a maritime county in the province of Connaught in Ireland, is bounded on the N. and W. by the Atlantic Ocean, on the E. by the counties of Sligo and Roscommon, and on the S. by that of Galway. According to the Ordnance Survey, it comprises an area of 2131 square miles, or 1,363,882 acres; of which 497,587 only are arable, 800,111 uncultivated, 8360 in plantation, 848 in towns, and 56,976 are under water. Although this county contains a greater extent of unimproved waste lands than any other in Ireland, a large portion, more particularly in the baronies of Erris and Burrishoole on the western coast, present great facilities for reclamation and cultivation. Of the great extent of bog and moor land situated in the barony of Tyrawley, W. of Ballina, much might be improved for cultivation; but owing to the scarcity of manure, so easily obtainable on the coast of Erris and Burrishoole, not with equal advantage as in those baronies. Of the entire 800,000 acres of uncultivated land, it is estimated that 170,000 might be improved for cultivation, 300,000 might be drained for pasture, and about 330,000 must be considered unimprovable.

According to Ptolemy, the earliest inhabitants of this region were the Nagaetae. It was afterwards divided into districts, distinguished by the names of the chieftains or principal settlers; of whom those of greatest note were M'William Oughter, O'Maley, M'Jordan, O'Dondey, and O'M'Philben, to which were subsequently added the Nangles, the Dillons, and others of British descent.

The whole of Connaught, except Roscommon, was considered as one county by the English, until the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth, by whom it was made shire ground, and this county then took its name from the monastery of Mayo or Mageo in it. It is now divided into the nine baronies of Burrishoole, Carrar, Clanmorris, Costello, Erris, Gallen, Kilmaine, Murrisk, and Tyrawley. The county is in the dioceses of Tuam, Killala, and Achonry.

The appearance of the country varies very much. In the eastern parts it contains extensive plains capable of cultivation, and rising occasionally into hills of moderate height; the western part is wholly mountainous, and covered in most parts with bog, except in some places near the sea, where the soil, unless when covered with drifted sand, is sufficiently fertile. In some parts of the flat country, near Lough Mask, the ground appears like one plain of greystone, which, on a closer examination, is found to consist of parallel layers of rock rising edgeways out of the ground, and having the intervening furrows filled with a productive soil that throws up an herbage peculiarly grateful to sheep. Among the principal mountains, Muilrea (2688 feet high, the most elevated point in Connaught), is conspicuous. This fine mountain, which, with Bengorm (2286 feet), forms the northern or Mayo side of Killary Harbour, has its summit level about a mile from the sea, towards which it presents a grand and imposing aspect. Croagh-Patrick (2530 feet high) stands on the southern shore of Clew Bay. This mountain is amongst the most celebrated in Ireland, not only for its height and the majestic outline it presents from the various positions whence it can be viewed, but from the tradition that St. Patrick chose its summit as the place to stand on when he drove all the venomous reptiles of the island into the sea. Nephin, 2610 feet high, to the W. of Lough Conn, is of a conical form, with rugged and steep sides, quite isolated by its great elevation over the neighbouring country, and covered with Alpine plants to its summit. Nephin-beg, in its vicinity, is 2065 feet high. In the same district is the mountain of Berrecencurragh, 2290 feet high; and more westward, Maam-Thomnoish and Croughleeta, each very lofty, though less elevated than the preceding. The rivers which flow from these mountains are small, unless when their body of waters is increased by a violent fall of rain.

The principal are the Auln, which is navigable for large boats for 5 miles from Lough Mask; the Castlebar (or Clydagh) River, in like manner, navigable for 4 miles from Lough Conn; the Owenmore, an excellent salmon river, which flows through Erris, and falls into Blacksod Bay; the Deel, the Robe, the Errieve, and the Carnamart. The splendid River Moy, which separates this county from Sligo, is navigable to within a mile of Ballina for vessels of 450 tons, and as a salmon river ranks second only to the Bann. The Black River, which is the boundary on the S., is remarkable for having an underground course of some miles near its embouchure into Lough Corrib. Amongst the numerous lakes, Lough Mask, situated in the S., and separated from Lough Corrib by a narrow isthmus, is the largest. It is 10 miles long by 4 broad, but its southern extremity is included in Galway county. Lough Carna, to the N.E. of Lough Mask, is a picturesque sheet of water, but much inferior in this respect to the beautiful Lough Rahoons, called also Castlebar Lough from the town in its vicinity; and Lough Conn, still farther N., is a fine sheet of water 12 miles long, including Lough Cullin, but of very considerable breadth. The minor lakes are numerous, and there are several turbeags, in which the water collects in winter, but is carried off by a natural drainage at the beginning of summer.

The western and northern coasts are indented with numerous bays and creeks. Killary Bay, or the Killary, which separates Mayo from Galway, is a narrow inlet of the sea, reaching 8 miles from the Atlantic, and only about half a mile in breadth, bounded on both sides throughout its entire length by mountains which, on the Mayo side, rise to nearly 3000 feet in height, and resembling the scenery of a Norwegian fiord. Proceeding northwards, the next inlet in order, and the most worthy of note for extent and grandeur of scenery, is Clew Bay, protected at its entrance by Clare Island, and having in its interior the two harbours of Newport and Westport, besides many creeks and roadsteads caused by the almost innumerable islets with which its eastern coast is studded. Blacksod Bay and Broadhaven form the peninsula of the Mullet, and are prevented from blending their waters only by the very narrow isthmus of Bellmullet. On the northern coast are Dunfinney and Killala Bays. The lesser indentations of the coast, affording shelter for small craft, and therefore of much importance to the fisheries, are too numerous to admit of specific detail.

The principal island is that of Achill. It is the largest on the Irish coast, containing 35,283 acres, and about 3500 inhabitants, and is formed partly of lofty hills and partly of flat bogs. The western side presents a rugged and precipitous line of rock to resist the violence of the Atlantic, interrupted only by a few small coves, scarcely capable of sheltering the smallest boats; the eastern coast affords shelter almost everywhere. The highest mountain on the island, Slievemore, situated to the W. of the Protestant missionary settlement, is 2204 feet above the sea; and other summits attain elevations of 2192, 1800, and 1120 feet. Clare Island is of a triangular form, 3959 acres in extent, and has about 1400 inhabitants. Innisbofin, the most important island on the coast as respects the fisheries, is about 4 miles from Connemara in Galway; it had a garrison in the time of the republic. The finest cod-bank on the Irish coast lies near it. Innissturk lies midway between the two last-named islands. The want of a landing-place renders it nearly useless, notwithstanding its advantageous position for fishing. It comprehends 1450 acres of poor soil and rock. The lesser islands are scarcely of sufficient consequence to deserve enumeration.

The returns of the population of the county, taken at different periods, present the following results:

| Year | Authority | Population | |------|-----------|------------| | 1760 | De Burgo | 77,508 | | 1792 | Parliamentary return | 140,000 | | 1821 | Ditto | 261,821 | | 1831 | Ditto | 293,112 | | 1841 | Ditto | 368,328 | | 1851 | Ditto | 388,887 |

The latest of these returns shows a decrease of population in 10 years of 114,275, or 29 per cent. As far as may be conjectured from the relative numbers of Protestant and Catholic children attending public schools in 1824-26, the proportion between the sects is upwards of 7 to 1 in favour of the latter persuasion.

The returns of the numbers educated are as follows:

| Year | Boys | Girls | Sex not ascertained | Total | |------|------|-------|--------------------|-------| | 1821 | 6,150 | 3,185 | 9,335 | | | 1824-6 | 10,227 | 5,172 | 694 | 16,093|

Of the numbers in the latter return, 1900 only were Protestants. In 1851 the number of schools, and of pupils attending them, during the week ending 12th of April, was found to be:

| School Type | No. of Schools | Number of Pupils | |-------------|---------------|-----------------| | National | 119 | 2920 | | Church Education | 26 | 462 | | Endowed | 2 | 55 | | Boarding | 2 | 15 | | Private | 98 | 1734 | | Parochial | 7 | 152 | | Free | 11 | 229 | | Industrial | 6 | 17 | | Mission | 59 | 856 | | Military | 1 | 13 | | Workhouse | 18 | 2075 | | Gaol | 1 | 41 | | Total | 350 | 8573 |

The county was represented in the Irish Parliament by four members, two for the county at large, and two for the borough of Castlebar; but the two latter were struck off at the Union, and compensation, amounting to £15,000, awarded to the Earl of Lucan, as proprietor of the borough, for the loss of the patronage. No alteration having been since made under the Reform Act, the number of representatives is now limited to two.

The number of resident landed proprietors is small in comparison with the extent of the county. The condition of the peasantry varies considerably according to their situation. On the sea-coast, where the occupation of fishing can be combined with that of agriculture, the people are tolerably comfortable. This is particularly the case in the district around Killala, Westport, Newport, and other places where an export trade is carried on; and early and improvident marriages are by no means so common in those parts. Similar appearances of comfort and prudence are observable in the inland eastern districts where agriculture is attended to. In the mountainous and boggy tracts the state of the peasantry is very deplorable. The houses are of the poorest description, and extremely confined in dimensions. But in the agricultural districts the case is different. In these the houses are of stone and mortar, with a chimney and separate apartments. The men dress in home-made frieze of a dark colour, and the women mostly in cheap cottons. The fuel is universally turf; the food potatoes, with milk occasionally, and when near the shore, fish. The Irish language is understood by 65 per cent. of the population, and about 50,000 persons are unable to speak the English language. In the inland and more retired parts the peasantry prefer collecting themselves in closely-built, irregular villages, to living in detached cottages. The custom of holding large tracts of land in joint tenancy, which is the favourite tenure in the pasturable regions, may be considered as the chief cause of this practice.

The soil in the plain country is chiefly a gravelly loam on a limestone bottom. Even in the tracts where bogs prevail, ridges of limestone gravel, called eskers, of a mile and more in length, several porches broad, and from 40 to 50 feet high, are to be met with. The rocky pastures produce a nutritive herbage for sheep and young cattle; and in places from which these are excluded, timber trees throw up their shoots spontaneously. Wheat is grown in large quantities in the southern and eastern baronies; oats, barley, and flax in the hilly country.

The extent of land under crops, and the number of acres under each species of crop in 1855 and 1856, was:

| Crop | 1855 Acres | 1856 Acres | |-----------------------|------------|------------| | Wheat | 4,638 | 6,000 | | Oats | 83,543 | 82,919 | | Barley, bere, rye, peas, and beans | 5,335 | 4,252 | | Potatoes | 59,037 | 67,230 | | Turnips | 9,556 | 10,634 | | Other green crops | 2,193 | 2,227 | | Flax | 745 | 923 | | Meadow and clover | 18,229 | 16,964 | | **Total** | **183,337**| **192,335**|

Where limestone can be had it is the favourite manure, either alone or in a compost with other substances. Where it cannot be procured, recourse is had to burning. Shelly sea-sand, and sea-weed thrown up by the high winds, are much used on the coast. The implements of agriculture are still of a clumsy and coarse make. The spade, called a log, having a rest for the right foot only, is substituted for the plough in the mountainous parts. In Erris a spade with a blade fork ing out into two points is used where the soil is rocky. The fences are mostly dry-stone walls, formed by collecting the loose stones from the surface, where they are so abundant that the fences made of them present the appearance of ramparts rather than inclosures against trespassing.

The quantity of live stock in the county of Mayo in 1855 and 1856 was:

| Livestock | 1855 No. | 1856 No. | |-----------|----------|----------| | Horses | 17,531 | 19,300 | | Cattle | 153,583 | 157,856 | | Sheep | 265,448 | 270,074 | | Pigs | 38,348 | 33,372 |

Towards the close of the last century, planting, both for ornament in demesnes, and on a more extensive scale for profit, has been much attended to. The base of Croaghpatrick is finely fringed with wood, as is that of Nephin. The neighbourhood of Westport is much improved by extensive plantations. The baronies of Tyrawley, Burrisboole, Galien, and Costello, however, are nearly destitute of timber.

The manufactures are almost wholly confined to articles in demand for home consumption, such as linens, furs, flannels, woollen stockings, and straw hats. The chief maris for the sale of the superabundant produce are Castlebar and Westport. Besides these legal sources of profit from manufactures, illicit distillation is still carried on to some extent. The exports are grain, fish, and kelp; large quantities of the latter are manufactured on the shores. Fishing banks are numerous. The principal one, between Innisbofin and Achill, affords an inexhaustible supply of white fish. Near Achill is a sandbank stocked with turbot and other flat fish, which are also taken in abundance off Killala Bay. Near Inniskea Island is a great ling bank. The sun-fish, or basking shark, is taken from 5 to 8 leagues from the coast. The fishery commences in the last week in April; but as the success of the season depends on the state of the weather, which is very liable to sudden and violent squalls at that season, and as the fish frequently escapes, bearing away with it the harpoon and tackle, the average profits, during a continuance of seasons, seldom compensate the adventurer for his outlay. The herring fishery occupies many hands. The whole fishing trade is carried on in open boats, as this description of craft is less expensive, and better adapted for the coasting trade in kelp and turf, in which it is employed during the intervals of the fishing seasons. The deep-sea fishing begins in May; that of the herring in August. The winter fishing continues from November to Christmas. Pollock, whiting, sand-eels, and shell-fish are caught along the shores, and there are salmon fisheries at Newport, Ballina, and other places.

The remains of ancient buildings are numerous, and many of them highly worthy of note. There are round or pillar towers at Killala, Turloch, Meeleek, and Bal; but the first, which stands on an eminence in the town, is the loftiest and best preserved. The Abbey of Mayo, which gives name to the county, was once the site of a bishop's see. Moyne Abbey, beautifully situated on the banks of the bay, near Killala, still exhibits some arches of magnificent size and excellent workmanship, with a tower rising not less than 100 feet from the top of the centre of the church. The ruins of Rosserick Abbey, in a sheltered dell near the estuary of the Moy, about 4 miles from Killala, are amongst the finest specimens of monastic buildings in the county. The workmanship of an arch in the centre of the church is peculiarly admirable. Although Ballyhaunis Abbey is much dilapidated, the remains of its ruins show it to have been, as it were, a miniature resemblance of that of Moyne. At Balinrobe was the Abbey de Roiba, of which no traces are now visible. Ballintubber Abbey, about 5 miles from Ballyglass, was founded by Cathal O'Connor, King of Connaught. The Abbey of Burrishoole, 2 miles distant from Newport, owes its origin to the Bourke family; its site is the place for holding a patron in honour of St Dominic. The remains of the church of Strade Abbey, on the Moy, still exist; they are singularly beautiful, and near the altar are several curious sculptures. Cross, or Holycross Monastery, was in the peninsula of the Mullet. The Abbey of Boplean was built in the island of Innisbofin. Many relics of other monastic buildings of inferior note are to be found in various parts. The remains of ancient castles and places of strength are also numerous. At Downpatrick, or Dunbriste, are the ruins of a strong castle on a cliff, 300 feet high, projecting into the sea. A rock of equal elevation rises at about the same distance from the shore, on which are also the traces of castellated buildings. The correspondence of the prominences and indentations of the rocks on each side of the cleft that separates these structures prove that they were once united. Rockfleet Castle, near Newport, is said to have been built by the celebrated Grace O'Malley, to whom the erection of several other fortresses along the coast are attributed. This singular woman was so much attached to the sea, the scene of most of her exploits, that when on shore, she is said to have had her bark moored to her bed-post through a window of the Mayomba castle where she slept. Ballylolan Castle, near Foxford, was built by one of the MacJordan family, who erected others of similar construction for each of his ten sons. Deel Castle, near Ballina, stands as yet; it was formerly the residence of the Earls of Arran, and is still inhabited. In Lough Conn are the ruins of a fort in which O'Conor, king of Ireland, is said to have confined his son. The smaller castles, or fortified houses, vestiges of which are visible in many parts, are almost invariably square buildings, with a narrow entrance and a few contracted windows, erected solely for security, without any regard to architectural beauty.

The towns in this extensive county are few and small, none of them having a population amounting to 5000. The principal are,—Castlebar, Westport, Ballina, and Ballinrobe, which will be found described under their respective heads.