Supplement to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica/Armagh
Extent and Boundaries. ARMAGH is an inland County in Ireland, in the Province of Ulster; it is bounded by the waters of Lough Neagh on the north; by the Counties of Monaghan and Tyrone on the west; by the County of Lowth on the south; and by the County Down on the east. Its figure is that of an irregular oblong; its length, from its northern to its southern extremity, is about 32 English miles; and its breadth, nearly 20 miles. Its area comprises 290,786 acres, or about 454 square English miles. It is divided into five Baronies, and comprises 20 Parishes. The principal Towns are, Armagh, Charlemont, Markethill, Blackbank, Jonesborough, and Portadown.
Archbishoprics. Armagh is the metropolitan see of Ireland. The Province of the Archbishop is the largest in the Island, containing ten Dioceses, viz. the Archbishopric of Armagh, and the Bishoprics of Dromore, Down and Connor united, Derry, Raphoe, Clogher, Kilmore, Ardhagh (which, though in this Province, is at present annexed to the Archbishopric of Tuam), and Meath. The Archbishopric extends into five Counties, viz. Armagh, Londonderry, Lowth, Meath, and Tyrone, being 59 miles from north to south, and varying in breadth from 10 to 25 miles. Its annual value is about L. 8000.
Face of the Country. The face of the country is in general interesting; but in the southern part there is a chain of black and nearly uncultivated mountains called the Fews, thinly inhabited. On the borders of Newry-water, there is also a small range called the Fathom and Newry mountains. Near the banks of Lough Neagh, and along the rivers, the country becomes beautitully champaign, though even here there are extensive mosses. The soil of these mosses is remarkably black, and extends to a great depth.
Rivers. There are several small streams which rise in the interior of this County, most of which fall into the rivers which wash its confines. The Blackwater, which continues the navigation of the coal canal to Lough Neagh, and divides this County from Tyrone, is enlarged on its entrance into Armagh, by the waters of the Tynan, Tall, and Callen. The Cushier, which rises in the interior, and the Camlough, which issues from Lake Camlough, supply the Newry canal on the eastern boundary of Armagh. In the southern part of the County, the Tara, Newlin, Hamilton, and Fleury waters rise, which, after various windings, enter Lowth County, and fall into the bay of Dundalk. The principal lakes are Lough Neagh, Camlough, and Lough Clay. Lough Neagh.Lough Neagh covers a great area in the Province of Ulster, washing parts of the Counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry, and Tyrone. Its extent, however, is ascertained by actual survey, not to be much more than one half of what it was formerly conjectured to be. It is 15 miles in length, and 7 in breadth, and covers 58,200 acres. Seven rivers, and a very great number of smaller streams, run into it, whereas the Ban is the only outlet for its waters. It is by no means a beautiful lake; its banks, for the most part, being low and marshy, and incapable of being drained; and, where bold and abrupt, entirely destitute of wood. There are but two Islands in it: Ram Island, already mentioned in the article Antrim; and another near the shore, in the south-western angle of the lake, called Blackwater Island. A great variety of fish are found in Lough Neagh: salmon, a large kind of trout, bream, perch, and the pollen, which is the same as the ferra of the Lake of Geneva, and the gwyniad of Bala Lake in North Wales. On some parts of the Antrim shore, its waters possess a petrifying quality, arising either from the water itself, or mere probably from some parts of the soil dissolved in the water.
Minerals. Marble of an excellent quality, and of great beauty, is wrought in Armagh. Its other mineral productions are neither numerous nor important. There are some lead mines, the property of the Earl of Feversham; but they are not at present wrought. In the abrupt stratified banks of the Callen, there are indications of lead, manganese, and other minerals. The lime strata in the vicinity of Armagh approach to what is called plum-pudding stone.
Climate. The climate is mild, considering the latitude, except in the mountainous parts. The mean temperature, in the neighbourhood of the town of Armagh, about 25 miles from the Irish Channel, and elevated about 58 feet above the sea, ascertained by means of a well 6 feet deep, was 47° 5.
Landed Property. Estates in this County are not large; there being only seven or eight proprietors who possess them of the annual value of from L. 6000 to L. 10,000. The farms also are small, being commonly from 5 to 20 acres, and seldom exceeding 40 or 50. From the return of registered freeholds in Ireland, it appears that, in March 1815, there were, in this County, 6053 persons who possessed freeholds of the value of 40s. 120 who possessed freeholds of the value of L. 20, and 144 who possessed freeholds of the value of L. 50.
Agriculture. Neither the arable nor the pasture husbandry of this County present much that is worthy of notice. Potatoes, flax, and oats, are the chief produce of the arable districts; and those are cultivated in a very rude and inferior manner, in consequence of the ignorance of the farmers, and their want of capital. The quantity of seed used, and the average crop, are nearly the same as those stated in our account of the agriculture of Antrim. But there is a much larger proportion of land under flax in this County; for, in the year 1809, there were 15,000 acres sown with it in Armagh, while there were only 11,000 acres in Antrim. A few acres of hemp were also sown.
Cattle and Sheep. There are no extensive dairy-farms in Armagh, nor are there any farmers exclusively in this branch of husbandry; nevertheless a considerable quantity of butter is made here. One hundred weight per cow is considered as the average produce. The proportion of milch cows to the size of the farms, is, on small farms under five acres, one cow; on farms exceeding five, and under ten acres, perhaps two cows, seldom more. A considerable number of cattle are reared. From the low country they are sent to the mountain farms, and frequently afterwards sold in the Scotch market. They are in general of a small stunted breed. The native sheep are an awkward breed; the wool coarse, and in small quantity; very little of it is exposed to sale, there being hardly sufficient for domestic use. Goats, swine, and poultry abound. Wild geese, swans, wild ducks, and several other species of aquatic birds, are indigenous to the lakes and rivers. Formerly bees were much attended to, but at present they are neglected.
Roads. The roads in general are bad; and, what is extraordinary, the turnpikes are the worst, and the cross roads the best. A canal has been cut from Coal Island to Armagh, but it is little used.
Manufactures. The principal manufacture is that of linen, which forms the chief employment of the inhabitants; and the annual average value of which is estimated at L. 300,000. This manufacture is very extensively carried on in the vicinity of the city of Armagh. Bleachfields are numerous on the banks of the Callen. Woollen goods are made only for home consumption.
This County returns two representatives to the Imperial Parliament; and the city of Armagh one. lt is in the north-east Circuit; the Assizes are generally held in the middle of July.
Population. The mountainous parts of Armagh are entirely inhabited by Roman Catholics; and it is estimated, that one half of the inhabitants in the other parts are of the same persuasion: so that the Protestants cannot constitute more than one third of the population. Of the other dissenters from the established religion, the Presbyterians and Burghers are the most numerous.
The number of houses, according to the last returns, is 22,900: of which 18,794 have only one hearth; 784 two hearths; 217 three hearths; 105 four hearths; 75 five hearths; 31 six hearths; 28 seven hearths; 21 eight hearths; 15 nine hearths; 8 ten hearths; and 23 more than ten; and four of them forty-four hearths. The population, reckoning 5½ inhabitants to a house, will be about 130,000; which gives 78 people to an Irish square mile. There are rather more than eight Irish acres to a house.
Customs. In some districts of this County, hunting is a favourite amusement with the weavers; the hounds are not kept in packs, but distributed over the County, one being generally kept in each cabin. On the day appointed for the chace, the looms are deserted. In a County where the land in general is parcelled out into such small divisions, it would not be practicable for the gentlemen to pursue this diversion on horseback; and therefore the game is relinquished to the weavers. The dog they employ on these occasions is a dwarf fox-hound, in a degree similar, either to the English beagle, or the southern slow-hound, still used in the hilly districts of Sussex and Kent. The farmers of Armagh are noted for their fondness for jockeying, in all the arts and tricks of which they are expert to a very criminal degree.
School of Armagh. The school in the city of Armagh is one of the royal foundations of Charles I., and is very well endowed; for, according to the report of the Commissioners of the Board of Education, the lands which belong to it contain 1530 acres, English measure, besides about 100 acres of bog. They are situate in the County, between the towns of Newry and Armagh. In the year 1804 the gross annual rent was L. 1144, 10s. 5½d. There are generally upwards of 100 boys educated at it. The schoolhouse was built by Lord Rokeby, better known by the name of Primate Robinson.
The County of Armagh is celebrated both in civil and religious antiquity. In the early annals of Irish history, it is mentioned as the seat of their monarchs. Turgesnis, the first Norwegian Prince that obtained a footing in this kingdom, established his capital here. A tribe of Danes, called Ostmen, for a considerable time afterwards, formed the chief inhabitants of the County. Most of the present inhabitants are descended from the Scotch. See Wakefield’s Ireland. Barton’s Natural History of Lough Neagh. Statistical Survey of Armagh, by Sir Charles Coote. (C.)