Selected quad for the lemma: country_n
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A55719
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The Present state of Ireland together with some remarques upon the antient state thereof : likewise a description of the chief towns : with a map of the kingdome.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing P3267; ESTC R26213
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101,146
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318
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West Mounster Mean-Woun that is Middle Mounster and Vrwoun that is the Front of Mounster But at this day it is distinguished into these Counties Limrick Kery Corke Waterford and Tipperary And in these Shires are comprehended besides many safe Stations and Roads for Shipping twenty four Towns of Note and Trading sixty six Castles of Old Erection and including in the whole eight hundred and two Parishes This Province being counted the largest of all Ireland Ulster called by our Welch Britains Vltâ—â— in Irish Cui Guilly in Latin Vltonia and Vlidia in English Vlster On the North it is divided by a narrow Sea of three or four hours Sail from Scotland Southward it extends it self to Connaught and Leinster The East part lieth upon the Irish Sea And the West part is continually beaten with the boisterous rage of the main West Ocean This Province and farthest part of Ireland fronteth the Scottish Islands which are called the Hebrides and are scattered in the Seas between both Kingdoms whose Inhabitants at this day are the Irish-Scot and their Language is the same as the Irish The Form Form thereof is round reaching in length from Coldagh Haven in her North to Kilmore in her South neer an hundred miles and in breadth from Black-Abby in her East to Calebeg point in her West one hundred thirty and odd miles The whole in Circumference about four hundred and twenty Miles Aire This Country seldom feeleth any unseasonable extremities the quick and flexible Winds cooling the heat of Summer and soft and gentle Showers mollifying the hardness of the Winter Briefly the frozen nor torrid Zone have not here any usurpation the clouds in the Aire being very sweet and pleasant yea and when they are most impure are not unwholsom nor of long continuance the rough winds holding them in continual agitation Commodities This equal temperature causeth the ground to bring forth great store of several Trees both fit for Building bearing of Fruit plentiful of grass for feeding of Cattle and is abundantly furnished with Horses Sheep and Oxen The Rivers likewise pay double Tribute deep enough to carry Vessels either for pleasure or profit and Fish great store both for their own uses and commodity of others Salmons in some Rivers of this Country abound more in number than in any River of Europe To speak in general though in some places it be somwhat barren troubled with Loughs Lakes and thick Woods yet it is every where fresh and full of Cattle and Forrage ready at all times to answer the Husbandmans pains And now Nature being much beholden to the Art and Industry of the British Planters in this Province who cause all things to flourish there has wholly taken away the former complaints how that the various show upon Banks the shady Groves the green Meadows hanging Hills and the spacious Fields fit for Corn being left unmanured did seem to be angry with their Inhabitants for suffering all to grow wild and barbarous through their own negligence It is divided into the Counties of 1. Louth 2. Cavon 3. Fermanagh Division 4. Down 5. Monaghan 6. Armagh 7. Colrane 8. Tirconnel 9. Tir-Oen and 10. Antrim In which are comprehended two hundred and fourteen Parishes whereof fourteen are Towns of Note for Commerce and Traffick and thirty Castles for the defence of the Country and keeping under the wild Irish wilder and more untractable formerly in these Northern parts than the rest of Ireland But now by reason of the last general Rebellion the Irish being upon the matter wholy rooted out from hence there is as hopeful a British Plantation going on in this Province as in any other in all Ireland Connaught This Province named by Giraldus Cambrensis Conaghtia and Conacia by the Irish Conaughty and the English men Connaught is bounded Eastward with part of the Province of Leinster Northward with part of Vlster Westward with the West main Ocean and on the South it is confined with a part of the Province of Mounster closed in with the River Shanon and butting against the Kingdom of Spain The Form Form thereof is long and towards the North and South ends thin and narrow but as it grows towards the middle from either part it waxeth still bigger and bigger extending in length from the Shannon in her South to Eins Kelling in her North one hundred twenty six Miles and the broadest part is from Tromer in her East to Barragh-Bay in her West containing about fourscore Miles The whole in Circuit and compass is above four hundred Miles The Aire Aire is not altogether so pure and clear as in the other Provinces of Ireland by reason of certain moist places covered over with grass which of their softness are usually termed Boghs both dangerous and full of vaporous and foggy mists This Country as it is divided into several portions Commodities so is every portion severally commended for the Soil according to the seasonable times of the year Thomond or the County of Clare is said to be a County so conveniently situated that either from the Sea or Soil there can be nothing wish'd for more than what it doth naturally afford of it self were but the industry of the Inhabitants answerable to the rest Galaway is a Land very thankful to the painful Husbandman and no less Commodious and profitable to the Shepheard Maio is replenished both with pleasure and fertility abundantly rich in Cattle Deer Hawks and plenty of Honey Slego coasting upon the Sea is a plentiful Country for feeding and raising of Cattle Letrim place rising up throughout with Hills is so full of rank grass and Forrage that as Solinus reporteth if Cattle were not kept sometims from grasing their fulness would endanger them And Roscomon is a Territory for the most part plain and fruitful feeding many Heards of Cattle and with mean Husbandry and Tillage yeilding plenty of Corn. As every particular is thus severally profitable by inbred Commodities so is it no less commended in the generality for the many accommodate and fit Bays Creeks and Navigable Rivers lying upon her Sea coasts that after a sort invite and provoke the Inhabitants to Navigation Division It is divided at present into these five Shires that is to say 1. Letrim 2. Roscommon 3. Maio 4. Slego 5. Galloway and 6. Thomond or the County of Clare In which are comprehended but eight Towns of any consequence for commerce and traffick an Argument of the imperfect plantation of it by the English Conquerors and about twenty four Castles for the defence of the Country of Old Erection besides such Fortresses as have been raised occasionally in our latter troubles But in the whole it contains three hundred and fix Parishes These four Provinces makes up a Kingdome which for the bigness is of a most beautiful and sweet Country as any under Heaven A Character of all Ireland being stored throughout with many goodly Rivers replenished
that the Parliament of England had with great alacrity and readiness undertaken the War and not only engaged themselves to his Majesty to send over powerful supplies both out of England and Scoâ—land but by their publick order of both Houses sent over to the Lords Justices and Printed at Dublin in the month of November fully declared their resolutions for the vigorous prosecution of the War of Ireland And that some Forces were arrived at Dublin out of England the Siege of Drogedah or Tredagh raised those bold perfidious Traitors beaten back into the North the Lords of the Pale banished by force of his Majesties Armies of their own Habitations which were all spoiled and laid waste yet I say Such was the strength of the Conspiracy and so deeply were they engaged in it as that Limrick and Gallaway did openly declare themselves for the Rebels The one by besieging the English who had betaken themselves for protection in the Castle of Limrick And the other those who had upon the like score possessed themselves of the Fort of Gallaway both being at last forced to yeild for want of timely relief by means whereof many thousands of the English were exposed to the slaughter of their barbarous Enemies in a great part of the Provinces of Connaght Leinster and Munster which otherwise might have been wholy preserved from ruine if these two Towns alone which are admirable for their strength and situation had but cheerfully opened their Gates to the destressed and firmly continued in their ancient Loyalty to the Crown of England But seeing they so wilfully acted this mad part by the powerful advice of their Popish Priests and Lawyers wherewith they did at that time mightily abound having then but a very inconsiderable number of Protestant Families to bear any sway amongst them I shall therefore conclude that next to a good Standing Army the most infallible way under God to secure both the Government and the British Planters in Ireland is to have the chief Towns and Fortresses thereof for the most part if not altogether Inhabited by Protestant Families A brief Character of the principal of which are here presented to your view and consideration in hopes that many more well worthy of notice will shortly be added to this number by such ingenious persons as are throughly acquainted with and well affected to that Country The Characters of the Chief Towns and Cities of IRELAND as they lie in each Province and first of those in the Province of Munster viz. MVNSTER WATERFORD Waterford on the River Shoure a well traded Port a Bishops See and the second City of the Kingdome of great fidelity till of late to the English since the Conquest of Ireland and for that cause endowed with many ample Priviledges First built by some Norwegian Pyrates who though they fixed it in one of the most barren parts and most foggy Aire of all the Country yet they made choice of such a safe and Commodious Site for the use of Shipping that of a Nest of Pyrates it was soon made a Receit for Merchants and suddenly grew up to great Wealth and Power And though it stands at a reasonable good distance from the main Sea yet Ships of the greatest burthen may safely saile to and ride at Anchor before the Key thereof which I presume is the handsomest of any in the Kings Dominions And for the conveniency of conveighing Commodities in smaller Vessels to several Towns in the adjacent Countries and namely Clonmell Carricke Rosse Kilkenny Carloe c. by two brave Navigable Rivers more neer Neighbours to this viz. the Noare and Barrow commonly called the three Sisters because a little below Waterford they all empty themselves in one channel into the Sea no place in Ireland can any way compare with it except Limrick This may be farther observed that this is the neerest Port and the readiest place in all Ireland to correspond with Bristol and all other Towns of Traffick upon the River Severn by a due Easterly wind from Bristol hither and so back from hence to Bristol by a due Westerly wind without any variation which necessity of various winds in the same Voyage occasions oftentimes passages at Sea to become both tedious and dangerous Kingsale Kingsale upon the Mouth of the River Bany a commodious Port opposite to the Coasts of Spain and fortified in Tirones Rebellion by a Spanish Garison under the command of Don John D' Aquila but soon recovered after the defeat of that Grand Rebel neer the Walls thereof by the valour and indefatigable industry of Charles Lord Montjoy the then Lord Deputy of this Kingdom This Town hath this peculiar property that it is the only safe and ready Port in all Ireland for our English Ships and others to victual at or refresh themselves bounding for or returning homewards from the West Indies and many other parts of the World Corke Corke by the Latines called Corcagia the principal of that County and a Bishops See well walled and fitted with a very commodious Haven consisting chiefly of one Street reaching out in length Inhabited by a civil wealthy and industrious people being now generally all English This may be farther said in praise of this place that it is like to be ere long as in good part already a very flourishing City being the Shire Town of the largest richest and best Inhabited County with English and Irish of any in Ireland And withal the only throughfare of all English Goods and Commodities as they tearm them namely rich Broad-Cloaths Stuffs and Linnen Fruits Spices c. sent most commonly this way out of England for those two remarkable Port-Towns of Limrick and Gallaway Yonghall Yonghall upon the Sea provided of a safe Road or convenient Haven it hath this peculiar that it is the most convenient place in all the South parts of Ireland from whence to transport Cattle Sheep c. to Mynhead or to any parts of the West of England Limrick Limrick the principal of that County and the fourth in estimation of all the Kingdome Situate in an Island compassed round about with the River Shannon by which means well fortified A well frequented Empory and a Bishops See Distant from the main Ocean about sixty miles but so accommodated by the River that Ships of burthen come up close to the very Walls The Castle and the Bridge pieces of great strength and beauty were of the foundation of King John exceedingly delighted with the situation This may be farther observed touching the happy situation of this place in relation to Traffick and Commerce that though by reason of some Cataracts or Rocky Falls in the River Shannon a little above Limrick the Merchants are necessitated for the space of about eight or nine miles to convey their Goods by Land as far as Killaloo but being brought thither they may be carried up along the said River by Boats of indifferent good Burthen into many parts of the