IRELAND 183 



brought to the man of God. He thanked them for 

 their kind attention. He prayed for a blessing on 

 them, and he blessed the river, praying, and while 

 praying foretelling that fish would never fail in the 

 river. The actual state of affairs has always afforded 

 proof of this prophecy ; for ever since that time the 

 river so abounds in salmon that every time of the 

 year fresh salmon are found in it. 1 



" Carefully kept records covering over thirty 

 years show that the productiveness of the river 

 diminished. The causes were over-netting and 

 poaching. Now, however, there is hope of re- 

 covery. A goodly part of the river is being 

 nursed by Sir Charles Petrie, Liverpool, who took 

 a tenancy a few years ago." 



The OWENMORE, which runs, through picturesque 

 scenery, from above Corick, in the Barony of Erris, 

 to the sea at Tullaghaan Bay, is a subject of anxiety. 

 Mr. George Tilson Shaen Carter, Shaen Manor, 

 Belmullet, writes : 



"In 1875, and until 1895, the catch of salmon 

 was very large, and the river, assisted by the valu- 

 able fishery of Lough Carramore close by, was favour- 

 ably known far and wide. Since 1895 there has 

 been a falling-off in the stock of fish. That would 

 appear to be because, in addition to excessive net- 

 ting in the tidal reaches, salmon are taken in large 

 quantities by fishing vessels out in the Bay of 

 Tullaghaan, at the entrance of the bay, and round 

 the coast. Certainly the river fishing will be de- 

 stroyed if sea fishing of this kind continues. In 



