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OB

PAROCHIAJL SURVEY

ov

IRELAND,

MMAfmr ur pmom thb couamncdtjom of tax ciBBor, Bt WILLIAM SHAW MASON, Eso. M.R.LA.

mSMSMBRAVCXR AND RBCIIYIR OV VIR8T WUVITS, ANO SSCaXTAMT TO TBI BOARD OF FUBLIC RBCORDt.

amdendum at, a vtrUat

qwtm « Mon ofwimo

yuBmnunctwrnUt

»•

VOL. m.

DUBLIN:

fOB JOHir

PRIVTED AT THB FAULKKER-PRB8S.

ClTMinNG, M. K. KAHOMy HODGES AND M^ABTHUBy C. P. ABCHKB, R. JCILUKINy OUBUN; lONOMANy HUBBT, REES, OBME AND BOWKS, AND JOHN NICHOLS, SON AND BENTLET, LONDON; ABCHIBALD CONSTABLE AMD CO. SDINBUBGH.

1819.

• •• »

« «

• ♦

TO

GEORGE KOBERT DAWSON, ESQ.

BEPBBSEMTATIVE IN PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY

OF LONDONDERRY,

&c« &c. &c«

Sir,

THE attention which you have bestowed in Parliament on subjects connected with this part of the Empire^ would, of itself, afford Buffident grounds for prefixing your name to one of the volumes of a work intended to convey a minute knowledge of its resources. When to this are added the many obligations that I experienced firom you in its icommencement, in your official situation here during the administration of Mr. Feel, its liberal and iodulgent patron, both public

and private motives combine to render me anxious tp have the honor of inscribing this volume to you» and of availing myself of this opportunity of expressing the esteem and respect with which

I have the honor to be, Sir, Your much obliged,

Faithful humble Servant,

♦

Wm. Shaw Mason*

PREFACE.

Although the publication of the present volume has been postponed much beyond the period anticipated by the compiler, it has been to him a pleasing reflection, that the delay was not con- nected with any want of assistance from that highly respectable class, to which it has been so much indebted both at its comibencement and during its continuance. Communications have been received from the Clergy to an amount that would supply materials for several volumes ; so that should the difficulties that have impeded its progress be removed, accounts could be immediately put to press of a number of parishes sufficient to justify the expectation of a speedy and complete termi- nation of the whole work.

Whatever may be the fate of this attempt, whether the author has been justified in his hope of its ultimate completion, or has overrated the

vni

«

himself that he has also succeeded. Should, there- fore, his apprehensions of a premature termination to this his pleasing though laborious task, be un- happily realized, while he is compelled to turn his eyes from the pinnacle of perfection which he has so long and so ardently contemplated, he will do it with the consciousness, that, though he has failed in completing the edifice . in its intended dimen- sions, he has not lefl it a rude and unshapely mass of materials, but a miniature, a sketch of what he feels confident, will, at no distant period, be com- pleted to the full extent of his most sanguine anticipations.

Under the impression of the circumstauces in which this volume of the Survey is presented to the public, the Author feels it his duty to take the opportunity now afforded of acknowledging the many obligations conferred upon him. Among the earliest and most valuable of his correspon- dents he is proud to mention the name of Sir John Sinclair,* whose previous work excited him to this undertaking, and was the model which in

* The best proof of the value of Sir John SincUir^B laboon and of the sesulti deriTable from the completion of a work like the present sunrey, maj be found in the ** Result of the Right Hon. Sir John Sindatr's Surrey of Scotland," on which the following observations were published in Thk DuBuy JouavAL, by a gentlematt to whom the compiler has other acknow- ledgements to make in these pages. t

** We have this day inserted a very important document, — it is the '* Result of the Inquiries regixding the Geographical, Agricultural, and Political stale of Scotland," by Su> Jobif Succlaib. — This abstrsct is accompanied by what be calls <' The Pyramid of Statistical Inquiry," with an eiplanation.

its progress he has imitated^ At a time when war was desolating the whole civilized world, this

It ti impoBible not to admire the indefatigable industry of this truly great nan, vtiich liaa» through a long life, been unceasingly directed to objects of tbc highest Tahie. The false glory of the warrior — the pretensions of the itowmaii — have too long— led the world astray, have too frequently impOMd upcMi the sober reason of their fellow-men, who, indeed, have crnxMoinly ascribed exceOencies to them which they do not actually possess.

The object of GoTemment is, or ought to be, to enable the People to CDjoy the greatest possible advantage, derivable from their circumstances. Althoogh dte hackneyed expression *< The Majesty of the People," may be justly treated with contempt, it is yet undeniable, that the existence of any Govcmineikt depends upon the will of the People, for the good of whom, it was not only originally instituted, but has been subsequently upheld.

Ity therefore, follows, that those measures which are best calculated to promote individual happiness, and to augment national wealth, are the only troe legitimate objects to which the Rulers of Mankind ought to direct their attention. The duty of Governors and the Interest of the Community enforce this obligation.

Ihe Theories wbidi have hitherto misled Statesmen, for as yet but few astaons have made much progress in the Science of Legislation, have pro- ceeded firom ignorance, and not from any intention to do mischief.

All the errors of the European Governments have emanated from their ignoraiice of the drcumstances of the People^ and the Countries over which ifaey have ruled. The folly of FaaDiNAND, for instance, is depopulating Spm, but certainly we would not ascribe to him any deliberate intention to nun has Country. No^^his errors, and the errors of all others, who have abraled Nations, spring from their ignorance of the true interests of the people. But knowledge cannot be intuitively attained — it is the result of experience — and what is experience, but the comparison of facts— an analysis flf the whole pbjucal and moral capabilities of the Country,

Sir JoHv SivcuiiB, by a process of this kind, has Ailly unfolded the

whole rewuroes of an interesting portion of the Empire, whether depending

vpoQ man or upon inanimated nature. He has laid open to the view of the

teesman the entire capabilities of his native Country, by a series of most

inqMrtint documents. H^ first analysed Scotland, by "an accurate descrip.

<>0B of every PSarodial District,** contained in twenty-one volumes of

JZepart»— he next « procured detailed accounts of the Agricultural State,

Md political di^uawtaooes oC the lerend Counties or larger Diviiionab*'*^

object, devised or discovered so many fneans of working to advantage this never-failing mine of public wealth, that he may be considered as mainly contributing towards the supply of the

1. Avenge number of dejrt of nun and snow, . • • • 205 9. Fair Weather, • 160

365

Difference of fair weather in favour of the cast coast| « - 70

»

S. WINDS.

Koit Coattm

1. From the North, .-.-,-., 2$

2. North-east, ......>.... 29

3. East, - 62

4. South-east, ..,.*.... 14

5. South, .......... 9

6* South-west, « 105

7. West, 103

8. North.west, ......... 19

365 fVeU CoatU

1. Points ftom cast to west by north, . • . • . 197

2. From west to south, .....••• 139 5. From south to eas^ .•••.,.« 29

565

4. THE MOST CELEBRATED MOUNTAINS IN BACH OF THE

FOLLOWING COUNTIES, AND THEIR HEIGHT ABOVE

THE LEVEL OF THE SEA.

Frft.

1. Beneris, (InTemess-shire, the highest in Scothmd,) • • 4370

2. Benmacdounie, (Aberdeenshire,) ..... 4300

3. Cairngorum, (Banffshire,) •.....• 4060

4. Benlawers, (Perthshire^) ....... 3787

5. Benyvis, (Ross-shire,) -...••. 3720

6. Cruachan, (Aigyleshire,) ««•»... 3390

7. Iiowthers, Lanarkshire, (the highest inhabited place in Scotland,) 1564

enormous sums, necessary for carrying to a suc- cessful termination, the vital conflict in which the British empire was then engaged. He has, indeed, received his reward — he has completed his

5. FRIVCIPAL RIVERS, AND THE EXTENT OF TERRITORY TROM WHICH TRET DERIVE THEIR WATERS. •

SftureMUet. i. l>f, .- 8396

1 Twwd, .- 1870

a. 9pef, - ........ 1500

4. Clyde, - ----..-. igoo

5. North Dee^ • - - . - .'. . 900

6. Ken, 850

7. Forth, - 840

8. Lochy, - 530

9. NWi, 504

la Findboniy ........ 500

6. CELEBRATED LAKE^i AND THE SIZE OF EACH.

9qmiireMUe$

I. Loch Idfmnnii, (Dunbarton and Stirliiig,) « • 45

ii Lodi Aw9, (Argyle,) ...... 50

5, Lodi Nai» (IiiTenieai») ...... so

4. Lodi Sbui» (Sutherland,) ...... S5

5. Loch Mari, (Rooii) S4

e. Loch Tay, (Fterth,) ...... so

7. Lodi Aikie^ (InTerneii^} ..... is

8. Lodi Shid, (fnrenieM,) ...... 16

9> Loch Lochy, (Lweinea^) ..... 15

la Lodi LaggaOf (IiiTenica%) ..... 19

7. STATE OF PROPERTY. Nmrnberi^f

1. 1«ge propcrticf, or eitatet above SOOOt^ of nducd rent, or

iSaoL aterliDg of real rent, . . . . . ^96

i. Middling propertiea, or ertates ftom 2000^ to 5001. of valued

itnt, or from S500iL to 625^ of real rent, - - 1077

S. SoiaU properties, or eetatee under 5001. of valued rent, or

eiSL at real rent, . . . . . . 6181

4. Estates beloDgiiig to corporate bodies, .... 144

Total number of Proprieton in Scotland, . - 7798

*iv

structure ; he has lived to witness the increase of his reputation, and to receive the assurance that posterity will do him ample justice.

8. PBOPORTION OF SOIL CULTIVATED AND UNCULTIVATED.

Stig.4ere$. I. Number of acres fiiUj or partially caltifatod» • - 5,043,050

S. Acres uncultiTated, including woods and plaatationsy - 18,900^550 Total extent of Scotland in English acres, - - 18,945,600

9. EXTENT OF WOODS AND PLANTATIOVS.

1. Extent of plantationa, ...... 418,826

t. ' natonl woods. --•-.. 501,469

Total, 913,695

10. NATURE OF THE PRODUCTIVE SOILS IN SCOTLAND.

I. Sandy Soils, -- 263,771

StOraYel, 681,868

3. Improved mossj soQi^ ^ • • ^ . . • 411,096

4. Cold or inferior Clayi^ ...... 510,265

5. Rididajs, - 987,070

6. Loam% 1,869,193

7. AUuml, haugfa, or cane land, ...... 380,193

5,043,450

11. NUMBER OP ACRES IN ONE TEAR, UNDER THE DIFFERENT CROPS, OR IN FALLOW.

1. Grass, (in haj and pasture,) . . • . • 8,489,785

f. Wheat, 140^095

8. Barley, 880^193

4. Oats, - 1,860,368

5. Bye, -- 500

6. Beans and peas, 118,000

7. Potatoes, --' 80,000

8. Turnips, -....--. 407,185

9. Flax, ----•--.. 16,500 la Fallow, .......*. 818,950

II. Gardens and orchards, ....•• 38,000

5,043,450

' To the aupport bestowed on this work by its pitxoii, die Right Hon. Robert P£ei.» it may be said to owe its existence ; since without the sanc-

12. VALUK or CROPS.

2,489,725 140,095

280,199

], 260,562

500

ptr Aertn

118,000 80^000

407,125 16,500 52,000

4,824,500 218,950

at At

at at at at at at at

It 8

7

6

' S 4 S

15

£4,979,450 1,541,045

. 2.241,544 8,822,59t

5,o6o

708,000 640^000 l>6S8b50O mOQO 48a00O

Produce, j£21,176,073

5,043^450 aTeiagie per acre,

1. GtiBlHid% .... 1. Wheal, - .' - - X Bvlcf, « • • .

4. Oats^ • • • •

5. Rye, .... 6» Beans and peas, - - • T. Potatoes, . • • . & Xunapi^ • • . a 9L flat, ....

IOl Gardens, ....

IVoductiTe acres^ ... FaUov, ....

Total culthated, ...

(including fallow,) 4/. 4s. nearly. Uocoltifatcd 13,900,550^ including woodlnndHi Zu per acr^

2,085,082 10 O

Total land produce, • . . . • ^23,261,155 10 lO

19. LIVE STOCK, AND THKIR PRM>ITCE.

1. Honei, 243,489, value of their work when full grown, or

increase in their work, while young, yearly,^ at 10/.

aach, £2.434,890

2. Cattle^ 1,047,142, annual value of dairy produce, and annual

increase in the worth pf the feeding cattle, at 6^ each, .6,282.852

3. AeciH 2;85Q,867, - - - . - - . ; - 1,425,983

4. Hop^ 500^000, produce 30s. each, .... 750,000

5. Lewer slock, (poultry, &c.) ..... 250,000

Total produce of live Stock, ... £ II, 143,725

T^ soai b included in the general estimate of land produce already given.

14. MINERAL STATE. Coa/.

1. Eitcot of the great Co^-field of Scotland, *

2. Aattiiftl Coasumption, ...»

C

600«000 172

» -'

tion of his name and the facilities of communication

. with its numerous correspondents which his official

situation enabled him to afford, and which his

liberality prompted him to extend to it, the bn-

A Quantity AnnuAHy coniumed in toDt» • • . • .4* Value of th« Coal annually consumed, at an average of

9,500,000

St. Sd, per ton, . . . • • i. Eipeate of labour, 5«. lOd. per ton, .. • • 6* Rent to the proprietor, lOtL per ditto, - • *

Lime, 1. Qnantity of Ume annually manuf«ictured in Seotland, 9. Qnantity in Winchester buihels, at 4 buahek per boll

8. Value at 2f. 0d per boll,

4. Eitent of land annually dreved with lime, «

I. Number of blast furnaces • - • • •

9. Cluantity annually produced, • . . • 9. Value at 7i per ton, • • - • * 4« Number of petioDs aanually employed,

LeatL I. Komber of ban of lead annually produced, • • 9. Annual Value al St per bar, • . - .

^833,333 0 0 7S9.166 10 0 104,060 10 0

^ Bbttt.

9/X)0,000

19,000,000

£3iS,O00

f^alue tf Minerai Produeiioni,

1. Coal,

S. LimOb - ' •

S. Iron,

4. Lead, -

$f Various article^

15. yiSH9RIS9 1. Salmon and fresh-water fisheries 9. The white ssa Bihery, 9. The herring fishery, • • •

4. The whale fiihery, - . .

5. Shellfish, ... *

100^000

91

92,760

^9999,320

7,650

65/XX> iflSO^OOO

375,000

999,390

130,000

30,000

iClt597,65^

«f 150,000

400,000

500.000

900,000

50,000

£1,300,000

♦vu

dertaking could not hare been attempted. Strongly as the author has already endeavoured to express his seotiments of grateful respect to this enlightened Friend of Ireland, yet he trusts he may avail

1& ABIOUMT or TERRITORIAJL PRODUCTIONS.

1. Gfoii prodoee of land, • . • . . 93,261,155 10 0

1 WoBtk, ' - ],597,65S O 0

S, nktaea, 1,500^000 0 0

iC^e, 158,808 10 0 4. Tbe Tfoli of landsi mines, flBberiei, kelp, &e. for one

jev, codiBg 5th April, 1813, .... 5,041,7791111 5> AiDottot of prodoce alMOibed by the expense of euHi.

wdtm^ and the profit of lknner% gardeners, and other

dcelos in tbe productiaoa of the soil, also by colliers^

idberffiSD, &c . - • . - - ^9M17»028 18 1

!?• MAlfUFACTURXS OP SCOTLAND.

Value qf raw TUol mlm tf WMij/tec Mtpme4if Memr wmttriaL hmd arUdet, and prtifit.

1. WooOcn, a£30Q,000 450,000 150,000

1 linm, 834,149 1,775,000 940,851

Z. Cotton, 1,832;i94 . 6,964,486 5,139,362

4. lofcrior bnndics, 1,300,000 5,000^000 3.700,000

m^m^mmmi^ma^i^m ^mmtm^im^m^immm mm^^mmmm^mtm^

£4,966,973 14,189,486 9,9^3,813

18. COMMKRCl.

1. Number of ddpo belonging to Scotland, ... 5^708

I Tottoege, ........ 931,973

5. Vmnber of ecamen, - .* - .... 16,300

4. Expotts, ........ ^4,74a93d

'• Inports^ a*.... ... 3,671,158

€. Bsbnce in finroor of Scotland, . • . • . i£l,069,08l

19. THE POOR.

1. Nomberof Pnocfaial Poor, ..... 36,000

Aversge allowance to eachy • . • . • 3/*

, Totsl ezpcoie^ ....••. «f 108,000

Afcnge ezpeoae of maintiioing the poor in Workhouses, 8A lOs*

20. POPULATION.

1. PopnlatioBy 1755 1,965,380

yjJfina^ 1799 1,596,^99 961,U9

•viil

himself of the present opportunity of acknowledg- ing the obligations which he owes him, and of

stating his humble conviction, that when his

•

5. Population, 1801 1,599,068 73,576

4. Pitto, 1811 1,804,864 205,796

The ATerage population of Scotland is at the rate of 60 persons per square mile.

2L P£IRAGE OF SCOTLAND.

1. Number of Peers at the Union, -' -* - - - IS4

Is The Duke of Rothesay, when entitled to vote, • - • l

3. Claims admitted by the House of Peers after the Union, - 4

159 4* £ztinct, ••.•.^•••41

5« Merged in, or united to^ other titles* . • - - • 10 .

«. Forfeited, S6

— 77

Remained, 82

22. STATE OF THE PEERAGE AT THE LAST ELtfCTIOK.

1. Peers^ who voted, .•^••.•. 52 E. Minors, -----*.-•- 5

9. Peeresses, .-.••••-. 5

4. Roman Catholics, ..,-•...- 2

Total disqualified, 8

S* Out of the kingdom, or who declined voting, • • - 29

*-. SO

Total Peers, • - 82

29. REPRESENTATION OF THE LANDED INTEREST*

1., Number of -representativei^ • . . . • ^ 50

2. Number of Freeholders in the 53 Seotcfa Counties, • • 2,429

5. Number of landholders entitled to vote, if the whole valoed

rent of the kingdom were held by peison^ etch pfliifssiiig'

4002. Scotch of valued rent, ....•• 9,51 1

24. BOROUGH REPRESENTATION.

1. Number of representatives, .••••• I5

2. Number of boroughs^ ••••... es 9. P4f ubtion of ditto, 471,417

coQOtiy shall again call Mr. Pesl to a ptet suited^ to his talents and energies, the good of that part of the empire in which he so well established his

35. ECCLKSIA8TICAL STATV 09 8C0TLAKD.

1. Kmnber of synods, *.•••••• l«

S. KsnlKr of pre^b^rteriei, •• - - .*. . 78

'SL Kmnbcr of ptrishesi • - ' - • - • * 99S

4. Kanbo- of wtablwlwwi ddgymeo, . . . • . 938

26. RELIGIOUS PERSUASIONS.

I. FifiMrihwi FreArfttnan Church, . • . - • 1,408,588 & Steedcn ftom the Ealdblnhcd Church of various deaCriptton%

but aB holding pmbjttmn prtecipieik . • • . S56,000

Total pjreabyteriani, 1,(64,888

8. Sqiamiiia of various pertnaiioDi, as Baptists, Bereaot,

GlasHtes, 50^000

1 Roman Calholica, « - - • - 50,000

& Scotch Eptec^paHan, .... 88,000

€. Mcdiodirts, 9.000

7. Chinch of Eof hud; * • . • 4,000

1 Qmkff, •••••. 800

— — - .141,300.

1,805,688

27. REVENUE OV SCOTLANQ*

I. BffVHhitaCdieUiwmlTOT, .-••.• ^110^694

5. Adiitiooal taxes then imposad, • - - « ' • 49,306

Told Mvaaua at the Union, aSKkO^OOO

& Biftnueof Scndand, anno I81S, ... if4^43,S99 19 II

4. EspsBK of management, drawbacks, &c. - « 639».18S 5 9

5. Net nvenue of Scotland, .... 4:4,304,097 7 9 •6. locrasw since the Union, .... 4,044,097 7 9

28. PROPBRTT TAX PAID BY SCOTLAND. Grm Menial on 5th Aprii, 1811.

^1,792,849 15 1 <n,158,777 7 4 it5,951,680 0 6

Grosi Mental on Sth AprU, 1815.

Om tamit, Wmei, Ac Cmtkuieg. TaiaU.

dSjMU179 II II iCl,94S,609 9 3 /l^fBS»389 1 R

iniremsinni»ye<t% 5a0;7S9 O S

• hMlndtat tht piertiftcry of Zitfanid, irhidi to taiTcited with tynodiial poweni

claim to the title of Statesman, will be among the primary objects of his attention.

The reader will easily perceive, that in lome of the above tables, it is onljf poanble to approximate to the truth ; and that io aereral other cases, there must be a perpetual fluctuatioii. But every exertion has been mader to render tfaemiu correct as possible, and to give, within a moderate compaaib a general view of the geographical, agricultural,, and political circumstances of Scotland.

On the whole, it appear^ that Scotland is a valuable and flourishing portion of the British Empire ; and from the intelligence, skill, and industry ef its inhabitants, it is daily increasing in prosperity and wealth*

THE PYRAMID OF STATISTICAL INQUIET.

S The General Report of Scotland. • 8 The County Reports of Scotland, containing 33 Distrk

1 The Statistical Account of Scotland, contunuig 693 Ptoisbca.

1. Hie Statistioal account of Scotland, commenced in Hay, 1790b nnd was completed in 1798.

3. The Publication of the corrected county Reports commenced in June^ 1795, and was completed in 1814.

3. The General Report of Scotland, commenced in 1811, and was -completed in 1814.

To complete these several undertakings, required, in all, a period of about Twenty-four Tears, and the assistance of above One Thousand Individuals.

LAUS DEO riNITUM. '

KXPLAXATKOV OF THS rTaAXlD OF STATlfTICAX, IKQITIftT BT Sift JOBIT

SIKCLAia.

The object of the pyrsmid is, to explain the nature of a pew system. '* That of making extensive inquiries the basis of condensed information,'* by means of which, the information and talents of numbers of inteillgeot individuals may be combined in the formation of one great work — and useful knowledge,'^ tiie real source of national prosperity, may not only be rendered more complete, but, when ultimately broDgbt within • moderate compewb mey become more genendly <ccesnble.

Xi

To hb successor in office, the Right Hod< Charl£s Grant, the compiler is indebted for a continuance of those facilities ; thus evincing, as be hopes, an approbation of a design, the good effects of which Mr. Grant has had the best oppor- tumty of appreciating in his native country.

n* int pnctialile illdstntioa of tlutt tytUm, in iti perfect rtate, is now gNcB m Tbk GnrsBAL BkroAT or Scotlamh.

U It «■» *• the Sutiaiical Account of Scotland,** a work which ftimitbM tn accurate description of eveiy. Parochial Diatrict in that part of tho Uaitod Kisgdfom, amounting in all to 893, which laid the foundation of Aaft UbofioQa undeitaking.

S. To procure detailed aooounta of the agricultural itate, and political ciituiuaunce^ of the aeveral ** counties or larger dirisions,'* of which there are 33 in all, was the neit step taken in the progress of the work.

5. Bat the great difficulty still remained, that of oon^eqsiqg, wiUiia a Boderste compass, a mass of information, contained in fifty large Tolnmes octavo, clotdy printed. That, howerer, is now happily accomplished in this Geacrai Report, which, though reduced to three volumes octavo, with twn of Appeadix, yet comprehends the subetanee of all the information collected in the former publications. With such a work to consult, a Britith Statesman B ensbleJ to form as just an idea of the general circumstances of Scotlan<l and the means of its improvement, as a proprietor usually acquires regarding hb own private estata By adapting the same plan, in regard to Englaod^ Wales, aod Ireland, what advantages might not accrue to those countries?

Tlie practicability of carrying this system into eflTect being thus ascertaiaedt initeail of its being restricted to agricultural or political topics, it ought to be eitaoded to every other branch of useful knowledge. By minute ioqairies, many valuable facts and observations might be collected, which won! J otherwise be lost— and by adopting the plan of condensation aflerwards, aore advantage would be derived from the information thus acquired, than CDold be obtained from undigested loads of litemture.

In its present state, knowledge may be compared to a small portion of gold, dtspened throughout a great quantity of ore.— -In that m^P condition, the strongest man cannot bear its weight, nor can any benefit be derived from it; but if the pure metal were separated from the dross, even a child might 3ny it without difficulty, and it may be used with advantage.

kli

The Author's obligations to the Cuieot of

Ireland are more than he can express* While

. diey have evinced their extensive knowledge and

learnings they have ^ proved their wiUingneas to

render important services to their country.

'* Semper bonos, nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt.*'

It is obvious that a work of this magnitude could not have been conducted without much assistance i for this purpose^ several of the compi- ler's literary friends, anxious to promote aA objecU from the completion of which they conceived many benefits might accrue to the country, agreed to form themselves into a Committee in order to aid him in the arrangement and publication. Th6 names of three of these gentlemen are alreac^ before the public, in the pages of this Survey, each of them having contributed a preliminary essay on a subject intimately connected with ita objects. Walter Thom, Esq. Author of the History of Aberdeen, and a contributor to the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and to Sir John Sin- clair's great work, «• The general Report of Scotland,'' has enriched the first volume with a Synoptical View of the Pdnciples of Political Economy, — ^a branch of science, a correct and practical acquaintance with which, can only be attained through the medium of Statistics. To Edm. Hyde Hall,. Esq. an English gentleman, the work is indebted for the elaborate and ingenious

xiu

Analysis of the Contents of the Down Survey, the value of which important document, his essay has made more generally known.* The manner in which a subject, apparently dry, and by many deemed uninteresting, has been treated in this Essay, must excite a strong wish in the mind of eveiy well-informed person for undertaking a similar survey on a scale commensurate with the whole country:— -an undertaking, by which only, can a true estimate be formed of the strength and resources of this important division of the empire. TTie Rev. Edward Groves t has contributed to the volume now published an Essay respecting the Population of Ireland, calculated to afibrd fresh lights on a subject equally essential as the last aientioned, to the vital interests of the

* Mr. Hfde HaU is tlie nitlior of a valuable tract, entitled, Suggestions towsnb the Improvement of the Education of the Lower ClasMs in Ireland. He has alio firepared a Historx of Caraarvonsbire^ wbicb is now ready for Pioik but its poUication has beeo» and it is to be apprdiended will be long Mjfs^ in consequence of a chronic attack with which he was visited dwrtlj lAcr he had made this country the place of his fixed residence. It is not tmj to sqr whether the puUic or his friendsh will he the greater sufferers, bj this artanfhaly visitation ; the Ibniier have been deprived by it of the ootioDs of aa active mind and discriminating judgment* all whose bearings voe ifirseicd to promote the improvement of this his adopt^ oountry— the iMcr will long deplore the lose of a friend* whose benevolence of disposition sad wbemiy of manners wore so brilliantly set off by an exuberant q[)lendor ^ CDoviffBtiooal talent, that rendered his society a oopions and never-failing coRtot of inteUectual enjcTment

t This gendemaa has announced a work on our national Bibliograpby, somewhat smilar but moie extended than Bishop Nicholson's Irish Historical Lifaruy: snch a publication has long been a desideratum in our literature >Mi tor whicfa liis habits of laborious investigation and his literary, oppor-

D

XIV

country. To James HarbimaNi Esq. the author of the History of 6alway» the work is indebted for several iUustrations of the antiquities of the coun^ try, a department of national literature which his bent (>f studies has peculiarly qualified him to embellish. Johk C. Erck, Esq. author of the Irish Ecclesiastical Register, a work patronized by most of the dignitaries of. the chiu'ch, and in the hands of all the clergy, as an invaluable manual of in* formation, is one of these gentlemen to whose persevering and disinterested labours the compiler is, in like manner, indebted. He hoped to have had to name another, to whom he can now only pay the tribute of grateful and sincere regret, Jam£s Johnston, Esq., a young Barrister, who at the moment in which he was beginning to enjoy the benefits of a profession, for which he had pre- pared himself by an indefatigable course of self-

tunitiM peculiarly quafiflcd liiiD. Mr. Groftts*s iwiie if alto wdl knows in this Citjt M sn actirt and lealoua pmnoter of aevanl btncvolent Inatiuitimia, and pardcttlarly of the Associatiom roa sumtassiKG MENDictrr. He waa also the acting Secretary to the BsLrAvr Acadzmicai. Ikstitution al ita commencement, and for sereral yvan afterwards. This singular undertaking originated with a few merchants in that spirited and enterprising town, on a fund of about 15,000/L raised wholly by private Sobecriptions. Tlie IbundatioQ stone of its buildings was laid in ISlp^ and in the short period that baa ainco elapsed, it ailbrds instruction to between 8 and 400 elementary, and 140 eoliegiate pupils. It now consists of two Schools, one Ibr Classical, the other for English Instruction, besides Schools ibr Arithmetic^ Writing, Modem Languages, &c and has established pnrfbssonhips in Chcmiatry, Natural Philosophy, Moral Pbiloaophy, Bcilea Lettres, Natural Hfatoiy, Hebrew, Qntk and English, besides two on Theology, suited to the diiftrent Cenets of the Pupils intended to be prepared for the Ministiy in this Seminary.

XY

acq^ed iiiatructioii» and had given- a promise of talents that must have done honor to himself and reflected lustre on his friends, was prema* torely snatched away by a violent fever.

Although the compiler feels himself called upon to avow his peculiar obligations to the constant undeviating assistance of the friends now named^ he would be equally unjustifiable were he to do so to the exclusion of many others by whom he has been encouraged or supported in this undertaUngi either by literary assistance, by affording facilities of communication, or by extending his sources of infiH-mation i among these, he is proud to mention the names of the Right Hon« Sir John Newport^ Bart. Sheffield Grace, £sq. William Gregory, Esq* Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Charles Wm. Flint, of the Irish Office, Thomas * Nowlan, Esq. John Brebner, Esq. Alex. Mangin, Esq. Dublin Castle, and Edward S. Lees, Esq. Gen. Post Office.

* Tvo loftttutknis which pramise to be df singulAr utility to the countiv

inpnalfd (torn Mr. Nowlan's indefetigable and well-directed exertioni

far the BBprotement of hii country. The first is the FxixfAauAy Ivstitdtion

m Oobiiiw in which a s]rstcm of Education, founded on correct principles,

has been introduced for tiie benefit of the higher clasns; the other, the

Vwvo Factoet, at Stoneyford, in the County of Kilkenny, the moral

dinpltne of which has liiUy proved, not merely the practicability of carrying

m the finer fannchea of woollen manufacture by means of the Irish

jiiesaiifij. bat the still more important fact of tiie faciUty of introducing

iafaili of flMirmllrf, industry, and forethought among that dasB^ which the'

ihflffii^lited or prejudiced inquirer has too ollen pronounced to be incapable

at mpfifiF iuipro'vcdcnt.

XVI

Under these impressions, and influenced by the emotions he has endeavoured to convey, the Author of the Statistical Survey presents this volume to the Public, to whom he would be unjust were he to withhold the expression of profound and re* spectful gratitude for their favorable reception of the former parts of the work. He has found in them zealous friends and indulgent censors, attri- buting much to good intention and allowing much for the difficulties of execution. If he is enabled again to appear before them, it shall be with renewed exertions to improve what may have been deemed merit, and to correct the defects of his production ; if otherwise, he has the consolation, upon closing his labours, to feel, that though he may not have accomplished all he wished, he has endeavoured to do something for his country.

RXCOBO TOWER,

DUBLIN CASTLS;

m

November* ISm.

xvu

Some Account of the Procbsdikos taken in 181S ttad 1814 to ascertain The Population of Ireland, pur- rautt to an Act of Parliament passed in 1812; together with A Sketch of the attempts previously made to attain the same object ; and also An Account of the result of An Inquiry made during the same period, to ascertain the proportion of the Protestant and. Roman Catholic Inhabitants of Ireland ; drawn up by the Rev. Edward Groves, for the Statistical Survey of Ireland.

Sir William Petty estimates the population of Ireland 1672. in 1672, at 1,100)000 souls. His calculations are founded on the number of hearths, or as he quaintly terms them, imoaks ; but as his book affords no means of ascertaining the certainty of his data, the accuracy of his inference must rest upon the writer's character for intelligence and veracity. If however, in forming a judgment on this point, it be considered, that the account of the number of houses on idiich the calculation rests, was in all probability taken from the official returns of the officers engaged in collecting the hearth-money tax, and that the proceedings of thu department of the revenue were then less open to public ^ inspection, in consequence of its management being let to ftrm^if also it be recollected that the tract of Sir ^lliam', which supplies this information, is a posthumous work, evidently unfinished, and avowedly published in tlie imp^- feet state in which it had been found at the author's death, a calcdator of the present day will be very cautious in forming deductions from such premises.

The next attempt was made by Capt. South in 1695, and leas. the result was communicated to the Royal Society, by whom it was published in the volume of their transactions for 1700-1701.* It is grounded on a poll tax, returns of which are stated for tbree Counties and for the City of Dd^Hn, and an average struck for the rest of the kingdom, according to the first quarter's assessment. This account, however defective and maccurate, is the only one which can be gleaned from the writer's details, which are of themselves extremely brief. The total is made to amount to 1,054,102 souls.

• Fbil. 80c Tnns. Ko. 261. VoL 82| « SfO,

A.

XVlU

1731. In ]7S1 the progress of " Popery" attracted much of the attention of the legislature, and, amongst other curious infor- mation, produced a return of the number of inhabitants in each county made by the parochial clergy, in obedience to an order of the House of Lords. Mr. Newenham, in hi» valuable " Inquiry into the progress and magnitude of the Population of Ireland," deems this return sufficiently accu- rate for practical purposes ; he does not adduce his reasons. It gives a population of 2,010,221 souls. It appears from the Journals of the House of Lords, that this enquiry had been carried on simultaneously -through two channels, the magistracy and the established clergyj and that the latter was preferred as being of greater accuracy.

1736. I^ ^^^ y^^ 17S6, an anonymous pamphlet i^ypeared, intituled, ** An Abstract of the number of Protestant and Popish families in Ireland taken from the returns made by the hearth-money collectors to the hearth-money-office in Dublin in the years 17S2 and 1733*." Tlie total of families is stated to be 386,902, which at six souls to each, gives a population of 2,321,412.

Several subsequent attempts were made to ascertain the population through the medium of the returns of the hearth-

1754. money collectors. The results gave, in 1754, a population 1767. i777.of 2,372,634; in 1767, of 2,544,276; in 1777, of 2,690,556 ;

1 785. and in 1 785, of 2,845,932.

( But the most remarkable of the calculations, founded on such returns and the most to be depended upon, both from the peculiar advantages possessed by the compiler, and from his ^assiduity and intelligence in making up his results, is that of^ G. P. Bushe, Esq. presented by him to the Royal Irish Academy, and to be found among their transactions. It is formed from the hearth-money collectors' survey-books for

1788, ^® 7^^ 1788, and corrected and completed by himself. He aetails the method of these corrections and supplements as follows : '^ I have selected the most intelligent officers and have requested them to subjoin to each house, the qumber of souls inhabiting the same ; but where they should not be able to obtain a clear and satisfactory account, to pas^ by such house, without attempting to give any account whatever of the number of souls, rather than give one, that could not be thoroughly depended upon. Having the books before me, I first find out the number of widows and paupers

* A second edition of this tract was published in 1788, in consequence of a reference made to it by the Bishop of Cloyne, in his Present St»te of the Church of Ireland.

XIX

ia the county ; 2dly, the number of new houses ; Sdly, the Dumber of houses with more than one hearth to each ; 4thly, the number of houses with a single hearth to each, which pay duty ; and when I have sufficient materials, I cause a proportionate number of each sort to be extracted, till I have the dOth part of the houses in the county, llius ia the county of Wexford there are 2111 paupers and widows, so I take the first 106 houses inhabited by persons of that description which appear on the face of the books, with the number of souls annexed to each, 106 being as nearly the one-twentieth part of 21 11 as I can go without a fraction : then I find the number of new houses to be 766, so I take the number of souls annexed to the first 98 new bouses; then I find the number of houses having two hearths and upwards to be 2063, so I take the number of souls annexed to the first lOS houses in that description; lastly, I find the number of houses having but one hearth each, and paying hearth-money, to be 15,508, so I take the number of souls annexed to the first 775 of such houses and I find the account to stand thus.

Poor

New

Double Hearths

Siagle Ditto

ToUl Number.

So. of Houaei

whereof the

Population

was taken.

No.of aoub therein.

Avcnse Number in each houie.

2,111

766

2,063

15,508

106

38 103

775

549 164 919

5008

About 54- About 4^ About 9 About 6^

Total

— — 1.

20,448

1022

6640

About 6^

By applying this process to every county Mr. Bushe drew out his table of the population of Ireland. But he appears not to have been by any means satisfied with the accuracy of the survey books which were his basis. " The number of houses,** says he, "returned in the year 178S,*is cer- tainly far short of the truth. In thirteen counties I have some grounds, whereupon I have computed the number of houses omitted ; to wit, the check-surveys made by super- visors of certain parishes in each walk, and returned upon oath. If the frauds committed through the thirteen coun- ties, be equal to those committed in the parishes so surveyed therein, then the number of houses omitted in the said thirteen countiesj^ amounts to about 24,bOO ; and if any of

XX

the supervisors have been guilty of collusion at negligence, the number of houses omitted is probably greater than 84,800 ; to this number roust be added the houses omitted in several of the other counties. The frauds committed in some of these appear as great, as in the other thirteen counties. My opinion formed on a variety of circumstances is, that they amount to €0,000; but I can only give my opinion, llie waste houses, or diose returned as such, are not included. Many of Uiem, probably some thousands, were inhabited. The inhabitants frequently shut their doors and hide from the collector ; he frequently returns houses as waste, which have paid the duty. In the houses the population whereof has been taken, no barrack, hospital, school-house, or public building is included. Whether the other houses in the kingdom contain in proportion an equal number of souls with the 14,108 houses whereof the population has been taken, must be a matter of conjecture ; if they do, and if the number of houses amounts to 660,000 (which I believe to be short of the truth,) then the number of souls in the kingdom must be computed at above 4,040,000."

The above extracts shew the great pains taken by the in« vestigator to arrive at the truth, and the obstacles, arising from the nature of his basis, that were to be encountered. 1792. ^^* Beaufort published his Ecclesiastical Map of Ireland in 1792 ( it was accompanied with a memoir illustrative of the geographical state of the kingdom according to coundes, in each of which the population is given, drawn from the number of houses. It does not appear whence he derived his information as to this point ; the whole seems to be done in a vague manner, as designed rather to afford a general comparative view of the circumstances of the several parts of the country, than to satisfy the accurate investigator. He forms his average according to the conjectured circuni* stances at different rates, from 5 to 6 souls to a house ; but taking it at the latter of these numbers, bis statement will afford a population of 4,088,226.

In the same year a very detailed report of the number of hearths, prepared from the returns of the preceding year, was laid before the House of Commons. The result produces a population of 4,206,612.

Mr. Newenham, in his excellent work already noticed, 1805. not satisfied with the returns f^om the hearth-money collectors, as a basis for an estimate of the existing popu- lation, and unable to procure any other, endeavours to remedy its palpable inaccuradea by aids from various

^Xl

Morces. From thence he forms a great variety of deduc- tiont which it would be impossible to dwell on here, h moat be sufficnent to observe, that his corrected estimate of the popalfltion of Ireland for the year 1805, gives a total of 5,395,456 souls*

The several estimates of population already enumerated

aSI vest on the same basis, the number of houses as ascer-

tamed by the bearth-mo^ey returns, and the probable

Sfecige of souls to a house. The former of these was

muvcnally allowed, even by those who for want of better

materials were compelled to have recourse to them, to be

extremely doubtful, and tendings as far as relied on, to give

apopaladon much less than the truth : the latter was subject

to no standard but the opinion of the calculator, supported

occasionally by a very limited induction. Hence the

average was by some, struck so low as 5 to a house, while

otben raised it to 6^ ; the average of six has been chosen

in all the foregoing statements, as being probably nearest to

the truth, and as of easy correction by those who prefer

any other rate.

The following table will afford a synoptical view of the estimirted population of Ireland at the several periods noticed; the result of the enumeration under the act of ] 818 is also added, in order to complete the view. The nmnber of souls are estimated at six to a house, except in that of Sir Wm. Petty who calculates them at five to a

1 DATE.

NAME.

POPULATION.

1672

Sir William Petty.

1,100,000

1695

Captain South.

1,034,102

17S1

Established Clergy. Hearth Money Collect.

2,010,221

1754

2,372,684 ^

1767

Ditto.

2,544,276

1 1777

Ditto.

2,690,556

1785

Ditto.

2,845,982

1788

Gervas P. Bushe, Esq.

4,040,000

1791

Hearth Money Collect.

4,206,612

1792

Doctor Beaufort.

4,088,226

/ J805

Thos. Newenham, Esq.

5,395,426

/ 1814

Parliamentary Return.

•5,937,856

* Hits number is the result of a calculation formed by an ingenious ftjend of the author, an account ofuvbich wiU'be found at the end of this

XXll

At length the time came when this great political theorem was to be solved in a more satisfactory manner. In the year ISiO, the Imperial Parliament had passed an act to ascertain by actual enumeration the population of England^ and it was shortly after determined, by a similar act with respect to Ireland, to extend the process to this country. 1812. On the 18th July, 1812, the act '^ for taking an account of the population of Ireland, and of the increase or diminution thereof,*'* received the Royal assent. The process by which it was to be carried into effect, is briefly as follows :

Copies of the act and of the schedule annexed to it, were to be forwarded by the King's printer in Ireland, within thirty days after it had passed, to the peace clerks anf town clerks of the several counties at large, and counties of cities and of towns in Ireland, to be by them distributed with all convenient speed, among the secretaries of the several Grand Juries within their respective limits. The Grand Juries were then directed to appoint, at their next ensuing meeting, proper persons to carry the act into execution; these were pointed out by the act to be, in counties at large, the head constable of each Barony or Half Barony, and in cities and towns, a substantial house-keeper in each parish. In both cases these persons were empowered to call to their assistance, in baronies, the persons employed in applotting and collecting the Grand Jury Cess ; and in cities and towns, the Church-Warden, Constables, and other peace officers of each parish.

The inquiry was to commence through Ireland on the same day. The 1st of May, J 813, was fixed upon by the legislature for the purpose, and the persons appointed were instructed to proceed from house to house, and to continue their examination from day to day, without interruption or wilful or negligent delay, until the whole was completed. The points to which their enquiries were to be specially directed are as follow : 1. the number of inhabited houses; ^. the number of families ; S. the number of houses building ;

4. the number of houses uninhabited from any other cause ;

5. the number of families employed in, and maintained by agriculture; 6. the number of those employed in trade,

* The Bill was introduced into the House of Commons by the Right Hon. Sir John Newport ; but underwent sp many alterationft during its progress, as to make it essentially different from the idea of its deviser. Jn illustration of this, it maybe mentioned, that the Act, as passed, contains no clause whatever for ascertaining the increase or diminution of the Popubuon, though this object forms part of its title.

XXIU

immiifactttres* and handicrafts; 7. The number of those not comprised in either of the two other classes; 8. the nomber of souls (including children of every age) actually living within the Barony &c. at the time of taking the account, distinguishing between males and females, and exclusive of soldiers in the regular service or in the militia, and of seamen in the King's service or in registered vessels ; 9. The number of inhabitants in each city, town, or village, within each district.

The result of the inquiries respecting each of those points, was to be digested according to a plan specified in the act, copies of which were given to each person so appointed, and the contents of these were verified by an attestation, under their signature made before a justice of the peace. In order further to insure the accuracy of the returns, and to obviate any difficulties arising from unwilling- ness in the people to answer the questions that were to be put to them, the act declared that any person refusing to answer such questions as should be necessary towards ttating the particulars therein required, or wilfully giving false answers, should forfeit a sum not less than forty shillings, nor more than five pounds on complaint before a Justice of the Peace.

The original accounts, when perfected, were to be lodged with the peace or town Clerk among Uie archives of the county; and the returns formed fh>m them to be transmitted to the office of the Lord Lieutenant's chief Secretary, where they were to be arranged and digested by an officer, to be specially appointed by him for that purpose*

StiU further, in the hope of attaining the utmost possible accoracyy it was enacted, that wherever an examination of the returns affi>rded grounds for suspecting them to be defective or incorrect, the Chief Secretary should send them back to their respective Grand Juries for revision and amendment* Penalties were imposed on false returns made hy the under agents, to whom the execution of the measure was entrusted, and the Judges were specially instructed* to give it in charge to the Grand Juries throughout their respective circuits.

The provisions of the act, guarded as they were with precautions apparently calculated to ensure success, did not produce the practical effect that might have been expect- ed. The failure may be attributed partly to the incapacity •r ne^igence of the inferior agents, partly to the reluc- tance of the great body of the people, habitually suspicious

<»f every measure that assumed the form of special inquiry, and as habitually exercised in an evasive ingenuity in parrying off such inquiries— but chiefly, it must be allowed, to the body to whom the management of its execution had been in the first instance committed. The Grand Jury system, as it operates in Ireland, is not of a ' nature to render its members agents well calculated to ensure the success of an untried and complicated experiment. Meeting but seldom, and during their ephemeral session, over- whelmed with a load of ordinary business sometimes not to be completely got through, seldom well arranged, digested or executed, an additional duty o£ a nature not clearly understood, and for an object whose utility was not equally evident to all, came upon them in a very unwelcome shape. The appointment of ike under agents was in some cases, the result of ill-directed influence; even the mode of remuneratir* J those agents was, in many instances, such as to afford a strong temptation to misrepresent. The payment was made according to the amount of the population returned; thus holding out a premium for enlarging the aggregate. * In some cases, the persons employed to take the account adhered strictly to the letter of the act, in commencing the investigation on the [^qipotnted day, but seemed wholly forgetful that they were equally bound to continue the enquiry from day to day without interruption, or wilful or negligent delay ; thus defeating the accomplish- ment of one object of the legislature, the attainment of a simultaneous return of the population* Some counties treated the act as a dead letter, and made no return what- ever; in others the returns were confused, inaccurate or defective. In fine it. was found impossible to prepare from them, a digest fit to be laid before Parliament in the session of 1814 : and though in many instances, the returns were repeatedly sent back for correction, and letters specially issued from the Chief Secretary to the Grand Juries and others concerned in conducting it, urging its accomplish- ment in the strongest terms, it was ascertained at the close of the year 1814, that out of forty counties at largCy and counties of cities and towns into which Ireland is divided, but ten had attained the standard of perfection contemplated by the devisers of the measure, six were wholly defaulting

* An infUuice came to the knowledge of the officer appointed to arrange the returns of an agent who went so far as to include in hh ruturn childi-ep in the womb.

XXV

and the remaining twen^-four defective or inaccurate with respect to some of the points insisted upon in the schedule. The measure may therefore be said to have completely failed, and the investigator into the capabilities and resources of this part of the empire is still condemned to found his calculations on theoretical conjectures instead of solid facts.

But though the experiment &iled, the measure has not been abandoned. In 1815, an act for effectuating it on an is 15. improved plan, introduced into the House of Commons by the Right Hon. Robert Peel, then Chief Secretary for Ireland, ivas sanctioned by the legislature. Tlie principal features that distinguish it from its predecessor are, first, the transfer of the management throughout tlie counties from the Grand Juries to the County Magistrates, who, by reason of the greater frequency of their meetings, and the power granted in the act of holding special sessions for this purpose, were deemed more adequate to {Superintend the execution of the measure throughout all its stages. This alteration is more a change of office than of person : the same individuals who sit on Grand Juries sit also on the bench of Magistrates. It is, therefore, merely an enlarge- ment of numbers and of time to attain the end proposed. The second variation consisted in the nature of the information to be collected and the manner in which it was to be reported to the Chief Secretary's Office. Accordii^ to the late act, the information collected from house to bouse was to be digested into barony or parish returns, according to a specified form, hy the persons on whom the duty of collecting this information devolved. The new act, considering that the qualifications for collecting information are wholly different from those requisite for its arrangement, as well as much more easy of attainment, has limited the duties of the inferior agents in the baronies or parishes, to that of taking an account of the name, age, and occupation of every individual within such district; and directed the lists, so made out, to be forwarded to the office of the Chief Secretary, on whom it imposed the duty of collecting the totals of each description of person, &c. and of arranging them according to parishes, baronies and counties, so as to form a grand total for laying before parliament. Another difference between the two plans, not indeed affecting the machinery, but of much importance towards the continuance of its good effects, is, that it is made prospective; its duration

is not limited to the process of a single enumeration; it

B

XXVI

gives a power to take an account of the population from time to time, thus affording the means of ascertaining periodically a problem of high import, the actual increase or diminution of the population throughout eveiy part of the island.

This ' act has not 3'et been carried into effect. The reflecting mind, on surveying the transactions of the years that have elapsed since its enactment, will find perhaps reasons sufficient to satisfy it, why a measure should be postponed which requires for its perfect and satisfactory accomplishment a season of prosperity and general ease. If when this season, to which we anxiously look forward, does arrive, the act be carried into effect with energy and precision, if also, when the actual population at one precise period shall have been thus ascertained, a means be adopted of determining annually its increase and diminution by a pervasive and uniform system of Parish Registers, which again may be checked by the repetition of the actual census at stated periods, nothing probably can be devised better calculated to divert the speculations on this vital subject fVom, the visions of conjecture, and to rest them on the indubitable foundation of reality.

The Results of the act of 1812 are exhibited in the following tables. The first affords a view of the results of the exertions made to complete the returns in the years 1813 and 1814, in order to digest and arrange Ihem for laying before parliament. The second gives a full view of the totals of the returns from each of the ten perfect coun- ties, drawn up in the manner in which the whole was to have been arranged, and exhibiting the answers to the several points to which the attention of the agents was directed bv the schedule. The third gives the return of the number 01 houses and souls (being the two most important points) in every county, thus, at the same time, exhibiting a view of the defects of the returns and affording something like a basis fbr conjecture to work upon, until it shall be supplied with more certain data by the act of 1815.

Annexed to these tables is the Account of an attempt made by the Author of the Statistical Survey of Ireland, during the progress of the Census of 1813, to ascertain the proportion between the Protestant and Roman Catholic ptfrts of the population of Ireland.

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TABLE III.

Cootoining the Returns of the Number of Inhabited Houses and of

Souls in every County.

KBLTlie

"to "

>■)

tot^nameof aButmy, Aa denotw that thei« was m«iv ioom THOK Baranlei fh>m whicfa do Betuna iv«te leoeived haTedottod

HalfBaraa.

iBi^«c

ANTRIM.

> Upper Antrim, l^ofwtT AntriiD, Upper Belfast, Lover Belfittt, Crjr, - -

Upper Dnnluee, I'Owcr DunluGe, Upper Gknarm, I^ver Gienann, Kileooway, • Upper Ml

No. of

i Upper Toome, I^erToomey

Pnpiitotton.

9,258 11,946

3,008 15,989

6,636 40,295

S,460 17,990

3,S5S 18,793

2,917 15,207

1,928 9,884

1,084 6,309

1,473 7,805

2,793 15,603

4,759 '27,348

1,422 7,758

3,596 19,153

3,381 17,539

42,258 231,548

ARMAGH.

I Annagfa, •

Upper^Fcws -

iLovcrFewB, - Em (TNeiland, West O'Ndiand,

•Upper OiW,.

I Lower

' Turniey,

5,708 2,379 3,079

4,364 3,731 2,683

29,958 18,047. 16,699

23,351 19,437 13,967

21,944 121,449

CARLOW. CirVwr, Forth,

Idrone East, - Idnme West, - St.Mullm% - Xbihv%,

2,032

12,006

1,621

9,578

3,147

17,579

1,099

6,190

1,517

8,688

2,674

1 5,525

12,090 69,566

CARRICKFERGUS.

6,136

BuoniM, Hidf Brno, in, or Fuiahn.

CAVAN.

Castleraghao,

Clonchee,

Clonxnogfaan,

Loughrra,

Lough tee,

TulUgfaagb,

TuUagharvey,

CLARE.

Bunratty,

Burren, t Cianderlagh, - i C«rcomroe, -

Ibricktn,

Inchiquin,

Islands,

Moyferta, t Tullagh,

No.of

Otom TapuMtaot

9 —

• ••

• ••

• »•

• ••

• ••

• ••

• ••

• ••

• ••

• »*

• ••

4,183

33|90d

1,148

6,617

2,851

16,255

2,145

12,041

2,299

12,455

2,563

14,401

3,302

18,744

8,811

19,489

6,999

36,692

'0m

29,301 160,603

••

CORK COUNTY.

Bantry, . i,768

Bere, - 2,492

I Barretts, • 2,473

i Barrymore, - 7,140

Barryroe & Ihawn, 3,781

i E. Carbery, E. div. 5,737

i E. Carbeiy, W. di?. 5,507

i W. Carbery, E. div. 5^39

i W. Carbery, W.div. 4,822

Condoiiii, - 5,111

f Courpeysi . 761

i Duballow, - 7,353

Fermoy, - 5,990

Imokilly, - 6,314

Bandon, » 388

Great Island, -

Kerricurrihy, - 1,742

t Kilnataloon, « 1,116

t Kinahueaky, - 2,654

9,879 11,945 13,970 41,235 22,026 33,994 31,066 30,515 25,925 30,066

4,171 43,087 34,188 36,846

2,9 IS

••• 10,695

6,653 14,955

Carried forwaiU 70,888 404,116

%]n

Butmtet, Half Baron- No. of iM, or l^riibef. Houfot.

Brought forward 70,888 CORK CO. continued.

OroM

ipulation.

Kinsale,

i Mallow, Muskerry W.

i Muskerry £. Orrery, Yougnally

5,012 2,016 869 4,979 4,034 4,.%31 1,428

CORK CITY.

Holy Trinity, - 956

Saint Ann's, - 2,249

Saint PeterN, - 680 St. Nicholas^ -

ft. Finbar^ - 1,759

t Paul, - 370 St. Maiy of Shandon, 1 638

DONEGAL.

Boylagh, &c«

Inishowen»

KinnacrenaDi

Raphoe,.

Tyrhughy

••• ••• ••• ••• •••

DOWN.

Ardet Norths - 3,889 Anks South, - 2,675 Castlereagh Upper, 5,613 ffCastlereaghLowery 3,614 Dufibrin, - 1,408

Lower Iveagh, up«

Half Barony, JJowcrl veaifh, low.

Haif Ba» ony, Pinelcarty, Lecale Upper, - «Leca|c Lower, Aiourne, l^^vity L<K<aship9

4,542

5^19

3,094 3,078 2,360 2,196 2,840

PO]

404,116

16,547 11,863

5,542 28,943 23,554 24,462

9,109

91,447 52o,936

9,045 19,881

7,232 «•• 11,817

3,693 12,726

7,652 64,394

««.

«••

... •*•

19,547 13,463 29,566 19,504 7,543

066 82,070

35^7 25,086

30,431

17,832 16,112 12,825 11,638 16,366

53,310 287,290

■*Ute

0M«mUa, Half Barao. No. of to, or Huriaba. Houaet.

DROGHEDA TOWN.

Ballymackcnoy, 94

St. Mary's, - 798

ScPeter'fiy - 2,194

DUBLIN CITY*

St. Nicholas Without, 722 f St Sepulchre's,

St. Patrick's, •

St. Paul's,

St. Peter's, -

St. Thomas', -

St. Werbunfa*s, f'DonnybrooK, •

St. Georee*8, -

St. Luke\ -

797

149 746 1,264 1,680 246 684

•#•

Orcm rofiulaUmf.^

56^

3,946

11,589

3,086 16,12^

7,074 8,324 4,667 9,63d

St. Andrew's, -

St. Anne's,

St. Audeon's, «

St. Bridget's, -

St. Catherine's Li- berty & Thomas- } 1,350 17,104 court,

St. James's, •

St. John's,

St. Mark's, •

St. Manr's, •*

St. Michael's, -

St. Michan's, -

St. Nicholas Within,

S,649 4,546 11,066 19,268 2,011 20,595 1,447 9,409 BfiOl 9,246 9,560 13,476 13,7'66 3/}$^ 4^10

... ...

15,104 176,616

DUBLIN COUNTY

Balruddety, t Castleknook, Coolock, Donore, • Nethercrost, Newcastle^ Rathdown, Uppercross,

3,286 18,897

4,612 803

••• 2,674 2,595 2,663

16,633

32,990 10,9 id

•••

15,74f 15,995 16,505'

110,457

xUii

No. or

ill, or

FERMANAGH.

OffOli ^

POpulfttioo*

iGlenawly, iCooIe,

Knorkmny^ -

iCIookeUy, -

i Mn^wrdwy , - Magberastephena,

iTjifceoaedyy -

2^4S 1,172 1^25

ly835

3,434

?,144 2,876 3,267

13,941 6,710 ' 8,054 10,219 19,396 16,149 16,698 18,083

19,291 111,250

GALWAT.

AmoUffioroiiy, jAtbenry,

fidfimoe,

BoIliDshiiicb, •

Bdliciilien, -

dare,

CloamacnooD,

DownaiDore^ « JDimkellui,

ElWan,

Kilfiinain, • Kiktftan,

iLoniTord, i Moycullen, iLettrim, iRosi, Tfaquin,

395

*••

2,402 6,901

•••

••• •••

1,691 9,584

2,916

16,812

2,130

12,125

1,999

10,824

•••

•••

2,965

154,17

2,338

12,097

•••

18,662

2,531

14,564

3,027

15,268

1,160

6,339

21,122 140,995

GALWAY TOWN.

Co. of Towily 3,353 24,684

KERRY.

iCtimiimrioe, - iCorcaguinny, • Dimkerria, i Gtanoought, - nraghtkoanor,-

Magmmky, -

4,235

22,467

5,069

29,538

2,710

15,244

2V029

12,174

2,810

16,880

2,789

16,116

5,207

88,408

6,900

37,795

81,749

178,622

» W^

Btfooioi, HUf Btroo- ks, or FuifhCK.

KILDARE.

ND.or

Carbury, - . 1,472

Claine, - 1,054

Connell Great, 1,029 Ikeathy&Oughterany, 950 KiliculIeD, - 520

Naas, North, - 1,040 Naas, South, • 654

Moone anii Kitkea, 1,483 Narragh&RhebanW 1,05 L Narragh&RhebanE. 1,089 OphaieyEast, 1,144

Opbaley West, 1,522 Salt North, - 995

Salt South, • 56 r

KILKENNY CITY. .

••

KILKENNY.

f Gronnaghi i Fassadiniog, i Galmoy, tGowran,

Ida, t Iverk,

KdU,

Knocktopher, t Shelilogher,

2,130

3,764 2,051 5,386 2,S40 2,248 1,648 1,793 1,149

Callaa town & Lib. 1,005

29,414

PopiuSSoo.

8,94<l 6,470 6,216 5,616 2,778 6,048 3,753 9,077 5,622 6,31$ 6,253 7,674 6,903 3,465

14,564 85,1 3^

• •4

12,51 S

20,890

11,295

30,119

13,938

13,04O

9,915

10,496

6,76i

4,988

L_]l

134,664

KING*S CO.

Balliboy,

-

1,110

6,284

t fiallicowea.

-

2,408

13,747

fl Ballibritt,

m

2,319

13,643

fClonlisk,

•

2,022

11,19?

CoQlestowB,

•

1^26

7,525

t EgHsh,

-

919

5,122

i Garrycasde, f Geashili,

•

4,106

22,367

-'

1,104

8,717

t Killoourcey,

-

1,350

7,117

Phillipstown,

Up-

1,325

7,734

Phillipstown,

Low.

, 1,132

6/>53

Warrenstowo

f

584

3,723

19,705 11.7,226

xUv

Bttonli^HAiritaioii- No.or OraH

IM, or r&rtilMk Uoui«i. FopulatlMi.

LEITRIM.

ICarrigaUen^ - 5,3S9 17;634

Dromahairey - 4,05S Sl,94l

iLehrim, • 3,991 S0,904

IMohill, * a|874 19,833

Roiclogher, - S,653 14,483

17,899 94/>95

UMERICK CITY.

LIMERICK CO.

17,897

LONDONDERRY.

•«•

IClanwllliaiDf «

M^9

13,772

Coonagh,

1,9S4

11,644

Coshlea,

4,774

88,340

Coshma,

9,56^

i 4,798

KilmaUodci Libertiei,^

311

1,572

• Keory,

9,189

12,561

Ownybijpg, .

1,097

6,212

i Poblebnen, •

1,328

7,336

Small Co.

1,450

7,630

Connelloe Up. -

, •«.

■*•

CoimeUoe Loir.

•••

•*•

103,865

1 Colenine H. Bar.

1,712

83,889

Coleraine T. & Lib. 1,674

8,817

iKenogfat,

5,814

29,970

Londonderry, •

4,002

24,056

LoushlinsholiD, fUneeraD, -

12,419 5,566

69,874 29,575

-«

31,287

186,181

LONGFORD.

Ani^gli, • •

2,917

17,787

Oranard,

4,582

28,171

Longford^

3,615

20,389

Rathdine,

2,090

1 1,464

Shrowle,

1,431

8,267

Moydow,

1,713

9,839

BttWi«i,lUr]lvoo-

No. of

Otam

iMb or FMiibM.

HoiMn.

PofNilataM

LOUTH.

Ardee,

•.•

DundalktJp. -

•••

Duftdalk Low.

••.

Ferrard,

•%«

lx)utb.

••«

MAYO.

t Burrbhoole, -

4,857

26,980

Carragh,

6,306

32,883

i CloninorriSy •

3,285

17,528

t Costello,

5,441

28,333

£]TiBU.Bar. -

2,614

13,819

t Gallen,

5,373

27,351

Kilmain,

4,515

24,247

Morbk,

3,803

21,702

i Tyrawley,

•

7,508

44,588

43,702 237,371

MEATH.

Deece lower, - Deeoe upper, - Duleek upper, Duleek lower, - Dunbovne, Fower half, Kells lower, - Kelli upper, - Lune, MorndJion, Moyfennigb, • Moyfenragh up. Nav/m lower, - Navan upper, • Ratoath, Siane lower, - Slane upper, • Skreen,

662

3,548

732

4,066

1,338

7,827

1,560

8,296

338

2,163

2,017

10,753

2,076

11,604

2,887

15,803

1,702

8859

1,729

9,438

1,699

9,529

1,292

7,089

2,493

13,027

718

3,682

866

5,289

1,442

7,790

1,180

6,519

1,190

7,197

25,921 142,479

^i*-

MONAGHAN.

' Crenmoumei < iDartree,

Monaeluui,

Trougo, i Fam^,

16,348 95,917

7,147 4,551 7,108 2,998 5,262

35,428 26,442 39,505 15,230 23,8^8

27,066 140,433

^v

VoboT

QUEEN'S CO.

Culfinagh, MuTfaorougfa £•

Sltemmy,

Tinnelnxidiy - Oitory, -

ROSCOMMON. AtUone, Bdibwe iial^ .

Bajle, Moycarne, Roicoiiiiiioii, -

8LIGO. iCariiy, iCoRin, iliner,

iTyrerag^ •CoolavBD H.

6,781 1,050 8,728 7,815 964 4,916

••• •••

TIPPERARY.

Clafiwiiluun, - 5,861

Eb^gjuty, - 5,988

I&iiidOfia,£. 5,S17

il&siid01&, W. 5,409

Ikerrio, * - 3,625

tKilnemaiia, » 3,808

Hiddlethird, - 5^306

Onnoiid,Up» - 3,124

OnBond, Low. S^55

Ovney and Arnio, 3,458

Sleewwda, - 3,773

Gran

Population.

1,187

6,580

2,311

12,995

1,455

9,191

2,528

13,890

8,113

11,904

2,137

12,750

1,193

6,939

2,151

11,538

4,857

28,070

19,932 113,857

33,826 5,691

45,005

41,474 5,031

27,083

30,254 158,110

a*. • ••

234 1,099

234 1,099

34,915 29,810 33,597 30,801 19,965 22,772 32,078 17,379 28,529 19,288 21,397

50,224 290,531

TYRONE. Clogber, DqngHflBon, -

5,857 18,825 10,207 11,324

31,530

100,175

56,865

62,176

46,213 250,746

Baranies, RalfBiiOB. ]«, orBuidMt.

Mo. or

WATERFORD CO. Coshbride and > Coshmore, y Decies without, Decies within, Glanehire^ Gualtiere, Upperthird, - Middlethird, -

OlM

Popolallott.

4,169 21,939

5,494

37,458

2,718

16,752

642

4,028

1,499

9,573

3,074

19,254

1,746

10,453

•«•

• a.

• ••

WATERFORD CITY.

13 Parishes, - 3,581

WESTMEATH.

fimwney, Cionoian, Corkerry, Delvin, Demifore, Farbill, Farttillagfa, i Brawney Clonlo> >

nan and Kii-> 2,464

kenn^ west, ) Moygoisb, - ...

Moycastle, - ••»

Rathconragh, • 2,338 tMo>ashel & Magh-7

heradernan, y "*

1,269

WEXFORD.

Ballagheene,

Bantr}',

Bargie,

Forth,

Gorey,

Scarewalsh,

Shelbume,

Shelmaleire,

WICKLOW.

Arklow, Ballinacor, Newcastle, Rathdown, t Shilelagb,

19,342 119,457

25,461

••• •••

7,319

15,674

•••

12,696

«••

6,071 35,689

• ••

•••

• ••

•«•

• ••

•«.

• ••

• •a

•••

• ••

«••

•••

• ••

••.

• ••

• ••

••

2,867

18,248

•■

3,039

1M19

•

•••

•••

m

1,165

7^87

•

1,971

12,122

/OW.

1,869

11,250

Ip.

2,534

15,783

13,445 83,109

xlvi

Account of an Attempt made by the Author of the Statistical Survey of Ireland, during the progress of the Census of 1813, to ascertain the proportion between the Protestant and Catholic {K>rtion8 of the Population of Ireland*

■»»»%»»»»%%*^»^^

If, as the preceding account proves, the attainment of an accurate census of the Population of Ireland be attended with so many difficulties, it must be evident that an enquiry into the relative numbers of Protestants and Roman Catholics presents difficulties still more formidable- Such attempts howler had been made at several times ; but, as they were all founded on a basis still more uncertain with respect to Uiis point than that of the actual enume- ration of souls, it is unnecessary to retrace the progress of calcula- tions which can be deemed little better than mere conjecture. In the census of 1812, the legislature wisely abstained from touching on this question, which could have only tended to encreaae the difficulties of the process without producing a satisfactory result. But the compiler of the Statistical Survey of Ireland, anxious to forward every enquiry tending to throw new lights on the objects of his favourite researches, took advantage of his literary connection with the established Clergy of Ireland to investigate this point, and, though not buoyed up with the expectation of obtaining indisputable results, thus hoped to approximate nearer to certainty than had been effected by the calculations of preceding theorists.

The conclusion he found himself authorised to draw was as follows : in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh, the proportion of Pro- testants to Roman Catholics appeared to beaslto 1^; in that of Dublin, as 1 to 5 ; in that of Cashel, as I to 10; and in that of Tuam as 1 to 20 ; and upon summing up the numbers of each pro- vince into. one total, the relative proportion throughout the island was calculated to be as 1 to 2f .

The process adopted by Mr. Shaw Mason for attaining this con** elusion, will best be understood by extracts from a statement which he laid before His Excellency Earl Whit worth, then lK)rd Lieu« tenant of Ireland.

'* A combination of drcumstances has induced the writer of this memoir to endeavour to ascertain the numerical proportion which Che two great religious sects in Ireland bear to each other, on ^urer and more satisfactory grounds than had hitherto been attempted. Having opened a communication with the Clergy of Ireland, on a

xlvS

Idifeet tnrintirriy connected with its population, appllcadcn wai jBide to each of them, individiiallj, with a view of ascertaining die acdnl nnmben of the Sectarian popuhition of this pan of tho

Eapire."

^ Returns from upwards of 200 parishes, containing a population of about 750,000 soals, have heen obtained. These retumS| coDiiog from every quarter of the country, present some very curious ' nntter far observati<KU It appears from them, that in one of the pariahes t£ the Dioceas of Down and Connor, there is ndther iVotesiant of the established church nor Roman Catholic ; in thred' other psiiabea in the same diocess, there is not a single Romaa CathoKc In some other parishes Uie numbers of this sect appear to be Tery feir» while in many others they form a consideiabla

" It is to be regretted that returns have not been received for the vlioie, or, at least, from a much larger portion of the country ; yet from their authenticity, and their having been received from alt puts of Ireland, the abstract drawn from them probably forms the^ best document extant as to this point. It may not, therefore, be umostnictive to apply it to the reasonings and observations of one of tbe moit respectable writers on the subject of the population of Ireland, and to consider how far it can be adduced either to con^rm <r overthrow his theories.'*

'^ Newenham, in his enquiry into the progress and magnitude of the Population of Ireland, page 305, observes, that in the thre<i IVoriocea of Leinster, Munster, and Connaught, the Roman Ca* tholics are to the Protestants as, at least, 9 to 1. The arra^emenl of the annexed summary being constructed according to the ecde* •atdcsl divisions of Ireland, any deduction taken from it cannot •nrnJate exactly with the civil divisions adopted by Newenham; bttt on subtracting the population of the province of Armagh, (which ccmtains the whole of Ulster, and a part of Leinster,) it will be found that the numbers in the summary are nearly in tho nae proportion as laid down by this writer."

"Bat though in this instance a singular coineidenoe appears between Mr. Newenham's deductions and the ndmbers in the annexed momazy, yet in the calculations made by him respecting the nu« OKrical proportion of Roman Catholics to Protestants throughout helaod, a considerable diflference exists. His estimate gives a

proportion of 4 to 1, while that of the summary makes it to be 24

to I.

'^Msay other obaervationft might be deduced from the foUowing ^Koment, with reference to the opinions not only of Newenham^ but of Young, Wakefield, and other statistical writers onr IrelaadL Ik object of the present statement, however^ was, after commu-

xlviii

iHcalinf tlie information contained in the abstract, to point out horn yery little the most ingeniously devised theory caa be depended ODf I in comparison with conclusions drawn from a collection of facts, andl also with how much facility such a collection could be formed by ai^j inquiry well conducted, and including every part of Ireland withia. its scope/'

The result of this writer's labours are summed up in the ensuing table, and though it leaves this important theorem still unsolved, and though much also still remains to be done in order to its perfect solution, yet every such inquiry is a step gained towards the ultimate triumph of truth over coujecture. However incomplete the imme- diate success, every person who wishes to serve his country in the useful, though laborious field of statistical research, should act upon the sentiment conveved in the motto judiciously selected by the author to stand in the title of his work, that '^ an attempt should be made and the truth sought after, for although it may not be wholly attainable, we shall at least draw nearer to it, than we are at present."

fiee page XXI. The following process wu devised by Mr. Patrick Lyncb, the author or several ingenious treatises relative to Ireland and of various tracts on philoloeical subjects, in order to complete the tables of the population of Ireland, on the basis of the returns for those counties which were complete.

From the number of bouses returned to parliament in 1791, he deducted that of the houses returned in 1 777, and thence inferred, that, as the intervening term of 14 vears between 1777 and 1791, is to the difPerencoor increase of houses thus found, so is the interval of 23 yean, viz. from 1791 to 1814 to a fourth number ; which, added to the number of houses in 1791» should give a number equal to that of the houses in 1814.

Thus, from the houses in Antrim County in 1791, amoundng to 50514, deduct the number of houses in the same county in 1777, amoundng to S5514, and there reroaim an increase of 7500 houses during the 14 yean; then, at 14 years are to 7500, (the increase during that period^ so are 25 years to 185S1 houses, the increase during the latter period; which added to 50314, (the number of houses in 1 791), gives a total of 4S625 houses for is 14. The number of houses returned for that county in 1815 was 49,S58, being but 967 iess than what results from the calculation.

By a similar process, Carlow County will be found to contain IS,854 houses; ^e census of 1815 returned 19020, making a difference between fact and cal- cuitation of only 744. These examples tend to prove the utility of Uie method, when more accurate conclusions cannot be attained. The number of housei multiplied by 5.78 or 5| persons to a house, will give the number of souls.

The population of Ireland, according to this process, will be found t# amount to nearly 5,957,856 souls.

xliit

AK ABSTRACT and SUMMARY of the seTeral Returns made by the Established Clergy of Ireland, of the Population of their respectiTe Parishes. May^ 1814.

ABSTRACT.

nUBlbCT

EttafaUilMd

Total

HOVDSQ

Total

DtocMi.

Of

Chorcb.

TW 1 ■ 1 1 1 iiii ■ UHKOWl*

PraiMtuitk

CstboUok

Fopulalloo.

Fulsbci.

13,703

12.521

AfBHgh,

17

26,224

35,227

61,451

Cioglwr,

12

18,827

5,700

24,527

29.705

54,232

Modi,

17

1,944

• 20

1.964

39,890

41,854

Down, &e. -

24

16,703

45,252

61,955

19,403

81,358

Dwiy.

7

2,384

9,506

11,890

21,494

83.384

Rapboe,

5

5,560

750

6.310

9,005

15,315

5

1,343

2,357

3,700

24,381

28,6^1

IHCMIMI^ •

7

9.497

11,470

2a^7

10^261

31,228

94

69,961

87.576

157,537

189,366

346,903

Dublia,

12

5,011

66

5,077

20^329

25,406

KiUbv,

5

6,463

110

6,573

19,028

25,601

Oaorjr,

8

1,117

000

1.117

13.978

15,095

Lciglilui,ftc -

15

5.526

139

5,665

40,547

46,212

40

18,117

315

18,432

93,882

112,314

Ckibd,

3

234

7

241

7,533

7.774

WiteHbrd,&c.

7

303

12

315

7,342

7,657

UmcTick* &c.

10

2.268

00

2,268

29.615

31,783

Coric &e. .

8

6,627

97

6.724

38,559

45,283

Ooyiie.

5

588

* 00

588

1 12,516

13,104

KilUoe^Ac-

26

6,778

75

6,853

j 79,450

86,303

»

59

16,798

1 191

16.989

! 174,915

191,904

Tam,&c. -

9

2,B97

60

8,957

56,165

59,122

Etphin.

5

730

12

742

14,017

14,759

CloBfcTt,

0

KUkIa, &c. .

2

• 1,047

00

1,047

16,755

17,802

16

4.674

1' 72

4,746

86,937

91.683

SUMMARY.

nwvincck

Number \

of I Pratcstanti. FwtehM. :

Romui Catholics.

Total population.

Proportion of

Roraan CathoUci

to Protoitants.

Dublin, CMbel, Toam,

94 40 59 16

157,537

18,432

16,789

4,746

189,366 93,882

174,915 86,937

346,903

112,314

191,904

91,683

about Si : 1

— 5^ : 1

— 10 : I

— 20 : 1

If V* deduct tbe ProriDce of

Ihere

209 1 197,504 545,100

742,804 2| ; 1

Annagb, remains

157,537

1 189.366

346,903

39,967

•

35.7,734

395,901

about 9 : 1

%^ Whfle theie Sheets were at Fteas the writer met with an Acooixot of the Population of IreUnd, which had till then eacaped his notiee. It is to be found in the second part of '' Dobbs's essay on the Trade and Improvement of Ireland/* published in 1731, and contains an Account of the number of houses in the years 171S, 1718, 1795, and 1796. As these are avowedly taken from the books retuned l^ the CoUectors of the Hearth-money, and therefore rest on the same basb with those already noticed in the preceding pages as beiqg drawn fit>m the same source, it is evident that they can make no alteration in the conclusions fonned therein; or rather, they serve to confirm the necessity of an enumeration (bunded upon principles of greater accuracy- Hie numbers, however, are here given in order to make the analysis of the attempts to solve this question as complete as poHible. They are as follow:

Ster.

J^qr BbMim. ,

i^yiMtaiflr6lo«.

1719

349,849

9,099/>94

1718

561,508

9,169,048

1795

986,999

9,317,374

1796

384,851

9|3Q9,106

CONTENTS.

Pmkkw MMam,

Dioeete.

CouHif,

Pagt.

Ajdagh

Cork

Cork

1

AidehiuM, &c.

Connoc

Antxinr

8

AtUoneCStPeWsJEIphih

Roscommon

44

fialljvooniey

Cioyne •

Cork

113

Carae

FeniB

Wexford

124

Enigallkeroge

Armagh

Tyrone'

137

Hoijwood

Down

Pown

183

Kileomejr

Clojne

Cork

220

Kmelagh

Deny

Londonderry

226

ImMiog

Ossoiy

Kilkenny

238

ManulaDe

Cork ^

Cork

^

• MiddlcitoD, &c.

Cioyne

Cork

261

Koughaval^ &c«

^lenora

C]ai«

281

lUlhcliDe

Ardagh

Longford

288

Bfttbooarailk

Mealh

Westmeath

298

BoMBSllk^ &c.

KSdaie

Queen's County

m

SIvael

Ardagh

liongCoid

333-

St^Maiy's Shaodon Cork

Cork

37»

StiadbaUj, &c.

Lismore

Walerford

37d

SyddmD> See.

Mcath

Meath

389

Tacomahane, &c. Ferns

Wexford

397

Tamlaghi

Armagh

Londondeny and Tyrone 443

Txacton Abbey, (

&c.Cork

Ck>rk

462

Tintem

Ferns

Wexfoid '

488

TuUaioan

Ossory

Kilkenny

498

LIST OF PLATES,

WlTH.niaBCTIOMS FOR NiAClirG TBIM.

J Map of the Parith of Brrinall-keroge, Betwctn Paget 130 amT isr

Z Map of the Pariah of Holywood, .. , . 188 and I8S

» Map of the Union of Middleton, ... . jjO and ««^

4MapofthePariihofShruel, .... 8»and3S»

4 View of Courtrtorn Cartle, to face page 5J(»

« Tomb of Sir John Gnce, to face pw 4«7 rM,poftheP.ri.hofT-ll«o.n(Down««.y). p.ge.«/.^«,

8 Mapof the P«i,h of TnlUrMn (Modem Sumy). m «,d SU

9 8^W.Vie,rofTuHaroanChurch, tofacepageW* 1« Jertern Bntwice to Gnce'a Chapel, u, face p.« «•«. U Stone Cronea in the Parish of Tullaroan, toface page6iO 18 N. E. riewofthe Grace Maucoleiuo,.. ta faeepageesT 18 Pinnacle of ditto, tafaccpage»T«. I* InteriofTieir of ditto, Uface pa«te7f

1/ U requested that MS. Corrections may he made in thek respeclice places of the following important

ERRATA :

For ** during " at the 2d line from top of p. 567, read " dying." — For " bold etymology," at 3d lino from bottom of p. 585, read " bald etymology". —

The epitaph at the Idth line of page 673, beginning — •* Here lies the body of Madam Frances Walker," and end- ing " arcs Deo," ought to follow the word-^j^Richwrd Grace, &q. M. P." at the 16th line of page 672.

The Greek quotation "xaipb ttxh," &c.(andthecon9ecu- tiv^e matter on the same subject) at the 2l8t line of page 673, ought to follow the words " allowed to be difOcult," ai the 12th line of the same page.

Instead of the word " fa," and figure '* 8/' at the I2th line of page 674, read " anno."

For " 8," at the 14th line of page 677, read " 3."

Introduce the words ** Alicia, daughter of," between the second and third words (viz. " of and "Daniel,") in the 4th line from the bottom of page 68 1.

Omit tie word " Guillelm,i" with wliich the 10th line of page 68T common ces.

For *' Joanain," at the 11th line of page 691, read ** Ja-

nani."

For " 1779," at the 9th line of page 699, read" 1781." For *' 1509," at the 2d line from the bottom of page 699,

•ad •' 1500."

A

STATISTICAL ACCOUNT

OF

IRELAND, &c.

No. I.

PARISH OP

ARDAGH, (Diocese qf Clayne and Counijf of Cork^ Bt the Rev. John Macbeth, Curate.

I. 7%« Name of ihe Parish, SUmUioHy Exient, ijpc;

JThE ancient and modern names of this parish are Vamt.' the same. It is situated in the barony of Imokilly, Sitaitios. , in the county of Cork and diocese of Cioyne, lying in abont 50^ north latitude, and about 7^ 56 ^ ▼est longitude ; and is bounded on the east by the Boondarlti parish of Templemiobael, in the county of Water- ford ; on the north by the parish of Tallow ; on the west by that of Dingandonoyan ; find on the south by that of Clonpriest*

This parish is divided into ten townlands and a Divisioiif . half, (for which, together with their divisions and sob-divisions, see the appendix) ; and contains abont contentf. 8000 acres, of which . about 3500 can be tilled or

A

i SMUUcal Accouni

uied as meadow>laad ; the rest is heathy moantaia- groand, which affords, however, in summer, pastur-

froiL age for dry blaclc cattle. This heathy monntain- ground affords abundance of exedieht turf fuel ; but there are no hills of any consideration. The only

Bof . bog is Whitebog, which is an excellent turbary.

tdm. The Toorig is the only rlyer in the parish ; it has

its rise about four or five miles north of the pa- rish, runs through the centre of it in a southern di- rection for about three miles, then takes an eas- tern course till it runs through Two-mile-bridge, and thence into the Blackwater, a mile north of Yougbal.

II. Mines f Mfnerabj ^c.

Ttiieie are no iron itolnes, minerals, fttt. ih this parish.

in. Modem BuUdings^ 6^c.

tr6od«a -A^ ^^^ modern buildings, such as infirmaries, hos- Bridfe. pitalg, &c. there are none in the parish ; nor is thei^ any town or bridge, except that on the Toorig, at Inchinrinka, where is a kind of wooden bridge, which is very useful to the parishioners in wet weather, foi^ the river is much subject \fi moun- tain floods, that generally rise Very high) so that, but for this bridge, the western part of the parish'- loners would often be obliged to remain at home on Sundays from divine service. It is formed of two plaqlcs, supported by wooden legs, with an abut- ment on each side of the river for the ends of the planks to rest on ; the two planks are formed of a tree of about 40 or 50 feet long, sawed through the centre ; of course it is very strong, and has an iron EoiUiFi balustrade oo one side for the hand. The road from

Yongfcal to Fertnoy rans throiigha skirt of the south Rotd«, psrt of the parish to Monoyarnogue, . which is its most western point. The other roads are all nar- row, tn made, and in many places nearly impassable.

IV. Ancleni BvUdings^ ^c. There is nothing whatever of this kind to report^

V. PremUSf Farmer Siaie qf Populaiumy Food, ^.

Tlie number of families in this parish is 309 ; Popnlitkm U for the lelative numbers of inales and females, it h Dot easy to g;ive an account of them. 4^ Their sole oecapatipn is agrlcnltufe, op a conQne^ scgalQ, there being no large farms in tjie country. T^lie f^eoplo. Itere are very inferior in point of wealt)ij theii; drew (especially when they come to markets or to Drcn. tteir place of worship) is better than either their food or their manner of living at home. They are in general healthy, but there a^e no extraordi-* nary instances of longevity.

VI. Gemma tf BisposUhn qf the Poorer Clmses^ ^.

The people are very industrious, and they have a p>od marl^et ipt their commodities, the town of YoQghal beipg witliin 6 miles of the most western part of the parish, ai^d within 3 miles of the eastern part of it. The language generally used Is Idsh ; Unfuife; yet the great niajority of the parishioners can apeak ^n^h tolerably. No patifons are held, of courso here are no patron days or t^raditions concernjlng thenu

• For ftvtlMr partkoUra ai to Uktie points, jno Appendix.

Account

VIL The Educaiiou ^ Ewgdojfmeni of (^Odrehy ^.

EdacaUoo. There is bat one school in the parish, in which the children are instructed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but very few are bound to any trade. No employment whatever offers for children, ex- cept the occasional assistance given in the small farms, into which the land is divided. No public library or collection of Irish or other MSS. is to be found here.

VIIL Siali of BeUgiaus EskAlisfmeni, Tythes, ^c.

Adrowion. The parish of Ardagh is yet in the gift of Go- vernment ; but a caveat has been lodged in the Con- fdstorial Court of Clojrne by Lord Ponsonby, in case of vacancy by iiemise. It is not united to Uny other parish*

There is but one church and one chapel in the Gidie. parish ; the former situated on the glebe of Ardag^h, which consists of five plantation acres on an exposed hill, the approaches to which are scarcely practi- cable; the chapel stands on part of the lands of Barranavadane, commonly known by the name of Inchinrinka, on the Toorig.

Tyi^M. ^^'^ r^Xes of tythes are, as they shonld be,

moderate, the crops being in general very indif* ferent, by reason of the bad quality of the greater part of the soil, and the very faulty and exhausting system of husbandry. The incumbent, who is also rector of Painestown, in the county of Meath, where he generally resides, can only occasionally spend part of the year at Toughal, the nearest point where a residence can be procured ; his curate of Ardagh re- siding, in a small house on the glebct The rector

Of Ardag^.

being thus unable to attend to tbe tythet, has made annual bargains with a person for them, who, with* out any exception, deals with the occapiers, at from foor to seven shilliDgs per English acre for po* tatoes and barley ; and from three to six shillings for oats. As to wheat, the qnantity in the parish is too inconsiderable to mention ; and barley hav- ing latterly failed, this mountainous moist climate being unfit for ' its growth, it may be said that tbe only grain now cultivated is oats.

There are no parish funds, save the cess imposed at Easter for the repairs of the church, at which diTine service is regularly performed, though there is bat one resident Protestant family,

IX. Modes of AgrimUme, Crops, tfo.

The inhabitants are very tenalcious of the old A^rtcni* modes of agriculture, old stocks of cattle, &c. No ^^^' amendment whatever has taken place in their hus- bandry ; and as for the rents of this parish, as Rcati. most of the lands are set by the lump, it is not very easy to give any account of the aerea^le prices ; but lome of the lands (the leases of which have expired a few years ago) have been surveyed and set at an aereable price, which is from three half guineas to twenty shillings per acre, and may be almost counted as rack-rents, were it not for the high prices of corn.^F No fairs are held in this paridi;pg|„, it is in fact much shut out from other parishes, nor have strangers any intercourse with the inhabi- tants, there being, to speak correctly, no high road through it, no residenfgentlemen, no village, trade nor manufacture.

* This acconnt was written before tbe peace of 1815.

<• SMUHeal Aeetmi

Previoasly iinawered.

XI. Naiwral Curio9iile9f Bemarkable Occurrences^ S^c^

Nothing under this head merits attention, except the following list of Incumbents, which has been formed from the First-Fruits' Records.

laeaoir Capella de Ardagh, Membrum Collegii de Youghall ;

the Church and Chancel mynous for these twenty yeares ; served heretofore by Mr. Bawckes, now by Mr. Wood.

Georgius Ledbeter admiss. 10^ Aqg. 16S79 ad Rector, integram de Ardagh dipc. Clonen. et Com. Corke ; non tax.

Wmus. Fitzgerald admiss. fnit 15^ December, 1671, lid Rector, intejgjam Ecclie. polls, de Ardagh dioc. Clonen. et Copi. Corke.

Jlevdus. Arthurus De An verse Clicus. ad Rectorias integras de Cloinpriest et Ardagh octavo die mensi^ Aug. in anno. 1720, pd. et admiss. et in^titut, fuit.

Wm. Chartres Rect. Cloinpriest et Ardagh, 18th May, 1755; n. t.

John Killeeq, D.D. R. of Ardagh and R. of Goin* priest, 5th Oct. 1764. Co. Corke ; n. t.

Brinsley Nixpn, A. M. collated and instituted 28th July, 1789, ^. of Ardagh, Corke ; q. t.

XIL SuggesUcne far Improoemeni^ and means for meUaroHng the condiiion of the People.

Good roads, and larger farms, inducing the settle- ment of persons qualified and able to set an ex* ample of improved systems of agriculture and of good order, would tend much t^ better the situatioa of the parishioners.

Ccf ^yvflj^Mi

APPENDIX.

f

TOWNLANDS, &C. IH ARDAGH.

i^

Ihm^ Ti

EmgUth Import.

CUrfFropHeion

I

ni

^■i

<^

1Bk4a >Bidly«wM

Top of boUi streaat.

D«BMli(OW1l.

Little ComiDOiu. TowaUad of Hantllif • Not obTioBt. Moorwood of Deer or of

Birch. Park of HoqtiBf •

An IntrenehflMDt. Upp«r ford of Reodi. RockoftheWatcr&ll. Hill of Dock IicaTM or

Weeds. Upper Sannit. Coleniaa's Town. ChlelUiii't Land. Townland of Precipice.

Lord Ponsonby J 3

TongbalPark Sttagk

twrrasKTidaBe Ufarriganafn IIKnotknaga-

pack II Bwnonghter A BdlycoicnHUi 19 Ballitttoiis UBcilyoakJte l^Bdlynacklbbit (Toby's Son's Townland.

sixths of the pa-

risli Nomnn

Uniacke, of Mt. Uniacke, a mi nor, the remain dcr.

1^

i

o S

liBsUypoom ITDffJdmnctec l« Monabraker

19^llonararsog aad

Not obrions. Little Briar, or Little John'i Brother's, or VriaHs Tnrf. oor or Bof of Aldere.

Townland of the Hill. I

i

I

■if

as

I

s

s

3

s

The shore is from the return of the Barony Collector, made by personal en- ■taatisn two years afo, and is supposed to be as accnrate as any tepoK erer ■ide. One thing is remarkable, as beinf a single instance wUch occurred i« a Tery czlensire census made by Mr. Gibson, the gentleman alluded to~Tii. the nasriier of males in Ardagh exceeding that of the females. In no other pisce in the barpny of Imokilly did the males equal the number of femnles»— la Ariegb, U appears, there ie no spirit of emlgratiott, BOr hftTO the young enOsted or gone to see as In other pnrishei*

4 matiatical Jceomi

No. II.

*

^ PARISHES OF

' / :

X tt^ ' , (-^ ^ ARDCLINIS AND LAID, : \- i *^ (Diocese qf Connor and Couniy qf Awbrimj)

By thb Rev. Stewart Dobbs, Curate. ,

I. Name qf the Parish^ SUaaiion, Extent, ^c.

X HE parish of Ardclinisy or Arddeny, being conti- gubns to and nearer Gienarm than that of Layd, Sitoatioa. Laid, or Lede, shall be first described. The arable and inhabited part of this parish consists of • one long stripe, extending from the small village of Carnalough along the sea coast into Red Bay, and up one side of the beautiful glen of Glenariff. It is enclosed on the land side by a steep and high moun- tain, to be ascended only by narrow paths, traversing its sides, by which the inhabitants convey their fuel of turf on slide cars, composed of two poles, fastened by rungs in the hinder part, on which is placed a wickercreel, about a yard square ; having nO wheels, it does not press on the ponies which draw it down- wards, and it is so light as to be easily drawn up when empty.

1

Of ArdcUnif and Laid. f

The extent of the caltivated part of the {parish ie Bst«ftt. abootoine miles and a half; yis. three and a half from Camaloagh to the entrance of Red Bay, or» as it k commonly called, Foran Path or Oarron Tc^nt ; three to the inner shore, and three up the glen towards the interior of the country. The araUe groond from the sea to the hill does not exceed one quarter of a mile in breadth, and in some places not sue tenth, except across the Red Bay to a little vil^ h^e called the Waterfoot of the Acre, or Glenariff Rirer, about a mile, mostly sandy ground, and oeou* pied as a rabbit-warren, till lately cultiyated for po» litoea, which are planted on sea-weed — atCarnap lough, ahw, it is about a mile broad. Excepting at Boaiidtfi«a the village now named, the river Acre is the mearing hetween the parishes of Laid and Arddlnis. The rirer most have a little changed its course at thia poiDi

Arddinis lies in the barony of lower Glenarm, Sitntios. county of Antrim, and diocese of Connor. It b BovBdarias kooaded on the north and north-east by the sea and Ked Bay ; on the north and north-west by the ptt> rish of Laid ; on the south by the parish of Teckma* creeran or Glenarm, from which it is divided by the little rivulet of Carnalough ; on the west and south* vest by the parishes of Dunaghy and Slcerry.

In genend, a portion of these mountains, which lie from six^to seven hundred feet above the lerel of the sea, or so many sums grazing, are attached to ^•eh denomination of the low land ; a sum consists of either eight wethers, six ewes and six lambs, or a ! ^w; a horse to one sum and a half. Just al)QTe t

to SiiUMkal AccotM

Bay Lodge is the highest part of these motmtaftiSy called Carneal* apt-aura, near Broughshane.

liifer:. The. Aote River rises in the neighhouring moun*

tains, arid affords some good tront. There is also a

tiihcrj; ^mon-fisliery where it empties itself into the sea, the mother fish spawning in the' river. It is worthy of remark, that the fry leave the river in April, scarcely two outib^s in weight, the large salmon waiting for thetri, and in the month of June they be- gin to return, alwayd from the southward, in shoals, weighing from four to eight pounds each. They are remarked as differing frbm the Bann aialmon in beings longer in proportion, arid not so well shaped. The other fish of this bay consist of cod, lythe, (In figare and shajle likd cod,) tnrbot, different kinds of flat fish, mnllet, mackrel, glashen, and herrings, caught both by draft and drift nets ; the only shell-^ fish are lobsters and crabs, which are taken in great numbers. The greatest difficulty in being supplied with fish at all times, is want of bait, Which very often cannot be got — howevet, when the weather permits, the nets answer the purpose. At parti- oviar times sand^ellsare taken in great quantities; they make excellent bait.

GiuMi '^^^ niountalns are mostly covered with heath, and

supply moor game in the season. The black game have been brought from Scotland, but will not live in Ireland. Tkereare some partridge, and, in winter,

Trecf. 'woodcocks and snipe. — Oak and fir trees are found lying in different directions, some feet deep in the - tarf bpga on the monntains ; and it is in memory

* when GJeaariff was covered with trees, so that it

was a saying, that jBt man could cross the glen upon

Cff JfddmU ami Laid. U

tiieift-'ikow there is nothing but underwood, and Trecf. «Teii that is disappearing Cut ; a few old trees near Ibe hooaea still remain. Ash, larch, fir, sycamore^ sod aUer, eeem to grow best ; apple and small frait tiees do well when planted in sheltered gardens.

GHeiiariff, one of the seven great glens, is flat in gicm. the eentre. The river moves in a serpentine manner tbroiigh its whole extent: and, being nearly as low MS the sea half way np the ^en, whenever a high tide meets a flood, it overflows a great part of the grounds; The glen comes to a point where the roads to Bal« lymena from eaeh side meet, about three miles from the sea ; its base, formed by the sandy beach, extend*^ ing about a mile. The rise on each side of the gleo forms towards the rocl^s ' a oircular appearance of rising ground ; two«thirds of it are cultivated ; shells and saa^gravel are found under the present surface. As far as relates to the glens in general, including those both in the parishes of Ardclinis and Laid, it maybe staled, tliat one-half of Glenariff is in the paridi of Ardclinis, and the other in. tliat p£ Laid.--^ Glen BaUyemen is in the parish of Laid, as is also Glenanne, Glencorp and Glendnn, besidefir pthers of inferior note.

The number of aeaes in Ardclinis, as sepoiled by conte|itju die Down JSurvey and Antrim Report^ amounted to ahont 9500; the onc'-half may be allowed as fit for . pastorage and arable, leavmg one-half, or 4750 acres^ of mountain, one-fourth of which may be useful for ilirrp ' The appearanbe of the parish of Laid is of bin and. dale of large' dimensions; the cultivation high up the hiUs, and eonsists of potatoes, oi^ts,

Xxtent,

It MMitUoal Aeemmt

bflvley, flax, and rearing small cattle and gheep in the paaturaUe pavts of tke mouat^ns.

loudariet Laid it bounded on the north by the parish of Ckiifeightrin ; on the east by the Irish Channri, or Northern Passage; on the west by the parisl^ of Danaghy ; and on the sooth by the parish of Ard* oliole. Its extent along the shore may be abont six mUes, from the inland about five and a quarter, in some places less. From the nature of the liiiids, and the manner in which they are set, it is impossible to ascertain tiie exact namber of acres ; but it may be conjectured that the parish is five and a qnarter miles in length by six in breadth, of which, 6714 acres, paying cqss, are in cultivation, including mea? dew and milch cows' grass. Up jBlendun, on tlie opposite side of- the river, is a smidl tract which belongs to the parish of Laid, called the Grange of EanisfaUen, and which pays no t3^hes, as being held byBiehop^s lease ; it is pow in the possession of the Rev. John Smith. At the head of Glendun ii

Mbpatain. SUevenahorra, a mountain whose summit is 187Q ISset above the level of the sea. On the top of this moantahi there are evident narks of two graves, said to be those of flugh M^Pheilim 0*NeiU, and of a servapt of Hugh O'Neill ; one on the Dunluce side of the mearing, betw^n it and Lower Glenarm,

^yi^^B. and the other on the GHenarm side. The tradition la, that a great battle was fought on this mountain between the MKinillaiis and the McDonnells.

nOiin^, Salmon Is ean^t in (his parish at the moath of aB the rimrs ; and as it forms on^ side of Red Bay, 4 \itf with goo^ anchorage, and nfe In all winds l^u^

Of JkdeknkmJt LM. II

in eaflteily ooe, •!! the pbUite iMtttioiied to Affi^ eliiUt parlA, M tp the fidiefies, rdMe to 1li)8.

In Ltfd the laod Is good, and has a ^oittHty of Mi^ neadow la the low grouads. There i« a geoend eb- •ervatiea, that though the grounds are sowed earlier by thiee weeks io the aorth, or Laid ride, than in the Moth side of Gien Glenariff| the orops eome in ear« lier Jo the latter. It ei|B only he acoountad for by Aipposiog it to be oocastoned by the north side being shaded from the mn fa the antonin, during the latter ptrt of the day, by tlie high hill pf Lnrgetban, whicli boQods Gk^iMtiS t0 the north,

II. IfMt, JMinertib, ^fv.

The ooast is covered with white limestone, which iiiminsi b eaaly bnmed by turf or coal from Qallycastle or Scotiaad ; it is good manure for most li^nds. In the immediate vioinity of the sea, the use of sea-^weed for Ibsip mannre is very eommou. A considerable quantity of kelp is made along this shore.

la Laid parish are some good guarries of coarse FrMtomy frsestone, of which are made flags for floors or boiiding. It has been thought that coals could be Poti. found in this parish, but that they would not defray tlM expense of mining. Turf is the geheral flael, and, wlKtt cut in the mountains and well saVed, is almost as liard as coal, and produces a very strong and dear Are. White limestone is abundant in mosrt ubw^ parts of the pari^, and a great quantity is burned when tnrf is plenty. At Heve Puuilue, the proper- ty of Lord Mark Kerr, a road Is making from tjt^e asin foad, ^o encourage the business, but lime l^urn*^

«d with ooal, particalarly Uind ooal, is far superior for every ose. Some years ago, the father of the present Mr. M'AuIey of Glenville built kilns, and gave lime to soqh of his tenants as would be at the trouble of drawing it: The offer was then accepted bat by few; nQw the farmers will }ay out from six to eigh^ pounds pef acr# for it; the inoreaae of rents, with the proportionate demund for provi- fions, may account for the change.

III. Modem Bmlding$, ^.

\ TiUvt. ^^ village of Carnalough can boast of nothings remarkable; it contains two public-houses. It is about 29 miles north of Belfast, ^d Belfast is in the latitude of 64<2 85' 43'' N. and longitude 5^ 58' 14'^ ^es^ pf l^ondon.

Th^ road from Carnalough to Red Bay is very billy. From the Point, the road lies through lime- stone rocks « that have fallen from the bills upwasds of 800 feet higbi so that in a winter storm a traveller is exposed to stones from above, the spray of the sea beneath, and tbQ risk of slipping, in some spots of thjB road, from pi^essure of the qlay under bis feet. It is not forty years since this south ent]:ance to the low glens was impassable for any thing but a sing}e horse, and even that with difficulty. The road has gradually been improved, and now num- bers of travellers piiss on their way to the Giant'fi Causeway, and greater improvements are making for the, convenience of passengers, particularly at the Point of Garron^ where there is an almost perpendi- cular hill of sl^ort ascent. Francis Turnly, Esc^. who purchased a property in the parish of ArdcUnisa

OfJrddmismdjAtd. Ifi

is endeiivoal'iii^ to rdievcj if at his own eip^ense, and ltoadt« at no dbtant period a g^eat improvement on this line <

of road may be expected. In tracing it from Gleoann, the traveller 'may remark, after imme- diateiy passing the village of Carnalongh, on the right- hand, a quay, made by the late Mr. Philip Gibbons, quj; at his own expense ; it cost £)200, and tboagh H is not of mach use at present, as there is no trade, the intention was laudable, and it may be of service' bereafler.

About three-quarters of a mile on the left i» Um- ceati*- Dalary House, the residence of Peter Mathewson, Esq. ■•■'••^* Cq>tain of the Glenartn yeomanry ; it was built by a Gentleman of the name of M^ColIum. About aschost mOe farther, on the left, is a very neat and elegant M^hool-house, * built by Francis Tumly, Esq. on the foundation of Sir Erasmus Smith, for the education of 40 boys and 40 girls ; this is the only school in the parish ; the arrangements are nearly completed. In tlie rere of ibis house and, among some venerable a

trees, close to the site of an old house called Drum- nasde, Mr. Tarnly is building a most conmiodious and excellent house, 63 feet square, and four stories ki^, including garrets and underground apartments, with back additions ; as it is built much out of view, the taste displayed in its erection can only be judged hj the finish of the school-house In front. A great <ieal of planting is in forwardness.

At a short distance, on the right, is Nappen, the Osati^^^ readenee of John Higginson, Esq. Major of the Antrim Militia. The ground' rising to the mounlalns ^ beantifUly covered with hazel and other trees to

Grat!«- the very top* Tbetm i% a good deal of msh and fir ^''^^'^ timber about tliejioose, and a tolerably good orchard.

Abont four miles forther, on tbe left, at the corner of Red Bay, is the bouse of the Rev. Riohard Stewart Dobbe, called Bay Lodge, mostly boilt by hlqiaelf ; it 18 AS pleasant and^ convenient a sitnation e(^ any along the coast, and when the planting grows op will be well sheltered. Its contiguity to the beach for bathing, to the river and the sea for fishing, and to the mountainous ground for shooting, gives it many adviuitages. It has an ezo^ent garden and orchard.

An we pass over the bridge on the Acre river from this parish into Laid, at the Waterfoot, on the left tbe road goes up the north side of 61enari£f till it joins the road leading to Ballymena by the sooth ^de, passing Bay Lodge ; it is not yet passable^ ex-^ oept for single horses. After passing the bridge, the tmveller on turning to the sea finds some curious caves, of which a fuller account will be given here- lifter. In high tides in winter, and even in summer, there is sometimes a difficulty, if not an impossibility^ in passing the waves.

The traveller then immediately comes to a ttsep bill called Crookanavick ; by cutting down several feet of the top, it is easier of ascent and descent than formerly, but still is a very disagreeable pass. At the bottom of this hiU, next the sea, on the entrance of the Acre river, is the salmon fishery formerly mentioned. On mounting the hill on the right hand side, nearly over the sea, the remains of Red Bay CMtle are visible.

Of ArdcUnu and Laid. 17

After leaving the hill, the small villaga of Red ^xx^- Bay appears. It belongs to Hugh Stewart Boyd, "r"*'*^*^ son of Hugh M' Aolay Boyd, Esq. the supposed author ' of Janios, according to Lawrence Dundas Campbell. It may be remarked here, that scarcely a gentleman ID this parish has his property in one place, which perhaps arose from the same principle that acts upon the present occupiers of the land, who. When a town- land is diTlded among tbem^ divide the ground into good, middling, and biid, and each tenant t^Qces a ! share of those divisions, commonly called a rnnd^e. aaandaie. However, with some d|flSculty that system has in a ' great measure been brolcen through, the land valued, and each person enjoys his own share explus^velyt which encourages the making pf fences

Proceeding from Red Pay tp Cushendall, on the

left is the seat of Samuel Boyd, Esq. called Mount

Edwards. It is one of those old snug farm-houses

that were buflt by gentlemen who got grants of tracts

of land, in former days, 'from the Antrim family;

they now make estates of some value ; Mr. Boyd's

anoestor was the holder of one of these. Sinpc; he

ham occupied it^ great improvements Ijiave been made

in gardening, planting, fencing ^nd' liming the4ai:m«

convenient and excellent out-houses erected, aitd an

intention expressed to rebuild the house. The bold

front of l^uiick Gedden, or Lurg Gethan, lies just

behind the house, 1100 feet above the level of the

sea, or 984 feet from its base, as taken at Mount

Edwards, On the right is the Catholip chapel.

Theie is notliing remarkable between tips and Cushi-

eodsO, A« mercantile village of this district. Poctor

JnmeB M'Dpnnell, of Belfast, has planted near the

c

18 SkUisiical Account

Gentle- chapel a great number of trees, which are doing meu'fSemtf ^^jj jj j^j^ ^^^j wishes for the parish could be pro-

perly supported, he is entitled to every person's tbanlLs for his endeavours to promote knowledge and give medical advice to those who aipply from thia district, which he estimates highly as the place of his nativity.

valine. Cushendall lies about one mile north of the Water- foot bridge. If, before he enters the town or viUag^e of Cushendall, the traveller turns to the left, he finds himself in the direction of Ballymena, the road to which is carried up the mountains by the north side of Lurg Grethian, which joins the road of Glenari£F to Ballymena, about five miles from Cushendall. At this place there is a mountain herd's house, where a traveller can get a glass of spirits, and where lives have been saved instead of license being paid. The parish has given £2 to encourage the man for alSbrd* ing occasional relief in winter storms to those attend* ing Ballymena markets.

Roa4. Mr. Turnly is busily employed in cutting a road

round Red Bay Castle, by the shore, so as to avoid the steep hill which at present incouvebiences tra- vellers ; it cannot be done without considerable ex- penre, but will make the road completely level to Cushendall. The face of Lurg Gethan is covered ivith white limestone,

Cushendall lies somewhat less'than a quarter Of a mile from the sea, between rising grounds, and at the bottom of the glen of Ballymena; it Is a neat village, containing four tolerable shops, fotor minor ones, six public houses, a post-o£Boe conducted by

OJ ArdcUnit and Laid. 19

Mr. HaiiJkU McDonnell, aod a considerable natnber Gentit- of houses, one of which serves as a barrack for ""■'•^•^ twenty men. It has a cofn-mlU, which te to be re- cora-iiui. placed by a market^honse, a new building being id forwardness for a mill by Mr. Tomly. A late* erected mill tor spinning flax, not at present occu** ped, bat well situated for the business, with a house for a small family, is the property of Captain Lewry, of the Antrim MlUtia.

The River Dall, formed from the united streams lUrer. of Glen Ballyeman and Glenanne, passes through the village under a neat bridge, between Cashendall and the shore. There is a large and convenient house begun by William Riehardson, Esq. and finished by Mr. Turnly, the present possessor of Cashendall ; it is intended for an hotel, with convex nient stabling, so as to induce people to visit the town for the purpose of bathing, and for travellers to stop at; the house is near the sea, and water plenty at all times of the tide for bathing. Cush* endall, the name of this village, in English the Foot of the River Dall, was changed by the late Surgeon Richardson to Newton-Glens, but under Mr. Turnly it has resumed its old name. There is nothing re- markable in Glen Ballyeman for beauty.

On leaving Cushendall on the old direct road, and porti proceeding up the hill, the traveller meets with a small fort, on which Mr. Turnly purposes to baild a sehool-hpuse — it will be in a very conspi- cuoos sitnation ; that and the other buildings about the town will give it a striking appearance. From the centre of Cashendall, ^n the right is the road to ; ^e shore, whjch runs over high ground command-

fO ' BMMieal Aecoml '

Oeiiii«- lii^ the «ea till it comes to the village of Kaoeknacarry« N<ter this Tillage is a tan-yard add a good house, be«« ' longing to Archibald and Charles M41hereen, called Qony, about three mUes from Cnshendall. On this road there .is nothing remaricable but the site of the old church) in a small glen near the sea,, which is the chief bnrying ground of the parish ; there are two other places for burying children. Oii approaching it, a neat place, with a new built house, called Moneyvert, presents itself, the residence of Mr. Michael Blaclc. His brother is building a house, equally good^ on the shore, in a situation very eli- gible for bathing but not for planting, of which tiiere is a gbod deal alybut Moneyvert. From the centre of Cushehdall on the left, is a new line of road through part of Glenanne and Glencorp, which, when finished, will form a perfect level to the village of Knocknacarry, equally distant as the road leadings to the right. This line will pass Tromra, the resi- dende of the late Rev. Daniel M'Arthur, who, with his father and grandfather, were curates in this pa- rish for 100 years, prior to 1796. In this line of road is a great number of trees and respectable farm- houses.

On the right side from the church, on very high ground, is the seat of Alexander M'Aulay, or Macau- lay, of Glenville, Esq. eldest brother of the suppos- ed author of Junius. The house is well built, and is further remarlcable for this singular motto en- graven over the halt-door, " Dulce Periculum, Boot and Spurs." If the surrounding grounds had been planted, it would have been a very beautiful sitaa* tion, at present it is rather exposed and bare ; some planting, however, is in forwardness.

€f ArdcUwU (tnd MMid. SI

' This oeiiire road (paniiig mostly throngik an mi- dQlsHog coantry ,) leads to Ike church. It was baUt chwefc, by file Rev. Richard Stewart Dobbs, ia the year IMOi by sttbeeription and pariah cess ; the late Cdl. M^Arihor, brother of the Rev. Daniel M'Arthnr^ contribaled very handsomely to it in his will. It is to be observed, that this church Or chapel received no asmtanee in aid of its erection from the Board of Fint Fruits, who declined giving money onlass the old eknreh was in ruins for 20 yean. It is at pre-* «ent rather small for the congn^vgation ; if money can it any time be got for a larger chnrah, the present ehapel woaM answer for a parish school. There is DO glebe-house in either parish, nor is there any ehiirch in Ardclinis«

On advancing to the right, a little round hill, call- Seeoeiy. cd Tterfairah, presents itself, which, if planted, would have a very picturesque effect. On the left opens the riew of Tieve BouUue, or side of a town, ^ feet above the level of the sea at Cusb^indall^ witb pfenty of white limestome in front ; and at the ^k of the rising ground is Trostram, .1800 feet iboye the level of the sea. In describing these mountains, there is little worthy of notice, but that, with the exception of some grazing here and there, tbey are ' all covered with heath, and afford good shooting in sammer. Glenanne has little to recom* nend it From the mountains to the river > is one eoathmed^ope on both sides. Thcsoil of the rnoun* tain« is entirely a turf bog under the heath.

Before arriving at Knocknacarry, on turning to the Bri^e. I^ft, the traveUer comes to the new bridge over the I^on riyer, leading to Ballycastle, which conducts him

22 SkUi$iiD0l Account

ap Glondiio^ a very handsome glen, extending some miles in length; it is wider in some parts than in othejs, and there are some very romantic spots in it. It is only accessible to ri^fers, as no roads have yet been made through it.

There is a road in progress op Glenanne, over the mountain to BallynioBey,.wliich will be of essential use, and will join Glendnn road. On passing through the village of Knocknacarry, a turn to the left leads to the old bridge, eight feet wide, over the Dun river, into the parish of Culfeightrin, which is the mearing of the parish at this point. On the rig^t, from Knocknac€urry, is a descent to the sea and to the little port of Cushendun, or foot of the river Dun, where a number of small vessels harbour alLthe'winler ; but vessels of 50 tons can cross the bar. From this town there is a constant passage of travel-^ lersto the opposite coast of Cantyre, in Scotland, who carry with them black cattle and pigs, and return with Highland ponys. The passage is about 16 miles, and may be made in -three hours. At this place, close to the sea, are some curious caves, of which hereafter.

From this point there is a view of Cushendua house, on the other side of ^e river, the residence of Edmund M^Neile, Esq. The shore from Cushen- dall Bay to Cushendun is not accessible to boats, being bold and rocky, except where the old church or monastery was formerly built^ and at a little port called Port Vinegar, behind a large rock, where in calm weather a vessel of twenty tons can discharge a cargo.

Of Ardclkiis ami Laid. U

Frofii the high grounds ii a Tiew af th0 Sc^tob coast fiom the Mull of Galloway to the Island of Moll, induding the lalAnds of Isla, Jara with its three IiiUs, called the Paps of Jura, the Moll of Caotyre, Arran, Bate, Rock of Ailsa, near the Ayr* ihire coast, dtc. in which nameroos Vessels entering the channel for the different ports in the Clyde and the Irith Chailnel, serve to enliven the scene and cheer the imagination.

IV. Jncieni BuiUUngs, 4*c.

In the parish of Ardclinis, near Ardclinis bildge Hoiat, and Bay Lodge, are the remains of an old building, together with a burying ground.

In Laid parish, on Croolisnavick hill, and nearly RbIbU oyer the sea, are situated the ruins of an old build- ^ lo^, now called Red Bay Castle, but in an old map it was called Castle Carey. Under it is a large vault, with an opening, from which the view is very agree- able to the eye.

On the top of Lurg Gethan is a Danish fort, and DaniA the remains of a great dike across one part of the ^^'^ hID, enclosing about 40 acres. At the bottom of the wath side is another Danish fbrt, at a' place called the Nochans. Iliere are many remains of small en- closures both in Ardclinis and Ldd, whidh also are called Danish forts. At the point of Grarron is a n>ot called Dnnmall fort ; this and many of the same description were intended to resist the Incursions of the Scots, being fixed on situations not to be ap- proached by sea, and in old times diCBcult of access

24 8tati$iical Account

by land; they were easy of defence. The only appearance they now hare is that of a .great diteh^ which, when perfect, might hare prevented a sudden incursion ; very little signs of stones appear in any of them. In the hill ahove Coshendall are the re- mains of another Panish fort*

m«iM. Of the old church already noticed, nothing ap-

pears but the walls and a few tombstones of recent date, except one stone in the east of the walls, which bears the date of 1696. This must have reference to repairs, as the graves are nearly five feet higher than the present inside of the Cburc)i, The thigh bone of ^ mail of very large stature is to be seen in a cr^ vice of the wall. The two oldest tomlwtones are of Mathew Pettegrew, 1716, (the family is now extinct,) and Col. M«Donpell| J719; th}s latter bears the Antrim arms.

y. Pre$entaHdfomer$i(iUeQff^qp9dalian^Food^^.

repnUUofi In March, 1806, the Rev. Richard Stewart Dobbs, Curate, took an account of the population of this parish, and found it to consist of 1 19 Protestant fa- milies, containing 684 souls ; 611 Catholic, contain* ing 2430 souls ; total 6S0 families, making 301 4 inha- bitants. By a late return, the increase seems about 730, and from less than five bv increased to five and f, half to a family — making 3760 souls.

fMl; T^^e (bod of the inhabitants is generally oatmeal,

potatoes, and milk, or fiMi* Except in some decent fapners' houses, the smoke. comes more freely from the door than the intended cliimney, which is gene*

/

Cf JrdeUmis amd Laid. 8»

rally tt the gable of the boose, the fire being on the floor. TiU the great rise of lands, the . farmers were considered wealthy, and gaye great entertainments at weddings and chriistenings. The writer recolleots port wine of excellent qaality produced, i Publio christenings are now unusual. — Unfortunately, their character in this respect is now but too much the rsTerse, from high rents and low prices for butter^ pork and yarn, the only articles depended upon to pay rents, &c. The paupers seldom exceed 16, and a small relief satisfies them, except in years of want.

In general this is considered a healthful country • Hetlth. few diseases are known, except consumption among tl)e yoong, and low fevers. — ^There are many in- Loiige?Uy« stances of longevity. John M^Bride of Coshendall is neariy 100 years of age, as are several others. Mr. • M*Aolay, of Glenville, and Owen M^Coy, his tenant, are both above 80, and their names are inserted as lires in a lease of lands held at four shillings per acre. Both men and women dress remarkably well, pnu^ The young women generally carry their white stock- ings and dress shoes in their.hands, going to Cushen- dall fair, (eight times in the year,) till they are just at the entrance of the village ; they then stop at the near- est stream to wash and 'dress. The fairs now spolcen Fain, of are more attended for amusement than business, and .though sometimes broken heads are their con- sequence, it cannot be said that they often lead to a result so common in many other parts of Ireland,

The general conduot of the inhabitants is peace- Gcniof aoa able ; they are amenable to^he orders of their super- ^^'*^*'*

tart. Daring' a lo»g residesiee of twentyKme yenrs, tm onratB, the writer does not think it indispensably necessary to lock his doer or bar his windows. — The inkaUtuits are generally free from vices. They bare li great deal of natnral shrewdness and address^ and are rginrtadbie for being liberal and attentive. If maanfaotures eonld be ealaUished, as they are in* eiiBed te aoiake money, it woold assist them in paying tiieir rant, and give employment to most Cmuliee ; they have wry little IndinatifHn for going abroad, and, oanseqaeaily, so many remain at home, tiiat numbers of them are left in involuntary idleness for nearly half tha year. The great rise of rents must make them womm fariwstrieus ; birt, at the same time, if pro* Tisiovs, consisting chiefly of batter and pork, fall, ^e farmer may find dificaUy in paying his landlord, Whose object mast be to let his tesiant have an inte* rest In his £Eurm, otiienHse he mnst lose in the end, and the tenantry be careless wlietber they remain oi not*

€ haracter. Tfe jafaabitants of Laid are ooncidcrcd a shrewd,

on&Bing people, with a great deal of native ho^i-

teiity. Meia, as w^ as in ArdcAinis, they speak

Iri^h fcenl^ nmxmg themseivas, and most of them

<vwy good English, perhaps batter aad in a prarar

dialect than many Cmglish. lriah» in tiie hiUs and

teps of gtens, is tlie mast prevalent laognage ; and

tbeie are some old people in remote places who 4san

apeak no atfaer language, thoogh thay knew the

meaning of most English phrases: there are also

; some 'fi4io oannot speak Irish, tbaugh they know it

\ in part. The contiguity to Scotland occasions the

\ 4angnage to paiiake mora of tSia Soatoh Srse than

of the«oathem Iriab,

Of Arddmig amd Laid. IT

Netr Cashendall is a small welt, ealled Tobord- BilrWA SMBy, or SoBday Wall, which haa its origlB from being Tisited oo that day for the eore of eompWnts^ chiefly of children. A ttttte pebUe is thrown Into the well, and a pin stuck in a bit of cloth left beside it—tlioiisanda of these shreds may be seen there ; bat the practice is In part given over, and the well is wm assisting the race to tnrn a oorn-mlil. There SapertU- ue flOQie prcrjndices aa to disterMng old thorn trees. The earate has heard a man swear most 8<^mn)y, tiist he has seen some hundreds of the *^ wee MV* daaeiog round those trees, and told him he riiould nflbr for med^lng with them ^ and it is indispntaUo that 6k suffered next winter in his house and family, by destmction and firight from a vtolent jitorm. But M the whole island, and also Ltrerpool and other foreign parts, suffered likewise on the same day and ni^, he endeavoured to reason with the good man, that they all could not have suffered on his account. There Is also among them a superstitious opinion as to oows' milk blinked, so that it wiU not produce but- ter for several days' churnings, until some old woman with a charm does it away. Another relates to cows being elf-ehot ; and the inhabitants will shew you the spot where you may feel a hole in the flesh, but not in the skin, where the cow has been struck ; she gives 00 milk ttU relieved. Whatever is the cause, there is something curious as to the fact.

There are very few families of Protestants i^nd Reiisioa. Catholics which are not intermarried with each other ; of consequence, little or no bigotry prevails, and it omst excite very pleasing reflections, that the Catholic clergyman, the Rev. Daniel McDonnell, does every thing in his power to promote a good understanding

28 SMMiedl Joeamt

K«i%ioa. among the iahabitants of the parkh. Since the rebellion of 1798, a company of yeomanry attached to the Ballycastie corps, raised by Mr. Dobbs, was composed of both Protestants and Catholics.

CmtiaBm.* Whenever a person dies in a townland, no work is done till the body is interred, which was of little con- sequence when there was biit one or two families re- sident, and little work to do ; now, when they are ipore numerous, it becomes, at particular seasons, rather inconvenient. The pe<^le are not all as strict in keeping the holydays as formerly ; in gene- ral, their observance is a nuisance, as the day is spent in the public-house, and little is done the nxei day.' When two or three holydays happen in a week, it is a fine open for a week's idleness. The young people have not so much money as formerly, and spirits are dearer, which makes tliem less anxious for holydays. In these parishes, scarcely any private spirits are made, either now or at any time, though before the roads were opened the smuggling of tobacco was car- ried on to a great extent*

VIL I%eEducaHanandEa^iaospKeHiofChUdr^

Cdoeation. The inhabitants were and are, in general, inclined to have their children instructed in reading, writing,^ arithmetic and navigation. The lands being cheap till these few years past, very little labour was neces- sary ; industry is now more prevalent ; yet youngs khle fellows may still be seen knitting stockings, at the back of a ditch or the gable of a house. The fault lies in a great measure with their parents, who, rather than let them go abroad, will divide their lands among them, by which means a few generations hav^

Of Jrddmk and Laid. S»

reduced krge farms of, perhaps, a hundred acres, to EdsciUoB* a namber of amall ones^ eontainiBg four er fiye acres etch, or even less. In Scotland, none bat the ridest SOD is a&owed to hold the farm, all the yonnger cfail* dren most either learn a trade or go abroad.

Theonal charge for tuition has been 29. M. for Ratotof speUing ; 5t. for reading ; and 7«. 6d. for writing and accoootB, per quarter. Except at the extremity of the ptrifh, and next to the parish of Laid, most of the children wiU attend Mr. Tnrnly's school-house. In Lild diere are seyeral school-masters, who supp&rt themadTes by teaching the children, and a small tQbfcription has been yearly made to assist those who could not pay. About thirty are now instruct- ^ gntis. A branch of the Hibernian Bible Society BiU« SoiU has been established here. It meets alternately at ^'' Clenarmand Cushendall.

VIII. Sate qf BOigimu EsUibU»hmeni, Tgihes, ^.

There being neither church nor glebe-house in Ardclinis parish, the few occasional duties have been gcaenlly attended to by the officiating clergyman of I^d. The Rev. David Dunkin, rector of Ardclinis, does not reside ; he receives the tythes, as treasurer of the diocese of Connor. There is neither chapel nor neetiog-house in Ardclinis, though the inhabitants lie mostly Catholics : the chapel in Laid is but a ^Qiall building, by no means large enough for the ^^flgregation, two-thirds of which cannot get into the house, and are obliged to kneel on the 6utside; io Ardclinis, the Rev. Mr. McDonnell does duty in the open air«

i

90

9mtKl&99C€K ilOCOlM/

9tVbu

9>aefl.

The oboreh of Laid itands on the old difeet^seaM road froai CnaiMadail to Ballyeaatie. It was built xi tile year 1100 by the paridi, at their owtt ezpenae and by aobioriptlon ; U ean eontain about 200 people, and is generally well attended. At that time the Board of First Fmits would give no money unless the ehorch had been 90 years in rain ; It may however be hoped they will be able to assbt in bnilding on mord eOgfble groand, and aUow an appropriation of iW SBSisdl bnildhig for the nse of a parish school-house.

I

There are bat foor aoree of glelie lo Laid, and that is sttnafed so as to aflbrd no rite for a glebe-honse. The tytheable articles consist of corn,bntthea8iiai Custom in the parish of Ardclinis is, to set the tythe for a given sum, which is then applotted upon the parish, and each denomination gives a note or bond for the annual payment. The tythes of Laid hare been generally set at incumbency bargains, each townland giving a joint promissory note for their proportion. The tythe is laid on corn only ; former- ly^t was levied on minor articles, as fish caught on the shore by nets, &c. ; the last bargain was for £180 per annum.

IX. ModeM of AgricvUure^ €Vop#, 4*c.

Fotatoet. Where the land answers, potatoes are set with the plough, opening the drills, dropping the seed, laying the manure over or under, and then covering them. Stocks of cattle consist of young cattle grazed in the mountain, ponies, and sheep of the smalt Highland breed, and sometimes a cross breed. — Ploughs, harrows, and spades, are the chief insirn- ments ; in bard stony grounds, and on the sides of

Stockf of Cattle.

iDple- Beotf.

iftiO^mimBibtt plonfh otnoot work» a kisd df a fadeoalMaUb is ftted, very tUok and (rtroii|;» b«t Mly ODMhM ^ Oia uaoil breadth of tliat iMini*

neat

Tke UMttl pfadnee of thiB pariiab comuta of patii* ihUM^ toet^Uriqri patatoe-oate, a littla whatt, baaos, awl pew ; thM tbraa latter aia rathar an improremaiit upoo a^ricdtafe. Tha maall mditoii 0/ tba^oontrf tt reekoBed rerj ine ; the fuarter seldom eaeaada ISb. Tlie beef is also $midl, weiybiof from 87 to [ % score Iks. per caroaae. The general aiae of boraea (or ratfer peaies) ia amaU, tbey do notaxoaad m valof £16 each, and some are as low aa £6, except tba few ^i by gcaUamen.

The Slay rents are paid at August, by tba prodnca Rfatt« tf hotter ; the NoFomber in February, by tlia sale of poric. OftUsIasttbeprica varies; ]tbas8oldat£4 P«r cwt and this year it does not proniise £1 lOa,^^ Tke oeeasiaaal tajsea and expeaaea of iMailiea are saving* pad from qpuuiifl^y whieb does not exceed 12 hanks to the psuiid^ moat generaity eight; the wagaa arewagn«f frem M. to Mkf. per day ; men's wages Jrom I9d. to ^'^'^ IW. Ob partioolar oocasions they get U. Sif. a day,

aod wooien la. Id.

«

Clauds on aaoh side af the roads are axtremaly R«Btfl. (eod,«odsetfrain^to60shilUB^an acre* There ftTc eight fiursat Coahendall in tha yaar, yix. Fabrviary mk. Hth, March Hth, May 14tb, Jnna SSth, August l^th, September 29th, Noyember 14tb, December ^* Coriiendall, though a weeldy market, cannot ^pport one, the fairs answering at present eyery pvpoae.

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qfJnMMa md Laid. 98

1. TVocfe, MoMfo/ttutea, Commercey ^e.

Kalp is bnraed along the shore, by making oUong Kelp, pits of stone, in which the sea rack is packed wbai dry ; it melts like lead, and forms a hard cake. Some of it goes to Coleraioe) some to Lame, some is shipped for Liverpool, where, perhaps, most of it finds Its ultimate destination. . ,

In the parish of Ardolinis there is a corn mill, a Ifiiit. flax mill, a tack miU at Carnaloogh, and a smdl corn mill on Mr. DobVs fsrm at Bay Lodge. In the pa- rish of Laid, on the rivulet passing, through Glen BaUigreman, are several small mills for flax and com. The river from Glenanne has also two mills on it, one for flax, the other for corn.

There are a few small vessels from 14 io 20 tons Fiibtri^ bnrden, that can come into the Acre river at high water, and about 16 that belong to CushenduH rivef, as passage boats or to carry coals, &c. A number ot small boats around the bay fish for herrings, bothb^ draft nets on the beach, and by drifts which go into the channel in deep water ; the Qsh caught by the latter are far superior in size and quality. From 18 to 16 boats, with 9 hands each, may be seen drawing at tile same time along the beach about dusk, besides which, hundreds of men, women, and children, called carpers, are ready to catch the fish that break from the net on it's drawing on shore.

XI. Natural CuriosiUesy Bemarkabie Occurrences^ ^.

After passing over the bridge on the Acre river in- cartc to Laid, and turning to the right towards the sea, you

94 aitttisUcal Accami

ea?ef. come to some caves, one of which is oocnpied by a smith, who keeps a forge in it ; another by a resident family; boats are drawn up fn the others. They are not large, and seem to have been formed by a ce^ mented mixture of day and small stones rnn together, the softer parts having mouldered away by the sea and time. There are other carious caves, particularly at Coshendun^ with well turned arches of considerable extent. The great curiosity is the mode of their for* mation, and its probable cause ; they have the ap< pearance of well cemented stones and gravel of va- rious kinds and dimensions ; at one part is a perpen* dicnlar wall, or appearance of the side of a wall, about SOO feet high ; when you examine the stones you find €hem all cracked fn many parts, and easy to divide in pieces ; this has been produced, as some suppose, by fire. In some of these caves wild pigeons are

wuie. ftumerous. Some years ago, a large whaler, nearly sixty feet long, was driven on shore alive, on the Ardclinis side of Red Bay ; some of the bones are at Glenarm Ci^tle»

Propriccorf The proprietors of lands m these parishes are gentlemen who have had a liberal education, and are well descended. Mr. M*AaIay is lineally come from the family of Arden CapTe, in Scotland; his father before be died went one circuit as Judge, when he acted as sheriff. His brother, Hugh M'AuIay Boyd, as before mentioned, was, according to proofs pro- duced by Laurence Dundas Campbell, the author of * Junius ; he died in a high official situation ki India. All the lands in these parishes are held under the Antrim family. Some of these lands are held under what IS colled the Hollow Blade Company, so named

from a company fai London, makeM of sword-blAdes, who obtained the grant ; it is not granted in perpetu- ity to the present proprietors, but they bare a lease of some bondred years.

List of the Incumbents of Ardclinis and Laid, ez^ tncted from the First fruits' records.

ArddiQis valet 107. per an. Thcsaurarius pd. Rec- lucm tor. ITinmus. Wallace Vicarlus, David Dewar Curat ^"^^^

Lsyde, Robtus. Echlyn, Rector, valet 601. per ann. David Roe Caratns.

Georgius Callender instltut. fuit 30^ Octoli. 1635^ •d Vicar, de Ardclinis in Com. Antr. et Dioccs. Connor, non sol.

Edward. Games collatus fuit 22^ Marcii, 1660, ad Bector. de Layd.

Danid Me. Neale collat. erat ultimo die Januaril, 1664, ad Rector, de Layde in Dioc. predict. 10/. sten

Daniel Mc. Neale institut. fuit 9^ die mciisis De- eembr. Anno Dni. 1668, ad Rector, de Laide lOZ. & ^ictr. de Ramoan Colfeightron 40«. & Armoy.

Georgius Lovell in artib. magr. eoUat. fuit 16*^ die Mali, 1681, ad & in Rectoria. de Laid, Dioo. Conno- nn. ft Com. Antrim, 10/.

Petros Ward cler. collat. fuit 26** Mar. 1707, ad Rect. de Laid, Dioc. Connor. & Com. Antrim^, 10/.

Samuel Elwood cler. institut. ad Rector, de Layd in Dioees. Connor. A Comit. Antrim, per resignatio- nem Petri Ward S.T.D. nop. Rect. ejusd. vacant.

Johannes Grace A.M. institut. ^admiss. A collat.

fait nostro pleno jure 17^ die Mar. An. Dom. 17S7,

•d Rector, de Layd in Dioees. Connor.

Arthur Sampson R. of Layd, 16^ July, 1766, Com. Antrim.

iB6 aiaUaHcai Aecmmt

laeam. Thouas Higgins instttoted 89 July, 1781, R. of **»*^ Layde, Antrim, IW.

Wm. JUvensoroft cc^fed 4 Aug. 1789, R. of Layd,

VX.

Wm. Lindsay admitted, institpted, and collated, 18 May, 1797, R. of Layde, Antrim, 10/.

«

XII. BuggeMons for Ip^provement^ and Means for mdioraiing the Condition of Ike People.

Except a more general introduction of weaving, which appears to be encreasing, and will do so, if the linec^ trade advances, any other manqfactory would not answer so well ; the opening of roads to the principal market towns of Ballymena, Ballymo- ney, &c. will be of great service ; the residence of the proprietors, if possihl^, would also be a g^reat as- sistance, as nearly the whole of the pork apd butter goes to nop-resident landlords. It is calculated that, on an average, these parishes have more meal and po« tatoes than is sufBcient for their own consomptioni apd in this scarce year, )8}7, it will pot be neces- sfiry to import provisions.

Cf ArdelMM and LM.

9f

APPENDIX.

No. 1.

GsntAL SURTRT OF TBE PARISH OF AUDCliIllIS^ IN THE IhO* CeSE Of CONMOR, AND COUNTT OF ANTRIM, BY THB RbT.

r. s. dobbs, made on the inquiry into thb 8tatb op Cbopsin 1816«

lert teogth 4 mil€».

i^portft . . .Bj the Ihtruh of Laid. .By the Sou

8 Wot Bjr the Pariah of Tickmaereeran, or Oleaarm.

SoBlh. . . Bjr the Pariih of Dnnaghy aad Skerry. '

L

Townlaods. . . * .31.

QDAVTITV AMD QIIAUTY OF THB LAND.

H^j^fua. l,ll^^

AnUeaad Faatora

vrieA Paitnre .

aad Bog

3183 4461

8726

Prodoec of which^

2081 PoUtoea ».••

Oata. . Barley Wheat Flax.. Paaf

Acres.

.SOO.

600

~ T

3

90

4

ReaMTha.

The Value of the Lands is the saoie ai la the pariah of Laid and any be propor. tipped aecordiogly.

No. «•

General Survey of the Parish of Laid, mad^ on the

IN<IUIRY JlBOV£-tf bntionbp^

4

liTS^SuraoyoinCowe^leMrmr

^KMcatleaKlhOmlles.

I Greatest hrcadth 6| miles.

Xorth By the Parish of Calfeifhtrio.

Slit By the Irish Channel.

West By the Parish of Dnnaf hy.

e Ssath By the Pariah of ArdcUnis.

^■■bsf of Towolands or other dlvlsioos. .114.

S8

tiatbHa^l JcccufU

Np. 2p CovTiHUEtr.

aOANTITT AWP QCALITV OP THR LAND, At,

1816.

BaHqr

• •••

(HU

PotoloM

No. of AcrM.

Flix ... MMdow &

Peif and Tatehet..

ToUlincol- HvatioB.^. Monntaio "^

Ba|Midmi- Ifoatalite

TolAllDtibc pmrMk . .

a-

550

75 887i

4

At 161. per acre • • • .

At 4i bolia» at 30i. per boll At iOOpcckfiat la. per peck

At lIMb.otTd.perl^

mmmmmm

57M

S591

KM66

19,840

Probable qnaolUy and valnc of prodnco per

acre.

8.

801 0

T5

8100 1I»000

2400

0 0

At 01. per acre.

U 0

Pi»

Piitloa of Batter

Vamber.

> tt»M* I >i

68S

1810

J

Averafe Weif bt.

■■«*•

lOScwt. at 30i. OSlb. at 50t. p. Pr

■ iMiii II

0 0

0 0

Remarkf.

Probable Valae.

£ ■. d.

1773 0 0 4540 0 0

IAverase Taliie per acre*... rjrfbe •.., L>M aad Ta

5714

«03t8 0 0

Botli cropf 0B( third deficieoi tbie year, boi Mppoecd ant ioteatl^tfei conannptioB.

? Accoonled for S JatkeBBlUr.

■*iaM>^

Dedoct

Delleiencj to be made np by spin ni«K yam, weav- ing, and email cattle

Atl7i

a. per acre

xn:

7715 0 0 200 0 0 400 0 0

y

I I .1

85IS 0 0 032^ 0 0

•«»- .^*i^>i

^Valna of Pork S nnd Better.

1001 0 0 i

«wr

I

%

1

i I

'•^"S5»9a5*i**''*=S*S=X54S 8

mm^-^

K M

i i * j I

Be55<iSi5p65i53Q3SS5S«^q*^Qa»rtQ'';

I i

I

s

Oi K

a a

8

i

I

I

6

Q

I

f

o et'i'Jr & en 09 9 ♦"?* tJT^ A •« ^Jf^ -i" q » ^ o 2 IT T

~1

s

m I ■

il

>■ 'v^^Q o <g pQ a

■Ml/.tUlDJ

? M ra j^K, .■S .S > -l-sHfl

g5atja^jMBg!tBH!CMa

ggcH'-^iBiSza.g^

:ss3s;;^:;as5ssgs

Sm

,2££^S||£22^£2|

iii?i=iii

s 1 . 1 .-it. I 3

.iii3 f ifiilss Im-

■a 5

44 BtaiMical Accouni

No. III.

PAUXSH OF

SAINT PETER, ATHLONE, (DioeeBe qf B^him md Gnmfy qf Roscommon J

St the Rev. Ahvbslet Stbjbak, Imoumbbvt.

X. The Name of ihe Parish^ SUuatitnh Bxieifi, 4^?^

^ttmUon. The parish of St. Peter, Athlone, is situated |n the county of Roscommon, sixty miles frpm Dublip, on the western side of the drer Shanpon, containing about one half of the town, a place of considerable note, on account of the siege it sustained, an^ the passing of the riyer by king William*s ainny in the

fqvn. year 1691. The part of the town which is in this parish consists of ten streets, with the name of each at its entrance, painted on a board ; beside fifteen lanes, of inferior consideration. Jn the town, and near the bank of the river, stood the ancient abbey dedicated to >t. Peter, from which the parish derlvef its name, fqunded, as S|r James Ware informs qs, in 11^14, On part of the site of this abbey the parish church, which was built in the year 1804, now stands: ITame. scarcely a vestige of the old abbey remains. ^' This abbey," /says Sir James Ware, ^' is called f The Mo-

Of Saint Peer's, AlhUme. 4<

Dastery de Innocentia' in the table of procarations of the cbarch of Elphin, and was of the order of Beoediotines or Cistercians.'* In the name of the parish, it thus appears, there is little to be remarl^ed, except so far as it maizes a part of the town of Ath- lone, originally written in correct Celtic orthography Athludn, the English Of which is the Ford of the Mooo, the word Aih in that language signifying a ford, (vadum,) and LucUny the genitive of Luan, (Lapa,) the moon The town is at the present day called in the cpmipon Irish, still spoken by the inha- bitants of the town and the neighbouring counties, Blahluin, an evidently corrupted contraction of the tliree words, JBaife, Aih^ Laaini BaUe signifying a tovm, (villa,) the letters 6 and V being commutable in that fmd other ancient languages ; Aih^ pronounced Ak^ a ford, (vadum ;) and Luain (Luna) the geni- tive of LuAN, (the moon,) in English, the Town of the Ford of the Moon. But it may be observed, that this last appears to be a more modern name in the Irish language, for, before the town was built, it was called simply Athluain, the Ford of the Moon, a name descriptive of the part of the river which' was, and is, fordable here ; but, when |he town was built on this ford, the place then got the name of Bailb, Ate, Luain, contracted Blahluin, (i. e. the Town of the Ford of the Moon, or Moonford Town,) which it invariably retains in common^ Irish oonver* sation. This town is also known among some of the o]dest inhabitants Of the adjoining country, by the name of Baile 'tus k a Seacht heina, corruptedly BaOadMmMiahaghHna^ in English, the Town of the he^nning of the Week ; Baile (villa) signifying a town, fu9 (initium) the beginning, na (de) of, aeachi (septem) seven, and maine (mane) morning, the twe

46 SiaUsiical Account

last words forming the word (septimana) a week, (gtill maintaining the same ultimate object of reference to the moon, Monday (originally written Moonday) being the first day of the week, as Sunday, a day of rest, is a dies non, so that Monday is the day begin- ning their weekly labour. From these circumstances, it seems probaUa (though the local histories of those early dates are lost) that this plaoe has been sacred to the moon, by dedication to that planet, in the siges before Christianity, and that pagan worship has been paid to that deity in a place where the name is so evidently traced, and from which there can be no doubt that the town derived its name ; and were any additional reasons for such inference necessary, it might, in some degree, be confirmed by the circum- stance of several lunettes, or crescents of gold, being found in a bog not far distant from the town, which, with some other articles of the same metal, were sold, as I have been informed, within these few years to a jeweller in Dublin for the sum of 858/. and for want of a purchaser of antiquarian taste, melted down for more common uses.*

SoaadariM There are no lakes in this parish, which is bounded on the east and north bythe river Shannon, separat-

* The plice, tbqs deooninated from the deity there worebippAd, .eeires to eonflrm the ctymolofy of many plaeci in Ireland which are called Ctoffher, from the Celtle words cloth or eloght a ilone, and or, fold, a larye tpherical etene harios beea paipled a jrellowlfh orfolden colonr, to repreeent Uie aao, or Baal, whieh waa wptehipped lo tboae places so named, (and the first day of May dedicated to him, which is thence called Laralteeaa, that is, the day of Bsal's Sre,) amopy which Is the see of Clogher, a place of pre-eminence among soch ncred dodi* eatlons of this denominationt and perhaps for that reason cafrylmr k^ name into the Christlaa hierarchy, ttom its celehrity in tha worship.

Of St. Peter's, JthMie. 47

• Ing it from the parish of St. Mary in the diocese of BooadUriM

Meath, in which is situated the eastern part of the

town of ilthlone ; on the south, by the parish of

Dram, in the diocese of Taam ; and on the west, by

tlie parish of Kiltoom, in the diocese of Elphin. —

The riyer just named produces pike, trout, bream,

a few salmon in the .season, perch in abundance, and

eeb, with the latter of which the town and neigh-

bourhood are not only stipplied, but large quantities

tre constantly sent to the metropolis.

Beside the church, which occupies the site of St. Raim. Peter's Abbey, and a large Roman Catholic chapel, there are two ecclesiastical ruins, one at Cloonakilla, wliich seems to have been no more than a small cha** pel of little note ; and another at Cloonowen, about tliree miles below the town of Athlone, on the banks of the Shannon ; this is a more considerable ruin, with a cemetery of some extent, the history of which has not been well ascertained.

There is, in that part of the town which is in this seiiioDs ^rish, a sessions-honse, where the quarter sessions ^^^^* tre periodically held,

II. Mines, Minerals , ^c.

The mineralogy of this parish presents nothing to attract attention, except that it abounds with iron ore in eyery townland, producing innumerable cha- ciiaiyJitata iybeate springs of various degrees of strength, some, *P""*^ little, if any thing, inferior to other chalybeate waters of Irdand which are held in high estimatioQ, as ex«

48 SlatUUcal AcoAimi

perience ^ well as analyzation witiiln the writer'* own knowledge has proTecL*

Foidifft With respect to fossils, there are none hitherto dis**

covered, except snch shells of the cockle, muscle, or periwinkle kind, as are usually found on breakings time stones, incorporated with the mass, retaining no more of the original shell than the shape, the whole of the stones of which they make a part being homo- geneous throughout. The whole of this and the neighbouring parishes abound with this sort of stone, there being hardly a stone of any other description

Uari. to be found either on the surface or under it. Marl also is to be found in many places in great abun- dance, on and near the surface, yet no instance is known of its being made use of as a manure.

SoiL The soil in the low grounds is mostly argillaceous,

in many places containing clay fit for pottery and bricks, and very productive both in tillage and graz- ing. Moory bottoms on the verges of bogs are not without a mixture of calcareous gravel.

Bc« Tim- In the bogs of the western part of the parish there ^'* is great plenty of timber, viz. deal, oak, and yew, to

be found, but it lies so deep, being fifteen or twenty

feet or more under the surface, that it is considered too Deer** expensive to be raised. Some pieces of deer's horns fiorai. have been found in the bogs on the eastern side, and,

as is usual in most bogs of Ireland, nuts, leaves, &c.

but no other substance worthy of notice.

* Dr. Rottj'f Mincnl Waten, psffs 70, and uial7sed by A. & If . Ou •nno 1813.

€if at. Pela'a, Jtkkme. 49

in. Modem BuiU&tga, ^.

There are no modern pnUic or private bofldingfs in the coontry pert of this parish. In ihe town there Tows, hare been batlt many new houses of late years, some in the old streets, and more in a situation which be- fore was a receptacle for dung and- other nuisances. These bnildings have formed,^ at least on one side, a uniform street. The other parts of the town, on both sides of the river, are not built on any general phui, the proprietors of plots in the town, which ai^ nnmeroos, having let them to tenants who have erected bvildlngs of various descriptions, each to suit his own priTste convenience, equally regardless of the regu- larity of the streets, proportional height of houses, or oniformity of fronts, and still less of public advan- tage.

Here there is a large barrack, so close to the town Barracks* that it may be said to make a part of it, (fomii^hing accommodation for 2000 troops,) io which belong two magazines, an armoury calculated to hold 15,000 stand of arms, and veryextensive military stores, form- 'i^S^A general depot from which to supply other garri- sons of the kingdom. These are all within the pre- cincts of the barrack, together with an ordnance yard, wherein are constantly employed the several artificers necessary for making all the iron and timber works of gnn carriages, and other military engines ; and within the same precincts are two hospitals>in one building, in a separate yard, capable of containing forty patients each ; another, in the same yard with these, capablo of aecomqgiodating twenty four patients ; and on^ ar-

e

90 .. auisiieal .M^amU'

BamclLi. tillery hospital in the barrack yard, calculated to contain forty patients, all attended by staff and reg^i- CHd Bar- mental surgeons. There is also a barraclc formed on ^^ the original castle of the town, which was built so

long ago as the reign of King John> on a high riaing ground, like to, though higher and wider than, a . Danish fort, or moat, which seems to have been ori- .ginally formed for that purpose. Before tjbe mag^a- zines ia the present barrack were built, the mc^g^a- jdne of the garrison was in this castle. It was blown up» by Ughtning communicating with the powder, on tiie 87th of October, 1697, by which dreadful acci- dent all the houses of the town, except a few poor , cottages without the gates, were shattered and tnm- . bled on and about the inhabitants, and by which, won- . derful to relate, 7 of them only were killed and 36 . wounded. The following is a copy of the account of that accident, recorded immediately after it occi|rred, the truth of which, though written in a miserable style, is attested by the sovereign of the day : —

^rcififoi << A true narrative of the prodigious storm of wind and rain, thunder and lightning, that happened in Athlono between four and five o'clock on Wed- nesday morning, the e7th of October, 1697, as it was unanimously declared before the sovereigii and governor of the said town, upon the examina- tion of the officers and soldiers of the main g^uard, and guard of Dublin gate, and likewise by the sen- tinels that stood on th'e bastions and works during this horrid scene, together with the dreadful con- sequences that attended the blowing up of the stores.

*

" A terrible blast of high wind suddenly shook and stripped the guard-house, by the terror of which

•lorat*

or Si. Ptkr'M^ Jthk^. 6i

(be snard fled to the door and windows, whare, to DrtMAiL thtir great astoniiduneat, they saw the air foil of dif« ferent shapes of fire, ready to fall upon their heads, frest qaantities of match that were blown up occa* noning these different figures of fire, which, beinf followed by great thunder claps> made a great many of the hdptess inhabitants, with reason, believe it was the day of judgment, and therefore for some time minded nothing but their prayers, without usin^ • any other means for the presenration of themselves or neighbours ; in the mean time the lighted match forcing the thatched houses, horned to the ground tlie greatest part of what the thunder and blast had left standing, yet little remained of the whole towo but a few poor oottages without the gates. It is not to be omitted the wonderful deliverance of Mr. Dod- well, (store-keeper,) and Mr. Roe, (one of the bailiffs of the town,) who, being buried in the ruins at least six hours after this fatal accident, happened now at length to be dug out, with their wives dead in their arms. Mr. Dodwell is in a fair way of recovery, and Mr. Roe perfectly well. God's great care of the in? habitants was very wonderful in this disaster, there being but thirty-six wounded and se^n killed In the whole town. There are above a hundred families that have been sufferers in that great misfortune, and by the most moderate computation their losses amount to five thousand pounds, which, considering they lately suffered by two sieges, must undoubtedly re^ duee them to great extremities, unless speedily re- lieved by the generous charity of well-disposed peo«' pie. I do affirm, upon the strictest inquiry I could make, I find this to be a true account, and there- fore desisi that no other may be written.

^^ GusTAVUM Hamilton."

50 gUUhUcal Accomt

Diwadfbi '' First a dreadful shower of rain, as if a whole •***""• cloud had fallen in the street, which, heing forced by a violent wind, made a prodigious noise as it fell ; thirdly, after the rain, a dreadful and terrible clap of thunder ; fourthly ensued a thicic darkness, that con^- tlnued for the space of half a quarter of an honr ; fifthly broke out continued lightning without ceas- ing, so that heaven and earth seemed to be united by the flame, which was more terrible to the guards than all that happened before, and ended with three claps of thunder in a fiery cloud from the north, and run- ning violently through the air, stopped just above the castle, and at the last of the three claps, in the twinkling of an eye, fell a wonderftil great body of fire or lightning out of the said cloud (in figare round) directly upon the castte, and in a moment af- ier the magazine took fire and blew up two hundred and sixty barrels of powder, one thousand charged hand-grenades, with eight hundred and ten skains of match which were piled over them, two hundred and twenty barrels of musquet and pistol bidls, great quantities of pick-axes, spades, shovels, horse-shoes, and nails, all which blew up into the air, and covered the whole town and neighbouring fields, by the vio- lence of which the town gates were all blown open ; the poor inhabitants, who were generally asleep when this tragical scene began, awakened with the differ- ent surprising misfortunes that befel them, some finding themselves buried in the ruins of their o^^n houses, others finding their houses in a flame above their heads, others bloivn from their beds into the streets, others having their brains knocked out with ihe fall of great stones, and breaking of hand gre- nades in their houses. Tliese stupifying disasters

or m. Pela^0, AMane. »

iriUiiii doors made most of these poor amased mor-i tals lly to the streets for shelter."

nere are a few villag^es in this parish, bnt so hi« viliasM, coDsideraUe as not to require any partfotilar remaric. We have no gentlemen's seats, the principal inhaM- ^ tanls liring in the town ; and, which is much to be regretted in many other parishes as welt as this, there is no owner of a fee simple estate resident in it, the whole of which, except a few acres about tiie town, belongs to Lord Kilmain and the Incorporated Soci* ety for promoting Charter Schools. These latter be- CtaHtr nig (he trustees of a donation of Richard Lord Ra^ ^^^•^ Belsgh, have, in discharge of their trust, built two schools, one near Roscommon, confiUning 40 girls, and one in this parish, containing 40 boys, who, out of the funds of said trust, are fed, clothed, lodged and educated, and, at a proper age, apprenticed to tradesmen, with a fee of ten pounds'each.

In the portion of the town of Athlone which is Iob. in this parish there is bnt one very Inid inn, (in the eastern side there are two not better,) notwitlistand* ing it is so great a thoroughfare, being the linlc of conuDunicsatton and principal pass between the pro** mces of Leinster and Connaught, which are here connected by a large bridge consisting of nine arches, BrUg«. hot so narrow, being only twelve feet wide, that two carriages cannot pass each other in safety without great care and attention. It has long been in con- templation to apply to Parliament for aid to widen it; and for that puri^ose there is a handsome plan prepared, and an estimate made, which will re- ^re nine thousand pounds to execute the proposed

work and porcbase thtt boildings that ftve to be re- moved from both ends of it; and, to say nothidg of the ornament it would be in stich a tour to have a bridge^ on Mieb a plan as that which is prepaored^ oTer so fine a river as the Sbaanon is here, it would be t)ie only means of preyentiDg the obetruotioos and leonseqttent confusion which frequently occur from the contrary currents pf me&y carriages, and cattle meeting here, especially o» the fair and market days, as "well of the town itself , as those of the tewus situated to the west ; particularly those of Ballina- sloe, at whicb time it is often so obstructed for hours, on the s^eral days while the £iir lasts, as to require both time and patience to extricate the confused mass of men, women, horses, bulleoks, sheep, &c« Ac. entangled among carriages of various kinds, and ren<- der the passage free. Nearly on the centse of this bridge there stands a mouument, which, though it ia not in this parish, yet being within ten fee^ of it, de-* serves to be noticed ; it is of cut stone, erected in the reign of Queen EUxabeth, whose arms occupy a part of it. Under the compartments is the foUow* ing legend in elevated letters, principally capitals, two or three of which are joined together, and make part« of each ether : —

*' This Bridge of Athlone from the maine earth ** ttjader the water was erected and made the ninth year ** of the raign of our most dere Sovereign Ladle Eliza- *' beth by the grace of God Queue of Gngland France '' and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. by the device *^ and order of Sir Henry Sidney knight of the most '' nobil order the 2do. daie of Julie then being *' of. the age 38 yere, this President of the Counsil '< and Walls and Marchis of the same and Deputie

Of m. Paet% Mkme. 6ft

" General of ftas hir Mftjidi^ Realm I rand, fineshed *^ ittlcM than one year bi the good Industrie and di- ^ligfau of Peter Leui«. Clerk Ghanter Catbedral '' Church of Christa Clioveh in Dnblin and Steward *" to the said Deputle, in whic/h yeare was begone and ^ fineshed the faire newe worke in the Casthel of '' Dabtia, beddia niaay other notable workis done iu '* flondri other plada in this Realm, ako the arch rebel *' SJbaaeO'NeyloTer thrown, hia head set on the gate **^ of the said Caslel, Coyns and Livry aboleshed and ^ the whole Realm t>rought in to sueh obedience to ^ liir Majistie as the like tranquilitie peace and ^ w in the memory of maaj

^ Ittth no bene sene."

Petro ^ g Lewye

elerioo £ ^^ domus

hrse g^'S ^ QD disyensat

>>»JU8 S £a opiaP*

fide .5

In the above compartment of the monument is the iigure of the person therein mentioned in his gown ; 10 his right hand there is, what is said and mi^t be ^opposed to be, a pistol, if the part wliicfa represents the barrel were not twisted like a rope« On this pis- tol tliere is the figure of a rat, in the attkude of bit- ing the thumb which holds the pistol. The tradi* tional aceoixBt of the subject of the compartment is, that the above-mentioned Rev. Peter Lewys was an English monk who conformed to the Protestant reli-

4

* Tkb iatcriplkMi Bay, perkapt, be read thii»:--'* Petro Lewya ele- fico, itiiMi BoatM dii^naitorl ^9j;fk% ojiem Praside."— Es.

M SkiUiical Aceaimi

gioD, and^ on oomiog to Ireland, was appointed Chanter of Chri«t-chorch. Being a man of superior abiliiies, when the bridge of Athlcme was building, he was sent by Sir Henry Sidney, Qepnty of Ireland, to superintend this and other worlds then carrying on there. Here, and wherever he went, a rat fol* lowed and haunted him by day and by night ; hoip^* ever anxious to rid himself from so troublesome an attendant, he could neither escape from nor kill it ; where he travelled it travelled, and where he slept it riept, continuing its persecution to the last of his days* One day, having preached in the church of St. Mary's, Athlone, after he had descended from tne pulpit, all the congregation, except the clerk^ having withdrawn, this rat made its appearance, when Mr. Lewys presented a pistol, with which he was always prepared, to shoot it ; but, such was the sagacity and quickness of this unaccountable animal that it avoided the shot by leaping on th^ pistol and biting the thumb which held it, thereby inflicting' a wound which, from the laceration of the nerve, be* ing succeeded by a locked jaw, not long after termi nated in his death.

However ridiculous this tradition, as the relation of it may possibly excite inquiry, and thereby lead to the true history of the subject, it is given as received ' from the oldest inhabitants of the place, among whom there are some who do not refuse it credit — Credat Jodaeus.

In the compartment No. 5 is the following, in sunk letters : —

lo tke reifn of oar Bov«r«lsD Lord Kisf George 2, 1730,

OflSi. Peler'Sy MdoHe. it

Bei^nin Price attktxieace of ye Riffat Ronblfe. Litfy KatlMrliit JodM and tht' Cnquwiiii of Attleaey tiM HdDim». CMt. 81. QAirte;

&iref«j|;»w The work was conplcftted ye year fbllowingt Willm. Hanifloeki Stqit. Smii. ObiUtiu Handcoeky Bsqrei SaperTise.

Mr. lokn Plodier and Mr: Edwin ThonlaB, OV'erteeia.

Uoder the compartment No. 3, containing the Qoeeo's arms, is.

Gin to Ccatr tbat witf cb is Ceorr't, and Ut Ood tbat wfaicb if Oed%.« •

In Gompartment No. 7 is,

Robarte Daaport, Oreraeer of Tbya Wvrbyi.

•

There are four bridges in the parish of St. Peiter, Bri4iMi three of which are over a canal which is cot for thd. purpose of forming an uninterrupted narigation on . the Shannon northward of Athlone, whero the ford, OD whjeh the bridge ^ready mentioned is buUtt bad iaterropted any eommunicatum farther up that riTer. This canal, which is somewhat more than a mile long, inclose to the end of tile town, and, by means of a- ^rre of the- rirer in this place, to* the eastwa^rd, whidi joins it to- the^nmal aboTO and below the town» forms ad ishmd, in wbieh tiiat part of the town whioh. » in the parish of St. Peter is situated, t<^ther with ftbout sixty acres of land* There is another bridge orer a rauiU riyer' at a place ci^ed BeolnamuUa/

* TUiMcoM to baTca raference to tbs toll (called pontage) paid for cittlt paiiiac Um bridfv.

B

68

BridfM.

B«d<.

tioui.

* SM&iical AecomA

which crosses the parish, nearij abont the middle,