In Queen Mary's reign, Philip
II. of Spain paid 1000L. annually in consideration of his
subjects being allowed to fish on the north-west coast of
Ireland; and it appears that the money was brought into the Irish
Exchequer. In 1650, Sweden was permitted, as a favour, to employ
a hundred vessels in the Irish fishery; and the Dutch in the
reign of Charles I. were admitted to the fisheries on the payment
of 30,000L. In 1673, Sir W. Temple, in a letter to Lord Essex,
says that "the fishing of Ireland might prove a mine under water
as rich as any under ground."[9]
The coasts of Ireland abound in all the kinds of fish in common
use--cod, ling, haddock, hake, mackerel, herring, whiting,
conger, turbot, brill, bream, soles, plaice, dories, and salmon.
The banks off the coast of Galway are frequented by myriads of
excellent fish; yet, of the small quantity caught, the bulk is
taken in the immediate neighbourhood of the shores. Galway bay
is said to be the finest fishing ground in the world; but the
fish cannot be expected to come on shore unsought: they must be
found, followed, and netted. The fishing-boats from the west of
Scotland are very successful; and they often return the fish to
Ireland, cured, which had been taken out of the Irish bays. "I
tested this fact in Galway," says Mr. S. C. Hall. "I had ordered
fish for dinner; two salt haddocks were brought to me.
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