Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/279

Rh QUEENSBERRY. 267 QUEEN'S COUNTY. Primitive Methodists have each a place of worship. Upper Hall and Lower Hall are the principal residences. Mrs. Williamson is lady of the manor. QUEENSBERRY, a mountain in the par. of Closeburn, co. Dumfries, Scotland, 6 miles S.W. of Moffat. It is situated at the Clyde's Head, and rises 2,140 feet above sea level. It gives the title of duke to the Buccleuchs, and that of marquis and earl to the Douglases of Kin- mount. QUEENSBOROUGH, a hmlt. in the par. of Beau- lieu, har. of Ferrard, co. Louth, Ireland, 3 miles N.E. of Drogheda. It is situated on the Boyne. QUEEN'S CHANNEL, a passage between the Tongue and Margate Sands, at the Thames' mouth, 4 miles N.W. of Margate. QUEEN'S COUNTY, an inland co. in the prov. of Lcinster, Ireland, is bounded N. by King's County, E. by co. Kildare, a detached portion of King's County and co. Carlow, S. by co. Kilkenny, and W. by co. Tipperary and King's County. It lies between 52 45' and 53 13' N. lat., 6" 54' and 7 47' W. long. Its greatest length from E. to "W. is 37 miles, and from N. to S. 33 miles. Its area is 664 square miles, or 424,854 statute acres ; of which 342,422 acres are arable, 69,289 acres unculti- vated, 11,630 acres in plantations, 1,117 acres in towns, and 396 acres under water. The population in 1841 was 153,930, in 1851 it was 111,623, and in 1861 it had fallen to 90,650, or 137 to every square mile of the entire sur- face little more than half of the number in 1841, when there were 232 to every square mile. The number of persons from this county who emigrated from Irish ports, stating it was not their intention to return, from the 1st May, 1851, to the 31st December, 1864, was 23,442, or nearly 16 per cent, of the population at the former dates. The number of inhabited houses in 1861 was 16,768, and of uninhabited 533. The poor-law valuation in 1851 was 223,299, and the general valua- tion in 1861 was 257,249. The county was anciently comprehended in the districts of Leix on the N. and E., and of Ossory on the W. The latter kingdom was of considerable importance, and its king took an active ji.'irt in the war undertaken by Roderick O'Conor, King Paramount of Ireland, against Dermod MacMurrough, King of Leinster, which led to the invasion by Strong- bow and the English, and his territories were repeatedly ravaged by'the invaders. Ho subsequently made peaco with the English, and managed to retain his inde- pendence. Queen's County was at this time known as Glenmaleire and Leix, and the latter part was a county palatine, and was subsequently given to the youngest daughter of William Earl Marshal, on her marriage with William de Braosa, Lord of Brecknock. Their daughter married Roger Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore, and from this connection the royal family of England is descended. O'More, an Irish chieftain to whom, in the reign of Edward II., Mortimer had confided the manage- ment of his domain of Leix, took possession of it in his own behalf, and resisted all attempts to dislodge him. Meanwhile the Fitzpatricks, the chiefs of Ossory, suc- ceeded in preserving their independence, and were generally friendly to the English. In the reign of IMward VI. Sir Edward Bellingham, the lord-deputy, re-annexed Leix to the English pale ; and a rebellion in the reign of Mary having been successfully quelled, both districts wore united, and named after the queen, the assize town being called Maryborough in her honour. A new rebellion in the latter part of Elizabeth's reign 'rushed in 1599 by the Earl of Essex, and the I ('MM-' -s were annihilated by his successor, Lord Mount- joy. During the rebellion of 1641, this county was tho u:my struggles between the royalist troops and insurgents under Roger More, head of the now I'Mores; and in 1646 Owen Roe ( I'Ncill hold Maryborough and many other strongholds, but lost them in 1649 to the royalists under Ormond, who. In his turn, was obliged to surrender to the Crom- wrlli.-m forces D :lewson and Reynolds. In the war of the revolution in 1688, William gained a decisive victory over the Irish near Cappard ; and soon VOL. ni. after a force of infantry and dragoons was stationed at Lea by request of the residents, to protect them from roving bands of rapparees who infested the country, since which time the county has been a military station. The county is for the most part flat or gently undulat- ing. The greater portion is in the basin of tho Barrow, but parts to tho N. and TV. incline to the Shannon. Extending through the county are a series of ridges or escarpments, which, having their rise near Athlone, cross King's County, and, entering near Mountmellick, run southwards past Maryborough in an almost un- broken line. They are principally formed of limestone and calcareous sandstone, varying in height from 12 to 45 feet, and are generally broad at the base and narrowed to a few feet at the top. The Dysart hills, in the S.E. of the county, lie between the villages of the Barrow and of the Nore, and relieve the monotony of the scenery. They are wholly composed of limestone, and consist generally of single elevations, of which the most striking are the Doon of Clopoke and the Rock of Duna- mase. Towards tho S. tho Slievemargue hills separate this county from Kilkenny. The Slieve Bloom moun- tains, of the Old Red sandstone formation, occupy the north-western part, and form the boundary with King's County. Their summit rises 1,753 feet, and was popu- larly thought to be the most elevated point in the island, whence it obtained tho name of Ard Errin, or " Height of Ireland." They are traversed by a narrow defile, called tho Gap of Glendine, the only communication in this part with King's County. The central parts of tho county abound in bogs, the Heath of Maryborough ex- tending over 425 acres. The only rivers of importance are the Barrow and its tributary, the Nore. The former, rising in the Slievo Bloom mountains, flows across the N. of the county to Portarlington, and thence S. along the boundary, except where it enters Kildare at Monas- tereven and Athy, till its reaches Carlow. It is navig- able for barges from Athy. The Nore has its source in the Slieve Bloom mountains in Tipperary. It enters Queen's County near Borris-in-Ossory, flowing eastward to Castletown, and then in a southerly direction till it reaches Kilkenny near Durrow. The lower Brosna, which is joined by tho Clodagh, rises in the W. of the county, and flows across King's County into tho Shan- non near Banagher. Lough Annagh, the only lake of any importance, is on tho northern boundary of the county. It is only 207 acres in extent, and does not exceed a milo in length. The Grand canal, entering the county at Portarlington, runs 12 miles southwards, and joins the Borrow just below Athy in Kildare. A branch of the canal, about 12 miles long, communicates with Mountmellick. Tho Great Southern and Western railway crosses the county in a north-easterly direction, and connects it with Limerick, Kilkenny, and Cork on the S., and Dublin on the N. The roads are numerous and well laid out, and are generally kept in good order. The principal portion of the county belongs to the lime- stone formation, which extends over most of Ireland. The Slieve Bloom mountains consist chiefly of sand- stone, with thin beds of limestone and coal ; and mica slate is found in the higher parts. One of the seven coalfields in Ireland commences in the Slievemargue Hills, and extends into Kilkenny and Carlow, and is extensively worked. The coal, which is of tho anthra- cite quality, and unsuited for domestic purposes, is pur- chased by the maltsters and distillers of Kilkenny and the neighbourhood. Iron ore, copper, and manganese exist in small quantities, but are not worked. Potters' clay is found, and made into tiles, crocks, and other coarse earthenware. Slate and (in some places) marble are quarried ; and near Mountmellick is found sandstone of soft texture, which is used for chimney-pieces and hearthstones. Tho climate is dry and salubrious. The occupations of tho population are almost wholly agricul- tural. The soil is generally fertile, but in some parts, especially towards the N., it is light and unproductive, though capable of improvement. In tho Slievo Bloom mountains, a yellow clay, and, in some parts, a strong red clay, produce good crocs of oats and potatoes, but