IRELAND. 



265 



rTiitorr. supremacy, tncl the declarations against transubsfantia- 

 "" '"' tion and the invocation of saints. In this oath, they 

 were to renounce their belief in the temporal jurisdic- 

 tion or authority of the pope in Great Britain or Ire- 

 land his infallibility, or right to forgive sins without 

 repentance and whatever, besides, was subversive of 

 morality, or dangerous to the church establishment. 

 On taking this oath, Catholics might vote for members 

 of parliament, or be appointed to any civil or military 

 office, except those of lord high chancellor, keeper of 

 the great seal, or lord-lieutenant of Ireland. The Ro- 

 man Catholic clergy were to take an oath against the 

 appointment of bishop*, except such as were of unim- 

 peachable loyalty; and against any correspondence with 

 the pope, except on ecclesiastical matters. The bill 

 wa* read and committed, and it was generally thought 

 that it would pass, at least, the House of Commons. Un 

 the 24th of May, however, when the House was sitting 

 in a committee on it, Mr. Abbot, the speaker, after a 

 strong speech against it, moved, that the words, " to sit 

 and vote in either house of Parliament," be left out. 

 This motion, after a long debate, was carried by a ma- 

 jority of four, upon which the bill was withdrawn. 

 Cuicn. Though occasional and local disturbance* existed in 



l-:i. Ireland, they were not deemed of such a nature as to call 



for any new enactments of the legislature, till the year 



1814, when a set of banditti, called Carders, commit- History, 

 ted outrages in some parts of the country. They were ^"""Y"""*' 

 80 called, because they tortured those who had incur- 

 red their hatred by the application of wool-cards to the 

 skin and flesh of their victims. In consequence of their 

 outrages, an act, to be in force for three years, was 

 passed, similar to the insurrection act of ISO?. The 

 proceedings of the Orange societies, which at this time 

 were very numerous, and by no means actuated by a 

 liberal or conciliating spirit, were strongly reprobated 

 in parliament during the discussions on this act. 



In 1816, Ireland suffered, in common with Great Bri- Suueof Ire. 

 tain, and nearly the whole of Europe, from the effects l" d ' 

 of a season almost unprecedented for coldness and rains, 1816- 

 and for a most scanty produce of grain ; but though 

 there was a nearer approach to famine in Ireland than 

 in any part of Britain, and though this calamity press- 

 ed most heavily upon the inhabitants, from their not 

 possessing those resources, either of trade or poor-rates, 

 which are open to the lower classes in England, yet 

 Ireland was quiet and loyal, while England was agita- 

 ted by the most outrageous attempts against the public 

 peace. See Leland's History of Ireland ; Gordon's 

 Hitlory of Ireland ; Gordon's Uitlory of the Rebellion 

 in Ireland; Annual Remitter ; Aikin's Annalt of George 



PART II. STATISTICS OF IRELAND. 



CHAP. I. 



Geogrtpky and Hydrography of Ireland Extent Pro- 

 grtttne Geography Diritia** Fart of the Country 

 MomtUttnt RittrtLouchtSea Coatt Effects 

 vfikt mud on Ikt Coasts Sea Bants Tides. 



IRELAND, called by the inhabitant* Erin, and by the 

 WUh Yverdon, lie* in the Atlantic Ocean, between 

 6* and 10? 4O* West Longitude, and 51 e 15' and 5 

 North Latitude. It is separated from Great Britain on 

 the east by the Irish Channel, which is also called St. 

 George's Channel ; the latter appellation, however, U 

 more commonly and particularly given to the southern 

 entrance ; and the northern entrance is, strictly (peak- 

 ing, distinguished by the appellation of the North 

 Channel. The Atlantic Ocean bounds it on all the 

 other tide*. The nearest land to it on the west U Ame- 

 rica ; on the tooth, Gmllicia in Spain ; and on the north, 

 the Hebrides The Irish Channel varie* very much in 

 breadth ; generally (peaking, it is narrowest at the two 

 extremities, and broadest in the middle ; the least 

 breadth i* between the Mull of Kintyre, in Argy leshire, 

 and Torbead, in the county of Antrim ; the distance 

 between these two place* i* about Hi mile*. 



Ireland i* of an oblong shape, which, however, i* 

 bent firom a straight line by the province of M unster ; for 

 this province, instead of tretchme: itself first from the 

 north to the south, and then from the south to the wett, 

 like the rest of the island, runs, in a sloping direction, 

 from north-east to south-west, and it* western shore* 

 uetch farther into the *ea than any other part of Ire- 

 land. Although Ireland is more compact in its form 

 than Great Britain, yet it is still irregular, narrowing 

 . from the middle, with various inequalities to the 

 ~ north-east and south- west; "contracting suddenly in 

 the former direction, and then somewhat dilating, so as 

 VOL. xii. PAIIT i. 



ula ; in some 

 , serrated form 



SUtittics. 



to make in that quarter a rounded peninsul 

 degree gibbons on the south-cast, and of a sei 

 on the south-west*' 



From this account of its figure, it will be evident Extciu 

 that its greatest length must be from the north-east to 

 the south-west^ aline drawn between the two most 

 distant points in these quarters, vis. Fairhead in the 

 county of Antrim, and Mizenhcad in the county of 

 Cork, will measure 241 Irish, or rather more than 306 

 English statute miles. From Emlah-rash, in the coun- 

 ty of Mayo, to Camsore-point, in the county of Wex- 

 ford, is the greatest breadth of Ireland, being 163 Irish, 

 or 207 English miles. The greatest length that can be 

 drawn along a meridian, however, is not more than 185 

 Irish, or 235.J English miles ; and the greatest breadth 

 that can be measured nearly on a parallel of latitude, is 

 not more than 137 Irish, or 174 English miles. In 

 consequence of the numerous and deep indentations of 

 the sea on the west coast, there is not a spot in the 

 kingdom 50 miles distant from the lea. 

 Geographers differ with regard to the superficial Am. 

 contents of Ireland. Dr. Beaufort, from a computation 

 made by carefully measuring the area of each county 

 on the best maps, is of opinion that it contains con- 

 siderably more than 18,750 square miles, or several 

 thousand acres above 12 millions, Irish measure, which 

 is equal to 30,370 English miles, or 19,436,000 English 

 acres. Mr. Wakefield is of opinion that, including the 

 inland lakes, the superficial contents amount to 32,201 

 English square miles, of 69 15' to a degree; or 

 12,722,615 Irish acres, or 20,437,97* English acres. 

 Mr. I'inkerton, and some other geographers, reduce its 

 contents below those assigned to it by Dr. Beaufort and 

 Mr. Wakefield, and assign it only 27,457 square miles. 

 According to others, its contents amount to 11,067,712 

 Irish, or 17,927,864 English statute acres. 



The progressive geography of Ireland presents little Progressive 



