IRELAND. 



295 



tant* ; in 17(37, 2,5t4,'276' ; in the year 1777, 2,690,556; 

 in the year 1785, 2,8*5,93* ; in the year 1788, 

 3,900,000; and in the year I7yi, 4,-.>06,6l2 inhabi- 

 tanta. If, therefore, it be a fact, that there are on an 

 average six persons to a house in Ireland, and if the 

 population since 1791 has increased even in rather a 

 smaller ratio than it dkl in the yean previous to that 

 period, we may fairly estimate the present population 

 at five millions. 



From the return* of houses in 179J, it appears, that 

 there were at that time, 



Houses inhabited by paupers, . . . . 



Houses having one hearth, and not inhabi- 

 ted t>y paupers, 



Houses having two hearths 



Houses having three hearths, .... 



Houses having mure than three, but 1m 

 than nine hearths, 



Houses having from 11 to 1 44 hearths, . 



Total 



112,556 



515,546 

 33,785 

 10,216 



2.1,299 

 5,900 



70 1,1 02 



tfafto* it wfllasipear, that a very Urg portion of the 

 inhabitants of Iresand are very pour. Those employed 

 in the linen manufacture of Ulster, are comparatively 

 comfortable ; but the great mass of the people, especial- 

 ly the labourers in husbandry, ami even the very small 

 farmers, are sunk in ignorance and poverty. The pea- 

 santry are miserably ill-lodged. Four mud walls, with 

 one eVitrance, and frequently without either window or 

 chimney, constitute an Irish hoveL The rent of these 

 raltins M from one to two guineas a-year. To each ca- 

 bin, there is commonly annexed about one acre of 

 .ground, which is clapped with potatoes, oats, and Ha*. 

 There are n umbers of the peasant* who have nuc a bed- 

 stead, nor even a truckle beet-Anne. They steep on a 

 bundle of trs>w. or heath bid on the day door ; sheets 

 are scarcely known ; anil their bbuikets are scanty ami 

 tmtcrr.1. The rain not uiifretniently descrn<l< through 

 the thatch on their beds. Amongst their peculiarities 

 re*s is their long coat ; k is made of wool, and ge- 

 nerally of a grey colour. Their food i. aimoct entirely 

 potatoes and milk ; and their fuel turf. They are in. 

 dHpoMii to labour ; and in their habits far from c le.in. 

 wage* of the agricultural labourers is not only very 

 low, gener.illy le than 1*. a day, hut it H not untre- 

 n,uently paid, partly at lea, in kind, anil not very re- 

 gularly 1 he wages of the manufacturing labourers, is, 

 in general, much higher. The childrrn of the lower 

 classes are seldom employed ; but are suffered to go 

 about dirty, idle, ant) nearly naked. Notwithstanding 

 these disadvantage*, which reult front (lolitical causes 

 in a great measure, the national character of the fn-h 

 breaks forth, even amoMst the asest ignorant and bru- 

 tal of the peasantry, '['his national character is consi- 

 derably different from that of Great Britain (.reater 

 vivacity, and quickness of* parts, propsjositie tore so- 

 cial, and stronger sensibilities of all kinds, inrnssjpamtd 

 by the usual attendants on such qualities, unsteadiness, 

 and want of self-government, sufficiently mark them as 

 a distinct people Among the lower classes, there is 

 often a ferocity, which breaks out in savage and Moody 

 deeds, especially in their party and political quarrcN ; 

 yet no people display more faithful and aiftctionate at- 

 taduuent to those who have conciliated their good 

 will. A precipitancy of manner, and a pronenes* to 

 eMggeT*tiu:i, have introduced into the conversation 

 style of the Irish a kind of hurry and confusion, which 



has subjected them to the imputation of often falling Sutittiti. 

 iiito ludicrous contradictions ; but, on the other hand, *"""Y" 

 eloquence is natural to them ; and they display more 

 imagination than their eastern neighbours." 



1 lie established religion of Ireland is the same as Ecclefiani- 

 that of England. The kingdom is divided ecclesiasti- wl ** 

 call v, as weH as civilly, into four provinces ; but the 

 boundaries of each do not coincide. An archbishop 

 presides over each. The seven bishops of the northern 

 province, are suffragans to the archbishops of Armagh, 

 who is lord primate and metropolitan of all Ireland. 

 The archbishop of Dublin is lord primate of Ireland ; 

 and has three suffragan bishops in the eastern province. 

 The archbishop ofCashel, lord primate of Munster, has 

 five suffragan bishops; and the archbishop of Tuam, 

 lord primate of Connaught, presides over the three bi- 

 shops of the western province. The province of Ar- 

 magh contains ten dioceses: viz." 1. Archbishopric of 

 Armagh, -i. Bishopric of Dromore. 3. Down. 4, 5. Con- 

 nor and Derry united. 6. Raphoe. 7. Clogher. 8. Kil- 

 more. 9- Ardagh. 10. Meath. The province of Dub- 

 lin contains five dioceses. I. Archbishopric of Dublin. 



I. Bishopric of Kikiare. 3. Ossory. 4, 5. Femes and 

 Leighlin united. The province of Cashel contains ele- 

 ven dioceses 1. Archbishopric ofCashel, and bishop- 

 ric of Kml v, united with Cashel. 2, 3. Waterfonl and 

 I.ismore united. 4, 5. Cork and Ross. 6. Cloyne. 7, 

 8, !. l.imeric, Anlfert, and Aghadoe united. 10, 



I 1 , KilUlor and Kilfinora. The province of Tuam 

 contains six dioceses. 1. Archbishopric of Tuam. 2, 



ihoprics of Clonfisrt and Kilmacduagh united. V. 

 F.lphin. 5. Killala. u". Achonry. The number of dean- 

 eries is 33, and of archdeaconerifi 



ll.it, though the established religion of Ireland is the Catholics, 

 same as that of Rngland, t!i.>-r M ho profess it bear but &c. 

 a small proportion to those who do not. The Catholics 

 are far more numerous than the Protestants of all deno- 

 minations. At least two-third* ot'tlie whole population 

 *re Catholics ; according to some three-fourths. And 

 in the north an.l north eastern counties of L Uter, the 

 Presbyterians are morh more numerous than those 

 who profess the church of Ireland. Hie (Vitriolic* are 

 by far the most numerous in ( '<mnaui;ht, MUI^UT, and 

 the north- western countir-. f I Nter. 



The means of education, whicii the great mass of Edsmioo. 

 the Iri.ih people possess, are very limited. As early as 

 the reign of James II. free schools were erected in se- 

 ver.i I of the large parishes. They have .since beei ex- 

 tended b> some parts of the country. There h but 

 one univer-ity, that of Dublin. There is also a college 

 fbr Catholics at Mayn<K<h, supported by government. 

 But the slate of education at present, will l>est appear 

 from the following quotations from the last report of 

 -the cotnminiuners of education in Ireland. 



It appears, from these Reports, " that there are 33 en- 

 dowed cUssical schools in Ireland (U~tidi- I 1 of pri- 

 vate founcUtion) the united emolument^ of which amount 

 to about L.9OOO per annum, and tin- number of scho- 

 lars educated in them to nearly UXX). 



'lot, exclusive of the parish schools in the city of 

 Dublin, and of other schools in different places, sup- 

 ported by i#iratr endowments, the nuinbrr of whicii 

 is 7<, there are 44 public establishments for the edu- 

 cation of the lower classes, in which upwards of 4200 

 are lodged, maintained, clothed, and educated at an an- 

 nual ex pence of about X'70,000. 



lie following returns have been communicated to 

 us from 17 dioceses out of the 32 into which Ireland i> 

 divided: 



