1586 County Louth
1586 Co. Louth, a Brief Description .......
The following description of County Louth is taken from Britannia: or a Chorographical Description of Great Britain and Ireland, by William Camden, first published in 1586 (and constantly revised by him up to 1607). The book was originally published in Latin; the first version in English appeared in 1610. The extract below is taken from the 1722 edition, translated into English by Dr. Gibson.
Illustration from Camden's 'Britannia' (original is not coloured)
The County of LOUTH
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Columns 1391-1394
Iriel. Latin Urgalia
*Solo pabuloso.
Drogheda, Tredagh
Mellefont Monastery
Phil. Trans. Vol. 22. Pa. 790 *Ardeth, C.
Dundalk
Carlingford
Farrard Newton
Bermingham, who are also call'd Brimicham, Earl of Louth
*So said, ann. 1607.
Barons of Louth
Ware, Ant. P28 |
The County of Louth, call'd in ancient Books Luna and Luda, and in Irish Iriel or Uriel (it that is not rather a part of the County), lies beyond the County of Meath, and the mouth of the river Boine; running northward upon a winding and uneven shore of the Irish Sea. It is so* full of fortage and so fertile, that the Husbandman finds plentiful Returns with moderate Labour.
Near the mouth of the Boine, stands Drogheda or Droghda, in English Tredah, a neat and populous Town, so call'd from the bridge (and therefore by Sir James Ware names Pontana,) and divided in the middle by the Boine. King Edward the second granted in the privilege of a Market and a Fair, at the instance of Theobold Verdon; and several Immunities and Privileges have been also granted to it by the Kings of England; particularly that of a Mint. By authority of Parliament held here in the year 1365, and Academy was erected, and endowed with the Privileges of the University of Oxford; but for want of Maintenance, it soon expir'd. It is now and Earldom in the honourable Family of the Moores. Near this Town stands Mellefont-Abbey, founded by Donald King of Uriel, and commended by S. Bernard. It was given by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Edward Moor Knight, a Kentish Gentleman, very deserving for his wise conduct both at home and abroad; the Monks having been turn'd out some time before. His descendant is the Earl of Drogheda, just now mention'd, whose chief Seat is at this place.
At Munster-Bayes, near Drogheda is a stately
Cross, with two Cats on it, and this odd inscription:
Seven miles from Drogheda, stands* Ardee, a mid-land town of some note; and highed in the Country, Dundalk, which has the benefit of a good harbour, and was formerly fortify'd with strong walls. It was burnt by Edward Brus, brother of the King of Scots, who had proclaimed himself King of Ireland, but was soon after cut off near this place, with eight thousand and two hundred of his men. Within the memory of this age, it was besieged by Shan O Neal, who was quickly obliged to raise the siege with dishonour; and since, (it hath been erected into a Barony, and enjoyed by the Honourable Family of Gorges.) Eight miles from hence stands Carlingford, a pretty famous harbour; and whence the Family of Taaf hath derived the honourable title of Earl: in like manner, as those of Tichbourn, and Butler, derive their respective titles from this County; the first, that of Baron Farrard of Beaulieu; and the second, that of Baron Butler of Newton Butler. And these are all places that I know of, memorable in this County.
Louth hath given the title of Earl to John Bermingham, and English man, which was confer'd upon him by King Edward the second, as a reward of his great valour (after he had engag'd, defeated, and slain Edward Brus, that momentary King of Ireland, who for some time had ravag'd the Country with great cruelty and slaughter,) and gave him the said Earldom to have and to hold, to him and his heirs males, as also the Barony of Atherny, to him and his heirs. But as the honour begun in this gentleman, so it expir'd with him; and after he had conquer'd his enemies, he was overcome and slain in a popular insurrection in these parts with many others of the same name; leaving no issue behind him. This Country likewise, in the memory of the * last age, gave the title of Baron to Oliver Plonket, which was confer'd upon him by King Henry the eight; and since, Louth hath afforded the title of Viscount to the Honourable Family of Netterville.)
Families still remaining in the County, are the Verdons, Tates, Clintons, Bellews or de Bella Aqua, Dowdalls, Gernons, Hadsors, Wottons, Brandons, Mores, Warrens, Chamberlians (who have changed their name to Brownlow) and many other English Families; of Irish extraction, are the Mac-Mahons, &c,
(Athenry, before-mention'd, is suppos'd by the Learned Antiquary of this Nation, to be the Rigia or Regia of Ptolomy.) |
At the time the above was written, Louth was included in the counties of Ulster ....
'the soil [of which] for want of culture is rough and barren, so the Inhabitants, for want of Education and Learning are very wild and barbarous..... But when we speak of wildness and barbarity of the Inhabitants of Ulster, this is to be understood of the Irish Inhabitants only, who are now so routed out and destroyed by their many Rebellions, and by the accession of Scots (who for the most part inhabit this Province) that there are not supposed to be left ten thousand Irish, able and fit to bear arms in all Ulster' (column 1391).
For those who prefer their text in Latin, the following description is from the 1607 edition of the book:
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09 November 2005