SHANNON, the largest river in Ireland, and one
of the finest in the British dominions, not only on
account of its rolling 200 miles, but also of its great
depth in most places, and the gentleness of its current,
by which it might be made exceedingly serviceable to
the improvement of the country, the communication of
its inhabitants, and consequently the promoting of inland
trade, through the greatest part of its long course.
But the peculiar prerogative of the Shannon is its situa-
tion, running from north to south, and separating the
province of Connaught from Leinster and Munster, and
of consequence dividing the greatest part of Ireland in-
to what lies on the east and that on the west of the ri-
ver; watering in its passage the valuable county of
Leitrim, the plentifulshire of Roscommon, the fruitful
county of Galway, and the pleasant county of Clare;
the small but fine shire of Longford, the King's coun-
ty, and fertile county of Meath in Leinster, the popu-
lous county of Tipperary, the spacious shire of Lime-
rick,
Sharp. SHANSKRIT, the language of the Bramins of Hindostan. See PHILOLOGY, sect. v.
SHARP, a rough but pleasant county of Kerry in Munster; visiting to counties in its passage, and having on its banks the following remarkable places, viz. Leitrim, Jamelown, Lanefborough, Athlone, Clonfert, Killaloe, and Limerick; at 20 leagues below the latter it spreads gradually several miles in extent, so that some have considered its expansion as a lake. It at last joins its waters to the sea, being navigable all that way for the largest vessels.