Annagh Parish

"Annagh or Belturbet, a parish, partly in the barony of Lower Loughtee, but chiefly in that of Tullgarvey, County Cavan, and province of Ulster, on the road from Ballyconnell to Cavan; containing, with the greater part of the market and post-town of Belturbet, 12,269 inhabitants. The principal seats are Castle Saunderson, the residence of A. Saunderson, Esq.; Erne Hill, of G.M. Knipe, Esq.; Clover Hill, of J. Saunderson, Esq. and Red Hill of-White, Esq. The living is a rectory and a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmore and in the patronage of Lord Farnham: the tithes amount to £384.4.7. The church is a handsome ediface, for the repairs and enlargement of which the Late Board of First Fruits granted £2600, in 1812 and 1814; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £112 for its further repair. This parish is divided into the two Roman Catholic districts of Annagh West and Annagh East, or Killoughter, the former containing a chapel at Drumalee and the latter at Red Hill. There are two places of worship for Wesleyan Methodists, one of which belongs to the primitive class. A school is supported by the Trustees of Erasmus Smith's charity; and there are schools at Drumlaney, Killoughter and Drumloor; also an infants' and two other schools, besides six private pay schools. The ruins of the old church yet exist." [From Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (1837)]