Bright is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. It is situated in the historic

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Lecale Upper Lecale Upper (named after the former barony of Lecale) is a Barony (Ireland), barony in County Down, Northern Ireland. To its south lies the Irish Sea, and it is bordered by three other baronies; Lecale Lower and Kinelarty to the north; and Iveagh ...

. It lies approximately three miles southeast of Downpatrick, near the road to Killough. The parish includes 21 townlands and covers around 5,544 acres of mostly agricultural land (the

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

is 336 acres). Bright is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick by its old Irish name of ''Mrechtan.''

History

Bright was historically part of a group of six parishes that made up the union and deanery of Down. In 1834, it was separated by act of council and became a distinct parish. At the same time, the townland of Carradressy, previously part of Kilclief, was annexed to Bright. The area has a long history of settlement and religious activity. Near the church are the ruins of Bright Castle, and about a mile and a quarter to the west are the remains of Castle Screen, which was built within a prehistoric ringfort. Nearby are also the ruins of the Abbey of Erynagh, founded in 1126 or 1127 by Magnell Makenlefe, a king of Ulster. The abbey was destroyed in 1177 by

John de Courcy Sir John de Courcy (c. 1150–1219) was an Anglo-Norman knight who lived in Ireland from 1176 until his expulsion in 1204. He conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the ...

, who later transferred its lands to the Abbey of Inch. Remnants of ancient stone circles and other pre-Christian structures are still visible in the area.

Parish church

In 1178, John de Courcy confirmed the church of 'Bricht' to the See of

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Down Cathedral, Its cathedral is sai ...

. A stone church was built in the 12th or 13th century. In 1316 the church, filled with people, was burned during Edward Bruce’s campaign in Ireland. A 1622 survey reported the church to be in ruins and it was not restored until 1745. The restored medieval church of Bright is located near the castle. Bright Castle is part of a broader historical landscape in Lecale Upper, which includes other medieval sites such as Castle Screen and the remains of the Abbey of Erynagh, located about a mile to the west.

Bright Castle

Bright Castle, a stone

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...

situated along Coniamstown Road, is protected as a Scheduled Historic Monument. It is believed to have been constructed in the late 15th or early 16th century, a period when tower houses were commonly built across Ireland. The castle's architectural features follow the typical design of such buildings, featuring a three-storey rectangular tower made of stone. Although now in ruins, the remaining structure still shows evidence of its original form and function.

Gallery

Image:Bright Castle.jpg, Bright Castle Image:The ruins of Castle Bright viewed from the churchyard of Brights CoI Parish Church - geograph.org.uk - 2786588.jpg, The ruins of Castle Bright viewed from the churchyard of Brights CoI Parish Church Image:Parish church, old school building, a ruined castle and a blue bin at Bright - geograph.org.uk - 2787353.jpg, Parish church, old school building, and the castle ruins Image:The Coniamstown Road near Killough - geograph.org.uk - 883234.jpg, The Coniamstown Road near Killough Image:Bright Castle Golf Course - geograph.org.uk - 2787494.jpg, Bright Castle Golf Course

Townlands

Bright civil parish contains the following townlands:

References