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.
UNION WORKHOUSE AND OFFICERS
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.