Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for IRISH SEA

IRISH SEA, the piece of sea which is bounded on the NW by the North Channel, on the N by Scotland, on the E by England, on the S by Wales and St. George's Channel, and on the W by Ireland. It was known to the Romans as Oceanus Hibernicus. It measures 80 miles southward from Burrow Head in Scotland, 65 westward from St. Bees in Cumberland, 118 westward from the mouth of the Mersey, about 90 westward in the average of its extent, and about 7, 000 geographical square miles in area. Its depth, on the E side, commonly ranges from 8 to 32 fathoms; on the W side, from 25 to 85 fathoms. The chief inlets from it are Luce bay and Wigton bay in Scotland; the Solway frith, between Scotland and England; Morecambe bay and the estuaries of the Ribble and the Mersey, in England; the estuary of the Dee, between England and Wales; Beaumaris bay, leading up to Menai strait, in Wales; and Lough Strangford, Dundrum bay, Carlingford bay, Dundalk bay, and Dublin bay, in Ireland. The chief islands in it are the Isle of Man, nearly in its centre; Anglesey, westward of the Menai strait; and several small islands adjacent to England and to Ireland. Lights are on the Mull of Galloway and Ross, on the N; at Allonby, St. Bees Head, the Peel of Fouldray, Formby point, the Mersey's mouth and the Dee's mouth, on the E; on Puffin island, Point Linas, and the Skerries, on the S; at Kish, Howth, Lough Carlingford, Ardglass, and Lough Strangford, on the W; and at Point of Ayr, Douglas bay, Calf of Man, and Peel harbour, in the Isle of Man.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "the piece of sea"   (ADL Feature Type: "seas")
Place names: IRISH SEA     |     OCEANUS HIBERNICUS