Hart — Plants of some of the Mountain Ranges of Ireland. 211 



XY. I^OTES OS THE PlANTS OF SOME OF THE MoXJNTAIJf RaJITGES of 



Ireland. By Henrt Chichester Hart, B.A. 

 [Read, May 26, 188-4.] 



I BEG to lay before tlie Royal Irisli Academy a report on the botany 

 of several of the mountam groups of Ireland, having been given a 

 grant for that purpose. 



I. 



In the Slimmer of 1883 I visited Brandon in Kerry, the Com- 

 meraghs in Waterford, Mount Leinster and Blackstairs in Carlow, the 

 Mourne Mountains in Down, and their Carlingfoixl continuation in 

 Louth, Ben Bradagh, Sawel, and Dart in Derry, and some others in 

 other counties whose exploration I have not yet completed. 



Brandon is situated in the promontory and barony of Corckaguiny, 

 more usually called the Dingle promontory, and which, with the out- 

 lying Blasquet Islands, is the most western portion of Ireland. Of 

 the botany of these islands my friend Mr. Barrington has given an 

 account. 



" This barony," says Smith, in his History of Kerry, " is a penin- 

 sula of about 24 Irish miles in length and 8 in breadth ; it is washed 

 on the south side by the bay of Dingle or Castlemaine, and on the 

 north by Tralee Bay ; and answers to Cambden's general description 

 of this county, ' that it shoots like a little tongue into the sea roaring 

 on both sides of it.' " 



The area of this mountainous peninsula is 138,996 acres, or about 

 one-eighth part of the county Kerry. It possesses, perhaps, a greater 

 variety of attractions and less accommodation for visitors than any other 

 part of Ireland. There are to be seen here the most perfect Irish 

 antiquities, whether Pagan or early Christian. Its geology has been, 

 called the key to the geological structure of Ireland. Its peculiar 

 position as the extreme west of Europe, its loneliness, the primitive 

 simplicity of its inhabitants, the grandeur of its scenery, its exqui- 

 sitely bracing atmosphere, and the many interesting features of its 

 natural history, place it in the fore-front ground for a summer's 

 labours in many fields of research. 



Its botany is especially interesting, and has drawn thither almost 

 all who have paid attention to the subject in Ireland. ISTevertheless, 

 in consequence, perhaps, of the lack of roads and hotel accommoda- 

 tion, it required and still requires further examination. Having 

 regard to Moore and More's Cylele Hihernica, of the twelve districts 

 into which Ireland is divided, that which includes Kerry (District 1) 

 has the fewest gaps in the list of Irish plants found therein, except- 

 ing District 12 on the north-east. This is in great measure owing 

 Lo the fact that botanists, like other human beings, were attracted 



R. I. A. PROC, SEK. II., VOL. IV. SCIENCE. 8 C 



