The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-07-13
The EMERALD ISLE
In Area 1t Is a Little Smaller Than
Our State of Maine.
ITS SLUMP IN POPULATION.
One Of the Few Sections of the Civil
lized World That Have Decreased In
Numbers In the Past century-Its
Beautiful Lakes and Rivers.

lized World That Have Decreased In
Numbers In the Past century-Its
Beautiful Lakes and Rivers.
The historical and political impor-
tance of Ireland has created in the
minds of many Americans an eXagger-
ated idea of the islands physical pro-
portions and the density of its popula-
ton.
The whole of Ireland embraces an
area slightly less than the state Of
Maine, but with a population six times
as dense. In comparison with the GOV.
erning country it is three-fifths as large
as England and Wales, with one-ninth
the population. The island is one of
the very few sections of the civilized
world where the population has shown
a marked decrease during the last cen.
tury.
The first census of the island, taken
in 1921, recorded population almost
50 per cent larger than at the present
time, while the census Of 1S41 showed
the high water mark of more than
100000, nearly twice the present pop
ulation. This remarkable decrease, due
largely to emigration, began after the
famine brought about by the destruc.
tive disease which attacked the potato
crop of 1915. This calamity resulted
in the withdrawal of more than mil.
lion acres from cultivation within two
years.
incidentally the potato, which has
played such an important role in the
life of Ireland during the last 900
years, is not indigenous to the island
but was one of the food gold mines
discovered by the Spaniards in their
conquest of Peru. The country Is in
debted to Sir Walter Raleigh for hel
Irish" potatoes. as it was he who
brought them from what is now North
Carolina and planted them on his es
| tate near Cork in 1885.
Ireland lies on the western rim o,
what was once q part of continental
Europe. 1t has numerous mountains
the highest being the McGillicuddy
reeks t3,414 feet in the Killarney re
| gion, but there is no mountain chain OF
elevated backbone" There is a more
or less well defined plain, however, the
| distinguishing feature of which is it;
bogs-the black bog producing the ia
nous peat fuel, differentiated from thu
brown bogs of the mountains. If th,
whole island were brought to NEAR
level 1t would rise 400 feet above thu
| sea.
The lakes, or loughs, of Ireland ar.
among Its most widely appreciated
physical characteristics, their scent,
beauty being the inspiration of poets
painters and musicians. Nor have tn,
Irish rivers been overlooked in an
pra1sals of the islands beauties. Th,
Shannon, which flows for 25O miles
is the longest water course in the Unit
ed Kingdom. 1t is navigated by larg,
steamers for half its length and is con
nected with Dublin by means Of tn,
Grand and the Royal canals.
Although coal is found in most of tn
thirty-two counties into which the is
land is divided and there is consider
able iron ore, mining is not an impor
tant industry. Gold was being mine,
in modest way in County Wicklow a
the time of the rebellion of 1893, bu
the works We're destroyed and til
source of the metal has never been re
discovered.
| Agriculture and stock raising are tn
chief occupations of the inhabitants
At one time the wooden manufacture
of the island were formidable rivals O
English factories, but hostile legisla
ton gave the industry check frol
which it has never recovered. AS tn
Irish have raised fax for centuries
the manufacture of linen carly becam
one Of the important industries of th
country. Irish whisky is an importan
article of export, and one of the larges
breweries in the world is located q
Dublin.
| Shipbuilding in the great yards a
Belfast is one of the most widel
known Irish activities. and the dee
sea and coast fisheries afford a livel
hood for many thousands.
Thanks to the temperate influence O
the west winds from the Atlantic, th
thermometer rarely reaches freezin
point in winter, while the average fo
a summer day is GO degrees.
At Torr Head ON the north the dis
tance to Scotland (Mull Of Cantire)
only thirteen and one-haIf miles. Th
Giants Causeway, a short distance t
the east of this point. is the outcroI
ping basaltic formation which in
former age Joined the two islands,
National Geographic Society Bulletin