Geology.— Kerry, with its combination of mountain, sea, and plain, possesses some of the finest scenery of the British Islands. The portion of the county south of Dingle Bay consists of mountain masses intersected by valleys formed by narrow bands of carboniferous rocks. These masses are composed chiefly of red and green sandstones, grits, and slates, with beds of conglomerate in which are sometimes found pebbles of bright red jasper. The formation is almost entirely unfossiliferous, but on the Geological Survey maps it is marked as Old Red Sandstone. At one time the mountains were covered by a great forest of fir, birch, and yew, which was nearly all cut down to be made use of in smelting iron, and the constant pasturage of cattle prevents the growth of young trees. In the north-east, towards Killarney, the formation rises abruptly from the Carboniferous Limestone rocks into the rugged range of Macgillicuddy’s Reeks, the highest summit of which, Carntual, has a height of 3414 feet. The next highest summit to Carntual is Caper, 3200 feet, and several others are over 2500 feet. Lying between the precipitous sides of the Tomies, the Purple Mountains, and the Reeks is the famous gap of Dunloe. A small portion of country at the south-west of the Dingle promontory is occupied by Upper Silurian strata, which in the middle of the promontory are covered by vast strata of grits, slates, and sandstones known as the Dingle beds, but of unknown age. This formation attains at Brandon Hill a height of 3127 feet. Resting unconformably on these beds are the Old Red Sandstone strata which occupy the remainder of the promontory and also a small tract of country at Kerry Head. The remainder of Kerry is occupied by the Coal-measures which are separated from the mountain masses of Old Red Sandstone by a narrow and irregular band of Carboniferous Limestone or Carboniferous Slate, which abounds in fossils. The Coal-measures, which rest conformably on the Carboniferous Limestone, form a succession of undulating hills rising sometimes to a height of over 1000 feet. All the three measures of coal are represented, but the seams of coal are very thin, and the workable portions are outside the limits of the county. In the upper part of the Kenmare valley some copper veins occur in the Old Red Sandstone, but they are workable only when they enter the limestone. Silver with zinc and lead with zinc are found in a few places. In the coal formation there are some veins both of iron and lead. The Valentia flags and slates are largely exported to England. Amethysts were at one time obtained near Kerry Head.

Coast Line. — The sea-coast, which for the most part is wild and mountainous, is much indented by inlets, the largest of which, Tralee Bay, Dingle Bay, and Kenmare River, lie in synclinal troughs, the anticlinal folds of the rocks forming extensive promontories. Between Kenmare River and Dingle Bay the land is separated by mountain ridges into three valleys. The extremity of the peninsula between Dingle Bay and Tralee Bay is very precipitous, and Mount Brandon, rising abruptly from the ocean, is skirted at its base by a road from which magnificent views are obtained. From near the village of Ballybunion to Kilconey Point near the Shannon there is a remarkable succession of caves, which have evidently been excavated by the sea. The principal islands are the picturesque Skelligs, Valentia Island, and the Blasquet Islands.

Divers and Lakes.— The principal rivers are the Blackwater, which, rising in the Dunkerran mountains, forms for a few miles the boundary line between Kerry and Cork, and falls into the Kenmare River; the Ruaughty, which with a course resembling the arc of a circle falls into the head of the Kenmare River; the Inny and Ferta, which flow westward, the one into Ballinskellig Bay and the other into Valentia Harbour; the Flesk, which flows northward through the lower lake of Killarney, after which it takes the name of the Laune, and flows north-westward to Dingle Bay; the Cara, which rises in the mountains of Dunkerran, and after forming several lakes falls into Castlemaine Harbour; the Maine,, which flows from Castle Island southwestwards to the sea at Castlemaine Harbour, receiving in its course the northern Flesk, which rises in the mountains that divide Cork from Kerry; and the Feale, Gale, and Brick, the junction of which forms the Cashin, a short tidal river which flows into the estuary of the Shannon. The lakes of Kerry are not numerous, and none of them are of great size, but those of Killarney form one of the most important features in the striking and picturesque mountain scenery amidst which they are situated. (See Killarney.) The other principal lakes in the county are Lough Currane near Ballinskellig, and Lough Cara near Castlemaine Harbour. Near the summit of Manger ton Mountain an accumulation of water in a deep hollow forms what is known as the Devil’s Punchbowl, the surplus water, after making a succession of cataracts, flowing into Lough Kittane at the foot of the mountain. There are chalybeate mineral springs near Killarney, near Valentia Island, and near the mouth of the Inny; sulphurous chalybeate springs near Dingle, Castlemaine, and Tralee; and a saline spring at Magherybeg in Corkaguiney, which bursts out of clear white sand a little below high water mark.

CUmαtβ and Agriculture.— Owing to the vicinity of the sea and the height of the mountains, the climate is very moist and unsuitable for the growth of cereals, but it is so mild even in winter that the pasturage on the mountains retains perpetual greenness. Arbutus and other trees indigenous to warm climates grow in the open air, and several flowering plants are found which are unknown in England. In the northern parts of the county the land is generally coarse and poor, except in the valleys, where a rich soil has been formed by rocky deposits. In the Old Red Sandstone valleys there are many very fertile regions, and several extensive districts now covered by bog admit of easy reclamation so as to form very fruitful soil, but other tracts of boggy land scarcely promise a profitable return for labour expended on their reclamation. The lower slopes of the mountains afford a very rich pasturage for cattle even in winter, while large flocks of sheep and goats graze on the upper ridges.

According to the classified summary of owners for 1876 there were no fewer than twenty-eight proprietors who possessed upwards of 10,000 acres, and ten possessed upwards of 20,000 acres, viz., Francis C. Bland, 25,576; Sir Edward Denny, Baronet, 21,479; Robert Drummond, 29,780; Edward Bouchier Hartopp, 24,222; Henry A. Herbert, 47,238; earl of Kenmare, 91,080; marquis of Lansdowne, 94,983; earl of Listowel, 25,964; Richard Mahoney, 26,173; Lord Ventry, 93,629. Altogether the number of owners was 1116, possessing 1,153,373 acres, at an annual valuation of £283,198. Of the owners 637, or 57 per cent., possessed less than 1 acre, the total possessed by these owners being only 172 acres. The average annual valuation was 4s. 10d. per acre.

The following table shows the number of the various classes of holdings in 1850 and 1880 :— [table]

In some of the larger farms the best modern systems of agriculture are practised, but especially on the small farms the primitive form of lazy-bed culture is that almost wholly in use, with alternate crops of oats and potatoes. The total area under crops in 1881 was 165,568 acres, 14‘2 per cent, of the acreage of the county. In 1880 there were 586,600 acres (50 6 per cent.) under grass, 18,348 were woods, 105,884 bogs, 248,808 mountain, and 39,392 water, roads, and fences. There has been an increase in the area under crops since 1850 of 16,694 acres, but this is wholly due to an increase of 37,906 in the area under meadow and clover, which in 1881 was 90,068, while between 1851 and 1880 the area under grass increased by 133,489, or more than a fourth. The area under cereals in 1881 was 33,169 acres, a decline of 18,849, or more than a third since 1850, wheat declining from 4502 to 1032, and oats from 30,190 to 27,533. Between 1850 and 1880 the diminution has been very slight in the area under green crop, from 43,129 acres to 41,968, that under potatoes increasing from 30,963 to 31,179, but that under turnips declining from 10,434 to 5723. Flax occupied 300 acres in 1850, and only 39 in 1881.

Horses have increased from 13,129 in 1850 to 15,367 in 1881. The number of horses used for agricultural purposes in 1881 was 11,159. Mules between 1850 and 1881 increased from 1871 to 2311, while asses increased from 3417 io 8765. Cattle in 1850 numbered 147,748, and in 1881 had increased to 209,733. Cows numbered 104,971, dairy farming being very largely followed. The Kerry breed of cattle—small finely-shaped animals, black or red in colour, with small upturned horns—are famed for the quality both of their flesh and milk, and are now in considerable demand for the parks surrounding mansion houses. The “dexter,” a cross between the Kerry and an unknown breed, is larger but without its fine qualities. Sheep between 1850 and 1871 had risen from 59,931 to 129,618, but in 1881 they had declined to 82,929. Little regard is paid to the breed, but those in most common use have been crossed with a merino breed from Spain. Goats, which share with sheep the sweet pasturage of the higher mountain ridges, have increased between 1850and 1881 from 17,382 to 23,442. Pigs since 1850 have increased from 36,246 to 45,630. Poultry have more than doubled in numbers, increasing from 183,115 to 485,076.

Fcrae Naturae. — As may be supposed from the wild and mountainous character of a great part of Kerry, foxes are numerous, and otters and badgers are not uncommon. The alpine hare is very abundant. The red deer inhabits the mountains round Killarney. The golden eagle was at one time frequently seen in the higher mountain regions, but is now rarely met with. The sea eagle haunts the lofty marine cliffs, the mountains, and the rocky islets. The osprey is occasionally seen, and also the peregrine falcon. The merlin is common. The common owl is indigenous, the long-eared owl resident, and the short-eared owl a regular winter visitor. Rock pigeons breed on the sea-cliffs, and the turtle dove is an occasional visitant. The common quail is becoming rare. The great grey seal is found in Brandon and Dingle Bays.

Αfanufactures.— At thebeginning of the century there was a considerable linen trade in Kerry, but this is now nearly extinct, the chief manufacture being that of coarse woollens and linens for home use. At Killarney a variety of articles are made from the wood of the arbutus. A considerable trade in agricultural produce is carried on at Tralee, Dingle, and Kenmare, and in slate and stone at Valentia.

Fisheries.— The number of vessels engaged in the deep sea and coast fisheries is about 600, employing about 2500 men and boys. From the passing of the Act 37 and 38 Viet, up to 31st December 1880 the total amount of money advanced on loan fur fishery purposes in Kerry has been £10,872, and upto the same date the repayments have amounted to £6879. The loans during the year 1880 amounted to £2146. The sum advanced for Kerry fisheries is more than one-third of the whole sum advanced for Ireland. Perhaps on no part of the coast are the fishing localities so nume-roιιs, or such fish as herring, pilchards, cod, hake, and ling so abundant. There is, however, a great want of boats, tackle, and nets, although the stations of Dingle and Kenmare are prosperous and well provided. Fine salmon are obtained in the rivers and in some of the larger lakes. The shellfish are large and abundant.

Railways. — A branch of the great southern and western line passes by Killarney to Tralee.

Administration.— The county comprises nine baronies, and contains eighty-five civil parishes and two parts of parishes, and 2682 townlands. There are six poor-law unions wholly within the county, viz., Cahirciveen, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, Listowel, and Tralee, and part of one, namely Glin, the remaining portion being in Limerick. The county includes one parliamentary borough, Tralee, which in 1881 had a population of 9664, the township of Killarney, and the towns of Dingle and Listowel. There are in the county twenty-four petty sessions districts and one part of a petty sessions district. Assizes are held at Tralee, and quarter sessions are held in the towns of Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, Listowel, and Tralee. The county is within the Cork military district, and there is a barrack station at Tralee. The headquarters of the constabulary force is at Tralee, and subinspectors are stationed at Cahirciveen, Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, and Listowel. Previous to the Union the county returned eight members to parliament, two for the county, and two for each of the boroughs of Tralee, Dingle, and Ardfert. At the Union the number was reduced to three, two for the county and one for the borough of Tralee.

Population.— At the census of 1659 the population of Kerry was 8390, of whom 7824 were Irish and 566 English. De Burgo estimates it at 56,628 in 1760, and the census of 1821 gives it as 216,185. In 1841 it had increased to 294,095, but in 1851 had diminished to 238,619, in 1861 to 201,800, and in 1871 to 196,586. The increase to 200,448 in 1881, notwithstanding that Kerry has suffered severely from agricultural distress, is sufficiently accounted for by an increase in the number of the smaller class of holdings. The number of males in 1881 was 100,715, and of females 99,733. The annual rate of marriages in 1880 to every 1000 of estimated population was 2 - 4, of births 27’5, of deaths 17 - 5, and of emigration 26 - 4. The total number who emigrated from 1st May 1851 to 31st December 1880 was 121,826. The number of persons not of Irish birth in Kerry at the census of 1841 was 615, and in 1871 it was 1194. The number in 1871 who could speak Irish only was 1209, and the number who could speak Irish and English 69,959. The number of Roman Catholics in 1881 was 193,917, of Protestant Episcopalians 5767, of Presbyterians 224, of Methodists 271, and of all other persuasions 264.

History. — The county is said to have derived its name from Ciar, who, along with his tribe the Ciarraidhe, is stated to have inhabited about the beginniug of the present era the territory lying between Tralee and the Shannon. That portion lying south of the Maine was at a later period included in the kingdom of Desmond. Kerry suffered frequently from invasions of the Danes in the 9th and 10th centuries, until they were finally overthrown at the battle of Clontarf in 1014. In 1172 Dermot MacCarthy, king of Cork and Desmond, made submission to Henry II. on certain conditions, but was nevertheless gradually compelled to retire within the limits of Kerry, which was made shire ground in 1210. An English adventurer Raymond le Gros received from this MacCarthy a large portion of the county round Lixnaw. Thomas, grandson of Raymond, and king’s sheriff in the counties of Cork, Waterford, and Kerry, was in 1295 made lord chief-justice of Ireland. Of his two sons John the eldest was created earl of Kildare, and Maurice in 1329 became earl of Desmond, and with certain exceptions received all the royal liberties which the king had in the county of Kerry. After the attainder of Thomas, earl of Desmond, in 1467, his kinsmen took up arms against the English, until at last the king was glad to guarantee the earl’s elder son the full possession of his father’s privileges. In consequence, however, of the rebellion of Gerald the sixteenth earl, the estates of the Desmonds, 574,628 acres in extent, were in 1583 forfeited to the crown, and parcelled into manors and seignories of 12,000, 8000, 6000, and 4000 acres, which were divided among English noblemen and gentlemen. The Irish took advantage of the disturbed state of England at the time of the: Puritan revolution to attempt the overthrow of the English rule in Kerry, and ultimately obtained possession of Tralee, but in 1652 the rebellion was completely subdued, and a large number of estates were afterwards confiscated.

Antiquities.— There are remains of a round tower at Aghadoe near Killarney, another, a small cell at Lough Curτane, and a third, one of the finest and most perfect specimens of the round tower in Ireland, at Rattoo, not far from Ballybunion. On the summit of a hill to the north of Kenmare River is the remarkable stone fortress known as Staigue Fort. There are several stone cells in the principal Skellig island, where at one time there were monastic remains which have now been swept away by the sea. The principal groups of sepulchral stones are those on the summits of the Tomie mountains, a remarkable stone fort at Cahirciveen, a circle of stones with cromlech in the parish of Tuosist, and others with inscriptions near Dingle. The most notable monastic ruins are those of Innisfallen, founded by St Finian, a disciple of St Columba, and the fine remains of Muckross Abbey, founded by the Franciscans, but there are also monastic remains at Ardfert, Castlemaine, Derrynane, Kilcoleman, Lislaghtin, and 0’Domey. Among old ruined churches of interest may be mentioned those of Aghadoe, Kilcrohane, Lough Currane, Derrynane, Kilmakilloge, and Muckross. The cathedral of Ardfert, founded probably in 1253, was partly destroyed during the Cromwellian wars, but was restored in 1831. Some interesting portions of the old building still remain. There are a large number of old feudal castles.

See Smith, Ancient and Present State of the Counties of Cork, Waterford, and Kerry, Dublin, 1746-56; Cusack, History of the Kingdom of Kerry, 1871.