SLIGO

SLIGO, a maritime county in the north-west of Ireland, and the province of Connaught, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Leitrim, on the south-east by Roscommon, and on the south and west by Mayo. It extends from N. Lat. 53. 54. to 54. 28., and from W. Long. 8. 10. to 9. 10.; being 38 miles in its greatest length from north to south, between Mullaghmore Head and Lough Gara, and 41 in breadth from west to east, between Ardaree and the junction of the three counties of Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim, and comprehending an area of 721 square miles, or 461,753 acres; of which 290,696 are arable, 151,723 uncultivated, 6,134 in plantations, 460 in towns, and 12,740 under water.

According to Ptolemy the geographer, this district was inhabited by the tribe of the Nagnatae, whose chief city, Nagnata, is supposed to have been situated somewhere in the vicinity of the town of Sligo. It afterwards formed part of the kingdom of Connaught, one of the five into which the island was divided previously to the arrival of the English, in the reign of Henry II. Subsequently, it came into the possession of one of the family of the O'Connors, kings of Connaught, who was called O'Conor Sligo, to distinguish him from the other chieftains of the same family; and under him the heads of the sept of O'Bean, O'Doud, O'Gara, O'Hara, M'Donogh, and M'Firbis, were subordinate chieftains in their respective districts. After a protracted struggle between the natives and the English, it fell into the hands of the De Burgos, who, either by force or treaties, had made themselves masters of the greater part of the ancient kingdom of Connaught. When the province was made shire-ground by Elizabeth, in 1569,

Sligo. Sligo formed one of the seven counties into which it was divided; but so far from being thus rendered amenable to the jurisdiction of that queen, it became the theatre of several conflicts in the war against O'Heil, chieftain of Tyrone, in the latter part of Elizabeth's reign. The most remarkable of these was that with Sir Conyers Clifford, who, in attempting to pass into the county from Roscommon with a body of from 1500 to 2000 men, in order to relieve Belleck, was attacked in a defile of the Curlew Mountains by O'Roark, chieftain of Breffney, was himself killed, and his troops were driven back with considerable loss. During the civil wars of 1641, the Irish kept possession of the open country until nearly its close, when they were reduced to submission by the parliamentary forces under Ireton. In the subsequent war of 1688, the county was held by the forces of King James for some time, but ultimately yielded to the victorious arms of William III. The French force which landed at Killalla under General Humbert in 1798, had a severe skirmish at Colony with the Limerick militia, commanded by Colonel Vereker, afterwards Viscount Gort, which ended in the retreat of the latter.

The county includes an extensive and irregular line of sea-coast along its northern border, in which are the bays of Classyvaun and Milkhaven in the north, and Brown Bay, which branches into the smaller and less frequented indentations of Drumcliff, Sligo, and Ballysadare Bays. Killalla Bay, to the west of the county, belongs also to Mayo. The island of Innismurray, of which Viscount Palmerston is the proprietor, lies about five miles off the northern coast, being separated from the mainland by a passage dangerous, except in moderate weather, from the number of reefs of rocks under water. The island itself rises precipitously on the ocean side, but shelves gradually downwards on that of the land: there is but one practicable landing-place. The whole surface extends over 209 acres, of which about 120 are arable, affording pasturage to a few cattle and sheep. There is also some bog. The inhabitants depend chiefly on the fishery, which in most seasons is abundant. The place is specially remarkable for a small chapel or cell, celebrated for an image of its patron, St Molasse. Near the chapel is a singular relic, called the cursing-stone, so named from a superstitious opinion of its efficacy in punishing guilt if appealed to according to an established form. The island is also a favourite burial-place, and was formerly the seat of extensive illicit distillation.

Mountains. The land rises into mountains of considerable height in the northern extremity of the county. The principal of these are the singularly formed limestone elevation of Benbulben, 1722 feet high, and Knocknarea, near the town of Sligo, which, however, is only 1078 in height, but standing in remarkable contrast to the rugged gneiss mountains which lie around it. King's Mountain, 1965; Gullogherboy, 1430; and Truskmore, part of which is in Leitrim, 2113. In the west are the ranges of the Slieve, Gamp, and Ox Mountains, the highest points of which are 1321 and 1600 feet, respectively. In the east, Keshcorran and Carrowkeel rise to the heights of 1183 and 1062 feet. The Curlew Mountains, in the south-east, between Roscommon and Sligo, rise only to the height of 863 feet. The principal rivers are the Moy, which forms the western boundary, separating the county from Mayo, and emptying itself into Killalla Bay; it is navigable to Ballina, six miles inland, for vessels of ten feet draught; the Tinned; the Easkey; the Ballybeg; the Dunneill; the Ballysadare river, with its branches the Owenmore, Owenbeg, and Arrow, or Unshin, and the Garogue, a short but rapid stream, rising in Lough Gill, and passing through Sligo town into the bay of the same name. All these rivers have their sources within the county. The lakes are numerous, and several of them large and highly picturesque. Lough Gill, the most northern, spreads over 3130 acres, besides a small portion in Leitrim; its western

side is richly planted, and in it are ten islands, the largest of which are Church Island, 41 acres, and Cottage Island 13. The scenery on the shores of this lake is highly romantic and picturesque, more especially in the neighbourhood of Hazlewood, the residence of the Right Honourable John Wynne. Lough Arrow, in the east, 3010 acres, is of very irregular form, and contains several islands. Loch Gara, in the south-east, 3683 acres, is also studded with small islands. Lough Talt, in a basin of the Ox Mountains, surrounded by projecting cliffs, occupies 300 acres, and is 455 feet above sea-level; it is remarkable for its abundance of trout, which vary in shape and flavour in various parts of the lake. Lough Easkey, 337 acres, lies in the same mountain-range; Templehouse lake contains 356 acres; Cloonaclougha, 177. Smaller lakes are numerous in various parts of the county.

The carboniferous, or mountain limestone, including the lower limestone, calc or black shale series, and the upper limestone, forms the basis of by much the greater portion of the county. A small tract of the yellow sandstone shows itself in the extreme north, as also on the north and east of Lough Gara, whence it extends into Mayo. The old red sandstone appears in two masses near Lough Arrow, the southern and larger portion plunging deeply into the adjoining county of Leitrim. A very small portion of the granite formation, which lies between Lough Conn and Foxford, enters the county, giving place to a broad belt of trap porphyry, bounded by a narrow fringe of old red sandstone, and stretching in a north-eastern direction, along the line of the Ox Mountains to Ballysadare Bay; a mass of granite protrudes through the middle of this formation. To the south of the same bay, and west of Ballysadare town, is a small field of quartz rock. The sandstone in some tracts assumes an appearance which gave rise to the opinion that coal existed under it, but, on making the experiment, the hopes of the speculator were always disappointed. Iron was procured in large quantities, particularly at the base of the Ox Mountains, until the timber used as fuel for smelting was exhausted. Sulphate of copper and iron pyrites are frequently found in small pieces; and pure copper occasionally in the beds of some of the rivers. Manganese has also been found in various places, and clay suitable for coarse pottery near Lough Gill.

The climate, owing to the proximity of the sea and the lofty tracts of mountains with which the county is intersected, is moist, and the weather extremely variable, the atmospheric changes being so frequent and sudden as often to render the barometer an unsatisfactory test of the weather. The soil, in the mountainous districts, is a light sandy loam on a freestone bottom, interrupted by large patches of bog, and often overspread with a thin coat of turf-mould. In the low country it is rich and deep, resting on a substratum of limestone, and suitable to the growth of every kind of agricultural produce. In many parts, a superior stratum, called by the people lac-leigh, or the gray flag, is found incumbent on the limestone bottom. It is principally composed of silicious marl, in a state so compact as to be impenetrable to water; thus, by preventing the drainage of the surface, opposing what was for some time deemed an insurmountable obstacle to the successful culture of the land. But it was afterwards discovered, that deep trenching, so as to cut through the adhesive layer, not only served to carry off the water effectually, which now passed freely through the subjacent limestone gravel, but to add to the fertility of the soil; the marl, when broken up and mixed with the surface mould, proving a valuable compost. Timber was abundant, until destroyed by the consumption of it required for the iron-works, and by its lavish use for domestic and agricultural purposes, without any regard to the formation of a fresh supply. That the land is capable of furnishing plenty of this valuable article

is evident from the manner in which young forest-trees of various kinds shoot up in the mountainous districts, and in the escars which traverse the county in various directions, checked in their growth only by want of due care to protect the young shoots from the depredations of cattle. But this defect in the picturesque and agricultural character of the surface is diminishing. The attention of the principal landholders has been directed to the increase of forest timber, and numerous plantations are to be seen round the mansions and villas of the gentry, particularly on the borders of the beautiful lakes which grace the landscape. The prevalence of western gales from the Atlantic forbids the full growth of trees near the shore, except the willow and sycamore. Arbutus of small size grows freely in most parts, as does the myrtle in the more favoured aspects. Many parts of the beach along the sea-shore are covered with a coralline sand, interspersed with numerous beds of oyster-shells of considerable extent. These beds are also found in some parts of the interior, at elevations of more than 50 feet above high-water mark.

Population. The population, like that of every other county in Ireland, was for some time steadily on the increase, until the census of 1851 revealed the extent to which the population had been reduced by famine and emigration. The number of inhabitants at several periods was as follows:—

The two latest of these statements exhibit the density of the population in 1841 as being 251 to the square mile, and in 1851, 178, showing a decrease of 73 inhabitants to each square mile in the course of a few years, the diminution not having commenced until the year 1845. According to the census taken by the commissioners of Public Instruction in 1834, the population was estimated at 174,400, of which number 17,900 were Protestants, and 156,500 Roman Catholics; the former being to the latter as one to nine nearly. The number of Presbyterians and other dissenters, who are included in the preceding statement of numbers among the Protestants, amounted to 560.

In the return of the commissioners of Education in 1824-6, the only one in which the difference of religious persuasion of the children receiving instruction in public schools is noted, the numbers of each of these are,—of the Established Church, 2558; Protestant dissenters, 200; and Roman Catholics, 7495. Of the total number of schools, 226, included in the same return, 130 were pay-schools, in which the teachers were remunerated by the pupils' fees, and 74 were supported, either wholly or partially, by voluntary subscriptions, and but 22 by grants of public money. The number of schools in the county, and of pupils attending them, in the week ending the 12th of April 1851 was:—

At the same period, 58 per cent. of the male, and 68 per cent. of the female, population, were unable to read or write.

The county is divided into the six baronies of Carbury, Coolavin, Corran, Leney, Tiraghrill, and Tyreragh, which are subdivided into thirty-nine parishes; of these, twenty-three are in the diocese of Tuam, and sixteen in that of Elphin. The county was represented in the Irish parliament by four members; two for the county and two for the borough of Sligo. By the Act of Union, the number was reduced to three, one being deducted from the borough. The Reform Act made no change in this respect. The constituency of the county is about 2500. The county is in the Connaught circuit; the assizes, and some of the sessions of the peace, are held in the town of Sligo, which contains the county court-house and prison. Sessions of the peace are also held at Ballymote and Easky, where there are likewise court-houses and bridewells. The county infirmary, and the district lunatic asylum, for this county and Leitrim, are in the county town.

Most parts of the county afford ample scope for agricultural improvements, either in tillage or pasturage. Oats and potatoes are the principal crops on the tillage land. The culture of wheat was long unknown, the coldness and humidity of the climate having been deemed insuperable bars to its successful treatment, but it is now raised on the rich lowlands. Green crops, under the rotation system, are more attended to every year. The spade, in many of the mountain districts, still supplies the place of the plough. Fences of every kind are usually constructed, those of dry stones being most common, particularly in the more elevated districts, where the farmers adopt this mode of structure, as well to clear their fields of surface stones as to secure them from trespass. Sea-weed, collected on the shore, which, some years ago, had been manufactured into kelp, is now used as manure, and is in such repute that it is carried twenty miles up the country. The beds of oyster-shells, and the coralline sand, on some stretches of the beach, are also applied to the same purpose. Tillage farms are from five acres, and even lower, to two hundred or three hundred in size. Those used chiefly for pasturage are often of much greater extent, and were formerly held by a number of tenants in a species of partnership, according to which each had an exclusive portion of tillage ground, while a large tract of mountain or coarse bottom-land was depastured in common; but this system is altogether obsolete. Though the tillage system is much encouraged, it is still subordinate to that of pasturage, which is adopted in all parts of the county, and on every description of soil. The extent of land under each description of crop in the following years was:—

Horned cattle of the largest size are fattened in the rich lowland plains; young cattle are reared in the hilly and mountain districts; sheep also are kept in large flocks, particularly in the western baronies. Much butter is made, both in dairy farms and by small landholders. Swine, which are reared in great numbers, are looked upon as a

Sligo. very profitable source of income. Goats are not common. The native breed of horses has little to recommend it, unless when improved by crosses from those of the neighbouring counties, in which more attention is paid to them. The quantity of live stock in the county, at several periods, has been ascertained to be as follows:—

The bays abound with both round and flat fish. The herring visits the coast in large shoals, and the sun-fish and some species of whales are frequently seen in the offing. But this source of profitable industry is far from being rendered as productive as the natural capabilities of the place would warrant. The Sligo fishery district extends from Ballina Bridge to Mullaghmore, and in 1851 employed 475 registered vessels, and 2724 men and boys; but since that period the numbers are much reduced. Of the larger fish, cod, hake, haddock, skate, and turbot, are the most abundant. Sprats are taken in great quantities. The Lissadill oyster is much esteemed. This fish, with many others of the shell kind, as lobsters, crabs, scallops, &c., are found in many other parts of the coast. There are large and profitable salmon fisheries at Ballina, Sligo, and Ballysadare; and the numerous lakes and rivers supply the usual species of fresh-water fish in equal abundance. The increase of agricultural improvement of late years is mainly attributable to the facilities for export afforded by the ports of Sligo and Ballina, but more especially the former, it being the great mart of commerce for the whole county, except its western districts, which, for the same purpose, take advantage of their vicinity to the latter. The statements relative to the external trade will be found in the subsequent description of the town and port of Sligo. The inland trade, in consequence of the want of communication by inland navigation or railroads, has been confined to that of coarse cloths, woollens, and stockings from Connaught, and to the sale of linen, mostly for domestic use. The chief trade of this description is from Sligo town to Boyle, in Roscommon, and thence, by the Shannon and the two canals, to more distant counties. A more confined traffic is carried on with Colony.

Manufactures. The linen manufacture was introduced into the county so lately as the middle of the last century, when a number of weavers were located at Ballymore by Lord Shelburne. It continued to flourish for many years, but at length suffered, as in other parts, by the depression of the trade, and by the introduction of that of cotton. Coarse woollens are still made for domestic consumption. In the neighbourhood of the larger towns are several thriving tanneries, distilleries, and breweries; and the manufacture of flour has caused the erection of numerous mills, which prepare large quantities of grain, both for home consumption and export. The manufacture of kelp is nearly extinct.

There is a considerable number of resident gentry in the county in proportion to its size, and consequently many elegant mansions and well-planted demesnes, which contribute more and more every year to diminish the former denuded appearance of the landscape, arising from the improvident destruction of its ancient timber. The houses of the smaller farmers are plain but comfortable; but the cottages of the peasantry generally present indications of poverty. They are either of stone or mud, rudely thatched with straw or rushes. The food of the labouring classes are potatoes and eaten bread, with some milk and fish, and meat on extraordinary occasions. Fuel from the bogs is abundant. Coal, imported from Great Britain by the vessels which take in return cargoes of agricultural produce, is used in the larger towns, and by the respectable

families in their vicinity; but the high price precludes its general use throughout the county. The garments of the men are chiefly of home-manufactured wool, and so were those of the women until the native fabrics were supplanted by cheap cottons. The Irish language was understood, in 1851, by 30 per cent. of the population, or 38,644 persons; of which number 10,584 could speak Irish only. The rustic customs and amusements resemble those of the other north-western counties, in which the language and habits introduced from Scotland are less prevalent than in the eastern parts of Ulster.

There are numerous relics of ancient structures. An Antiquarian round tower at Drumcliff, in Carbury barony, differs from all others in Ireland, in being of smaller size, and inferior architecture. Near the church where it stands, are two stone crosses. On Knocknaree Mountains are several cairns; and in the same mountains, a deep valley, called the Glen of Knocknaree, thickly planted and watered by several romantic falls, appears to have been formed by a violent organic shock, causing a fissure through the mountain; it is about three-quarters of a mile in length, thirty feet only in width, and its wall-like boundaries about forty feet in height. Some grottoes, hollowed out of the side of a hill near Carron, are of unknown antiquity. Near Sligo town is a cromlech, and a number of circular structures, popularly called giants' graves. Near Castleconnor, in Tyreragh barony, are several vaults of a square form, whether built for cemeteries or storehouses is uncertain. There are several remains of ancient castles in different parts of the county. That of Knocknamoyle, crowning an elevated hill near Skreen, is supposed to have existed before the arrival of the English; the others are thought to have been built since. Upwards of forty monastic buildings are noticed by antiquaries, the ruins of ten of which are still visible; eight others have been converted into parochial churches, but the remainder are known only by name, even the site of some of them being either doubtful or undiscoverable. At Temple House, six miles from Colony, are the extensive ruins of a former residence of the Knights' Templars, who had a settlement there.