Take care when crossing the road. The sacred history of the point has been recognised in its continual use, for numerous centuries, as a cemetery. They began the Royal- approved agreement of lands in the East of Ulster. While Montgomery was named as the first Provost, the “ first and ultramodern twelve free burgesses of the forenamed city ” were declared by King James to be “ George Conigham, Patrick Showe, Patrick Mountgomerie, David Kenidie, Thomas Mountgomerie, William Mountgomerie, Robert Conigham, Robert Mountgomerie, Alexander Gordovne, James Doncan, William Callender and George Gibson ”. still, despite sweats to reduce residency, the figures swelled greatly during the Irish shortage. With it came the establishment of “ a body commercial and politic ” conforming of a provost and twelve burgesses – the fellow of our current Mayor and Councillors. Called the poor man’s jail, the workhouse was one of 43 similar establishments constructed in Ulster. The status came into being formally from noon on the 23rd day of May 1938 when the first meeting of the new Borough Council was held and the first Mayor, Councillor W H Simms, was tagged. Indeed seven 13th century pall lids, with foliate crosses, have been set up around the structure, erected into the inside of the north wall. The east window commemorates the fallen in the First World War and the baptistery was bestowed in 1966 as a keepsake to Dame Edith Helen, Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry.
