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place, as seen from without, is cheerful and prepossess-
ing: the old town, on the eastern side, situated on the
side of a hill, with its church and spire rising above the
houses, leads to an expectation of a correspondence of
character in the interior; but the reverse is the case.
Like other old towns, the streets are narrow, precipitous
and inconvenient; but the modern part of the town,
generally called “the Low Ground,” is very elegant; the
houses lofty and built of granite; the streets wide, well
formed, and paved, with nagged footways. Marcus-
square, with several lines of new buildings, presents very
elegant specimens of domestic architecture. A great
number of excellent springs issuing from the rocks east-
ward of the town, and more than 200 wells, have been
formed in various parts, but no artificial means have yet
been adopted to provide a supply of water on a scale
commensurate with the domestic and manufacturing
demands of the population. The streets and public
buildings are lighted with gas supplied by works esta-
blished by a company in 1822. Much has been done
within the last few years to improve the general appear-
ance of the town and neighbourhood; a new line of road
has been opened, and an excellent approach formed from
Warren point, where the river expands into the bay:
the north road has been widened and improved, and
several very handsome terraces and detached villas have
been built: among the bridges, already noticed, is one
of a single arch of elegant proportions, called Needham
bridge; and an iron swivel bridge is about to be thrown
across the canal, which, when completed, will open a
communication from the Monaghan road to the very
centre of the town. The assembly, news, and coffee
rooms were built by subscription in 1794; the assem-
bly-rooms are spacious and elegant; the news-room
is well furnished with newspapers and periodical publi-
cations, and is open on the most liberal terms to stran-
gers: the offices of the Commissioners of Police and of
the Savings’ Bank are in this building. Two news-
papers are published here, each twice in the week. A
barrack affords accommodation for 44 officers and 670
non-commissioned officers and privates of infantry,
and 10 horses, with an hospital for 30 or 40 patients.
Newry is much more a commercial than a manu-
facturing town. There are two iron-foundries, each
on an extensive scale, for light castings. The manufac-
ture of flint glass is also carried on largely; a distillery
in Monaghan-street consumes annually 25,000 barrels
of grain, the produce of which is consumed in the
counties of Down, Armagh, Louth, and Monaghan:
there are also large manufactories of cordage and of
spades, shovels, and other kinds of ironmongery. One
of the most complete and extensive bleach-greeus in the
country is at Carnmcen; and at Bessbrook is a mill
for spinning linen yarn. The Newry flour-mills, worked
by water, consume 900 tons of wheat annually, and
there are several others in the immediate neighbour-
hood, the produce of which is mostly shipped to Liver-
pool. An oatmeal-mill grinds 17,000 barrels of grain
annually, which is wholly purchased for the Liverpool
and Manchester markets; and in the neighbourhood
there are several others equally extensive.
The trade of Newry, now of much importance, has
gradually risen to its present height from the protection
afforded to the merchants by Wm. III. Prior to that
time the river was not navigated above Warren point;
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Newry being then considered as a creek to Carlingford,
which was the port for all this part of the coast. But
during the reigns of that monarch and his successors,
several grants were made for clearing and embanking
the river and improving the harbour. At length, in
consequence of the many obstructions arising from the
nature of the river, and the advantageous situation of
the town as a central mart for the introduction of foreign
commodities into the interior of Ulster, it was deter-
mined to form a line of inland navigation from Newry
to Lough Neagh. The communication is carried on
from the Newry water by an artificial cut by Acton,
Scarva, Tanderagee, and Gilford to Portadown, where
it is connected with the Bann, whence it proceeds
in the bed of that river to the lake. It was com-
menced in 1730, and connected with Lough Neagh
in 1741, but in consequence of the inconveniences
arising from the accumulation of mud and sand in
the mouth of the river, near Newry, it was deemed
adviseable to prolong the navigation towards the bay to
Fathom: this portion of the work, which is two miles
in extent, was completed in 1761; the entire length
of the navigation, including that of Lough Neagh, is 36
miles, and the total expense was £896,000. In 1726,
the customhouse was removed from Carlingford to
Newry: the amount of the first year’s customs paid here
was only £1069. 12., and there were then but four trading
barks belonging to the port; the gross amount of cus-
toms’ duties for 1836 was £58,806. 2. 6. About 1758, a
very considerable trade was carried on with the West India
islands, and although at that time the vessels trading with
foreign countries were prohibited from sailing direct to
the Irish ports, being compelled to land their cargoes in
some place in Great Britain, the Newry merchants suc-
ceeded in establishing a very lucrative traffic with the
most celebrated commercial marts in other countries.
This branch, however, was afterwards nearly lost by the
competition of the superior capital of Great Britain, until
it again revived after the restrictions were taken off the
commerce of Ireland, in 1783. The port is very favour-
ably situated for trade at the inner extremity of Car-
lingford bay, an arm of the sea extending nine miles
south-east, and two miles in breadth at its mouth be-
tween Cooley point, in the county of Louth, and Cran-
field point, in that of Down. Vessels of the greatest
draught can come up to Warren point, within five miles
of the town, where they can ride in from 6 to 8 fathoms
of water in all states of the tide in perfect security.
Proceedings are also in progress by D. Logan, Esq., in
pursuance of a plan recommended by Sir John Rennie,
for deepening and securing the channel from Narrow
water, and scouring it by a steam dredge and other
means calculated to facilitate the admission of vessels
of a larger class than those which at present come up
to the quays: the total expense of these improvements
has been estimated at £90,000. The despatch of busi-
ness is also facilitated by the construction of a line of
quays on the eastern bank of the canal, bordered by
stores and warehouses, at which vessels can unload:
farther north are basins or floating docks, where boats
navigating the canal can take in and discharge their
cargoes. The custom-house, a neat and commodious
building, is situated on the quay, in a position well
adapted for business, and has extensive yards and stores
for bonding goods adjoining it.