Newcastle, County Down – History, Tourism and Tragedy
Introduction
Newcastle, in Irish, An Caislean Nua, is a lovely coastal town on Dundrum Bay in County Down. With its long curving sandy beach and backdrop of the Mourne mountains, it is a popular seaside resort.
Situated at the foot of Slieve Donard, at 2,790 ft the highest of the mountains, with the nearby Tollymore and Donard Forests, the area offers a range of outdoor activities as well as breath-taking scenic views.
The Magennis Clan
The original castle or fort that existed here is unknown. However, by 1433 the Annals of the Four Masters, refers to the ‘New’ castle here, possibly built on the same site as its predecessor.
In 1588 Felix Magennis built a substantial tower-house at the mouth of the River Shimna (the same year the Spanish Armada set sail, see link below to ‘Shipwreck! The story of the Girona‘). The name Shimna comes from the Gaelic Simhne and means ‘river of bullrushes’. It rises on the slopes of Mount Ott, and flows through Tollymore Forest Park before entering the sea.
The Magennis clan were a prominent branch of the Uibh Eachach Cobha from the Province of Ulster. The name comes from MacAonghusa meaning ‘son of Angus’. By the 16th century, they were lords of the region of Iveagh, which covered more than half of County Down.
Aftermath of the 1641 Rebellion – James Montgomery
In April 1642, in the aftermath of the 1641 Rebellion, the town and castle were attacked and captured by James Montgomery.
James was the second son of Scotsman Hugh Montgomery and Elizabeth Shaw. Hugh was a favourite of James IV of Scotland (later James I of England).
He was a wily statesman and, by astute political manoeuvring, secured a ‘grant’ of land in the north of Ireland. Subsequently by making a shady deal to enable the release of Con O’Neill, he also secured a third of that chief’s territory (see link to Ballymacarrett post below). This area around Newtownards and Donaghadee he ‘planted’ with Scottish emigrants. These settlers, backed by military force, took over the lands of the native Irish and owed their loyalty to the Montgomery’s and to England.
James Montgomery was born in 1600 at the family seat, Braidstane, Ayreshire, Scotland. He came to Ireland with his father in 1606. In 1629 Hugh gave James estates near Greyabbey and at Castlereagh in County Down. James built a home for himself and wife, Katherine Stewart, called Rosemount, at Greyabbey (see link below to Greyabbey – the first Gothic building in Ireland).
James was a noted soldier and commander. After the siege and capture of Newcastle, he bestowed the town on Robert Hawkins. Hawkin’s grandson, also Robert, subsequently added Magill to their surname.
“The Newcastle estates passed from Con Magennis after the 1641 rebellion to Robert Hawkins of London, thence Edward Matthews, an attorney, who had a ‘well improved demesne’ here in the eighteenth century, when Mrs Delaney visited him in his house the old castle”
E Estyn Evans, Mourne Country, 1967
The Fate of the Castle
After the Matthews family the castle and lands were acquired by the Annesley’s. Subsequently, they remodelled the tower-house and rented it to the Board of Customs for staff accommodation.
In 1830, the coast guard were asked to leave, the old castle building was demolished and the Annesley Arms Hotel built on the site. This building cost £3,000 and was designed by Mr Duff of Belfast.
The Annesleys originated in Nottinghamshire and came to Ireland as part of the Elizabethan Plantation policy. In time they owned 25,000 acres of land in County Down.
The Donard Lodge
The third earl Annesley, William Richard, built a new home for himself and his wife Priscilla on the slopes of Slieve Donard above the town. This was named Donard Lodge.
The earl married Priscilla in 1828, the daughter of Hugh Moore of Eglantine (he had divorced his first wife Lady Isabell St Lawrence by whom he had a daughter Mary, in 1821). The couple went on to have six sons – William Richard, Hugh, Robert, Arthur, George and William Octavius.
Their ‘marine residence’ at Newcastle was a large two-storey house designed in the classical style. The architect and builder was John Lynn.
Constructed of granite, it had a central block with two side wings and a curvilinear conservatory. The front elevation had 11 bays and the large windows had panoramic views.
The extensive grounds looked over St John’s Point in the bay, and were planted with firs and laid to lawns, but also contained a number of quirky features such as an aviary, a shell house and a hermitage. The landscaping was the work of Lady Annesley and her brother, the Rev John Moore of Rowallane.
“Donard Lodge, the picturesque seat of the young Earl of Annesley, and of his mother the Countess of Annesley, a spot of the rarest charms, which wealth and taste have converted, as with an enchanter’s wand, from a sterile waste, into an Eden of perpetual beauty”
The Tourist’s Picturesque Guide, 1872
Also within the garden was a chalybeate spa, that is, a spa supplied with natural iron-rich spring water. This water was believed to have health-enhancing properties. ‘Taking the waters’ at such resorts was a popular Victorian pastime. The earl also allowed locals to benefit from the spring.
“Newcastle by the way, forms no inconsiderable portion of the Annesley estates, and is the most beautiful, the most popular, and the most prosperous seaside watering place in Ireland”
Robert M Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster, 1909
However, after Priscilla Annesley’s death on 29th March 1891, Donard Lodge was rented out. It later fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1966.
The Development of Newcastle Town
William Richard Annesley was the MP for Downpatrick and the High Sheriff of County Down. He helped to develop the town of Newcastle and had the harbour constructed to accommodate larger vessels. Trade was mainly the export of oats, barley and potatoes, largely to Dublin and Liverpool.
St John’s Church
In 1832 the 3rd earl paid £1,200 for the construction of a new church, the original quote for the building had been £700 (some things never change). It was dedicated to St John. This sits in an area known as Black Rock, due to the proximity of a black shingle beach.
The first service was led by the Rev John Forbes Close on 18th November 1832. The earl of Annesley paid the curate a stipend of £100. The church was enlarged in 1876 and again in 1902.
The Town – Early Days
The town itself grew up at the confluence of three rivers, the Shimna, the Burren and the Tullybranigan.
In the 1830’s it consisted of 160 houses, mostly thatched white-washed cottages. There were several grocery stores with some doubling as pubs, a police barracks and a Post Office with James Hyland as post master.
Newcastle was a working town and fishing port. In the early 1800’s the jetty had been improved by Lord Annesley. One of its main exports was granite. The quarry begun in 1824 by J Lynn Esq produced particularly high-quality granite. Most folk earned their living by fishing or working in the granite quarry.. A popular way to supplement income was by offering lodgings during the summer season.
The Storm of 1843
One sad memory lives on in the town today. On 13th January 1843 a fierce storm was to result in a tragic loss of life. 16 boats from Newcastle and the nearby village of Annalong, were on their way to the herring grounds when they were engulfed. The morning had been exceptionally fine and calm and the skiffs had ventured out further than usual.
“Then, about noon, disaster struck. Without warning, the wind veered from south to north-west, bringing violent gusts and blinding snow squalls howling down the Mourne Mountains”
History Ireland, 13th January 2012
The strong winds capsized the boats including one rescue vessel, whose 12-man crew all perished. Only two ships, the ‘Victoria’ skippered by John Croskery and the ‘Brothers’ skippered by ‘Blind’ McVeigh, survived. One of these was hauled ashore by Glasdrumman local, George Thompson. 8 lives were saved. Mr Thompson was subsequently awarded a Royal National Lifeboat Institution Silver Medal.
73 fishermen lost their lives that day, 46 from Newcastle. Left behind were 37 widows, 157 fatherless children and 42 dependents, 18 of whom were elderly parents. King Street which was the home of most of the fisher-folk was said to be “bereft of men”.
“A most awful catastrophe has befallen this village. No fewer than forty six fishermen belonging to Newcastle, perished in the storm yesterday. Such a scene of desolation, lamentation and woe, as this place presents, has seldom been witnessed……One poor widow, named Ward, has been deprived of three sons”
Northern Whig, 17th January 1843
Widows Row
The community as a whole, were stunned and dismayed. Thankfully, they rallied together to collect funds for the stricken families. In the following weeks £1,000 was raised. In Newcastle, 12 cottages were built above the harbour for these poor families – these are still known as Widows’ Row.
It is said that on stormy nights a crying woman still haunts the harbour.
“Many a look those fishers took to see if help was nigh,
They were too far off, the storm increased, all human help went by,
Boat after boat has sunk and swamped beneath the big green waves,
And seventy-two fine fishermen they all met watery graves.
Newcastle town is one long street entirely stripped of men,
And near to it a village small has lost no less than ten,
In Annalong a widow woman three sons from her were torn,
So widows, orphans and sweethearts at now weep in deep mourn”
From the ballad of The Newcastle Fishermen
Newcastle Tourism
The Railway Station
Due to its favourable location, the efforts of the Annesley family and improved transport systems Newcastle’s tourism industry flourished. The railway line from Belfast to Newcastle commenced operations on 25th March 1869. Subsequently, the Belfast and County Down Railway company rebuilt the station and clock tower in 1905.
“Once inside (the station), the flower-bedecked concourse had a wonderfully cosmopolitan atmosphere”
Desmond Coakham, Belfast and County Down Railway, 1998
The red-brick station is a well-known landmark in the town and is a B1 listed building (unfortunately it now houses a supermarket).
Holidays in Newcastle
“In addition to its trade as a port, it has made great advances as a fashionable place for sea-bathing, and is now nearly a mile in length, containing several large and handsome private dwelling-houses and numerous comfortable and respectable lodging-houses”
Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
The Slieve Donard Hotel
Design & Construction
An example of the popularity of Newcastle as a holiday resort was the construction of the luxurious Slieve Donard Hotel. This was commissioned by the Belfast and County Down Railway company.
A competition was held to design the new hotel. Of the 32 entrants the winning design was that of James J Farrell of Dublin (1810-1893).
Construction started in 1896 and took two years to complete at a cost of £44,000. Farrell working with the Belfast firm of Young and Mackenzie, produced a sumptuous red-brick building of balconies, towers and dormers, the epitome of Victorian opulence.
Slieve Donard Facilities
The hotel contained 120 elegant bedrooms, furnished with Chippendale furniture, Persian carpets and fireplaces. The public rooms included a Drawing Room, a Grand Coffee Room, a Reading & Writing Room, a Smoking Room and a Billiards Room. Each were fitted with sumptuous furnishings, ornate décor and glass chandeliers.
Every possible requirement was catered for from hairdressing salons to bathing rooms –
“One could partake of fresh sea water baths, douche, spray, needle and Turkish baths in all the comfort of the hotel and all provided by electric pump straight from the sea”.
The hotel also had its own ‘mini farm’ providing fresh vegetables and livestock to the dining room, as well as its own bakery and laundry. The kitchens were equipped with the latest conveniences from Paris.
The exquisite manicured grounds swept, quite literally, down to the beach. This was the work of prestigious landscape designer, Mr Milner of London.
“Terraces, mounds, tennis swards, flower and foliage patches, a rosary, kitchen gardens and numerous broad serpentine walks, filled with gravel are artistically cut out”
Belfast Newsletter, 22nd June 1898
The Opening of the Slieve Donard in Newcastle
The Slieve Donard Hotel opened in June 1898 in a grand ceremony led by the Countess Annesley.
“Countess Annesley wore a charming costume of cream muslin delaine, handsomely trimmed with chiffon and lace and bands of black velvet, and a black picture hat, which thoroughly became her”
Belfast Newsletter, 22nd June 1898
Also in attendance were the Marquis and Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, various other nobility and high-ranking clergy. Others included the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Henderson, Thomas Andrews chairman of BCRC, and representatives of the worlds of politics, education, military, medical and literature as well as the requisite number of socialites.
A special train had been laid on from Belfast. After speeches and the official opening, the Countess Annesley was presented with a symbolic key inlaid with enamel pictures of the hotel and the Annesley crest.
“The key is chastely fashioned in gold and richly studded in diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls. The gift was supplied by Messrs Gibson & Co Ltd of Castle Place”
The fashionable party then retired for luncheon
Famous Guests
The Slieve Donard has a long history of welcoming famous guests.
In 1897, during construction, it was visited by the Duke and Duchess of York (later the English king George V and Queen Mary). Another royal guest was king Leopold of Belgium.
Stars from the worlds of entertainment and sport have also signed the register including Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, Jack Charlton, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Another famous guest was the poet, painter and song-writer Percy French, who penned the song ‘Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep down to the Sea’.
The hotel even featured, until quite recently, the Charlie Chaplin Cocktail Lounge, after the movie star’s visit in 1920. This must have been a rather poignant stay as Mr Chaplin had come to Ireland to find a lost love, only to discover that she had recently passed away.
The Slieve Donard, Newcastle in the 20th Century
In the early twentieth century Mr and Mrs William and Emily Collins were in charge of the hotel.
The live-in staff of 20 included chambermaids, porters, laundry maids, scullery maids and a still room maid (someone who made jams and chutneys, dried herbs and bottled drinks, and prepared ‘afternoon tea’).
Miss Annie Howson was the housekeeper and Miss Elizabeth Heaton was the cook, both came from England. There were also two ‘female clerks’ Miss Annie McMillen and Miss Winifred Frahy, and two barmaids Miss Kathleen O’Meara from Tipperary and Miss Maria Mageean.
Interestingly, among the staff were two boilermen one from Bohemia and one from Austria.
The hotel guests at this time (2nd April 1911), came from all over Ireland, England, Scotland and the United States. Among the residents were two barristers, a solicitor, a master surgeon and two high court judges.
The Slieve Donard, today remains a welcoming and luxurious hotel and spa with ‘old world’ elegance. It remains a firm favourite with golfers due to the adjacent Royal County Down Golf course.
“This fashionable watering-place has become this summer more attractive than ever. Nature has done much to make it beautiful, and art has not been wanting to increase its beauties. The towering mountain and the glorious sea invite visitors by their grandeur and beauty”
The Tourist’s Picturesque Guide, 1872
By the turn of the twentieth century Newcastle had grown greatly in size. It is described in the Belfast and Ulster Towns Directory for 1910 as a ‘Charming Seaport and Bathing Resort, Noted for its golf links’. At this time, it had a population of 1,553.
In addition to the Slieve Donard Hotel, there was the Bellevue Hotel run by Mr Samuel Tuft, the Donard Buildings Hotel, manager E Brady and the Temperance Hotel with Miss Curtin, proprietress.
There were also 4 churches and 3 schools plus the Ladies Collegiate School at Clare Lodge, principals the Misses Park. There were a range of shops including John Cunninghan’s Boot Emporium and General Posting Establishment. There was also a good supply of tea-rooms such as Miss Craig’s tea-room on Cadogan Ave and Mrs Kennedy offered ‘refreshment’ at Apiary Cottage. The postal service seems to have been particularly efficient with mail arriving three times a day – 7:40am, 11:00am and 6:30pm. Letter were dispatched at 9:10am, 2:10pm, 5:00pm and 6:10pm. The busy post mistress was a Mrs McCoach.
Today Newcastle remains a popular and busy sea-side resort offering a wide range of shops, restaurants and amusements. The pedestrianised promenade and safe sandy beach make it a favourite destination for families. The towering mountains and forest parks provide endless outdoor activities such as trekking and camping as well as the chance to simply enjoy nature.
“Ireland has many beautiful watering places, but among them all there is not one surpassing Newcastle in extent and variety of attractions. There are good bathing places, coast and mountain scenery, too grand for exaggerated description, and walks and drives, numerous enough to fill out the measure of an ordinary mortal’s desire for sight-seeing”
George Henry Bassett, County Down 100 Years Ago, 1886
Related Posts
Shipwreck! The Story of the Girona
Ballymacarrett – From a Rural Village to a Shipbuilding Giant
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