Dundalk was given a grant of murage dated 1458 but this grant was then revoked.
This was in the form of:-
Enforcement power:- ploughmen to dig ditches on two days or be fined 4d a day. (vacated) Starting 1/1/1458 running to 1/1/1460.
Wording
24. Item al supplicacion' dez Bailliefs et comes e la vile de dundalke deins le Counte de vriell' Que come la dit vile steest en lez bordurs del Marche du dit Counte et tout entor la dit vile est gaste et destrue per irroies enemies et englois rebels Sur q' consideraunt la matier auantdit ordeine est et gaunte per auctorite du dit parlement ij hommes de estre ewez de chescun' charue terre deins le dit Counte pr ij iors per ane pr eider de gister la dit vile et per la gace de dieu de porter le meer de enflower entor la dit vile en resistence dez irrois enemies nostre souerain f'r le Roi lez q'ux veignount del ane en ane oue gaunde poer del people ceux toutz foitz prposauntz pr destruer la dit vile et q'ux hommes q' ne voilent my respoundre sommones neobeier al garnysment ewe per le viscount del Counte et lez Bailliefs du dit vile pr le temps esteauntez de estre amerciez chescun' homme en iiij d pr chescun' ior et lez ditz amerciamentes de estre leuez per le dit viscount du dit Counte et lez Bailliefs du dit vile et per chescun' deux et lez ditz amerciamentes de estre expenduez en la forme aauntdit per le survieu del primat de Ardmagh' labbe de Mellifont le Priour de loueth' et le viscount del Counte pur le temps esteauntez a endurer pr deux ans proschiens ensuauntez.
XXIV. Also, at the prayer of the bailiffs and commons of the town of Dundalk in the county of Uriell. Whereas the said town stands on the borders of the march of the said county, and all around the said town is wasted and destroyed by Irish enemies and English rebels. Whereupon considering the matter aforesaid: It is ordained and granted by authority of the said Parliament that tow men shall be had of every ploughland within the said county, for two days by the year, to assist in trenching the said town, and by the grace of God, to bring the sea to flow round the said town, in resistance of the Irish enemies of our sovereign lord the King, who come from year to year with great force of people, they always purposing to destroy the said town. And whatever men will not answer summonses nor obey the warning given by the sheriffs of the county and the bailiffs of the said town for the time being, to be amerced, every man in four pence for every day, and the said amercements to be levied by the said sheriff of the said county and the bailiffs of the said town, and by every of them, and the said amercements to be expended in the form aforesaid by the oversight of the primate of Armagh, the abbot of Mellifont, the prior of Louth, and the sheriff of the county for the time being. To last for two years next ensuing.
Granted by Henry VI. (Regnal year 36).
Primary Sources
Berry, H.F. and Morrissey, J.F. (eds), 1910, Statute Rolls of the Parliament of Ireland Vol. 2 (Dublin) p. 540-1
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992,
The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 93-98
1835,
Reports from Commissioners: Municipal Corporations in Ireland Vol. 28 p. 892
online copy
Comments
A Statute was enacted in this reign (R. Stat. 36 Hen. VI. c. 24,) providing that two men be sent from every plough land in the county, to aid in carrying the sea-water round the town to protect it from the Irish, on penalty for non-attendance of 4d. per day for each man. (Thomas)
Thomas doesn't note this act is marked as vacated. Presumably the enforcement power was too much. Clearly there was felt to be a need for defences so it is not impossible that some work took place although how this was funded is open to question. Nothing survives of the medieval defences of Dundalk although a modest ditch (1.2m deep, 5-7m wide) has been found on excavation (ref.
http://www.excavations.ie/Pages/Details.php?Year=&County=Louth&id=3900).
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 01/04/2009. Last updated on 30/04/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
