398 Proceedings of the Eoijal Irish Academy. 



mariners, their banner showing a ship; they were 600 in number on 

 successive days, and if all had worked at the same time 1100 men from the 

 ships and barks should have been there. The vintners and merchants 

 laboured on Mondays, and even the ladies assisted by singing and harping 

 to cheer the workmen of " New Pont de Eoss." The citizens had enlightened 

 views on the subject of commerce ; they claimed (doubtless with truth) to 

 have buUt the first recorded Irish lighthouse at Pdndubhain (or Dundubhain)^ 

 which, from a literal translation of dubhan, got known as the " Tower of 

 Hook." It stood before 1247 " a tower and a beacon for ships to 

 have out of the issues of lands and a maintenance in money or 

 otherwise."' King Edward favoured it, and discouraged its rival, 1277. 

 Of its foreign merchants we read of Bandinus " Panick " of Lucca 

 in 1281, the Donati of Florence, 1284, and the Flemish merchants, 

 John Tobyn and Eoger Bougre, in 1295. Its trade exceeded that of every other 

 Irish port (see customs below) ; and it is the only inland town (save Limerick) 

 on the portolan maps of Ireland. An interesting inquiry about Eospoute 

 is embodied in the Plea Eolls, 1297, also noting the " acqua riparia villae 

 niius" and Eosbargeon.^ The "Snake" of Eosponte was ordered at that 

 time (under the Common Seal) to carry oats to Bayonne for the Icing's army 

 in Gaseony. Other ships, "The Mary of Eosponte" and "The Snake of 

 St. Laurence" (perhaps the first-named), are sent on similar errands. It 

 was ravaged by Art " mac Murrogh " in 1333, had grants from Edward III 

 in 1374, and a charter from Eichard II to enable it to repair its walls in 

 1377.= 



Drogheda. — The town developed from a ford, and, later on, a wooden 

 bridge. As Monasterboice is frequently called the " Monastery of Drogheda," 

 it is hard to select the actual early records. It seems to be mentioned at 

 861 and 1084 under the name Drochet atha. King John, in 1213, granted 

 the burgesses " de Ponte " to have the liberties and customs of Bristol. The 

 Castle of Blathac stood on the Meath side. So early as 1211 Peter Blunt, of 

 Drogheda, had ships trading through the kmg's realm. In 1228 Drogheda 

 (which was a double town " towards Uriel " and " towards Meath ") was 

 granted rates on hides, wool, and wine to build a bridge, and in 1.234 for 



'Patent Rolls, Hen. Ill, 1245-6, as to custodium of Eendeuan, 1247, and mem. 6, 

 as to maintenance of beacon. The local saint's name, Dubhan, is, of course, myelitis. See 

 Mr. Herbert Hore's " New Eoss," p. 219. 



= Plea R. No. 29, sxv Ed. I, m. 25, at Limerick. See also Cal. Justiciary Eolls, vol. i. The 

 Plea Eoll, 1320, No. 128, m. 8, gives the king's grant of the previous year to Tiiomas, Ear' 

 Marshal, holding Eosponte of our gift as in the time of his predecessor, Eoger Bygod. It mentions 

 the water from Eendoiian to the viU of Eosponte, dated at York, June 4th, anno sii. 

 Besides general authorities, "New Eoss," &c., H. Hore. 



