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The Memoirs are a uniquely detailed source for the history of the northern half of Ireland immediately before the Great Famine. They were written in the 1830s to accompany the 6" Ordnance Survey maps, but with one exception were not published at the time. In this new edition they act as a nineteenth-century Domesday book and are essential to the understanding of the cultural heritage of our communities. The Memoirs document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihood of the parishes. This volume contains the Memoirs for six parishes and granges towards the south of the county, an extensive area stretching from Lough Neagh to the north-western flanks of Belfast and containing part of the Six Mile Water. Districts covered include Templepatrick and part of Crumlin, as well as Dunadry, Massereene and Muckamore. This material paints a wonderful picture of life in a vibrant region richly endowed with mills, gentlemen's seats and improved means of communication, while its proximity to Lough Neagh and variety of ancient remains attest to colonisation from an early period. Social life is well covered through fairs and markets, religion and habits of the people; and few places could match the desire for education evident in the many schools, endowed or otherwise, that catered for the intellectual and moral needs of the young. Together these Memoirs provide a unique insight into life in this area over 150 years ago.
