THE SUBDIVISION OF lEELAND xlix 



7. Tipperary South. 



Southern. Area 850 square miles. Inland, barely toucliing 

 tidal waters at Carrick-on-Suir. Here for the first time we enter 

 the level limestone country. The greater portion of the division is 

 of this character, but in the south the Old Ked Sandstone masses of 

 the Knockmealdowns (2^609 feet) form the county boundary, and 

 portion of the fine mountain-ridge of the Galtees (3025 feet) lies 

 within the present division. Another mass of Old Eed Sandstone 

 and Silurian rocks forms Slievenaman (2364 feet), which rises in 

 solitary grandeur in the south-east. In the north-east, the limestone 

 is concealed beneath superincumbent Coal-measures. The whole 

 area is drained by the Suir and its tributaries, a large river in its 

 lower course, where it bounds South Tipperary and Waterford. The 

 extensive low-level peat-bogs so characteristic of the Central Plain 

 make their appearance for the first time in the northern portion 

 of the division. Fom'-fifths of the surface is under grass and crops — 

 grass 59, crops 22 per cent. Over 9 per cent, is mountain-land. 

 The list of species is chiefly due to my own work, with valuable 

 additions from the mountains by Mr. Hart. Except for the north- 

 eastern portion, the division is tolerably well explored. 



Flora 594 species. The Central Plain flora, with its numerous 

 marsh, bog, and calcicole plants, is here for the first time character- 

 istically displayed. No plants are peculiar to the division, and very 

 few of the rarest Irish species occur : — 



Arabis petrsea, 2. ijPicris hieracioides, 3. 



Saxifraga umbrosa, 11. jBromus madritensis, 3. 



8. Limerick. 



South-western. Area 1064 square miles. Has no open sea 

 coast, but is bordered along its northern margin by the wide sea- 

 inlet of the Shannon mouth. The surface is formed mainly of 

 undulating limestone, with patches of older and newer non- 

 calcareous rocks. In the west. Coal-measures form extensive high 

 grounds, which rise to over 1000 feet in many places. In the 

 extreme south-east, the county includes portion of the lofty range 

 E.I. A. PROC, SEE. HI., VOL. vn. d 



