manners of society. Dominick-street, at the west end of the town, which contains a number of excellent houses, chiefly inhabited by many of our most respectable gentry, was laid out and built within the last mentioned period. The town has also improved considerably since the Union. Towards the east entrance, round Meyricksquare, formerly the green, on the heights of Bohermore, and in the interior streets, several fine houses have been erected. Mr. Thomas Hynes, an eminent West-India merchant, and the Messrs. O'Connor, are deserving of particular notice for their laudable exertions in this line to improve the appearance of their native town.

Although most of the dwelling-houses are old, there are, however, several excellent private buildings interspersed throughout the town. Amongst these the following will attract particular attention :-the handsome dwelling of Mr. Daly, the late mayor, situate in Back-street, (which street was so called from its backward situation,) and that opposite to it, built by the late Martin Lynch; the elegant dwellings and spacious stores, in the same street, built by Messrs. Walter and John Joyce; the residence of the late lord Ffrench, facing Middlestreet, (so named from its central situation;) the large houses in Shop-street, (so called because in this street the first shops were opened,) built by the late Nicholas Lynch, of Barna; and those recently raised by Mr. Morgan Connolly; the new buildings and shops erected by Mr. Thomas Hynes, on the site of the old free-school, in High-street, (a street so termed from its high or elevated situation;) the handsome houses in Watergate-street, built by the late Nicholas Burke Edmond; several good houses at the Spanish-parade, (a small square at the S. W. corner of the town, where the Spanish merchants were formerly accustomed to assemble ;) those built by the late Michael Rush at the church-yard leading to Lombard-street, (a part of the town so called from the Lombards, a mercantile people of Italy, who formerly resorted hither for the purpose of traffic.) To these, as more recent improvements, may be added the road in the cast suburbs, leading by Erasmus Smith's new school to Oranmore, the alterations making by Mr. Eyre at the green, the projected quay, the handsome bridge lately built over the river

"There are, besides these, the remains of several ancient houses, or castles, in the town, many of which are still in good repair, and inhabited. They are too numerous to be separately pointed out here; but the following are the principal:-Penrice's ancient castle, in William-street; Athy's, which lay in Lombard-street, near the barrack; Blake's mansion-house, at the rear of the Shamble barrack; the mansion of the Bodkins, of Carrowbeg, in Backstreet, opposite Whitehall, and that of another branch of the same name, opposite the old Augustinian convent; the mansion-house of the Brownes, of Castlemagarret, in William-street; and that of the Darcys, near the abbey gate, on the right; the Frenches' mansion, in Marketstreet, now the Franciscan nunnery; also that of the Frenches, of Grenage, (a younger branch of the Rahasane family,) in Middle-street, in which the assemblies are at present held; Joyes' or Joyce's house, at the corner of Market-street, in Abbey-gate street. This family was the head of the name. Kirwan's mansion, facing the

south aisle and tower of the church; the court of the Lynches, of Castlecarra, built in the Spanish style, at the corner of Abbey-gate-street; the Martins', of Gregans, dwelling, in Market-street, nearly opposite the Franciscan convent; that of the Martins, of Gort-naclevy, at the corner of Watergate-street, near the Dominican convent; and the Skerretts' ancient residence, which faced the south side of the church. The arms of these different families may be seen in many places sculptured in stone on these buildings, together with the names of the founders and the dates of their erection, Under many of these old houses there are subterraneous passages, extending a considerable distance beyond the town walls, which were evidently intended for escape or refuge, in cases of siege or other dangers, in the early times, when these edifices were erected.

The singular tenures of several of these old buildings are worth noticing.-A large house in Abbey-gate-street is the estate, in fee, of three several landlords; the upper

at Newtown-Smith, and the intended street to the new court-house, which, with many other private buildings in progress, add considerably to the extent and appearance of the town.

From these pleasing prospects of improvement, it is painful to turn to the shamefully neglected state of the streets, which, for many years past, have been perhaps the worst paved, and least attended to, of any other in this country. From the numerous holes in the pavement, and the heaps of accumulated dirt with which they are almost continually filled, many streets are often nearly impassable, particularly in dark winter nights, when it is absolutely hazardous to venture abroad. Surely these are subjects which require the most serious and immediate attention. Although much has been said about the misapplication of the tolls and customs, which by the charters were to be applied "to the walling and paving of the town," yet it should be considered that there is not now, nor has there been for many years past, (since the unprincipled alienation of the corporation property,) any other fund whereout to defray the salaries of the mayor and the other municipal officers. The only remedy, therefore, for this daily increasing evil appears to be that of a local tax, to be imposed by authority of parliament, for paving, lighting and cleansing the streets, and for establishing a sufficient police to keep a nightly watch. The advantages which the inhabitants, after a little experience, would find themselves to enjoy, would be so considerable, and the rateable contribution on each individual so trifling, that it is hoped this salutary and indispensible measure may be speedily carried into effect, with prudence, economy and zeal, for the improvement and interest of the town.

4. Population.

The population of Galway is much greater than, from a superficial view of the place, would be immediately supposed." This circumstance has given rise to various contradictory computations on that head. In a former page (192, note) a view of these different statements has been given; and although the estimate there made of the inhabitants of the town and county of the town, at 40,000 souls, has been by some esteemed as overrated, the author has not as yet heard sufficient

part belongs to the family of Darcy of Kiltolla, half the under story to the reverend James Ffrench, and the remainder of the house to Mr. Patrick Francis, by purchase from the late celebrated dean Kirwan. A sinall shop nearly opposite the Exchange is the estate in fee of Miss Chawner, of Tipperary, and the remainder of the house belongs to Mr. Rickard Burke in fee simple. The fee of another shop, in the same street, is vested in Mr. Dominick Ffrench; that of the remainder of the house is in the Joyes' family. In the old building in High-street, commonly called the Salmon-house, the stone stairs leading to the new coffee-room, with two adjoining closets, is the estate of Edward Jones, esq. of Roscommon, and the remainder of the same house belongs in fee simple to Mr Montgomery. An apartment at the rear of Lynch's castle, in Shop-street, is the estate of colonel Anthony

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Ffrench; the rest of the building is the fee property of the Staunton family. There are many other similar tenures throughout the town, and they are generally held under distinct original titles.

In the following return of the population of the town and county of the town of Galway, taken under the Census Act of 1812, (communicated to the author by his highly esteemed friend, W. Shaw Mason, esq. to whom the regulation of the census was committed by government,) every town-land, street, lane, &c. in the county of the town is described. From the confession, however, of one of the persons by whom it was made, no doubt remains of its having been deficient in the number of inhabitants. The people in the vicinity of the town, apprehensive that a military ballot, or some similar project, was in view, evaded giving a true account

reasons to induce him to alter that calculation: on the contrary, when the rapid increase for the last seven years shall be considered, and that the return under the Census Act of 1812 was confessedly deficient, it is still thought the most. accurate estimate of the population of Galway (including the county of the town) at the present day.

II. CONSTITUTION AND Government.

1. Corporation.

THE corporation of "the town and county of the town of Galway" is at present little more than a name: the ancient state and insignia of that formerly proud and opulent body have been entirely laid aside; the old and creditable offices of alderman, chamberlain, burgess, &c. have fallen into disuse, and its possessions have been alienated; so that it now seems to be upheld by the respectable family in which it has become almost hereditary, merely for the valuable patronage which it confers, and for the parliamentary representation of the town,

which is commanded by means of the non-resident freemen. The decay, however, of such incorporations, according to the celebrated Adam Smith, Dr. Paley, and other high authorities, is not to be regretted. They were originally formed in times of necessity, and soon became universally distinguished for monopolizing and intolerant principles. Even still, though the mighty, and evermoving machine of society has altered the situation of mankind, and changed the state of human affairs, these associations, with very few exceptions, retain the gloom and bigotry of former ages, and seem to be the last and favorite retreats of prejudice and intolerance. If, therefore, the peace and good order of cities and towns could be preserved by domestic and resident magistrates, under the direct control of the government of the country, there would not be much reason to regret the decline of these feudal institutions.

2. Courts Municipal Regulations necessary..

For the numerous, though at present dormant or obsolete, privileges of the corporation of Galway, the reader is referred to the charters which will be found in the appendix. The mayor and recorder keep a court of record, which takes cognizance of civil pleas to any amount; and also hold sessions, at stated periods, for the trial of personal misdemeanors: but felonies and daily increasing crimes of magnitude are referred to the general assizes, which are held twice a year in the town. The want of an efficient police and a more active magistracy is loudly complained of by the principal part of the inhabitants, who to this deficiency entirely attribute the many strect and house robberies which have been recently committed. That some municipal regulations are necessary seems to be conceded on all sides; and it is, therefore, hoped that the proper authorities will take such speedy means to remedy these defects as the nature of the evils complained of, and the circumstances of the town so urgently require.

III. COMMERCE, TRADE AND MANUFACTUres.

1. Decline of Commerce-Causes.

IN several parts of this volume the former extensive commerce of Galway has been mentioned; and the causes of its decline have been so distinctly pointed out, that it is considered unnecessary to repeat them here: it is esteemed equally so to spend much time in refuting the illiberal aspersions attempted to be cast on this ancient, respectable and long persecuted town, by a recent English tourist of some celebrity, who, from "report," thought proper to attribute its decline to want