FrSHING STATIONS— IRELAND. 340 



out some efiect, is set to tlie native fishermen by many 

 of the Cornisli, Manx, Scotch, and at times even 

 French boats, which temporarily leave tlieir own waters 

 for the sake of the fislieries on the Irish coast. With 

 these advantages one is less surprised at there being 

 some increase of the Irish boats and fishermen on tliat 

 part of the coast than at the numbers being still so 

 small ; for the strangers far outnumber the native boats 

 during the most productive periods of the herring and 

 mackerel seasons. 



Still it is a hopeful sign that some increase has been 

 made, and it is still more satisfactory to find that the 

 improvement, although small, has been progressive 

 during the last few years. A sensible alteration for 

 the better has also been made in the Irisli drift-boats, 

 many of tliose now in use being purchases from the 

 Cornish and Manx men, while the newly-built craft 

 are of a much better class and description than for- 

 merly. 



On the west and north these conditions are reversed. 

 What may be called the migratory fishes are very 

 uncertain in their visits there, and even when on the 

 coast, they often do not come near enough to be fished 

 for successfully with the small and ill-found boats 

 wliich are too commonly the only ones available. The 

 coast also is much exposed ; Atlantic storms are felt 

 there in all their fury ; and interruptions to the fishing 

 are frequent^ and sometimes of long duration, by the 

 bad or unsettled weather. With these disadvantages 

 there are difficulties in the way of transporting the fish 

 to market, except from particular points, and the fisher- 

 men are often prevented obtaining a fair price for the 

 produce of their labours, and procuring the means of 

 carrying on tlieir work more effectively. 



