﻿nt 



MAYOTTO. 



HEATH. 



740 



rebuilt by O'Couoor iu tbe 12th century. Aa arohiepUoopal onwier 

 of surpriniiiKly bt-iiutiful workmouiibip, msd* by oouimauil of Turlogh 

 O'Couuur, tbo fatber of ItuUerick, tho la«( imUve kiug of Irvlaud, aud 

 prcterveU at Coug until recauU^, U uow in the poaaeaiiou of tho Koyal 

 Irish AcadMuy. At liallybauuu ara the ruiu« of a largely eu<lowed 

 abbey founded by the family of Kangle. At Moyne there are the fine 

 remaiii* of a Fraaaaoau friary. Kuaatirk abbey, in the «ame neighbour- 

 hood, built by the Joyoea iu the lith century, is another very atriking 

 ruin. I'he remaaiM of Balliutubber abbey, 7 milea from Ikllinrube, 

 are among tbe moat elegant apeotmena of early arohiteoture in Ireland. 

 It waa founded by Cathal O'Connor about the close of the 12th century. 

 Throughout the county there are many other rumaina of religious 

 bouaca. 



The chief military ontiuuiUea are Carrig«-Nile, near Newport, aaid 

 to have been a atroughold of Grace O'Malley, or Gnnu Aile, oele- 

 bratoil for her exploit* ogainat the Englioh in the 16th century ; Uooua 

 Caatlv, on the abore of Tullaghan liay, another scat of the O'HaUeyg ; 

 and Invar Castle, on the ahore of UroadhaveUj which probably belonged 

 to the aame family. 



MAYOTTO. [Comoro IsumiM.] 



MAYI'U. [CuiLi.] 



JIAZANDEIUN. [PKBsii.] 



MKACO. [Jai'as.] 



Ut:.\.SHAM. [Debbysbibk.] 



MEATU, a maritime county iu the province of Leiust«r, Ireland, 

 ia bounded M. by Cavan, Honaghao, and Louth, E. by thu Irish Sea 

 and the county of Dublin, S. by Kildare and King's County, and W. 

 Iqr Westmeath. It is situated between 53" 22' and 63" 53' N. lat, 

 6" 13' and 7° 17' W. long. Ita greatest length from east to weat is 

 47 milea ; from north to south 40 miles. Tbe area ia 906 square 

 milea, or s79,S99 acres, of which 547,391 acres are arable, 16,033 aorea 

 uncultivated, 12,767 acres in plantations, 467 aorea in towns, andS244 

 acres uuiler water. The population in 1841 was 183,828 : in 1851 it 

 waa 140,750. 



Cotut-line and Surface. — The coast, 10 milea in length, baa a toler- 

 ably atnight outline running aouth by eaat from the mouth of the 

 Boyne to the boundary of the county of Dublin, near Uormanstown. 

 The abore is low, skirted by aand-banks or hills, and broken by one 

 or two small streams which flow into the sea. There is no harbour of 

 importance. 



The highest part of tbe county is near the western border, to the 

 aouth of the Croeswater stream, which separates Meath from Cavan. 

 Tbe principal hill in that district is SliebbnalUagh, which ri«es to the 

 height of 604 feet, between Oldoastle and Crossakeel. There are small 

 patches of bog iu many parts of the county. The general surface of 

 thfl county is a continuation of the central plain of the island. 

 Belonging almost entirely to the basin of the Boyne, it is broken only 

 by gentle undulations or by detached hills of inconsiderable height 

 la the aonthem portion of the county the chief elevation is 658 

 fast, the height of one of aeveral bills in the neighbourhood of 

 Dunshaughlin. 



Hydrography and OomnnuUcaliont. — The Boyne touches the border 

 of the county at ita aouth-westem extremity, and after dividing it for 

 a few milea from the county of Kildare, flows iu a winding channel 

 north-eaat by Trim to Navan, where it receives the Blackwatcr, ita 

 ohief tributary. The Meuagh, which akirta the south-weatem border 

 and unitea wiUi the Boyne where the latter first touches the county ; 

 the Bliml, the Blackwater, which on the south divides Heath from 

 Kildare, and the Deel, all small streams, join the Boyne before it 

 reaohea Navan. From Naran the Boyne flows east-north-east by Slane 

 to the border of Louth, and thence along the boundary-lino to tbe 

 aea at Momington below Drogheda. The Boyne is navigable in the 

 natural bed of the stream to above Drogheda, and afterwards partly 

 ia the natural bed, and occasionally by a laUral cut or canal to 

 Varan, about 28 miles from ita moutb. The Blackwater touches the 

 border of the county on the uurth-west side at the junction of the 

 Cniaswatar, and after ruuuing a short way between lAiutli iiud Meath 

 flows east-south-east 18 miles into the Boyne at Navau. Tbe Nobber 

 tisaa from aome boga and small lakes on the northern side of the county 

 near Kilmainham, and flowing in a winding course first routh-eaat then 

 nocth-eaat entan Louth, and there unites with the Dee. The southern 

 and south-eaatem Ijorders are watered by tho affluents of the Liffey, 

 •r bjr aom* analler atreama whidi flow into the aea between the Lifi'ey 

 «pA tiia Bma. Lo«i|^ Bhaetin, a lake of an oval form, {> miles long, 

 •apafatva liaatb and Weatoioath from Cavan. Ix>ugh Bawn and other 

 aoiaU lakes lie «n the western border of the county. In tho uortji tho 

 lake of Kilmainham, about a mile long, ia formed by an expansion of 

 Vbm Kobbar. 



Tbe Boyal Canal enters the county near Kiloock, and runs for some 

 milas within tbe bonier, oaeasiooaUy quitting it for the county of 

 Kildare. It ia carried by aqueducU over tbe Blnckwater and the 

 Boyne, and aoon afUr entera Weatmeatli. About 14 or 15 miles of 

 this canal are within the county, which it connecU with Dublin at one 

 end, and tbe Shannon, near the t^.wn of Longfoixl, at tho other. Tho 

 HidUnd Oreat Western railway, fn.m Dublin to Oalway, crosaes the 

 ooun^ close to tbe line of the Koyal CanaL The Dublin and Belfast 

 Sanation railway paiaea along the coast, and a branch from Drogheda 

 — "Dues the oommimicatiou iulaud to Karau. 



The oounty ia well provided with roada. Tbe principal lines are 

 the coast and inland rooda to Drogheda, joining the Oreat Northern 

 road to Armagh and Belfast ; the DubUn and Londonderry road 

 through Slaae ; the Dublin and Enniskillon road through Navan and 

 Kells; the Dublin and Granard road by Trim and Athboy; and the 

 Dublin and Sligo road by Clonanl. 



Ototogy. — UMth belongs chiefly to the great Umeatoue district of 

 Ireland, the southern port of the county, and considerable portions of 

 the north and west, being occupied by this formation. A part of the 

 limestone bods belongs to the calp or black shale series, composed of 

 alternations of impure black argillaceous limestone with black shale 

 containing balls of gray ironstone. From beneath the bods of tho calp 

 series those of the lower limestone crop out. Tho hilly parts of the 

 county belong to the transition district, which extends from the coast 

 of the county of Down into tbe counties of Longford ami Roscommon. 

 The rocks are grauwacko slate, fissile clay-slate, fliut-slato, and chlorite 

 sbvte. In this district limestone and marl aro abundant 



CUmate, Soil, and Produce. — The climate of Heath is colder than 

 that of the western division of the island, but is less humid oven than 

 the climate of most of the eastern counties. Cold winds prevail during 

 spring. 



The soil is for the most part a deep loam of the richest character. 

 Meath is the first county iu Leinster for the quality of its gnuing land. 

 The mode of farmiui;, though slovenly and defective, boars some 

 resemblanoe to that of England. The empluyments are chiefly agri- 

 cultural. Grazing is more attended to than tillage. Some coarse Uneus 

 are manufactured. In 1853 the number of acres under crop was 

 203,528, of which 9563 acres grew wheat; 94,862 acres oato; 7434 

 acres bturley, here, rye, peas, and beans ; 13,441 acres potatoes; 12,128 

 acres turnips; 6563 acres other green crops; 689 acres flax; and 

 69,953 acres meadow and clover. In 1852 on 10,897 holdmgs, there 

 were 21,623 horses, 3570 mules and asses, 105,063 head of cattle, 

 151,422 sheep, 20,096 pigs, 7298 goats, and 242,203 head of poultry. 

 The total value of the live stock here enumerated was estimated 

 at 1,0C4,809{. The best breeds of cattle have been introduced. The 

 horses are generally inferior. A large, long, blood horse, which sells 

 for a high price, is much reared in the county. 



Diviiioiit and Towns. — The county of Heath is divided into 19 

 baronies, — Deoce Lower and Upper, Drogheda, Duleek Lower and 

 Uppei', Duuboyne, Fore, Kells Lower and Upper, Lune, Morgallion, 

 Hoyfenrath Lower and Upper, Navan Lower and Upper, Katoatb, 

 Skreen, and Slane Lower and Upper. The principal towns are Natak, 

 Kells, and Trim, which are noticed under their respective titles. 

 The following aro the smaller towns and most important villages, 

 with the population of each in 1851 : — 



Bohermeeu, population 831 iu 1841, hod in 1851 fewer than 20 

 houses, and was therefore not returned as a sepai~.ite village. Besides 

 the parish church tht-ro is a large Roman Catholic clupeL Near 

 Bohermeeu aro thu extensire demesne of Allonstoun, the mausious of 

 Oatlands, Durhamstowu, and Uobertatowu, and Ardbraccan House, 

 tbe palace of tbe Bishop of Heath. The episcopal residence, which is 

 one of the finest in Irehmd, was erected iu 1766 on the site of a castle 

 which had from an early period been the seat of the Bishops of Heath. 



Alhboy, population 1204, a market- and post-town, formerly a par- 

 liamentary borough, is situated on tbe Athlxiy River, 7 miles N.W. 

 from Trim, and U6 miles N.W. by W. from Dublin. It contains a 

 small church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a sessions-house, two free 

 schools, a national school, and a dispensary. An almshouse for 12 

 poor widows is supported by Earl Darnley the proprietor of the town, 

 i'etty sessions are bold muuthly. Fairs are held 7 times a year. 



Clonard, {wpulation of the towuland of Anueville, or Old Clonard, 

 325 in 1851, is situated on the Boyne, 33 miles AV. by N. from Dublin. 

 Clonard in ancient times had an abbey which became the seat of a 

 bishop whose diocese was augmented, previous to 1152, by the addition 

 of the bishoprics of Trim, Ardbraccan, Dunsbaughliu, und Slane ; and 

 waa afterwards designated the diocese of Heath, but tho cathodiid 

 continued to be at Clonard till 1206. About 1175 Hui;h do Lucy 

 erected here an Augustinian monastery. Clonard was the scene of 

 conflict in 1641 and in the insurrection of 1798. 



Vuleek, popuhktion 1158 in 1841, but only 374 in 1851, is situated 

 on thu Nanny Water, 24 miles N. by W. from Dublin, and contains a 

 parish church, erected in IhlU, a Roman Catholic chai>el, a NatiuwU 

 school, and a dis])ensary. There is an cxtensivo Hour-mill. Petty 

 senaioua ore hold monthly. Fairs ara held 4 times a year. Iu tho 

 town are two stone crosses and the remains of an abbey or priory, and 

 a monastic liospitoL Duleek returned two members to the Irish 

 I'arliamrnt. 



DunAaughlin bos been already described. [DliNsluuuuUN.] 



Nobber, population 266, situated on the rood from Dublin to Clones, 

 40| miles N.W. by N. from Dublin, contains a neat parish church, a 

 Roman Catholic chapel, and a dispensary. Near the village is a largo 

 Danish camp, and in tho churchyard aro the remains of a structure 

 suppose)! to have belonged to tbe Knights of St John of Jerusalem. 

 Fairs are hold 6 times a year, 



(McatUc, the seat of a Poor-Law Union, will be separately noticed. 



[Ol.UC VSTLK.] 



Kalvalh, population 396, formerly a parliamentary borough, is situ- 

 ated on the rood from Ashbourne to Dimshaughliu, 15 miles N.W. by 



