CAPPOQUIN, a post-town, in the parish of LISMORE,
barony of COSHMORE, county of WATERFORD, and province
of MUNSTER, 30¾ miles (W.S.W.) from Waterford,
and 106½ (S. W. by S.) from Dublin; containing 2289
inhabitants. This place is of considerable antiquity,
and had anciently a castle supposed to have been erected
by the Fitzgerald family, but at what period is unknown.
In the war of 1641, this castle was garrisoned by the
Earl of Cork; and in 1642. Lord Broghill, on his return
from the relief of Knockmoane with about 60 horse and
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such conduct were repeated, he should give no quarter.
During the duke's encampment at Dundalk, and while
disease was spreading through his forces, the sick were
removed into Carlingford, until they became too numerous
to be accommodated.
The town is beautifully situated on the south-west
side of the spacious lough or bay to which it gives
name, and immediately at the base of an extensive
range of mountains which terminates at this point.
It consists of 288 houses, and, though small, has an
interesting appearance, from the venerable ruins of its
castle and abbey; it has a sub-post-office to Newry.
The scenery of the bay is remarkably fine: the Mourne
mountains, on the opposite side, are beautifully varied
with rocks, woods, heath, and verdure; and in the
foreground the shores are enlivened with neat cottages
and numerous bathing-lodges. Carlingford mountain,
which overhangs the castle, attains, according to the
Ordnance survey, an elevation of 1935 feet above the
level of the sea: from its height and position it intercepts,
during a great part of the summer, the direct
rays of the sun, for several hours before sunset. The
oysters found in the bay are highly esteemed, and are
sent in great quantities to Dublin, Liverpool, and other
places. There is some trade in grain, great quantities
of herrings are caught during the season, and fishing nets
are made. The port has also some trade with Dublin, to
which it sends large quantities of potatoes; and coal is
imported from Scotland and Whitehaven. The bay,
one of the finest natural havens on the coast, is eight
miles in length and about four in breadth, extending
inland, in a north-western direction, to Warren Point.
The tide flows past the town to the port of Newry,
and the harbour is accessible to large vessels at spring
tides, but near the mouth the navigation is rendered
rather hazardous by shoals and sunken rocks. A
lighthouse at Cranfield Point on the northern side of
the bay has been removed, and one, showing a bright
fixed light, has been erected in its stead on Hawlbowling
rock; at half-tide it shows, at night, an additional
light halfway up the building; in the day, a black
ball is hoisted on the top of a pole, 10 or 12 feet above
the lantern, and in thick or foggy weather a bell is kept
continually tolling by clock-work. On Greenore Point
also a small lighthouse with a revolving light has been
erected. The harbour dues are collected in the name of
the Marquess of Anglesey, as lord of the manor, and
admiral of Carlingford bay; they are leased for £20 per
annum. The market is on Saturday; fairs are held on
the first Saturday in each month,'and there is also one on
Sept. 29th. There are a coast-guard and a chief constabulary
police station in the town, also three coast-guard
stations at Cooley Point, Greenore Point, and O'Meath.
This is a borough of very great antiquity, probably
by prescription. A corporation is recognised so early
as 1326, when the king granted to the bailiifs of "Karlyngford"
a charter for levying murage for six years, to
enclose the town with a stone wall. By patent dated the
13th of March, 1409, Hen. IV., on the petition of the
corporation, representing that the town had been often
burned and wasted by the Irish and Scotch, acquitted
them of all subsidies, tollages, &c., for several years;
and for the same reasons, customs were granted to them,
for 24 years from 1501, towards fortifying the town
with a stone wall. Queen Elizabeth granted by charter,
in 1571, extensive privileges and immunities. The
governing charter, dated the 9th of August, 17th of
Jas. I. (1619), creates a sovereign, 12 burgesses, and
a commonalty of six, giving them authority over the
whole of Carlingford and its liberties, with the exception
of the castle of Arthur Bagenal, lord of the manor and
its appurtenances. This charter declared that the corporation
should be styled the "Sovereign, Burgesses,
and Commonalty of the Town and Borough of Carlingford;"
and should consist of a sovereign, twelve burgesses,
and an unlimited number of freemen; two
serjeants-at-mace and a coroner, a clerk of the market,
and clerk of the entries, were also to be appointed. The
sovereign is elected by and from among the burgesses,
on Sept. 29th, and is a justice of the peace within the
borough; he has the power of appointing a deputy,
subject to the approbation of the burgesses. The burgesses
are elected out of the commonalty for life, by the
existing burgesses, and in conjunction with the sovereign
possess the power of admitting freemen and appointing
the corporation officers. As the admission of freemen
was optional with them, none have been admitted since
1754. The sovereign and burgesses returned two members
to the Irish Parliament prior to the Union, when
the £15,000 paid as compensation for the loss of the
franchise was divided equally between the Marquess of
Downshire and the guardians of Mr. Ross Balfour Moore.
The limits of the borough are reputed to extend about 2
miles on the north, and l¾ mile on the south, side of the
town, along the sea shore, and from the top of a ridge
of mountains rising immediately behind it to the shore
of the bay. A borough and manor court, formerly
held here, have been discontinued; and the borough
gaol, called "the blackhole," under the tholsel, has been
disused for many years. Petty sessions are held on
alternate Saturdays. The corporation has no property,
except what they may be entitled to in commons belonging
to the town, which, according to the Down
survey, contained 1231 acres; and the only officer now
appointed is the sovereign.
The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 20,049¾ statute acres, of which 65¼ are water.
The commonage extends along the side of a mountain,
some part of which is enclosed, and on which the poor
of the neighbourhood graze their cattle. The land in
Cooley is of very superior quality and under a good system
of tillage, particularly the farms of R. De Verdon, Esq.,
and those of Wilville and Ballug; there is no bog, and
fuel is consequently scarce. Near the town are some
extensive limestone quarries, the produce of which is
principally sent northward. Nootka Lodge is the residence
of Hugh Moore, Esq., and commands a fine view
of the sea and the Mourne mountains. Among the
other seats are Grange, the residence of T. Gernon,
Esq.; Monksland House, of R. De Vernon, Esq.; Wilville
House, of J. Gernon, Esq.; Castleview, of W.
Moore, Esq.; Bailey Castle, of John Parks, Esq.; and
O'Meath, of John Bell, Esq. The living is a vicarage,
in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the
Archbishop, to whom the rectorial tithes are appropriate:
the tithes amount to £457, of which £152. 6. 8.
is paid to the archbishop, and £304. 13. 4. to the vicar.
The church is a modern building, with the exception of
the tower. A new glebe-house was built by aid of a
loan of £750 from the late Board of First Fruits, in
seat of Viscount Harberton, is in the immediate vicinity
of the village. The other seats in the parish are Drummin
House, the residence of R. Grattan, Esq., M.D.;
Ballyhagan, of Miss Palmer; and Newberry House, of E.
Wolstenholme, Esq. The village consists of 27 dwellings;
it is a constabulary police station; and fairs are held on
May 26th and Oct. 2nd. The living is a vicarage, in the
diocese of Kildare, united to those of Nurney, Ballynadrimna,
Cadamstown, Dunfert, Mylerstown, Ardkill,
and Carrick, together forming the union of Carbery, in
the patronage of Lord Harberton; the rectory is impropriate
in the Marquess of Downshire. The tithes amount
to £133. 19. 43/4., of which £89. 6. 31/4. is payable to the
impropriator, and £44. 13. 11/2. to the vicar; and the
gross tithes of the benefice amount to £303. 13. 51/2.
The church is a neat plain edifice, with a square tower.
There is no glebe-house; the glebe comprises 33/4 acres
in several detached portions. In the R. C. divisions
this parish is partly in the union or district of Ballina,
and partly the head of a union, comprising also the
parishes of Dunfert, Ardkill, and Kilmore, in which are
two chapels, one here and one at Dunfert; the former is
a plain building in good repair. The parochial school,
in which are about 40 boys and 20 girls, is supported
by subscription; and there are two pay schools, in which
are about 60 boys and 30 girls. The ruins of the castle
consist chiefly of a square pile of building with tall
chimneys, apparently of the time of Hen. VIII.