Description of Dungarvan

The town, which contains 1570 houses, is situated at the head of a spacious bay to which it gives name, on a peninsula formed by two arms of the bay; and under the auspices of His Grace the Duke of Devonshire has been much improved. It consists of one principal street, called Mulgrave-street, extending from west to east, and dividing in the latter direction into two short branches leading to the mouth of the port; from these several others branch off in various directions towards the line of quays, which extends along the shore. On the south and west are extensive ranges of inferior houses, and on the north is Devonshire-square, from which a handsome street leads to the bridge across the inlet, a massive structure of one arch 75 feet in span, erected at an expense of £50,000 by the Duke of Devonshire, in 1815, and communicating, by a causeway 350 yards in length, with the suburb of Abbeyside, on the main shore.

The inhabitants were formerly supplied with water from the small river Phynisk, brought by an aqueduct constructed about the middle of the last century, by aid of a parliamentary grant; this source of supply having been cut off, wells have been sunk in various parts of the town, but the supply of pure water is rather scanty, that of the wells being fit only for culinary purposes. Immediately adjoining the town are fine springs of pure water, which might be conveyed into it at little expense. The barracks for infantry are adapted for four officers and sixty noncommissioned officers and privates.

From its favourable and very healthy situation on the coast, this town has become a place of resort for sea-bathing, and hot and cold baths are at present in progress of erection.

The fishery on the Nymph bank has always afforded employment to a considerable number of the inhabitants, and the grant of the tonnage bounty tended greatly to its increase. In 1823, 163 boats and about 1100 men were employed in the fishery, and more than 1000 tons of excellent fish were procured for the supply of the surrounding country; the sum granted in bounties (since withdrawn) was £2647; and as the wives and children of the fishermen were engaged in cleaning and salting the fish, the total number of persons that derived employment was not less than 3000. There are at present 80 hookers, of an aggregate burden of 1600 tons, exclusively employed in this trade, which, although it has greatly declined of late years, is now increasing. There are also 93 four-oared row boats engaged in fishing and cutting sea weed; besides 34 coasting vessels belonging to the port, of an aggregate burden of 2800 tons. The aggregate burden of all these is 4720 tons, and the number of men employed in them, 1229, besides whom more than 3000 persons on shore are employed in various capacities in connection with them.

At Ballinacourty, on the eastern side of the parish, the property of T. Wyse, Esq., M. P., a pier for the protection of fishing boats was erected in 1832, partly by subscription, and partly by a grant from the late Fishery Board. The trade of the port consists chiefly in the exportation of corn, live stock, butter, and other provisions to the ports of the English channel; and the importation of timber, coal, culm, and the usual foreign supplies. The harbour affords good shelter for vessels drawing from 14 to 15 feet of water at any time of the tide; vessels drawing 18 feet of water may enter at spring tides, but larger ships can enter only at or near high water of spring tides. There are 3 feet at low water in the shallowest part of the channel, and at the quays there is a depth of 14 feet at high water of spring tides, and 10 feet at neap tides.

The south-western recesses of the bay are separated from the rest by a bank called Cunnigar Point, between which and the town it is proposed to throw up an embankment for the purpose of reclaiming the inner recesses of the bay. According to a survey made for this purpose by Mr. Kearney, it is proposed to exclude the tides from the back strand, by making a causeway 122 perches in length, with stone walls on each side, from the garden on the east side of the churchyard to Cunnigar bank, with a roadway 22 feet wide, and sufficient openings with sluices at the bottom to discharge the surface and spring water when the tides are out. It is also proposed to cut a canal from the river Brickey, near Two-mile bridge, through the low grounds of Killongford, and along the southern verge of the back strand, for the purpose of discharging into the outer bay the waters of the Brickey, and the streams that flow into it from the hills on the south, and, by constructing a lock at the eastern end of the canal, of continuing the navigation for sand and other boats to Ballyharraghan, Killongford, and Two-mile bridge, as at present; the low parts of the Cunnigar bank, over which the waves are drifted in high tides by strong easterly and south-easterly winds, will be secured by an embankment of dry stone. The estimated expense of carrying these works into effect is £14,621. 9. 9.; and the quantity of land that would be thus reclaimed, 1234 acres, of which, by an additional expenditure of £1500 for draining and enclosing it, 1007 acres would be fit for cultivation.

The causeway, among other advantages, would afford a short and easy passage to the fine bathing strand of the Cunnigar, and thus render the town, from the superior accommodation it would afford for sea-bathing, the beautiful scenery in its vicinity, and the excellence of the roads in every direction, the best-frequented watering-place on this part of the coast. Its situation is peculiarly healthy, from the constant current of air blowing or passing near it, caused by the parallelism of two chains of mountains running nearly east and west, and leaving between them a valley in which the town lies considerably protected from the north winds; in consequence, the cases of sickness are very few compared with the population.

The market days are Wednesday and Saturday, chiefly for corn and provisions; and fairs are held on Feb. 7th, June 22nd, Aug. 27th, and Nov. 8th. The market-places for the sale of meat and fish were erected at the expense of the Duke of Devonshire. A chief constabulary police station has been established here.