Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

COR
Ovens, Ballyneen, Newmarket, Kanturk, Cloyne, Ross-
carbery, Timoleague, Charleville, Buttevant, Kildorrery,
Dunbullogue, Whitechurch, Kinsale, Glanworth, Fer-
moy, Glenville, Midleton, Bantry, Ballyclough, Skibbe-
reen, Rathcormac, Glandore, Innishannon, Donough-
more, Doneraile, Glanmire, Carrigaline, Clonakilty,
Dunmanway, Cove, Kilworth, Ballydehob, Passage, Ma-
croom, Castletown-Bearhaven, Inniscarra, Conna, Castle-
martyr, Magourney, Crookstown, Ballymacoda, Blarney,
Glauntain, and Water-grass Hill. The total amount of
the county Grand Jury presentments, for 1835, was
£62,645. 15. 8¾., of which £6978. 19. 0¾. was for
the public roads and bridges of the county at large;
£17,629. 16. 5. for public roads, being the baronial
charge; £21,026. 19. 5. for public establishments, offi-
cers’ salaries, and buildings; £9864. 16. 6. for police,
and £7145. 4. 4. for repayment of advances made by the
Government. In the military arrangements the county
is in the Southern District; it contains sixteen military
stations, situated respectively at Ballincollig, Buttevant,
Charles Fort, Clonakilty, Fermoy, (which is the princi-
pal, and the military dep6t of the district,) Kinsale,
Mallow, Millstreet, Mitchelstown, Youghal, Skibbereen,
and, in Cork Harbour, at Spike Island, Camden Fort,
Carlisle Fort, Rocky Island, and Hawlbowling Island;
and affording barrack accommodation in the whole, for
35’2 officers and 6799 men.
The surface of the county is of considerable variety
and much natural beauty, but exhibits a very great defi-
ciency of timber, and of hedge rows and plantations.
The western part is bold, rocky, and mountainous;
while the northern and eastern portions are distin-
guished for their richness and fertility. But even in
this irregularity some order is perceived, the ranges of
high land stretching nearly in the direction of east
and west, though several ranges of hills branch off
in transverse directions. The principal deviation from
this general character is seen in the Bogra mountains,
forming a high and barren tract in the centre of the
county, between the rivers Lee and Blackwater, and
which, instead of rising into narrow summits, spread out
into an ample area, having in some places a deep boggy
surface. The great longitudinal ranges of high ground
arc likewise often intersected by deep glens and gullies,
through which numerous small streams find a rapid
descent, and, after heavy rains, form beautiful waterfalls.
The western mountains differ from the rest in form and
aspect, being far more rocky, bold, and sterile, and
abruptly parted by gaps and fissures. The entire south
and south-western portions of the county are composed
of stupendous masses of schistose rock, standing as bar-
riers against the waves of the Atlantic, which, for the
greater part of the year, are driven with fury against
them by the force of the prevailing winds. Of low
grounds, the most extensive tracts are those in which
limestone is found: the largest is in the northern part
of the county, lying north of the Blackwater, and ex-
tending upwards of twenty miles in length from east to
west, varying in breadth from five to nine. This rich
and beautiful expanse of country, though comparatively
flat, is, however, agreeably diversified with gentle eleva-
tions, and contains but little land forming a dead level.
By far the greater part of the county, excepting its
western portion, has a similar undulating character;
even the mountains are little more irregular in their
403
COR
outlines than, the lower grounds, and the transition from
one to the other is by very gentle degrees. The lime-
stone vale, in which part of the city of Cork is situated,
commences at Castlemore, about 10 miles to the west of
it; and though at first of inconsiderable breadth, on
crossing Cork harbour and reaching Imokilly, it takes a
wider range, and throughout its course to the sea
presents a fine tract of the best cultivated ground in the
county. The line of coast presents a series of magnificent
headlands, separated from each other by numerous
inlets forming safe and commodious harbours, of which
the most noted are those of Youghal, Cork, Kinsale,
Baltimore, Crookhaven, Dunmanus, and Bantry, in the
last of which, surrounded by the majestic scenery of the
western mountains, whole navies may ride in safety. The
numerous estuaries, disclose at low water, rich banks of
calcareous sand for manure, and afford access to the
interior of the country by navigation. On the south-
western coast are various small, rocky islands, of
which the principal are Cape Clear and Innisherkin,
near the harbour of Baltimore; Bear island and Whiddy
island, in Bantry bay; and Dursey island, off the extre-
mity of Bearhaven promontory, forming the most western
extremity of the county. In the mountainous parts of
the district are several small lakes, among which are
those of Cahir, near Glengariffe; others on Three-Castle
Head: that of Loughbofinny, near Bantry; and those
of Shepperton; three between Bantry and Dunmanway,
and the interesting lake of Googane-Barra, with smaller
sheets of water at Rathbarry, Macloneigh, Ballintowlus,
Drinagh, and in other parts.
The climate is remarkable for the mildness of its
temperature, never reaching those extremes of heat and
cold to which the same degree of latitude is subject
even in England. This arises from its proximity to the
Atlantic, across which the prevailing winds come loaded
with vapours, seldom objectionable in winter, but often
intercepting the maturing rays of the summer’s sun;
which circumstance renders the corn raised here, though
good, generally inferior to that of a drier climate. The
county, however, suffers much less in this respect than
the neighbouring more western counties; and its climate
has been decidedly improved by the draining of bogs
and swamps. The soils present no great variety, and
may be distributed into four classes, each comprising
several species differing in degrees of fertility, but united
by a general resemblance of component parts. These
are,—1st. The calcareous soils, or those found in the
limestone tracts, which exceed all the rest in richness
and fertility, producing the finest herbage and best
wheat, and having always a crumbling and mellow sur-
face.—2nd. The loamy soils not calcareous, comprising
the deep and mellow loams remote from limestone,
occurring in several of the less elevated parts, especially
towards the south, where they constitute the best lands:
they are next in quality to the former, to which some of
the best bear a close affinity both in texture and fer-
tility; they generally rest on clay-slate.—3rd. The light
and shallow soils resting upon an absorbent bottom,
as gravel, or rubbly stone, which have a much shallower
and less vigorous arable surface than the preceding,
but commonly afford a short sweet herbage peculiarly
adapted for sheep, and produce the best corn in wet sea-
sons.—4th. The moorland or peat soil, the usual sub-
stratum of which is a hard rock or coarse retentive clay,
3 F2