The Cathedral Towns and Intervening Places of England, Ireland and Scotland:: A Description of Cities, Cathedrals, Lakes, Mountains, Ruins, and Watering-places.Silloway, Thomas W. (Thomas William)
History
The Cathedral Towns and Intervening Places of England, Ireland and Scotland:: A Description of Cities, Cathedrals, Lakes, Mountains, Ruins, and Watering-places.
Silloway, Thomas W. (Thomas William)
Great Britain -- Description and travel
The old, long bridge is a structure of stone, and of considerable
consequence. It was erected in Ireland's memorable year, 1798, and near
this place one of her most important battles was fought, which ended to
her disadvantage, and resulted, in 1801, in the surrender of her power,
and the establishment of English rule. It is too much to expect that
England, who so long ago established its authority in India, and in our
time in Cyprus, thousands of miles away, should resist the temptation
of subjugating a land so indefensible as Ireland, which lay at her very
door. The bridge having been built in her last great battle year, a
stone slab in the parapet records the fact.
Here are the inevitable barracks. They are of stone, three stories
high, and very extensive. There were evidences of military rule in
every place yet visited. The soldiers are all young. None are over
thirty years of age, and many not more than eighteen. All are stout
and robust, and each is a picked man. The uniform coats are red, with
gilt buttons, the pants are a dark plaid; they look dandyish. These
men are the best physique of the nation, and, as a whole, put to a bad
use. They are always to be found on the street, either singly, by twos,
or in squads, each with a switch-cane, said to be furnished by the
government.
The police are English, for no Irish person is trusted, and they are
finely dressed in dark clothes. They are very civil and gentlemanly,
and, like the soldiers, are picked men. Save on a single occasion in
Dublin, we saw no disturbance of any kind, nor any service rendered by
the police.
What interested us most was an old tower on this main thoroughfare,
situated at the extreme end of the quay on the land side, and just
out to the sidewalk line, in close contiguity with the surrounding
buildings. It is fifty feet high, and about thirty-five feet in
diameter, and is built of irregular ledge stone, of a dark gray or
brownish color; is very plain, as far as a projection near the top, of
a few inches; above this it is continued up plain some two or three
feet higher, having a conical roof which comes down apparently inside
of the stone work. There is a single door in the first story. Just
above this, to the left, is a stone tablet, about two and a half feet
wide and five feet high, with pilasters and pediment top,--the whole
much like a dormer window. The inscription is as follows:--
IN THE YEAR 1003
THIS TOWER WAS ERECTED
BY REGINALD THE DANE.
IN 1171 IT WAS HELD AS A FORTRESS
BY STRONGBOLD, EARL OF PEMBROKE.
IN 1463 BY STATUTE 3D, EDWARD IV,
A MINT WAS ESTABLISHED HERE.
IN 1819 IT WAS REEDIFIED IN ITS
ORIGINAL FORM AND APPROPRIATED TO
THE POLICE ESTABLISHMENT
BY THE CORPORATION BODY OF
THE CITY OF WATERFORD.
RT. HON. SIR JOHN NEWPORT, BT., M. P., MAYOR,
HENRY ALCOCK, ESQ.,}
WILLIAM WEEKS, ESQ.} SHERIFFS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account