KIRCUBBIN, a market-town and post-town, in the
parish of ST-ANDREW, barony of ARDES, county of
DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 8¾ miles (S. E.) from
Newtown-Ardes, and 96¼ (N. by E.) from Dublin, on the
road from Belfast to Portaferry; containing 537 inhabitants.
This town, which is situated on the shore of
Strangford lough, is of very recent origin, having been
built since the year 1790, previously to which time there
were not more than five houses in the place. The present
town contains 117 houses, for the greater part
neatly built, and the inhabitants carry on a small but
prosperous trade. The manufacture of straw hats and
bonnets, of which great numbers are sent every year
into the interior, affords employment to most of the industrious
female population of the town and adjoining
parishes; great quantities of kelp are burned and sent
annually to Liverpool, and corn and potatoes are shipped
hence for the Liverpool and Glasgow markets to a considerable
extent. The situation of the town, close to
which is an excellent landing-place, affords every facility
of conveyance by land and water. The market is held
every third Wednesday, and is well supplied with provisions
of every kind and with brown linens. Fairs are
held on the 28th of April, May, Aug., and Nov. A neat
market-house, with a brown linen hall in the rear of it,
was erected by the late Hon. Robert Ward; the same
family are about to expend a considerable sum in the
erection of quays for the greater convenience of shipping
the produce of the neighbourhood. A court leet
and baron is held every three weeks by the seneschal of
the manor, in which pleas are entertained to the amount
of £20, with jurisdiction over all the parishes of the
union; and the magistrates hold a petty session here
every alternate Monday.