I X M 
i3»i the borders of Kerry, where it grows uneven, and 
forms a grand amphitheatre of low but fteep mountains, 
which extends in a wide curve from Loghil to Drumcol- 
lohen. In the firlt of ihefe rifes the river Maig, which 
erodes the county, and falls into the Shannon; as do 
Biany fine dreams by which it is plentifully watered. 
A colony of Palatines from Germany was fettled in this 
county about a century ago, by a former lord Southwell. 
Of thefe Mr. Young mentions l'ome particulars which are 
In terefting. “They have in general leafes for three lives, 
or 31 years, and are not cottars to any farmer, but, if they 
tyork for them, are paid in money. The quantities of 
land are final), and fome of them have their feeding-land 
in common by agreement. They are different from the 
Jrifh in feveral particulars. They put their potatoes in 
with the plough in drills, horfe-hoe them while growing, 
and plough them out. One-third of the dung does in 
this method, for they put it only in the furrows, but the 
crops are not fo large as in the common method. They 
plough without a driver ; a boy of twelve has been known 
4o plough and drive four horfes, and fome of them have 
a hopper in the body of their ploughs, which fbws the 
land at the fame time it is ploughed. They preferve fome 
of their German cuftoms; they deep between two beds; 
they appoint a burgomader, to whom they appeal in cafe 
of all difputes; and they yet (1778) preferve their lan¬ 
guage, but that is declining. They are very indultrious; 
and"in confequence are much better fed, clothed, and 
lodged, than the Irifli peafants. We mud not, however, 
conclude that all is owing to this ; their being indepen¬ 
dent of other farmers, and having leafes, are circum- 
dances which will create indudry. There are three vil¬ 
lages of them, about feventy families in all : they are re¬ 
markable for the goodnefs and cleanlinefs of their houfes : 
the women are very indultrious, reap the corn, plough 
the ground fometimes, and do whatever work may be go¬ 
ing on ; they alfo fpin, and make their children do the 
fame.” The late Silver Oliver, efq. of Cadle Oliver, 
planted another colony, taken from this firlt, of about 66 
families, amounting to 700 protedants, on his edate; and 
of thefe Mr. Young gives a fimilar account. But, with 
thefe exceptions, the hufbandry of'the county of Limeric 
is perhaps the word in Munder, which is attributed to 
the natural richnefs of the foil, and to the greater preva¬ 
lence of the grazing-fydetn. Mr. Young, fpeaking of 
the land near Cadle Oliver, fays, “ It is a rich, mellow, 
crumbling, putrid, fandy, loam, eighteen inches to three 
feet deep ; the colour a reddilh brown. It is a dry found 
land, and would do for turnips exceedingly well, for car¬ 
rots, for cabbages, in a word for every thing. I think, 
upon the whole, it is the riched foil I ever faw, and 1'uch 
as is applicable to every purpofe you can with ; it will fat 
the largeft bullock, and at the fame time do equally well 
for dieep, for tillage, for turnips, for wheat, for beans, 
and in a word for every crop and circumdance of profita¬ 
ble hufbandry.” Yet, after fome other particulars, he 
concludes thus: “ The face of the country is that of de- 
folation ; the grounds are over-run with thirties, ragwort, 
&c. to excefs ; the fences are mounds of earth, full of 
gaps; there is no wood, and the general countenance is 
Rich, that you muft examine into the foil before you will 
believe that a country, which has fo beggarly an appearance, 
can be fo rich and fertile.” Thefe remarks were written 
above thirty years ago, and improvement has dnee taken 
place; but they are dill too applicable. Limeric is repre- 
fented in the imperial parliament by three members, two 
for the county, and one for the city. 
LIM'ERIC, a city of Ireland, capital of the county 
of the fame name, drongly fituated on the river Shannon, 
on an ifiar.d in which it is partly built. It is a pod-town, 
and is reprefented in parliament. The new port, which 
is connected with the old city by abridge, is called New¬ 
town Pery, from the Pery family, the head of which is 
now ehrl of Limeric. See the article Heraldry, vol. ix. 
p. 657. The buildings are of brick, large and uniform j 
5 R I C. 723 
. I 
fo that, whilft the old town lias a very ruinous appearance, 
this port will bear companion with the belt dreets in al- 
molt any other city, except where public buildings con¬ 
tribute to ornament them. The public buildings are not 
many, nor deferving of much notice. The cudom-houfe 
is a plain building. The cathedral is an ancient and ve¬ 
nerable pile. The bilhop’s palace is a comfortable mo¬ 
dern houfe at the wed end of the city. The whole town 
is three miles in circumference ; having weekly markets 
on Wcdnefday and Saturday, and fairs on Eafter Tuefday, 
July 1, Augud 4., and December 12. There is a privi¬ 
lege annexed to the fair held on 41I1 of Augud, that, during 
fifteen days, no perfon can be arretted in the city or li¬ 
berties, on any procefs iffuing out of the tholfel-court of 
Limeric. Ardfert and Aghadoe, in the county of Kerry, 
are united to the bifliopric of Limeric. The corporation 
of Limeric is what may be called a clofe one, as no per- 
lon can become a freeman, except by favour of the coun¬ 
cil ; freeholders, however, can vote at the election of 
members of parliament. The magittrates are a mayor, 
two IheritTs, a recorder, a town-clerk, aldermen, and bur- 
gefies ; it has alfo a military governor, conftable and 
town-major, and is the refidence of the general command¬ 
ing a diftrifh It appears that Limeric obtained the pri¬ 
vilege of having mayors ten years before that right was 
allowed to the citizens of London. It was before go¬ 
verned by provods, of which the fird was John Spafiford 
in 1195 and 1197; during the provodlhip of Henry Troy 
a charter was granted, 9 Richard I. whereby the citizens 
were allowed to-choofe piayors -and bailiffs; Adam Ser¬ 
vant, in 1198, being the firlt mayor. It continued to be 
governed by mayors and bailiffs, until the office of bailiff 
was changed into that of Iheriff in 1609. The popula¬ 
tion of Limeric probably exceeds 50,000. The trade i9 
very extenfive, and is increafing •. its export of corn is 
perhaps the greated in Ireland, and its corn-market is 
very convenient. It mud more and more derive benefit 
from the canal connecting the Shannon with the Liffey. 
There are fix churches, a prefbyterian meeting-houle, a 
methoditt meeting-houfe, a quakers’ meeting-houle, and 
feveral chapels for Roman catholics, who form the greated 
part of the population. There are alfo fome charitable 
inditutions well attended to, and a public library, lately 
indituted. The inhabitants are reckoned gay and fond 
of fociety, and public amuleraents are in general well 
fupported. 
Limeric, being naturally a city of drength, and for¬ 
merly well fortified by art, has always been deemed a 
place of confiderable importance. In 1651 it was taken 
by Ireton, in the fervice of the parliament, after a vigo¬ 
rous fiege. In 1690, it was unfuccefsfully befieged by 
king William in perfon. In 1691, it furrendered to ge¬ 
neral Ginkel, afterwards earl of Athlone, on terms of 
capitulation very advantageous to the befieged, and all 
who profefled the Roman-catholic religion ; but thefe 
terms were not faithfully kept. It will be feen, by re¬ 
ferring to our article Ireland, vol. xi. p. 326. that the 
parliament of England, in legillating for Ireland, loon 
began to encroach upon the treaty of Limeric. Mr. 
Burke (Polthumous Trafts on the Popery-Laws) is very 
fevere upon the government for their violation of that 
treaty. Speaking of the laws foon after made againlt the 
catholics, he fays ; “ Even if thefe laws could be fuppofed 
agreeable to thole of nature ; they are yet unjud, as being 
contrary to pofitive compact, and the public faith mod 
fol.em.nly plighted. On the furrender of Limeric and 
fome other Irilh garrifons, in the war of the revolution, 
the lords juftices of Ireland and the commander-in-chief 
of the king’s forces, figned a capitulation with the Irilh, 
which was afterwards ratified by the king himfelf, by 7/2- 
Jpeximus, under the great leal of England. It contains 
lotne public articles relative to the whole body of the Ro¬ 
man-catholics in that kingdom, and l'ome with regard to 
the fecurity of the greater part of the inhabitants of five 
counties. What the latter were, or in what manner they 
wer& 
