Thom's Directory:
Borough of Dundalk
1852 Thom's Directory - County Louth
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BOROUGH OF DUNDALK
Dundalk, a maritime town and parliamentary borough, in Upper Dundalk barony, Louth county, and Leinster province, 50 miles N. from Dublin, comprising an area of 450 acres; population in 1841, 10,782, inhabiting 1,798 houses, average 6 persons to a house. It is situate at the mouth of the small river of Castletown, on the coast of Dundalk Bay.
The public buildings are the Parish Church, Roman Catholic Chapel, Presbyterian, and Methodist Meeting-houses, County Court House, Infirmary, and Prison, Guildhall, Market House, Linen Hall, Endowed Grammar School, National Schools, and Barracks.
There are in the town, 2 breweries, 2 flour-mills, a first-rate distil1ery, a flax spinning-mill, and a pin factory.
The Corporation, styled “The Bailiff, Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Dundalk,” returns 1 member to Parliament ; constituency, under 13 & 14 Vict., c. 69, in 1851, 267.
The lighting, cleansing, and watching of the town is vested in commissioners; the amount of rate collected in 1842, was £748, collected from 355 houses, rated at between £5 and £10, 276 houses between £10 and £20, and 308 above £20. In 1847 the Borough rates amounted to £662, of which £358 was applied to the watching, lighting, and cleansing; the remainder in salaries and allowances to municipal officers and miscellaneous expenses.
Fairs are held on the third Wednesday of every month, except May, when it is held on the 17th; Markets on Mondays; all toll free.
The Assizes for the county are held here, also Quarter Sessions and Pettv Sessions ; and a new county prison is in the course of being erected, to be conducted on the separate system. It is the station for the Resident Magistrate of the county, and the head-quarters of the Constabulary district, comprising the 10 stations of Ballymakellet, Dundalk, Hackballscross, Kilcurry, Martin’s-cross, Skyhill, Lurgangreen, Sheelagh, Shortstone, and Ballymascalon.
There is a Coast Guard station at Soldiers’-point.
The Bank of Ireland, the National Bank of Ireland, and the Belfast Bank have branches here. The Savings’ Bank, established in 1821, had 443 depositors in November,1850. Total amount deposited, £12,613 18s. 5½d., at a rate of £2 15s. per cent.
The town carries on a brisk trade, chiefly in grain, cattle, butter, and eggs, and within the last 5 years is estimated to have increased 20 per cent., owing’ to the harbour improvements. The port and harbour, which is in charge of Commissioners under Act 3 & 4 Vic., c. 119, since 1837, is in progress of improvement, and on which £20,150 has been expended, under the direction of Sir. John Macneill. The river has been straightened, and the bar and harbour deepened by steam dredging from 5 to 8 feet, so that vessels drawing 16 feet water can now come up. The Channel when completed will be 150 feet wide at the quays, and 300 feet at the point. The rise of tide at the bar is 16 feet, and at the bridge 7 feet. A lighthouse on the screw-pile principle has been erected at the bar within the last two years. There are 22 pilots belonging to the port, licensed by the Harbour Commissioners. The income of the port, arising chiefly from tonnage and ballast dues, &c., amounted, in 1850, to £2,870.
The Dundalk railway is now complete between Dundalk and Drogheda, and Drogheda and Castleblaney, and Dundalk and Newry , and will join that of Newry and Enniskillen, at Clones, and thereby connect the Western and North-Western counties with the port.
Steamers ply regularly to Liverpool three times a-week, taking about 150 tons each trip, chiefly oatmeal, wheat, barley, oats, butter, bacon, lard, ham, eggs, linen, flax, and other articles computed at 23,400 tons annually, besides horses, cows, sheep, and pigs, averaging 650 each trip, and 72,150 annually. The imports, which consist of Indian corn, flour, groceries, box and bale goods, amount to about 18,200 tons annually. The register tonnage (for cargo) of steamers to and from Dunlalk, is 1,264 tons each week. The number and tonnage of sailing vessels registered as belonging to the port, in 1850, was 7 under 50 tons, and 18 of 50 tons and upwards; their aggregate- tonnage, 1,940; steamers, 3, of 1,024 tons. In the cross-channel and coasting trade, the number and tonnage of sailing vessels that entered the port in 1850 was 496 vessels, 31,768 tons; and of steamer, 104 vessels, 43,836 tons. The number of vessels sailing outwards during the same period was 190, of 11,672 tons, and of steamers, 105, of 44,201 tons. In the British colonial trade, the number and tonnage of sailing vessels that entered inwards, in 1850, was 7 vessels, 1,368 tons, and outwards, 1 vessel, 186 tons. In the Foreign trade, the number and tonnage of vessels that entered inwards in 1849 was 10, of 1,184 tons, and outwards, 1 vessel, of 323 tons. The gross produce of the Customs duties was in 1838, £15,138; in 1843, £23,057 ; in 1848, £44,393 ; in 1849, £41,621 ; and in 1850, £38,956. The Excise duties of the district of Dundalk in 1834 amounted to £105,417 ; in 1838, to £108,728 ; and in 1846, to £26,206. The Dundalk fishery district extends from Ballaganpoint to Maiden Tower, comprising a distance of 52 miles of maritime boundaries, and had in 1851, 283 registered fishing vessels, employing 1,365 men and boys.
The amount of postage collected in the town of Dundalk was, in 1842, £860 9s. 5d. ; in 1843, £871 5s. 8d. ; in 1844, £873 5s. 7d. ; in 1845, £965 11s. 8d.; in 1846, £ 1,054 10s. 1d. ; in 1847, £1,154 11s. 1d. ; in 1848, £1,083 6s. : in 1849, £1,045 8s. 5d. ; and in 1850, £1,068 14s. 11d.
There are two newspapers in the town, The Louth Advertiser, lately incorporated with the Newry Examiner, published on Wednesday and Saturday ; and the Democrat, published on Saturday.
Member for the Borough – Wm.TORRENS M’CULLUGH, esq., barrister-at-law, 8, Upper Gloucester-street, Dublin ; and Reform Club, London.
TOWN COMMISSIONERS
Chairman, Samuel J. Turner ; Jas. Carroll, M. M’Cann, T. Marmion, D. Callan, Patk. Wynne, John Nugent, Richard Verdon, Philip Callan, E. M’Ardle, Robert Godbey, William M’Culloch, Alex. Shekleton, Peter Duffy, and Stephen Browne, esqrs. – Treasurer, National Bank. – Clerk, James Parks.
HARBOUR COMMISSION
Chairman, John Townley, esq.
Deputy Chairman, Patrick Wynne, esq.
Harbour Master, John Lawless, esq.
Clerk, Mr. Wm. Godbey, jun.
CUSTOM HOUSE
Collector, Wm. Delap, esq. ; Pro-Collector, John A. Reid ; Comptroller & Landing Waiter, J. Daly.
EXCISE OFFICERS
Supervisor, Michael Craig ; Division Officers, Michael Coleman, Ferguson Bruce, and John Price ; Ride Officers, Peter Brennan, Samuel Kyle Hinchy, and Thomas Roarke ; Permit Officer, John Larkin.
STAMP OFFICE
Distributor, George Russell, esq.
POST OFFICE
Postmaster, Mr. James Parks.
BANKS
Branch Bank of Ireland. – Agent, William Edmondson, esq. ; Sub-Agent, James Joyce, esq. ; Cashier, James H. Belton.
Belfast Banking Co., (Branch), Manager, Robert Orr Blackader, esq. ; Cashier, Thomas F. Maffet.
National Bank. – Manager, John Townley, esq. ; Cashier, W.H. Laird.
Savings’ Bank. – Actuary, J.H. Ranson.
ASSURANCE AGENTS
Atlas, Alexander Shekleton, esq.
Alliance, John Straton, esq.
Northern, Robert Orr Blackader, esq.
Scottish Amicable, Robert Orr Blackader, esq.
Scottish Provident, Russell Pattison, esq.
Scottish Union, James N. M’Neale, esq.
Standard, Peter Russell, esq.
Sun, Robert Godbey, esq.
PETTY SESSIONS
Resident Magistrate, Arthur French, esq.
Local Magistrates, James O’Callaghan, esq., Priorland House ; John J. Bigger, esq., Falmore Hall ; John Townley, esq., Dundalk ; John Murphy, esq., Castletown.
Clerk, James Kennedy.
CONSTABULARY
County Inspector, James Battersby, esq.
Sub-Inspector, Edward Hill, esq.
Head Constable, George Scott.
Notary Public. - Robert Godbey.
Barrack-Master, Lieut. R.J. Phillips.
Agent for Lloyds. – Samuel J. Turner.
COUNTY GOAL
Governor, Francis Lambe.
For Board of Superintendence, and other officers, see Louth, in County Directory.
NEWS ROOMS
Guild Hall and Commercial.
BENEVOLENT AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
Louth Industrial Institution, Bachelor’s Walk – for the instruction of boys and girls in weaving and sewing ; supported by voluntary contributions and managed by a committee ; open daily. – Secretary, Peter Russell, esq.
Hospital and Dispensary – supported by voluntary subscription and county grant. – Surgeon, E.G. Brunker ; Resident Apothecary, Dr. Ferguson.
Visiting Dispensary, established 1846. Medical Attendant, Dr. Brown ; open every day except Sunday.
Sick and Indigent Society – Committee, Rev. J. Beatty, Russell Patteson, esq., Peter Russell, esq., Dr. Kieran.
THE DUNDALK UNION is situated partly in the county of Louth, partly in the county of Armagh, and partly in the county of Monaghan ; it contains an area of 104,226 statue acres, and a population of about 65,834. There are 19 Electoral Divisions, represented by 30 elected, and 16 ex-officio Guardians. The Workhouse is built for the accommodation of 948 inmates. It was opened on the 19th March, 1842. The Board of Guardians meets at the Workhouse on every Thursday.
Chairman, Thomas Fortescue, esq., D.L., Ravensdale Park, Flurrybridge.
Vice-Chairman, James M’Alester, esq., Cambrickville, Dundalk.
Deputy Vice-Chairman, James Arthur, esq., Crowe-street, Dundalk
Treasurer, National Bank of Ireland, Dundalk.
Clerk and Returning Officer, James Murphy.
Master and Matron, John Cox and Elizabeth Cox.
Chaplains – Established Church, Rev. George Studdert. Roman Catholic, Rev John Marmion. Presbyterian, Rev. James Beatty.
Medical Officer, John Gartlan, M.D.
INNS AND HOTELS
Queen’s Arms, 1, Crowe-street, Jas. Arthur, proprietor.
Royal Commercial, Park Street, Mrs. Boyle, proprietor.
Shakespeare, 97, Park-street, Wm. Shawcross, proprietor.
STEAMERS FROM DUNDALK TO LIVERPOOL
The Pride of Erin, iron, John Williams, Master.
The Dundalk, iron, J.P. Kelly, Master.
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