Tyrone

An extensive inland county, bounded on the east by Lough Neagh and the county of Armagh, on the west by those of Fermanagh and Donegal, on the north by Londonderry, and on the south by Monaghan, Armagh, and Fermanagh. It extends from north to south, at its widest part, about fourty-five miles, and from east to west about sixty; comprising an area of 806,610 statute acres, of which about 450,300 are arable, 12,000 plantations, 700 sites of towns, 31,800 occupied by water, and the remainder irreclaimable or uncultivated. A considerable part of this county is mountainous and rugged, but the soil of a large proportion is rich and fertile, calculated either for tillage or pasture. The hilly surface is found from north to south, where it occasionally rises into mountains, declining to a level towards Lough Neagh on the east. In the lower districts th land is remarkabley fertile, and watered by numerous branches of the Foyle and Blackwater rivers. Tillage is practised on the most approved methods in the practicable districts; and on the hilly and mountain-land the breeding of cattle is pursued with advantage. The vale of the Blackwater is exceedingly picturesque, and also of the greatest fertility. The average rent of land is 14s 6d. per acre. Coal, fit for domestic purposes, is raised near Lough Neagh, in the neighbourhood of Dungannon, and on the borders of Monaghan beautiful marble is quarried. In the Munterlony hills iron is abundant, and, in the valleys west of these eminences, potters's clay is obtained in plenty. The chief manufactures of the county are linens and coarse woollens (including blankets), and brown eathenware; distilleries and breweries, and meal and four mills, are likewise branches of industry carried on extensively in the principal towns. Besides the Blackwater and Foyle rivers, before named, there are the Ballinderry, on the north-eastern boundary, and the Munterlony, the Poe, the Mourne, the Carnown, the Owenkellow, and the Owenreagh, all rising in the moutainous central districts; there are likewise the barony of Dungannon, is a sulphureous water of considerable strength, and two miles from Aughnacloy, at Scarvey, is a valuable mineral spring. There likewise chalybeate springs at Dunbonrover, in Badony parish, and at the foot of Douglas mountain, besides several of less note issuing from the Munterlony hills. The Londonderry and Enniskillen railway will pass through this county. The CLIMATE is very variable; the prevalence of westerly winds occasions a constant humidity of atmosphere, which is not infrequently the cause of rheumatism and paralysis; but the county, in this respect, is improving greatly, and diseases of the kind named are much less common than formerly. In 1843 there were one hundred and sixty national schools in the county, attended by fourteen thousand children.

DIVISIONS, POPULATION, REPRESENTATION, &c.

The number of baronies comprised in the county are four, namely - Clogher, Dungannon, Omagh, and Strabane. These are divided into foury-two parishes. The population of the county, by the census taken in 1841, was males 153,463; females 159,493; total 312,956. The number of houses inhabited, at that period, was 54,919; uninhabited, 2,908, and houses building, sixty-four. Prior to the Union Tyrone sent ten representatives to the Irish parliament - two for the county at large, and two each for the boroughs of Dungannon, Augher, Clogher, and Strabane; it now sends to the Imperial Parliament one for Dungannon and two for the county; the representatives of the latter are, the Right Hon. Henry Thomas Lowry Corry, Castlecool, county of Fermanagh, and Grosvenor-square, London; and Lord Hamilton, Newtownstewart, in this county. The Earl of Charlemont, Rosborough Castle, Tyrone is lieutenant and Custo rotulorum of the county. Tyrone confers the inferior titles of Earl and Viscount on the Marquess of Waterford.