Lewis's Topographical Dictionary - Waterford City

On the 4th of September, 1368, the Poers of the county of Waterford having assembled all their forces, and being joined by O'Driscoll with his galleys and men, embarked with the intention of plundering the city.  The mayor, informed of their design, prepared to resist them, and, accompanied by the sheriff of the county, the master of the hospital of St. John of Jeru-salem, and a number of merchant strangers and Eng-lish, sailed towards the enemy in order to give them battle. A sanguinary conflict ensued, in which the Poers and O'Driscolls were victorious the mayor, sheriff, master of the hospital, 36 of the principal citi-zens, and 60 of the merchant strangers and English, were killed; while on the side of the enemy were killed the Baron of Don Isle, head of the Poers, his brother, and many of his sept, besides a great number of the O'Driscolls. In 1377, in consideration of the heavy burthens and charges the citizens had sustained in the repairs of the city, and its defence against the native Irish and other enemies, EDWARD III. granted them the cocket customs of the port for ten years; at the same time enjoining them, as the city was exposed and defenceless towards the sea, to take care that it be firmly surrounded and provided, and that the quays be repaired and inclosed; so that it might be protected against various enemies who were preparing to attack it on that side.  In consideration of the great expenses of the citizens in these fortifications, and in defending the city from the almost daily incursions of the Irish and of foreign enemies, RICHARD II gave them the customs and duties upon all goods and merchandise brought into it for sale. That monarch landed at Waterford, on the 2nd of October, 1394, with an army of 4000 men-at-arms and 30,000 archers, accompanied by the Duke of Gloucester, the Earls of Nottingham and Rutland and several other distinguished noblemen; and remained here till the following Shrovetide. In 1399 he again landed, and was joyfully received by the inha-bitants; after spending six days in the city, he pro-ceeded to Kilkenny.

In 1413, the mayor and bailiffs, in prosecution of their feud with the Irish sept of O'Driscoll, embarked with an armed force in one of the ships belonging to the city, and sailed to the chieftain's strong castle of Baltimore, on the coast of Cork, where they arrived on the night of Christmas-day. The mayor landed his men, and, marching up to the castle gate, desired the porter to tell his lord that the mayor of Waterford was arrived in the haven with a vessel laden with wine, and would gladly come in to see him; upon the delivery of this message, the gate was opened, and the whole party  instantly rushing in, O'Driscoll and all his family were made prisoners. In 1447, the city and the county were granted to John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, created Earl of Waterford, with palatine authority; and in the same year it was enacted by statute of the 25th of Henry VI., that it should be lawful for the mayor and citizens of Waterford, to assemble what forces they pleased, and to ride in warlike array, with banners dis-played, against the Powers, Walshes, Grants, and Dal-tons, who had for a long time been traitors and rebels, and continually preyed upon the king's subjects of Waterford and parts adjacent.  In 1460, O'Driscoll persevering in hostilities, all communication between his country and this or any of the English ports was rigidly prohibited by act of parliament. This chieftain, on the invitation of the Powers, whose hostility also continued without intermission, brought his forces by sea to Tramore, on the first intelligence of which the mayor and citizens marched out in battle array to Bal-lymacdane, where they met with the enemy and gave them a signal defeat; 160 of the number were killed, and several taken prisoners, among whom were O'Dris-coll-Oge and six of his sons, who with three of his galleys were brought in triumph to Waterford. Edward IV. was the last sovereign that coined money here; in the 15th of his reign, all the mints of Ireland were abolished, except those of Waterford, Dublin, and Drogheda. In 1484, a shipment by some merchants of Waterford to Sluys, in Flanders, in preference to Calais, raised the important question of Ireland's being bound by statutes made in England, which was finally decided in the affirmative.