123 



IRELAND (CHURCH.) 



six cwt. of beef, seven stones of tallow, and nearly 

 one cwt. of hiile. The ilt's]>atch with which the 

 animals are slaughtered, the meat cut up and salted, 

 and afterwards packed, is astonishing. The beef is 

 packed in three different forms, called planter's beef, 

 liuiia beef, and common beef; the first two having 

 the coarse pieces taken out, and charged four shil- 

 lings additional per cwt. While the export of salt 

 beef has diminished, that of pork lias of late been 

 much extended. 



The cotton manufacture, since 1822, has spread 

 through Ireland in a very surprising manner, particu- 

 larly in the counties of Antrim, Down, Louth, and 

 part of Dublin. The coarser linen fabrics are dis- 

 appearing before it, and proceeding to the westward 

 and southward, retaining still an equal hold of the 

 kingdom in general. More recently this fabric has 

 rather declined, and linen has regained the ascend- 

 ency. 



l-'i-hery is a branch of industry for which the ex- 

 tended shores and deep bays of Ireland would be 

 peculiarly adopted. Nor do the inland waters, the 

 rivers and lakes, less abound in the species of fish 

 appropriate to them. The diligence of the Irish in 

 taking fish for immediate consumption is considerable, 

 being urged on by the frequent abstinence from other 

 food wliich their Catholic profession enjoins. Their 

 trout and salmon are distinguished both for size and 

 taste: the salmon are caught by weirs, stake-nets, 

 and other contrivances, but with so little precaution 

 that their number has been sensibly diminished. The 

 eels also are delicate and attain a great size ; and the 

 use of eel-weirs, a practice but partially known on 

 this side of the Channel, is very general. These pro- 

 cesses, however, do considerable injury by flooding 

 the adjoining lands. Dublin, and the other great 

 towns, obtain a regular supply of sea-fish, though at 

 prices so high as to place the consumption beyond 

 the reach of the lower orders. The curing of fish 

 has made very little progress, when compared with 

 the opportunities which the coasts of Ireland afford. 

 In 1809, parliament appointed a board of commis- 

 sioners for the promotion of Irish fisheries, placing at 

 their disposal a sum of 5000 to be employed in 

 erecting small piers, fitting out commodious boats, 

 and providing other facilities. Since that time, the 

 curing of fish has made considerable progress, though 

 Ireland still cannot come into any sort of competition 

 with Scotland. In 1824, the herrings produced by 

 the coast fishery amounted to 34,201, on which was 

 allowed a bounty of ,6726. The open sea fishery 

 produced 7638 barrels, on which a bounty was given 

 of 17,300. There were also cured 2934 cwt. cod, 

 2645 cwt. ling, 9500 cwt. hake. The last is chiefly 

 caught on the coasts of Waterford and Cork. There 

 is supposed to be a most extensive bank, extending 

 from its western coast as far as Newfoundland. 



Commerce. With the exception of the linen manu- 

 facture, the manufactured products of Ireland are 

 quite inconsiderable. She has, however, very great 

 facilities for the production of raw materials ; and it is 

 in all respects more suitable for her, as well as for 

 England, that she should direct her efforts to this 

 department, and import manufactured articles from 

 Britain, than that she should attempt to enter into an 

 unequal competition with the latter in manufacturing 

 industry. Previously to 1806, there were several 

 restrictions on the importation of corn from Ireland 

 into England ; but these were wholly abolished, and 

 since that epoch her exports of corn to this country 

 have increased from less than 400,000 to above 

 2,600,000 quarters ! In 1825 the other restraints on 

 the intercourse between Ireland and Great Britain 

 were mostly abolished ; and owing to this circum- 

 stance, and to the establishment of a regular inter- 



course by steam packets between Liverpool, Glasgow, 

 Bristol, :ui(l the principal towns on the east anil south 

 coasts of Ireland, the trade between the two coun- 

 tries lias been vastly increased. This has been pro- 

 ductive of much advantage to both parties, but 

 principally to Ireland ; and, notwithstanding the 

 agitation of which she is the prey, it is not to be 

 doubted that she has made very considerable advances 

 in the way of improvement within the last half dozen 

 years. Owing to the trade between the two coun- 

 tries being now placed on the footing of a coasting 

 trade, no account has been kept, later than 1825, of 

 the reciprocal imports and exports of each, except 

 in the case of corn. 



The shipping interest of Ireland is on a very small 

 scale when compared with that of the sister island. 

 On the 31st December, 1830, she had 1424 vessels; 

 the tonnage of which was 101,820, navigated by 7794 

 men and boys. In 1832 there were built twenty-five 

 ships, of 1909 tons. There were entered inwards, 

 in 1831, 14,499 ships, of 1,420,382 tons ; outwards, 

 9801 ships, 1,073,545 tons. Of this were employed 

 in trade with Great Britain, 13,584 ships, and 

 1,262,221 tons, inwards ; 9029 ships, 921,128 tons, 

 outwards ; in foreign trade, 915 ships, 158,161 tons, 

 inwards ; 772 ships, 152,417 tons, outwards. 



Church. The conversion of the Irish to Chris- 

 tianity is generally ascribed to St Patrick, a native 

 of Scotland, who is said to have received his mission 

 from pope Celestine, and to have been raised to the 

 archiepiscopal chair of Armagh. It appears that ; till 

 the twelfth century, the pope had no authority in 

 Ireland, (Ledwich, p. 78.), and that long before 

 that time, a regular hierarchy had been established 

 there, with numerous bishops ; every church almost 

 having one, besides those which were appointed to 

 each see. The learned antiquary Ledwich, remarks, 

 that until the arrival of the English in Ireland, 

 the number of its sees, and the succession of its 

 bishops, as well as the history of its ecclesiastical 

 affairs, are involved in great obscurity. 



The number of clergymen of the established 

 church consisted of 1,700, viz., 4 archbishops, 18 

 bishops, 33 deans, 34 archdeacons, 500 canons, 

 prebends, &c. The total dignitaries being 587, and 

 working clergy 1,113. Total general, 1,700. By an 

 act, however, recently passed, two archbishoprics are 

 to be converted into bishoprics, and ten bishoprics are 

 to be abolished. The aggregate revenue of the eccle- 

 siastical establishment of Ireland is estimated by several 

 authors, as not exceeding 1,000,000 per annum. 



The Roman Catholic church of Ireland is com- 

 posed of four archbishops and twenty-two bishops. 

 The archbishops take their titles, as in the estab- 

 lished church, from Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and 

 Tuam. Of the bishops eight are suffragans of 

 Armagh, and are those of Ardagh, Clogher, Derry, 

 Down and Connor, Dromore, Kilmore, Meath, and 

 Raphoe. Dublin has but three suffragans, Leighlin 

 and Ferns, Kildare, and Ossory. Six are suffragans 

 to Cashel, viz., Ardfert and Aghadoe, Cloyne and 

 Ross, Cork, Killaloe, Limerick and Waterford, and 

 Lismore. Four are subject to Tuam, viz. Achonry, 

 Clonfert, Elphin, and Killalla. There is besides these 

 the bishop of the united dioceses of Kilmacduagh 

 and Kilfenoras, the one in Connaught, the other in 

 Munster, who is alternately suffragan of Tuam and 

 Cashel. As in the established church, there is also 

 a dignitary in Galway called a Warden, who has 

 nearly episcopal jurisdiction, and is no farther 

 subject to higher powers than that he is liable to 

 the triennial visitation of the archbishop of Tuam. 

 Every bishop has a vicar-general of his own appoint- 

 ment, who holds his office only durante beneplacito, 

 and whose jurisdiction ceases on the death of the 



