COOTEHILL, a post and market town in the parish of Drumgoon, barony of Tullaghgarvey, Co. Cavan, Ulster. It stands on the Cootehill river, and on the road from Dublin to Clones, 7.75 miles north-north-west of Shercock, 8 south-west by south of Ballybay, 8.75 south by east of Clones, and 51 north-north-west of Dublin.
The country around it, including part of county Monaghan , is very beautiful; and within a radius of about 3 miles contains, among other mansions, these of Bellamont Forest, Dawson Castle, Fairfield, Lisnalong, Dromore, Feame Mount, Annsfort, Minore, Bellgreen, Newgrove, Mountain Lodge, Keighan, Annalee, Tullyvin, Rathkenny, Ashfield, and Retreat. Mayo hill, the highest summit of the district, and situated in the direction of Shercock, commands a good view; and the banks of the Cootehill River, for several miles above the town, furnish a constant series of very rich close landscapes, chiefly of the class which may be designated languishingly beautiful.

The town is comparatively well-built and respectively inhabited; and is not equaled in appearance by any place between it and Dublin except Navan. It contains a neat church, a Roman Catholic chapel, two Presbyterian meeting-houses, Methodist, Moravian, and Quaker chapels, several schools, and an inn, and posting establishment.

The weekly markets are well-attended; mostly markets are held here for cattle, flax, yarn, etc.; and fairs are held on March 12, June 9, Sept. 12, and Dec. 6. Brewing and distilling make a prominent figure, as they do in most Irish towns where any possible means can be commanded for maintaining them; the linen market is one of the briskest among the second-rate towns of Ireland; linen-weaving employs a considerable proportion of the inhabitants; and the sheetings brought hither for sale are said to be preferred to those of the other northern markets. A branch of the Provincial bank was established in 1836, and a branch of the Ulster Bank in 1837. The public conveyances, in 1838, were a car to Lavastrand, and a coach in transit between Clones and Dublin.

The Cootehill Poor Law Union ranks as the 62d; and was declared on Aug. 10, 1839. It lies partly in Co. Cavan, and partly in Co. Monaghan; and comprising an area of 164 square miles, or 104,988 acres, with a pop., in 1831 of 63,391. The electoral divisions within Co. Monaghan, together with their respective pop., in 1831, are Cormeen 6,654, Dawson Grove 7,511, Aghabog 5,495, and Drum 3,394; and those within Co. Cavan are Cootehill 7,335, Ashfield 6,557, Tullyvin 3,033, Drumgoon 4,269, Drung 5,054, Rathkenny 4,270, Lerah 3,171, and Knockbride 6,819.

The number of ex-officio guardians is 6, and of elected guardians 18; and two of the latter are chosen by each of the divisions of Cormeen, Dawson Grove, Aghabog, Cootehill, Ashfield, and Knockbride, and one by each of the other divisions. The total number of 10 electors traced in the rate-book is 330; and of those 38 are rated under £10, 23 under £9, 14 under £8, 9 under £7, 6 under £6, and 2 under £5. The total net annual value of the property rated is £82,846, the total number of persons rated is 8,608; and of these, 275 are rated a valuation not exceeding £1,580, not exceeding £2, not exceeding £3, 712, not exceeding £4, and 895, not exceeding £5. The workhouse was contracted for on Sept. 1 ,1849, and was to be completed in march 1842; the amount of contract was £7,360; the sum to be borrowed was £8,900; the extent of intended accommodation was 800 persons; and the site has an area of 6 acres, 2 perches, and was purchased for £631 6s. 3d., besides £100 of compensation to occupying tenants. The date of the first admission of paupers was Dec. 2 1842; the total expenditure thence till Feb. 6, 1843, was £1,000 3s. 9d.; and the total previous expenditure was £501 8s. 8d. A fever hospital at Cootehill consists of only one room in a small house, and is altogether incompetent for the wants of the union, or even of a moderate district around the town; and, in 1839-40, it expended £93 13s. 6d. halfpenny, and admitted 138 patients. The dispensary districts are 3 in number, and have their seats at Cootehill, Drum, and Rockcorry; but they serve for only two-thirds of the union. The Cootehill dispensary has a district of 36,167 acres, with a pop. of 21,550; and, in 1839-40, it expended £141 9s. 6d., and administered to 2,604 patients.

The Loan Fund of Cootehill, in 1841, had a capital £2,168; and during that year, it circulated £9,241 in 2,744 loans, cleared a net profit of £65 15s. 4d., and expended on charitable purposes £44 8s. 8d.; and from the date of its institution, it circulated £49,271 in 14,750 loans, cleared a net profit of £418 7s. 4d., and expended on charitable purposes £340 8s. 8d.

Area of the town , 107 acres, Pop., in 1831, 2,239; in 1841, 2,425. Houses 415. Families employed chiefly in agriculture , 85; in manufactures and trade, 287; in other pursuits, 73. families dependent chiefly on property and profession, 19; on the directing of labour, 294; on their own labour, 169; on means not specified, 23.

– 1844 Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland

COOTEHILL

COOTEHILL, a market and post-town, in the parish of DRUMGOON, barony of TULLAGHGARVEY, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, 12 miles (N.E.) from Cavan, and 57 (N.W. by W.) from Dublin; containing 2239 inhabitants.

This town is situated on the road from Kingscourt to Clones, and consists of four wide streets containing 438 houses, nearly all of which are slated. It is on the borders of a lake, which is navigable for the greater part of the distance of seven miles between this place and Ballybay, in Monaghan; and is a considerable market for linen. The webs are principally broad sheetings of superior quality, and the number of pieces sold annually to be bleached is about 40,000. The trade which had considerably declined, has for the last two or three years been improving. The general market is on Friday, and the corn market on Saturday, in the market-house. Fairs are held on the second Friday in each month for cattle, flax, and yarn. Here is a chief constabulary police station. Petty sessions are held every Wednesday and quarter sessions at Easter and in October in a very neat sessions-house. The bridewell contains three cells, with separate day-rooms and yards for male and females, and apartments for the keeper.

The seats in the neighbourhood are very beautiful, especially Bellamont Forest, the residence of C. Coote Esq., which derived its name from the title the Earl of Bellmont enjoyed until the year 1800, by the ancient family of Coote. The house is of brick, two stories high , with a noble Doric portico of stone and the rooms of the lower storey are strikingly grand; it contains some fine painting, among which is the death of Dido by Guercino, also full-length portraits of the late Earl and Countess of Bellamont by Sir Joshua Reynolds, the former in the full costume of a Knight of the Bath, a full painting in excellent preservation. The demesne comprises above 1000 plantation acres, of which nearly one half is occupied with woods; it includes several lakes and a spa, and commands beautiful views a from Dismond Hill and its several eminences. The other principal seats are Ashfield Lodge, the residence of H. J. Clements, Esq.; Annilea, of M. Murphy, Esq; Bellgreen, of T. Brunker, Esq.; and Rakenny, of T. L. Clements, Esq.

The town contains the parish church, an R. C. chapel, and two places of worship for Presbyterians, one for the Society of Friends, one for Moravians, and one for Wesleyan Methodists.

There are three schools, including an infants school, also a Sunday school in the old church and at each of the Presbyterian chapels, a dispensary, and a Ladies' Society for selling blankets and clothing at half price.

In an ancicnt fort at Rakenny a considerable quantity of gold, with a large golden fibula, was found in an iron pot.

Samuel Lewis - Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837