THE ANCIENT AND MODERN HISTORY OF THE MARITIME PORTS OF IRELAND. BY ANTHONY MARMION. IT IS BY COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES, AND THE CONSEQUENT REMUNERA- THE AUTHOR. PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY J. H. BANKS, 4, LITTLE QUEEN STREET, HOLBORN, 1855. Blen 35-819 CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION-Contains a Geographical Sketch of the Island-Its discovery STATISTICS :-Population and Emigration, 52 and 613; Commerce and HISTORY OF THe Maritime PORTS:-Dublin, 193; Dublin Bay and Har- 323; North Coast, from Belfast to Coleraine, Larne, Glenarm, Cushenden and Cushendall, Benmore or Fairhead, Giant's Causeway, Island of Rathlin, Ballycastle and Portrush, 366; Coleraine, 369; Londonderry, 390; The Atlantic from Lough Foyle to Sligo Bay, Lough Swilly, Rathmullin, Rath- melton, Letterkenny, Malinhead, Tory Island, The Rosses, Splendid Fishing Ground, Killybegs, Donegall, Ballyshannon, Lough Erne, 421; Sligo, 425; Killala, 433; Ballina, 434; Broadhaven and Blacksod Harbours, 439; Clew Bay, 441; Newport, 441; Westport, 443; Killery Bay, Connemara Coast, Ballinakill, and Claggin Bays, and Innisboffin Island, their great advantages for fishing purposes, Clifden Harbour, Roundstone, Birterbuy, Kilkerrin, and Costello Bays, 447; Galway Bay, 448; Galway, 450; Coast from Galway Bay to River Shannon, 467; The River Shannon, Foynes Harbour, &c., 468; Lim- erick, 479; Tralee, 501; Smerwick Harbour, Dingle Bay, the Blaskets, 505; Valentia Harbour, The Skellig Islands, St. Finans, Ballyskelligs and Bally- donogan Bays, Kenmare River, 506; Bantry Bay, Berehaven, The French expedition under Hoche, 508; Dunmanus Bay, Mizenhead, Crookhaven, Cape Clear, the Fasnetrock, Long Island Sound, Baltimore, 512; Skibbereen, 514; Clonakilty and Court Macksherry Bays, Kinsale, 517; Cork Harbour, Queenstown, Passage, &c., 518; Cork, 523; Ballycotton Bay and Island, 546; Youghal, 546; Dungarvan, 547; Waterford Harbour, Dunmore Pier, Duncan- non Fort, the Suir, the Barrow, and the Nore, 547; Waterford, 549; New Ross, 566; Ballyteigue Bay, Bannow, the Irish Herculaneum, The Saltee Islands, Tuskar Light House, 576; Wexford, 578; Arklow, 604; Wicklow, 605; Transatlantic Packet Station Commission, 606: Harbours of Refuge on the East Coast, 611; The Customs' revenue to the 5th January, 1855, the increased trade of the ports and the improved state of Ireland in general, 631. INTRODUCTION. AS NATURAL HISTORY takes precedence of those events in which man has acted so prominent a part, no matter how ancient the date or how important the results have been, it may not be uninteresting, in the first instance, to give some idea of the geographical situation and advantages of that country to which this work is especially devoted. IRELAND is one of the largest and the most westerly island in Europe; it is delightfully situated on the bosom of the Atlantic Ocean," an emerald set in the ring of the sea," and lies between 51° 12′ and 55° 20′ north latitude, and 5° 20′ and 10° 30' west longitude. It is separated from Great Britain on the east and north-cast by St. George's Channel and the Irish Sea; and on the west and south-west its commodious harbours stretch out wide into the Atlantic, as if to invite the new world, which lies directly opposite, to consummate an alliance with the old. From Missenhead in the south to Fairhead in the north it is 241 Irish or 306 statute miles in length, and its greatest breadth is about 185 miles. Its surface contains 20,808,271 statute acres of which 630,825 are under water, 374,482 covered with plantations; 13,464,300 are cultivated, 42,929 under houses in towns; and 6,295,735 are waste. The longest day in the northern extremity is 17 hours and 12 minutes, and in the southern 16 hours and 25 minutes. Although situated in so high a degree of north latitude, the air is mild and agreeable, caused in some degree, no doubt, by its lying in the path of the Gulf Stream, or those warm ocean currents that beat and circulate around its shores; still the climate is more variable than in any other country in Europe, the natural consequence of the island being exposed to the prevailing winds from the continent of America, which imbibe the humid yet |