THE ROSCOMMON SHEEP. 359 



at large prices to Irish breeders. This smuggling trade does 

 not, however, appear to have been profitable to those who 

 engaged in it, owing probably to the risk which attended it ; 

 and a curious illustration of this is supplied by a rare pamphlet 

 in my possession. That pamphlet was published at Dublin in 

 1777, and was written for the purpose of supporting a petition 

 to the Irish Parliament by Mr. Thomas Johnston, of Derry, in 

 the county of Tipperary. Mr. Johnston, it appears, had 

 speculated largely in smuggling over " stallions and mares, 

 boars and sows, rams, ewes, and bulls " from England ; but, 

 owing to the hazard and expense of the undertaking, it had 

 proved unremunerative, and Mr. Johnston petitioned the Irish 

 Parliament to consider the losses he had sustained while 

 serving the nation. Amongst the items set forth in his petition 

 was " thirty rams and ewes, which were lost at Carlingford, on 

 account of the ship's being seized for want of a cocket " — for 

 smuggling, in fact — " and perished for want of food." It was a 

 somewhat curious plea to use in support of his petition ; but it 

 is clear that the sympathies of the Irish Parliament were with 

 Mr. Johnston, as the House " was pleased to grant him the 

 sum of c£200, not having it in their power, from the number of 

 other Parliamentary grants, to extend their bounty farther at 

 that time." Mr. Johnston's petition was supported by a 

 memorial signed by forty-eight individuals. The memorial ran 

 as follows : " We, the Gentlemen Breeders of the Kingdom of 

 Ireland, certify that Mr, Thomas Johnston, by his great skill 

 in the choice and unwearied assiduity in the importation of live 

 stock into this kingdom for several years past, and at a vast 

 expense, hath improved the stock in general of Ireland, in a 

 most extraordinary manner, to such a degree, that we are well 

 convinced of the great benefit we have received, and sincerely 

 wish he may meet with Parliamentary encouragement." 



When the restrictions placed upon the importation of live 

 stock into Ireland were removed, the improvement of the 

 Connaught breed of sheep was vigorously conducted, and the 

 Eoscommon breeders having taken the lead in improvement, 

 aided by the dry and wholesome nature of their sheep walks, 

 the improved breed became recognised as the Koscommon sheep. 

 It is, however, within the last twenty-five years that a systematic 



