The vast majority of the people in Mourne would have lived in small rural cottages or houses situated along the main street in the town. Hanna’s Close is a good way to get feel for what life was like living in small rural cottages. This cluster of cottages were built in the 1600s by the Hanna’s who came to Ireland from Scotland around 1640. The dwellings were all built close together with only one door facing into the close and a few small windows at the back. This was to protect them from attacks. The Close is situated in the townland of Aughnahoory and in 1860 there were eight families of Hanna’s living in the Close.

 

Those families who were better off would have lived in bigger houses of higher value and those who were very wealthy would have lived in ‘Gentleman’s Seats’.

Gentleman’s Seats in Mourne in 1823

Heartsfort : Thomas Pottinger

Jane-Brook : James Marmion

Kilmorey House : Viscount Kilmorey

Loyalty Farm : Lt. Col. G. Matthews

Mournepark : John Moore

Prospect : Alexander Chesney

Summer-Seat : Rev. Lucas Waring

Shannon-Grove : Francis Moore

White Water Mill : W. C. Emerson

Bellhill : John Waring

[Info. on Gentleman’s Seats from the Hugh Irvine Collection]

In 1860 a valuation and report was commissioned to evaluate the condition, managment and profitabilty of the Newry and Mourne Estates of Francis Jack Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey.

This report was translated and published through a project between Newry and Mourne Museum and the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates. The report gives us a unique insight into the state of our locality during the 19th Century.

In 1860 Kilmorey did not occupy the home estates in Newry and Mourne as his father had left it in the hands of three trustees due to the 2nd Earls eccentric characteristics. Kilmorey’s cousin Octavius Newry Knox was entrusted with the task of carrying out the valuation and report. It seems that in the wake of the Great Famine the estate managers were looking to improve and modernise the rental capacity and profitabltiy of the Irish lands.

The Kilmorey property consisted of 38,923 Irish acres, with Mourne making up 31,037 acres. Half of the Mourne estate was mountain with the rest classed as mostly arable. In 1846 the total rental of the Kilmorey lands were estimated at £20,000 (roughly £882,000 today). It had only fallen to £18,930 (roughly £817,018.80 today) by 1860 showing that County Down had not suffered to a massive extent from the extremities of the famine, when compared with the rest of Ireland.

A map of the Mourne Park Demesne surveyed in 1812.

Mourne Park House had fallen into disrepair by 1860 and there was dry rot in several rooms, the water supply was unreliable and the sewage system needed improved. There were 5 cottages on the Mourne Park demesne; 3 houses occupied by William Duncan, John Moore and James Curlett, with James McBurney living in a labourers cottage. They were all in good enough repair.

Mourne Park House. This photo was taken prior to 1892.

There were five main schools on the Mourne Estate; Kilkeel, Annalong, Cargenagh, Attical and Mourne Park. All schools were run in association with the Church Education Society and were well conducted and attended. The Kilmorey Arms Hotel was built by John Shannon in 1843, built of stone and slated with several outbuildings. There was a flax scutching mill in Tullyframe built in 1852 at a cost of £458.

The principal crops of the area were potatoes, flax, oats and wheat. Most of the land was arable but that which was mountainus or boggy could have been improved by a better system of cultivation. The soil was mostly light but there was a presence of clay and loam. Land of better quality was found nearer the sea. One of the main disadvantages of the estate was its distance from Newry town. Knox comments that ‘considerable improvements’ had been made by the tenants over the years and while it is of no great advantage to the landlord, ‘it is satisfactory to find that the condition of the estate is not retrograding.’

For a more detailled insight into the Newry and Mourne Estates of the Kilmoreys see A Report on a 19th Century Estate in South Down, published by Newry and Mourne Museum.

In an 1810 rental the townlands of Mourne in the Kilmorey Estate were as follows;

‘Aghyoghill, Aughnahorry, Ballintur, Ballygowan, Ballykeel Beg, Ballyveagh More, Corcreaghan, Cranfield, Carginagh, Derryogue, Drumcro, Drumindoney, Drummon, Glassdrumman, Greencastle, Leitram, Magheramurphy, Magheragh, Maghery, Moneydoragh Beg, Moneydorragh More, Moyad and Tullyframe.’

The founder of the Kilmorey family’s Irish estates was Sir Nicholas Bagnal. He was granted the lands in Newry and Mourne in the 1500s. In 1673 his heir died leaving no male issue. His lands were transferred to his cousin Robert Needham.

The 4th Earl of Kilmorey

The earldom of Kilmorey was created for General Francis Needham in 1822. His son Jack Francis became the 2^nd Earl and an absentee landlord when the estate was left in the hands of his three trustees. The 3^rd Earl inherited the lands and title in 1880 and made Ireland one of his permanent residences.  He, his wife Ellen Constance Baldock and their family spent a lot of time in Mourne.

Mourne Park House and a map of the Mourne Park Demesne

Mourne Park House was the family residence of the Needham Family. It was originally built in the early 19th Century as a two story building by Robert Needham, 11th Viscount Kilmorey. A third story was added sometime after 1820 and more extensions followed in 1859. It was listed as a ‘Gentleman’s Seat’ in 1812 and a description of its grounds were as below in 1864;

‘Mourne Park, the beautiful estate of the Earl of Kilmorey, the woods and grounds of which clothe the base of Knockchree (Hill of the Deer), 1013 ft. crowned on the summit with an observatory. Here the White Water is crossed…’ [1]

Mourne Park House.

The earldom of Kilmorey was created in 1822 for General Francis Needham (1748-1832). His son Jack Francis Needham inherited the title and became the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey after his father’s death. He was renowned for being a very eccentric and colourful person and this lead his father to leave the Mourne Park estate to his three trustees. As a result Kilmorey became an absentee landlord, with little interest in spending time in Ireland. The trustees of the estate were all married to three sisters of the 2nd Earl. [2]

The staff and servants of Mourne Park House.

In 1860, a son of one of the trustee’s Octavius Newry Knox carried out a detailed report on the estates belonging to Lord Kilmorey. In this report we can get a better picture of what life was like in Mourne at the time. Knox details the conditions of the land, lists the schools present in the area, discusses the use of sea wrack, along with including descriptions of prominent buildings in Mourne at the time. He also details the state of Mourne Park house and its grounds. The Lord Killmorey at the time was an absentee landlord and this is evident as the report suggests that the house is falling into disrepair. The Mourne Park mansion and premises were held by Captain Ramsay. Knox states the internal woodwork of the mansion is in need of painting and there are some signs of dry rot in the house, causing one part of the floor in a bed chamber to have fallen in. The water pipes supplying the house were also unreliable. [3]

The 3rd Earl of Kilmorey inherited the title in 1880 following Jack Francis’ death and spent a lot of time in Mourne Park. He married Ellen Constance Baldock in 1881. ‘Nellie’ Kilmorey was reported to have inherited ‘the Teck Emeralds’ from her lover Francis of Teck, the brother of Queen Mary.. The 4th Earl of Kilmorey who died in 1961 was the last Earl to live in the house and it has been passed down through the female line to the current owner Marion Needham Russell. Marion is a cousin of Richard Needham M.P., the 6th Earl of Kilmorey. [4]

Nellie Kilmorey and the family enjoying Mourne Park and the sunshine.

Over recent years Marion and her family had restored the house to some of its former glory and they used it as their home. Unfortunately a serious fire destroyed this beautiful house in May 2013, gutting it internally and destroying centuries of history.

This is a far cry from days gone by, when the mansion was used for extravagant parties, hare coursings, summer fetes and lavish entertainment for the visiting Earl and his guests. The house is steeped in history and can boast of royal guests such as King Edward VII and movie star Errol Flynn. [5]

Inside Mourne Park House

Photos belong to PRONI.

---

Thomas Norris died in KIlkeel Workhouse on 10 May 1894. He was 78 years old when he died and he was a widower.

Norris was a carpenter. His effects of £33 were granted at Belfast to his daughter Mary Bingham of Aughnahoory (wife of William Bingham). This will was written two days before he died.

[Will available from PRONI]

The Royal Hotel was owned by a Mr John Annett. It went on fire in 1890 and was badly damaged.

Wednesday December 17th, 1890. AN HOTEL ON FIRE An exciting scene was witnessed at Kilkeel, County Down, yesterday morning.  The Royal Hotel, which is kept by Mr. Annett, took fire at an early hour, and the flames speedily spread through the building, the inmates of which were all asleep.  When they were aroused, the means of escape from the upper rooms was cut off, and the proprietor, his wife, and the servants called for help from the windows.  A crowd soon collected, and Mr. Annett threw his son to some men below, who caught him safely.  Mr. Annett and his wife then leaped from the window, and reached the ground uninjured.  The servant girls were then seen at an upper window, from which they screamed frantically.  One of them jumped, and received such injuries that she is not expected to recover.  The other girl was rescued by means of a ladder.  The flames were not extinguished until much damage had been done. (From Raymond’s County Down Website)

John Rooney bought it in the late 1890s. He refurbished it turning it into a 29 room accommodation, sparing no expense.

The Old Church of St. Colman’s

This is the 15th Century church from which Kilkeel derives its name; ‘Church of the Narrow Place.’ In 1622 it was described as a ruin.

Between 1836 and 1940 it was used as a school, supported in the beginning by Kildare Street Society and then later by Lord Kilmorey.Under Kilmorey, the schoolmaster was paid £31 and then the Rev. Close added to this a further £9.

Church of Ireland

Work on the church began in 1815 and cost £7000. This is equivalent to almost £300,000 in present day. A large sum of money was given by Lord Kilmorey to help cover some of the expenses. It was designed by Newry architect Thomas Duff. The transept was added in 1885 and the chancel in 1898.

The rector at this time was the Reverend Close. The fine church was grand and in good repair, but had no organ and was perhaps slightly too big for its congregation.

Clergy of the Church

• 1826: John Forbes Close
• 1883: Edward O’Brian Pratt
• 1887: Thomas Haines Abrahall
• 1890: Freemann Nathaniel Dudley
• 1898: Henry McKnight [info. from Hugh Irvine Collection]

St. Colman’s Roman Catholic Church

Before this chapel was built the people worshipped outside at the place called Massfourth. Work on the building began in 1811 and was completed in 1818. It was replaced in 1870 at a cost of £5000. The 2005 equivalent of this amount was roughly £230,000.

Mourne Presbyterian

The date stone of the church is 1720, extant from a meeting house in the upper part of the present graveyard. The church built in 1756 replaced the original in Ballymageough. It was t-shaped and thatched. In 1831 it was replaced costing £800 (equivalent of roughly £40,000) and the church looked like the present building. The first known minister was Rev. Charles Wallace.

Kilkeel Presbyterian

The congregation was being organised in 1822-23. In 1827 the Rev. John Allen was ‘called’ as its first minister. The church was then in Meeting House Lane.

From 1831 to 1874 the minister was the Rev. George Nesbitt and he was succeeded by the Rev. Robert White from 1875-1910. He lived in ‘Cromlech House’ and had a certain amount of medical knowledge. At this time the congregation did not have a manse. It is thought he got a lease of his house and farm from the Kilmorey Estate. Part of the farm was a field on the opposite corner from Knox’s Shop which was eventually sold by him to Mrs. Rooney, after whom the road was named.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid by the Countess of Kilmorey in 1894 and the building was completed and opened in 1897. The cost was £1006. This was roughly worth £60,000 in 2005. The pitch pine pews cost £45. Mr Eadie came as minister in 1911, staying until 1946.

The church was very poor in Rev. Eadie’s time and the congregation was very small. Mr Eadie had one son who died young, and two daughters. There was a chance of the church being closed in 1946. Money however appeared in the bank, as the Americans had rented the church hall during the war and they persuaded the Church to retain the congregation. They then called the Rev. G. S. McKeown as minister in 1946. He remained until 1954 when he was succeeded by Rev. S. L. S. Fullerton.

[Info. from Hugh Irvine Collection]

Moravian Church

The Moravian church and settlement was situated in Mourne Abbey, Kilkeel. The church was built in 1763 but sold in 1817 and used as a private dwelling.

The minister at the time was Brother James O’Harrill, who died in 1807. In 1832 they moved to Newcastle Street and built the church and manse.

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. Why was the potato grown and consumed on such a widespread scale in Ireland?

Potatoes were quite reliable and could produce a very good harvest (when not blighted). It was a vegetable which needed little care or attention when growing, so it was ideal for the majority of the population. The potato formed the basis of the Irish peoples diet, and could be used along with some diary produce such as milk. When the crop failed however, this caused major problems all over Ireland.

Other food stuffs such a oats, poultry and beef were in plentiful supply but these were expensive items and were shipped abroad by English landowners.

According to the report on the Kilmorey Estate by Octavius Knox, the main crops grown in the Mourne district by local farmers were potatoes, flax, oat and wheat. Potatoes would have been the principle meal for most people. An advantage of living in Mourne was it closeness to the sea. People would have benefited from this as they could live off the sea if need be, as well as the land.

Traditional foods such as Irish Stew were popular even in the 1800s. Praise for it was captured in this poem from the 1800s,

‘Then hurrah for an Irish Stew
That will stick to your belly like glue.’

Irish Soda Bread

In the early and mid 1800’s, rural Ireland did not have a strong tradition of bread made by using yeast. All baking was done in the home and, in addition to having limited baking supplies, time was often at a premium. The use of baking soda as a leavening agent was quick, effective and it produced a much more consistent result than yeast did. It caught on quickly and made soda breads a staple of the Irish diet until commercial bread production began. Irish soda bread is still popular with the Irish, as well as with people of other nationalities from all over the world.

The original soda breads contained nothing more than flour, buttermilk, baking soda and salt. The buttermilk was leftover from the butter making process and the bread was almost always served with freshly churned butter. Today, the bread often contain additional ingredients such as sugar, butter, currants or caraway seeds, to enhance the flavour of the bread. Soda bread is heartier than most yeast breads and goes very well with soups, stews and meat dishes. Modern soda bread mixes are available for those with a busy schedule and are easy to make with a delicious result.

Stirabout

Stirabout was a mixture, something almost like porridge. According to the Kilkeel Board of Guardians for the workhouse, they gave the inmates stirabout made from Indian meal and butter milk which was left over from the butter making process, therefore it was readily available and meant that nothing would be going to waste. This would have been a cheap meal, something which labourers/peasants would have eaten when potatoes were not available. It would have little flavour but it was still a meal.

Soup

Soup was a good, easily accessible and relatively cheap meal for most people. A farmer in Mourne would have had all the necessary ingredients due to being able to grow them himself on whatever land he had; potatoes, vegetables, barley etc. It was simple and easy to make, and if consumed with some homemade bread or soda bread, it would have been a filling and relatively taste meal. If you were lucky, there could have been some scraps of meal thrown in as well.

Shopping for Food

For those who did not have access to ingredients first hand from farming etc. there were many places in Kilkeel they could visit to acquire their daily essentials such as butchers, bakers, grocers etc. These stores would have been small and run by local people, nothing like the chains of supermarkets were are used to visiting today. Many stores would have had multiple uses, being a grocers and perhaps a bakery at the same time.

Below is a list of all the grocers in the Mourne area in 1870;

• Kilkeel: Thomas Baird, William Boyd, Neale Clarke, Arthur Crory, Robert Crutchley, Sarah Doyle, James Hagan, John Henderson, James McGinn, Moses Hill, George McKnight, Matthew Martin, Mary Minnis, James Morgan, Patrick Morgan, Ross Henry, Samuel Shannon, Maria Sloan, Samuel Woods.
• Ballymartin: William Annett, John Higgins.
• Ballygowan: James Cunningham.
• Annalong: John Gibney, James Robinson.
• Dunavan: James McCartney.
• Glassdrummond: Francis McGreevy.[1]

Here is a selection of the bakers present in 1870s Kilkeel;

Daniel Curran, James Doyle, James Hagan (who was also a grocer listed above and a spirit dealer), James McCartan, Thomas McKee, Matthew Martin, James Morgan, Henry Ross and Maria Sloan.

As you can see some of the bakers above overlap with the grocer section, demonstrating how some traders were taking on many different roles in order to supply the public with food stuffs.

 

This is a photo of Bridge Street.  If you look closely at the left hand side of the street you can see Morgan’s Bakers. It is the building with the lowest roof.

Bradshaw’s General Directory of Kilkeel for 1819 lists Owen Feran and Francis Keirnan as butchers.[2]

Price of Food in the 1800s

In 1817, 12 stone of potatoes cost 6s6d and 7lb of meal cost 2s0d.[3]

In September 1846 the Board of Guardians were able buy a ton of oatmeal for £18.10.0 and a ton of indian meal for £13.0.0. The Board also advertised for tenders of supplying bread of a ‘coarse quality’ for the workhouse in 1846. They were received by Alexander Gordon, Matthew Martin and James Morgan. Gordon’s came in at 1&3/8 per lb and Martin’s at the same, whereas Morgan’s was priced at 1&1/2 per lb. [4]

Even though the 1800s seems like a long, long time ago, children still had to go to school. Education has changed a lot since this period though, and children back in these days would have learnt very different subjects to what we are used to today, such as the ‘Three R’s’: Reading, writing and arithmetic. School children would not have worn uniforms and there would have been severe punishments for anyone who misbehaved…the cane! People in Kilkeel would have been very glad of the opportunity to educate their children, which is evident from the number of schools in the area and the number of attendees.

Children on their way to school barefoot, carrying turf for the fire.

In the report on the Kilmorey Estate of 1860, Octavius Knox names five of the main schools on the estate. They are as follows;

• Kilkeel: It was built in 1852 and is a mixed school under one roof. Henry Cook is the master, Maria McConnell is the Mistress of the Infant School and Isabella McConnell is the mistress of the Sewing School. He claims the school is in good repair.
• Annalong: built in 1850. The schoolmaster was J. A. Henry and the schoolmistress was Rachel Gordon. There was a master’s house under the same roof, all of which is in good repair.
• Cargenah: built in 1842 and the schoolmaster is David Gillespie. The masters house is also under the same roof and in fair condition. It was small and is reported to have served Catholic and Protestant children.
• Allicaul (Attical): was originally an old cottage converted into a school in 1846. The other part is occupied by schoolmaster James Heron.
• Mourne Park School: This is part of an old dwelling house which was converted into a schoolroom in 1840. The remained is occupied by schoolmaster James Chambers. Knox claims the schoolroom is too small for the number of pupils (around 100) and is also inconveniently situated within the walls of Mourne Park. The rest of the building houses the schoolmasters family, which is described as ‘inadequate accommodation’ for the 3 adult s and 2 children who were living there at the time.[1]

Knox reports that apart from the above problems all the schools were conveniently arranged, fitted their purpose and were very well conducted. They were well attended and were associated with the Church Education Society and annually visited by Inspectors.[2]

Along with these schools which were mostly built by the direction of Lord Kilmorey, there were other smaller establishments scattered over the country side;

• Cranfield: The school first opened in 1892 for boys. They came from Cranfield, Ballyardle, Benagh and Derryogue. The pupils on its opening were Thomas Annett, William Coffey, Isaac Coffey, Richard Nicholson, Charles Orr, Jno. Orr, Charles Stevenson, James Stevenson, Arthur Patterson, Thomas Hanna, Albert McKee, Robert H. Reilly, Henry Coffey, Jno. Coffey. The principal in 1893 was Mrs Isabella Orr.[3]

There were also schools at Ballinran, Ballyveaghmore and Bignian. A school was also held in the Old St. Colman’s Church under the support of Lord Kilmorey for a time. It was converted into a school in 1836 and housed 146 children.[4]

In an 1863 Valuation of Kilkeel, local schools and their values were listed;

• The National School House and yard beside Mourne Presbyterian Church. Valued at £11.
• The Church Education Society school house and yard in Market Place, Kilkeel. Valued at £15.
• The National School House in Ballykeel valued at £1.0.0.
• Ballyveaghmore Church Education School House, leased for Francis Chesney. Valued at £2.10.0.[5]

Hedge Schools

There were numerous hedge schools scattered around Mourne. They were ‘secret schools’ due to the strict laws against Roman Catholics, disallowing them from setting up and attending schools. Children of all ages were sent here. One local hedge school was situated in Derryogue.

Working at sea is something which Mourne men are renowned for, but in the 1800s some men chose to work away from the locality of Kilkeel. Working on large ships was a dangerous employ but it was a job which provided a steady income along with guaranteed meals and the promise of seeing the world. Two Kilkeel men who left their homes to venture across the oceans on large ships were John Boyd and James Alexander Beck.

Letters from John Boyd to his father David Boyd in Kilkeel.

John Boyd was working onboard The Venus.

• He wrote this letter from Belfast, 3 March 1816

‘I did not join the Venus to the Tuesday following [Sunday]. I do not think we will sail before this day eight days on.’

‘I was much surprised to see two boys from Derryogue on my going into the office…wanting to get bound to the sea which it was impossible for them to get done on account of so many boys being in the trade.’

John however put in a good word for them and they were put under his care on the Venus. The two boys from Derryogue were called Jack McConnell and Tom Burns. John wanted his father to write him before he left Belfast. He gives his best to his mother, family and the Green family, finishing the letter, ‘Your loving son, John Boyd.’

• From Belfast, 8 September 1816

John writes that he wished to see his father but will just have to wait until it ‘please God I come back again.’

He received some shirts from his father and is under ‘great many obligations for your kindness’ and hopes in time he will be able to repay him. He wishes his father to say no more about him not having to pay him back as he ‘would be but a very ungrateful son if [he] could not give more than that to [his] father.

He goes on to talk about an ‘awful scene’ on Friday last. It was in reference to ‘the execution of the two unfortunate men opposite the Castle wall in High Street.’ He said it was a wet day but you still could not move in High Street or Donegal Place with the military and crowds of onlookers. He observed that it seemed ‘the poor fellows [were] reconciled to meet their fate.’ They were buried at Knockbracken in one grave and he was told that it was the largest funeral ever seen in Belfast. The two men were reportedly executed for burglary and this was the last public execution to take place in Belfast.

John mentions meeting a Bob McKee and closes the letter with ‘and I remain your loving son John Boyd.’

• From Belfast, 1 January 1817

John tells his father that he has arrived safely back in Belfast Monday last after a short but very severe passage. He couldn’t write him from London because there was too much going on after the loss of two ships. He was also sorry about informing his father about the loss of the Kelly. All hands and 17 passengers were lost on Sunday past on the banks of Liverpool.

John tells his father that his friend from Derryogue, Tom Burns has left the ship to go home despite him trying to persuade him  otherwise; ‘I suppose he got frightened of the sea this last passage home. He can let you know all about me.’ He finishes this letter with the remark, ‘remaining your ever loving son to death, John Boyd.’

In all the letters John always asks about his family, Mrs Hallyday, Miss Vance and the Green family.

During his time at sea between May 1814 and February 1815 John visited London, Gosport, Gibraltar, Lisbon and Milford. His pay on board the ship was £3 per month.

The Diary of James Alexander Beck to Mary Ann McBurney of Derryogue during the voyage of the RMS Oroya which left London 23 November 1888.

The Pacific Steam Navigation Co’s RMS Oroya was built by Barrow Ship Building Co. and was designed for a sailing service to Australia. She was launched 31 August 1886 and later sold to the Royal Mail Line in 1906. She was renamed Oro for her final voyage and was broken up in Italy in 1909.

One man who was working on board this ship during one of its trips to Australia was Kilkeel man James Alexander Beck. He kept a daily journal of the day to day goings on aboard the ship for his wife Mary Ann McBurney from Derryogue. His voyage lasted from November 1888 to 4 January 1889. His writings can give us a sneak peek into what life aboard a large steam ship would have been like.

The first few entries tell us of the ship encountering many bad storms and he writes that most people were suffering from extreme sea sickness. He was very glad when they passed the Bay of Biscay as the worst part of their journey was now over. They were on their way to Gibraltar.

James spent Christmas Day at sea and joined in with the rest of the ship hands wishing one another a Merry Christmas. They wanted to make the day as pleasant as possible and some started to sing Christmas carols. They had a dinner of soup and potatoes with fresh pork and plum for their main, followed by a small pie. For dessert they had tea and bread with jam and then finished it all with a small bun.

His Christmas Day entry is very poignant and it is clear he was missing home; ‘I often think of home today and when I think of the past Xmas I spent with you… I can surely say that this one is the worst I have spent for years… We have gained nearly seven hours since we left so that one can almost tell on a day like this what you are doing.’

At the end of each diary entry John records the position of the ship. On Christmas Day they were at latitude 17.33 S, longitude 99.7 E and distance 319. This tells us that the RMS Oroya was somewhere in the Indian Ocean nearing the coast of Australia’s Western Territory.

On 31 December, New Year’s Eve, John writes about an outbreak of the measles, with nine new cases this day. He and all on board hoped that they would be put into quarantine so as not to infect the rest of the passengers. At half past midnight he joined with all the hands in singing Auld Lang Sine when they returned below to retire to their bunks.

On New Year’s Day he writes they were all simply happy to have reached the new year safely and were looking forward to the end of their journey. The ‘Scotch folk’ on board had a party that evening; ‘I was invited and spent a very pleasant evening. The best since I came on board…I may tell you that I am taken for a Scotsman by nearly all on board and as I have got back my Glasgowen tongue I can pass for one very well.’

On 2 January they anchored in Adelaide Bay but due to the measles they were not allowed on shore, apart from those who were bound for this port.

The last entry in this journal is dated 4 January 1889; ‘This has been an exceptional passage, there was neither birth, death nor marriage’. He counts himself lucky as he wasn’t seasick like many of the others and did not miss one meal since leaving London, something which he is very proud of! The ship docked in ports such as Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney and finished its journey in Williamstown, Victoria.

Not everyone had cars in the 1800s so a good public transport system was key to getting around. This service was provided in Kilkeel by Norton and Co.’s Car Service.

This photo shows a group of passengers onboard a Norton and Co. tourist car outside the car office in Kilkeel. This was taken c.1890-1900. As you can see they are loading luggage onto the back. The ‘Norton and Co. Car Service No. 67’ sign can be seen on the wall of the building.

In the late 1800s cars were being manufactured but were very expensive therefore the rich could only afford them. It wasn’t until the introduction of the Model T Ford in the first decades of the 20th century that cars were a commodity everyone could afford.

Norton and Co. ran road services from Kilkeel and Newcastle. These were organised by H. A. Matier serving places in Mourne such as Newcastle, Kilkeel, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint and Annalong which were very successful.

Norton and Co. also ran tours called ‘The Mourne Mountain District and County Down Coast Circular Tour’. This was a popular tourist attraction where people could jump on a car and see Mourne and surrounding areas in one day. A newspaper report on a tour around the Mourne Mountains with Norton and Co. can be found in the Northern Whig newspaper, 1901.

Norton and Co. didn’t just transport people but also packages. They received these at Margaret Square, Newry and then delivered them to Rostrevor and Kilkeel with the prices starting at 4d, depending on weight. They were forwarded by train and taken straight away as long as they were received twenty minutes before departure time. There was also the option of booking a spot on a car for your dog!

To accommodate those who were looking to travel or emigrate they ran services to Warrenpoint from where passengers could get the ferry connections to Greenore for ships leaving from Dublin, Dundalk and Holyhead. This was the main thoroughfare for emigration from Mourne during the 1800s.

 

[Timetables and photos from PRONI]

Kilkeel harbour was not the central destination for ships in the 1800s. Lack of a working harbour meant that  the Kilkeel fishermen beached their boats on the shore. Towards the end of the century however, work began on the  harbour to extend it. This commenced in July 1885 according to the County Surveyor[1] and by the 1860s the sand bar was removed and a proper harbour and pier was completed. As a result it attracted more fishermen, therefore further improvements were needed to accommodate these new users.

With a government grant of £7000 along with local donations of £3000 the pier of Kilkeel harbour was lengthened and the harbour was enlarged in the 1870s. It was now able to accommodate 21 fishing vessels. In 1880 however, the harbour master Thomas Grills expressed concern over the increased demand for the harbour and in 1885 a further £7400 was invested on further expansion. The work was completed in 1887 and boasted a new wharf, a jetty and a deeper basin. The harbour was now fit to accommodate 100 fishing luggers. During the herring season there could be over 300 boats coming and going. Kilkeel became a very important port in Ireland and coastal traders brought in coal, along with granite, oats and timber. By 1909 12,000 tons of potatoes were landed here on a yearly basis. [2]