::: Newry Journal ::: - 1641-1956 Newry Events

1641 Sir Con Magennis briefly took Newry for the Irish in the Rebellion. It was shortly retaken by Lord Conway. In the following years it changed hands intermittently.

1642 Scots Army under General Robert Monroe took and pillaged town and executed a number of inhabitants as an example.

1650 A Presbyterian Church, first in town, opened High Street.

1655 Bagenal family returned and started rebuilding the town.

1688 James II granted a new charter to the town, incorporating it. But William of Orange’s invasion prevented its enactment.

1689 Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of James II, burned Newry to the ground rather than let it fall into the Williamites’ hands. Only one castle and 5-6 houses left standing. King William’s General (Duke of) Schomberg stayed in Newry on his way to the Boyne.

1703 Irish House of Commons paid £200 to Captain Francis Neville to survey the line of a projected canal linking Newry –Lough Neagh.

1712 Nicholas Bagenal’s death saw lands on Newy side of Lough go to the Needham family.

1720 Damaged in 1689, repairs done to St Patrick’s Church.

1722 First Presbyterian Meeting House, High St, erected

1730 The old Stone Bridge, consisting of 10 arches built. Shortly after, Dublin Bridge erected.

1731 Edwart Lovet Pearce, Chief Surveyer of Ireland began construction of first summit-level canal of British Isles in Newry. On his death in 1733 Richard Castle, an engineer of Huegenot origin took over.

1740 First R.C. Chapel since Henry VIII’s suppression, built in Newry

1741 ‘Cope’ and ‘Boulter’ first vessels through Newry Canal en route with coals from Tyrone to Dublin.

1742 Handel performed ‘’Alexander’s feast’ in Newry

1744 Imports of 273 barrels of wheat, 180 barrels of beer, 190 barrels of malt, 76 barrels of flour and 10 barrels of oats, to Newry

1777 Newry listed as major Ulster port and 4^th of Ireland

1780 First Glass Factory, which traded for 20 years, opened in Newry

1787 Newry inhabitants petition Irish Parliament for street regulation regarding traffic and rubbish and animal control

1788 The last remains of the old monastic buildings were demolished. Many of the stones used in construction of nearby buildings.

1790 St Mary’s R.C. Church built. Anderson and Geer established the first mail coach service Dublin-Belfast, passing through Newry.

1794 The News Room was opened in Margaret Square. ‘Gordon’s Newry Chronicle’ was the town’s newspaper

c. 1799 Corry/Castlereagh meetings at Derrymore House to betray the Irish Parliament for 'Union'

1800 Irish parliament bought White Linen Hall from trustees at cost of £5000

1806 Merchant’s Quay Customs House built. Old one became The Bridewell. On death of William Needham Newry and associated lands passed into the Kilmorey Estate.

1810 St Mary’s Parish Church building sanctioned by Act of Parliament. St Patrick’s then falling into decay

1815 Survey estimated 2,500 houses in Newry; population of 13,500

1816 Collapse of Newry Bank (founded 1804) of Foxall, Moore and Robert Macan (ancestor of our Oz friend, John!). Ebenezer Independent Church opened where Salvation Army site is now

1822 Gas lighting, first proposed 1759, comes to Newry

1824 Since abortive Charter of James II, first attempt at establishing Newry local government failed, because of ‘undue interference of Lord Kilmorey’

1825 Foundation stone laid of Cathedral. Fever Hospital and dispensary established, Kilmorey St (gasworks site later)

1828 Under new Local Government Act, municipal authority set up. Town Commissioners appointed.

1840 Board of Guardians under Poor Law Act appointed. Savings Bank, Bank Parade opened.

1841 Workhouse erected. Methodist Meeting House, Sandy’s Street opened. Population 11,972

1842 William Makepeace Thackeray, in Irish Sketchbook, praised town for its ‘neat, clean and prosperous appearance’.

’45-‘52 Famine, desperate hunger, poverty, disease stalked Ireland: Workhouse often filled beyond capacity

1845 ‘Mary Ann’, first ship built completely in Newry, launched

1846 Old Ballybot Bridge replaced with single-arch bridge

1849 Railway Newry-Warrenpoint first ran. Dublin-Belfast railway began operation

1853 Presbyterian (Unitarian) Church, Needham Place opened

1865 Towns Improvement Act adopted in Newry, giving Town Commissioners responsibility for local government

1866 St Patrick’s Church rebuilt in its present form

1871 Newry Improvement and Water Act secured Camlough Lake water supply and control of town’s markets etc. to townspeople. Population 13,361. Imports: wool, 13,417 tons: iron/hardware, 1001 tons; slates, 2,384 tons; fire and clay goods, 412 tons; miss. 1,754 tons.

1874 The Butter and Egg Market (‘The Smoothing Iron’) was built and opened at foot of High street

1875 St Catherine of Sienna Church (Dominican) opened in Queen Street.

1891 Public baths at Canal Street bought (£250) by public authorities. Pop= 12,961

1898 Newry Dispensary opened. Work begun on Hill Street Post Office

’04-‘09 Cathedral’s nave extended and interior decorated with mosaics and marble

1937 Police barracks moved from Canal Street to Corry Square

1948 Butter and Egg Market demolished after food rationing during War had forced it to close down

1949 Canal to the North end of town officially abandoned

1956 Town section of Canal (to Albert Basin) closed down.