IRELAND. 



Swtmir*. that is interesting. The map of Ptolemy is the most 

 ^V * ancient geographical document of this island which we 

 posset* ; and, considering the period in which he lived, 

 and compared with the map* and descriptions he has 

 given us of countries at that time better known, it is 

 distinguished for its correctness in the delineation of its 

 general shape, and of iu rivers, promontories, &c. The 

 principal tribes mentioned by Ptolemy, are the Dami, 

 on the north-east, and the Venicni and Robogdii, on 

 the north-west; to the south of these he places the 

 Nngnati, Auteri, and Gangani, on the west, the Erdini, 

 in the centre, and the Voluntii, Eblani, and Cauci, on 

 the east ; and still further south, were the tribes of the 

 Menapii, Brigantes, Bodii, Ivelni, Velabri, and Luceni. 

 This geographer also mentions ten towns, of which the 

 principal is Eblana, now Dublin. The geography of 

 Ireland during the middle. ages is more-obscure than it 

 was in the time of Ptolemy ; at that period the Dal- 

 riadi occupied the north-east ; the Crutheni occupied 

 the north-west; and a numerous tribe called the Nelli 

 seem to have occupied a large portion of the centre of 

 the northern part of the island. Notwithstanding Ire- 

 land was first reduced under the subjection of the 

 English in the reign of Henry II., it was little known 

 til! the time of Queen Elizabeth, when Stanihurst and 

 Spencer published descriptions of it ;. and even at this 

 day the geography of its western counties is by no 

 means perfect. 



Divisions. Ireland at present is divided into four provinces, 

 Ulster, Leinster, Connaught, and Munster. Ulster, the 

 most northerly province, is bounded on the north by 

 that part of the Atlantic called the Deucaledonian Sea ; 

 on the west by tlit main body of the Atlantic Ocean ; 

 on the east by St. George's Channel and the Irish Sea ; 

 and on the south and south-west by the provinces of 

 Leinster and Connaught. Its area comprises 8375 

 English square miles, and it contains nine counties : 

 viz. 



Baronies. Parishes. Acres, Irish. 



Armagh, containing . 5 20 181,450 



Down, 8 60 348,550 



Antrim, 8 77 387,200 



Londonderry, .... 4 31 318,500 



Donegal, 4 42 679,550 



Tyrone, 4 35 463,700 



Fermanagh 8 18 283,450 



Cavan, 7 30 301,000 



Monaghan, ..... 5 19 17,9,600 



besides Lough Neagh, which is supposed to cover an area 

 of 58,200 acres. 



The following are the principal towns in the province 

 of Ulster: 



In the county of Armagh, the city of Armagh, Lur- 

 gan, Portodown, Hamilton-Baun, Tanderagee, and 

 Jonesborough ; in county Down, Donaghadee, Porta- 

 ferry, Strangford, Down Patrick, the county town and 

 city, Dromore, a city, Port St. Ann, Newry, Bann 

 Bridge, Gilford, Ballynahinch, and Bangor ; in the 

 county of Antrim, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Larne, Bally 

 CAitle, Randalstown, and Antrim, the county town; 

 in Londonderry, Colerain, Killree, Castle Dawson, New. 

 toun, and Londonderry, the county town; in Donegal, 

 the city of Raphoe, Letterkenny, Ballyshannon, and 

 Donegal, the county town; in Tyrone, Strabane, 

 Omagh, where the assizes are held, the city of Clogher, 

 Dungannon, Cook's-town, Stewart's town, &c. ; in Fer- 

 managh, Enniskillen, the county town; there is no other 

 place of any size or consequence in Fermanagh ; in 



Cavan, Cavan, the county town, Killeshandra, and Vir- Statistic. 

 ginia ; in Monaghan, Castle-Blaney, Carrickmacross, V """Y"" 1P ' 

 Clones, and Monaghan, the county towns. 



Leinster, which is the most eastern province of Ire- 

 land, is bounded on the north by Ulster, on the east 

 and south by St. George's, or the Irish Channel, and 

 on the west by the province of Munster; it contains 

 7360 English squares miles ; and comprises the follow- 

 ing 1 2 counties : 



Baronies. 



4 



12 



6 



. 6 

 8 

 9 

 ' 



Parities. 



61 

 147 

 107 



58 

 142 

 J27 



50 



50 



Acres. 

 110,750 

 327,900 

 v 142,050 

 311,600 

 342,900 

 300,350 

 137,050 

 235,30a 

 282,200 

 231,550 

 134,150 



Meath, . . 



Dublin, . . 



Wicklow, . 



Wexford, . 



Kilkenny, . 



Carlow, ... a 



Queen's County, 8 



King's County, 1 1 52 



Westmeath, . 12 62 



Longford, . . 6 23 



In the province of Leinster, the principal places are: 

 in the county of Louth, Drogheda, Carlingibrd, Dun- 

 dalk, Ardee, and Louth, the county town; in East 

 Meath, Trim, the county town, Navan, Kells, Athboy ; 

 in Dublin, Dublin, a city, the county town, and the ca- 

 pital of Ireland ; besides it there is no place of import- 

 ance in this county ; in Wicklow, Bray, Arklow, and 

 Wicklow, the county town ; in Wexford, Wexford, the 

 county town, New Ross, and Enniscorthy ; in Kilkenny, 

 Kilkenny the county town, Callan, Innistioge, Thomas 

 Town, &c. ; in Carlow, Carlow, the county town, and 

 Tullow ; in Queen's County, Maryborough, the county 

 town, Portarlington, and Mountmilick ; in King's 

 County, Philipstown, the county town, Tullamore, Bal- 

 liboy, Banogher, and Bier ; in West Meath, Mullingar 

 the county town, Athlone, and Fore; and in Long, 

 ford, Granard, Longford the county town, Edgeworths- 

 town, Ardagh a city, Colehill, and Lanesborough. 



Connaught, the most western province of Ireland, is 

 washed on the south and east by the Shannon, and on 

 the west by the Atlantic, and it is bounded on the 

 north by the province of Ulster ; its area comprises 

 7191 English square miles; and it comprehends the 

 following five counties: viz. 



Galway, . 

 Mayo, . . 

 Sligo, . . 

 Leitrim, . 

 Roscommon, 



Baronies. 

 16 



9 



6 



5 



6 



Parishes. 



116 

 68 

 39 

 17 

 56 



Acres. 



989,950 

 790,600 

 247,150 

 255,950 

 346,650 



In the province of Connaught the principal towns are 

 the following; in the county of Galway, Galway the 

 county town, Tuam a eity, Loughree, Aghrim, Clon- 

 fert a city ; in Mayo, Castlebar the county town, Mayo ; 

 in Sligo, Ballymoat, and Sligo the county town; in 

 Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon the county town, Leitrim ; 

 in Roscommon, Tulsk, Abbeyboyle, Ballynasloe, and 

 Roscommon the county town. 



Munster, the most southern province in Ireland, is 

 bounded on the north by Leinster and Connaught, and 

 on the east, west, and south by the ocean ; it was for- 

 merly subdivided into Desmond, or South Munster, 

 Ormond, or East Munster, and Thomond, or North 

 Munster ; its area occupies 9276 English square miles ; 

 and it is divided into the following six counties, viz, : 



