Chapter 29.

Naul.

Its grey walls, here variegated with mossy streaks, here clothed in the livery of everlasting verdure, or checquered between with those picturesque weather-stains, which time only can shed over the works of man. A small lake formed here, and for which there is every facility, without much loss of good ground, would make this a truly enchanting scene.

The river that waters the glen, enters the sea at Knockingen, working several mills in its course, while [485] the caves alluded to are said to have been formerly the receptacle of plunderers and robbers, who retreated here, and were protected by the castle. One of these, called in the Irish *Shaun Kittoch, *or Left-handed Jack, was famed for many daring depredations. He long eluded the pursuit of justice, but having been at length taken, with an Amazonian female, the intrepid companion of all his exploits, both paid the debt due to the injured laws of their country.

In the glen is a spa, that Doctor Rutty notices as a comparatively pure chalybeate, of a modern degree of strength, to obtain the benefit of which in perfection it is necessary to resort to the fountain. “It seems worthy of notice,” he adds, “that the glynl in which this spring is found, abounds with a rotten Irish slate, which is of the mildest kind, or of the least degree of acidity, I have observed, being of a very mildly acid, and sweet, austere, or vitriolic taste, and water poured hot upon it, acquired a strong sulphureous smell, and it struck partly purple and partly blue with galls, the characteristic of martial vitriol. I moreover observed a rock of this slate to yield a nitrous efflorescence, as do likewise several stones of the like kind in the neighbouring country, which also by decoction yield a calcareous nitre.” [Rutty’s Mineral Water, p. 364.] Lieutenant Archer, in his survey of this county, says, he observed near this crops of different veins of coal, as also fine yellow ochre.

The old castle of the Naul is a square building [486] on an eminence, that projects into the glen, and commands its whole extent, upwards and downwards. A flight of winding steps leads to its summit. The remains of Snowton Castle, on the opposite side of the stream, are now insignificant. It formerly belonged to the Caddells.

The village comprises about 50 cottages. It has a plain church, adjoining which is a chauntry, now unroofed, with a slab over the doorway, stating its appropriation for the remains of the Hon. Colonel Hussey, of Westown, and his lady, Mable Hussey, otherwise Barnewall, 1710. There is also a Roman Catholic church here of the T form; the Catholic union comprising with Naul, Damastown, or Hollywood, Ballyboghill, Grallagh, and Westpalstown. The National Board have likewise erected male and female schools here, at an expense of £138, and allow £20 per annum for their support.

The parish comprises 2,627a. 2r. 21p.*, *in 13 townlands; and its population was returned in 1831 as 758 persons, of whom 744 were Roman Catholics. The Poor Inquiry of 1835 calculated that there were 118 labourers here, of whom 73 were permanently employed, 41 occasionally, and four almost always unemployed. In the Protestant arrangement, the rectory being impropriate in Mr. Pollard, this parish ranks as a vicarage, united with those of Hollywood and Grallagh; the church of the union, being in this parish, and the patronage in the Marquis of Drogheda. The proprietors in this parish are Mr. Hussey, Mr. Tennison, and Mrs. Bunbury.

[487] Acreable rent varies from £1 10s. to £2 5s., while a cabin, without land, is let at from £1 10s. to £2 per annum.

So early as the reign of King John, the original castle is thought to have been erected here, by Stephen de Crues, then proprietor of the Naul. It would rather appear, however, that this estate was not acquired by that family until the close of the 13th, or the beginning of the 14th century, when one of them, intermarrying with the heiress of Simon de Geneville, in her right obtained the manor. The church was about the same time united to the priory of Lanthony near Gloucester. See “Garristown,” ad ann. 1200.

In the beginning of the 14th century, the Prior of St. John of Jerusalem was seised of a messuage and two carucates of land herein. [Rot. Claus. Edw. III.]

In the hostings during the reigns of Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth, “Caddell of the Naul” (he was settled at Haggardstown in this parish) did service with two armed horsemen, while Walter Cruise was more expressly summoned in right of the Naul and Grallagh.

In 1605 Christopher Cruise was seised in fee of the Naul, Leighlinstown, Leniston, Flackston, and Loughmean, one castle and 500 acres, [Inquis. in Canc. Hib.] and, by inquisition of 1611, the abbey of Duleek was found seised of (inter alia) the rectory of Naul, containing Naul, Jarnestown, Weston of the Naul, Rathaggardston, Reynoldston, and Dowlagh, and the tithes thereof, all which were granted to Lord Moore by patent of 17 James I., and confirmed by another patent of the 15 Chas. I.

In 1641 the castle, &c. of the Naul were forfeited by Christopher Cruise, Esq., as was Haggardstown, before mentioned, by John Caddell; and in 1666 James Duke of York passed patent for 500a. plantation measure here, which were, on his attainder, granted in 1703 to William Barton of Thomastown in the county of Louth. The manor subsequently passed to the Bellew family, and from them by marriage to that of Hussey.

In 1697 the Rev. Owen Smyth was parish priest of Naul, Hollywood, Westpalstown, and Ballyhoghill.

In 1700 John Usher, as executor of Sir Thomas Newcomen, claimed and was allowed before the court at Chichester house, a leasehold interest in the lands of Naul, little Rath, &c.

Immediately adjacent to the village is Westown House, formerly a seat of the Bellew family, now the residence of Anthony Strong Hussey, Esq., one of the deputy lieutenants for the county of Meath. It is a handsome seat, overlooking the glen and all the beauties of the adjacent country.

In reference to the subject of botany, some banks here present the *geranium lucidum, *shining crane’s-bill. While on the road sides between this and Bremore are found *cheledonium majus, *celandine, containing a gold coloured juice of some medical virtue, also the *pyrethrum Parthenium, *common feverfew.

The direct way from Naul to Hollywood leaves the hill of Knockbrack on the south; the traveller, however, who takes the road that goes ever this height, will be well rewarded by the magnificent extent of mountain, plain, and water which it affords, exhibiting, in a noble panorama, Slieve Gullion in the county of Armagh, Mourne mountains in the county of Down, the Hill of Carlingford and Clogher Head in the county of Louth, Gormanston Castle peering from the intervening wooded plain, Balbriggan whitening the shore, the fine semicircular perspective of sea, dotted by the villages of Rush, Dunabate, Portrane, Malahide, Beldoyle, the islands of Lambay and Ireland’s Eyy, with the promontory of Howth; while [489] to the south the plains of Meath, Kildare, and Dublin, are seen spreading to the foot of a fine termination of mountains, between which Kingstown and the metropolis can be discerned, and, amidst the landscape, the silvery line of Dublin Bay shooting far into the interior. It is not to be forgotten, that this hill is reputed to abound with most excellent coals.

Ch. 30. Hollywood.