70 PERIODICAL VISITS OF THE HERRING. 



3. IRELAND. 



The coasts of Ireland are generally visited by large 

 shoals of herrings. Their most regular visits are on 

 the Atlantic side of the island ; but it must be observed 

 that in some of the localities the fishery is not pro- 

 secuted with success, which may be considered as owing 

 to the want of means rather than to the absence of 

 lierrings. 



At Eillyhegs the herrings may be caught generally 

 in abundance from the end of December to the beginning 

 of March. They are small, and may be of the size of the 

 eighth class, and boats to the number of 700 to 800 often 

 attend this fishery, not only from the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood, but various parts of the island, and even some- 

 times from the Isle of Man and Cardigan. 



West Coast — Killeries, &c. — The coast and bays south 

 to Galway are sometimes in the winter visited by shoals 

 of herrings, which appear in abundance one season in one 

 loch or bay, and sometimes in another season in other 

 lochs or bays. They are fished in Greatman's Bay, at 

 Costello, Boundstone, near Slynehead, at BalUnaldll, and 

 Killeries ; and in some seasons the herrings may be caught 

 in twenty different bays at the same time. But their 

 visiting any particular bay is uncertain ; for instance, there 

 was no fishing at Koundstone from 1827 to 1833. On this 

 coast, besides the winter fishing, appearances strongly in- 

 dicate that a successful fishery may be carried on on the 

 extensive line of coast from Sheephaven Bay to Broad- 

 haven Bay from May to October. 



Galway. — The herring-fishery at Galway is, like the 

 Killybegs fishery, more certain and regular than at some of 



