Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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children of the fishermen were engaged in cleaning and
salting the fish, the total number of persons that derived
employment was not less than 3000. There are at pre-
sent 80 hookers, of an aggregate burden of 1600 tons,
exclusively employed in this trade, which, although it
has greatly declined of late years, is now increasing.
There are also 93 four-oared row boats engaged in fish-
ing and cutting sea weed; besides 34 coasting vessels
belonging to the port, of an aggregate burden of 2800
tons. The aggregate burden of all these is 4720 tons,
and the number of men employed in them, 1229, be-
sides whom more than 3000 persons on shore are em-
ployed in various capacities in connection with them.
At Ballinacourty, on the eastern side of the parish, the
property of T. Wyse, Esq., M. P., a pier for the protec-
tion of fishing boats was erected in 1832, partly by sub-
scription, and partly by a grant from the late Fishery
Board. The trade of the port consists chiefly in the ex-
portation of corn, live stock, butter, and other provisions
to the ports of the English channel; and the importation
of timber, coal, culm, and the usual foreign supplies.
The harbour affords good shelter for vessels drawing
from 14 to 15 feet of water at any time of the tide;
vessels drawing 18 feet of water may enter at spring
tides, but larger ships can enter only at or near high
water of spring tides. There are 3 feet at low water in
the shallowest part of the channel, and at the quays
there is a depth of 14 feet at high water of spring tides,
and 10 feet at neap tides. The south-western recesses
of the bay are separated from the rest by a bank
called Cunnigar Point, between which and the town it is
proposed to throw up an embankment for the purpose
of reclaiming the inner recesses of the bay. Accord-
ing to a survey made for this purpose by Mr. Kearney,
it is proposed to exclude the tides from the back strand,
by making a causeway 122 perches in length, with stone
walls on each side, from the garden on the east side of
the churchyard to Cunnigar bank, with a roadway 22
feet wide, and sufficient openings with sluices at the
bottom to discharge the surface and spring water when
the tides are out. It is also proposed to cut a canal
from the river Brickey, near Two-mile bridge, through
the low grounds of Killongford, and along the southern
verge of the back strand, for the purpose of discharg-
ing into the outer bay the waters of the Brickey, and
the streams that flow into it from the hills on the south,
and, by constructing a lock at the eastern end of the
canal, of continuing the navigation for sand and other
boats to Ballyharraghan, Killongford, and Two-mile
bridge, as at present; the low parts of the Cunnigar
“bank, over which the waves are drifted in high tides
by strong easterly and south-easterly winds, will
be secured by an embankment of dry stone. The
estimated expense of carrying these works into effect
is £14,621. 9. 9.; and the quantity of land that
would be thus reclaimed, 1234 acres, of which, by an
additional expenditure of £1500 for draining and en-
closing it, 1007 acres would be fit for cultivation. The
causeway, among other advantages, would afford a short
and easy passage to the fine bathing strand of the
Cunnigar, and thus render the town, from the superior
accommodation it would afford for sea-bathing, the
beautiful scenery in its vicinity, and the excellence of
the roads in every direction, the best-frequented water-
ing-place on this part of the coast. Its situation is
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peculiarly healthy, from the constant current of air
blowing or passing near it, caused by the parallelism
of two chains of mountains running nearly east and
west, and leaving between them a valley in which
the town lies considerably protected from the north
winds; in consequence, the cases of sickness are very
few compared with the population. The market days
are Wednesday and Saturday, chiefly for corn and
provisions; and fairs are held on Feb. 7th, June 22nd,
Aug. 27th, and Nov. 8th. The market-places for the
sale of meat and fish were erected at the expense of the
Duke of Devonshire. A chief constabulary police station
has been established here.
By charter of Jas. I. the parish of St. Mary, and
that of Nugent within the ancient liberties, were erected
into the Borough of Dungarvan: the corporation con-
sisted of a sovereign and twelve brethren or free bur-
gesses, with a recorder, town-clerk, and three serjeants-
at-mace, of whom one was also water-bailiff; and the
borough was invested with powers and privileges nearly
equal to those of any city or borough in the kingdom,
which were exercised for a considerable time, till the
corporation at length fell into decay. The bounds of
the manor, though irregular and even uncertain, com-
prise an area of about 10,000 statute acres and a
population of 11,858, including nearly the whole of the
parish of Dungarvan East and West, together with
Kilrush, and the townland of Ballyharraghan in the
parish of Ringagonagh; the townlands of Knockampoor,
Canty, and Ballymullalla, though entirely detached from
the rest of the manor, form also part of it, while several
lands much nearer the town and some wholly sur-
rounded by the manor, do not belong to it. A seneschal
is appointed by the Duke of Devonshire, with power to
hold a court every three weeks, for the recovery of
small debts. Previously to the Union, the borough re-
turned two members to the Irish parliament, and since
that period has sent one member to the Imperial par-
liament. The elective franchise, vested by the charter
of Jas. I. in the sovereign and burgesses, has, since the
corporation fell into disuse, been exercised by the in-
habita0nts of the town occupying houses of the yearly
rent of £5, and by the freeholders of the manor, the
seneschal being the returning officer. The commis-
sioners appointed to settle the boundaries of boroughs
proposed a boundary closely encircling the town, and
also to raise the household qualification to £10: but a
select committee subsequently determined that, as all £5
householders throughout the manor were then entitled
to vote, the limits of the franchise should be so far
restricted only as to exclude some of its widely detached
portions, and to include some small portions of land
locally within its limits, though not previously forming
any part of it. The total number of electors registered
up to 1835 was 620, of whom 30 were freeholders above
£10, 300 forty-shilling freeholders, and 200 £10 and 90
£5 householders; about 120 are supposed to have
since died. The quarter sessions of the peace for the
western division of the county are held here in January,
April, and October; and petty sessions are held every
Thursday. It is now under the consideration of the
privy council to make Dungarvan the assize town, as
being in the centre of the county. The county sessions-
house is a. neat and well arranged building, at the
entrance into the town from the bridge; and attached
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