MONAGHAN, a county of Ireland, in the province of Ulster, extending about 38 English miles from north to south, and 24 miles from east to west, contains 509 English square miles, or 325,760 English acres. It is situated in the diocese of Clogher, and ecclesiastical province of Armagh, and is divided into five baronies and 21 parishes. Its boundaries are Armagh and Tyrone on the north; Armagh, Meath, and Louth, on the east; Cavan and Louth on the south; and Fermanagh on the west.
Surface, &c.
The surface of this district is marked by a succession of low grounds and detached hills, which, in other quarters of no great height, attain a considerable elevation on the borders of Tyrone and Armagh; and a considerable space is occupied with bogs and small lakes. It has not the advantage of being much sheltered and ornamented with woods and inclosures, which both the soil and climate are said to require; yet it contains a few handsome seats, with considerable plantations around them; and towards the middle of the county there is a considerable tract of fertile land, with a subsoil of limestone gravel. In other parts, though the soil be rather wet, it is far from being unproductive. The rivers and rivulets are the Blackwater, the Fane, the Lagan, the Ballybays, and a few others. Some of these flow westward to Loch Carne, and others eastward into the county of Louth; but none of them are of such importance as to require particular notice. The Blackwater is for some distance the boundary between this county and Tyrone. Limestone, sandstone, and marl, are spread throughout a great part of it. Some valuable quarries of sandstone have been long wrought among the hills on the north, near the boundary with Tyrone. In the same quarter very good millstones have been raised.
Estates.
Monaghan contains a few large estates, but the greater part of it is divided into small ones, many of which do not yield a free income equal to the ordinary wages of labour. A few years ago, there was only 172 freeholders of L. 50 and upwards, out of nearly 6000. Most of the considerable proprietors
are absentees, and very little of the landed property is in the hands of Catholics.
Farms were so small a few years ago, as not to Farms. average ten Irish acres over the whole county; and the management, as might be expected, was exceedingly unskilful and unproductive. The spade was used much more than the plough; the latter being an implement which, with the team required to work it, and the party to attend and direct it, could be brought into action only by the united efforts of several tenants. The general term of leases is 21 years, and a life, or sometimes three lives. The principal crops are oats, potatoes, and flax, with wheat and barley in a small proportion; these last, however, extend over a much greater tract now than they did a few years ago. They make a good deal of butter, but there are no large dairies. Goats are in greater numbers than sheep, which is of itself a sufficient proof of the low state of its agriculture.
Monaghan, however, has been long distinguished Manufact- for its linen manufacture, which is said to have ave- tures. raged, twenty years ago, about L. 200,000 a-year. It is carried on by the greater portion of the inhabitants of both sexes, all the small farmers being also weavers. This county has no other manufacture worth noticing, and little besides that can be spared for export, being more populous for its extent, owing to this minute division of land, than many others that are more productive. The towns and villages are Monaghan, the county town, Clones, Carrickmacross, Castle Blaney, Drum, Castle Shane, Ballybay, and Emlyvale. The first sent two members to the Irish Parliament; but all of them being inconsiderable places, they have no share in the elections for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to which the county itself sends two members. The Catholics are said to be to the Protestants as about 5 to 1, most of the latter being Presbyterians. In 1790, Monaghan contained 118,000 inhabitants, which is nearly 232 for every English square mile.—See the general works quoted under the former Irish counties, and Sir Charles Coote's Statistical Survey of Monaghan. (A.)