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LONDONDERRY

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Originally appearing in Volume V16, Page 973 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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LONDONDERRY , a See also:

northern See also:county of See also:Ireland in the See also:province of See also:Ulster, bounded N. by the See also:Atlantic, W. by Lough Foyle and See also:Donegal, E. by See also:Antrim and Lough See also:Neagh, and S. by See also:Tyrone. The See also:area is 522,315 acres, or about 816 sq. m. The county consists chiefly of See also:river valleys surrounded by elevated table-lands rising occasionally into mountains, while on the See also:borders of the See also:sea-See also:coast the See also:surface is generally level. The See also:principal river is the See also:Roe, which flows northward from the borders of Tyrone into Lough Foyle below See also:Newton-Limavady, and divides the county into two unequal parts. Farther See also:west the Faughan also falls into Lough Foyle, and the river Foyle passes through a small portion of the county near its See also:north-western boundary. In the See also:south-See also:east the Moyola falls into Lough Neagh, and the See also:Lower See also:Bann from Lough Neagh forms for some distance its eastern boundary with Antrim. The only See also:lake in the county is Lough Finn on the borders of Tyrone, but Lough Neagh forms about 6 m. of its south-eastern boundary. The scenery of the shores of Lough Foyle and the neighbouring coast is attractive, and Castlerock, Downhill, Magilligan and Portstewart are favourite seaside resorts. On the See also:flat Magilligan See also:peninsula, which forms the eastern See also:horn of Lough Foyle, the See also:base-See also:line of the trigonometrical survey of Ireland was measured in 1826. The scenery of the Roe valley, with the picturesque towns of Limavady and Dungiven, is also atrractive, and the roads from the latter See also:place to Draperstown and to Maghera, traversing the passes of Evishgore and Glenshane respectively, afford See also:fine views of the Sperrin and Slieve Gallion mountains. The west of this county consists of See also:Dalradian See also:mica-schist, with some See also:quartzite, and is a continuation of the northern region of Tyrone. An inlier of these rocks appears in the rising ground east of Dungiven, including dark See also:grey crystalline See also:limestone.

Old Red See also:

Sandstone and Lower Carboniferous Sandstone overlie these old rocks in the south and east, See also:meeting the igneous " See also:green rocks " of Tyrone, and the See also:granite intrusive in them, at the north end of Slieve Gallion. Triassic sandstone covers the lower slope of Slieve Gallion on the south-east towards Moneymore, and rises above the Carboniferous Sandstone from Dungiven northward. At Moneymore we reach the western scarp of the See also:White Limestone (See also:Chalk) and the over-lying See also:basalt of the See also:great plateaus, which See also:dip down eastward under Lough Neagh. The basalt scarp, protecting chalk and patches of Liassic and See also:Rhaetic strata, rises to 1260 ft. in Benevenagh north of Limavady, and repeats the finest features of the Antrim coast. A raised shelf with See also:post-glacial marine See also:clays forms the flat See also:land west of Limavady. See also:Haematite has been See also:mined on the south flank of Slieve Gallion. The excessive rainfall and the See also:cold and uncertain See also:climate are unfavourable for See also:agriculture. Along the sea-coast there is a See also:district of red See also:clay formed by the decomposition of sandstone, and near the mouth of the Roe there is a See also:tract of See also:marl. Along the valleys the See also:soil is often fertile, and the elevated districts of the clay-See also:slate region afford pasture for See also:sheep. The acreage of pasture-land does not greatly exceed that of tillage. Oats, potatoes and turnips are chiefly grown, with some See also:flax; and See also:cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are kept in considerable See also:numbers. The See also:staple manufacture of the county is See also:linen.

The manufacture of coarse earthenware is also carried on, and there are large distilleries and breweries and some See also:

salt-See also:works. There are See also:fisheries for See also:salmon and eels on the Bann, for which See also:Coleraine is the headquarters. The deep-sea and coast fisheries are valuable, and are centred at Moville in Co. Donegal. The See also:city of Londonderry is an important railway centre. The Northern Counties (Midland) See also:main line reaches it by way of Coleraine and the north coast of the county, and the same railway serves the eastern See also:part of the county, with branches from Antrim to Magherafelt, and Magherafelt to See also:Cookstown (Co. Tyrone), to Draperstown and to Coleraine, and from Limavady to Dungiven. The Great Northern railway reaches Londonderry from the south, and the city is also the starting-point of the County Donegal, and the Londonderry and Lough Swilly See also:railways. The See also:population decreases (152,009 in 1891; 144,404 in 1901) and See also:emigration is extensive, though both decrease and emigration are well below the See also:average of the Irish counties. Of the See also:total, about 43% are See also:Roman Catholics, and nearly 5o% Presbyterians or See also:Protestant Episcopalians. Londonderry (pop. 38,892), Coleraine (6958) and Limavady (2692) are the principal towns, while Magherafelt and Moneymore are lesser See also:market towns.

The county comprises six baronies. Assizes are held at Londonderry, and See also:

quarter sessions at Coleraine, Londonderry and Magherafelt. The county is represented in See also:parliament by two members, for the north and south divisions respectively. The Protestant and Roman See also:Catholic dioceses of See also:Armagh, Derry and Down each include parts of the county. At an See also:early See also:period the county was inhabited by the O'Cathans or O'Catrans, who were tributary to the O'Neills. Towards the See also:close of the reign of See also:Elizabeth the county was seized, with the purpose of checking the See also:power of the O'Neills, when it received the name of Coleraine, having that See also:town for its See also:capital. In 1609, after the See also:confiscation of the estates of the O'Neills, the citizens of See also:London obtained See also:possession of the towns of Londonderry and Coleraine and adjoining lands, 6o acres out of every r000 being assigned for See also:church lands. The See also:common See also:council of London undertook to expend £20,000 on the reclamation of the See also:property, and elected a See also:body of twenty-six for its management, who in 1613 were incorporated as the Irish Society, and retained possession of the towns of Londonderry and Coleraine, the See also:remainder of the property being divided among twelve of the great See also:livery companies. Their estates were sequestrated by See also:James I., and in 1637 the See also:charter of the Irish Society was cancelled. See also:Cromwell restored the society to its former position, and See also:Charles II. at the Restoration granted it a new charter, and confirmed the companies in their estates. In the insurrection of 1641 Moneymore was seized by the Irish, and Magherafelt and Bellaghy, then called Vintner's Town, burned, as well as other towns and villages. There are several See also:stone circles, and a large number of artificial caves.

The most See also:

ancient See also:castle of Irish origin is that of Carrickreagh; and of the castles erected by the See also:English those of Dungiven and See also:Muff are in See also:good preservation. The See also:abbey of Dungiven, founded in 'See also:log, and See also:standing on a See also:rock about 200 ft. above the river Roe, is a picturesque ruin.

End of Article: LONDONDERRY

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