K E R 



Corcaguinny. It extends from north to foiith 53 {6j\ 

 Englifh) miles, and in the broadeft part from eaft to weil 

 41 (ji Englifh) miles; and contains 1012 fquare miles, 

 <^r 647,650 Inih acres, equal to 1,040,487 Englifh acres. 

 It thus appears to be the fifth county of Ireland in point of 

 extent, though after Gnlway its population is the thinneft, 

 and it is one of the moil backward in point of culture. The 

 number of houl'es, at the time Dr. Beaufort wrote, was, by 

 return to the houfe of commons, ig,_:;Qj, which at 5 J to a 

 houfe, would be 107,000. This, however, falls much fhort 

 of the prelent population. The number of parifhes is 83, 

 all in the diocefe of Ardfert and Agliadoe, but by unions 

 they are reduced to 40 benefices, in which are 20 churclies 

 and only three glebe houfes. Indeed, in this county the num- 

 ber of Roman Catholics is greater, in proportion to that of 

 Protcliants, than in almoft any other. The number of mem- 

 bers which reprefent this county in the Imperial parliament 

 is three, two knights of the fhire, and one member for the 

 borough of Tralee. " It is not i'urpriling,'' fays Dr. Beau- 

 fort, " that this county ihould be thinly inhabited ; barren 

 fiiountains, and almoil inaccedible rocks, render a large por- 

 tion of it unfit for habitation and incapable of culture. 

 Even the northern baronies, in which there is much good 

 land, with few inoimtains, are far from level ; and the cheer- 

 ful afpeft of cultivated fields and fine paftures, is frequently 

 interrupted by bleak and flony hills ; while trafts of bog 

 mteriert the narrow plain that extends from Callleman har- 

 bour to the borders of the county of Cork, between the 

 Mang and the Flellc. Grazing is more attended to than 

 Tillage, and this part of Kerry fupphes many fat beafls of 

 good fize, and great numbers of llore cattle ; but the native 

 breed of the country is extremely fmall, yet reir.arkably 

 good for the pail, refembling the Alderney cow both in fize 

 and character ; butter is confequently a confiderable article 

 among the exports of Kerry. The barony of Corcaguinny 

 forms a peninfula between the bays of Dingle and Tralee, 

 and terminates at Dunmore Head, the moft wedern point of 

 .Ireland and of Europe. It is full of mountaine, but the 

 liigh promontory of St. Brandon is eminent above the reft, 

 and the mountain of Cahircource ilands acrois the illhmus. 

 Among the rough and high hills in the barony of Iveragh, 

 and the fouthern part of Dunkerron, feme pleafant vallies 

 and improveable grounds are interfperfed ; and in the ifland 

 of Valentia, there are more inhabitants and a better culture 

 tiian could be e.xpecled in fo remote a fpot. Glanerought 

 is entirely covered with exceeding high and rugged hiils, and 

 fepaialcd from the county of Cork by an immenfe and 

 almoil impaffable ridge of rocky mountains ; over which 

 there is but one pafs, and that very difficult, called the 

 Priell's Leap ; but the Icftiell mountains in this county iland 

 in a huge affemblagc on the well and fouih of Killarney, 

 half encompafling the lower, and entirely furronnding the 

 upper lake. Of thefe, Mangerton is generally efleemed the 

 h'ghetl, being 2500 feet above the fea, but it is doubted 

 whether the craggy fummits of Macgilhcuddy's rocks do 

 r.ot furpafs it in altitude. In this defolate trad, there are 

 large herds of red deer, and abundance of game.' To this 

 account of Dr. Beaufort's, puWiflied almoil 20 years ago, 

 there is very httle to be added. The Hate of agriculture is 

 tlill very low, though a few gentlemen have turned their 

 attention to the improvement of it. The barony of Iveragh, 

 in particular, is in a very rude flate. It fliould be noticed 

 that the horfes of Iveragh are much efleemed ; they are 

 a fmall but an excellent breed, climbing over the moll 

 rugged rocks, and both afcending auddefcendingthe flecpell 

 precipices with great facility and fafety. They are flrong 

 and durable, eafily fupported, and not ill-fliaped ; fo hardy 



K E R 



as to ftaud abroad all winter, and will browfe upon heath, 

 furze, and other fhrubs ; and they have an eafy, ambling 

 gait. The principal lake is Lough Lane, generally 

 called the lake of Killarney, for an account of which, 

 fee Killarney. Many fine rivers water this county. 

 The Cafliing, which is formed by the union of the 

 Feele and the Gale, is navigable for eight or ten miles. 

 The Lane flows out of the lake of Killarney, which receives 

 the Fleflv. The Roughy pours its impetuous current into 

 Kenmare river. The Mang, which is navigable to Callle- 

 main, was the northern boundary of the ancient counts pa- 

 latine of Defmond, and falls into CaRlemain harbour, at the 

 bottom of the great bay of Dingle, which can only admit 

 veflels of moderate burden. V entry bay, the roads of 

 Dingle and Valentia, and Baliynaflcelig's bay, are fmall but 

 commodious harbours. Kenmare river is a fecure and capa. 

 cious haven. The principal towns are Tralee, where the 

 affizes are held, Killarney, Milltown, and Dingle, for whicli 

 fee the refpetlive articles under thole names. This county 

 has feveral marble and flate qu'arries, and is not dellitute of 

 coal mines, but the abundance and cheapnefs of turf render 

 them ufelefs. The mir.es of copper, lead, &c. near Killar- 

 ney will be noted under that head ; iron was formerly ob- 

 tained in great quantity, till the fcarcity of timber put a flop 

 to the works. The cider of Kerry, which is made of the 

 eockagee apple, is highly prized, and brings a great price ; 

 vet orchards are not very n merous, and that valuable fruit, 

 with another excellent apple, the Kerry pippin, are little pro- 

 pagated, and difScult to be procured. The original pofFef- 

 fors of this county were the O'Connors, O'SuUivans, and, 

 above all, the M'Carthys, who were kings of Munfler. 

 The Englifli families of Fitzmaurice and Fitzgerald- early 

 obtained feltlemenls in it, and the head of the latter, who was 

 created earl of Defmond, had the part of the county fouth 

 of the Mang ereCled into a county palatine. The power of 

 this family became very great, and the earls were often in op- 

 pofition to the Engliih government. In queen Elizabeth's 

 time an aft of attainder was pafTed, and all the pofTeffions 

 of the houfe of Defmond were divided amongft Englifh 

 fettlers. From thcfe fome of the p'-incipal Proteitant families 

 are defcended. Beaufort's Memoir of a Map of Ireland. 

 Smith's Hiflory of Kerry. 



Kerry Head, a cape of Ireland, in the county of Kerry, 

 at riie fouth extremity of the mouth of tlie river Shannon. 

 Near this, very fine quartz cryilals, both white, and ame- 

 thyil are found, and for fome time the latter were in great 

 requeft. A let of ear-rings, a necklace, and other jewels 

 compofed of thcfe amethyiis, were prcfented to queen Ca- 

 roline. This cape is in N. lat. 52 24'. W. long. 9" 47'. 

 This cape is fometimes called Ballyheigh Head. Smith. 

 Beaufort. 



KuRRY Poiti/, or, according to M'Kenzie, Kenry, a cape 

 of the county of Down, Ireland. N. lat. 54" 22'. W. long. 

 5=22'. 



KERS, a town of Tyrol, on the river Inn; 12 miles 

 N.E. of Landeck. 



KERSCHAN, a town of Iftrla ; 16 miles N.N.E. of 

 Pedena. 



KERSEY, John', in Bio^ra[tly, an able mathematician 

 and philologilt, who flourifhed towards the clofe of the fe- 

 venteenth, and beginning of the eighteenth centuries, and 

 is chicfiy known in the fcientific world by liis " Elements 

 of Algebra," in two vols, folio, which is an ample and com- 

 plete work, containing a full explanation of the problems of 

 Diophantus : he was author likewife oi •' Didionarium An- 

 glo-Britannicum, or General Engliili Diflionary.'' 



1 Kr.n.=EV> 



