673 



CORK. 



CORK. 



674 



navigation. The only lakes in the county are two small but very 

 picturesque sheets of water, near the source of the Lee, and some 

 pools on the coast. 



The great Southern and Western railway was completed in 1850. The 

 total length of the line from Dublin to Cork i 164f miles. The line ia 

 carried nearly parallel with the old mail-coach road to Limerick by 

 the valley which separates the Nagles Mountains from the Boggra 

 range. The Cork and Bandon railway gives a line of railway com- 

 munication of 20 miles from Cork in the direction of the great 

 harbours in the south-east of the county. [BANDON.] The Cork, 

 Blackrock and Passage railway, 7J miles in length, connects the city 

 of Cork on the eastern side with the suburban districts adjoining the 

 harbour and naval dep6t at Queenstown. The principal mail-coach 

 routes have been superseded by the completion of the Great Southern 

 and Western railway. The old road to Dublin, carried over the 

 eastern flank of the Naglea Mountains by Rathcormack, unites the 

 valleys of the Lee and the Blackwater from Cork to Fermoy. The 

 road from Cork to Mallow, carried over the western flank of the same 

 range, forms another line of communication between these valleys, 

 and is used as the post-Jine to Limerick. Westward from Mallow to 

 Mill street, a distance of nearly 18 miles, the range of the Boggra 

 Mountains formed an impassable barrier, until in 1823 permission 

 was granted by government to make a road through the centre of 

 this group at an expense of about 10,000^., one-half to be levied by 

 county presentments, and the other half to be defrayed out of the 

 Consolidated Fund. The construction of this road saved the inha- 

 bitants of the valley of the Blackwater a distance of fully 20 miles 

 Irish on every journey to and from the Cork market. It also sup- 

 plies an easy means of transit for fuel to the low countries, both north 

 and south. Before this road was opened the only means of procuring 

 fuel from the upland bogs wa on the backs of small horses, or of 

 men and women. Other new roads have been made at the public 

 expense within the county in the neighbourhoods of Clonakilty, 

 Bandon, Skibbereen, and Courtmacsherry. A road from Castle Island 

 in the county of Kerry, eastward, meets the new Boggra-road at its 

 terminus nn the Blackwater, by which a communication ia opened 

 between Castle Island -and Mallow, shortening the distance from 

 ( 'a-*tle Island to Cork by 22 miles. Another line connects this road 

 with the post-line from Cork to Killarney, affording Killarney a direct 

 communication through Mallow with Waterford. These two roads 

 were completed in 1839, and are together 48 miles in length. A road 

 has also been constructed by the Board of Works from Qlengariff to 

 Kenmare. The ridge of mountain over which this road is carried is 

 very precipitous towards Glengariff, and the ascent resembles on a 

 small scale some of the great p.-isses of the Alps. 



/, ite. The climate is moist but genial in the south 

 and east. The annual average of rain at Cork is about 38'26 inches. 

 The wind blows between south and north-west for more than three- 

 fourths of the year. The clay-slate and sandstone formation occupy 

 the central area of the county, extending from Kerry to Waterford. 

 Belts of carboniferous limestone occupy the vales of the Blackwater, 

 the lower Lee, and the Bandon rivers. The Boggra and Nagles ranges 

 consist of sandstone, which rock prevails throughout the district 

 watered by the Lee. South of the Lee the slate-clay, on which the 

 sandstone rests, crops out in longitudinal strata that have a uniform 

 direction from north-north-east to south-south-west, and a prevalent 

 dip to the south-east. This rock, varying from the hardest grit, to 

 clayey rubble, constitutes the whole of the southern portion of the 

 county from the mouth of the Lee to the mountains of Bear and 

 Bautry, where its elevations attain an altitude of above 2000 feet. 

 Among these are some peaks of quartz formation, of which the most 

 remarkable is the Sugarloaf, which rises over the Bay of Glengariff 

 The veins which occupy many of the fissures of this rock abound in 

 ores of iron, copper, lead, and manganese. The district north of the 

 Blackwater is included partly in an extension of the central limestone 

 plain, but chiefly in the Munster coal-field, which occupies an area of 

 about 400 square miles in the north-west part of the county, forming 

 a portion of the wild district above referred to. The coal of the 

 district of the Blackwater is anthracite, or blind coal. The chief 

 workings are at Clonbannon and Dromagh. There is abundance of 

 iron-ore which could be made productive if coal could be had for 

 smelting. While the county was well wooded iron works were carried 

 on to a considerable extent. The principal copper mines of Ireland 

 are situated at Allihais, at the extremity of the mountainous penin- 

 sula which separates Bantry Bay from Kenmare River. These mines 

 giro employment to about 1000 men. The ore contains from 55 to 

 85 per cent, of copper, and is valued at 8i. per ton. Specimens of 

 asbestos have been found in the adjoining district of Berehaven. The 

 soil of the coal district is cold, stiff, and moory. In the north-east 

 and generally throughout the county wherever limestone abounds, it 

 is warm and friable. Along the valley of the Lee is a red, crumbly, 

 and heavy soil, which requires considerable manuring with lime or 

 *ea-sand. Throughout the schistose formations, south of the valley 

 of the Lee, the earth is generally dry and sandy, requiring much 

 manure to make it bear corn. Marl, fullers' earth, and clay for brick- 

 kilns and potteries, are found in considerable abundance. The best 

 cultivated parts of the county are the eastern portions of the basins 

 of the Blackwater and the Lee, and the low district included between 



their embouchures. The system of agriculture in these districts is 

 good. There is a large resident proprietary, and every evidence of 

 wealth and comfort. 



Dlciiions, Towns, <tc. Cork county is divided into two ridings, for 

 the purpose of holding general sessions of the peace. The baronies 

 into which the county is divided are as follows: East Riding 

 Barretts, Barrymore, Clondons and Clangibbou, Cork, Duhalluw, 

 Fermoy, Imokilly, Kerrycurrihy, Kinalea, Kinnatalloon, part of 

 Muskerry East, Orrery and Kilmore, Kinsale, and Youghal Liberties. 

 West Riding Bantry, Bear, Carbery East and West, Courceys, 

 Ibane and Barryroe, Kinalmeaky, Muskerry West and part of Muskerry 



East. The following towns are described in separate articles : 



BANDON, BANTRY, CASTLETOWN BEREHAVEN, CLONAKILTY, CORK, 

 DONMANWAY, FERMOY, KANTUBK, KINSALE, MACROOM, MALLOW' 



MlDLETON, MlLLSTREET, MlTCHELSTOWN, QcEENSTOWN, SitlBBEREEN, 



SKULL, and YOUGHAL. These are all, with the exception of Queens- 

 town, the seats of Poor-Law Unions. CLOYNE and Rosa, which give 

 title to a bishop, are also separately described. Of places of minor 

 importance we select the following for a brief notice here, giving in 

 each case the population returned in the Census of 1851 : 



Ballincullig, population 789, situated on the Bride River, 6 miles 

 W. from Cork city on the road to Macroom, is rather a military and 

 police depot than a village. Here are extensive gunpowder mills, 

 formerly conducted by tha government, but now by a private com- 

 pany. There are large barracks for artillery and police. The bead- 

 quarters of the police for the province of Munater are at Balliucollig. 

 The village is very well built, and many of the houses are of the 

 belter class. The neighbourhood is thickly studded with villa resi- 

 dences. About a mile west from the village are the ruins of Balliu- 

 collig castle, said to have been built in the reign of Edward III. The 

 remains of the square keep and an inclosed bawn or space formerly 

 defended by fortifications, stand on a limestone rock rising out of the 

 plain. BaUintemple, population 473, about one mile and a half E. 

 from Cork, is noticeable as the site of a church erected by the 

 Knights Templars in 1392. The churchyard is still used for inter- 

 ments, although the church has disappeared. Ballyclowyh, population 

 432, about 8 miles N.W. from Mallow, contains some good houses, and 

 has a neat and pleasing appearance. In the neighbourhood are Mount 

 North, the seat of lord Lisle, and Lohort castle, the seat of the 

 Percevals, earls of Egmout. The remains of Ballyclough castle 

 stand a little way from the village. Ballycotton, population 603, 

 situated at the mouth of a rivulet on the west shore of Ballycotton 

 Bay, fl miles S. by E. from Castlemartyr, is inhabited chiefly by 

 fishermen. There is here a station of the const guard. Ballycotton 

 Islands, at the southern headland of the bay, are frequented by 

 great numbers of sea-fowl. Ballyhouly, population 419, about 

 10 miles N. by E. from Cork, pleasantly situated on the left bank of 

 the Blackwater, contains a church, a Roman Catholic chapel, and two 

 schools. The neighbouring district is well cultivated and presents 

 some good scenery. Convamore house, the fine seat of the Earl of 

 Listowel, is in the immediate vicinity. The remains of Ballyhooly 

 castle, formerly one of the chief fortified residences of the Roches, 

 with the pariah church, and the remains of an old church, occupy the 

 summit of a rock near the village. A fair is held on August 26th. 

 Jiallynacorra, population 823, is on the Midleton River, about a rrile 

 from the town ot Midleton, of which it is the port. Extensive ware- 

 houses are here for storing grain and other agricultural produce, 

 of which large shipments are made. The neighbouring district is 

 fruitful, and has a pleasant appearance. Blackrock, population 460, 

 besides 1186 inmates of the county jail, is situated on a peninsula 

 which projects into the Lee River, about 3 miles E. from the city of 

 Cork, of wliich Blackrock is properly a suburb. Numerous villa 

 residences are clustered together in this village and its vicinity. The 

 public buildings include the parish church, a Roman Catholic chapel, 

 an Ursuline monastery, and Blackrock castle, originally built in the 

 reign of James I., as a round tower to protect the river, and repaired 

 and enlarged in 1722 by the corporation of Cork. Buttevant, popula- 

 tion 1531, is 137 miles S.W. from Dublin by the Great Southern and 

 Western rail way, on which it is a station, and 8 miles N.E. from Mallow 

 on the River Awbeg. It was formerly a walled town, and a place of 

 considerable ecclesiastical and feudal splendour. Two of the ancient 

 castles remain, together with the ruina of the abbey finely situated on 

 an eminence over the Awbeg. The Roman Catholic church is a hand- 

 some edifice of hewn limestone in the later English style. A barrack 

 for infantry covers an area of 23 acres. There are hero a fever 

 hospital and a dispensary. Petty sessions are held. There are fairs in 

 March, July, October, and November. Varrigaline, population 602, 

 about 7 miles S.E. from Cork, at the embouchure of the Awnbuee 

 River into an inlet of Cork harbour, although now an insignificant 

 village was intended by its founder, the first Earl of Cork, to compete 

 with Cork city, a project which was stopped by the rebellion and the 

 earl's death. Near the church, which is a neat gothic structure, are 

 some picturesque ruins of Carrigaline Castle. There are large flour- 

 tnilU here. Petty sessions are held. A fever hospital of the Cork 

 Union district is maintained in the village. Fairs are held on 

 Whit-Monday, August 12th, and November 8th. Ca.rnrjl.ohill, popu- 

 lation 885, about 10 miles E. from Cork, on the road to Waterford, 

 has a small church, a Roman Catholic chapel, and several schools. In 



