WATER CATCHMENT AREAS IN IRELAND 287 
the amount disclosed being 15,282 acres, owned by nine 
local authorities. Only three of these own a considerable 
proportion of their gathering grounds, namely, Belfast, 
which owns 13,746 acres; Portadown and Banbridge 
Joint Waterworks Board, which owns 943 acres; and 
Dublin, which owns 348 acres in addition to 712 acres of 
reservoir sites. The portions of their catchment areas 
owned by Rathmines, Drogheda, Lisburn, Holywood, and 
Waterford are very smal]. Scarcely any afforestation has 
been attempted, the only instances of municipal effort in 
this direction being 50 acres of old and 5 acres of new 
plantations on the Vartry area, belonging to the Dublin 
Corporation, and 50 acres of plantations made since 1900 
by the Urban District Council of Rathmines on their catch- 
ment area at Glennasmol. ‘The afforestation of the 
gathering grounds of Ireland cannot be effected until the 
areas are compulsorily acquired by the Urban District 
Councils and other local authorities concerned. 
I. ULSTER 
Gathering grounds, 41,253 acres, supplying twenty-one 
local authorities and one private owner (acreage of Letter- 
kenny, Keady, and Ballymoney gathering grounds unknown 
and not included). 14,752 acres owned by four local 
authorities. 
Belfast obtains its water supply from three catchment 
areas, as follows: 
The Woodburn area, 3 to 4 miles north-west of Carrick- 
fergus, and between 300 to 1000 feet elevation, contains 
6937 acres, of which 3657 acres, formerly farm lands, 
were acquired by the Water Commissioners to prevent 
pollution, and were cleared of inhabitants, being now only 
used for meadow and grazing. About 70 acres are 
wooded. The unpurchased part is moorland and rough 
grazing. 
The Stonyford catchment area, 5 miles north-west of 
