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GALWAY. 



GALWAT. 



1118 



more diversified with hill and dale, and is generally in a good state 

 of cultivation. The centre of this eastern district is a bare flat 

 tract disfigured by numerous boga and very inferior in fertility to any 

 of the other portions. 



The district west of loughs Corrib and Mask has latterly attracted 

 much attention in consequence of its capabilities of improvement. 

 and the wildness and beauty of its scenery. The most prominent 

 object in this district is a group of conical mountains called Binabola, 

 Burabola, or Twelve Pins, rising abruptly from a table-land of 

 moderate elevation which stretches south and west from their bases 

 to the sea. Round their bases are numerous lakes, of which the 

 chief are Lough Inagh, under the eastern front of the group ; the 

 upper and lower lakes of Ballinahinch skirting them on the south, 

 and loughs Kylemore and Foe lying on their northern declivities. 

 The average height of these mountains is about 2000 feet ; the highest 

 summit is 2395 feet above the sea, and as the table-land from which 

 they rise is only of moderate elevation, their appearance is very 

 striking. A fine view of these mountains, of the glens that divide 

 them, and of the lakes at their feet, is commanded by the beautiful 

 isolated hill of Coolnacarton, 900 feet, ou the western shore of Lough 

 Inagh and at the bottom of Glen Inagh. Northward and eastward 

 from the Binabola, but separated from them by a deep glen which is 

 traversed by the road from Oughterard to Renvyle are the Maam- 

 Turk Mountains, a range of equal altitude, but not of so picturesque 

 a character, extending between the head of Killery harbour and the 

 western shore of Lough Mask. About midway between these waters 

 lies L'<ugh Nafooey or Naffoy, which has an outlet to Lough Mask 

 and i surrounded by mountains above 2000 feet high ; the highlands 

 north of this lake to the boundary of Mayo are entirely uninhabited. 

 The chief elevations of this group on the west are Shannonafola, about 

 2000 feet high, at the head of Lough Corrib ; Ben Leva, the declivities 

 of which form the isthmus between Loughs Corrib and Mask ; and 

 the range of Maam Trasna overhanging the western shore of Lough 

 Mask. Along the western arm of Lough Corrib, there is a small 

 plain from which the hill of Glan rises abruptly to a height of 

 1060 feet. To the ndrth of this hill is a remarkable chain of lakes 

 stretching westward from Lough Corrib to near the head of Birter- 

 buy harbour. These lakes lie in the hollows of a great bed of 

 granite, extending southward from the Binabola Moxmtains to the 

 lihores of Galway Bay and the Atlantic, from which the county 

 gradually rises to about 300 feet, with hills to the north-east nowhere 

 exceeding 700 feet, and presents a most bleak, dismal, and dreary 

 appearance vast bogs, barren moors, lakes, and morasses. The 

 district just described is now geographically known as ' Connemara ; ' 

 among the Galwegians, however, that name is applied to the country 

 which lies west of a line drawn from the head of Killery harbour 

 along the ridge of the Maam Turk Mountains to the summit of 

 Shannonafola and thence to the head of Kilkerran Bay. The 

 mountainous district east and north of this comprising the isthmus 

 between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask is called the ' Joyce Country." 

 The low granite country south of both the preceding is called ' lar- 

 Connaught,' or Western Connaught. 



The islands off the coast of Galway are very numerous : the chief 

 are the three south islands of AKRAN, lying about midway between 

 the coasts of lar-Connaught and Clare, in the opening of the Bay of 

 Galway; Garomna Island between Greatman's Bay and Kilkerran 

 Bay ; and the islands of Innisturk, Innisboffin, and Innishark, which 

 extend across the offing of Killery harbour, between the coasts of 

 Connemara and Murrisk, and belong politically to the county of 

 Mayo. On the highest point of Inishmore or Arranmore Island, 

 498 feet above the level of the sea, there is a lighthouse with a 

 revolving light, which in clear weather can be seen at a distance of 

 28 miles. There are also lighthouses with fixed lights on Slyne Head 

 in Connemara, and on Mutton Island in Galway Harbour. 



On the southern side of the Bay of Galway the coast is not favour- 

 able for the construction of harbours. From Burrin Quay, or New 

 Quay, in the county of Clare, to Kinvarra, at the eastern extremity of 

 the Bay of Galway, there is no place of shelter for craft except at 

 Killeany in Arran, and Duras Pier on the peninsula of Duras, which 

 i situated between Kinvarra inlet and the county Clare, opposite the 

 town of Galway. The creek of Ballynacourty which opens into 

 Kilcolgan Bay, and Kenville Creek, 5 miles E. from Galway town, are 

 good harbours for small vessels, and the harbour of Galway has 

 lately been much improved. Westward however from Galway, and 

 round the entire coast of lar-Connaught and Connemara (so named 

 from Cun-na-mar 'bays of the sea') to the boundary of Mayo, 

 there is a succession of harbours for vessels of the largest class, 

 unequalled perhaps on any similar extent of coast in Europe. The 

 first of these noble roadsteads next Galway is Costello Bay, at the 

 mouth of the celebrated fishing stream the Costello. This harbour 

 admits large ships, and is defended by a Martello tower. Casheen 

 Bay, Greatman's Bay, and Kilkerran Bay occur immediately west 

 from the Costello, being separated from one another by narrow 

 peninsulas and islands. Kilkerran Bay contains 100 miles of shore, 

 and is capable of receiving the largest vessels. A pier, 500 feet in 

 length, with a return of 100 feet, was constructed here in 1822. An 

 extensive peninsula, 10 miles by 7 miles, and interspersed with lakes, 

 separates Kilkerran Bay from the Bay of Birterbuy, which runs 



inland about 5 miles, being only hah' a mile wide at the entrance, 

 and from 2 miles to 3 miles wide within ; it has deep water and fine 

 ground. On the western side of the entrance to Birterbuy Bay is 

 the opening to Roundstone harbour, a safe and capacious inlet, with 

 clean good ground, and 2 to 5 fathoms water. At the entrance 

 of the Ballinahinch River into the head of the harbour there is an 

 excellent salmon fishery. A considerable village has recently sprung 

 up at Roundstone ; a road runs hither from the main line of com- 

 munication between Galway and Clifden, and the harbour is the 

 nearest point for the shipment of the fine green marble of 

 Ballinahinch. From Birterbuy the coast stretches, with occasional 

 anchorages, to Slyne Head, the most western point of Galway; 

 off Slyne Head lie a number of islands with navigable sounds 

 between them, which remained unnoticed in the maps till Mr. Nimmo's 

 coast survey. Between Slyne Head and Achris Head occur the bays 

 of Mannin and Ardbear ; the former possessing good anchorage, but 

 exposed, and the latter forming an excellent harbour with safe anchor- 

 age in 6 to 8 fathoms water. At the head of this harbour a con- 

 siderable town has recently grown up. [CLIFDEN.] North of Clifden 

 harbour is Cleggau Bay, an excellent roadstead, with a pier built in 

 1822, to which a branch of the new coast-road has been extended. 

 Between Cleggan Bay and Cape Renvyle, which forms the southern 

 boundary of the entrance to, Killery Bay, is the harbour of Ballynakill, 

 well sheltered by the island of Truchelaun, and capable of receiving 

 vessels of the largest class. Rounding Cape Renvyle there is an open 

 bay, from the head of which two inlets run eastward between steep 

 mountains. These are the Great and Little Killeries ; the latter an 

 arm of the sea, about 12 miles in length, by a quarter to three-quarters 

 of a mile in width, having for a great part of its length 10 to 12 

 fathoms of water and clean ground. An island at the mouth com- 

 pletely protects it from the sea, but from being overhung on each 

 side by steep and lofty mountains it is exposed to squalls, and not 

 safe for sailing boats. The scenery of the Great Killery is much 

 admired, and considered to approach nearest to the Norwegian 

 'fjords' of any in these islands. 



No part of the district west of Lough Comb is more than 4 miles 

 from existing means of navigation. The harbours fit for vessels of 

 any burden are upwards of 20 in number ; it contains 25 navigable 

 lakes of a mile or more in length, and hundreds of smaller size. 

 Lough Corrib and Lough Mask alone have upwards of 70 miles of 

 navigable coast ; and all these waters abound with fish. The sea- 

 shore affords a constant supply of red and black seaweed, which is 

 used as manure, and is largely exported for that purpose, or in the 

 manufacture of kelp, of which very large quantities are made. Banks 

 of calcareous sand and beds of limestone are of frequent occurrence. 

 There is an inexhaustible supply of peat fuel, which is an important 

 article of export, and the numerous mountain streams furnish a most 

 abundant supply of water-power. Notwithstanding these capabilities, 

 if the neighbourhoods of Clifden and Roundstone be excepted, the 

 population of all this western district is chiefly scattered along the 

 coast or in the islands, leaving the interior almost wholly waste. 

 During the famine of 1847 the inhabitants suffered dreadfully, and 

 want and misery almo'st completely stifled the few germs of industrial 

 progress which were gradually raising this remote people to a state of 

 comparative prosperity. Since that terrible year great exertions have 

 been made to promote the fisheries ; better built boats and superior 

 tackle have been introduced, and several piers have been erected on 

 the coast and among the islands for the greater security of the life 

 and property of the fishermen. The operation of the Encumbered 

 Estates Act has produced a considerable change in this district ; the 

 great Martin estate, the largest in the kingdom, and the Darcy estates, 

 have been sold to new proprietors; and English farmers have been 

 attracted to Connemara as likely to prove a highly remunerative field 

 to the skilful agriculturist. 



The rivers of Galway, being either feeders of the Suck and Shannon, 

 or descending by short courses from the western district to the sea, 

 are in general small. The Clare-Galway River, which rises near 

 Dunmore, in the north-east of the county, and passes near Tuam, 

 has a course, from its source to its termination in Lough Corrib, of 

 about 50 miles. South of Tuam it expands into a periodical lake or 

 ' turlough ; ' the waters generally rise in September or October, and do 

 not subside until May, after which a coarse grass springs up, which is 

 generally grazed as a common by the tenants of the adjoining land. 

 In the limestone districts are numerous subterranean cavities, which 

 in some instances absorb considerable rivers. The Shrule, on the 

 northern border of the county, dips underground, and emerges before 

 it terminates in Lough Corrib. The entire waters of Lough Mask 

 also pass more than 2 miles by subterraneous channels under the 

 isthmus of Cong into Lough Corrib. The lakes of Loughrea and 

 Gort are fine sheets of water ; the latter has well-wooded banks, and 

 the scenery in its vicinity is very picturesque. 



The Shannon is navigable all along the eastern boundary. An 

 extension of the Grand Canal connects Ballinasloe with the line to 

 Dublin at Shannon Harbour. A navigable canal is in progress, to 

 unite Lough Corrib with Galway Harbour, and to form part of a 

 water communication to Lough Mask and the navigable lakes in 

 Mayo county. The Midland Great Western railway affords communi- 

 cation between Dublin and Galway. Prior to 1813, the only roada 



