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and hath a barrack for two companies of foot. The mayoralty houfe is an elegant ftone edifice, with a large affembly room therein, fituated on the north fide of the river. The Tholfel is alfo peculiarly well adapted for that purpose, in which are a feflions house and many elegant apartments for the ufe of the citizens to tranfact business. And St. Lawrence's gate is another antient building; befides many others.

In the year 838, the Oftmen or Danes, arriving in a fleet of near fixty fail, poffeffed themselves of the mouth of the river Boyneat this town. Several privileges were granted to this place by Edward II. especially that of a mint; and in 1365, an academy was erected here, with many ample privileges for the education of youth but for want of proper support it was foon dropped. There is, however, at present here an academy kept by the Rev. Doctor. Norris...

This city made a remarkable defence in the rebellion of 1641, under: Lord Moor. and Sir Henry Tichburn, but was at last obliged to furrender to the Duke of Ormond and Lord Inchiquin. The poft goes from hence fix times a week to Dublin. Lon. I.. 5. lat. 43. 45. The two principal harbours in the county of Louth,. are those of Drogheda and Dundalk. The bay of Dundalk has good moorings at all times of the moon, in four to upwards of eight fathoms water, in which are many very good land

marks

marks either for bringing up or making the town of Dundalk, and in croffing the bar at high water, or ordinary neap tides, there is from 15 to 18 feet water, and the port is very fafe for fhipping. The bay abounds with all forts of fish cuftomary in the channel.

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Dundalk. Is diftant from Drogheda 20 miles north, and 43 from Dublin, north. It is a borough, a market and a post town. It is very ftrong both by nature and art, and feated on a bay of its own name. In 1649, upon the approach of Oliver Cromwell, the rebels quitted this town, as did alfo, in 1689, the popifh garrifon, at the arrival of Duke Schomberg. Edward Bruce, brother of Robert king of Scotland, was defeated near this town, and 8,000 of his men were killed, after having reigned as king for one year in Ireland, and refided in this town.

This was a royal city in the reign of Edward II. when it was a place of confiderable ftrength, being furrounded by a number of caftles and towers, particularly at Rath, Ballrichan, and Rood's town. Several of the monarchs of Ireland were crowned and refided here. Small caftles appear to have been formerly the ordinary refidence of the inhabitants, they being built very strong for their defence, and at convenient diftances from each other.

Killany. This is an antient town, which is fituated very low and by the fide of a river which winds its courfe a little beyond it, but

its

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being in fo low a fituation renders it not much noticed. It had a very fine old church, and a ftone bridge over the river leading to it, which is now almost in ruins. There is

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a little fort or camp adjoining to it, on a large and beautiful green mount, called mount Killany; the height of it is 70 feet, and the circumference at the top 120. It is fuppofed to have been an ancient burial place, and this monument raised to perpetuate the memory of fome prince. Spencer fays, (in his view of the state of Ireland) "It was a great ufe amongst the Irish, to make great affem"blies together upon a rath or hill, there to parley, as is faid, about matters and wrongs between township and township, or one private perfon and another. Far"ther that thefe round hills and fquare "bawns, which we fee fo ftrongly trenched " and thrown up, were at first ordained for "the fame purpose, that people might af "femble themselves therein, and therefore "antiently they were called Folk-motes."

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Atherdee or Ardee. Is fituated 31 miles N. W. from Dublin, 8 miles from Drogheda, and stands upon a small river that falls into Dundalk Bay, and there forms a small harbour. It is a market town, tho' inconfiderable, and a borough. The poft goes to Dublin twice a week: There is a magnifi cent mount, called the Caftle Guard of Atherdee, which is inclofed with a double ditch. The perpendicular height of it is go

feet,

feet, the circumference of the top is about 140, and round the foundation 600 feet. It is fuppofed to be a burial place of fome of the ancient Irish kings; there is a small, but fine old caftle, called the Castle of Killingcool, which is between this town and Dundalk, fituated upon an eminence full in view of all the adjacent country. Underneath it are various vaults and caves of near 12 feet fquare, and are faid to communicate by a long fubterraneous paffage with Castle Derver, diftant about 6 furlongs. There are alfo in the neighbourhood of this town feveral mounts, which were erected to perpetuate the memory of fome of the antient chiefs; this manner of burial in Ireland we have great reafon to believe was first practifed by the Danes, according to Joannes Cypreus, an eminent writer of their nation, who fays: "It was cuftomary with them: "before they could have time to build py

ramids, or raife obelifks, to the memory "of their kings and great men, to erect over them vast hillocks of earth, heaped as high as mountains, and chiefly in fuch places thro' which men continually tra"velled, as high roads and public paffages; "that by this means they might confecrate 66 to pofterity the memory of their moft "celebrated men, and in a manner, render "their names immortal."

Drumiskin. In this village is one of those Danish round ftone towers, which is 110. feet

feet high, and beautifully diminish from a bafe of 18 feet. What was the first intention of these towers, is not generally known; fome imagine them to have been watch towers or beacons; others, that they were purgatorial pillars in which the penitent was immured till it was thought he had purged away his crimes: But, it is moft probable to suppose, that as they are always found near churches, they were defigned for bellfries, or Curfew steeples to warn the people, of any danger, or to call the people together to hear mafs, &c.

Caftlebellingham (commonly called Gernand's-town). Is a fmall inconfiderble town, but is remarkable for there having been formerly a very ftrong camp on a mount called Green Mount, which is fituated near this town, upon the fummit of a large hill, and commands an agreeable point of view of several other remarkable objects which every way enliven the profpect round it. The people that live near it have a tradition, that here was held the firft parliament in Ireland; but there are other accounts which fay, the first Irish parliament was held in the county of Meath. On the plains of Ballinahatney is a fort or bode, which is fuppofed to be one of the common kind of habitations belonging to the first planters. These forts, Spencer fays, were erected for their fecurity,' for the Danes in Ireland being at firft but "few in number, built them on fmall round

"hills'