Knockbreda

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, 1837

KNOCKBREDA, a parish, partly in the barony of Lower Castlereagh, but chiefly in that of Upper Castlereagh, County Down.

The ancient fortress, called Castle Reagh, or the "Royal Castle," which gives name to the barony, was formerly the baronial residence of a branch of the O'Neills.

It is said to have been erected in the reign of EDWARD III, by Aodh Flann O'Neill, whose descendants possessed the Great Ards, Toome, Massereene, Shankill or Belfast, and Carrickfergus.

By inquisition in the reign of ELIZABETH I it appeared that Con O'Neill, the last of that powerful sept, possessed this castle, together with 224 townlands, which were all freehold, and also many others held by various tenures.

In 1602, O'Neill having exhausted his cellars during a grand banquet which he gave there, sent some of his soldiers to Belfast to procure more wine; and there meeting with a party of the Queen's soldiers, a battle ensued, and O'Neill was sent prisoner to Carrickfergus Castle, but was liberated the year following by the master of the Scottish trading vessel and conveyed to Scotland, where Sir Hugh Montgomery, in consequence of a surrender of most of his lands, obtained a pardon for him from JAMES I, who had just ascended the English throne.

After the decease of O'Neill, the castle fell into decay, and with the adjoining lands was purchased by the Hills, later Marquesses of Downshire; there are now no vestiges of it.

Site of Con O'Neills castle (Welch Collection/NMNI)

THE parish is bounded on the north and west by the River Lagan, over which are two bridges connecting it with the parish of Belfast, and is intersected by the great Scottish road by way of Donaghadee.

The lands are chiefly under tillage, and in a high state of cultivation; there is neither bog nor any waste land.

Large quantities of tobacco were grown previously to its cultivation being prohibited.

There are extensive quarries of clay-slate for building and for repairing the roads; and on the townland of Gilnahirk has been opened a fine quarry of basalt, of which a bridge is now being built at Belfast over the River Lagan, which is navigable along the whole boundary of the parish.

The surrounding scenery is richly diversified, and within the parish are Ormeau, the seat of the Marquess of Donegall; Belvoir Park, the residence of Sir Robert Bateson Bt; Purdysburn, the splendid mansion of Narcissus Batt; Orangefield, of J H Houston; Fort Breda, of W Boyd; Cherry Vale, of J Stewart; and Ravenhill, of H R Sneyd.

Previously to 1658 there were two separate parishes, called respectively Knock and Breda, both rectories; but the church of the latter being in ruins, they were united into one rectory at the restoration of CHARLES II.

The two villages have long since disappeared, and a parish church was, in 1737, built in the village of Newtownbreda.

The rectory is in the diocese of Down, and in the patronage of Sir Robert Bateson Bt, who purchased the advowson in 1825.

The chapel of Ballymacarrett was formerly in this parish, from which that townland was separated by act of parliament in 1825, and made a distinct parish.

About 130 children are taught in three public schools, of which one is supported by Mrs Blakiston; and there are five private schools, in which are about 170 children, and four Sunday schools.

Six almshouses, built by subscription in 1810, are endowed with £100 by the Rev Mr Pratt, the late Rector, who also bequeathed £100 to the poor, to whom Lady Midleton, in 1747, left £50.

Ruins of Knock Church in 1834 (Dublin Penny Journal)

In the 17th century this parish was known by the name of Knock-Columbkille; the ruins of the church, measuring 44 feet 4 inches by 18½ feet, were demolished in the 19th century to make way for graves.

On an eminence near the south-eastern extremity of the parish are the picturesque ruins of Knock Church; and near them are the remains of a cromlech, consisting of five large stones, and a Danish rath of conical form.

Historic OS map of ca 1830

Of Breda Church there are no remains, except the cemetery enclosed with a high stone wall in Belvoir Park, in which is a small mausoleum built by Arthur Hill-Trevor, who was created Viscount Dungannon in 1765.