IRELAND (AGRICULTURE.) 



123 



places it is crossed by a wooden bridge of 1400 feet 

 in length. The Slaney may also be ranked amongst 

 the riverK of note in the southern counties ; it takes 

 its rise in the county of Wicklow, and passing down 

 into Carlow and Wexford counties, becomes naviga- 

 ble at Enniscorthy, and ultimately falls into Wexford 

 Haven. The city of Dublin occupies both banks of 

 the river Lifley, a stream which otherwise would be 

 little known to geographers. The river flows out of 

 a little pool in the county of Wicklow, called Lifley 

 Head, and meandering into Kildare, turns eastward 

 into Dublin, and running through the middle of the 

 city nearly, falls into Dublin Bay. Few navigable 

 rivers fall into the sea on the eastern coast, although 

 there are many eminently suitable to the erection of 

 mills and application of water power to machinery. 

 The Boyne is navigable naturally as far as Drogheda, 

 one mile from the coast ; and a still-water navigation 

 is formed by means of its waters to Navan, where 

 the central Blackwater unites with the Boyne. Art 

 has rendered the rivulet, called the Newry Water, 

 both known and valued ; and the Lagan, like the 

 Liftey, derives its consequence from its proximity to 

 Belfast, which stands on its northern bank. The 

 Bann is the first river of note from Belfast to Cole- 

 raine. It is divided into two parts, the Upper rising 

 in the Mourne Mountains, and discharging its waters 

 into Lough Neagh, the Lower conveying the surplus- 

 age of that great lake into the Atlantic Ocean, a little 

 to the north-west of Coleraine. Lough Foyle is the 

 estuary of the river bearing that name, upon which 

 the city of Derry stands, and as far as which it is 

 navigable by vessels of 500 tons burden. Lighters 

 proceed to Lift'ord, a distance of twenty-five miles ; 

 and an artificial communication renders Strabane ac- 

 cessible by water. The Morne and the Finn are 

 tributaries to the Foyle. The Guibarra is the princi- 

 pal on the Donegal coast, except the outlet of 

 Lough Erne, called the Erne River, known by its 

 famous salmon-fishery. The Moy, which runs by 

 Balliner and Ardnaree, is navigable for a short dis- 

 tance, and also possesses a valuable salmon-fishery. 

 The coast of Connaught is deficient in deep and navi- 

 gable rivers, but this loss is amply supplied by an 

 uncommon number of the finest natural harbours in 

 Europe. 



Ireland cannot, on the whole, be called a moun- 

 tainous country, its central districts composing one 

 vast plain, which crosses the country from east to 

 west. It is, however, diversified by ranges of moun- 

 tains superior in extent to any in England, with the 

 exception of those in Wales. In the province of Ul- 

 ster, the adjacent counties of Donegal, Londonderry, 

 and Antrim are mountainous. Knocklade in Antrim 

 attains an altitude of 1820 feet. The eastern half 

 of the county of Down abounds also with lofty hills, 

 projecting into the sea, and forming sublime and pro- 

 minent features in the view. They are usually deno- 

 minated the mountains of Mourne ; and the summit 

 of Sliebh Donard, the loftiest, is elevated 2809 feet 

 above the level of the sea. Tyrone and Monaghan 

 are, properly speaking, hilly; but Sligo, Mayo, all 

 the west of Connaught province, and particularly the 

 county of Clare, present a continued and unbroken 

 chain of mountain masses, interspersed with fertile 

 vales and spacious lakes. Benbulben, in Sligo, 

 reaches a height of 1697 feet. Culkaeh, in Cavan, 

 stands 2155 feet high, and Nephin, in Mayo, one of 

 the most remarkable in Connaught, is 2600 feet over 

 the surface of the sea. The most famous of the 

 Connaught range, however, is Croagh Patrick, a 

 cone-formed and conspicuous mountain, overhanging 

 Clew Bay, and rising to an elevation of 2510 feet. 

 An altar or cairn appears on its summit, to which 

 pilgrimages are sometimes made, and on the west 



side is discovered the beautiful marble called serpen- 

 tine. This is the hill so famed in song and story, 

 from which St Patrick is said to have banished all 

 noxious animals existing in the island, and to have 

 " bothered them entirely." The twelve Pins of Con- 

 nemara are also remarkable landmarks, and enter into 

 the composition of many interesting landscapes. 

 South of the Shannon, the hills of Kerry raise their 

 heads, and continue ascending towards the south, 

 until the lordly Reeks of M'Gillicuddy are seen 

 exalted to their proud pre-eminence ; Carran-Tual, 

 the highest, attaining an elevation of 3410 feet 

 Around stand Mangerton, 2550 ; Purple Mountain, 

 2280 ; and many others of nearly equal heights. 

 The summit of Carran-Tual is the highest point in 

 the kingdom. The chain extends away southward 

 to the wilds of Glengariff and Bantry, thence easterly 

 to the Bogra hills, and along the south bank of the 

 Blackwater. A little north-east of the Bogra hills 

 are the Galtees, a chain of twenty miles in length, 

 extending from Seefin, near Charleville, to the river 

 Suir. The highest point of this range is elevated 

 2500 feet. In the King and Queen's counties is the 

 fine range of the Sliebh Bloom Mountains, the fruit- 

 ful source of rivers and rivulets, and admitting of an 

 easy passage from one side to the other in one place 

 only, that is through the Gap of Glandine. Wick- 

 low, in the vicinity of Dublin, is a mountainous 

 region. Some of the hills are lofty, (Lugnaquilla is 

 3070 feet high,) and many are picturesquely formed. 



Agriculture. Of the early agriculture of Ireland, 

 very little is known. With a soil singularly prolific 

 in pasture, and rather humid for the easy manage- 

 ment of grain, it is probable that sheep and cattle 

 would be the chief rural products for many centuries. 

 In the twelfth century and earlier, various religious 

 establishments were founded, and then it is most 

 probable tillage on something like the Roman mode 

 of culture would be introduced. The monks, says 

 O'Connor, fixed their habitations in deserts, which 

 they cultivated with their own hands, and rendered 

 them the most delightful spots in the kingdom. 



There is no evidence of any agricultural improve- 

 ments having been introduced before the time of 

 Elizabeth, when the enormous demesnes of the earl 

 Desmond were forfeited, and divided amongst a 

 number of English undertakers, as they were called, 

 who entered into a stipulation to plant a certain 

 number of English families on their estates, in pro- 

 portion to the number of acres. Among others who 

 received portions were, Sir Walter Raleigh, and 

 Spenser, the poet. The former is said to have then 

 introduced the potato. 



The reign of James I. was one of comparative 

 tranquillity for Ireland : the power of the judges, and 

 of the English government, was extensively fixed ; 

 the Irish laws and customs were abolished, and the 

 English laws were established in all cases without 

 exception, through the whole island. Numerous 

 colonies were also sent from England and Scotland, 

 especially the latter, to occupy the forfeited estates ; 

 and seven northern counties were wholly allotted to 

 undertakers. This was called the "plantation of 

 Ulster," and was attended by the introduction of an 

 improved agriculture, and by the linen manufacture, 

 which is still carried on by the descendants of the 

 first colonists in the same counties. The city of 

 London participated in this distribution of land. 

 The corporation having accepted of large grants 

 in the county of Derry, they engaged to expend 

 20,000 on the plantation ; to build the cities of 

 Derry and Colerain, and at the same time stipulated 

 for such privileges as might make their settlement 

 convenient and respectable. Under a pretence of 

 protecting this infant settlement, or perhaps with a 



