I R E 
I R E 
of thefe projefls have recently been carried into execution. 
The completion of the remainder would contribute in a 
fignal manner to the profperity of the empire; and it is cal¬ 
culated that three millions flerling, faithfully and fkilfully 
expended, would be more than fufnc-ient for the purpofe. 
The Grand Canal, which opens a communication be¬ 
tween the Irifh Sea or St. George’s Channel and the At¬ 
lantic Ocean, which extends near eighty miles from the 
port of Dublin to the river Shannon, and one hundred 
and twenty-three in all directions, has been undertaken 
and completed. In the year 1800, it had coft, with its 
auxiliary branches, very near 1,300,000k Its revenues 
fpr 1807 are Hated by Mr. Newenham at upwards of 
70,000k and are progreflively increafing, though the high 
rate of toils charged by the company is manifeflly dif- 
advantageous to the concern, as well as to the public. 
The Royal Canal, intended to terminate at Tarmonbury 
on the Shannon, eighty-feven miles from Dublin, and thus 
open an advantageous communication between that city 
and Lough Allen, a line of about one hundred and thirty- 
two miles, was begun in 1789, with a fubfcription on the 
part of individuals amounting to 134,000k and a parlia¬ 
mentary grant of 66,oool. It was to be completed for a 
million- flerling; but the expenfive line purfued, in fub- 
fervience, as it is faid, to private interefls, will make it far 
exceed that film. Itextended,in i8oo,toNewcaftle,twenty- 
eight miles from Dublin, and had then cofl 300,000k It 
was, in 1808, navigable about fifty-eight miles from Dub¬ 
lin. The tolls and charges are very moderate, having been 
lowered in confequence of the advance of 95,000k to the 
company by the diredlors-general of inland navigation, to 
whom the application of 500,000k was entrufled at the 
time of the union. The trade on this canal is in confe¬ 
quence rapidly on the increafe; but, according to a ftate- 
ment fubmitted to parliament in June 1811, the affairs of 
this company, apparently through grofs inifinanagement, 
are in the moll unpromifing flate. 
The navigation of the river Boyne was, at public and 
private expence, at length completed in 1800 to Navan, 
twenty-three miles, and will probably be carried on to 
Trim, twelve miles farther. The extenfive navigation of 
the Barrow is alfo nearly perfect; and a canal is com¬ 
pleted from the fea near Newry to Lough Neagh, and 
thence to the collieries of Drumglafs and Dungannon ; 
but the original intention of fupplying Dublin with Irifh 
coal has not fucceeded. 
Confiderable fums were alfo granted by the Irifh par¬ 
liament for the canals of Lagan, Dromreagh, Blackwater, 
and for improving the navigation of the rivers Shannon, 
Barrow, and Lee. Though in the firft inflance the ava¬ 
ricious and jobbing fpirit of the perfons employed, and 
afterwards the diftrafted flate of the country, impeded 
thefe noble intentions, yet fome of the objefls have been 
accomplifhed, and works of this kind are now profecuted 
with increafed ardour and public fpirit. 
We conclude this article with the following emphatic 
remarks of Mr. Newenham, who feems not more deeply 
impreffed with the importance of his native country to 
the welfare of the empire of which it forms a part, than 
earneftly defirous for the promotion of their mutual into- 
refls. “ The profperity of a country which annually pur- 
chafes manufactures from Great Britain, and rude produce 
from her colonies, to the amount of fight millions lterling, 
and which may acquire the means of purchafing infinite¬ 
ly more—of a country which now begins to fupply Great 
Britain annually with near one million barrels of grain, 
and with other neceffary provifions to the amount of up¬ 
wards of three millions llerling; and which certainly 
might with vaft advantage to both countries be rendered 
competent to lupply as much as Great Britain could re¬ 
quire of a country whence the feamen of'the empire are 
chiefly fed—of a country the trade of which now annu¬ 
ally employs 1,200,000 tons of Britifh flapping, yielding 
to their owners near two millions flerling, and which 
Vcl. XI. No. 760. 
3Gg 
might give employment to a vaft additional number—of 
a country whence two millions of money at leall are an¬ 
nually drawn by abfentees refiding in England, and the 
expenditure of which conduces to (well the public revenue 
of the latter, and to give extraordinary encouragement to 
induftry—of a country which adds near fix millions to 
the revenue of the empire; and which unqueftionably 
might be made to add, at no diflant period, as much 
more—of a country actually encumbered with a public 
debt, amounting to upwards of feventy millions,-and for 
the greater part of which Great Britain is refponfible—of* 
a country which muff yearly remit two millions in the 
fhape of rnterert, &c. to public creditors in Great Bri¬ 
tain ; and which probably may be obliged to remit at 
leaft one-fourth more—finally, the profperity of a country 
which furnifhes at le,uft 100,000 hardy and intrepid foldiers 
and feamen for the defence of the empire; and which, 
with a rapidly-increafing population, might fairly^ be ex- 
pe£ied-to furnifh, if requifite, many, many thoufands 
more—ought furely to excite, on tire part of the minifters 
of the crown, a much greater degree of folicitude than 
the profperity of any or perhaps of all the foreign appen¬ 
dages of Great Britain; nay, as great a degree of folici- 
tude as the profperity of Great Britain herfelf can be 
deemed to demand.” 
I'RELAND, one of the Bermuda illands. 
I'RELAND (New), a long narrow ifland in the Pacific 
Ocean, north of New Britain, extending from the north- 
well to the fouth-eaft about 270 miles, and in general very 
narrow; between 3. and 5.S. lat.and 146. 30. and 151. o. E. 
Ion. from Paris. The inhabitants are negroes. The ifland 
is covered with wood, and abounds with pigeons, parrofs, 
and other birds. Weft and north-weft of New Ireland, lie 
Sandwich,Portland, New Hanover, and Admiralty, iflands, 
difcovered and named by captain Carteret in 1767. The 
tracks of Le Maire and Schouten in 161 6, of Rogge win in 
1722, and of Bougainville in 1768, pafs thefe illands. 
IRELAND’S EY'E, a fmall ifland at the entrance into 
Dublin harbour. 
I'RELAND (Samuel), author of a number of elegant 
and elleemed works, and particularly known to the world 
as the poffeffor of the forged manufcript afcribed to Shake- 
fpeare, was originally a manufafiu er in Spitalfields; but, 
having a'tafte for the arts and lizerature, he abandoned 
his commercial purfuits, and became a colleflor of paint¬ 
ings, and an author. That he was fuccefsful, has been 
proved by the great fale of his Pifturefque Views of our 
principal rivers, and of his Tour to the Netherlands. How- 
far he was privy to the forgery of the Shakefpeare papers 
we will not take upon us to determine. His fon, the 
avowed forger, is the only perfon who can fatisfablorily 
explain this myftery. He died in London, July 1800. 
Mr. Ireland, immediately previous to his death, had finifhed 
a Hiflory of the Inns of Court, with views, Sec. Sec. 
IREL'LY, a town of Hindooltan, in Golconda : twen¬ 
ty-five miles eaft of Hydrabad. 
I'REMAN, a town of Cachar 1 twenty-two miles eaft: 
of Cofpour. 
I'RENARCH, f. [from Gr. peace, and o ? , a 
chief.] An officer among- the Romans who was to keep 
the peace. 
IRENyE'US (St.), bifliop of Lyons in Gaul, in the 
Second century, was moft probably a Greek by nation ; 
and, though the place of his birth cannot be afeertained, 
it feems reafonable to conclude, from his early acquaint¬ 
ance with St. Polycarp, that he was born in Alia, and 
either at Smyrna or in its neighbourhood. It is not pof- 
fible at prefent to determine the date either of his birth 
or of his death, concerning which the learned'are divided 
in opinion. Dodwell fuppofes that he was born in the reign 
of Nerva, in the year 97, and that he did not outlive the 
year 190. Grabe' thinks that he was not born till about 
the year to8. Dupin fays that he was born in the latter 
part of the reign of Adrian, or the beginning of that of 
5 B AntomuiiSg 
