CONNAUGHT. This, the north-western province of Ireland, is almost shut out from industrial connection with England. It is very poor, and the potato failure of 1817 ren dered it still poorer. There have been lately, however, numerous projects formed for the improvement of this province, and the deve lopment of its great resources. Of these the chief is the extension, now in progress, of the Great Midland Railway from Mullingar by Athlone to Galway. Another is the establish. ment of a packet station for the conveyance of the mails from that port to Halifax. The Viceroy steam-ship was placed on the station in 1850, but was not of sufficient dimensions to perform the voyage with the requisite speed ; and having been wrecked on the return pas sage from New York to Halifax, has not as yet been replaced. The merchants of Galway are at the present time strenuously endeavour ing to have that port selected as a mail-packet station. The improvement of the navigation of the Shannon has given a continuous line of water carriage along the eastern boundary of the province. It has also been in contempla
tion to connect the lakes of Galway and Mayo, so as to form a line of navigation from Gal way to Killala, through Loughs Corrib, Mask, Cerra, Castlebar, Cullin, Conn, and the river Moy to Ballina, a distance of 80 miles, through a district susceptible ofimmense improvement. To connect these lakes it would require a series of cuts only 17 miles in length.
Perhaps the most useful of the various efforts made for the improvement of Connaught has been the introduction or revival of the culture of flax. The quantity grown in 1847 was 10,866 cwt. and the cultivation of flax crops is since then much increased. The system of farming has been greatly improved in these districts which have passed through the transition attendant on the recent change of proprietary and occupants.