh to Belfast.

Broommount House is the property and residence of Stafford Gorman, Esq. Many of the working class are employed at their own houses in weaving linen and cotton for the manufacturers of Belfast- The parish is in. the diocese of Dromore; the rectory is impropriate in the Marquess of Hertford; the vicarage forms part of the union of Magheramesk. The tithes amount to £100. 16., of which £21. 16. is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The church of the union, situated here, is a small plain edifice in substantial repair. The glebe-house, about half a mile from the church, was built in 1826; and the glebe contains 13a., 3r., 9p., valued at £12. 8. 6. per annum. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Aghagallen, or Ballinderry. The parochial school, near the church, is principally supported by the vicar; and there are two other public and two private schools. A finely wrought and flexible piece of gold, shaped like a gorget, was found near this place a few years since.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.