maritime county in the province of Munster, in Ireland, is bounded on the north by the estuary of the river Shannon, which separates it from the county of Clare; on the east by the counties of Limerick and Cork; on the south by the county of Cork and the Atlantic; and on the west by the same ocean. The tribe of the Juvenii inhabited this part of Ireland during the time when Ptolemy wrote. Previously to the English invasion, the O'Connors were in possession of its northern parts, the Moriartys of the middle, and the O'Sullivans and O'Donoghues of the southern. The McCarthys were also a powerful sept here; but their property afterwards fell into the hands of the Fitzgeralds, from whom was descended the Desmond family, the head of which exercised an authority nearly equal to that of sovereign in Kerry and the adjoining counties till the close of the reign of Elizabeth. The county was made shire-ground so early as 1210, by King John; but afterwards the southern part of it, together with a large portion of the county of Cork, as far as the mouth of the Blackwater, was formed into a palatinate in favour of the earl just named. After the attainder of the last Earl of Desmond, and the confiscation of his property, the county was portioned out amongst English adventurers, the principal of whom were the Denys, the Brownes, and the Conways. It is at present divided into the eight baronies of Clanmaurice, Corkaguiney, Dunkerron, Glaneragh, Irachticonnor, Iveragh, Magonyhy, and Trughenachym. It extends over a surface of 1,148,720 acres, of which 581,189 acres are cultivated land, 552,862 acres are mountain and bog, and the remaining 14,699 acres are covered with water. The average length and breadth of Kerry is sixty miles from north to south, by fifty-four from east to west.

The county contains the two dioceses of Ardfert and Aghadoe, which have from time immemorial been united so intimately that the parishes belonging to each cannot be ascertained. In 1663 they were both allowed to be held in commendam by the Bishop of Limerick, and the union thus formed has not been since disturbed. This union of dioceses is the only one that has not been in some manner altered by the late arrangements for the reduction of the number of Irish bishoprics. The diocese of Ardfert includes the northern part of the county; the seat of the see is Ardfert, a small town, now little more than a village. The cathedral was burned in the wars of 1641. A small part of the building was afterwards fitted up for divine service, and has been since kept in decent repair. The seat of the diocese of Aghadoe, which comprehended the southern part of the county, is at a place of the same name, near Killarney, where the ruins of the cathedral are still to be seen. The number of parishes in the united dioceses is eighty-eight, five of which are in the county of Cork.

The land in the northern part of the county is low and level, although it rises to a considerable elevation at the north-western promontory of Kerry Head, which presents an elevated summit to the fury of the Atlantic. The middle part is an upland, gradually rising to the east and south; the southern is wholly mountain and glen, having in it some of the highest points in Ireland. The loftiest of these is Garraun-Tual, 3410 feet above the sea, being the summit of the range called McGillycuddy's Reeks, which stretches across the barony of Dunkerron, sending out several branches in various directions. Of these, Mangerton, stretching towards the east, is the next in elevation, being 2550 feet high; more eastward of which are the Paps, rising to a height of 2250 feet; and between both these, Turk, Glena, and Tomies Mountains, all of elevations little inferior. To the west are the mountains of Drung and Cullee, each 2000 feet high, separating Dunkerron from Iveragh, in which latter barony or peninsula are the lofty summits of Knockalin, 2150 feet, Knockadubber, 2000, and Knockatubrid, 1556 feet high. More northerly are Brandon Hill, Sheve Mish, the Stacks, and the Glanruddery Mountains, all of inferior elevation to those already mentioned. These mountain ranges are intersected by deep and precipitous glens, possessing features of sublime and picturesque scenery. One, called the Gap of Dunlo, lying between Tomies and McGillycuddy's Reeks, is formed by mountains on each side, nearly perpendicular, and opens into a valley watered by a succession of mountain lakes, and terminated by a romantic waterfall. These valleys are the beds through which numerous rivers take their course. The most northern rivers are the Feale, Gale, and Brick, which, having formed a junction near Rattoochurch, discharge their united streams, under the name of the Cashen, into the estuary of the Shannon. The Mang passes by Castlemaine, and empties itself into Dingle Bay. The Flesk, after a winding course through Glanflesk, falls into the Lake of Killarney, from which it passes, under the name of the Laune or Lane, with a body of waters much augmented, into Dingle Bay. The Carra, rising in the mountains of Dunkerron, falls into the same bay. The Faharta and the Inny rise in Drung Mountain, and flow westward, the former into Valentia Harbour, the latter into Ballinskellig's Bay. The Roughty empties itself into the head of the estuary called Kenmare River. The Blackwater forms part of the boundary between this county and Cork. Lakes are numerous, but few of large size. The principal is the Lake of Killarney, celebrated for its scenery. It is situated near the town of Killarney, at the northern side of the range of mountains of which the Reeks form the summit, and consists of three lakes, named the Lower, Turk, and Upper. The first and second are separated only by a narrow isthmus, on which the fine ruin of Murcrus Abbey stands. The third is situated three miles higher in the mountains, and is connected with the others by a river navigable by boats, and equally admired as the lakes themselves for the scenery of its banks. The lower lake is studded with several islands, of which the most remarkable, both for fertility and beauty, is Innisfallen, on which stand the ruins of an abbey of the same name. The island also gives name to one of the most ancient of the native chronicles, entitled the Annals of Innisfallen. On Ross Island are the ruins of Ross Castle, which made a gallant stand against the parliamentary forces in the wars of 1641. Another is named O'Donoghoe's Prison, from being supposed to have been used as a place of confinement by a chieftain of that name. The other more remarkable features of the Lower Lake are O'Sullivan's Cascade, and the Bay of Glena, where there is an extraordinary echo. Turk Lake has but one island, named the Devil's Island. The Upper Lake has several. The most remarkable are, Oak, Arbutus, Ronar's, and Eagle Islands. The Lower Lake is not more than fifty feet above the level of the sea. The other lakes in the county are Lough Carrane, near Ballinskellig's Bay, containing several Kerry.

islands; Loughs Derriana and Elaineane, in the mountains of Iveragh; and Lough Brien, Carra, and Gutane, in Dunkerron. The Devil's Punch-Bowl is a small but very deep lake, near the summit of Mangerton Mountain; its water is extremely cold. Lough Quintan, near Kilmacaloge Harbour, has some small floating islands in it.

The coast is indented by several large bays. That next the county of Cork is the estuary of the Kenmare River, which contains some good harbours, and has a number of small islands along its shores. The next is Ballinskellig's Bay, to the north of which are the Skellig Islands. On the largest of these there was a convent, which was afterwards transferred to the mainland. The gannet breeds here, and nowhere else on the coast. North of this bay is Valentia Island, separated from the mainland by a safe and capacious roadstead, which has been chosen as the termination of a proposed railway from Dublin across Ireland, for facilitating the communication with North America. Dingle Bay succeeds, containing within it Castlemaine and Dingle Harbours, and having the Blasket Islands at its northern extremity. Dunmore Head, to the north-west of this bay, is the most western point of Ireland. Smerwick Bay, Brandon Bay, and Tralee Bay are adapted for smaller vessels only; between the two latter are the Magharees or Seven Hogs Islands. Ballyheige Bay is separated from the Shannon by the bold promontory of Kerry Head. Within the mouth of the Shannon are the harbours of Ballylongford and Tarbert, the latter protected by the island of the same name.

The climate is mild, but moist. Many plants, generally deemed suitable only for the genial atmosphere of more southern latitudes, grow here freely; and cattle remain frequently in the open air during the whole winter. The soil in the northern parts is retentive and coarse; the middle district is mostly of an alluvial character. The valley of the river Mang is entirely limestone. The uplands are chiefly argillaceous, but with limestone intermixed. The valleys in the mountainous region of the south are mostly covered with bog; and, though at present little better than wastes, they are capable, from their favourable exposure, of being cultivated to advantage. All the limestone in the county is secondary, with marine remains and calc spar. The north-western coast to Kerry Head is composed of beds of argillaceous sandstone, nearly horizontal, in the partings of which, the quartz crystals called Kerrystones are found. The midland district is mostly argillaceous, composed chiefly of slate clay and hard sandstone, covering beds of anthracolite and culm, which has not been raised for fuel, partly on account of the abundance of turf, partly from the offensive vapour of the coal when ignited. The component rock of the mountains which form the whole of the southern district is of the transition class, being a clay slate or ardesia. The slate is quarried for roofing, particularly at Valentia Island. It is light and durable, splits readily, bears piercing, and is harder and more siliceous than that of Bangor. In all the mountains the common gritstone contains large quantities of spar or crystal. Detached blocks of it are also found in the valleys, in some places in such quantity as seriously to impede cultivation. Iron ore is found in great plenty in the southern parts, and was largely manufactured at Killarney and Blackstones, until the works were stopped by the failure of timber for fuel. Copper was raised at Mucruss and Ardferd. The marble of Tralee is marked like that of Kilkenny, but with larger spots; other kinds of marble have been raised in various parts. Fine amethysts have been found near Kerry Head. Potters' and pipe clay, a substance like tripoli, brown ochre, and fuller's earth, are to be met with in various places. The whetstones found near the Devil's Punch-Bowl are much valued. Fossil shells, particularly of the cockle species, are frequent. Several mineral springs, some chalybeate, others sulphuro-chalybeate, have been discovered. Of the former, there is one near Killarney, another near Valentia Island, another at the mouth of the Inny, and several between Blackstones and Killorglin. Of the latter, the most celebrated are near Dingle, Castlemaine, and Tralee. A saline spring at Magherybeg, in Corkaguiney, rises a little below high-water mark, bursting out of a clear white sand.

The deep and extensive vales with which the mountainous district in the south is everywhere indented, are almost wholly occupied with bog, most of which, from its elevated position, and the declivities of the land, would admit of easy and profitable reclamation. The extent of bog throughout the county is estimated at 171,054 acres. One species of it, called by the people meagh-bone, or fat turf, is of a highly inflammable quality, and is therefore used more to give light than heat: a small piece applied to a lighted candle burns like a wax taper. The county was once covered with timber, much of which has been cut down for the supply of the iron-works; but there are still many fine tracts of wood; and, even where the land has been cleared, its re-growth is prevented solely by the cattle; for, wherever these are excluded, the trees shoot up from the old roots so vigorously as often to choke up the young plantations. Some of the great landed proprietors are very attentive to the rearing of timber trees.

The population of the county, according to the estimate of De Burgo, amounted to 56,628 in 1760; in 1792, Beaufort judged it to amount to 107,000. The first parliamentary census, taken in 1813, which, however, was very inaccurate, stated it at 178,622; that of 1821, the most correct of any, gives 216,185; that of 1831, 264,559. The census of 1834 being returned according to dioceses instead of counties, prevents the specification of the amount of the population at that period; but from that return it appears that the dioceses of Ardfert and Aghadoe, which are nearly commensurate with the county, contained 304,687 souls, of whom 7529 were Protestants of the established church, twenty-seven Protestant dissenters, and 297,131 Roman Catholics.

The returns of inquiries relative to education present the following results:

| Boys | Girls | Sex unascertained | Total | |------|-------|-------------------|-------| | 1821 | 10,106 | 3532 | 13,638 | | 1824–26 | 14,406 | 5609 | 20,091 |

Of the number specified in the second of these returns, 1026 were of the established church, 19,055 Roman Catholics, ten whose religious persuasion was unascertained. The total number of schools was 354, of which twenty-six, containing 1062 pupils, were supported by grants of public money; twenty-nine, containing 2766 pupils, by voluntary contributions of societies or individuals; the remaining 299, containing 16,263 pupils, were wholly supported by the fees of the parents and friends of the children who had recourse to them for instruction.

The relative numbers of Protestant and Roman Catholic children at the schools at the latter period were 1026 and 19,065; of which numbers, 16,263 paid for their education, 2766 were educated by voluntary subscriptions, and only 1062 derived the means of education from the grants of public money. This county was formerly famous for the knowledge of the Latin language acquired by the peasantry. The same holds good to the present day, though in an inferior degree. A taste for mathematics and arithmetic also prevails.

Previously to the union, the county returned eight members to parliament; two for the county, and two for each of the boroughs of Tralee, Dingle, and Ardfert. By the union the number was reduced to three, two for the county, and one for Tralee; and the reform act has made no change in this arrangement. The number of magistrates is 126, of whom fifteen are clergymen. The preservation of the peace is in the charge of the constabulary, consisting of six chief constables, thirty-two constables, and ninety-six sub-constables, making a total of 128 individuals.

The state of the constituency before and after the reform act is as follows:

| Date | L.100. | L.50. | L.20. | L.10. | 40s. | Total | |------------|--------|-------|-------|-------|------|-------| | 1st Jan. 1829 | 88 | 460 | 269 | ... | 3776 | 4593 | | 1st Jan. 1830 | 88 | 476 | 334 | 126 | ... | 1024 | | 1st May 1832 | ... | 277 | 231 | 653 | ... | 1161 |

Tillage is in a more backward state than in any other part of Ireland, no regular system being practised. The usual crops are, potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, and flax; green crops are little known; rape is cultivated in a few places, for the seed. Dairies are numerous, particularly in the northern parts. The management of the cattle, and the manufacture of the butter, are judicious. An hundred thousand firkins of butter are annually sent to Cork for sale. Lime is much used for manure, as is also sea-sand, one species of which, called floating sand, from its great lightness, and found to consist wholly of fragments of shell, is much prized. In the mountainous parts the plough is little used, the tillage being chiefly executed by a long narrow-bladed spade, called a loy.

Kerry was remarkable for a small breed of black cattle and of horses. But both have degenerated so far as to be nearly extinct, in consequence of the introduction of English breeds. The native Kerry cow was prized for the beauty of its shape, the quantity of its milk, the facility with which it was fattened, and the excellence of its beef. The ponies were formerly found to be strong enough for agricultural purposes, but are now so degenerate as to be unfit for anything but light saddle weights. Numbers of them, which never felt the restraint of a halter until transferred to the purchaser, are annually driven down from the mountains to the fairs held in the northern district. The Suffolk punch is now the favourite breed amongst the farmers. The sheep are of the mountain kind, in some parts of large size, and in general carrying good clothing wool. They have a strong resemblance to the Spanish merinos, from which they are supposed to be descended.

The chief manufacture is that of coarse linen, which is mostly confined to the barony of Corkaguiney. A quality of narrow cloth, of strong texture, called bundle linen, and also "box and trap," was in great demand for the army and the West India market. It owed its reputation to the careful method of preparing the yarn, but has latterly fallen into disrepute from mismanagement. The manufacture of wool is almost entirely confined to that employed in the domestic consumption, the rest being sent in the raw state to the Cork and Limerick markets. Flannels, however, are sold in some quantities in the markets of Tralee and Dingle. There are some distilleries, and several breweries, in the northern part of the county.

The fishery is chiefly carried on at Dingle and Valentia, from the former in row-boats, and from the latter in sailing vessels. A fishery is also carried on along the shores of the Kenmare River. All kinds of round fish are taken, as are also herrings. Pilchards were caught in large quantities, but they have latterly deserted the coast. Shell-fish of every kind are large and abundant. Salmon is caught in the rivers; but in some places the numbers are considerably diminished by the seals which frequent the rocky shores. These are sometimes shot while basking on the cliffs; at other times they are taken by moonlight in the caves, whither they retire to sleep. This latter mode of capture is attended with danger, as these animals fight desperately with their teeth, when driven to extremity, particularly when their cubs are in danger.

The state of the peasantry varies greatly in the different parts of the county. In the mountainous districts they are comfortable; and, though poorly housed, are well clothed, and enjoy an abundance of fuel. In some parts, the women wear a very becoming dress, consisting of a jacket of crimson or scarlet cloth, with long loose sleeves, made to fit very close round the neck and bosom, and fastened in front with a row of buttons. Marriages are contracted at a very early age; young men are often husbands at eighteen, and young women wives much sooner. In other districts the cattle and pigs are housed under the same roof with the family; the bedding is straw, hay, or dry rushes, with a blanket or coverlet, the floors of the cabins being mostly beneath the level of the soil, with no aperture but the door to let in the light or give vent to the smoke; the clothing is poor and scanty, two thirds of the population being without shoes or stockings; the diet, potatoes and sour-milk. The wages in spring and harvest are tenpence a-day, at other seasons there is no employment. Labourers have been known to offer their day's employment for two-pence. In stature, the men are generally tall and well-proportioned, with swarthy complexions, dark eyes, and long black hair, exhibiting marked traces of their Spanish origin. They are a frank, honest race, of independent spirit, acute understanding, and of a friendly, hospitable disposition to strangers.

Remains of antiquity are numerous and singular. The most remarkable, as being unique, is a circular building on the mountains, on the north side of Kenmare River, called Staigue Fort. It surrounds an enclosure about eighty-eight feet in diameter. The wall is about ten feet high, built entirely of dry stone, without mortar, yet so smooth and compact on the outside as to have defied the ravages of time. On the inside it is built in the form of steps, so as to resemble a kind of amphitheatre. The entrance is by a small door, looking directly southwards. Nothing certain is known as to the origin or purpose of this singular erection. Among other conjectures, the most prevalent is that it was devoted to religious exhibitions. A late ingenious inquirer supposes, from the position of the door, that it had been an observatory. The remains of three pillar towers still exist. One at Ardert fell in 1771; of the second, at Aghadoe, about twenty feet remain standing; the third and most perfect is at Rattoo. The ruins of monastic institutions are numerous. The most celebrated is Macross Abbey, on the peninsula which divides the two lower lakes of Killarney; it is one of the great objects of interest to visitors of that place. In the cloisters, which are surrounded by a colonnade, in two different styles of Gothic architecture, is a venerable yew tree, that throws its branches over the whole interior. Ballinskellig Monastery stood originally on the largest of the islands of the same name, but was afterwards removed to a site on the adjoining mainland: it is in yearly danger of being washed away by the sea. O'Dorney Abbey, near the river Brick, is now a shapeless ruin. Rattoo is said to have been once the site of seven churches, and of a commandery of knights of St John, and also to have been a borough town. There was a Dominican monastery at Tralee; but no traces of it now remain. The ruins of several stone cells, supposed to have been the residence of anchorites, still exist. There are many remains of ancient castles. Among the most remarkable are those of Carrigafoyle, Dunlo, Ballyheige, and Ardea, commanding an extensive view of Kenmare River, and once the residence of the O'Sullivans; Dunkerron, another seat of the same family; and Innisfallen, on the island of the same name. This last was taken by General Ludlow during the wars of 1641. A singular dyke, called Clee Ruagh, or the Red Ditch, proceeds from Kerry Head to the Cashin River, and thence to Limerick county, where its traces are no longer visible; it is supposed to have formed the boundary line between the principalities of Thomond and Desmond.

Tralee, the assize town, and the largest in the county, was once the chief residence of the Earls of Desmond, and the place where they held their palatine court. On the ruin of that family, it was made the county town, and obtained a charter, with the right of returning two members to parliament, which it retained till the union, when it was deprived of one of its members. Previously to that period, the constituency was limited to the burgesses, fifteen in number, who were nominated by the proprietor of the town, Sir Edward Denny. It now consists of 180 burgesses and householders. The town suffered greatly in the civil wars of 1641 and 1688. Its situation is healthy and picturesque, but not well adapted for trade, as large vessels can approach no nearer than the Sampire Islands, two miles distant. The court-house and jail form one side of a square in the centre of the town. The other public buildings are, the church, which is a fine modern structure, the Roman Catholic chapel, the Methodist and Independent meeting-houses, the county infirmary, the dispensary, and an infantry barrack for six hundred men. The remains of one of the four castles belonging to the Desmond family are still in existence. At some distance from the town is a celebrated sulphuro-chalybeate spa. The population in 1832 amounted to 9562. The next town in rank and population is Killarney, which owes its celebrity chiefly to the lakes in its neighbourhood; and there were, till lately, extensive iron mines wrought here. Mennius states, that there were four circles of mines round this town; tin, lead, copper, and iron. Tin has not been found here in modern times. Lord Kenmare's seat is contiguous to the town. Its population is 4710. Dingle, a place of some trade, and a fishing station, contains 4357 inhabitants. The population of the other towns which have more than one thousand inhabitants each is as follows: Listowel, 2289; Castleisland, once the county town, but now a declining village, 1569; Milltown, 1427; Ballylongford, a rising sea-port on the Shannon, with a very improveable harbour, 1300; Cahirsiveen, 1192; and Kenmare, at the head of the estuary of the same name, 1072.