Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-07-21
The EMERALD ISLE
In Area 1t Is a Little Smaller Thar
Our State of Maine.
IT'S SLUMP IN POPULATION
One Of the Few Sections of the Civil
liked World That Have Decreased 1,
Numbers In the Past century-It
Beautiful Lakes and Rivers.

80 ~
Numbers In the Past C~entury-Ih
Beautiful Lakes and Rivers.
The historical and political impor
lance of Ireland has created In the
minds of many Americans an exagger
ated idea of the islands physical pro
portions and the density of it's popula
ton.
The whole Of Ireland embraces ar
area slightly less than the state OF
Maine, but with a population six times
as dense. In comparison with the gov.
erning country 1t is three-fffths as large
as England and Wales, with one-nintt
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
fury.
The first census of the island, taker
In 1921, recorded a population almost
80 per cent larger than at the present
time, while the nsu Of 1S41 showed
the high water mark of more thar
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 1916. This calamity resulted
In the withdrawal of more than a MIL
lion acres from cultivation within tws
years.
Incidentally the potato, which has
played such an important role In the
life of Ireland during the last 3O(
years, is not indigenous to the island
but was n of the food gold mines
discovered by the Spaniards In thei
conquest of Peru. The country Is I'm
debted to Sir Walter Raleigh for bel
Irish" potatoes, as it was he wht
brought them from what is now NortI
Carolina and planted them on his es
tate near Cork In 1885.
Ireland lies on the western rim OF
what WIS once a part of continental.
Europe. 1t has numerous mountains
the highest being the McGillicuddy
reeks (3,414 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 Its
bogs-the black bog producing the ia
nous peat fuel, differentiated from the
brown boys Of the mountains. If the
whole island were brought to a near
level 1t would rise 400 feet above the
sea.
The lakes, or loughs, of Ireland art
among its most widely appreciated
physical characteristics, their scenic
beauty being the inspiration of poets
painters and musicians. MOI have thu
Irish rivers been overlooked in ap
praisals of the islands beauties. The
Shannon, which flows for $50 miles
Is the longest water course In the Unit
ed Kingdom 1t Is navigated by large
steamers for half its length and Is con.
nected with Dublin by means of the
Grand and the Royal canals.
Although coal is found In most of tn,
thtrty-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 minet
In a modest way In County Wicklow a
the time of the rebellion of 1898, bu
the works were destroyed and tn,
source of the metal has never been re
discovered.
Agriculture and stock raising are tn,
chief occupations of the inhabitants
At n time the wooden manufactures
Of the island were formidable rivals O:
English factories, but hostile legisla
ton gave the industry a check from
which 1t has never recovered. AS thu
Irish have raised fax for centuries
the manufacture of linen early becam,
n of the important industries of tn,
country. Irish whisky is an importanl
article of export, and one of the largesl
breweries in the world is located a
Dublin.
Shipbuilding in the great yards a.
Belfast Is one of the most widely
known Irish activities, and the deeI
sea and a fisheries afford a liveli
hood for many thousands.
Thanks to the temperate influence o.
the west winds from the Atlantic, thu
thermometer rarely reaches freezing
point in winter, while the average fol-
a summer day is 60 degrees.
AT Torr Head on the north the dis
lance to Scotland (Mull Of Cantire) is
only thirteen and one-half miles. Ths
Giants Causeway, a short distance t.
the cav of this point, is the outcrop
ping basaltic formation which in {
former age Joined the two islands,
National Geographic Society Bulletin.