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NEWRY, a sea-port, borough, market and post-town, and a
parish, partly in the barony of ONEILLAND WEST, and partly in that of
UPPER ORIOR, county of ARMAGH, but chiefly constituting the lordship of
NEWRY, in the county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 30 miles (S. W.)
from Belfast, and 50 (N.) from Dublin, on the road to Armagh, and on the
great northern road to Belfast; containing 24,557 inhabitants, of which
number, 13,134 are in the town. It was a place of some importance from a
very remote period. The Annals of the Four Masters notice a monastery in
it, in which was a yew tree planted by St. Patrick. The next intimation
of its existence is the foundation of a Cistercian abbey, in 1157, by
Maurice Mac Loughlin, King of Ireland, the charter of which is extant,
and has been published by Dr. O'Conor in his work on the Irish writers.
In this charter the place is named Jubhar-cin-tracta, "the pass at the
head of the strand," or Jubhar-cinn-tracta, "the nourishing head of a
yew tree," the former being traced from the position of the town, the
latter from the circumstance respecting St. Patrick; by the Latin
writers of that day it is called Monasterium Nevoracense, and in after
times Monasterium de Viridi Ligno; it was also named Na-Yur, and at a
still later period, The Newrys. The charter of Mac Loughlin was renewed
and enlarged by Hugh de Lacy, Earl of Ulster, in 1237, by which the head
of the house was made a mitred abbot with episcopal jurisdiction within
the precincts of the lordship. When Sir John de Courcy. took possession
of this district, he secured the pass, justly considered as very
important, being the only road through the mountains between Ulster and
Leinster, by a castle, which was destroyed by Bruce, on the retreat of
the Scotch after their defeat at Dundalk in 1318. After several changes
of masters, during which the place was frequently in the possession of
the O'Nials, chieftains of Ulster, a second castle was built in 1480,
which was demolished by Shane O'Nial, who then held a strong castle at
Feedom, now Fathom. Marshal Bagnal restored the castle, rebuilt the town
and peopled it with Protestant settlers; for which Jas. I., in 1613,
granted the entire lordship, together with the manors of Mourne,
Greencastle, and Carlingford, in fee to him and his heirs for ever At
the breaking out of the civil war in 1641, Sir Con Magennis took the
town and castle, destroyed the church and slew many of the inhabitants.
It was shortly after recovered by Lord Conway, who did not hold it long,
as O'Nial surprised it by night, and regained possession of it. In 1642,
Munroe invested the town and took it by storm. After the Restoration,
the town recovered from the sufferings inflicted on it, and continued to
flourish till 1689, when it was burned by the Duke of Berwick in his
retreat from Duke Schomberg: the castle and six houses only remained.
The town is advantageously situated on the Newry water. The western
part, called Ballybot and sometimes Southwark, in Armagh county, is
connected with the eastern, in the county of Down, by four stone bridges
and a swivel bridge. The general appearance of the place, as seen from
without, is cheerful and prepossessing: the old town, on the eastern
side, situated on the side of a hill, with its church and spire rising
above the houses, leads to an expectation of a correspondence of
character in the interior; but the reverse is the case. Like other old
towns, the streets are narrow, precipitous and inconvenient; but the
modern part of the town, generally called "the Low Ground," is very
elegant; the houses lofty and built of granite; the streets wide, well
formed, and paved, with flagged footways. Marcus-square, with several
lines of new buildings, presents very elegant specimens of domestic
architecture. A great number of excellent springs issuing from the rocks
eastward of the town, and more than 200 wells, have been formed in
various parts, but no artificial means have yet been adopted to provide
a supply of water on a scale commensurate with the domestic and
manufacturing demands of the population. The streets and public
buildings are lighted with gas supplied by works established by a
company in 1822. Much has been done within the last few years to improve
the general appearance of the town and neighbourhood; a new line of road
has been opened, and an excellent approach formed from Warren point,
where the river expands into the bay: the north road has been widened
and improved, and several very handsome terraces and detached villas
have been built: among the bridges, already noticed, is one of a single
arch of elegant proportions, called Needham bridge; and an iron swivel
bridge is about to be thrown across the canal, which, when completed,
will open a communication from the Monaghan road to the very centre of
the town. The assembly, news, and coffee rooms were built by
subscription in 1794; the assembly-rooms are spacious and elegant; the
news-room is well furnished with newspapers and periodical publications,
and is open on the most liberal terms to strangers: the offices of the
Commissioners of Police and of the Savings' Bank are in this building.
Two newspapers are published here, each twice in the week. A barrack
affords accommodation for 44 officers and 670 non-commissioned officers
and privates of infantry, and 10 horses, with an hospital for 30 or 40
patients.
Newry is much more a commercial than a manufacturing town. There are two
iron-foundries, each on an extensive scale, for light castings. The
manufacture of flint glass is also carried on largely; a distillery in
Monaghan-street consumes annually 25,000 barrels of grain, the produce
of which is consumed in the counties of Down, Armagh, Louth, and
Monaghan: there are also large manufactories of cordage and of spades,
shovels, and other kinds of ironmongery. One of the most complete and
extensive bleach-greens in the country is at Carnmeen; and at Bessbrook
is a mill for spinning linen yarn. The Newry flour-mills, worked by
water, consume 900 tons of wheat annually, and there are several others
in the immediate neighbourhood, the produce of which is mostly shipped
to Liverpool. An oatmeal-mill grinds 17,000 barrels of grain annually,
which is wholly purchased for the Liverpool and Manchester markets; and
in the neighbourhood there are several others equally extensive.
The trade of Newry, now of much importance, has gradually risen to its
present height from the protection afforded to the merchants by Wm. III.
Prior to that time the river was not navigated above Warren point; Newry
being then considered as a creek to Carlingford, which was the port for
all this part of the coast. But during the reigns of that monarch and
his successors, several grants were made for clearing and embanking the
river and improving the harbour. At length, in consequence of the many
obstructions arising from the nature of the river, and the advantageous
situation of the town as a central mart for the introduction of foreign
commodities into the interior of Ulster, it was determined to form a
line of inland navigation from Newry to Lough Neagh. The communication
is carried on from the Newry water by an artificial cut by Acton, Scarva,
Tanderagee, and Gilford to Portadown, where it is connected with the
Bann, whence it proceeds in the bed of that river to the lake. It was
commenced in 1730, and connected with Lough Neagh in 1741, but in
consequence of the inconveniences arising from the accumulation of mud
and sand in the mouth of the river, near Newry, it was deemed adviseable
to prolong the navigation towards the bay to Fathom: this portion of the
work, which is two miles in extent, was completed in 1761; the entire
length of the navigation, including that of Lough Neagh, is 36 miles,
and the total expense was 896,000. In 1726, the customhouse was removed
from Carlingford to Newry: the amount of the first year's customs paid
here was only 1069. 12., and there were then but four trading barks
belonging to the port; the gross amount of customs' duties for 1836 was
58,806. 2. 6. About 1758, a very considerable trade was carried on with
the West India islands, and although at that time the vessels trading
with foreign countries were prohibited from sailing direct to the Irish
ports, being compelled to land their cargoes in some place in Great
Britain, the Newry merchants succeeded in establishing a very lucrative
traffic with the most celebrated commercial marts in other countries.
This branch, however, was afterwards nearly lost by the competition of
the superior capital of Great Britain, until it again revived after the
restrictions were taken off the commerce of Ireland, in 1783. The port
is very favourably situated for trade at the inner extremity of
Carlingford bay, an arm of the sea extending nine miles south-east, and
two miles in breadth at its mouth between Cooley point, in the county of
Louth, and Cranfield point, in that of Down. Vessels of the greatest
draught can come up to Warren point, within five miles of the town,
where they can ride in from 6 to 8 fathoms of water in all states of the
tide in perfect security. Proceedings are also in progress by D. Logan,
Esq., in pursuance of a plan recommended by Sir John Rennie, for
deepening and securing the channel from Narrow water, and scouring it by
a steam dredge and other means calculated to facilitate the admission of
vessels of a larger class than those which at present come up to the
quays: the total expense of these improvements has been estimated at
90,000. The despatch of business is also facilitated by the construction
of a line of quays on the eastern bank of the canal, bordered by stores
and warehouses, at which vessels can unload: farther north are basins or
floating docks, where boats navigating the canal can take in and
discharge their cargoes. The custom-house, a neat and commodious
building, is situated on the quay, in a position well adapted for
business, and has extensive yards and stores for bonding goods adjoining
it.
The most important branch of the commerce is the cross-channel trade,
which has increased to a great magnitude since the introduction of steam
navigation. The principal exports in this department are linen cloth,
grain, live stock, butter, and eggs. In 1834 there were exported to
Liverpool, of linen cloth, 4965 boxes; butter, 92,000 firkins; wheat,
4166 tons; barley, 6698 tons; oats, 38,000 tons; flour, 9163 tons;
oatmeal, 18,654 tons; flax, 868 tons; eggs, 4688 crates; oysters, 482
hogsheads; horned cattle, 7115; pigs, 65,493; and horses, 498; besides
which, large consignments of most of these articles were made to the
Clyde. The principal imports in the same trade are tea, sugar, iron,
salt, British hardware and soft goods, and general merchandise. Three
steamers are employed in the Liverpool trade, and two in that with
Glasgow; a steamer also trades regularly to Dublin. The average time of
the passage to Liverpool is 16 hours; to Glasgow, 14; and to Dublin 12.
The chief branch of foreign trade is with the United States and British
North America. The chief exports are linen cloth, blue, starch and
whiskey; the imports, timber, staves, tobacco, ashes, flax, and clover
seed. The Baltic trade consists of the importation of timber, tallow,
ashes, flax, and hemp: hides and tallow are imported from Odessa; mats,
tar, pitch, flax and flax seed from Archangel; and wine, fruit, oil,
lime juice, brimstone and barilla from the Mediterranean. The number of
vessels belonging to the port is inadequate to the extent of its
commerce, a great portion of which is carried on in vessels of other
countries: the Baltic trade is carried on exclusively in foreign
bottoms; the United States' trade in American vessels, the trade to
British America and Russia in British ships, and the coal trade chiefly
in Whitehaven vessels. The market day, under the patent, is Thursday,
but a market is held on Tuesday for grain, and on Saturday for meat. The
principal market-house is near the site of Bagnal's castle; there are
also separate markets for butchers' meat, meal, potatoes, grain and
hides, and two for linen yarn. Fairs are held on April 3rd and Oct.
29th.
The present flourishing state of Newry may be attributed originally to
the favour shewn by Edw. VI. to Marshal Bagnal, to whom the abbey and
surrounding territory were granted, with very extensive privileges, in
consequence of his services in Ulster, and were continued to him by Jas.
I., vesting the ecclesiastical and municipal authority in the
proprietor, who, by virtue of these grants, appointed the vicar general,
seneschal, and other inferior officers. A charter of the 10th of Jas. I.
(1612) made the town a free borough, by the name of "the provost, free
burgesses, and commonalty of the borough of Newry," granting the provost
and 12 free burgesses the power of sending two members to parliament,
and making the provost judge of a court of record, to be held weekly on
Mondays, with jurisdiction to the amount of five marks. A charter
granted by Jas. II., in 1688, is not considered to be of any validity. A
grant of Jas. I., in 1613, to Arthur Bagnal, empowered a court to be
held before the seneschal of the manor, for pleas to the amount of 100
marks: the jurisdiction of this court extends over the borough, and a
number of other townlands in Down and Armagh, comprehending 9664 acres
in the former, and 11,434 acres in the latter, of these counties. The
court is held every third Wednesday: the seneschal limits his
jurisdiction by civil bill to 10; he also holds a court leet, once or
twice in the year, at which constables are appointed. All the provisions
of the act of the 9th of Geo. IV., c. 82, for watching, lighting,
cleansing, paving and improving towns were introduced here shortly after
the enactment of that statute: the number of commissioners was fixed at
21. The police of the borough is principally attended to by the
constabulary forces of the counties of Down and Armagh: the leading
streets are kept in repair by county presentments. These arrangements
have tended much to the improvement of the neatness, cleanliness, and
good order of the town: the expenditure is defrayed by a local tax,
amounting to about 1150 annually. The elective franchise, conferred by
Jas. I., was altered at the Union, when the representation of the
borough was limited to a single member, which continues to be the
present arrangement. It was a scot and lot borough, but the right of
election is now vested in the 10 and certain of the 5 householders; the
privilege of the latter cannot be perpetuated, but expires with the
lives of the few remaining electors of this class, or with their removal
from the premises occupied at the period of the general registration:
the seneschal of the manor is the returning officer. The borough
includes within its limits a large rural district, comprehending 2500
statute acres, the precise limits of which are detailed in the Appendix.
The general quarter sessions for the county of Down are held here
alternately with Downpatrick; and and those for the Markethill division
of the county of Armagh, in Ballybot. Petty sessions are held every
Friday. The court-house, built by subscription for a market-house, and
converted to its present purpose in 1805, is an unsightly old building
in an inconvenient situation. There is a bridewell for the temporary
confinement of prisoners until they can be sent to the county prison at
Downpatrick.
The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 22,491 statute
acres, of which 9685 are in Oneilland West, and 450l 3/4 in Lower Orior;
the remainder constitutes the lordship, in which is included a small
isolated portion, locally in the barony of Upper Iveagh: about 489 acres
are covered with water, and about 260 are bog; the remainder is mostly
arable, under an excellent system of agriculture, with some rocky
mountain. Though the site of the town is low, as compared with the
surrounding country, the climate is pure and salubrious, and the
prospects in most parts beautiful and picturesque. The river on which it
is built, anciently called the Clanrye, but afterwards the Newry water,
flows, after quitting the town, in a south-eastern direction through a
highly cultivated tract of rising grounds, well planted and studded with
numerous villas and seats, into Carlingford bay, which is bounded on
each side by the mountains of Rosstrevor and Fathom: the mountain of
Altnaveagh, in the lordship, affords excellent pasturage, and much of it
is cultivated; but the greater part of the Fathom range is sterile. The
geological features of the district are very striking; it forms the
western boundary of the granitic range in this part of Ireland; and
granite, sienite, and porphyry are found in it in all their varieties.
The old town is almost exclusively built of porphyry; the new of
granite. Whyn dykes, in which beautiful specimens of zeolite are
frequently found imbedded, penetrate the granite in several directions;
in some places layers of quartz are interposed between the strata. Oxyde
of manganese is of frequent occurrence; clay-slate, with mica
extensively disseminated through it, appears on the Armagh side; and
schist to the north of the town. In the townland of Creeve many springs
burst out of the granite and quartz rocks, in the streams of which is
found a metallic residuum in large quantities, resembling copper, which
mixes with the sand and is very heavy; near the toll-gate on the Belfast
road is a vein of the newly discovered mineral, trephine; and a still
greater body of it was discovered, in 1835, near Mount Kearney. To the
north of the town, on the Belfast road, is a very copious chalybeate
spring, highly beneficial in scorbutic cases. The principal seats in the
vicinity of the town all of which are embellished with rich and
flourishing plantations, are Fathom, the residence of -- Benson, Esq.;
Greenpark, of -- Thompson, Esq.; Derramore, of -- Smith, Esq.;
Drumbanagher Castle, of Lieut.-Col. Maxwell Close; Drummantine, of --
Ennis, Esq.; and Narrow-water, of Roger Hall, Esq.
The peculiarities of the ecclesiastical arrangements of the lordship
proceed from its connection with the monastery already noticed, which,
after having risen to a great height of prosperity by the fostering care
of many successive kings, underwent the fate of all the other monastic
institutions during the reign of Hen. VIII. After the dissolution it was
converted into a collegiate church for secular priests, which having
soon fallen to decay, the abbey, with all its possessions, was granted
by Edw. VI. to Sir Nicholas Bagnal, in as free, full and ample manner as
it had been enjoyed by any abbot. Hence, the episcopal jurisdiction
previously exercised by its clerical head devolved at once upon its new
proprietor, whose representative, the Earl of Kilmorey, exercises it to
its fullest extent, as lay abbot; appointing spiritual officers, holding
ecclesiastical courts, granting probates of wills and licences of
marriage, and performing every other episcopal act with as plenary power
as any bishop, being subject only to the Lord-Primate, as metropolitan.
The living is a donative, in the patronage of the Earl of Kilmorey, as
lay abbot, who, as such, possesses the whole tithes; yet in the royal
visitation book of 1615 it is stated, that Nova Ripa, alias Nieu Rie, is
among the parishes under the jurisdiction of the see of Dromore. St.
Patrick's church, built by Sir Nicholas Bagnal in 1578, burnt in the
civil wars, and restored after the Revolution, was originally the
parochial church; but, in 1811, being much dilapidated and too small for
the increasing congregation, an act was obtained under the provisions of
which a new church was built on an enlarged scale and on a new site, to
be henceforth the parish church of St. Mary's, Newry. This church, built
in the Gothic style, with a tower and spire 190 feet high, was finished
in 1819, at a cost of 12,566. 15. 4 1/2., British currency, exclusively
of 2469. 4. 7 1/2 expended in the purchase of the site, and in obtaining
two acts of parliament. The funds for liquidating this charge arose from
a bequest of 3138. 9. 2 3/4. from the late W. Needham, Esq., lord of the
manor; a bequest of 1346. 15. 4 1/2. from Sir Trevor Corry; a donation
of 923. 1. 6 1/2. from the Earl of Kilmorey, a donation of 461. 10. 9
1/2. from Gen. Needham; 2520 raised by the sale of the pews, and 6646.
3. 1. by parochial assessment; it is endowed with 300 per ann., payable
by the lay abbot in lieu of tithe. In 1829, the old church of St.
Patrick was repaired and fitted up as a chapel of ease: the living is a
chaplaincy or donative, in the gift of the Earl of Kilmorey, who endowed
it with 100 per ann., subject to the peculiar jurisdiction of the
vicar-general of Newry. In the R. C. arrangements the parish is the head
of the diocese of Dromore, being the bishop's parish or mensal, and is
co-extensive with that of the Established Church; containing three
chapels, two in the town and one at Shinn, 4 miles distant, which arc
attended by the same number of curates. The older R. C. chapel, a
well-built but plain structure, with three galleries and a spacious
cemetery attached to it, was erected in 1789. Being found too small for
the accommodation of the numbers that attended it, a new chapel was
erected in the low ground, in the pointed Gothic style, 120 feet long,
74 broad, and 46 feet high to the ceiling. The facade consists of a
centre and two wings, with a deeply receding doorway, and is highly
ornamented. The interior consists of a nave and two side aisles detached
by rows of moulded granite pillars, supporting lofty pointed arches,
over which are the clerestory windows by which the centre is lighted:
the great altar is surmounted by a large window of three lights. This
chapel is considered to be the diocesan chapel of the Bishop of Dromore,
who resides at Violet Hill, to the north of Newry, where there was
formerly a house of lay friars, which has been transferred to the town;
in which also is a seminary for preparing the youth of the Catholic
church for Maynooth college. A convent of the order of St. Clare
was removed hither from Dublin, in 1830: the house, with its appendages,
was presented to the community by the Rev. J. Gilmer, of Rosstrevor,
since which time the nuns have built a large and handsome chapel in the
Gothic style, and also a school-house for the education of female
children, which receives aid from the Board of National Education. There
are in the town a congregation of Presbyterians in connection with the
Synod of Ulster, of the second class, who have a large and elegant
meeting-house; one in connection with the Remonstrant Synod, and one
with the Seceding Synod, both of the first class; also places of worship
for Independents, Primitive and Independent Wesleyan Methodists, and
Kellyites. Three schools in the lordship, connected with the Board of
National Education, are situated in Newry and at Grinane; there are four
in connection with the London Hibernian Society, one of which, founded
in 1825, is built on an acre of land given by the Marquess of Downshire;
and another, in Ballybot, on land given by Lord Kilmorey. Other schools
have been aided by donations from the Marquess of Anglesey, the late
Rob. Martin, Esq., who left a bequest of 7 per ann., and J. Dickinson,
Esq., who left one of 8 per ann., for their endowment. About 880 boys
and 960 girls are educated in these schools: there is also a private
school, which affords instruction to about 50 boys and 20 girls.
The Mendicity Association was established in 1820, and is now merged in
the workhouse: it is supported by subscriptions and bequests, among
which is one of the late Wm. Needham, Esq., who, in 1806, bequeathed 50
per ann. for 50 years to the poor of the parish. A bequest of 30 per
ann. by the late W. Ogle, Esq., to the poor is given in equal shares to
the vicar, the parish priest, and the Unitarian minister, for the
paupers of their respective congregations. The interest of 2000,
bequeathed by Sir Trevor Corry, is distributed by his nephews, Trevor
and Smithson Corry, Esqrs., among poor housekeepers. There are six
almshouses, erected at the expense of the Rev. J. Pullayn,
vicar-general, without any endowment attached to them; the inmates are
appointed by the vicar of Newry. Among the more remarkable relics of
antiquity may be noticed a large and perfect rath, about l 1/2 mile from
the town, on the Rathfriland road, called Crown Rath. It is an
earthwork, 112 feet high, nearly circular at the base, which measures
585 feet in circumference, with a flat top of oblong form, and is
surrounded by a fosse 20 feet broad and 10 deep. On the south side of
the fosse is a square platform, surrounded with an intrenchment, the
glacis of which declines towards the old ford of the river. Many other
remains of forts and many cromlechs are to be found in various parts.
Newry is said to have been the birthplace of Jarlath MacTrien, who was
prior of Armagh in 465; also of Dr. Parry, who was raised to the
bishoprick of Killaloe in 1647. It gives the inferior title of Viscount
to the Earl of Kilmorey.
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis, 1837 |
