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County DUBLIN: a county
of Ireland in the province of Leinster, bounded N. by Co. Meath, E.
by the Irish Sea, S. by Wicklow, and W. by Kildare and Meath. With the
exception of Louth and Carlow, Dublin is the smallest county in Ireland,
having an area of 218,873 acres, or about 342 sq. m. The northern portion
is flat, and the soil good, particularly on the borders of Meath; but
on the southern side the land rises into elevations of considerable
height. The mountains are chiefly covered with heath, except where a
subsidence in. the ground affords a nucleus for the formation of bog,
with which about 2000 acres are covered. There are also a few small
tracts of bog in the northern part of thecounty. The mountain districtis
well adapted for timber. The northern coast of the county from Balbriggan
to Howth has generally a sandy shore, and affords only the small harbours
of Balbriggan and Skerries. In. the promontory of Howth, the coast suddenly
assumes a bolder aspect; and between the town of Howth and the rocky
islet of Irelands Eye an unsuccessful artificial harbour was constructed.
Kingstown harbour on the south side of Dublin Bay superseded this, and
is by far the best in the county. Dalkey Island, about 22 acres in extent,
lies about midway between Kingstown harbour and the beautiful bay of
Killiney. North of Howth lies Lambay Island, about 600 acres in area.
Shell fish, especially lobsters, are taken here in abundance. Small
islets lie farther north of Skerries; the most interesting of which
is that known as Inispatrick, reputed as the first landing-place of
St Patrick, and having the ruins of a church said to be the saints first
foundation, though it shares this reputation with other sites. Irelands
Eye, off Howth, is a very picturesque rock with about 54 acres of grass
land. It has afforded great room for geological disquisition. The chief
river in the county is the Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow mountains
about 12 m. S.W. of Dublin, and, after running about 50 m.. empties
itself into Dublin Bay. The course of the river is so tortuous that
40 m. may be traversed and only 10 gained in direction. The scenery
along the banks of the Liffey is remarkably beautiful. The mountains
which occupy the southern border of the county are the extremities of
the great group belonging to the adjacent county Wicklow. The principal
summits are the group containing Glendoo (1919 ft.) and Two Rock (1699
ft.) within the county, and the border group oi Kippure, reaching in
that summit a height of 2475 ft. The grandest features of these hills
are the great natural ravines which open in them, the most extraordinary
being the Scalp through which the traveller passes from Dublin to Wicklow.
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