Newry Heritage Trail

The First Settlement - 12th to 16th Century

An Chéad Chónaí - an 12ú go dtí an 16ú céad

The first recorded footsteps in the Clanrye Valley were those of St. Patrick who is reputed to have planted a ‘yew tree at the head of the strand’.

Translated into Gaelic this reads ‘Iubhair Cinn Tragh’ and is how the town derives its name.

The town traces its historical origins to the Cistercian Abbey founded in 1144 and confirmed by a charter granted by the High King, Murtagh McLoughlin, in 1157.

Nicholas Bagenal (Philip Anley)

The Bagenal Dynasty - 16th to 18th Century The Abbey was dissolved in 1545 and the English adventurer Nicholas Bagenal, who rose to be Marshal of the Army, occupied the Abbot’s House and fortified the town. The seventeenth century was a period of political and military flux with the town falling briefly to Con Magennis in 1641, surrendering to Cromwell’s Colonel Venables in 1649 and being burned by Berwick in the Williamite wars of September 1689. The last of the Bagenals died in 1712.

A Town Rebuilt - 18th Century Newry A new town plan was laid out by the Earls of Hillsborough, later Marquis of Downshire, which reorientated the town away from the hillsides down to the valley floor and marshlands.

Hill Street formed the central spine and was punctuated by two well proportioned squares, named Margaret Square and Marcus Square. A proposed third square evolved into what became known as the Hyde Market and is now St. Colman’s Park. The tall elegant buildings erected along Hill Street and around the squares were in contrast to the more rugged warehouses built along the river and canal quays.

Newry Canal - 1742 In 1742 the inland canal to Lough Neagh, the first in the British Isles, was completed bringing with it a period of commercial success as Newry traded the produce of a large hinterland. Many of the private, public and commercial buildings which expressed the wealth of this era are still standing and can be enjoyed on the trail.

By 1777, Newry ranked as the fourth largest port in Ireland. Its linen trade flourished and fine glassware was manufactured. There was a thriving printing industry which served, not only local need, but European writers also. Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau had their works printed in Newry.

Is é Naomh Pádraig an chéad duine a bhfuil iomrá air i scéal an Iúir. De réir an tseanchais, b’é a chuir an crann iúir ag ceann na trá i nGleann Rí, agus b’as sin a tháinig seanainm an bhaile, “Iúr Cinn Trá”. Téann fianaise na staire siar go dtí 1144 nuair a bunaíodh an Mhainistir Chistéirseach. Sa bhliain 1157 fuair an Mhainistir cairt ó Mhuircheartach Mac Lochlainn, Ardrí Éireann, an t-aon chairt dá cineál a bhfuil cóip di ar marthain go dtí an lá inniu.

Teaghlach Bagnal - an 16ú go dtí an 18ú céad Scaoileadh an Mhainistir sa bhliain 1545.

Fuair Nicholas Bagnal, gallóglach Sasanach, seilbh ar Theach an Aba, agus dhaingnigh sé an baile. Marascal na hÉireann a bheadh in Bagnal ar ball. Ba chorrach an tréimhse é réimeas Mhuintir Bagnal san Iúr, ó chogadh agus ó pholaitíocht. Thit an baile le Conn Mag Aonghusa i 1641, ghéill sé don Choirnéal Venables d’arm Chromail i 1649, agus i 1689 loisceadh é le Diúc Berwick le linn Chogadh an Dá Rí. Fuair an duine deireanach de Mhuintir Bagnal bás i 1712.

Atógáil an Bhaile - an tIúr san 18ú céad B’é an ceantar seo an príomhbhealach isteach i gCúige Uladh, agus dá bharr sin atógadh an baile. Leag Iarla Hillsborough plean úr amach don bhaile, plean a thug croí an bhaile ó shleasa na gcnoc, síos go dtí urlár riascach an ghleanna. B’í Sráid Hill cnámh droma an bhaile, agus bhí trí chearnóg chruthacha sa phlean.

Dhá chearnóg acu a tógadh de réir an phlean: Cearnóg Mháiréid agus Cearnóg Marcais; Margadh na Seithí a bhí sa tríú cearnóg, nó Páirc Cholmáin an lae inniu. Tógadh tithe arda taibhseacha ar Shráid Hill agus tithe stóir a bhí ní ba ghairbhe cois na habhann is ar chéanna na canála.

Canáil an Iúir - 1742 I 1742 a cuireadh críoch ar an chanáil intíre go Loch nEathach, agus leis sin tháinig an ráthúnas ar an Iúr mar a díoladh is a ceannaíodh na hearraí ó chúltír fhorleitheadach an bhaile. Comhartha ar rathúnas na haimsire is ea na tithe príobháideacha, poiblí agus tráchtála a tógadh sa tréimhse seo. Tá cuid mhaith acu ina seasamh go fóill, agus is féidir taitneamh a bhaint astu ar an turas seo. Faoi 1777 bhí an tIúr ar an cheathrú port ba mhó in Éirinn. Bhí borradh faoi thionscal an lín agus bhí mínearraí gloine is gloine ghearrtha dá ndéanamh ann. Bhí tionscal rathúil clódóireachta ann a riar ar riachtanais ó chian is ó chóngar. Clóbhualadh ar an Iúr saothar le Voltaire, agus le Jean Jacques Rousseau.

An tIúr - an 19ú céad

The coming of the railways to Ulster favoured the development of Belfast as a major port and this led to the decline of traffic on Newry’s inland canal. Deepening of the ship canal and the building of the Albert Basin, however, allowed Newry to attract trade, particularly in coal, across the sea. In the mid 19th century, Newry and Bessbrook were able to develop a flax spinning industry due to a dramatic slump in cotton production caused by the American Civil War.

Ní forbairt ach ísliú céime a thug na bealaí iarainn don Iúr; thit an trácht ar an chanáil go mór, agus thug Béal Feirste an báire léi i gceannasaíocht Chúige Uladh. Mar sin féin bhí forbairt ann: rinneadh longchanáil nua ó Dhuga Albert amach chun na farraige; le linn Chogadh Cathartha Mheiricea bhí ganntanas cadáis ar an mhargadh domhanda, agus thapaigh an tIúr agus an Sruthán an deis agus d’fhorbair tionscal sníofa líon; tógadh trambhealach tionscantach idir an Sruthán agus an tIúr. Bhí Muilte an Iúir ar an taobh thiar den bhaile.

Newry - 20th Century

An tIúr - an 20ú céad

By 1881 the population of Newry had reached its 19th century zenith of 15,590 but from the turn of the century until the 1960s there was a period of decline as the inland canal, the mills, the tramway and the railways all closed. After the 1970s, and despite the Troubles, an injection of public capital greatly improved communications, health and education facilities and ignited flames of individual initiative which have produced international successes like Norbrook Laboratories and Glen Dimplex. Outside the Town Hall, a crowd of 15,000 greeted the New Millennium with hope and confidence.

Le 1881 bhí daonra an Iúir den mhéid ceanna a bhí ann sa 19ú céad - 15,590 - ach le tús an chéid bhí treimhse ann agus druideadh an chanáil intíre, na muilte, an trambhealach agus an Iarnród, maraon. Le deireadh na 1970í agus in ainneoin na dTrioblóidí chuir infheistíocht caipitil poiblí anfheabhas ar chumarsáid, ar áiseanna shláinte agus oideachais agus spreag sé seo díograis i bhfiontair aonaireacha a d’éirigh leo go hidirnáisiúnta mar Saotharlanna Norbrook agus Glen Dimplex. Bhí scaifte de 15,000 i láthair ag tús na Mílaoise Úire taobh amuigh de halla an Bhaile agus spiorad an dóchais fiall fairsingeach ann.

Industrial Newry - 19th Century

Newry - Today The Newry of today, with a population of 25,000, and with modern vibrant streets, shopping centres, hotels and a skilled innovative people, continues to grow. City status, conferred in 2002, is a sign of an exciting regeneration as new technologies and ideas have enabled Newry to position itself at the heart of Ireland’s economic core.

An tIúr - Inniu Tá an tIúr ag fás fós agus daonra de 25,000 duine ann. Tá sé lán de sráideanna nuaaimseartha, ionaid siopadóireachta, óstáin agus pobal oilte féinsmaointeach. Comhartha den bhorradh seo stádas Cathrach, a bronnadh ar an Iúr i 2002, agus de thairbhe nua-theicneolaíochta agus smaointe nuaaimseartha tá an t-Iúr chun tosaigh i gcroílár eacnamaíoch na hÉireann.

1. The Town Hall Halla an Bhaile See description overleaf - Long Trail No. 1.

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2. The Arts Centre and Museum Teach Éigse agus Iarsmalann See Long Trail No. 2. turn left into Sugar Island, turn right at end of street 3. Sugar House Quay Cé Theach an tSiúcra

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This stretch of the canal retains a strong sense of the town’s trading past in the warehouses lining the sides of the quay. These streets take their name from the lucrative trade of importing sugar from the West Indies. across the canal can be seen:

14. St. Mary’s Parish Church Eaglais Paróiste

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Naomh Muire

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4. Clanrye Mills Muilte Ghleann Rí See Long Trail No. 6. turn right into Basin Quay

Work began on this church in 1810 but it wasn’t completed until 1819. It was supposed to replace St. Patrick’s (on the hill), but the loyalty of part of the congregation to the older place of worship led to a schism within the Church of Ireland in Newry. This was not healed until 1866, when St. Patrick’s was completely rebuilt. The memorial tablets within the church record the lives and work of many of Newry’s prominent citizens. There is a tribute to a Dr. Davis, the medical superintendent of the workhouse, who survived cholera during the famine. The Corry family is represented including Sir Trevor, Baron of Poland, who died in 1781 leaving £3,000 to the poor of Newry. He also left £1,000 for the building of St. Marys.

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5. Basin Quay Cé an Duga See Long Trail No. 8.

6. Riverside Presbyterian Church

Eaglais Phreispitéireach cois abhann

16. First Presbyterian Church (non-subscribing)

An Chéad Eaglais Phreispitéireach (neamhaontaitheach) The building was completed in 1853. It follows the traditions developed by the Episcopal churches, in contrast to the plainer Meeting Houses of earlier years. This well proportioned Gothic style church was to influence a new style of architecture for Presbyterian Churches. The architect was Newry man William J. Barre, a pupil of Thomas Duff, who also designed the Riverside Church.

Barre’s best known work is the Ulster Hall in Belfast. The organ in the church is said to have been played by George Frederick Handel in St. Georges Chapel, Windsor, before coming to Newry.

Handel also came to Newry himself in 1742 to perform his work ‘Alexander’s Feast’. turn left up William Street and cross the road at the top of the hill, cross to Abbey Yard and turn left

15. John Mitchel Place & St. Colman’s Park

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Plás Sheáin Mistéil & Páirc Cholmáin

See Long Trail No. 7. cross river by footbridge 7. Bank of Ireland

Banc na hEireann See Long Trail No. 9. turn right

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8. Trevor Hill Treabhar Hill

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These elegant 19th century buildings are amongst the finest in Newry. They are part of the residential development of this period which continues along the Downshire Road and Sandys Street. John Mitchel served his legal apprenticeship in No. 8. Further along is the Northern Bank, built in 1923.

The province wide Northern Bank was taken over in 1987 by the National Bank of Australia, which was founded

by William Hill Irvine when the family emigrated from Newry.

tonight between the branches of the laurels of Dromalane’. John Mitchel spent his early life in a house at Dromalane, close to the town centre, and returned there to die in 1875. There are still laurels around the house. The elegant neo-Georgian, three storey granite town houses on the left side of St. Colman’s Park were completed in the mid 19th century for the new middle classes. This group of buildings, communal pleasure gardens and their formal relationship to St. Mary’s form an intimate piece of small scale town planning. Known locally as Hyde Market, this reminds us that tanning was once a major activity in Newry.

Nicholas Bagenal ‘the customs and tolls of the market held at the Newrie on every Thursday’.

In bygone days there were eight weekly markets in Newry, and today’s variety market is a unique example of past shopping habits. The market was refurbished in 2001 by the local Council and is open for business on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Short Trail

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Mitchel’s house at Dromalane

Stair an Iúir

15th century carving (EHS)

NEWRY - A Short History

The statue was erected in memory of John Mitchel (1815 -1875), who, more than any other writer or politician, shaped the nationalist perception of the famine. His revolutionary call to arms led to the passing of the Treason Felony Act under which he was tried and sentenced to 14 years penal transportation. His ‘Jail Journal’ is a masterpiece in prison literature. When in exile, he wrote ‘It is deep in the night . . . we are not far from the meridian of Newry, though six thousand miles to the South and I know that this white disc struggling through Atlantic storm clouds is the very globe of silver that hangs

17. The Master’s House Teach na Máistrí See Long Trail no. 16.

18. Victoria Bakery & Bagenal’s Castle / Museum / Visitor Information Centre

Bacús Victoria agus Caisleán Uí Bheigléinn See Long Trail no. 15.

Can you spot?

For children of all ages . . . . as you walk along the short trail, can you spot the details below?

9. Hill Street Sráid Hill

10. Margaret Square Cearnóg Mháiréid This is the first of Hill Street’s two squares. The Ulster Bank occupies the site of the King’s Arms Hotel where the stagecoaches departed for Dublin.

In 1857, Maria Theresa Longworth and Captain Yelverton stayed here before their disputed marriage in Killowen the following day. Yelverton claimed that they shared a room here and the marriage was illegal. He then married a General’s daughter but a Dublin court found in favour of Theresa and thousands cheered her along Sackville Street. Opposite, the Golden Teapot has been a Newry landmark for many years and has survived the business it once advertised. In 1978 Hill Street, south of Margaret Square, was designated the first pedestrian area in Northern Ireland. Between the squares, a coat of arms adorns a building on the left. A photographer, who worked here in the early 1900s, received the royal warrant. This building was also a coachworks in the 1870s and the Irish State Coach is rumoured to have been built here.

11. Marcus Square

Cearnóg Mharcais At the north end of the square are two beautiful buildings. The Danske Bank (formerly the Northern Bank) was designed by

Bassett, G.H. Co. Down Guide and Directory, 1886 / Beausang, B. (ed) Proud People - A Newry Anthology Newry 850, 1994 / Bell, F.H. Newry, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor - Friar’s Bush Press / Camblin, G. The Town in Ulster, 1951 / Canavan, T. Frontier Town - Blackstaff Press, 1989 / Clarke, R.S.J. (ed) Old Families of Newry & District - Ulster Historical Foundation, 1998 / Cunningham, N. Bagenal’s Castle - Newry & Mourne District Council, 2002 / Day, A. & McWilliams, P. (ed) O.S. Memoirs Co. Down 1834-6 - Institute of Irish Studies / Green, E.R.R. The Industrial Archaeology of Co. Down - HMSO, 1963 / Moffett, C. (ed) Newry’s War Dead Newry & Mourne District Council, 2002 / Russell, A. Beyond the Battle, 1798 - Newry & Mourne District Council, 1998 / Small, J. F. ‘Newriensis’, Historical Sketch of Newry, 1876 Acknowledgements Research and text by Anthony Russell with contributions by Noreen Cunningham, Kieran Murphy and Della Varilly. Thanks also to Dr. Geraldine Carville, Anne Garvey, Sean Patterson and Maolcholaim Scott who contributed to the first edition of this guide; and Philip Anley, Environment and Heritage Service, and the Public Records Office, London and the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast, for permission to reproduce photographs. Photography by William McAlpine.

For further information, please contact: Newry Visitor Information Centre Bagenal’s Castle, Castle Street, Newry BT34 2BY T: 028 3031 3170 E: info@visitmournemountains.co.uk W: visitmournemountains.co.uk www.facebook.com/visitmournemountains Twitter: @visitmourne Opening Hours: All year Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm Saturday 10am – 4pm Summer July - August Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm June – Sept Sunday 1pm – 5pm

Did you spot?

On the Long Trail: a: On the bridge at the Town Hall (1). b: Iron wall tie, Clanrye Mills (4). c: Detail from Linen Hall Arch (6). d: Swans are often to be seen along Canal Quay (5). e: Door hinge, Riverside Presbyterian Church (8). f: Hiring Fair plaque at the bottom of High Street (14). g: Stone corbel, Bagenal’s Castle (15). h: Window from the Masters House (16). i: Detail from façade of building on River Street (near 17). j: Boot scraper, 31 Dominic Street (20). k: Iron wall tie, Late 19th Century Warehouse (29)

On the Short Trail: a: On the bridge at the Town Hall (1). b: Column from 71 Hill Street (9). c: Golden Teapot, Margaret Square (10). d: Window, 63 Hill Street (9). e: Coat of Arms, 61 Hill Street (9). f: Corner building, Marcus Square (9). g: Danske Bank, Marcus Square (11). h: Viking ship detail from sculpture, Marcus Square (11). i: Milestone, 28 Hill Street (9). j: Detail from St. Mary’s Parish Church (14). k: Detail from First Presbyterian Church (16).

This project has is funded by the EU INTERREG IIIA Programme for Ireland/Northern Ireland under the East Border Region Tourism Partnership

cross into Kildare Street, turn left into Hill Street Not surprisingly, as Newry’s main street, Hill Street has associations with its most notable characters. Prior to 1760 it was known as ‘the Low Ground’. The street was elegantly laid out by the Marquis of Downshire, whose family was called Hill. The streets and the squares in the area derive their names from members of the Hill family. In 1792, Wolfe Tone founded the local branch of the United Irishmen at No. 108 (the corner house on the right). Nos. 71-73, a fine four storey building, with Corinthian pilasters over Doric columned shop fronts, is the site of the Theatre Royal built in 1783. Julia Glover, daughter of Thomas Betterton who first owned the theatre, performed here as a young girl and later became a star on the West End stage. Next door, the library is the site of the Shakespeare Inn where the audience would have discussed the performances. Among them was the writer William Drennan, founding philosopher of the United Irishmen and Newry resident in the 1780s. He initiated Newry’s first book-society.

Further Reading

W.J. Watson in the mid 19th century. It is a three storey building with attics and is heavily embellished in the Gothic manner. Opposite is an early 20th century Classical style building with a corner tower. John Mitchel’s wife, Jenny Verner, went to Miss Bryden’s school at No. 6 next to the bank. Dr. Samuel Black, a pioneering cardiologist, lived at No. 7. The east side of the square was demolished to open up views of the cathedral.

The sculpture, ‘Proud People’ by Paddy McElroy, was erected in 1994 to celebrate Newry’s 850th anniversary. The panels depict the story of Newry through the ages. Close to where the sculpture now stands was the home of John Kells Ingram, who wrote the ballad ‘Who Fears to Speak of ’98?’

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Clós an Mhargaidh No. 8, once McManus Pawnbrokers, with its three balls hanging sign, was also the site of Dr. Henderson’s school which John Mitchel, John Martin and John Kells Ingram attended. Further along is Newry Variety Market.

The origins of a market in Newry probably date back to Cistercian times, but the first documented mention is in a charter of 1550 which gave

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l i a r T e g a Herit

Newry & Mourne Museum at Bagenal’s Castle

Ardeaglais Naomh Pádraig & Naomh Colmán

13. The Market

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Newry

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(Answers overleaf)

12. Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Colman

This is the most commanding building in Hill Street, and arguably the most important work executed by Newry’s greatest architect Thomas Duff.

Built in 1829 of local granite to a cost of £8,000, it was the first Catholic Cathedral opened after the granting of Catholic Emancipation. The tower and transept were added in 1888 and the nave extended in 1904. The interior marble work and mosaics took five years to complete with craftsmen coming from Italy to undertake the work. Opposite, the Classically styled bank was built for the Provincial Bank of Ireland in 1905. The very best granite was used for the façade as these banks were built to reflect the optimism of the Edwardian age. continue along Hill Street and into John Mitchel Place

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Newry and Mourne Museum and Newry Visitor Information Centre moved to Bagenal’s Castle, a restored 16th-century fortified house and adjoining 19th-century warehouse, in March 2007. In late 2007 the Museum was awarded Accreditation status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Exhibitions at the Museum trace the social and political history of the Newry and Mourne area from the prehistoric period up to the early 21st century. Many of the artefacts on show highlight local achievements such as the ecclesiastical importance of the area, trade and industry and the region’s rich maritime heritage. A major part of the exhibitions is devoted to exploring the impact of national and international political events on the Newry and Mourne area in the 20th century.

Collecting Policy The Museum collects material from Newry, south Armagh and south Down, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the area. A wide range of household objects illustrates nearly 300 years of domestic life in the area and displays in our costume case are periodically changed to show items from our costume collection. The Museum also holds the Reside Collection which contains original estate records, maps, newspaper cuttings, architectural plans and miscellaneous material relating to the history of the Newry and Mourne area. The material dates from 1715 - c.1990, and was built up by Major G.W. Reside, an architect and engineer in Newry, and his wife, Margaret, who was a solicitor in the town. Major Reside also collected much of the material due to his keen

interest in local history. The catalogue is available online at www.louthnewryarchives.ie and www.bagenalscastle.com Two other important archival collections in the Museum are the Hugh Irvine Collection comprising documents and photographs relating to local history and genealogy in the Kilkeel and Mourne area and the Eamon Donnelly Collection which contains c.400 items relating to the life and career of Eamon Donnelly (1877-1944), a prominent Nationalist and Republican politician whose family lived in Newry.

Collection Care and Education As an Accredited Museum, Newry and Mourne Museum is continually improving standards in caring for the artefacts in its care and making these accessible to the public. Our curatorial staff have specialist training in preventive conservation including environmental control, cleaning, storage of artefacts and display methods, which will ensure our artefacts are preserved for future generations. This work is complemented by our education programme which provides curriculumlinked lessons for local schools, seasonal arts and crafts workshops for families, tours of Bagenal’s Castle and a lecture programme. Handling collections of artefacts are also available for loan as part of our Reminiscence Loan Box Service.

Newry and Mourne Museum is open to the public from 10am – 4.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 1.30pm – 5pm on Sunday. For information on events and exhibitions, other services and bookings please phone 028 3031 3178 or visit www.bagenalscastle.com Free tour every Sunday at 3.00pm.

Booking essential Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewryAndMourneArtsMuseum

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/NandMMuseum

NEWRY IS THE GATEWAY TO THE NORTH, TO THE MOURNES AND TO THE RING OF GULLION Its attractive setting between the mountains is further enhanced by its location at the head of Carlingford Lough.

Newry has a rich heritage and many fine buildings and public spaces. The twin waterways, the canal and the Clanrye river, flow through the town along parallel channels. Heather Park, on the edge of the city centre, provides a tranquil oasis in contrast to the bustling shopping and commercial areas of Hill Street, Sugar Island, Monaghan Street and The Old Creamery, Buttercrane and Quays retail centres.

This Heritage Trail takes you through the many attractions of the city. The Long Trail lasts about one hour and three quarters and the Short Trail approximately three quarters of an hour without stops. Ideally you should spend a day wandering through Newry and visiting the many shops, restaurants and public houses along the way. The Short Trail, in particular, is suitable for everyone. A gentle pace with regular stops is recommended. Enjoy your walk. visitmournemountains.co.uk

Newry Heritage Trail How to use this guide

11. The Corry Monument

The Long Trail is a circular walk beginning and ending at the Town Hall. It is colour coded in blue. Each stop is marked with a number which corresponds to a number in the text. This walk will take approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours to complete. The Short Trail is colour coded in purple. It is described overleaf. Some of the stops are common to both trails in which case the text appears under the long trail below. This walk will take approximately ¾ hour to complete. If you wish to combine both trails together, we suggest that you follow the long trail from 1 to 29, and then join the short trail at number 8 (Trevor Hill).

Leacht Mhuintir Corry

The Long Trail 1. The Town Hall Halla an Bhaile Newry Town Hall, designed by William Batt, was constructed in 1893. It was one of the last works of the old Newry Town Commissioners whose crest, dated 1891, can still be seen on the bridge.

The style of the building is broadly classical.

Reputed rivalry, between counties Armagh and Down, over its location led to the Town Hall being built on a three arched bridge astride the Clanrye river, the county boundary. On the bridge is the Russian Trophy, a 19th century cannon captured during the Crimean War. This was given to the town in recognition of the men from Newry who volunteered to fight in the War. The Russian Eagle can be seen on the barrel of the gun.

This obelisk was erected in 1877, in memory of Trevor Corry, a magistrate in the town for 35 years, and reflects a fashionable, mid 19th century interest in ancient Egypt. The Corry family had considerable commercial and political influence in Newry over several generations. Trevor’s cousin, Isaac Corry (1755 - 1815) was elected to the Irish Parliament in 1776 and was the last Chancellor of that body. In his house at Derrymore (one mile west of Newry) the Act of Union was prepared and he led the parliamentary debate in favour of union. When the Act was passed, he sat at Westminster as the MP 6 for Newry and Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. Reputedly he became so unpopular that he built a new road directly from his home to the Dublin Road to avoid the town and the wrath of Newry citizens. It is still called the Chancellor’s Road. Despite his support for Catholic emancipation, he lost his seat in 1806. opposite the Monument is a cul-de-sac with a gate to Heather Park 12. Heather Park / Gallows Hill

Páirc Heather / Cnoc na Croiche

2. The Sean Hollywood Arts Centre Teach Éigse Sheáin Uí

Chuilleannáin agus Iarsmalann

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The Arts Centre was originally the Newry Savings Bank, built in 1840, later Newry Technical School. The classical style façade was retained when the building was rebuilt as an Arts Centre by the Council in 1980.

Also in Bank Parade is the Memorial to the World Wars, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1938 within months of the outbreak of the Second World War. turn left into Sugar Island 3. Canal Street Sráid na Canála One of the oldest streets in Newry, Canal Street still retains its 18th century dimensions and much of its fine traditional architecture. No. 10 and 12 Canal Street were originally the RIC Barracks. In 1924, Eamonn de Valera was taken here after being arrested when attending a meeting in Newry. turn right into New Street 4. Clanrye Mills Muilte Ghleann Rí On the corner of New Street and Canal Quay is one of Newry’s most imposing buildings. Clanrye Mill was built in 1873, at a cost of £10,000, and its entire machinery was supplied by the Newry Foundry Company. Designed by William Watson, its style is Venetian and complements the nearby Riverside Presbyterian Church. turn left along the Canal 5. The Inland Canal An Chanáil Intíre

growth and development of the city. Most local people remember the Castle and adjoining warehouse as being occupied by McCann’s Bakery.

The bakery was established in 1837 and its closure in the late 1990s ended a 160-year association with Newry. Newry and Mourne District Council restored the Castle and the Victoria Bakery Warehouse as the home of Newry and Mourne Museum and Visitor Information Centre.

16. The Masters’ House Teach na Máistrí The site of the Abbey extended from the castle southwards to Abbey Yard. Here the large houses on the left were built by the successful merchant branch of the Corry family. The first Isaac (grandfather of the Chancellor) came to Newry in the 1700s and his son Isaac lived in the first of these houses, the Masters’ House (circa 1815). He was the father of Trevor, commemorated by the obelisk.

The ‘Masters’ were the Christian Brothers who, on this site after 1851, provided education for the sons of the 5 poor in the town. The renovation of these properties by Clanrye Abbey Developments merited an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1987. On the left at Abbey Yard is Courtney Hill, named after a family who went to America in 1781, and founded a cotton 11 spinning mill in Charlestown, South Carolina.

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The steep climb through Heather Park is rewarded with one of the best viewpoints in Newry. The park is named after James Heather, a captain of Newry Volunteer Fire Brigade, who was awarded the Police Medal in 1930 for ‘39 years of exemplary service distinguished by special merit and ability’. From the top right hand corner of the park you can see Camlough Mountain with its disused quarry, one of several around the town. This hilltop was also the site of a gallows and it is claimed that 26 a tunnel (the entrance

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The old seal of the They Cistercian abbey depicted called an abbot on a throne the town, between two yew trees. which grew This was adopted by the up around Town Commissioners the mill, Newry as their official insignia in 1871 and remains in honour of symbolic of the their birthplace. city of Newry. passing Abbey Yard,

go straight ahead into Boat St, pass Quay Street and turn right, down the steps, by the high wall

Site of ‘Hiring Fairs’ until the1950s

17. Boat Street, Quay Street and Custom House Avenue Sráid na Cé

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7. Basin Quay Cé an Duga It is hard to imagine that this car park was formerly a water filled dock the site of the turning basin, shown on a 1761 map of Newry. Here ships, which had unloaded at Merchant’s Quay or Sugar Island, swung round before heading down the ship canal to the sea. On the right stands a two storey granite warehouse, which dates from the early 19th century.

8. Riverside Presbyterian Church

Eaglais Phreispitéireach cois abhann of which is fenced off beside the wall) led back down the hill to the old gaol where the Bank of Ireland now stands. In 1798 George Cochrane, a United Irishman, was hanged here. Ironically he lies across the road in St. Patrick’s Church graveyard only feet away from his enemy Isaac Corry. leave by the left gate, St. Patrick’s is directly opposite 13. St. Patrick’s Church

Eaglais Naomh Pádraig

10. Newry Court House Teach na Cúirte

The original County Down Court House was in Margaret Square but was demolished in order to open up communications with Monaghan Street. The present Court House, built in 1843, was designed by Newry architect Thomas Duff, a man who has been described as ‘the most important figure in the early development of the architectural profession in Ulster’. This building, of stucco and granite construction, topped with a handsome domed cupola is generally recognised as his finest Classical work and noted by one architectural historian as a building of ‘compact elegance’. The building was recently refurbished and extended. cross the road into Sandy’s Street

The Bagenal Coat of Arms in St. Patrick’s Church

This three storey building with ashlar façade and a Doric portico is one of Newry’s most elegant, with its delicate proportions and finely executed stonework. It was the first Bank of Ireland in the north of Ireland, built in 1826 and designed by Francis Johnston. The 1821 Irish Banking Act gave the Bank of Ireland a monopoly within 50 Irish miles of Dublin.

Newry fell within this area and this monopoly ‘most seriously crippled the merchants of Newry’ (Newriensis 1876), at a time when Belfast was rapidly expanding turn left

This area, Ballybot or ‘poor town’, is shown on maps of the mid 1700s.

In the 1830s it was the site of Newry’s brewing and distilling industries.

Ballybot developed rapidly, in the 1860s-1890s, as an industrial area dependent upon the port and the railways. As part of County Armagh, Ballybot had its own court and bridewell but the 1898 Local Government Act placed it, for administrative purposes, in County Down and it was integrated into the Newry Urban District.

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Nos 50-54 Dominic Street now demolished (Public Records Office, Belfast)

Banc na hÉireann

23. Ballybot An Baile Bocht

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9. The Bank of Ireland

On your left, the triangle of land between Patrick Street and Kiln Street was the site of Newry’s Co. Armagh bridewell and courthouse. Until 1898, Counties Armagh and Down each had a separate administration in Newry. On the hill above, Barcroft Park is named after Henry Barcroft, who invented a machine for Richardson’s linen mill in 1869. This was a major development in damask weaving, known throughout the home and foreign linen trade as the ‘Bessbrook’ machine. At the far end of Patrick Street was a livestock market. Herds of cattle and pigs being driven to the boats in the Albert Basin were a common sight on the streets of Newry up until the 1960s. turn right into Francis Street

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Áirse Theach an Línéadaigh

On the left is the Riverside Presbyterian Church, built in 1866 and designed by William Barre. This Lombardo-Venetian style of design is particularly suitable for this site as it was originally surrounded by the river and canal basin. This fine red brick building has a large circular window in each of the east and west gables, which exhibit elaborate tracery. The tower is 90 ft. high with a pyramidal roof of diamond shaped slates. cross the river by the footbridge to Trevor Hill

22. Patrick Street Sráid Phádraig

Canáil an Iúir agus Crann an Ime

6. The Linen Hall Arch The archway is all that remains of a White Linen Hall built in 1783 at a cost of £14,000. The White linen venture was not a success and, after the 1798 rebellion,the Hall was used to hold local citizens suspected of having United Irish sympathies. One of the last acts of the Dublin Parliament was to buy the Linen Hall for use as a military barracks.

Willie Maley, longest serving manager of Glasgow Celtic F.C., was born in the barracks in 1868, when his father was stationed here. Throughout the 19th century the officers and soldiers were part of the social fabric of the town. retrace the route along the canal and cross the bridge into Basin Quay

Of the Dominican Church, ‘justice requires it to be said that a more beautiful and symmetrical edifice is not to be found in Ireland.’ (Bassett 1886). Built of Newry granite, St. Catherine’s was begun in 1871 and completed in 1875. A good view of the church is had from the park opposite it. The construction of one of the side altars was carried out by the father of Padraig and William Pearse, who were executed following the 1916 Easter Rising. The Dominican Fathers have had a long association with Newry and many of the people of Ballybot still describe themselves as ‘Dominican Catholics’. proceed towards the junction with Patrick Street

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21. The Dominican Church

Eaglais Dhoiminiceach

24. Newry Canal and the Buttercrane

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The inland canal played a major part in Newry’s prosperity in the late 18th century. Completed in 1742, it was the first summit level canal in the British Isles. The Newry Canal facilitated trade with most of Ulster and the merchants of Newry grew wealthy. Their prosperity was expressed in fine buildings and warehouses, some of which remain along the quays of the canal.

Orange Order. From here his step-daughter Jenny Verner attempted to elope with John Mitchel. Although initially foiled, Jenny and John eventually married in Drumcree Church, Portadown in 1837.

St. Patrick’s Church was the first Protestant church built in Ireland and commands a panoramic view of the town below.

The earliest part of the building was built by Sir Nicholas Bagenal in 1578.

The church was almost destroyed in 1641 and not fully restored until 1866. Dean Jonathan Swift is said to have preached in this church during visits to Newry.

The headstones in the graveyard provide a fascinating insight into the characters of the 18th and 19th century town. To stroll among its headstones is to witness the stories of merchants, soldiers, sailors, rebels and the poor. proceed down the hill 14. High Street An tSráid Ard

High Street is one of Newry’s oldest streets and appears on the map of 1568. At the foot of High Street is St. Clare’s Convent, built on the site of the 1769 New Theatre and the Pope’s Head Tavern. Behind the coach arch are the remains of the 1722 Presbyterian Meeting House.

This is the second oldest church in Newry and John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was invited to preach here in 1756. The father of John Mitchel, the renowned nationalist writer, was minister here from 1823 - 1840. Mitchel is buried beside his father in the graveyard which can be visited by arrangement. At the bottom of the street, now demolished, were the birthplaces of both Isaac Corry, the Chancellor, and John O’Hagan, the Young Irelander who became a High Court judge. turn left into Castle Street 15. Victoria Bakery & Bagenal’s Castle / Museum / Visitor Information Centre

Bacús Victoria agus Caisleán Uí Bheigléinn The Cistercian Abbey in Newry was dissolved in 1545 and the rights and lands of the abbey in Newry were granted in 1550 to an English adventurer, Nicholas Bagenal. Written accounts relate that when Bagenal first came to Newry he lived in the Abbot’s House. Soon after he built a castle – ‘The New Castell’ the one that can be seen today. This Castle has had a wide range of functions over its long history which mirrors the

These streets mark the site of the old port of Newry and the original point of entry to the inland canal.

The only surviving reminders are the place names such as Boat Street, Quay Street and Custom House Avenue. A sign of the increasing prosperity of Newry was the transfer of the Customs House from Carlingford to this site in 1726. The high stone wall on the left was part of Newry’s County Down bridewell (gaol). The town gasworks, established in 1822, later occupied this site. Visible to your left along the river bank are the remains of the old railway swing bridge that carried the line from Warrenpoint. Turning back towards the centre, there is a Victorian terrace with attractive detailing on Kilmorey Street, known as Brown’s Row. The anchor is a reminder of Newry’s maritime heritage. at the end of River Street cross left over the bridge 18. Albert Basin

Duga Albert The Albert Basin, completed in 1850, improved Newry’s port facilities by accommodating ships of over 500 tons. This enabled a textile industry to flourish in Newry. Four large mills were built in the area. Dromalane Mill, complete with chimney, can be seen behind the Quays shopping centre. It was opened in 1866 by William Hill Irvine, a brother in law of John Mitchel. After the linen boom passed, the Hill Irvines emigrated to political and banking success in Australia. William’s son, also William Hill Irvine, became Premier of Victoria. At the Albert Basin, Joseph Fisher and Sons Ltd built and expanded a ship owning and coal merchant business. Fishers were one of the better-known minor cargo lines trading in coal across the Irish Sea during the last decade of the nineteenth and throughout the first half of the twentieth century, but life for the dockers was tough. Trimming out (removing all the remaining coal from around the hold of the ship) was a particularly unhealthy job. By the time the ship canal closed in March 1974 trade had been reduced to the odd oil or timber boat, container vessels and a few colliers. go straight ahead into Bridge Street 19. Bridge Street Sráid an Droichid In 1760 Bridge Street was known as the Dublin Road. The row of houses on the left were built to accommodate the ships’ officers of the Fisher Fleet. Opposite this row a stabling sign and coach entrance survive beside the public house. At the top of the street, the stump of an old distillery chimney can be seen at the junction with the Dromalane Road. The railway to Omeath and Greenore used to cross Bridge Street, where the two shopping centres are now, but closed to passenger traffic in 1952. For a short time the line continued as an occasional link between the port at the Albert Basin with the goods yard at Edward Street. turn right into Dominic Street 20. Dominic Street (Formerly Queen St.) Sráid Dhoiminic (Sráid

The 1837 OS map records a brewery on part of the site of the shopping centre. Until 1987 this site was J. S. Fisher’s sawmill and timber yard. In 1808 Lord Kilmorey had a buttercrane erected here at the side of the canal. In 1834 it weighed 31,673 casks of butter - a reflection of Newry’s growing dominance of the Ulster butter market and an indication of how important the inland canal was to Newry. Carvill Brothers, who were successful shipping agents at the time of the famine, had a small shipyard on the middle bank, now a car park, between the Clanrye River and the canal. turn left into Cornmarket 25. Cornmarket and Linen Mill Margadh Arbhair agus

Muilleann Línéadaigh At the corner of Cornmarket are the remains of Robert Dempster’s flax and spinning mill, one of three in Newry which flourished following the expansion of the linen industry. Built in 1867, the mill employed 500 people up until the middle of the last century. It became Stark’s clothing factory and later part of Haldane Shiells timber yard. These mills relied on the railways and ship canal for exports. The Confederation of Community Groups restored and renovated the building in 1997 as a community resource centre. turn towards the canal, then proceed left along it 26. Merchants’ Quay Cé na gCeannaithe

Merchants’ Quay, stretching from Buttercrane Quay to Sugar Island, has some surviving 19th century warehouses. To the right as you leave Cornmarket is McMahon’s warehouse with the date 1845 still visible on the wall. During the famine, agents like McMahon, provided passage from Warrenpoint (the canal was being modernised) for thousands of emigrants to New York, Canada and England. Cargoes of lime, grain, timber, spirits, beer, slate, sugar and much more were unloaded from lighters and ships all along this section of the canal until it closed in 1956. follow the canal towards the Town Hall, turning right across the next bridge 27. Monaghan Street Sráid Mhuineacháin This long street was once dominated by Alderdice’s Distillery whose whiskey was famous all over Ireland. In 1830 it ‘consumed annually 25,000 barrels of grain’. The only remnant of this distillery is the granite building now occupied by the Armaghdown Bar. Other industries associated with this street were a wheelbarrow factory and the Armaghdown Creamery.

28. Needham Bridge Droichead Needham The first bridge, over the canal, is the modern Godfrey Bridge. This was formerly a swing bridge, the foundations of which can still be seen in the water, but it was removed when the road was widened in recent years. This and other modern constructions prevent the re-opening of the canal. Crossing the river, the stone bridge was built by private subscription in 1831. The bridge was named after the Needham family, who inherited part of the Bagenal estates.

29. Late 19th Century Warehouse

Teach Stóir de dheireadh an 19ú Céad On the right is a four storey brick canal warehouse with an attractive, elegant façade. It was designed

by W. J. Watson and built in the late 19th century as a tea warehouse.

Can you spot?

For children of all ages . . . as you walk along the long trail, can you spot the details below? (Answers overleaf)

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d

na Ríona roimhe seo) Dominic Street is on Roque’s 1760 map of Newry. In the 19th century the street was a mix of workers terraces, three story houses, breweries and mills. A few of the older houses survive from this period, but many have been demolished including Nos 50 - 54, built by Arthur Russell, a brewery owner. His son, Charles, (later Lord Russell of Killowen), became the first Catholic Lord Chief Justice of England since the Reformation. In 1888 he successfully defended Parnell against the charge that he had condoned the Phoenix Park murders of the Chief Secretary, Lord Cavendish and Thomas Henry Burke. Number 52 was rented by Arthur Russell to a Captain Verner, whose family was associated with the founding of the

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k