LOUGHBRICKLAND, a post-town, in the parish of
AGHADERG, barony of UPPER-IVEAGH, county of DOWN,
and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (N. E.) from Newry,
and 58½ (N.) from Dublin, on the road from Newry to
Belfast; containing 618 inhabitants. This town, which
is prettily situated on the lake from which it takes its
name, owes its rise to Sir Marmaduke Whitchurch, to
whom Queen Elizabeth, in 1585, granted the adjacent
lands. Sir Marmaduke built a castle on the shore of
the lake, for the protection of a pass where three roads
united, and soon after a church and a mill, and laid
the foundation of a town, in which a Protestant colony
was settled, for which he obtained the grant of a market
and two fairs. In 1641 the castle was dismantled and
the town and church were destroyed by fire; in this desolate
condition it remained till 1688, when the church
was rebuilt and the town began gradually to improve.
It consists of one principal street, from which two smaller
streets branch off, and contains 123 houses, most of
which are well built and of handsome appearance; the
whole town has a cheerful and thriving aspect. The
lake, which is supposed to have taken its name from
the speckled trout with which it is said to have formerly
abounded, comprises an area of about 90 Irish acres,
and is bordered on its western side by the road from
Dublin to Belfast; it forms the summit level of the
Newry canal, to which its waters are conveyed through
Lough Shark, and is itself supplied from a spring within,
its superfluous water escaping through a sluice at the
north-western extremity. Fairs are held here on the
third Tuesday in every month, for horses, cattle, pigs,
and pedlery. There are several handsome seats in the
immediate neighbourhood, which are noticed under the
heads of their respective parishes. The parish church,
a handsome edifice, with a square tower and octagonal
spire, is situated in the centre of the town; and nearly
opposite to it is the R. C. chapel, in the later English
style, built at an expense of £1700 on a site presented
by N. C. Whyte, Esq., who also gave £400 towards its
erection. There are also places of worship for Presbyterians
and Primitive Methodists. On the shore of the
lake is a modern house, erected in 1812 on the site of
the ancient castle, which was then taken down. The
Danes, who had ravaged the north of Ireland, were
defeated here by the Irish under Mac Lorriagh, in 1187.
See AGHADERG.