﻿7S7 



MAYO. 



MAYO. 



738 



Lough Conn, a fine sheet of water 8 miles in length by from 1 to 4 

 miles in breadth, communicating on the south by a very naiTow strait 

 in the neck of land called the Puntoon, with Lough Cullin, a smaller 

 lake, through which it discharges its waters into the river Moy close 

 to Foxford. 



The valley at Foxford is contracted by the approaching ranges of 

 the Croagh Moyle and Slieve Oamph Mountains, but southward from 

 this point it opens into an extensive plain in which Slieve Camon, 

 855 feet high, is the most considerable eminence. The main stream 

 of the Moy, rising in the county of Sligo, runs westward through an 

 open upland valley bounded ou the north by the line of the Ox 

 Mountains, and on the south by low undulating hills of from 600 to 

 700 feet in height, skirting the northern verge of the great plain. 

 This vale is thinly inhabited, and much incumbered with mountain 

 bogs, except towards the western extremity, where there is a good 

 deal of cultivation round the small town of Swineford. Southward 

 from the valley of the upper Moy, the district on the eastern verge of 

 the county is blenk and swampy. A good pastoral tract extends from 

 the Roscommon border on the east to the vicinity of Castlebar on the 

 west, and from the Slieve Camon on the north to the borders of 

 Galway on the south. This tract is named generally the Plains of 

 Mayo, though the name strictly applies to the rich grazing lands 

 immediately south of Slieve Camon. Farther south, the tracts of 

 bog are more numerous than in the northern and central portion of 

 the plain, occupying most of the valleys, and in several instances 

 in.sulating the demesnes of the gentry. An open fertile district 

 extends along the eastern shore of Lough Mask. 



From Westport to Newport the head of Clew Bay ia studded with 

 170 green pasturable islands, varying in size from a few acres to half 

 a mile in length. The shore along the head of the bay ia also good 

 arable and pasture land, and is worn into numerous peninsulas and 

 low promontories, many of them wooded, which greatly increases the 

 picturesque effect. From within three miles of Westport to Castle- 

 bar lie a number of small lakes, the waters of which are discharged 

 by a river passing through the town into the head of Lough Cullin. 



The county has been of late years much improved by the construc- 

 tion of important lines of road. One leading from Castlebar to 

 Belmullet, and another from Ballina to Belmullet, have opened the 

 wild districts of Tyrawley and Erris. The district of Murriak has 

 been opened by an excellent road from Westport to the head of 

 Killery harbour, where it joins the government road, leading through 

 Connemara. The champaign part of the county is in general well 

 supplied with roads. 



Gtoloyy, Hineralogy, ic. — The geological structure of Mayo, like 

 that of (Jalway, exhibits an arrangement of primary and secondary 

 rocks skirting a limestone basin. As usual, the champaign district 

 and the field of limestone are co-extensive. In Clew Bay, as in many 

 of the western bays of Ireland, while the promontories on each side 

 are of primary rock, the bottom of the bay consists of stratified lime- 

 stone, as appears from the multitude of limestone islands round its 

 upper extremity. The vei;ges of the plain are traversed by numerous 

 subterraneous channels. The southern half of Murrisk belongs to 

 the grauwacke series ; in the valley of the Ayle, a tract of yellow 

 sandstone lies between the clay-slate of this formation and the strati- 

 fied limestone. The northern division of Murrisk consists mainly of 

 mica-slate with protrusions of granite and quartz, the chief quartz 

 protrusion being the peak of Croagh Patrick. Along the north- 

 western coast of Murrisk a tract of old red-sandstone appears, which 

 rises again on the southern and eastern side of the island of Clare, 

 overlying the granite of which the nucleus of that island consists. 

 It re-ap[iears in the northern mountain district. The limeetone tract 

 occupies the greater part of northeastern Tyrawley, but no where 

 reaches the sea, from which it is separated by a field of yellow sand- 

 stone and conglomerate. The mica-slate field comprises all Erris, the 

 Mullet, the island of Achill, and southern Tyrawley as far eastward 

 as great Nephin. Granite and quartz protrusions are of frequent 

 occurrence, in this district generally constituting the loftiest and 

 most striking elevations. Granite again rises on the opposite side of 

 the valley of the Moy in the SUeve Gamph Mountains over Foxford, 

 supporting flunks of mica-slate as in the range of Nephin. Through- 

 out the primary district iron-ore is abimdant, but remains unwrought 

 for waLt of fuel. Marble susceptible of a good polish has been raised 

 in several parts of the barony of Murrisk. Slates are quarried. 



Climate, Soil, and Protlucc — The climate of the western districts 

 ia damp and ungeniaL That of the level part of the county, which 

 is protected by the mountains from the prevalent winds, and lies open 

 towards the east and south, is as mild as the climate of most of the 

 midland counties. 



The soils of the champaign tract are in general similar to those of 

 other limestone districts : the best lie about Ualla, Claremorris, and 

 Hollhrmount on the south, and round Ballina on the north. 



The tillage lands in the neighbourhood of Westport have been for 

 the most part reclaimed from a comparatively moory state; but 

 towards Newjxjrt the soil is naturally good, and produces large crops 

 of the beet oats. The chief occupations are agriculture and fishing. 

 Pasturage ia more general than tillage. In 1853 the number of acres 

 under crop waa 179,268, ot which 8283 acres grew wheat ; 81,451 

 •crea o«t«; 7282 acres barley, here, rye, peas, and beans; 53,412 



OtOO. DIV. VOL. III. 



acres potatoes ; 12,308 acres turnips; 2470 .icrea other green crops ; 

 1198 acres flax, and 17,904 acres meadow aud clover. Of plantations, 

 in 1841, there were 9356 acres, yielding oak, ash, elm, beech, fir, 

 mixed timber, and fruit. In 1852 on 31,915 holdings there were 

 14,942 horses, 16,736 mules and asses, 133,870 head of cattle, 172,117 

 sheep, 30,570 pigs, 8072 goats, and 324,716 head of poultry. The 

 fishery districts are Westport, Keele, Dulough, Dunkeehan, and Bally- 

 castle, comprising 226 miles of maritime boundary, aud in 1853 

 employing 486 registered vessels, and 2910 men and boys. There 

 are consid'-rable salmon fisheries on the Moy and other rivers of the 

 county. The principal fiehing-bank on the north lies between Down- 

 patrick Head and Broadhaveu, at about 3 miles from the shore, in 30 

 to 45 fathoms water, where turbot, sole, cod, ling, haddock, aud hake 

 are taken. Between the Stags of Broadhaven (insular rocks in the 

 offing of that bay) and the island of South Inniskea is another bank, 

 in 18 to 30 fathoms water, on which the same fish .ibound. Blacksod 

 Bay and Clew Bay also contain extensive fishiiig-banks for turbot, 

 sole, plaice, &c. ; and vast quantities of oysters and lobsters may be 

 taken on the shores of both. The herring-fiahei-y ia chiefly prosecuted 

 near the mouth of Killery harbour. 



Diviticma and Totons. — The county is in the dioceses of Tuam, 

 Killala, and Achonry. It is divided into nine baronies — Burrishoole, 

 Carra, Claremorris, Costello, Enis, Gallen, Kilinaine, Murrisk, and 

 Tyrawley. The principal towns are Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, 

 and Ballinrobe, which are noticed under their respective titles. 



The following are some of the smaller towns and more important 

 villages, with the population of each in 1851 : — 



Binghavi»tmm-erris, a fishing villai;e, built since 1821 on Saleen 

 Creek, ou the west side of Blacksod Bay, 52 miles W. from Castlebar 

 by road, consists of mean dwellings laid down on a regular plan, and 

 contains a parish church, a Itoman Catholic chapel, and a dispensary. 

 The harbour, consisting of a basin, with a pier 165 feet long, was 

 completed by the Fishery Board. Fairs are held on the 1st of every 

 month. Clare, or Cl-vreuorbis. Cong, population 519, a poor 

 village near the head of Lough Corrib, 30 miles S. from Castlebar, 

 contains a parish church, a Rom.au Catholic chapel, a dispensary, and 

 the ruins of an abbey, in which Koderick O'Connor, the last native 

 king of Ireland, after being dispossessed of his sovereignty, passed 

 the last years of his life. Petty sessions are held in the town ou the 

 second Friday of every month. Croamolina, population 1225, a 

 market- and post-town, on the river Deel, near the head of Lough 

 Conn, 18 miles N. by W. from Castlebar by road, contains a parish 

 church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a Methodist chapel, aud remains of 

 an old castle aud of an abbey. Petty sessions are held monthly. 

 Fairs are held ten times a year. There ia a weekly market. Foxford, 

 population 681, a market- aud post-town, ou the right bank of the 

 river Moy, near Lough Cullin, 13.J miles N.E. by N. from Castlebar, 

 contains a handsome parish church, with a square tower, a Roman 

 Catholic chapel, a market and court-house, and a dispensary. Potty 

 sessions .ore held monthly. Thursday is the market-day. Fairs are 

 held four times a year. NiiwroRT. 



Mayo retiu:ns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The county 

 is in the Connaught circuit. The county prison is at Castlebar, whcro 

 the assizes are held. Quarter sessions are held there and at Ballina, 

 Ballinrobe, Belmullet, Castlebar, Claremorris, Swineford, aud West- 

 port. Potty sessions are held in 24 places. A savings bauk is estab- 

 lished at Castlebar, the deposits in which amounted on November 20th 

 1853 to 13,9032. 13<. llrf. In September 1852 there were 173 National 

 schools in operation, attended by 9928 mole and 8770 female scholars. 



Iliitorij and Anliqitities. — This county formed part of the grant 

 made by king Henry II. to William Fitz-Adelm do Burgho about the 

 year 1180. Little is known of the proceedings of the settlers until 

 the great rebellion succeeding the assassination of William de Burgho, 

 earl of Ulster, in 1333. Immediately after the murder of the carl 

 some of the younger branches of the Burke family, seeing that the 

 entire province would be inherited by his infant daughter, seized on 

 the counties of Galway and Mayo, and cast ofi° allegiance to the English 

 law, renouncing their English names, and identifying themselves and 

 their followers with the native Irish. The name chosen by Edmund 

 de Burgho, who seized on Mayo, was Mac William Oughter. From 

 this time till the reign of Elizabeth the MacWilliam of the day 

 exercised the authority of an independent potentate. In 1575 the 

 MacWilliam, accompanied by the O'Malley an<l a number of the clan 

 Donnell, came to Galway aud made his submission, consenting to pay 

 250 marks per annum for his country, and to allow his followers to hold 

 by English tenure. The county was shortly after again declared shire- 

 ground. The Burkes however subsequently broke into rebellion, in 

 which they were joined by other families. To appease these tumults 

 Sir Richard Bingham marched to Ballinrobe ou the 12th July 1586, and 

 having razed several castles of the Burkes and Macdounells, and 

 defeated the rebels, succeeded in restoring the county to tranquillity. 

 In 1793 a French force of 1100 men, under General Humbert, made 

 a descent on Mayo, carried the towns of Killala and Ballina, and being 

 joined by a large body of the peasantry defeated General Lake before 

 Castlebar, but had to surrender at Ballinamuck. 



The antiquities of the county are chiefly tcclesiaaticaL There are 

 roimd towers at Kilkla, Turlogh, Meelick, and Balla. At Cong are 

 the rcraoinn of a splendid abbey, founded in the 7th century, and 



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