Castlewellan 10km SW of Downpatrick this photo taken in 2001 shows the spire from St. Malacy's Catholic Church In 1611, Castlewellan was granted to Ever PacPhelimy Magennis. In 1766 the town and townland of Castlewellan comprised of 15 families of whom two were Catholic and the rest were Protestant. During the early 19th century weekly linen markets were held in Castlewellan. The town was owned by the Annesley family and the entrance to the Annesley demesne is left, off the upper square. Catholic Parochial House here.There was a meeting in town 17 Oct 1846 to discuss the landowners efforts during the famine. (FCDS3 p 16); Castlewellan Barrack was under fire on 18 May 1922 from local IRA units. In 1830s, Castlewellan was the centre for linen production, both for bleaching material and spinning yarn and provided employment for 500 people. The town itself, with a population of over 700 was well built and consisted of an upper square and a lower square connected by a street, containing 122 houses, most of which were neat structures. DR. The town and surrounding townlands were owned by Earl Annesley in 1863. The Post Office Directory of 1886 says that there was a mineral spring factory in town and a stone quarry nearby. It mentions a spinning mill & weaving factory but I think these are the ones down the hill at Annsborough. The town population in 1910 was 945.

Click here for information on schools in Castlewellan in 19th century.
Click here for a photo of Castlewellan Railway Station c. 1890

Try this link to the Castlewellan Court Book of 1824-1826 transcribed by Mr Christopher Napier http://www.alecbanmacconaill.co.uk/books.html
Part 1 contains an interesting Introduction- Surnames Index starts page 53 & Place Names index on page 162. Once you have the numbers go to Section 2 to find the reason for the court appearance.

Newspaper articles from Northern Star;
to be let, the distillery 9 Jul 1795

Newspaper articles from Down Recorder;
Poor Law district population was 3089 in 30 Nov 1839; assizes 25 Feb 1843: draining demesne & worker's luncheon 21 Feb 1846: relief meeting parishes Kilmegan, Drumgooland & Drumballyroney 17 Oct 1846*; harvest home in demesne 18 Oct 1851; party affray 6 May 1854 ;Literary Society Meeting 27 Jan 1855;Lecture on Self Education 22 Sep 1855; Installation of St. Paul's Masonic Lodge #142 20 Dec 1856; storm & havoc at circus 7 Aug 1858; description 12 Apr 1879;email me for a photo of Castlewellan railway station c. 1895 ( 27 Mar 1967R); half yearly hiring fair 6 May 1911*; electric lighting installed 3 Apr 1915*; meeting of Castlewellan & Annasborough Nursing Society 19 Feb 1924*;Castlewellan Diamonds in senior championships at Gaelic Athletics Assoication 1925-1928 & 1930s 9 Apr 1928*; Christmas celebrations at Castlewellan Castle 3 Jan 1936*; Castlewellan Agricultural Association 27 Jun 1936*; machinery being overhawled at Ulster Weaving Company's spinning mill 16 Apr 1937*; Castlewellan Agricultural Association meeting 4 Jun 1939

Newspaper Article from Mourne Observer;
Gordon Bennett Car Rally in town in 1903, photos available ( 23/12/03)

Try www.castlewellan.com or http://www.irishnews.com/castlewellangac/townhistory.html

St. Malachy's Catholic Church, Castlewellan
at the southern end of town on the Rathfriland Road
Parochial House; 91 Main St, Castlewellan BT31 9Dh tel: 028 4377 8259 Fax; 4377 0349

Prior to the building of St. Malachy's, there was a Catholic chapel in Moneylane townland , 4 km ENE of town but this was taken over by the Church of Ireland congregation during penal times. Another chapel was built in Castlewellan town in 1825 and was paid for by general subscription. It was described in 1836 as a fine building which could hold 450 people and generally there was that many in attendance. Its dimensions were 66 feet by 26 feet in the shape of a T. Catholicism is the principal religion in this parish. The parish priest in 1846 was Rev John McLeanon with Rev Anthony Malone as curate & in 1867 was Rev. Alexander Stuart.

The church of St. Malacy's (above) was built in the 1880s on the site of the older church, in the Lower Square of the town of Castlewellan (southern end of town), by Father James McWilliams from designs by Mortimer H. Thomson Esq. architect. . The foundation stone was laid of Patrick Dorrian, Bishop of Down and Connor, in July 1880 and the church was dedicated in 7 September 1884 by the Very Rev. V.P. Hood. High Mass was celebrated by Rev. James Crickard, parish priest of Loughinisland whilst Rev. Thomas O'Donnell was deacon and the Rev. John McCartan was sub-deacon. The sermon was preached from Isaias, chapter vii , verses 13 & 14 by Father Flood O.P .All of the money, £15,000, for the church's construction was raised locally with £1,000 alone being obtained by a ladies bazaar. Much of the beauty and adornments were provided by the donations and bequests of the Messrs. Mooney Brothers, merchants, of Castlewellan. The church was constructed using Magheramayo granite (nearby townland) and was designed by Messrs. Heavy & Thompson of Killyleagh.

Article from Down Recorder newspaper;
variey show in church hall 11 Dec 1926*

http://registers.nli.ie/ has registers to view baptisms 1859-1881; PRONI has baptisms 1859-1881; NLI has baptisms 1859-1880 , marriages 1859- 1880; UHF has baptisms 1859-1899, marriages 1859-1899 & burials 1866-1868, no graveyard

THE SANDS DRAWERS' MARCH 17 July 1880 - (kindly sent by Miss Briege McComiskey)

Item taken from Account Book kept by Fr. James McWilliams, PP, VF, Castlewellan, who was responsible for building the Church at Castlewellan (As told by Patrick McPolin, 80 Ballykeel, Cabra, Newry, Co Down. Dated 28/12/1945.)

The Sand Drawers’ march took place about 63 years ago. That was at the time the Castlewellan Chapel was being rebuilt and the march was to help the work and to show Annesley’s Agent how united Catholics were. There was an Old Chapel there on the site obtained by Alexander McMullan from Lord Annesley in return for a loan, which Annesley needed very badly. When the new chapel was being planned it was intended to built it where St. Malachy's School is now, but the Mooney Brothers prevailed on the P.P. to build on the old site on account of their uncle having obtained it. The Mooney's subscribed very generously to the cost of the work.

Anyhow, when the work was undertaken, Annesley's Agent - a man named Shaw - refused permission to the Catholics to quarry stones or raise sand on this estate. The Catholics then opened two new quarries, one at Burrenreaghon the meade estate, and the other at Maghermayo on the Gartlan estate. The sand they needed was to be obtained at places near Hilltown and Dr. Mooney, then P.P. of Clonduff got his people to help in carting it to Castlewellan. A day was appointed for the work and all who could go were to get their loads on either at the sand pit in Leitrim or along the Bann at Ballycoshone. They were all to meet at the Square on the way to Castlewellan and those first to reach the square were to wait there till the others came that length and all were to go in a row into Castlewellan and deliver their loads beside where the buliding was going on.

Everything went according to plan; Cormac Kelly and I filled out loads at Ballycoshone and then drove on to the Square where we were the first to arrive. We waited there till the others arrived and, as each cart came up we pulled on a bit to make rom for them in a row. Then off we all headed for Castlewellan; Cormac was first in the line and I was second. There must have been up to a hundred carts there that day. When Cormac and I were passing the far end of Lough Island Reavy, the last cart hadn't passed the top of the hill on this side of the Lough.

When we got to Castlewellan there were crowds of men there waiting to do everything for us - hook out the horses, heel up the carts, shovel away the sand and everything. The parish priest of Castlewellan was there too and all hands were treated to whatever they liked to take.

Then we stabled our horses here and there and walked about the town till it was time to go home. Some trotted and sang the whole way back to the Square (in Hilltown) and they called at Atty Morgan's public house. After that they all went home in the best of heart.

There were people there that day from all over the Parish of Clonduff, Travers of Islandmoyle, McPolins of Stang, Morgans of Goward, McEvoys of Lenish, Patrick Morgan of Hilltown, Pat Murphy of the Glenn and dozens of others.But they are all dead and gone now except myself.

The work was completed and the church solemnly opened in 1884. Rev. Y.P. Flood, O.P., St. Mary's, Tallagh, preached: "It was a grand sight to see the sand carts going in a row into Castlewellan. Several of the men stuck their shovels straight in the middle of their load of sand and hoisted flags on them."

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List of 20th century priests:
Rev. Joseph O'Connor until 1920; Rev. John Eardley 1920-1929; Rev. Charles McKenna 1929- 1950; Rev. James Duff 1950-1959; Rev. Edward Crossin 1959- 1962; Rev. Austin McNabb 1963- 1980; Rev. Patrick White 1980- 1988; Rev. Archie Kelly 1988-1992; Rev. Finbarr Glavin 1992- 1200; Rev Sean Cahill 2000+

The village follows the curve of inner Dundrum Bay.

Ancient faience beads were found here showing the existence of a Bronze Age settlement. In 1836 there was a school, a castle and a Methodist church here . The Poor Law district population was 3100 in 30 Nov 1839.

The village of Dundrum is a 19th century creation, but it takes its name from the Anglo-Norman Castle which overshadowed it. When Lord Downshire acquired Dundrum, it was a remote and impoverished place with few inhabitants. He decided to develop it and in 1806 employed two Scottish engineers John and Daniel Busby, to prepare plans. They suggested that the natural harbour should be deepened to encourage shipping and that settlers should be attracted by the offer of building sites at a nominal rent. Downshire accepted their advice and by 1812 the Busby's were employing 15 masons, 65 quarrymen and labourers, 3 carpenters, a blacksmith and 25 horse carts. There was then a short delay because of post-war economic difficulties, but by an announcement in the Belfast New Letter of November 8th 1825, Lord Downshire encouraged further developments :" The situation of the harbour is the centre of Dundrum Bay and the surrounding country producing the finest grain , makes this interesting spot a very desirable settlement and outlet for capital and industry. The lands in Dundrum have been laid out into accommodation for building lodging and other houses; the excellence of all kinds of materials and the ease with which they can be procured upon the spot, form powerful inducements for such an undertaking and justify us in recommending Dundrum to the notice of the intelligent inhabitants of the north of Ireland. It is intended to erect hot and cold baths on the principle of those most approved of in England, for the use of invalids and other visitors." The Marquis of Downshire built a dam near the town to service the flour mill in 1850s. Small lead mine here in 1853 ( LM 1988 p24)

It is clear that, like William Ogilvie in Ardglass, Lord Downshire hoped to make Dundrum a popular seaside resort. For a time his hopes seemed to be realised. The Downshire Arms hotel was built as were various lodging house for visitors. But in time Newcastle displaced Dundrum, particularly after the extension of the railway from Downpatrick in 1869 and the building of the Annesley Arms Hotel in Newcastle with its accommodation for 100 visitors. The port of Dundrum was more successful. The East Downshire Steam Ship Company was formed in 1871 and purchased vessels which brought timber from Canada as well as coals from England with 100 coal boats a year . To assist them the Marquis of Downshire extended the quays to over 800 feet at a cost of £20,000. The harbour was a busy place at the end of the 19th century; up to a hundred coal boats a year arrived from England and Scotland and over forty cargoes of potatoes were exported each autumn. There was a Police Station here in 1889 with W. H. Magee in charge. After the First World War the trade began to decline. Crossing the bar to the inner harbour proved too difficult for larger vessels and merchants now imported through Belfast or Warrenpoint. Dundrum is now a quiet, pleasant village which attracts visitors to the castle. The town population in 1910 was 503 people. (POD)

There is an article about the lifeboat crews of Dundrum Bay in Lecale Miscellany 2002 p 16

Newspaper articles from Down Recorder;
sea bathing lodge 15 Jun 1839; hotel for sale 15 Oct 1842; new post office 16 Aug 1845: digging match 29 Apr 1848: Marquis of Downshire kind to tenants during Famine 27 May 1848: schoolmaster wanted 10 Jun 1848: Downshire Arms Hotel 30 Jun 1849: estate farming society 22 Sep 1849: lead mine 28 Aug 1852:copper mine 4 Jun 1853: steam communication to Whitehaven 23 Sep 1854:Vessel sunk in the bay 13 Jan 1855:article 5 Jul 1856; completion of new bridge 18 Sep 1858; meeting of tenants 1 May 1869.

Newspaper article from Mourne Observer newspaper;
Great Storn of 1843, loss of life 1/03