IRELAND. 



399 



South America, have never yet crossed the narrow Irish Sea. Nor are Jews very 

 numerous. 



But whatever race element may preponderate in the Irish people, the ancient 

 language, still spoken on Eathlin Island and in a few remote glens of Antrim, 



Fig. 200, — Linguistic Map of Ireland. 



TroporUon of Celtic-speaking Inhabitants. 



10 to 25 per cent. i5 to 50 per cent. over 50 per cent. 



is now of very little importance. In Ireland it is understood ly a majority only m 

 portions of the west and south-west, and more especially in the counties of Mayo and 

 Waterford In 1851 the districts in which Irish was the language of the majority 

 had an area of 9,325 square miles, with 1,328,938 inhabitants ; in 1871 their area 



