797 



DOWN". 



DOWN. 



793 



Lough Straugford, about 6 miles S. by W. from Donaghadee. Besides 

 the church, there are chapels for Presbyterians and Roman Catholics. 

 The abbey from which the place received its name was founded here 

 in 1192 by the lady of John de Couroy : some interesting and well 

 preserved remains of the buildings still exist. Four fairs are held in 

 the course of the year. 



Hillsborough, population 1300 in 1851, a market-town and formerly 

 a parliamentary borough, 64 miles N.N.E. from Dublin, is pleasantly 

 situated on the side of a hill commanding an extensive view. The 

 parish church is a handsome edifice with three towers. There are 

 chapela belonging to the Roman Catholics. Presbyterians, Quakers, 

 and Moravians. The mansion of the Marquis of Downshire is situated 

 on the west side of the town, and on the east are the ruins of a castle 

 erected by Sir A. Hill in the reign of Charles I. ; it is now a royal fort. 

 The linen trade is carried on to some extent. There are a market- 

 house, a district bridewell, and two hospitals. 



Jlolywood, a small sea-port town, in the parish of the same name, 

 78 miles N.E. by N. from Dublin; the population in 1851 was 1408. 

 The church, which is ancient, is believed to have been the chapel of 

 a Franciscan priory once established here. The Presbyterians have a 

 large modern gothic chapel. A few of the inhabitants are engaged in 

 fishing, but the greater number are agriculturists or weavere. Fairs are 

 held four times a year. During the summer months Holywood is 

 resorted to for sea-bathing. The town is connected by railway with 

 Belfast. 



, 72 miles N.N.E. from Dublin; population 1086, a small 

 marked and sea-port town, was formerly a parliamentary borough. 

 A castle was built here by De Courcy about the year 1180, which was 

 demolished in 1848 by General Monk. It was shortly afterwards 

 rebuilt. The church is cruciform and is a handsome building ; the 

 other principal buildings are a Presbyterian meeting-house, a market, 

 and a barrack. The cotton manufacture is carried on, and the 

 imports and exports of iron, timber, corn, and provisions form a 

 considerable trade. A market is held on Monday ; fairs are held four 

 times in the year. 



KMough, a small sea-port town 75 miles N.E. from Dublin ; popu- 

 lation 951. Fishing is very extensively carried on: th^re is some 

 export trade in corn : also a large salt work. In the neighbourhood 

 are several curious caves. 



Moira, a small town on the road from Belfast to Armagh, 66 miles 

 N. by E. from Dublin ; population, 669. The town consists princi- 

 pally of one long well-built street, and contains a church and several 

 meeting-houses. The linen manufacture is carried on. 



Rathfriland, a market-town about half way between Newry and 

 Caatlewellan, 27 miles S.S.W. from Belfast, population 2053 in 1851, 

 is pleasantly situated on a rocky elevation above the point where 

 several roads meet. The remains of a castle, formerly of considerable 

 strength, occupy the summit of the rock on which the town is built. 

 The town possesses a market-house, two Presbyterian meeting-houses, 

 and a Roman Catholic chapel ; also a dispensary for the Newry Poor- 

 Law Union. The linen manufacture is the chief occupation of the 

 inhabitant*. Seven fairs are held in the course of the year. 



liositrcror, population 764, a sea-port town and watering-place, is 

 finely situated on a gentle slope at the base of the Mourne Mountains, 

 about 7 miles S.E. by 8. from Newry. The vicinity is adorned with 

 numerous good mansions, and the surrounding scenery is very beau- 

 tiful. The town has been much improved of late years. Near the 

 town is a handsome obelisk, erected to the memory of the late General 

 Ross. There are seven fairs held in the course of the year. 



Strangford, population 620, a market-town and sea-port on the west 

 shore of the entrance of Lough Strangford, about 6 miles N.E. by E. 

 from Downpatrick. In the neighbourhood are four of the castles 

 built by John de Courcy on the shores of Lough Strangford. There 

 are here a chapel of ease, a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists, and a 

 custom-house. There is a small quay. A considerable trade is carried 

 on. Fairs are held on August 12th and November 8th. 



Warrentpoint, a small market-town and sea-port on the left bank of 

 Newry River, at its junction with Carlingford Lough, 5 miles S.E. by 

 8. from Newry : population, 1769 in 1851. The town is agreeably 

 situated, and consists chiefly of a square and several streets which 

 diverge from the square. Besides the parish church there are chapels 

 for Wealeyan Methodists, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics. There 

 are here a dispensary and a savings bank. Considerable quantities of 

 agricultural produce are exported. Flax is imported. The fishery 

 employs some of the seafaring population. Warrenspoint is the port 

 of Newry for large vessels ; and the place is in repute for sea-bathing. 

 Fairs are held on the last Friday of every month. 



Down returns four members to the Imperial Parliament, namely, 

 two for the county, one for the borough of Newry, and one for the 

 borough of Downpatrick. Besides these boroughs, Newtownards, 

 Bangor, Killileagh, and Hillsborough returned members to the Irish 

 Parliament, and are still corporate towns. The lordship of Newry, 

 the greater part of which lies within this county, is an exempt juris- 

 diction both ecclesiastical and civil. 



The linen manufacture is the staple trade of Down, and gives 

 employment to a greater number of operatives, in proportion to the 

 population, than in any other part of Ireland. The linen manufacture 

 has been long carried on in Ireland, but its first great impulse was in 



consequence of the settlement of French refugees on the revocation of 

 the edict of Nantes, who, by introducing the improved machinery 

 of the continent, and setting an example of more business-like habits, 

 raised the manufacture to a high degree of perfection and import- 

 ance. In the 4th of Queen Anne the export duty on Irish linens was 

 taken off, and from that time the trade has continued to flourish. 



The importation of flax-seed employs a considerable capital in Bel- 

 fast and Newry. The dressing of the grown crop gives employment 

 to numerous scutchers and hacklers throughout the county ; but the 

 introduction of linen-spinning machinery has materially lessened the 

 demand for hand-labour in converting the dressed flax into thread. 

 Weaving is mostly carried on in the houses of small farmers, and 

 there are few weavers who do not give part of their time to agricul- 

 ture ; hence they are generally a healthy and long-lived class of men. 

 When the webs are ready for the bleacher, they are carried to 

 market. 



The next process, and that which employs nearly an equal number 

 of hands, is the bleaching and preparing for market the green web 

 as purcl-nsed from the weaver. The chief manufacturing district of this 

 county, as of Ireland at large, is along the valley of the Upper Bann. 

 The waters of this river are peculiarly efficacious in bleaching ; and 

 its rapid descent affords numerous sites for the machinery employed. 

 From Tauderagie in Armagh to five miles above Banbridge in Down, 

 the banks of this river present an almost continuous succession of 

 bleaching-greens. On that part of the river which flows through 

 Down there are 18 of these establishments, each covering a large tract 

 of ground, and giving employment to a numerous rural population. 

 Besides these establishments, there are upon the Banu extensive flour- 

 mills, and two or three factories. The neighbourhood of Gilford and 

 Moyallan, about half way between Banbridge and Tanderagie, is cele- 

 brated for its rural beauty. Orchards are attached to all the better 

 class of cottages, and the vicinity of so many bleaching-greens gives 

 the effect of a continuous tract of rich park scenery to each bank of 

 the river. The proprietors of the majority of these establishments are 

 Dissenters and members of the Society of Friends, and the population 

 generally is Protestant. The cotton and muslin manufacture employs 

 many persons. The exports and imports of Down are made almost 

 entirely through the ports of Belfast and Newry. About 80,000 

 firkins of butter are exported yearly from Down, and this as well as 

 all other exports is increasing. 



The fishery on the coast from Bangor to Carlingford Bay is pursued 

 with a good deal of industry, but without sufficient capital or skill. 

 The herring-fishery commences in July, and is pursued throughout 

 the autumn and beginning of winter. The principal fishing-ground 

 lies off Lecale, at a distance of a quarter of a mile to two leagues from 

 shore, in 3 to 17 fathoms water, and extends with little interruption 

 from Newcastle on the south to the entrance to Strangford Lough 

 upon the north. The fish taken are herrings, mackerel, haddock, cud, 

 ling, gurnet, plaice, and turbot. Besides this there are several other 

 fishing-grounds off the coasts of Mourne and Ards. 



The county assizes are held twice a year at Downpatrick. Quarter 

 sessions are held by the assistant-barrister twice a year at Downpatrick, 

 Hillsborough, Newry, and Newtownards. The constabulary force 

 stationed in Down in the year 1852 consisted of 255 men, including 

 officers. 



Before and for some time after the coming of the English, Down 

 was known as Ulladh or Ulidia, the original of the name of Ulster. 

 The ancient inhabitants are supposed to have been the Voluntii of 

 Ptolemseus. The north-eastern portion of Down was at an early 

 period occupied by the Picts, of whom there was a considerable colony 

 so late as the 6th and 7th centuries, extending from Strangford Lough 

 to the Lower Bann in Antrim. The territory occupied by the Picts 

 was called Dalaradia, and extended from the Ravil river in Antrim 

 over the southern part of that county and the north and north-east of 

 Down. 



The presence of St. Patrick in this county in the 6th century is 

 attested by authentic records, and can be traced with topographical 

 exactness at the present day. Downpatrick, Saul, Dromore, Moville, 

 and Bangor are the chief ecclesiastical foundations of Patrick and his 

 immediate successors. Of these the last was the most famous, 

 having a college which for many years rivalled the schools of Armagh 

 and Lismore. 



Down was overrun by the English under John de Courcy in 1177. 

 The county was originally divided into two shires, Down and Newton, 

 or the Ards, to which sheriffs were regularly appointed until 1333, 

 when the revolt of the Irish on the murder of William de Burgho 

 overturned the English authority throughout Ulster. The attainder 

 of Shane O'Neill, who was slain in rebellion in 1567, threw all Iveagh, 

 Kinelearty, Castlereagh, and Lower Ards into the hands of the 

 Crown. In 1602 O'Neill of Castlereagh being seized on some slight 

 pretext, and imprisoned in Carrickfergus Castle, contrived to mako 

 his escape by the assistance of one Montgomery, the brother of a 

 Scotch knight of some fortune, who afforded the fugitive protection 

 on his arrival in Scotland, and afterwards negotiated his pardon on 

 the terms of having the greater part of O'Neill's estate made over to 

 himself and Mr. Hamilton, his associate in the proceeding. The 

 colony led over by Sir Hugh Montgomery settled chiefly about 

 Newtownards and Grey Abbey, along the north-eastern coast between 



