Witter

WITTER, or GRANGE-OUTER, a parish, in the barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (S. E.) from Portaferry; containing 1116 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the eastern coast, forming a peninsula round which is the entrance to Strangford Lough, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 2529¾ statute acres, of which the greater portion is good land in an improved state of cultivation. On the north side of the entrance of Lough Strangford is Ballyquintin Point, in lat. 54o 19' 30" (N.), and lon. 5o 28' 20" (W.), from which the coast extends (N. E.) 4 miles to Carney Point, and within this distance of coast are two creeks, which afford occasional shelter to fishing craft. About half a mile to the east of Tara Hill, on which is a moat or earthen fort, is Tara bay, which is spacious and sheltered from all winds except the north-east, but it is dry at low water; and about half a mile farther is Quintin bay, affording good anchorage in four fathoms in off-shore winds, and having a tolerably well-sheltered cove. At Tara there is a coast-guard station belonging to the Donaghadee district. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Down, forming part of the union of Inch; the rectory is impropriate in John Echlin, Esq. In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the unions of Upper and Lower Ardes.

At Ballygilgat is a R. C. chapel for the parishes of Slane, Ardkeen, and Ballytrustin, and the liberty of Castlebuoy, called the parish of Lower Ardes. On the shore of Quintin bay are the ruins of a very strong castle, built by De Courcy in 1184.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.