WATERGRASSHILL, a village, partly in the parish of KILQUANE, but chiefly in that of ARDNAGEEHY, barony of BARRYMORE, county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 5 miles (S. by W.) from Rathcormac, on the mail road from Cork to Dublin; containing 533 inhabitants. This place is said to stand on the highest ground in the county; the ascent by the road from Cork, a distance of nine miles, is almost uniform but so gradual as to be scarcely perceptible. It is intersected by the new line of road from Mallow to Middleton, and is a station of the constabulary police; a penny post to Cork and Rathcormac has been lately established. In the vicinity are two paper-mills. A church or chapel of ease for the union of Killaspigmullane is about to be erected near the village. Watergrasshill gives name to the R. C. union or district, of which it contains the principal chapel; a school is attached to it. There is also a dispensary for the poor.

(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)