79 



twenty-seven miles from Dingle, and about thirty-five from 

 the fishing-ground. 



"We cannot over-rate the importance of providing safe 

 and convenient harbours wherever practicable, as without 

 proper shelter for the boats it is not to be expected that 

 there can be any great development of the fisheries." 



Besides the above, in the Appendix to this paper will be 

 found the denomination of 70 points on the coast where the 

 Inspectors have unanimously recommended fishery piers to 

 be constructed. To Lord Waterford's opinion, that " there 

 was as great wealth in the seas of Ireland as in the seas 

 that washed this country," I can add the testimony of the 

 Minister, Mr. Shaw-Lefevre, who admitted this but hazarded 

 the officially informed addenda, that the elements were 

 against our securing the prize, though he did not explain 

 how the law of storms, coeval with Cabinet sympathy, kept 

 an eccentric puff in hand for my poor country, whilst re- 

 fraining from interfering with the Norsemen of Shetland 

 or the fishermen of Newfoundland. 



I will not weary my audience by going over the ground 

 so exhaustively trod in these Conferences by such men as 

 Huxley, Brown Goode, and others, fully proving to the 

 fair mind the inexhaustible supply the seas afford. It is 

 enough for me that all authorities unite in proclaiming 

 that the Irish coasts are not exceptional as resorts for the 

 vast shoals we have heard so much about in recent in- 

 teresting papers ; but ere I leave the consideration of our 

 coast fisheries, I would earnestly ask my audience to make 

 a special inspection of the United States annex, with a 

 view to appreciate thoroughly the question, and not to 

 forget to pause before the jars which hold the produce of 

 such refuse of the cod as its head and backbone turned 

 into a valuable agricultural recuperative, while the edible 



