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Picturesque Ireland: A LITERARY AND ARTISTIC DELINEATION THE NATURAL SCENERY, REMARKABLE PLACES, HISTORICAL ANTIQUITIES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, ANCIENT ABBEYS, TOWERS, CASTLES, AND OTHER Romantic and Attractive Features of Ireland. Illustrated in Steel and Wood, by Eminent Native and Foreig7i Artists ^7^ Edited by JOHN SAVAGE, LL.a NEW YORK : PUBLISHED BY THOMAS KELLY, 358 & 360 Broome Street. THE LIBRARY j or CONGRESS ll WASHHIGTOV i \/ Copyright, 7SS4. BY THOMAS KELLY. sv^ iv Thomas Kelly, New York. Preface. i'N volumes previously published relating to the subject embraced in this Work, it was not unusual, by way of recommendation, to dwell, per- haps with pardonable pride, on the fact, that they severally presented scenes which had not been heretofore given through the medium of art to the public eye. Circumstances more than choice directed such a course ; as editors and artists, and especially publishers, deemed it rather a risk to go over ground already occupied. It is conceded that many charming scenes, hitherto little known, were thus brought to view, and many admirable descriptions of scenery added to the illustrative litera- ture of Ireland. It must be also admitted, however, that the representative scenic splendors and beauties of the favored island were issued in disconnected forms, running through a series of works of unequal artistic and literary merit. The cost of these several volumes — all of which have special interest to those bound by birth, descent, or kin to the localities illustrated — is such as to preclude the ma- jority of the lovers of Ireland, or students of the historical and the beautiful, from obtaining a satisfactory or intelligent knowledge of the entire subject. Without reflecting on the works alluded to, the majority of which were of local importance, we can confidently claim that the present work will more fully repre- sent the scenery of Ireland at large than any yet published on either side of the Atlantic. Picturesque Ireland is designed to embrace and present all the best and most striking features of preceding works on the subject — reproductions of the pictures and drawings of eminent artists who have, during the present century, given such a notable impetus to the study of Irish scenery, topography, and anti- quities — with hundreds of other views from recent photographs and drawings, 3 4 PRE FA CE. especially engraved for the work. Thus the characteristic features — natural, archaeological, and architectural, of all sections of the country — north and south, east and west — the public streets and buildings of the chief cities, the beautiful rivers and enchanting lakes, magnificent coast lines, historical castles, old abbeys and towers, wild mountains, picturesque valleys, glens, and waterfalls — from the Giant's Causeway and the solemn grandeur of the coasts of Antrim and Donegal in the north, to the poetical Lakes of Killarney, and the romantic mountain-gaps and river scenery of Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, and Kerry in the south ; from the exquisite glens and cataracts on the Liffey in Dublin and Wicklow in the east, to the expanding magnificence of the Shannon and the wilds of Connemara in the west, — will be reproduced in an attractive form, and at a price which will be within the means of every intelligent family. In this work every county in Ireland will be noticed, and the remarkable fea- tures of each illustrated. Artists and engravers who have already raised the standard of American excellence in Illustrated Works, add their ability and skill to the intrinsic attractiveness of the subject, and the affinities and experience of the Editor may be taken as a guarantee that the literary portion of the work will be — - in descriptive, historical, and antiquarian matter — as variously full, suggestive, or exhaustive as the themes may command, or space permit. For works of this nature, combining Literature and Art, a taste and apprecia- tion has been developed among cultivated people in America and Europe, result- ing in a demand at once highly creditable to the producers and the purchasers. The Publisher congratulates himself upon having made this work, in artistic excellence, mechanical skill, and general elegance, fully equal to the prevailing high expectations in relation to undertakings of its class. CONTENTS. ^ PAGE INTRODUCTION xix KERRY 5 WICKLOW 6i ANTRIM . log GALWAY 1 77 MEATH 245 WESTMEATH 2S5 LONGFORD 290 DUBLIN. 293 MAYO 3S1 CARLOW 401 CORK 405 KING'S COUNTY 471 ARMAGH 473 ROSCOMMON 477 QUEEN'S COUNTY 479 FERMANAGH 4S1 LEITRIM 4S7 MONAGHAN 4S8 LOUTH 489 WEXFORD 497 SLIGO 509 DONEGAL , 513 CAVAN 520 WATERFORD ■ 521 TYRONE 535 KILKENNY 537 LIMERICK 551 KILDARE 565 LONDONDERRY 573 CLARE 579 DOWN 589 TIPPERARY 602 GENERAL INDEX 617 iii ^"^ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Map of Ireland. Engraved expressly for Savage's Picturesque Ireland. . . Sligo Abbey. Title page Map of Kerry View on the Blackwater (Kerry), from the Bridge Blackwater Bridge Tunnel on Kenmare Road Rocks on Kenmare Road — Lake view Tore Cascade Tore Cascade The Chancel, Muckross Muckross Abbey, Eastern Window Fireplace at Muckross Views at Muckross : West Porch and Nave "1 Nave I Innisfallen Muckross, The Chancel Chancel and Nave Muckross by Moonlight T. . . Tomb of the Monks Doorway at Aghadoe Kate Kearney's Cottage Rapids in the Gap of Dunloe Tore and Lower Lake, from Tore Cascade Gap of Dunloe The Pike ,. The Balance Rock Derrycunnihy Derrycunnihy Cascade Eagle's Nest Old Weir Bridge Under the Rocks at Tore Lake Old Weir Bridge, near view The Cottage on Dinis Island Brickeen Bridge Innisfallen O'Sullivan's Cascade Cottage at Glena Ruins of Ross Castle Ross Island Ross Castle by Moonlight O'Donoghue's Horse The Vision of O'Donoghue Eagle's Nest Mountain, from Kenmare Road. KillaSihie Church ARTIST. Russell. T. M. Baynes. Russell. G. W. Gibson. J. Noblett. A. Nicholl. F. B. Schell. G. W. Gibson. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. R. D. Tongue. T. S. Prout. A. Nicholl. G. W. Gibson. F. W. Hulme. G. W. Gibson. G. W. Gibson. , A. Nicholl. , R. D. Tongue. , G. W. Gibson. F. B. Schell. A. Nicholl. F. B. Schell. W. Gibson. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. F. B. Schell. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. A. Nicholl. G. W. Gibson. R. D, Tongue. J. R. Herbert. W. H. Gibson. R. D, Tongue. ENGRAVER. PAGE Struthers W. Watson Struthers 5 Harley 5 Landells 6 Landells 7 Meeder— Chubb . . S Meeder — Chubb . . g Landells 10 Landells 10 Landells 11 Landells 11 Lauderbach 13 Evans 17 Landells.- 17 Meeder— Chubb . . iS W. Measom 19 Baker 20 Meeder — Chubb . . 21 Walmsley 22 Landells 23 Meeder — Chubb . . 24 Harley 25 Landells 27 Harley 2S Meeder — Chubb . . 29 Landells 30 Green 30 Landells 31 Landells 32 Lauderbach 33 Green 35 Walmsley. . 35 Landells 36 Harley 37 Landells 38 Landells 39 Morse 41 Landells 43 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 1 J W. H. Gibson. Devil's Punch Bowl F. B. Schell. Profile of Rocks at Devil's Punch Bowl V. Abrahams. Flesk River F. W. Hulme. Over the Upper Lake, Killarney F. W. Hulme. Tore Mountains, from Dinis Island W. H. Gibson. Galway River (Killarney), Cascade on ■ ■ F. B. Schell. Shore of Dingle Bay W. Evans. Views at and near Killarney ; Killarney, distant view of the lakes Lake in Gap of Dunloe The Friar's Grave Cottage at Derrycunnihy On the Kenmare Road Dinis Cottage Killarney, Victoria Hotel Pusha Pike Fishing W. Willes. Ferriter's Castle "W. Evans. Ballybunian, On the Coast F. B. Schell. Ardfert Abbey H. Hill. Tomb in Ardfert Abbey H. Hill. Mount Brendan Map of Wicklow Russell. First View of Wicklow, from the Scalp W. H. Gibson. Scalp G. F. Sargent. Bray-Head to " Sugar Loaf," from Dalkey, North G. F. Sargent. Bray-Head, South • F. B. Schell. A Narrow Gorge in the Dargle G. F. Sargent. In the Dargle W. H. Gibson. Bridge in the Dargle W. H. Gibson. Cascade in the Dargle A. Nichol. The Golden Spears, from over the Glen of the Downs F. B. Schell. Lough Dan, near view F. B. Schell Glen of the Downs, South A. NichoU. Delgany G. F. Sargent. Lough Dan, from Luggelaw G. F. Sargent. Luggelaw, the barren side G. F. Sargent. Lough Dan A. Nicholl. In the Vale of Clara W. H. Gibson. Lough Bray ... A. Nicholl. Rathdrum F. B. Schell. Glenmalure W. H. Gibson. The Valley of Glen-da-Lough W. H. Gibson. The Abbey, or Priory of St. Saviour '.A. Nicholl. St. Kevin's Kitchen W. F. Wakeman. Our Lady's Church — Doorway A. Nicholl. The Church of Rhefeart A. Nicholl. St. Kevin's Cell A. Nicholl. St. Kevin's Bed A. Nicholl. Ancient Stone Cross and Round Tower, at Glen-da-Lough F. B. Schell. In the Devil's Glen F. B. Schell Entrance to to the Devil's Glen A. Nicholl. Head of Devil's Glen A. Nicholl. Over the Devil's Glen G. F. Sargent. The View Rock, Dunran A. Nicholl. Waterfall in the Devil's Glen W. H. Gibson. Waterfall at Hermitage G. F. Sargent. Vale of Afroca W. H. Gibson. Second Meeting of the Waters, from Ballintemple A. Nicholl. Near " The Old Wooden Bridge " , ENGRAVER. PAGE F. S. King 44 Walmsley 45 W. Measom 45 W. T. Green 46 J. Filmer 4S Meeder — Chubb ... 4g Green 52 Evans 54 Green 55 Lauderbach 56 Landells 57 Sly 57 59 Struthers 61 J. Filmer 6i Green 63 Whimper 64 Meeder — Chubb ... 65 Walmsley 67 Smithwick — French 6S Morse 69 Whimper 70 F. S. King 72 • 73 Landells 74 Armstrong 75 Miss Williams 75 T. Williams 76 Landells 76 J. Filmer 77 Whimper 7S J. Filmer So Smithwick — French Si Karst S5 T. Williams S6 Hanlon S7 E. Evans SS Bastin SS Bastin 90 Jackson 92 Meeder — Chubb ... 93 Harley 96 Landells 97 T. Gilks gS Armstrong 99 Landells 100 J. Filmer lOi Walmsley 102 Johnston 105 Green 106 106 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME. ARTIST. Lower Vale of Avoca, and Shelton Abbey J. Bentley. Arklow Prior. Map of Antrim Russell . The Giant's Gate — Causeway, Antrim F. B. Schell. Methodist College, Belfast J. R. Brown. Belfast, Antrim side of the Lagan J. R. Brown. Belfast, Queen's Quay — Down side of the Lagan J. R. Brown. Queen's College, Belfast J. R. Brown. Presbyterian College J. R . Brown. Botanical Garden, Belfast G. F. Sargent. Library, Queen's College, Belfast J. R. Brown. The Albert Memorial, Belfast J. R. Brown. North Gate, Carrickfergus J. R. Brown. Carrickfergus Castle, from the land side T. V. Watson. Swift's Church, at Kilroot A. Nicholl. Glenarm W. H. Gibson. Olderfleet Castle J. H. Burgess. The Goblin Cliffs A. Nicholl, Castles at Carrickfergus and Glenarm : Carrickfergus Castle, from the water \ Antrim Castle (- W. H. Gibson. . Glenarm Castle ) The Maidens J. H. Burgess. Barbican of Antrim Castle A. Nicholl. Bridge and Castle at Glenarm A. Nicholl. Garron Tower F. B. Schell. Road through Cliff, at Garron Point A. Nicholl. Clough-i-Stookan A. Nicholl. Tunnel at Red Bay A. Nicholl. Murlough Bay A. Nicholl. Pairhead F. B. Schell. Entrance to Grey Man's Path A. Nicholl. The Salt Pans A. Nicholl. The Grey Man's Path W. H. Gibson. Kenbane, looking over Bally Castle Bay to Fairhead A. Nicholl. Carrick-a-Rede and Sheep Island Kenbane Castle, from Southeast — Rathlin in the distance F. B. Schell. Carrick-a-Rede, at the Rope Bridge F. B. Schell. Carrick-a-Rede — Base of the Chasm A. Nicholl. Bengore Head — The Pleaskin, from the West A. Nicholl. Dunseverick Castle J. O. Davidson. Bruce's Castle A. Nicholl. Doon Point A. Nicholl. The Giant's Causeway A. Nicholl. The Lion's Head A. Nicholl. Pleaskin — Giant's Causeway W. H. Gibson. The King and his Nobles, from the West A. Nicholl. The Nursing Child— Priest and His Flock A. Nicholl. Chimney Rock — Giant's Causeway F. B. Schell, The Chimney Tops, from the East A. Nicholl. The Giant's Organ A. Nicholl. The Giant's Causeway, East A. Nicholl. The Giant's Causeway, from land side J. O. Davidson. The Giant's Well A. Nicholl. The " Honeycomb," Middle Causeway, from Little Causeway F. B. Schell. Views on the Antrim Coast : Bridge of Glendun Town Hall at Lame \ W. H. Gibson. Grace Staple's Cave ENGRAVER. PAGE Green 107 Smith loS Struthers igg Meeder — Chubb... 109 Brewer iii Brewer 112 Brewer 113 Brewer 114 Brewer 115 Miss Clint 115 Brewer 116 Brewer 117 Brewer iiS Evans 119 Landells 120 Harley 121 J. Andrew 123 Whimper 124 125 Whimper 126 C. Gray 127 Evans 128 J. Filmer 129 Smith 130 C. Gray 130 Whimper 131 J. Wakefield 132 Smithwick — French 133 Whimper 134 Whimper 136 J. Hellawell 137 J. Kirchner 138 139 Varley 140 Langridge 141 Smith 142 Miss Williams 144 J. Filmer 145 Whimper 146 Jackson , 148 Smith 148 Jackson 148 Johnson 149 Jackson 151 Evans 152 Cole 152 Whimper 154 Jackson 155 Jackson 156 Langridge 157 Smith 158 Meeder — Chubb . , . 160 J. Filmer 161 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. ■cd: NAME. Views on the Antrim Coast. — Coiitina GlenarifF Church at Layd — Ossian's Grave Port Coon Cave Dunkeny Cave Bush Mill Shane's Castle Shane's Castle, from Lough Neagh Views near Shane's Castle and Lough Neagh ; O'Neill's Tomb O'Neill's Chair and Seal Shane's Castle, showing Terrace fronting the Lough. . Templecoran Church Trummery Round Tower Lisburn Round Tower at Antrim Map of Galway The Abbey of Clare-Galway Arch in the Claddagh Street in Galway Warden Lynch's House, 1493 Market of the Claddagh Fishermen Antique Claddagh Ring Queen's College, Galway Views at Galway and Gort ; In the Claddagh AVest Bridge and Father Daly's Chapel Loughoutra Castle Lough Inagh Twelve Pin (Bennebola) Mountains, and Lake of Kyleraore. Over Lough Inagh .... View from Coolnacartan Hill Lough Derry, Clare, and Maam Turk Mountains Loiigh Fee Garromin, Connemara Glen in Connemara Ballinahinch Views on Western Highlands, Connemara : Letterfrack and Diamond Hill Glendalough Twelve Pin Mountains Lough Ballinahinch A Salmon Haul Below the Falls at Clifden Clifden Clifden Falls On the Kylemore Road The Coast at Rinvyle In the Pass at Kylemore Killery Salruc Pass Hotel at Maam Hen's Castle at Lough Coorib, and Maam Turk Mountains. Leenane Moving Bog Views in Connemara : Clifden Castle Pass and Lake of Kylemore In the Pass of Kylemore Kylemore Castle W. H. Gibson. A. NichoU. F. B. Schell. A. Nicholl. W. H. Gibson. A. Nicholl. j \ W. H. Gibson. C. C. Hamilton. J. R. Brown.. . . W. H. Gibson. G. F. Sargent. W. Evans. F. B. Schell. W. Evans. F. W. Fairholt. W. H. Gibson. W. H. Gibson. W. Evans. W. Brown. W. H. Gibson. F. B. Schell. W. H. Gibson. W. Evans. F. B. Schell. J. Filmer 161 C. Gray 163 J. Filmer 165 Jackson 167 R. Schellim 169 Jackson 172 J. Filmer 173 Nicholls 175 176 177 Smithwick — French 177 Evans 17S Whimper 179 J. Filmer iSi Jackson 1S3 Nicholls 1S3 Meeder— Chubb ... 1S5 W. H. Gibson. W. H. Gibson. F. W. Fairholt. F. W. Fairholt. W. H. Gibson. W. H. Gibson. W. Evans. W. Evans. W. H. Gibson. F. W. Fairholt. W. H. Gibson. F. W. Fairholt. W. Evans. F. B. Schell. J. Clement 1S9 Evans 191 Watson 192 Langridge 193 Meeder — Chubb.... 197 Smithwick — French 201 Vizetelly 203 Varley 205 Dalziel 207 Mextom 209 J.Johnstone 213 Nicholls 214 Walmsley 216 Varley 217 J. Filmer 221 Vizetelly 222 Jackson 224 J. Filmer 225 Bastin 227 Varley 22S Armstrong 229 Evans 231 Harley 233 Mrs. W. D. Griffiths 235 W. H. Gibson. Varley 237 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Kuins of Kilfursa Lough Mask, from Fairhill F. W. Fairholt. Doorway of St. Patrick's Church, Inchangoill. Doorway of the Church of the Saint Impost Capital, right I From Wilde's Lough \ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^_ Impost Capital, left I Conib Monumental Stone, West Monumental Stone, East Tuam Cathedral F. W^ Fairholt. Statue of John of Tuam Map of Meath Trim, from Over the Boyne W. H. Gibson. Trim Castle : W. F. Wakeman. Interior of Trim Castle Ancient Tomb of Clonard W. F. Wakeman. Wellington Monument, Trim W. H. Gibson. Scurlogstown Castle W. F. Wakeman. Newtown Bridge and St. John's Priory W. F. Wakeman. Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul G. Gastineau. Bective Abbey J. B. Burgess. Tara Hill W. H. Gibson. The Boyne, and Plain of Meath W. H. Gibson. Athlumney Castle W. F. Wakeman. Pillar Stone on the Hill of Tara W. F. Wakeman . Abbey of Slane W. H. Gibson. Doorway, Hermitage of St. Ere W. F. Wakeman. Choir Arch, Cannistown W. F. Wakeman. Font of Kilcarn W. F. Wakeman. Carvings on the Font of Kilcarn — First View W. F. Wakeman. Carvings on the Font of Kilcarn — Second View W. F. Wakeman. St. Kieren's Cross W. F. Wakeman. Round Tower, Donaghmore J. B. Burgess. Distant View of Dangan Castle J. B. Burgess. Swift's Parish Church, at Laracor Donaghmore Abbey and Tower J. Warren. Dunmoe Castle John Savage. The Boyne, from Old Bridge G. Du Noyer. Mound of New Grange After Wakeman. Ruins of Dangan Castle : Views at New Grange ; Ancient Remains of New Grange ) „ , ,^ „ \ Tudor Horton, after Connolly. 23S Evans 240 241 241 Kenny — Redman. . ~^' 242 242 242 Evans 243 244 245 Filmer 245 Jackson 24S 249 Hanlon 250 Filmer 251 Hanlon 251 Nugent 252 Bastin 253 Miss Williams. . . . 255 Smith 256 Smith 257 Hanlon 258 260 Clement 261 Hanlon 262 Hanlon 263 Hanlon 263 Hanlon 264 Hanlon 264 Hanlon .... 266 Sly 267 Dalzie! 26S Eastern Recess, or Crypt. . . Stones of the Circle Carving in Eastern Recess. Carving in Eastern Recess V Tudor Horton, after Wakeman. Carved Stone on Exterior 1 Entrance to Gallery J Kilsharvan Church Northern Crypt, in New Grange A. NichoU. Mound of Dowth W. F. Wakeman. Entrance to Gallery, Dowth W. F. Wakeman. Caillemote's Grave G. Du Noyer. Donore Hill and Church Ruins G. Du Noyer. The Old Sheep-House G. Du Noyer. Tara Brooch Map of Westmeath Multifemam Abbey John Savage. Old Gateway at Fore Tudor Horton. Athlone, from Westmeath J. Warren. Cammeyer 271 J. Filmer 273 Miss Williams. . . . 274 CuUen 275 Kenny — Redman. 276 Kenny — Redman. 276 27S Gilks 279 Hanlon 2S0 Hanlon 281 Landells 282 Landells 2S3 Landells 2S4 284 285 J. Filmer 285 Kenny — Redman. 2S7 Filmer 288 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. PAGP Map of Longford 2gu Maria Edgeworth's Residence F. W. Fairholt. Landells 290 Ruins of Goldsmith's Early Home G. F. Sargent. Evans 291 The Site of the Hawthorn Bush F. W Fairholt. Landells 291 Scenes of Goldsmith's " Deserted Village " : Three Pigeons S The Church I „ „ 01,11 -c-i > !■ . B. Schell. Fumer 292 The Vicarage The Busy Mill J Map of Dublin 295 View in Phcenix Park, Dublin 293 Howth Harbor and Lighthouse G. F. Sargent. Green 294 Howth Abbey G. F. Sargent. Evans 295 Howth Castle 296 Howth Head and Beach J. O. Davidson. Harley 297 St. Doulough's Church F. W. Wakeman 298 St. Doulough's Well J. Connell. Wakefield 299 Malahide Abbey Tudor Horton . Kenny — Redman . 300 The Bailey Lighthouse J. O. Davidson. Filmer Malahide Castle G. F. Sargent. Wakefield 302 Round Tower and Church, Lusk A. NichoU. Evans 303 Round Tower and Church, Swords G. F. Sargent. Landells 304 Demesne and Castle of Howth — Ireland Eye and Lambay in the Distance . After Bartlett. Littell 305 Swords Castle G. F. Sargent. Evans 306 New Railway Station, at North Wall 30S The Liffey — Carlisle Bridge 309 Birmingham Tower G. Du Noyer. Nugent 310 Christ Church Cathedral G. F. Sargent. Bastin 311 St. Patrick's Cathedral, Southeast G. F. Sargent. Armstrong 312 On the Liffey — Wood Quay — Richmond Bridge 313 Strongbow's Monument — Christ Church 314 Crypt — Christ Church 315 Norman Doorway — Christ Church 316 St. Patrick's Cathedral, East Harral 317 St. Patrick's Cathedral, South 31S Swift's Monument 319 Swift's Birthplace 320 St. Patrick's Cathedral, Interior 321 Room in which Lord Edward was Captured H. MacManus. Jackson 323 Sackville Street — General Post Office 324 Sackville Street — Nelson's Pillar, from Carlisle Bridge. 325 Bank of Ireland — Old Parliament House, from southeast G. F. Sargent. Walmsley 327 Castle Yard 329 Burke Statue 330 Grattan Statue 331 O'Connell's Residence, Merrion Square 332 Chapel Royal, and Birmingham Tower Harral 333 Mornington House 335 Statue of William III 336 The Chapel Royal, Interior 337 Moore's Birthplace — as it was - 339 Rotunda and Lying-In Hospital 340 The Four Courts (of Law) 341 Moore's Birthplace — as it is 342 New Railway Bridge over the Liffey 344 Statue of Oliver Goldsmith Roberts 345 View down Dame Street, from Trinity College — Grattan 's Statue, King William's in the rear 347 The Custom- House— South Front 349 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xiii NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. PAGE Ogham Stone in Trinity College 351 Bell Tower, Trinity College 352 Trinity College^the Quadrangle G. F. Sargent. Evans 355 Trinity College 356 Library, Trinity College 357 Birthplace of Burke 359 St. Michan's Church — Burial-Place of Emmet 360 O'Connell Monument, Glasnevin 361 Bank of Ireland (Old Parliament House) 364 House of Lords — Old Parliament House 365 The Bank — Eastern Fa9ade and Portico, from College Gate 366 St. Patrick's Bell 366 Shrine of the Bell 366 St. Stephen's Green — North Side 367 Grafton Street — Bank on left— College on right - 368 Albert Memorial (Dublin) 369 Bloody Bridge G. F. Sargent. Wakefield 370 Statue of Earl of Carlisle 37° Bird's-Eye View of Dublin, from the Summit of Nelson's Pillar — Dub- lin Mountains in the Southern Distance 371 View in Phoenix Park 374 Tunnel under Phcenix Park 375 Vice-Royal Lodge, Phcenix Park 376 Clondalkin and Round Tower— Southern Approach 377 Distant View of Clondalkin Round Tower, from the North H. O'Neill. Mason 37S Skerry Islands 379 Dublin Bay, from Dalkey, over Kingstown Tuttle. Tuttle 380 Map of Mayo 3Si Cong Abbey , Frank Bellew. Meeder — Chubb.. . 3S1 Gateway, Cong Abbey F. W. Fairholt. NichoUs 382 Chancel Windows, Cong Abbey F. W. Fairholt. Evans 3S2 The Pigeon Hole F. W. Fairholt. Branston 383 The Cross of Cong F. W. Fairholt. Walmsley 384 The Killeries, Mayo Dalziel 385 In the Mountains of Mayo W. Evans. Vizetelly 386 Approach to Delphi W. Evans. Evans 387 Over Delphi Lodge '• W. H. Gibson. Langridge 389 Moyne Abbey 39^ Head of the Killeries W. H. Gibson. G. F. Smith 392 Clew Bay F. W. Fairholt. Bastin 393 Ruins of St. Colman's 394 Newport-Mayo F. W. Fairholt. Landells 395 Burrishoole Abbey F. W. Fairholt. Evans 396 Carrig-a-Hooley Castle : F. W. Fairholt. Evans 396 Muilrea, Killeries F. B. Schell. H. Gray 397 A Village on Achill F. W. Fairholt. A. J. Mason 399 Rocks on Achill F. W. Fairholt. Evans 400 On the Moy 4°° Map of Carlow • 4°! Carlow and Surrounding Country W. Harvey. Green 401 The "Mound of the Kings" ' G. F. Sargent. Landells 402 Carlow Castle G. F. Sargent. Bastin 403 Milford — Mount Leinster and Blackstairs in the Distance W. Harvey. Bastin 404 Map of Cork , 405 Queen's College, Cork W. H. Gibson. Meeder— Chubb. . 405 Cork Harbor W. Willes. Green 406 Crosshaven Sargent 407 Haulbowline and Spike Island M. A. Williams... 408 The Depot on Rocky Islands Lady Deane. Landells 409 xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. PAGE Fishing Boats ofE Haulbowline J- O. Brierly. Landells 410 East Feny 4" " Cove," Queenstown F. W. Hulme. Dalziel 412 Lough Mahon 4^3 Round Tower at Cloyne 4^4 Cloyne Cathedral 4I5 The Mathew Tower 4i6 Views at Cork ; Sunday's Well 1 Father Mathew Statue r F. B. Schell. Smith 417 North Wall, from the Lee ' Father Mathew Temperance Medal Sly 418 The Cork Arms. Landells 419 Patrick's Bridge and Camden Quay, from Merchant's Quay Filmer 420 The Mardyke F B. Schell. Smith 421 Portal of the Old Cathedral H. Hill. Landells 422 Tomb in the Cemetery F. G. Sargent. Evans 423 Scene in the Cemetery F. G. Sargent. Evans 424 Cathedral and Interior F. B. Schell. Sharp 425 James Barry's Birthplace T. C. Croker 426 From the Road to Cork F. W. Hulme. G. Dalziel 42S Macroom Castle W. H. Gibson. Harley 429 Shandon Steeple Dalziel 432 Myrtle Grove ; Residence of Sir Walter Raleigh, Youghal F. B. Schell. Clement 433 Cromlech at Castle Mary T. C. Croker. Landells 434 Old Signal Tower at Youghal W. WiUes. Sly 435 Raleigh's House — Front View 436 Collegiate Church Ruins, Youghal F. B. Schell. Varley 437 Raleigh's Yew Arbor W. Willes. Jackson 43S Hie Jacet Thomas Fleming H. Hill. Landells 439 Kilcrea Friary J- Noblett. Landells 440 Carrig-a-Droid Castle ' W. Willes. Sly 442 Kinsale Harbor W. Willes. Evans 443 Ship-Pool Castle W. Willes. Sly 444 Downdaniel Castle W- Willes. Jackson 444 Grave of Gerald Griffin Frank Bellew. Meeder— Chubb ... 445 Northwest View of Blarney Castle G. Gibson. Harley 447 Blarney Castle W. H. Gibson. G. F. Smith 449 Views at and near Blarney Castle : Kissing the Blarney Stone \ Blarney Castle, from over the water h F. B. Schell. Schelling 453 At St. Arms ' Monanimy Castle Armstrong 454 Tomb of De Barry W. Willes. Evans 455 Mallow Castle 45^ Kilcolman Castle 'W. H. Gibson. Smithwick— French 457 The Pass of Keim-an-eigh A. NichoU. Landells 45S Gougane Barra 459 The Green Little Island, Gougane Barra A. Nicholl. Landells 460 View at Glengarifl W. H. Gibson. Varley 461 Church at Glengariff '. ■ - W. H. Gibson. Varley 461 Lough Ine • • • W. Willes. Landells 462 Crookhaven Harbor Dalziel 463 Crookhaven, looking inland W. Willes. Green 464 Dunanore Castle, Cape Clear W. Willes. Green 464 Abbey Ruins, Inisherkin W. Willes. Landells 465 Bantry Bay • • A. Nicholl. Landells 465 Entrance to Bantry, from Lord Bantry's, Swan Lake Dalziel 466 The Harbor of Berehaven F. G. Sargent. Green 466 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME, ARTIST, ENGRAVER, , PAGE The House of Rocks A, NichoU, Landells , , , 467 At Glengariff W. H. Gibson. G. F, Smith 46S Cromwell's Bridge, Glengariff F, B, Schell, Varley 469 From Glengariff to Killarney 470 Map of Kings County 471 Garry Castle G. F. Sargent. Gilks 471 Clonmacnoise Cross and Ruins A. Nicholl. Evans 472 Map of Armagh , 473 Armagh Proctor 473 Interior of the Old Cathedral before its Restoration H. MacManus. Wakefield 474 Charlemont Fort H. MacManus. Jackson 475 Map of Roscommon 477 Athlone Castle 477 Kilcomodon Hill F. W, Fairholt. Mason 47S Map of Queens County 479 Rock of Dun-a-Mase Lady Chatterton, Walmsley 479 Canal Fly-Boat G. DuNoyer, Gray 4S0 Map of Fermanagh 4S i Lough Erne J. Franklin. Dudley 481 Monea Castle J. Franklin. Miss Cook 483 Tully Castle G. F. Sargent. Kirchner 484 Round Tower and Church on Devenish J. Franklin. Miss M, A. Williams 485 Sculpture on Round Tower, North side G. F. Sargent. Evans 486 Map of Leitrim . : 487 Map of Monaghan 488 Lough between Monaghan and Cavan H. MacManus, Jackson 4SS Map of Louth 489 King John's Castle, Carlingsford A, Nicholl. Mason 489 Castle Roche T. B, Burgess. Jackson 490 King James' Quarters before the Boyne G. DuNoyer. Evans 491 King William's Quarters before the Boyne G. DuNoyer. Miss Cook 491 Cromwell's Fort H. Gastineau. Nicholls 492 St, Lawrence Gate .• 493 Crypt at Mellifont Abbey A. Nicholl. Wakefield 494 Baptistry, Mellifont G. F. Sargent. Gilks 494 Cross of Muredach W. F. Wakeman. Hanlon 495 Ruins at Monasterboice A. Nicholl. Gilks 496 Map of We.xford 497 Ferry Carrick on the Slaney A. Nicholl, T. Williams 497 Promontory of Bag-an-Bun John Lynn. Green 49S The Saltee Islands John Lynn, Green 498 Ruins of Bannow Abbey ■ G. F. Sargent. Green 499 Tintern Abbey John Lynch. Bastin 499 Clonmines A. Nicholl, Evans 500 The Lake at Johnstown A. Nicholl. Jackson. 500 Enniscorthy After Creswick. Walmsley 501 Dunbrody Abbey, West 502 Remains of Selsker Abbey, adjoining the old Fortifications 503 Rathmacnee Castle G. F. Sargent, Evans 504 Bargy Castle A. Nicholl. T. Williams 504 Selsker Abbey. G. F. Sargent. Green 505 St. Eden's Monument A. Nicholl. Sly 506 Ancient Font at Ferns A. Nicholl. Sly 506 Augustinian Abbey Ruins, Ferns A. Nicholl. Wakefield 507 Ferns Castle A. Nicholl. Wakefield 50S Map of Sligo 509 Sligo Abbey—Cloisters After W. H. Bartlett. R. S. Bross 509 Sligo Abbey— Nave and Choir After W. H. Bartlett. R. S. Bross 511 Town Hall, Sligo 5 12 xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. PAGE- Map of Donegal 5I3- Donegal Castle 513 Bundoran G. F. Sargent. Whimper 516 Grianan of Aileach — Exterior Bross 517 Grianan— Bird's-eye View Bross 517 Castle of Myler Magrath, overlooking Lough Erne G. F. Sargent. Miss Clint 518 Donegal Castle, from below J. H. Burgess. Landells 519 Map of Cavan 520 Old Mill G. F. Sargent.' Evans 520. Map of Waterford 521 Cromlech at Knockeen 521 Up the Blackwater — Rincrew H. Hill. Sly 522' Up the Blackwater — Strancally 523 Up the Blackwater — Knockmeledown in the Distance Armstrong 524 Mount Melleray 525 Mount Melleray Chapel 52& Weir at Lismore W. Evans. Green 527 On the way to the Suir 528 St. Declan's Well Lady Deane. Evans 529 Round Tower at Ardmore G. F. Sargent. Gilks 529 Coumshinaun J. Egan. Bastin 530 Tubber Grieve G. F. Sargent. Landells 531 The Castle of Kin-Corr G. F. Sargent. Sly 532 Church Ruins at Faithlegg ■. G. F. Sargent. Landells 533 Dunmore Pier C. N. Bolton. Bastin 534 Druid Altar near Dunmore C. N. Bolton. Sly 534 Map of Tyrone 535 Castle Caulfield J. H. Burgess. Evans 535 St. Patrick's Chair.' Bross 536 Map of Kilkenny 537 Ruins at Kells C. Heaviside 537 St. Catharine's Abbey J. Egan. Evans 539 Tower and Cross at Kilree J. Egan. Bastin 540 Kells Abbey — General View J. Egan. Landells 540 Jerpoint, from the river After Bartlett 54^ Jerpoint Abbey, South J. Egan. Wakefield 542 Interior View of Jerpoipt Abby J. Egan. Walmsley 543 Shee's House, in which the Confederate Parliament Avas held J. Egan. Evans 544 The Black Abbey J. Egan. Delamotte 544 Chair of St. Kiernan J. Egan. Evans 54S St. Canice's Cathedral J. Egan. Evans 545 The Well of St. Canice J. Egan. Gilks 54& The Butt's Cross J. Egan. Bastin 547 The Franciscan Friary 548 Round Tower at Tulloherin J. Egan. Evans .' 549 Woodstock Demesne and Bridge G. F. Sargent. T. Williams 550 Lodge School at Woodstock G. F. Sargent. Miss Williams. ... 550 Map of Limerick 55 1 City of Limerick 55i Druidical Remains — Cromlech at Altoir J. Windele. Landells 552 Druidical Remains J. Windele. Landells 552 Druidical Temple J. Windele. Gilks 552 King John's Castle, Limerick 553 Cathedral of St. Mary J. H. Mulcahy. Wakefield ■. . . 554 St. Mungret's Priory J. Humphreys. Landells 554 Treaty Stone . 555 Carrig-o-Gunnel 556 Home of Gerald Griffin T. C. Croker. Miss Williams 556 Augustinian Abbey, Adare W. H. Gibson. G. F. Smith 557 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xvii NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. PAGE Shannid Castle and Rath J. Windele. Green 558 Black Castle at Lough Gur T. C. Croker. Walmsley 558 New Church at Lough Gur J. Windele. Gilks 559 The Mass Rock. . .i T. C. Croker. T. Williams 560 Round Tower and Ruins at Croom J. Windele. Landells 560 Askeaton Abbey W. H. Gibson. Morse 561 Church at Killmallock T. C. Croker. Jackson 562 Dominican Friary T. S. Prout. Landells 563 Tomb of William Smith O'Brien 564 Map of Kildare 565 Carbery Castle J. Filmer 565 Round Tower and Cross at Kildare 566 Cathedral of Kildare 567 Ancient Castle of the Geraldines 568 Carton, Seat of the Duke of Leinster 569 White's Castle and Athy Bridge A. Nicholl. Bastin 571 Salmon Leap, Leixlip G. F. Sargent. Whimper 572 Map of Londonderry 5 73 Londonderry 573 Salmon Leap, Coleraine 575 Gate of Derry H. Gastineau. Evans 577 Walker's Monument H. Gastineau. Evans 577 Pennyburn Mill H. Gastineau. Evans 578 Map of Clare 579 Coast at Kilkee After Bartlett. J. H. Kubler 579 Cliffs at Moher J. O. Davidson 581 Chapel of St. Camin W. F. Wakeman. Evans 582 Natural Bridges at Ross After Bartlett. Bross 583 Inchiquin Castle Roberts 584 Lion's Head Rock . . J. O. Davidson. R. Sclielling 585 Quin Abbey 586 Cratloe Castle W. F. Wakeman. Evans 587 Inniscattery — Round Tower and Ruins ' 588 St. Senanus' Oratory 588 Map of Down 589 Grey Abbey, Interior 589 Downpatrick Cathedral J. H. Burgess. Evans 590 Ruins at Knockbreda Church A. Nicholl. Smith 590 Remains at Moville Abbey A. Nicholl. Bastin 591 Grey Abbey J. H. Burgess. Evans 591 Ruined Arch, Grey Abbey 592 Killclief Castle Cammeyer 592 St. Colman's Cathedral, Dromore 593 Ardglass — Tower Cammeyer 594 Ardglass — Tower Cammeyer 594 Dundrum Castle .' J. H. Burgess. Jackson 595 Bridge, ToUymore Park A. Nicholl. Landells 595 Tomb of John Mitchel 50 Pulpit from which Mitchel's father preached 597 Narrow Water Castle J- H. Burgess. Bastin 598 Newry River T. Gilks 599 Donoughmore Church and Graveyard ■ 600 Map of Tipperary 602 Rock and Ruins of Cashel W. F. Wakeman. Jackson 603 St. Mary's Church, Clonmel G. DuNoyer. Delamotte 603 St. Patrick's Well J- Egan. Green 603 Carrick-on-Suir T. Heaviside 604 Cahir Castle G. DuNoyer. Landells 603 Turret of Cahir Castle ....... G. DuNoyer. Evans 605 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. NAME. ARTIST. ENGRAVER. P.\GE Cahir Castle, from Southeast Heaviside 606 Tubrid Church — Grave of Geoffrey Keating G. DuNoyer. Sly 607 Golden Bridge W. F. Wakeman. Walmsley 607 Towers on the Rock J. S. Prout. Mason 607 Athassel Abbey W. F. AVakeman. Landells 608 Entrance to Athassel G. F. Sargent. T. Gilks 60S Entrance to Cormac's Chapel J. S. Prout. Mason 609 Cormac's Chapel After Bartlett. Bross 6og Rock of Cashel, distant view, southeast J. S. Prout. A. J. Mason 609 Cormac's Chapel, Interior , After Bartlett. Bross '. . . 610 Tomb of Miler Magrath.. J. S. Prout. J. Walmsley 611 Hore Abbey W. F. Wakeman. Sly 612 Hore Abbey, Interior , W. F. Wakeman. Mason 612 Holy Cross Abbey After Bartlett 613 Holy Cross, Interior ■ 614 Monk's Rest — Holy Cross J". Egan. Evans 614 Stalactite Curtain, Mitchelstown Cave A. Nicholl. Bastin 615 Chamber in Middle Cave, Mitchelstown A. Nicholl. Green 615 Edward's Bed — Cromlech on Galtee More T. C. Croker. Sly 616 INTRODUCTION. S^ROM the earliest period geographers and historians have directed attention to Ireland, not less for commercial success and advantages of position than for the fertility of the soil and the salubrity of her climate. From Tacitus and Ptolemy, in the first and second century of Christianity,''' to Orosius in the fifth, Venerable Bede in the eighth, Giraldus Cambrensis in the twelfth, and Edmund Spenser in the sixteenth, we have allusions to the sea-port characteristics, the cli- mate, and the scenery of " the very ancient isle." f Isidore, following Orosius, states that Ireland was inferior in size to Britain, but, from its situation, of greater fertility ; and Bede says " Ireland is much superior to Britain, both in the salubrity and serenity of the atmosphere." Gi- raldus Cambrensis questions the statement of Bede as to serenity, but with little reason, as he almost immediately proceeds to illustrate the fact by stating that " Ireland, lying at equal distances between the cold of Iceland and the heat of Spain, with its temperature moderated from these opposite quarters, the country is happily favored both in having a temperate climate and a wholesome air." Following the Anglo-Norman invaders, Gerald Barry, better known as Gi- raldus Cambrensis (of Wales), accompanied Prince (afterwards king) John in the capacity of secretary to Ireland in ii85, and his misrepresentations of the char- acter, manners, and customs of the Irish people have been a fruitful source of * Even before Tacitus, who speaks of the harbors of Ireland being more frequented than those of Britain, the phi- losopher Artemidorus, who flourished one hundred years before Christianity, speaks of " eleven illustrious cities in Ireland." t Ogygia — very ancient isle — alluded to by Plutarch, Life of Solon. I xix XX INTRODUCTION. comment and correction on the part of subsequent historians and antiquarians. A churchman of education, travel, ability, and unweening ostentation, and also a voluminous author, the desire to display his extensive knowledge and observation found utterance in much — outside of political and personal misrepresentation of the people — of a really interesting character. To the natural beauties of Ireland he made suggestive reference. " Separated," he says, " from the rest of the known world, not only by its situation, but by the objects out of the ordinary course of nature contained in it, Ireland seems to be nature's especial repository, where she stores up her most remarkable and precious treasures." * Some of these objects he points out : " Here you may see standing waters on the tops of the mountains, for pools and lakes are found on the summits of lofty and steep hills. There are, however, in some places, very beautiful plains, though of limited extent in compari- son with the woods." f Again he speaks of the fascinating inland waters and the securely romantic places of retreat and refuge of the native chiefs : " This island is also especially remarkable for a great number of beautiful lakes, abounding in fish, and surpassing in size those of any other countries I have visited. These lakes encompass some slightly elevated spots, most delightfully situated,, virhich for the sake of security, and because they are inaccessible except by boats, the lords of the soil appropriate as their places of refuge and seats of residence, where they raise their harvests." | Edmund Spenser received from Queen Elizabeth over three thousand acres of land in Cork, confiscated from the Earl of Desmond. He was, consequently, eagerly in favor of a free use of the sword, and the exercise of unsparing violence in the treatment of the natives. He had a natural cupidity also, which was in no- wise abated by the desire of permanent establishment in a country which he could thus describe : " And sure it is yet a more beautiful and sweet country as any is under heaven, being stored throughout with many goodly rivers, replenished with all sorts of fish abundantly, sprinkled with many sweet islands and goodly lakes, like little inland seas, that will carry even ships upon their waters ; adorned with goodly woods even fit for building houses and ships, so commodiously, as that if some princes in the world had them, they would soon hope to be lord of all the seas, and ere long of all the world ; also full of very good ports and havens open- * Topography of Ireland, chap. ii. \Ibid., chap. iv. % Chap. vii. INTRODUCTION. xxi ing upon England, inviting us to come unto them to see what excellent commodi- ties that country can afford ; besides the soyle it selfe most fertile, fit to yield all kind of fruit that shall be committed thereunto. And lastly, the heavens most milde and temperate, though somewhat more moist than the parts towards the east." The allusion to the extent of the lakes surpassing anything elsewhere seen by Giraldus had especial reference, among others, to Lough Neagh, the. legend of which, as related by him, suggested, more than six centuries later, the verse in Moore's famous melody commencing — "On Lough Neagh 's banks, as the fisherman strays." Neagh is the largest lake in Great Britain, indeed it is one of the largest in Europe, being only exceeded in extent by Geneva in Switzerland, Ladoga in Russia, and Vener in Sweden. Other loughs (or lakes) as Corrib, Mask, Conn, Erne, Derg, Ree, Killarney — some of them little less in extent than Lough Neagh — embrace, as Cambrensis says, numerous beautiful islands, and are more celebrated for various degrees of wild and enchanting scenery, and for human interest associated with historical and romantic events of the past. Killarney, which is a synonym all over the world for the beautiful and poetical in lake scene- ry, needs no particular mention in this place, but others less known are deemed of equal, if not more attractive grandeur. Mr. Henry David Inglis, the persis- tent and observant Scottish traveler, with all the glories of Europe, from Switzer- land to the Isles of Achill, and from Norway and Sweden to the Sierra Moreno, in his mind's eye, confidently asserted " that the Lower Lough Erne, take it all in all, was the most beautiful lake in the three kingdoms ; and but for the majestic Alpine outline that bounds the horizon on the upper part of Lake Leman, Lake Leman itself could not contend in beauty with this little-visited lake in the County of Fermanagh." In sombre " dim religious " contrast to Erne is another Ulster lake, Derg, famous as the locality of " Saint Patrick's Purgatory," and the most widely known of the Irish lakes during the mediaeval era. Loughs Conn, Mask, and Cor- rib, in Connaught, are splendid sheets of water, presenting combinations of grand mountain and island scenery. Corrib is next in extent to Lough Neagh, and in scenery is accounted one of the finest in Europe. It was the opinion of the late xxii INTRODUCTION. Rev. Caesar Otway, author of some excellent " Sketches of Travel in Ireland," that " if such a lake were in Scotland, or indeed anywhere else in Europe, it would be covered with steamboats and yachts, and there would be hotels and accommo- dations on its shores ; and a country as rich, if not richer, than Cumberland would be opened out and planted and built upon." It presents a noble area of water, ex- tending in a sinuous manner a distance of nearly thirty miles, studded with islands, some fertile, others rugged with rocks; " some embattled with the ruins of an old fortress ; some made holy by the crumbling remains of a still older church." These islands contain about one thousand acres of arable land. Next in extent is the great Lough Derg, an expansion of the Shannon, with bold and elevated banks, and "screened with magnificent mountain scenery" toward the south. Other crag- encircled gems of water there are, like Killarney, of much less extent, such as Gougane Barra, in the County Cork, and Glendalough, Luggelaw, Dan, and Bray, in the County Wicklow, which are of exceeding beauty, consecrated to lay and legend, and of great fame. As Ireland has the largest lakes, it also has the largest river in the united kingdoms — the historic Shannon — ^which, rising in the wild district of Glangavelin in the County Cavan, embosoms itself in Lough Allen, from the confines of which, between the mountains of Sleevenerrin and Dowbally, it comes forth refreshed, expands into several lakes, whirls and foams by Castle-Connell in a series of rapids — with which the Swiss Geisbach cannot compare for grandeur and effect — drains seven thousand square miles in eleven counties of the four prov- inces, swallows numerous picturesque tributaries, reflects on its noble current, besides a number of places dear to memory and renown, the towns and towers of Athlone and Limerick. It is the largest island river on the globe, and con- veys a larger body of water to the sea than any continental river of the same extent. It was known to Ptolemy as Semes, to Orosius as Sccna, and to Spenser, in the sixteenth century, as Shenan. Fifteen miles below Limerick it deepens and widens, becomes an immense arm of the sea, and joins the Atlantic sixty miles distant. ' Many rivers there are whose chroniclers and "sweet recorders," the bards, dispute the right of the Shannon to the sovereignty of queen river of Ireland ; and their claims are sustained by everj^ possible variety of scenic beauty, antiquarian lore, valorous action, pathetic history, and captivating legend INTRODUCTION. xxiii — by everything, in fact, save extent. Spenser, in his episode of the Marriage of the Thames and Medway '^' introduces the principal rivers of Ireland : " Ne thence the Irish rivers absent were ; Since no less famous than the rest they be." Three of the principal rivers of the south, which unite about five miles above the city of Waterford, he happily describes as the "Three Renowmed Brethren." "The first the gentle Suir, that, making way By sweet Clonmel, adorns rich Waterford ; The next, the stubborn Nore, whose waters gray By fair Kilkenny and Rosseponte board ; The third, the goodly Barrow, which doth hoard Great heaps of salmons in his deep bosom : All which, long sundred, do at last accord To join in one, ere to the sea they come ; So, flowing all from one, all one at last become." There also was "The spreading Lee, that, like an island fair Encloseth Cork with his divided flood," but which is more widely celebrated by Father Francis Mahony's " Bells of Shandon That sound so grand on The pleasant waters of the river Lee," and send echoes over land and ocean which thrill the heart of every native of "the beautiful city " to the ends of the earth. In his poem of "The Rivers," Thomas Davis recalls the memories and wonders of the northern and southern Black waters : " There's a far-famed Blackwater that runs to Lough Neagh, There's a fairer Blackwater that runs to the sea." The one he calls "the glory of Ulster," with its heroic and patriotic reminiscences of Benburb and Owen Roe O'Neill, the shrines of Armagh and the church of Dun- gannon ; and the other, with its gorgeous turrets, scholastic echoes of saintly Lis- more, splendid mountains, rich woodlands, trees and flowers, he rapturously hails * The Faerie Queene, book iv., canto xi. xxiv INTRODUCTION. as the '• beauty of Munster," the Eden of Ireland ! In Ulster " the fishy fruitful Bann " forms the only outlet of Lough Neagh, which receives eight rivers. The valley of the Lagan, between Belfast and Lisburn, presents a panorama of beauty, cultivation, and activity, amid a variety of hill, dale, wood, and water that is not surpassed by any tract of the same extent in the British empire. The other important northern river, the Foyle, a notable and noble stream, formed by the junction of the Finn and Mourne, flows by the foot of the city of Londonderry, which is picturesquely seated on a conical hill rising about one hundred and twenty feet above high-water mark. Leinster is rich with rivers and streams, besides those alluded to in Spenser's verse, of vital historical interest, perpetual scenic splendor and romantic association, broken by dazzling cascades and water- falls, and reunited by lovely lakes. Principal of these are the Boyne, the Slaney, the Liffey, the Avoca, the Vartry, the Bray, and the Dodder, all except the first and last rising in Wicklow, and adding life and beauty to some of the most de- lightful vales and glens in the world. In mountains Ireland maintains the supremacy accorded to her for possession of the Shannon and Loughs Neagh, Corrib, and Erne. There is no mountain in England that lifts its head so high into the clouds as Carran-Tual, one of MacGil- licuddy's Reeks, in Kerry. The highest peak in England is that of Scawfell, 3,229 feet. Mangerton was formerly esteemed the highest in Ireland, but surveys have determined that Carran-Tual is 658 feet higher. The Reeks rise almost perpendi- cularly to a height of 3,414 feet, overshadowing the waters of Killarney, surrounded by other mountains of scarcely less lofty character, their upper portions clothed with purple heath, while rich foliage, among which the arbutus is prominent, luxu- riantly covers the lake shore. The mountain ranges are principally confined to the coast counties of Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Down, and Wicklow ; but Kippure, at the border of Dublin and Wicklow, and at the head of the Dodder river, rises to an altitude of 2,473 feet, about the height of the loftiest peak of the Alleghany range in Pennsylvania, nearly nine hundred feet higher than the range of the Blue Mountains, running in the north-east portion of the same State, which is broken through at the New Jersey line by the Water Gap of the Delaware, and half as high again as the Highlands of the Hudson. Lugnaquilla, the highest of the Wicklow range, is 3,039 feet. Mount Leinster, dividing INTRODUCTION. xxv Wexford and Carlow, is 2,610 feet. In Waterford, the Knockmeledown Summits on the northwestern border, and the Commeraghs are noble features ; and in Tipperary, Sleive-na-man and Keeper mountains, with the Galtees overlooking- both ranges and reaching a height of 3,000 feet, form a splendid group, surround- ing a country of exceeding agricultural fruitfulness, embracing the famous Golden Vale. From east to west Cork is picturesquely mountainous ; the Mourne mountains, in Down, and the great Donegal range are famous for the boldness and grandeur of their scenery ; while in Mayo and Galway the mountain aspect of Ireland takes perhaps its wildest and most overpowering character — inspired by the Connemara region in the latter county, and the range of which Nephin and Croagh Patrick are the principal in the former. A recent authority says there are over fifty mountains in Ireland, each exceeding 2,000 feet in height. Surrounding all this vast accumulation of beautiful scenery, mountains, lakes, rivers, and glens, within an area of 32,524 square mules, far less than the size of the State of South Carolina, is the everlasting sea. With the exception of the east, the whole coast faces the Atlantic. The stupendous force with which the waves rush toward the coast is broken by a large number of islands — there are one hundred and ninety-six in all — which stand forth, as Mr. Walker says, "like outlying fortresses, defending the sacred island with their rocky cliffs, generally sublinje in their altitude, and singularly picturesque in the fantastic shapes into which they have been worn." A glance at the map will show how the coast has been sapped and worn away into inlets, estuaries, and bays ; giving it a most remarkably indented appearance. Owing to this circumstance the coast line of the little island is immense, extending 2,300 miles. The ocean views all round the coast are truly sublime ; the waves in their incessant restlessness taking majestic, wild, and beautiful forms that lift the gazer into wordlessness at their eternal variety. It is difficult to express the thoughts and sensations that inspire or oppress us — we can only unite with the words of the royal psalmist, " Wonder- ful are the surges of the sea! " and, standing on " the high hills that vizor ' Thy wreck-making shore," feel as the poet felt when he wrote his famous apostrophe : xxvi INTRODUCTION. " How humbling to one with a heart and a soul, To look on thy greatness, and list to its roll ; To think how that heart in cold ashes shall be, While the voice of eternity rises from thee ! " Yes ! where are the cities of Thebes and of Tyre ? Swept from the nations like sparks from the fire ! The glory of Athens, the splendor of Rome ? Dissolved — and forever — like dew in thy foam. " But thou art almighty — eternal — sublime — Unweakened — unwasted — twin-brother of Time ! Fleets, tempests nor nations thy glory can bow; As the stars first beheld thee, still chainless art thou." * , It i.s claimed that Ireland is pre-eminently a land of ruins. Certainly no- country of the same extent contains so numerous a collection of remains which incontrovertibly illustrate a past of excessive human thought and action ; of deep- seated devotion and religious observance, both in pagan and Christian times ; of tribal, feudal, political, polemical, and national conflicts and emergencies ; of heroic effort, and, however directed, of almost superhuman energy. It is suggested, and with truth, that considering the sparsity of the population before the era of the "Reformation," reaching back into the cryptic dimness of antiquity, so. far as history can enlighten us, it is astonishing to find so many places distinguished by monuments of the remote past — cromlechs, caves, cairns, pillars, raths, forts, towers, sculptured crosses, churches, castles. All these imply the existence of a race of people more or less skilled in the art of building, and being so far elevated above the barbaric state as to build for futurity, to erect monuments and sculptured stones which posterity might admire and read. They imply combination, govern- ment, intelligence, reverence for the past, and a desire to perpetuate the memory of great deeds to coming ages. In an earnest plea to the Irish clergy and gentlemen of education and taste for the zealous preservation of every remnant of antiquity, as evidence of national character, and of the dignified exercise of intellect and justice from the most remote period, Thomas Davis asks, " Are there no Brehon's chairs on her hills to- * John .\ugustus Shea, Poems, 1S46. INTRODUCTION. xxvii tell more clearly than Vallancey or Davies how justice was administered here ? Do not you meet the Druid's altar, and the Guebre's tower in every barony almost, and the Ogham stones in many a sequestered spot? " The question thus put in justification of the plea is answered by every traveler and tourist, and their observations may be summed up in that of one of the most recent writers,* when he says, " Go where we will, not only over the great plains, but amidst the remotest glens, and mountain gorges, and rocky cliffs, and wooded islands, we find those marvelous traces of the haunts of mighty men, of gigantic power, of divine ■worship, and heroic deeds." Indeed the vast number of these monuments has at once incited the wonder of the thoughtful, and made their materials available to the building necessities of some districts, thus contributing to their still further demolition at the hands of the careless and the ignorant. Davis had seen pigs housed in the piled friezes of a broken church, cows stabled in the palaces of the Desmonds, corn threshed on the floors of abbeys, and sheep tenanting the royal corridors of Aileach. Worse than that: he wrote, " The peasant lugs down a pillar for his sty, the farmer for his gate, the priest for his chapel, the minister for his glebe." In the same key Mr. Wakeman,* referring to the remains of the Paganf •era, says, they are found in considerable numbers, particularly in the remote parts of the island, where the population was small and the absence of " mod- ern improvement " suffered them to stand unmolested, save by the hand of time. Thus many of the ruins were ruined. Sir William Wilde in his catalogue of the Royal Irish Academy indicates in a brief but comprehensive manner both the character and purposes of the most primitive monuments, many of which are elaborately sculptured with artistic skill ; and of the people whose feelings, taste, and workmanship they represent. It may be only necessary to say in advance, that while history and tradition seem to have lost mention of the fact, the testi- mony of the tombs, from which cinerary urns, containing ashes and burned bones have been exhumed in every part of Ireland, shows that the custom of cremation and urn-burial was a very general, though not the only, mode of sepulture in * Mr. John A. Walker, author of a very useful and intelligent Hand-book of Ireland. f Anhaolo^a Hibertiica. A Hand-book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian. xxviii INTRODUCTION. very ancient Ireland.* " The small square stone grave," says Wilde, " contain- ing a single cinerary urn, placed beneath the surface of the soil, and so frequentV exposed by the spade ; the collection of urns, apparently marking the site of an ancient cemetery, possibly that of a battle-field ; the grassy mound, and the massive- cromlech, breaking the level outline of the landscape ; the large stone circle, or the oblong inclosure, popularly termed a giant's grave ; the huge, temple-like barrow, with its enveloping mound of stones or earth (the western type of the true Orien- tal pyramid), the simple rude pillar-stone, the Ogham-inscribed monolith, or the sculptured cross ; the wayside monument, the horizontal grave-stone, the stone coffin, the modern vault or stately mausoleum, the carved recumbent figure in the decorated abbey, as well as the tablet in the modern church — all afford abundant examples of the tise of stone materials in sepulchral and funeral rites, and evince the piety and reverence with which the dead were regarded in Ireland from the earliest time." This veneration for the dead is a characteristic of old races, an. ancient custom of Catholic nations, amounting to a passion among Celtic peo- ples, and justifies Frederick Ozanam in saying that it is the mark of a healthful, moral race, clinging tenderly to its heritage of family pride and tradition. The practical illustration of this respectful sentiment is strikingly noticeable among the Irish and French. Among that other old branch of the human family, the Basque people, a neglected grave is seldom seen. Villages rival each other in care and decoration of their grave-yards, and "no one enters the church without having first knelt upon the tomb of his ancestors to pray." Teeming and crowded as Ireland is with every variety of natural scenery^ wonderful and romantic, strikingly bold or sweetly pastoral, and raimented as she is with a cheerful and eye-consoling verdure of emerald, still is she undoubtedly a land of ruins. And the ruins are so blended with all that is beautiful, or grand, or exquisite in mountain or lake localities, that the mind — in presence of the glorious triumphs of nature, yearly renewed in freshness and beauty, and the relentless triumphs of time over the labors of man, yearly falling to decay — is compelled into a contemplative mood. In no other country, perhaps, is the intelligent traveler so frequently called on to make a sort of sombre remonstrance with himself — restrain- * See interesting chapter on Monuments, Graves, etc., in The Oiigin and History of Irish A'aincs of Places, by P. W- Joyce, A.M., M.R.I. A. ; also Rev. CKsar Otvvay's Sketches in.Erris and Tyrawley, etc. INTRODUCTION. xxix ino- the ecstatic delight and astonishment inspired by the natural beauties under the sense of desolation conjured up by the haggard presence of some crumbling reminder of former violence, splendor, or devotion. Yet these latter are of deep and wide interest. As history is but the labored effort of intellect and research to bring the past face to face with us, these actual pieces of the past possess a sig- nificance which the antiquarian may in some instances overestimate, but which the artist and historical student cannot undervalue. We cannot fling aside these old remnants of renown. Davis well says, "he who tramples on the past does not create a future. The same ignorant and vagabond spirit which made him a destructive, prohibits him from creating for posterity." We cannot ignore the past; and the past is all ruins in various stages of restoration or decay. Hence' they compel fascinating sensations and solemn inspirations ; they have their unwritten histories in the fancy and imagination, and fill up the skeleton forms presented to us by chronologers and annalists : they give an impression of reality to the filmy rumors and shadowy pageants of tradition. The eloquence of ruins is eminently persuasive' to even the most sluggish intel- lect. It takes us back through the centuries as naught else can, and excites us, by its subtle confidences and strange echoes from bygone generations, to the creation of the passions, motives, and exigencies which have resulted in the all- controlling influences that surround us. The ashes, so to speak, rekindle the flame which had produced it. Then the meaner worldly passions shrink out of sight before these granite spectres of ambition and power — these sombre preachers of the insecurity of all worldly force. It is Charles Lamb who recalls to mind the affecting pleasure of wandering at will through the deserted halls of some fine old building. The pleasure is in the moral elevation over the human passions of envy and vanity ; for, as he suggests, the traces of extinct grandeur admit of a better passion than envy ; and contemplations on the great and good, whom we fancy in succession to have been its inhabitants, weave for us illusions incompatible with the bustle of modern occupancy and foolish vanities of present aristocracy. The temperature of the climate and fertility of the soil, so early ascertained and recorded by the ancient writers alluded to, have done wonders in producing that exceeding verdure and freshness, and fascinating beauty of effect in Irish scenery which have inspired not only native poets, orators, and artists, but drawn XXX INTRODUCTION. the most eloquent appreciation and delight from all — French, German, English, Scotch, and American — who have written on the subject from the days of Giraldus, or Raleigh and Spenser, to the present. While variously commenting on the condition of the people, the rise or fall of trade or commercial enterprise in certain towns, and the neglect or disappearance of agricultural industry in the rural dis- tricts ; or contrasting the brightness and poverty of the peasantry, or balancing the numerous social, mercantile, political, or polemical questions of the day, all of these writers unite in dwelling with respect and admiration on the natural resources and attractions of the land, its superior fertility^ exquisite, wild or grand scenery, the extent of its ruins, the mystery of its towers, the richness of its antiquities, and the splendor and beauty of the streets and buildings of the capital. " Nature," says a distinguished French writer who gave extended personal atten- tion to the social, political, and religious aspects of Ireland some thirty years ago. " nature seems to have endowed Ireland with her most munificent gifts. She enriched her bosom {entrailles) with precious metals, and poured with a bounteous hand upon her rocky foundation the most fertile soil in the world. She has given to her maritime commerce the noblest harbors, fourteen of which have capacity to receive vessels of war ; and, as if she had destined her for a grand fortune, placed her west of the continent, as an advanced guard, trustee of the keys of the ocean, commissioned to open to European vessels the path to America ; and to present to American vessels the first European port. Having thus richly endowed her, she has also labored to as richly embellish her. She has designed her mountains in every variety of beaut)-, interspersed her valleys with meadows and lakes, and having covered all in a brilliant robe of verdure, desired that she be called, in the language of the poet, Green Erin ! the beautiful emerald ! " '^ The atmosphere of Ireland is peculiarly adapted not only to produce the wealth of emerald vegetation which is so characteristic of the land, but, under favorable circumstances, to create those varying and sympathetic cloud-effects which seem to identify themselves with, and add so much to every form and aspect of landscape. A writer in an English publication, depicting some of the features of Irish scenery, makes suggestive reference to this fact, as well as to the concomitant pleasures of color and perfume resulting from the same cause. * L' Irlanik, SociaU, Politique ct Keli^icuse. Par Guslave de Beaumont. Palis, 1839. Vol. i., pp. iSS, 1S9. INTRODUCTION. xxxi Alluding to the absence of what may be called the statuesque in nature, he thinks it is compensated for by the infinite softness and tenderness, and by a sweetness almost pathetic in the beauty of an Irish landscape. Each feature, however uncultivated, is soft ; each hue, however rich, is free from glare or harshness. " The atmosphere," he says, " which in Switzerland so often causes every giant mountain to look like a great theatric painted scene, cut, as if in cardboard, against the blue sky, in Ireland, on the contrary, makes every object, from the barren rocks of Connemara to the rich valleys of Kildare, equally soft and shadowy. Nothing seems defiant or sharp after a hundred yards' distance, just as nothing looks fresh or gaudy after a few months' exposure. The mountains three miles off seem vaguely grand. The tower built a century ago looks older than the pyramids. Another peculiarity of Ireland is that the broad and distant lines of the greater part of its scenery, the lignes larges with which it is sketched by nature, and the absence of minor accidents of ground of which we have spoken, all result in giving to the scenery of the sky a greater prominence than it usually possesses elsewhere — very often a greater prominence to the eye of the beholder than any of the landscape below. And what a sky it is ! Surely the loveliest in its rare moments of sunlight, the mournfullest in its many hours ■of gloom, of all the heavens that overreach the world. Irish skies do not glare •and dazzle, they do not laugh out scornfully in derision of our care-laden hearts, nor frown and threaten, big with storms and thunder. They smile rather than laugh on the brightest summer's morning, and on the dreary winter's eve they gather their long gray mantles, and hang motionless and mourning over the ■dead world, while the wind wails in bursts of grief, rising and dropping again like the death keen heard across a lonely moor. Irish skies are soft and beautiful ; and Irish trees, though somewhat monotonous in tone and form, are wonderfully luxuriant in foliage, each leaf a large one of its kind; and Irish herbage is a thrice- piled carpet, which the richest palace of the East cannot match for splendor. And besides the hues of the dark green trees and the emerald grass, nature, as if jealous to supply the color to earth which she denies to the sky, has dressed the hillsides with imperial robes of purple heather and golden gorse — whole miles of Tyrian purple, whole acres of golden fringe. To stand among the Wicklow Mountains in August, is to behold a display of pure color, not due to xxxii INTRODUCTION. the brilliancy of the atmosphere, but to the actual hues of the objects themselves^ such as it has never been our fortune to see elsewhere, even amid the emerald fields and yellow sands of Egypt. Lastly, there is another peculiarity of Ireland, which we suspect, has some share in securing for the country many pleasing, though half-conscious memories. Ireland (remote, of course, from the towns and villages) is the land par excellence of natural perfumes. Doubtless, the moisture of the climate tends to make the odors of vegetation both more pun- gent and also more apt to extend themselves in the atmosphere. A hayfield, or beanfield, or a lime-tree in blossom, are thus perceptible in Ireland Avhere distance would quite efface their sweetness elsewhere. Often we have known the haw- thorn in a large park so to impregnate the air, that an open window admitted a gust of perfume as from an orange orchard in Italy. To drive along a common country road in Ireland on a fine day is to pass through a range of delicious odors, varying according to the month ; violets, or hawthorn, or clover, or the rich, luscious gorse. Even the meadow-sweet in the ditch is often sufficient to perfume the whole road for half a mile together."""' To reproduce the colors which add such an inexpressible charm to the verdure and scenery of Ireland is impossible in a work of this nature ; but the outlines of the chief features of famous and picturesque localities or objects delineated with spirit, fidelity, and an artistic appreciation of nature in the disposition of light and shade, convey ideas of grandeur, beauty, and effect which are everywhere, at this day, accepted as invaluable promoters of intellectual and artistic culture. Such portraiture of the physical or material world extends our knowledge by mak- ing us conversant, in an agreeable and attractive manner, with the forms and characteristics of the most remarkable historical monuments or exquisite works of nature all over the face of the habitable earth. The reproduction. In an intelligi- ble form, of any place where man has dwelt, or where man has penetrated. Is interesting to man ; much more everything or anything relating to those older seats of life which may be deemed not only the cradles of humanity but the nurs- eries of human energy ; where the races halted for centuries, and In the strug- gles within circumscribed boundaries developed mind and muscle, thews of brain and body, confidence In the earth and faith in Heaven, which gave them devo- INTRODUCTION. xxxiii tion and courage to go forth and conquer unknown regions, create new nations and peoples, and make practical constitutions out of the crotchets of bygone philosophers. Ireland is one of those cradles and nurseries, and the memories associated with her, not less than the intrinsic beauty of her scenery and the interest attach- ino- to her archseological remains and historical monuments, impress us with a confident belief that the work now presented will be widely acceptable. Picturesque Ireland is designed to embrace and present all the best and most striking features of preceding works on the subject — reproductions of the pictures and drawings of eminent artists who have for the last fifty years given such a notable impetus to the study of Irish scenery, topography, and antiquities — with numerous other views from recent photographs and drawings, especially en- graved for the work. JOHN SAVAGE. KERRY. The border land of the counties of Cork and Kerry, from Glengariff to the lake district of Kil- larney, embraces a grand mountainous tract, partly on the coast, where the View on the B lack-water from the Bridge. hand of Nature seems tO have thrown every form of grandeur, beauty, and romance into a disorder at once startling and picturesque. The continuous surprises and general effect baffle the PICTURESQUE IRELAND. efforts of the pen, while they astonish and delight the eye of even the inost skilled and eloquent tourist. One whose felicitous pen has won the admiration of his time has declared that the scenes of romantic beauty to be found in the deep solitudes of the stupendous cliffs and lofty mountains of the district, the suc- cession of glowing and magnificent pictures formed by the combination of rush- ing torrent, placid lake, broad sea, and rocky shores, exceed the power of de- scription. Passing from Cork into the " Kingdom of Kerry," through a dark tunnel of two hundred yards cut through the rocks, one experiences somewhat the effect produced by darkening a hall preparatory to the unfolding of sofne splendid panorama before his eyes. Emerging from the darkness, we are confronted with a scene of wild and stern magnificence, on the very brink of an Alpine precipice, the road descending in spiral windings, as if Nature, having repented of building a mountain so difficult of ascent, wound round it a spiral staircase for the accommodation of man. Gaz- ing from the dizzy height — now adown the beetling cliff, now along the tortuous road, and away into the far-off valley — the eye rests upon the formidable Kinmare River, " the wide embayed Mayre," as Spenser calls it, diminished to a tiny line of white in the distance. Nothing can exceed the wild grandeur of the prospect, which extends for miles and miles. The road, of which there is a view almost the whole way to Kenmare, is admirably constructed, kept in constant repair, and is by common consent classed as one of the best in the United Kingdoms. The de- scent to Kenmare is gradual, and commands a succession of bold and magnificent views. Approaching the town, the noble suspen- sion bridge, the only one of any extent in Ireland, gracefully spanning the sound, commands attention. It is four hundred and ten feet in length, and is named after the Marquis of Lansdowne, who, as lord of the soil, bore half its cost. Kenmare is a small town, but admirably situated at the head of the bay. In the vicinity are some beautiful lakes, and a visit to the bay where the Blackwater enters it will repay the trouble. Near the confluence the river is spanned by a lofty bridge of two arches which crosses a chasm of great depth. The scenery in this locality is highly picturesque, the river rushing through a deep ravine, the sides of which are varied by woods and rocks. Some twelve miles west on the coast is one of the most remarkable Blackwater Bridge. KERRY. of the Cyclopean remains in Ireland, the Cathavr or fort of Staigue. It consists of a circular wall of uncemented stones, about eighteen feet in height, and twelve in thickness, inclosing an area of eighty-eight yards in diameter. Upon the in- ternal face of the wall are regular flights of steps leading to the top platform, or parapet. The doorway is composed of large unhewn stones, and is covered by a horizontal lintel. A ditch of twenty-six feet, now nearly filled, defended the wall upon the exterior.* A mile west of Kenmare are the ruins of Dunkerron, the ancient seat of the O'Sullivan More, and there are several druidical remains, circles, dallans,f and cromlechs in the neighborhood. The road to Killarney {Kill- airne, the Church of the Sloes) ascends to the rocky defile of Windy Gap, when the scenery tegins to wear a more majes- tic aspect than any yet seen ; further on, Looscanagh, a lake sleeping under the shadow of lofty mountains, is passed ; and soon we reach that one point which is ever memorable in the journey — like Inspiration Point over the Valley of the Yosemite — that at which the lakes in all their resplendent beauty first burst iipon the sight. Those who enter by any other than the Kenmare road can form but a faint conception of the sensation inspired by the magnificence of this first view they have missed. From an eminence near the police station, a picturesque castle in min- iature, the upper lake in all its splendor lies revealed far, far below, with the middle and lower lakes in the distance. Crossing Galway's Bridge, within sound of Derrycunnihy Cascade, we pass through the Tunnel under a declivity ofCrom- aglan Mountain, and traversing two sides, the west and north, of the base of Tore Mountain, reach Tore Cascade. Entering the path to the fall it leads up a gravel walk so lined with trees and shrubs — larch, on one side, and holly, birch, oak, alder, and arbutus on the other, and judiciously curved that the cascade is The Tunnel. * Wakeman's Archteologia Flibcrnica, p. loo. A model of this fort is in the Royal Dublin Society. f Dallans, pillar-stones variously used as objects of worship, monuments, boundaries, etc. Cromlechs, composed of three or more stones forming an inclosure, over which a large stone is laid. They were for sepulchral and sacri- ficial uses. 8 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. concealed until the spectator is immediately under and opposite to it. The water, Avhich is supplied from Mangerton and the Devil's Punch Bowl, is forced in a sheet of foam over a broken wall of rock some seventy feet high, forming sev- eral cascades in its progress. On ' '~s- each side the pre cipitous rocks art ^=i^^ covered with lux- '^ '^- uriant trees and ferns, which afford a fine contrast to the mist and spray in which the cascade breaks before it resumes its course through the deep ra\ine to mingle with the waters of the middle lake. The small illustration gives a the cascade, while the large one presents it in its special and more brilliant aspect. Art has been effectively called to the aid of Nature here. The op- posite hill to the cascade has been elegantly planted, and a circuitous path leads to a well-selected eminence, from which a view of the middle and lower lakes with the wooded peninsula between can be obtained (p. 20). Close over the cascade on the left appears Tore Mountain ; beyond the middle lake, Glena ; in the immediate foreeround is the demesne and mansion of Muck- ofeneral view Rocks on the Kenmare Road. KERR Y. Tore Cascade. ross ; and in the distance to the right the faint out- hne of the Dingle Hills. Black's Guide well advises the \ isitor never to omit this view from Tore Cas- cade, as it is certainly one of the finest in Ire- land. 1 Resuming the road, it is but a short distance through the noble Muck- r o s s d e - mesne and PICTURESQUE IRELAND. by the village of Cloghreen to the ruins of Muck- 1/ ^ -> «=.V ross Abbey. Though neither in extent nor ar- chitecture equaling, much less rivaling many mo- nastic ruins in Ireland, its seclusion and the beauty of its surroundings produce an effect perhaps equal to anything in the -country. Situated on a slight eminence overhanging the eastern extension of the lower lake, in one of the finest parts of the Muckross demesne, embosomed in the shade ot lofty and venerable ash, oak, elm, yew, and syca- more trees — festooned with trailing plants, and Tore Cascade. garlanded with ivy of the darkest and most luxu- riant foliage — it is, as Willis said, " More beautiful in its loneliness and decay than it could have been in its pristine state of neatness and perfection." It is indeed a splendid relic of antiquity ; and a more picturesque spot, " where erring man might hope to rest," it would be difficult to conceive. The original name was the Abbey of Irelough, 'the building at the lake.' It was founded by the Mac Carthys, Princes of Desmond, according to the annals of the Four Masters, in 1340, on the site of an ecclesiastical structure which existed here from a remote era, and which, according to a record in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, was destroyed by fire in 1 192. The present ruins are the remains of the Mon- astery and Church of Franciscan Friars, which were re- paired in 1602, and subsequently, according to a Latin inscription on a stone let into the north wall of the choir, in 1626. The building consists principally of two parts, the abbey and the church ; the latter being divided into three compartments, the choir, the nave, and the south transept, from the midst of which rises, on four high and slender pointed arches, a square tower thickly draped with ivy. The entrance is through a richly decorated doorwa)' of the pointed style, luxuriantly overgrown with ivy, and directly opposite is the large eastern window. The length of the church is about one hundred feet, by twenty-four m width, and the length of the transept thirty-six feet. The interior is filled with tombs, the greater number being but slightly elevated above the ground. In the center of the choir is a large tomb of modern construction, covering the vault in which were interred the Mac Carthys More of the olden times; 77/6 LhaiutI, Mm/ 1 Si KERRY. and more recently the O'Donoghues More of the Glens. The slab which formerly covered the vault is close by, lying on the earth without inscription, but bearing the arms of the Earl of Clancare. On the former tomb the following lines are carved : " What more could Homer's most illustrious verse, Or pompous TuUy's stately prose rehearse, Than what this monumental stone contains, In death's embrace, Mac Carthy Mor's remains ? Hence, reader, learn the sad and certain fate That waits on man, spares not the good and great ; Mttckross, Eastern Window. And while this venerable marble calls Thy patriot tear, perhaps, that trickling falls. And bids thy thoughts to other days return. And with the spark of Erin's glory burn ; While to her fame most grateful tributes flow. Oh ! ere you turn, one warmer drop bestow ! If Erin's chiefs deserve thy generous tear. Heir of their worth, O'Donoghue lies here." Thanks to Mr. Henry Arthur Herbert, M.P., and late Chief Secretary for Ireland, the pro- prietor, whose taste and vigil- ance in the care-taking of these interesting remains is entitled to gratitude, the abbey is in a fair state of preservation. He has repaired the foundation and parajDets in such a way as not Fire-place at Miickross. to impair the gerteral effect of antiquity. The building is unroofed, and dank grass and weeds encumber the upper portion ; but the ground floor being arched over, and containing the kitchen, refectory, infirmary, cellars, and other chambers, is comparatively pro- tected from the weather. The capacious fire-place of the kitchen and refectory is sufficiently suggestive to indicate that the good fathers recognized the Chris- 12 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. tian duty of hospitality ; and perhaps also the truth of the axiom put into the mouth of the jovial " Friar of orders gray," that "Who leads a good life, is sure to live well." But in those days the abbey was the hostel, house of entertainment, and succor for all wayfarers — whether peers or peasants — for, " Whoever passed, be he baron or squire, Was free to call at the abbey and stay ; Nor guerdon or gift for his lodging pay, Although he tarried a week with its holy quire." * The recess of this fire-place was taken possession of more than a century and a quarter ago by a pilgrim named John Drake, who came "no one knew whence," and after a harmless and mysterious life of eleven years there, disappeared as suddenly. He braved all weathers in his chimney recess with a blanket and his ordinary clothes ; never begged, nor would receive more than a single penny as a gratuity ; paid for his fish and potatoes when he purchased them ; never ate out of his ' home ; ' had a half-penny and a prayer to bestow on those more needy than himself ; rarely if ever went to chapel ; but daily prayed at particular spots in the abbey-yard, and cultivated his garden. No one knew the cause of his seclusion. He spoke as a penitent of the need of prayer, and one of his maxims was that " those who were harmless had a right to be happy." Mrs. Hall adds a feature of romance to the mystery by stating "as 'twas told to her," that about ten years after Drake's disappearance, a lady of "foreign tongue," with two servants "who could not speak English," came and remained at Killarney for many weeks. Hav- ing inquired about the pilgrim, she used to weep floods of tears over his couch every day, prayed where he had prayed, and distributed abundant alms to all who had been kind to him. She would answer no questions, and after much prayer and evident penance departed unknown. As may be supposed, adds Mrs. Hall, Drake's singular choice of residence has given rise to abundant stories, and the mention of his name to any of the guides or boatmen will at once • produce a volume of the marvelous. When the man made his dwelling in this lonely and awful place — the companion of the dead, living among the frightful and half-decayed relics of mortality — it is said his hands were small and delicate, his air and manner tranquil and dignified, and his "tongue" was not of the south. He appeared to be under forty years of age, and made no * The Monks of Kilkrca. SCENES AT INNISFAL-LEN AND MUCKROSS. 14 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. effort to gain a reputation for sanctity. The belief among the peasantr}' is that he had committed some crime which demanded desperate atonement, and that his penance was to be made within the holy yet haunted walls of Muckross Abbey. The abbey presents a singularly picturesque appearance from almost every point of view, but it is generally conceded that it is seen to most advantage from the south and west, within the precincts of the grove of trees by which it is sur- rounded. Here are " ■ — deep empty tombs And dells and mouldering shrines, with old decay Rustic and green, and wide embowering shades Shot from the crooked clefts of nodding towers." The cloister constitutes the finest part of the Muckross ruins. It is the best executed portion of the fabric, and remains in a state of comparative perfection. It consists of a quadrangle of forty-six feet, encompassed by a vaulted walk si.x feet wide. The a'rcade thus formed embraces twenty-two arches. The pillars and arches are formed of a bluish and pale-red marble, producing a gray effect. The pillars are finished exactly alike, but the arches vary both in form and number on the sides. At two of the contiguous sides they are of the sharp-pointed or Gothic form, and are ten in number ; while the corresponding sides contain twelve semi- circular arches. How this capricious variet}^ says Isaac Weld, so frequently to be observed in the religious buildings of those infant days of art and taste, was first introduced, we can now only conjecture. At two of the opposite corners of the cloister there are stairs leading to the cells over the vaulted walk, and to the chief apartments of the abbey. The latter are in a very dilapidated state, but several of the cells remain entire ; and under the little grates by which they were lighted one may still see the broad, flat stones upon which the monks offered up their orisons, worn and polished by the pressure of many a weary knee. Around the summit of the building there was a safe walk, defended by an embattled parapet.* The solemn effect of the ecclesiastical remains is greatly heightened by a vener- able and magnificent yew-tree, whicli rises like a stately column in the inclosure with a circumference of thirteen feet, and branches extending over and covering in the entire quadrangle. It is believed to be coeval with the building, and it is not unlikely, as the yew is of slow growth, and lives to an immense age. Such is the gloominess diffused over the cloister by its thick and dusky foliage that — as Weld mentions — the bat is frequently observed flitting through the vaulted arches at * Illustrations of the Scenery of Killarney and the Surrounding Country, by Isaac Weld, Esq., M.R.I.A., etc. KERRY. 15 noon-day. The vaults and winding passages of the abbey are still more gloomy than the cloister. "There, through thick walls, oblique the broken light From narrow loop-holes quivers to the sight." Lovers of the picturesque will agree that " this obscurity adds much to the effect of the ruin, and, combined with the stillness and solitude of deep retirement, the fragments of monumental grandeur, and the spectacle of mouldering mortality, forms an associa'don highly calculated to inspire the imagination. The mind be- comes abstracted from the world. The shade of every waving branch is converted to a spectre, and the echoes of the footsteps to the whispering of ideal inhabitants. The startled senses distrust their own perception, and the delusion can scarcely be dispelled by returning to the cheerful regions of light and life." Although it is a matter of speculation as to where the monks who lived and died at Muckross were interred, the people point out a rudely constructed vault on the exterior of the church, immediately under the eastern window, as the resting-place of the holy men who succeeded each other for centuries in religious service here. It is known as " The Tomb of the Monks." Contemplating these solemn scenes, and impressed with their suggestiveness, our thoughts easily drift in unison with the retrospective reflections of the artistic Weld under the effect of the same locality. " A ruined church is a common object, which, independent of the picturesque beauty it may possess, excites little interest; but the sight of a monastery carries us back to distant ages, and gives rise to a train of reflection which every mind of sensibility feels a pleasure in indulging. We remember that these places were asylums of men who, voluntarily renouncing the seducing pleasure of the world, devoted themselves to the services of charity and religion. Hither the aged peasants from the neighboring hamlets flocked in the hours of sickness and of affliction, to obtain the advice and consolation of the ghostly fathers, to crave the boon of charity, or implore the blessing of heaven on the labors of their toiling offspring. Hither, during the ages of violence and rapine, those who by inclination were disposed to retirement and to ease could withdraw in safety from the dangers of contending factions and devote themselves to the calm and tranquil pursuits of literature. These were the sacred retreats of learning, where the germs of knowledge were preserved till a more genial season bade them spring forth and flourish in open day." * * Weld, p. 24. i6 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. The picturesque obscurity which stillness and solitude lend to the ruins of Muckross even in the daytime, from the umbrageous gloom of the surroundings, has been noticed by all writers on the localit)' ; but the moonlight adds a charm peculiarly its own, which completes all that might — if anything — be wanting to thoroughly enchain the sentiment and awaken the fancy of the ar- tistic or poetical beholder. To Muckross, as to Melrose, the moon is magical. For ages the southern part of the ground outside ot the church used as a cemetery by the people ; and there are man)' tombs worthy 'i/iii/ lOis b\ Alooiuulit has been of inspec- KERR Y. 17 Tomb of the Monks. tion as showing the ages at which those whose dust is below went to rest. These records show that quite a number were over a century old, and that one Peter O'Dowd lived one hundred and four- teen years in this transitory world. Muckross, or Cloghreen, as the vil- lage is called, is selected by many as " headquarters," from which " to do " the lake district ; and it has many rec- ommendations, being in the immediate vicinity of some notable scenes. Others choose the town of Killarney,two miles further north on the same road, where there are several hotels. The principal buildings in Killarney are a magnificent Roman Catholic Cathedral designed by Pugin, and " worthy of any city in the ■empire," the railway station, and the mansion of Lord Kenmare, whose demesne runs up to the town. The circuit of the lakes may be made and many splendid views of all the leading points attained before going on the water, by coming to Killarney from the Kenmare road as we have done, and going from Killarney by the Gap of Dunloe to the head of the upper lake. Leaving Killarney and passing the Victoria Hotel, we turn off from the main road to note the venerable remains at Aghadoe, situated on rising ground, and consisting of the rem- nants of a fortress, a church, and a tower. The first named is sometimes called the " Bishop's Chair," or pulpit. The church is a low oblong building consist- ing of two distinct chapels of unequal antiquity, lying east and west of each other ; that to the east is in the pointed style, dated 1 1 58, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity ; the other, or western chapel, is of an earlier period, between the sixth and twelfth cen- turies, in the Romanesque style, and was under the patronage of St. Finian. The whole of the church is about eighty feet in length, by twenty in breadth. The ornamented doorway, though much injured, still retains traces of grace and teauty. The Round Tower is proved to be of still greater antiquity by the superiority Doorway at Aghadoe. PICTURESQUE IRELAND. of its masonry. The stones are large, regular, and well dressed ; the greater por- tion has been taken away to supply headstones in the adjacent grave-yard. The remains are about fifteen feet high, fifty-two feet in circumference, and the walls three and a half feet thick. Crossing the bridge over the river Laune^ which carries off the surplus water from the lower lake, we find, in a field near by, the cave of Dunloe, which was discovered in 1838. As some laborers were making a ditch they broke into a subterranean chamber of a circular form, the walls of which were uncemented stones inclining inward, with a roof also, of long transverse stones. The discovery brought to light a chamber of the very highest antiquity, as the stones in the roof were covered with writing in the Ogham char- acter, which is stated to have been used in Ireland long before the Christian era ; and is to the Irish antiquary what " the Runes are in the north, and the arroAv-headed or wedge character in Baby- lonia and Persepolis." About a mile west is Dunloe Castle, a stronghold of O'Sullivan More, which stands on a bold promontory overlooking the Laune. It stood a siege by the Cromwellian forces ; was for 3^ears a ruin, but was re- paired and fitted up as a modern residence by the fa- ther of the present proprietor. The view from the casde is exquisite, and a row down the river esteemed not the least interesting episode of an excursion. At the cottage of Kate Kearney — who is represented by the granddaughter of Lady Morgan's mountain heroine, "Oh, did you not hear of Kate Kearney" — tourists have to forsake their cars or carriages, but hardy ponies are in waiting for those who cannot " face the Gap on foot." The Gap of Dunloe, one of the grandest wonders of this wonder-land, is a deep,, wild, rugged mountain-gorge, about four miles long, between the Magillicuddy Reeks on the west, and the Purple Mountains and Toomies on the east. The mountains present the appearance of having been driven asunder by some mighty Kate Kearney's Cottage. KERRY. 19 convulsion of nature. The cliffs rise from the bottom in many places to a great height, presenting many wild and striking combinations, and exhibiting vast masses of rock, heaved up and scattered about in the wildest disorder. On the brow of the cliff, on the northern entrance to the right, immense masses of rock, suspended in their lofty bed, overhang the pass, and seem to threaten destruction to the ven- turesome wayfarer. Further in the projecting cliffs arise on either hand, impend- ing fearfully over the narrow pathway. Nor do they always hold their threatening attitude, as immense fragments of rock which strew the bottom of the ravine sufficiently testify. As Mr. Smith* says, " Immense blocks of rock, rent from the overhanging masses of the precipice, and precipitated down its ruined sides, lie scattered about, so as to completely choke up the defile. Impending fragments seem starting from their shattered beds, and ready to add to the chaos below;" and Dr. Forbes adds, " It particularly reminds one of an Alpine valley, by the vast accymulation of fragments of rock, fallen from the cliffs above, which are strewed along its base." A small but rapid little stream, the Loe — whence the Gap takes its name — traverses the glen from the south, and finally runs into the river Laune. In its course in the defile it expands into five little loughs, which are known as the Cummeen Thomeen Lakes. Here and there a dwarf tree, or a thicket of coppice, or patches of golden furze or arbutus, in union with the lakes, or the stream, which now steals along, and anon rages over some jagged steep, adds not a little to the charm of the scene, by somewhat softening into beauty its prevailing aspect of stern grandeur and wildness. The road, constructed often on the brink of precipices, follows the course of the stream, and in two instances it crosses by means of bridges, at Black Lake, the second, and Black Lough, the fifth of the loughs or tarns, at which points the effect is very picturesque— one especially, where the bridge stands at the head of a beautiful rapid where the torrent plunges in whitening foam over its rocky bed. * Killamey and the Sitrrounding Scenery. Rapids in the Gap of Dujiloe. KERRY. Gap of Dunloe. The admiration of the visitor continues to increase until he arrives at that part where the pass becomes so contracted as to scarcely afford room between the inclosing precipices for the narrow pathway. This is right under the Purple Mountain, near Auger Lough, called by the peasantry, doubtless by way of derisive contrast, or perhaps in sportive recognition of the human energy and perseverance which surmounted the difficulties of cutting a passage through this once inaccessible pass, "The Turnpike," or more commonly "The Pike" — a spot where nature seems to have reached her bleakest climax. On the right, the monarch of Irish mountains, Carran Tual, uplifts his dusky head ; and on PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Tlu PiU the left, Toomies and the Pur- ple Mountain rest in everlasting shadow. The echoes, which are startlingly fine all through the Gap, are here in the greatest perfection. Saluting the moun- tains with a small cannon and the martial blare of a trumpet, the answering reverberations are like the thunders of mighty ar- mies in conflict. " The shot in itself is insignificant, but the ef- fect, produced is absolutely sub- lime. Shots, peals of sound; thunderbolts, leap, burst, crash from out the surrounding hills. Dells, cliffs, rocks, and peaks pour forth a torrent of rolling rage, as if the signal had let loose the angry spirits of the mountains." The road continues to the top of the Gap, and issuing thence from the depress- ing solitude and the uncontrollable influences to melancholy which the deep gloom of the place inspire, a scene the most beautiful the imagination can paint bursts daz- zlingly upon the sight, the effect no doubt greatly heightened by the contrast with that through which the eye has passed. A sudden turn on the narrow path, and, as if by magic, on the east appears the Gearhameen River as it falls into the upper lake, near Lord Brandon's cottage, and the lake itself embosomed amidst glorious woods and mountains ; while to the west, or right, the Coom-Dhuv, or Black Valley, with its river and cataract. The Black Valley is a deep, dark moorland glen extending some five miles westward from the head of the upper lake, in which distance it rises only one hundred and forty-seven feet. The darkness of the valley is not caused by any excess of vegetation, which is sparing and stunted, but by the height of the hills and the dissolved peaty matter in the water. The traveler Inglis regards it as more striking than Dunloe, for few could look into its wild recess and seemingly boundless craggy moorland without a feeling- of awe akin to horror. Describing the valley, Mr. Windele says, " on our right lies the deep, broad, desolate glen of Coom-Dhuv ; an amphitheater buried at the base, and hemmed in by the vast masses of the mountain, whose rugged sides are marked by the course of the de- scending streams. At the western extremity of the valley, gloomily reposes KERRY. 23 amidst silence and shadows one of those lakes, or rather circular basins of dark still water, Loch-an-bric-dearg , ' the lake of the char or red trout.' Other lesser lakes dot the surface of the moor, and uniting form at the side opposite the termi- nation of the Gap, a waterfall of considerable height, enjoying the advantage, not common to other falls in Ireland, of being plentifully supplied with water at every season of the year." A first view of the Coom-Dhuv on a hot hazy day is said to be truly magical, reminding one of the dioramic representations of the blasted heath in Macbeth. Amid the surrounding blackness the water throws back the light it receives by reflection from the clouds, giving the idea of being lighted from below. " Had there been at the bottom," says the German traveler Kohl, "among the rugged masses of black rock, __ some smoke and flame instead of water, we might have imagined we were looking into the entrance to the infernal regions." If we shared this idea we have but to turn to the left, as before sug- gested, to experience a transportation from Hades to a terrestrial heaven, in the delightful effect of the Upper Lake. On our way to it we pass a very singular curiosity — the " Logan Stone," or as it is variously called the " Balance Rock " — or " Rocking Stone." It is situated on the side of a steep hill, is twenty-four feet in circumference ; and is considered a druidical relic of deep interest to the antiquarian. The Upper Lake is but two and a half miles long, and three quarters of a mile wide, yet its position and surroundings have aroused the greatest delight and en- thusiasm of travelers ; and it is generally thought to be the finest of the lakes. As Weld says, it displays much greater variety than the others, but that variety arises from different combinations of the same wild features. Wakefield described the Upper Lake as an " immense reservoir in a hollow between stupendous moun- tains, the rugged, rocky, and almost perpendicular sides of which may be said to overhang the water," whilst the whole scenery is of the most awful and extraordi- nary kind, such as very seldom occurs, " and on a scale of magnificence hardly to be equaled anywhere else except in the wildest districts of Switzerland." Not less enthusiastic is a more recent writer, who says its solid grandeur strikes the observer on first beholding it with feelings of awe and admiration. Perfectly The Balance Rock. 24 PICTURE so UE I RE LA ND. distinct in the character of its romantic scenery from that of the Tore (Middle) and Lower Lakes, it combines many of the softer beauties of wood and water, with all the stern reality of mountain scenery, possessing in a surpassing degree every Derrycunnihy variety of landscape that can delight the eye or gratify the imagination.* On the south are the Derrycunnihy hills, which give the name to one of the grand cascades of the region which is to be seen a little way up the Gal way River on the south- eastern line of the lake. Here the torrent leaps forth from between some rocks high up the mountain, and having fallen a distance of over thirty feet, breaks into innumerable falls, as though every rock and tree had its own jet a'eau, and * N. P. Willis or J. Sterling Coyne, who wrote the descriptions to Bartlett's illustrations. DERRICUNIHY CASCADE. 26 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. emitted a separate cascade. These gorgeous natural works, split into a thousand rills, again unite, and, after concentrating their forces in a deep basin excavated in the rocks, once more leap forth in a mass of foam down the narrow channel, and are lost in the woods below. In the vicinity of Derrycunnihy Cascade an inlet from the lake is entered between two lofty crags. Within lies a beautiful sheet of water hemmed in by precipitous rocks, and overhanging trees. Behind this a rapid stream rushes through a ravine, being impelled by the force of a cata- ract concealed in a glen a short distance from the shore. Derrycunnihy is a favor- ite and chosen place of meet for the stag-hunts, and its neighborhood frequently the scene of the closing triumphs of the chase. After showing how an experienced person stealthily selects a deer, on the day previous to the hunt, Mr. Weld continues : " Before the break of day the dogs are conducted up the mountain, as silently and secretly as possible, and are kept coupled until some signal, commonly the firing of a small cannon, announces that the party commanding the hunt has arrived in boats at the foot of the mountain; then the dogs are loosed, and brought upon the track of the deer. If the business previous to the signal has been silently and orderly conducted, the report of the cannon, the sudden shouts of the hunters on the mountain, which instantly suc- ceed it, the opening of the dogs, and the loud and continued echoes along an ex- tensive region of woods and mountains produce an effect singularly grand. " The deer, upon being roused, generally endeavors to gain the summit of the mountains, that he may the more readily make his escape across the open heath to some distant retreat. To prevent this, numbers of people are stationed at intervals along the heights, who by loud shouting terrify the animal, and drive him toward the lake. The hunt, however^ begins to lose its interest after the first burst. The ruggedness of the ground embarrasses the pursuers ; the scent is followed with difficulty, and often lost altogether, or only resumed at the end of a long interval : much confusion also arises from the emulous efforts of the people on the water to follow the course of the hunt, especially if it should take a direction toward' the Upper Lake, when the contending boats are frequently entangled among the rocks and shoals of the river which leads to it. Those who attempt to follow the deer through the woods are rarely gratified with a view, and are often excluded from the grand spectacle of his taking the sail, or, in other words, plunging into the lake. It is therefore gener- ally recommended to remain in a boat. I was once- gratified by seeing the deer run for nearly a mile along the shore, with the hounds pursuing him in full cry. On finding himself closely pressed, he leaped boldly from a rock into X- ; KERRY. V the lake, and swam toward one of the islands ; but, terrified by the approach of the boats, he returned, and once more sought safety on the main shore ; soon afterward, in a desperate effort to leap across a chasm between two rocks, his strength failed him, and he fell exhausted to the bottom. It was most interesting to behold the numerous spectators who hastened to the spot — ladies, gentlemen, peasants, hunters, combined in various groups around the noble victim, as he lay extended in the depth of the forest. The stag, as is usual on these occa- sions, was preserved from death." Afloat on the bosom of the Upper Lake we realize the sen- ^=- — ^^*'- ^ sations of an intelligent voyageur, who says : " As we glided along the smooth lake, enclosed by heaven-kissing hills, with heath- covered brows, or more threat- ening rocky precipices, relieved at the base by luxuriant shrubs which shade its verge, and studded with islands covered with myrtle and arbutus ; the national melody stealing along the waters, and thrown back upon our ears by the echoing rocks ; our boat's crew with sinewy strength and picturesque mien tugging swiftly at their oars, and our fair companions, with delighted eyes, the only living things in sight save one strong eagle, which hovered aloft over its giant rock ; and then the stillness of the air and the (I believe unwonted) •clearness of the blue canopy which covered us — altogether produced an effect such as I shall not attempt to delineate." The Long Range, a water channel of more than two miles in length, con- nects the Upper and Middle Lakes. Rocks, woods, and picturesque openings continue and sustain the interest. About halfway through is the Eagles' Nest, an inaccessible mass of rock of a pyramidal form, eleven hundred feet in height, richly clothed with foliage and shrubs about its sides, and around whose bar- ren summit the eagles build their nests and breed their young. The nests can only be reached by ropes from above. The echoes at this point are world- famous, and are impossible to fully describe. The firing of a gun produces rever- berations from mountain to mountain, of thrilling distinctness, like peals of near and mighty thunder. A bugle-call is repeated a dozen times from crag to The Eaglci' Nest. 28 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. hill, sometimes low, sometimes loud, sometimes in rapid succession, sometimes pausing as if for answer, then dying off, and yet again returning with renewed force and eclat from some more distant range. " It is scarcely in the power of Ian- Old Weir Bridge. guage,"' says Weld, " to convey an idea of the extraordinary effect of the echoes under this clifif, whether they repeat the dulcet notes of music, or the loud, dis- cordant report of a cannon. Enchantment here appears to have resumed her reign, and those who listen are lost in amazement and delight." Under some such spell Okenden — who wrote in 1760, seems to have been. "We gazed," KERR Y. 29 Under fJie Rocks at Tore Lake. he said, "at the wood, the rock, and the river, with ahernate hope and lear; and we expected, with a pleasing impatience, some ver\^ marvelous event. Angels from the sky, or fairies from the mountains, or O'Donoghoe from trie river, we every moment expected to appear before us." 30 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Old Weir Bridge, near view. Gliding out of this locality, where the magic of sound is so powerful, and down the Range, we pass the fairy scene at the Meeting of Waters, and are at the old Weir Bridge, which connects Dinis Island with the mainland, and is the entrance to the Middle Lake. The descent of the rapids under the bridge is exciting, and needs careful management of the boat. The boatmen, however, are very skillful, and shooting the rapids _ — _ is one of the- pleasant sensations of a Kil- larney trip, although some persons prefer landing and walking round. The Middle Lake is frequently called Tore Lake, from the mountain which casts over it a perpetually solemn shade and appearance ; and sometimes Muck- ross Lake, from being bounded on the other (north) side by the Muckross de- mesne. The current from the Upper Lake divides, at Dinis Pool, flowing to the right into Tore Lake, and to the left between Dinis Island and Glena, and joining the Lower Lake at Glena Bay. Standing near the confluence of the waters of the three lakes, Scott, after pausing in rapt admiration, exclaimed, in the words of Coleridge, " Beautiful exceedingly ! " Tore, which is half as large again as the Upper Lake, partakes somewhat of the joint characteristics of the other two lakes. The rocks along its shore have been hollowed out into cavernous and grotesque forms by the action of the waters. In reply to the query, " What is to be said about Tore Lake?" Thack- eray wrote, " When there, we agreed that it was more beautiful than the large lake, of which it is not one- fourth the size ; then when we came back; we said, 'No ; the large lake is the most beautiful;' and so, at every point we stopped at, we determined that that particular spot was the prettiest in the whole lake. The fact is, and I don't care to own it, they are too handsome. As for a man comino- from his desk in London or Dublin, The Cottage on Dinis Island. KERRY. 31 and seeing ' the whole lakes in a day,' he is an ass for his pains. A child doing a sum in addition might as well read the whole multiplication table, and fancy he had it by heart." Dinis Island is a lovely spot, and a neat and com- modious cottage has been built on it by Mr. Herbert, for the gratuitous use of visitors. Brickeen Island seems to form a prolongation of the thickly-wooded penin- sula of Muckross, from which it is only separated by a narrow stream, sjaanned by a bridge of a single arch, through which is one of three passages to the Lower Lake. The Lower Lake, or Lough Lene, is five — miles long, three miles wide, and contains about ^ *"^ , /, thirty-five islands, most of them richly clothed with verdure, and all of them more or less interesting by association with romance or legend. The transition from wild and rugged and closely-piled scenic effects to the expansive rl|^^ beauty of Lough Lene at first tends to create a feelinjj- of disappointment; but, by degrees,, . , „ ., •^ .< o Brickeen Bridge. the wonderful loveliness of the shores, woods, cascades, islands, and ruins around unfold before the vision and leave a last- ing impression of harmony and sweetness. There are fine views from the eastern and western shores, but the noblest is doubtless from the northeast, or Ross Island, from which the grand mountains in the west and south form a glorious background to the placid beauty of its surface, and the poetical effect of its innumerable inlets, delicious nooks, and wooded bays. The mountains of Glena and the Toomies form an effective barrier on the west. Innisfallen Island, about twenty-three acres in extent, is nearly midway between the east and west shores of the Lower Lake. It is universally hailed as the most beautiful of the lake islands, and its luxuriance of vegetation and purity of ver- durous color entitle it, in the opinion of many, beyond any other in the country, to the pre-eminence of being the " Emerald Isle." Its appearance from the water is that of a dense wood of magnificent trees and gigantic evergreens. It seems im- penetrable, the foliage being very close, and literally extending into the water, the roots in some places twisting in fantastic forms out of the lake. On approaching, glades and alleys appear, and on landing and penetrating its recesses, a variety of delightful scenery is disclosed, diversified with rock and dell and lawn, sunny glade and umbrageous awning, embellished by thickets of flowering shrubs and 32 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. evergreens. Here are lofty elms and hollies of unusually large growth and girth, fine old oaks too ; but the ash, which attains here a remarkable magni- tude and luxuriance, prevails. Among the venerable trees is one at whose root a legendary " Friar's grave " is pointed out. Vistas having been judiciously cut through the groves, the openings command the most varied and lovely views of the shimmering waters, the shores, the woody slopes, and the blue summits of the mountains towering above the surrounding woods. In addition to its enchanting aspect, Innisfallen has attractions of an historical character. The abbey, the ruins of which are scattered about the island, was founded by St. Finian early in the seventh centur}^ The solemn tranquillity of the place rendered it in ancient times a "paradise and secure sanctuary;" but the treasures " in gold and silver, and richest goods of the whole country" which were de- posited in it proved a tempta- tion which led to its invasion and violation in 1180, when, accord- ing to the "Annals," the O'Don- oghues plundered the abbey, and the MacCarthys slew many of the clergy in the cemetery. Near the principal ruins are others, generally believed to have been connected with the abbey ; but the most interesting of the remains on the island is a part of a structure of far more ancient date, covered with ivy, and standing on a mass of rock near the water, close to the landing-place. It is vari- ously called a chapel and oratory, but is believed to be the remains of a temple of sun-worship, and associated with the remotest antiquity. It has a hand- some round-headed doorway at the west, and is a striking feature in both of the illustrations given. From the abbey issued "The Annals of Innisfallen," a compendium of universal history to the era of St. Patrick, with a continua- tion to the end of the thirteenth century — in Irish intermixed with Latin. The original is in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and there are copies in Trinity College, and the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. Moore has beautifully conveyed the haunting memory of loveliness left on the mind by this isle, in the following lines : Innisfallen. O'SULLIVAN'S CASCADE. 34 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. " Sweet lanisfallen, fare thee well ; May calm and sunshine long be thine \ How fair thou art let others tell— To feel how fair shall long be mine. " Sweet Innisfallen, long shall dwell In memory's dream that sunny smile Which o'er thee on that evening fell, When first I saw thy fairy isle. " 'Twas light, indeed, too blest for one Who had to turn to paths of care — Through crowded haunts again to run. And leave thee bright and silent there ; " No more unto thy shores to come, But, on the world's rude ocean toss'd. Dream of thee sometimes, as a home Of sunshine he had seen and lost. *' Far better in thy weeping hours, To part from thee as I do now ; When mist is o'er thy blooming bowers, Like sorrow's veil on beauty's brow. " For, though unrival'd still thy grace. Thou dost not look, as then, too blest, But thus in shadow, seem'st a place Where erring man might hope to rest — " Might hope to rest, and find in thee A gloom like Eden's, on the day He left its shade, when every tree. Like thine, hung weeping o'er his way. " Weeping or smiling, lovely isle ! And all the lovelier for thy tears--- For, though but rare thy sunny smile, 'Tis heav'n's own glance when it appears. " Like feeling hearts, whose joys are few. But, when indeed they come, divine — The brightest light the sun e'er threw. Is lifeless to one gleam of thine ! " KERRY. 35 The Cottage at Glena. O' Sullivan's Cascade is at the foot of the Toomies, and the stream which forms it separates these mountains from Glena, and empties into the lake on the south-west shore which presents a rich and beautiful extent of foliage. Approach- ing it, the hills have a fine appearance and broken out- line. The deep woods clothe their base, and farther up they are covered with heath, and furrowed with water-courses. Landing to the right of the bed of the stream, and follow- ing the course of the torrent, the roar of dashing waters breaks on the ear ; but the over-arching foliage, and the intervening shrubs are so thick, that a sight of the waterfall is not attained until expectation has been some time excited by the sound of its plunging through the rugged channel. It rolls a large volume of water from the deep bosom of a woody glen, with impetuous velocity over a cliff seventy feet high, and forms three distinct falls — the first passing over the ridge falls perpendicu- larly into an unseen natural basin, from which it escapes and forces itself impetu- ously between two hanging rocks into another basin, from which it makes its third leap into a rugged and broken course, where its force and fury is ex- pended before it joins the placid waters of the lake. In the opinion of some tour- =1:^ ists, this fall is superior in beauty to all others in the district, not even excepting Tore and Derricunnihy. It is certainly exceedingly beautiful, presenting the ap- pearance of a " continued . flight of unequally elevated foamy stages." A fine view of the cascades is obtained from a grotto under a projecting rock, over- hanging the lower basin ; so overshadowed by an arch of foliage as to shut out the lisfht. Ruins of Ross Castle. 36 PICTURESQUE IRELAND, Following the woody shores under Glena which is covered with the richest evergreens, we find in a charming forest glade on Glena Bay, a cottage erected by the counties of Kenmare, for the accommodation of visitors, and so spacious that several parties can occupy it at the same time without inconvenience. Ross Castle is one of the most striking and attractive features of Killarney scenery. It presents a very picturesque effect itself, as seen from all parts of the lake and from every one of the adjacent mountains, and affords from the summit of its tower a commanding panoramic view of every important object by which it is surrounded. It ^~ " ~-^f^^-:z^^^ takes its name from the ros, or peninsula, on which it stands, on the eastern shore of the Lower Lake. The castle consisted of a strong keep and other stout build- ings, both of a domestic and mili- tary nature, surrounded by the usual bawn* wall, with its breast- works and circular flanking towers at the corners. The point on which it is built was made an island by the cutting of a deep channel through the marshy neck originally joining it to the mainland. This ditch, flooded by the waters of the lake, formed a prin- cipal defense on the land side. The date of its foundation is unsettled, but the style of its masonry and other characteristics indicate it as belonging to the latter part of the fourteenth century. About that date, and in some parts of Ireland, before it, the Irish chieftains began to adopt some of the manners of their powerful Norman neighbors ; and upon the site of their wooden caJiirs, or fortresses, built strong castles of stone, in which they stood many a gallant siege, and from which they led many a foray to protect their borders from the mail-clad intruders. During the vengeful wars that raged through Ireland, Ross Castle several times changed hands. From the O'Donoghue More, by one of whose ancestors it seems to have been erected, it passed into the hands of Mac Carthy More, by whom it was transferred in i588 to Sir Valentine Browne, ancestor of the present house of Kenmare. After the fall of the Confederation of Kilkenny, in 1648, which was soon followed by the execu- Ross Island. * Ba-cvn, an anglicised form of the Irish bo-dhun (cow-fortress), a fortified inclosure for cattle. KERRY. 37 tion of Charles I. in England, many of the generals of the former stoutly held out arainst the Cromwellians, who succeeded the latter. Among these f was Donagh Mac Carthy, Lord of Muskerry, commander of the Catholic forces of Munster. After his defeat b> the ParHamentary forces under Lord Broghill at Knock- mclashy in July, i65i, he led fifteen hundred men across the mountains, and threw himself into Ross Castle. The strength of the position is indicated by the Parliamentarian General Ludlow, who in his " Memoirs," states that he led four thousand foot and two thousand horse to its reduction. Muskerry resisted him for some time, but Ludlow, having launched several boats on the lake, each holding one hundred and twenty men, was able to use some of his force in Ross Castle. 38 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. cutting off the land supplies to the castle. In this dilemma Muskerry was forced to parley, and, as Ludlow says, " after a fortnight's debate, concluded the agree- ment " of capitulation.* At all times of interest, the time-worn battlements of this ancient stronghold present, under particular surroundings of atmosphere, a most fascinating effect. On every side it commands scenes of the wildest beauty and sublimity. To the west, before it, arise the Toomies and the Purple Moun- tains, and beyond them the lofty Reeks of Magillicuddy throw up their savage summits into the ever-varying sky. To the east and north-east the valley of the Flesk, Coltman's Castle, -sr=r^^ the Millstreet Mountains and the Paps. To the north a number of abrupt and irregu- lar eminences, with Killarney town and the Kenmare de- mesne between, with the ruins of Aghadoe to the north-west. Southward the Middle Lake, Muckross, and Castlelough bay in the foreground, with Tore and Crommaglan Moun- tains, and nearly on a line with the latter, but almost as high as both together, the Mangerton range in the background. When N. P. Willis visited Ross Castle, the sun was near its setting, and the scene presented was one of rare loveliness. " A soft and golden flood of light covered the bosom of the lake, and the background of mountains and islands, with a glory inexpressibly beautiful. The side of the ruined castle toward me lay in deep shade, and its one square and tall tower cut the glow- ing sky with an effect which made me wish I had been an artist. The scene altogether, for softness of atmosphere, richness of light, singular beauty of out- line, and combination of island, mountain, and water, seemed to me quite incom- parable. I ascended the top of the ruin, and sat watching the fading light on the lake till the color was dissolved in twilight : it was a rare moment of natural beauty, sufficient of itself, without legendary or other interest. I enjoyed it to the depths of my heart." One of the most popular and beautiful of Irish legends is associated with O'Donog-hue's Horse. Legends of the Wars in Ireland, by Robert Dwyer Joyce, M.D. ; Ludlow's Memoirs (1751), p. i6o. KERR Y. 39 Ross Castle and Killarney — that of O'Donoghue of the Lakes. The story, which may be found at length in Weld's work on Killarney, Derrick's letters on the same (1760), Crofton Croker's Irish fairy-lore and others, in brief, is this: In the largest of the islands of Lough Lene there lived, many hundred years ago, a prince named O'Donoghue, who was lord of the lake, the surrounding shore, and a large district of the neighboring country. Indeed, wander where you will to this day, hill, rock, glen, and water recall the affection in which the chief was held. Among other of his appurtenances symbolized by tarn or cliff is his " horse," a rock so worn by water and time as to bear somewhat the appearance of a horse drinking. O'Donoghue was distinguished for great munificence, humanity, and wis- dom ; and by "his profound knowl- edge in all the se- cret powers of na- ture, he wrought wonders as miracu- lous as any tradition has recorded of saints by the aid of angels, or of sorcerers by the aid of demons." He was as renowned for his warlike exploits as for his pacific virtues ; and as a proof that his domestic administration was not the less rigorous because it was mild, the rocky island, called O'Donoghue's prison, is shown as the place where the prince confined his own son for some act of disorder or disobedience. Among other gifts, he possessed the secret of eternal youth. Having continued a long time on the surface of the earth without grow- ing old, he made the occasion of his departure only less memorable than his revisitings. At one of those splendid feasts at Ross Castle for which his court was celebrated, surrounded by the most distinguished of his chiefs and people, he was engaged in a prophetic relation of the events which were to happen in the ages yet to come. His auditors listened, now rapt in wonder, now fired with indignation, burning with shame or melted into sorrow, as he detailed the The Vision of O'Donoghue. 40 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. heroism, the injuries, the crimes and miseries of their descendants. In the midst of his predictions, lie arose slowly from his seat, advanced with a solemn, measured, and majestic tread, passed through the window, and moved for some distance over the waters of the lake. As he reached the centre he paused for a moment, turned slowly round, looked toward his friends, and waving his arms to them with the cheerful air of one taking a short farewell, descended into the waters, which opened to receive him, and closed as he disappeared. The memory of the good O'Donoghue is impressed on everything about the lakes, and has been cherished for successive generations : and he seems in his spirit-life to have loved the place and the people, returning again and many times — not in the night as ghosts do, revisiting the glimpses of the moon, but as one not dead — on May-day morning, while the sun is radiant and the air alive Avith pleasant perfume. His visits are hailed with delight ; for fortunate is the being who beholds the generous spirit-chief. His presence is always an omen of good fortune, and the vision on May-day is granted to many ; it is a sure token of an abundant harvest, the want of which was never felt during the reign of this O'Donoghue. His absence, which sometimes occurs for three or four years, is lamented as an augury of bad times. Derrick had the account of one of those beautiful visits — the O'Donoghue attended b)^ a numerous reti- nue scattering flowers, and moving together over the surface of the Avaters — from an " eye-witness ;" and adds : " The account is confirmed in time, place, and circumstances, by many more spectators from the side of the lake, who are all ready to swear, and not improbably to suffer death in support of their testi- mony." Derrick wrote more than a hundred years ago, but testimony not less positive is not wanting in our own day in regard to the visions to be seen at Killarney. Many living witnesses testified to the appearance of O'Donoghue, and to " actual interviews between children of earth and the spirit of the disembodied prince," to Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall, while at Killarne3\ One of them they especially refer to as having no "pre-established superstition" — "an Englishman, a Protestant, and moreover a soldier of the 30th Regiment." His story was : He and a comrade, an Irishman, were engaged in ploughing up the old church-yard in Innisfallen, a work they both disliked. As they were moor- ing the boat in which they came to the island in the morning, after the 'com- mencement of the work, "they saw a procession of about two hundred persons pass from the old church-yard, and walk slowly and solemnly over the lake to the mainland. Reynolds Avas himself terribly alarmed, but his companion fainted in the boat." He repeatedly afterward saw smaller groups of figures, but no EAGLE'S-NEST MOUNTAIN, FROM KENMARE ROAD. 42 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. crowd so numerous. " In answer to our questions, he expressed his perfect readiness to depose to the fact on oath ; and asserted he would declare it if he were on his death-bed." The writers add, that the " plain-spoken native of Devonshire," who had won the prize at the plowing-match the year previous, evidently had no imagination, was little likely to invent or give currency to a fiction, had no object in coining a deceit, and was indisposed to talk on the matter.* In a scientific note, however, interesting enough to be poetical, this and many other old-time legends and visions are disposed of as optical illusions and illustrations of the mirage. Among the traditions of the lake is one of a beautiful young girl of the house of Cluain-Fineen, who, believing herself in love with the prince, threw herself into the lake on a May morning, in search of the object of her affections. On this romantic theme Moore founded his "melody" of " O'Donoghue's Mistress," commencing — " Of all the fair months that round the sun In light-link'd dance their circles run, Sweet May, shine thou for me ; For still, when thy earliest beams arise, That youth, who beneath the blue lake lies, Sweet May, returns to me." Mr. Wakefield, at the commencement of the century, observed that those who go to Killarney without ascending the Reeks and Mangerton, though they may come away delighted with the gratification derived from the rich scenery of Muckross, the beautiful appearance of the islands emerging from the crystal flood, and astonished by the singularly wild and rugged views which the Upper Lake affords, yet will they know nothing of those grand, awful, and sublime scenes exhibited by nature, where objects of the most terrific kind are united in the wildest and most fantastical manner. These views, and the enthusiasm inspired by the region, have impressed the most intelligent travelers. The ascent of Carran Tual is difficult and dangerous, requiring activity, cour- age, and endurance. Indeed, a good combination of sure-footed shelties, intel- ligent guides, self-possession, and strong lungs, are necessary to face the preci- pices that lie between the lakes and the chief summit of the Reeks. With these and favorable weather the ascent will fully repay the toil. Provided with a stock of creature comforts adequate to sustain the " inner man " on such an excursion, the road from the town of Killarney along the northern shore of the Lower Lake, by the entrance to the Gap of Dunloe, is taken, and on to the * Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall's Ireland, etc., vol. i., p. 200. KERR Y. 43 Giddagh River, following the upward channel of which the Hag's Glen is reached. On the left are the precipices of the Reeks, and on the right the ascent of Knock-a-Brianeen. Proceeding, the Hag's Lough and Teeth and the Devil's Lough are pointed out, and resigning the ponies, the adventurous searcher after the picturesque must trust for a good hour more to his elastic temper and thews and sinews to complete the ascent. Stopping occasionally to take breath, wonder and admiration are tame expressions to describe the feelings which arise at the contemplation of the prospect that unfolds itself, like a miap, before the vision on the northern side of the Reeks. On reaching the summit the full glory of the scene on all sides is magnificent beyond conception. A noble pano- rama — glorious in all that makes earth beautiful — hills, lakes, valleys, rivers, are mi- nutely discernible below the feet of the spectator. The Killar- ney Lakes, except a small por- tion of the Lower one, are not visible, being shut out by the Toomies Mountains ; but in the Reeks are several lakes — now glancing in sunlight, now shadowed by overhanging precipices — within view, while immediately under Carran Tual on the south is Curraghmore Lough, at an altitude of 1004 feet, and on the north Lough Gauragh, 11 26 feet above the sea level. The scenes extend in sublime grandeur beyond the immedi- ately surrounding localities, from the Shannon on the north to Cape Clear, and embracing between them the bays of Dingle, Kenmare, Bantry, and Dunmanus ; the waters of the Atlantic mingling with the sky in the distant horizon. The ascent of Mangerton is less difficult. While at the village of Cloghreen, en route, a slight divergence might be made to view the little old church of Killaghie. It is very small and of simple construction, yet it will repay a visit, "being a sample of the stone-roofed chapels of the early Irish saints. With the ■exception of the tower, which is an addition of a later date, a remote antiquity is claimed for this edifice as for others of similar character. The ascent to Mangerton is made on sure-footed ponies, through ravines and water-courses, and at times by Killaghie Church. 44 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. steep, rough, and precipitous paths. At length the Devil's Punch Bowl is reached, and the traveler is not disinclined to rest. This Bowl is a tarn near the sum- mit of the mountains, surrounded by almost perpendicular rocks, the rugged outlines of which reflected in the water add to its apparent depth, and the singu- lar wildness of the lonely scene. Its dark and unfathomable waters, the over- flow of which forms the beautiful Tore Cascade, are extremely cold ; and they Devil's Punch Bowl. neither freeze m the severest wmters, nor are calm m the mild- est summers, facts which are attributed to the nature of his Satanic majesty, after whom the lake is named. It is more than two thousand feet above the lakes, and is twenty-eight acres in extent. Charles James Fox, it is said, swam round it in 1772, and, as suggested by that feat and other facts, he used to boast that he " was shaved by Old Nick (his barber's name was Nicholas) in the morning, swam across the Devil's Punch Bowl at noon, and got as drunk as the devil at night." To the east of the " Bowl " is Glenna Coppel, which looks inaccessible to all save the brown eagle, which seems to have made it its KERRY. 45 •dwelling. A more wild spot can scarcely be imagined — a valley sunk down as precipitous as the crater of a volcano, with several small lakes at the bottom. None should attempt . f - •' ~ - the descent save hardy climbers, and even those - on the north side, through the opening by which ^ ^ ^~- it discharges the overflow from its lakes in the - winter.* From the Punch Bowl the ascent to the sum- mit of Mangerton is by a narrow pathway too steep for the ponies. An American, who from youth had learned to love natural scenery — whose eyes and feelings were trained to the picturesque -and grand by the bold outlines of the Granite Hills, over which tower Semaphor, Kearsarge, and Monadnock — made the ascent of Mangerton, and has given us his impressions f of the view from the summit. " Here," he says, " we had a magnificent pros- pect in all directions, as far as the eye could reach, except a small space at the west, toward Derrynane — the former residence of O'Connell, which was hidden by the highest peak in Ireland, Carran Tual, and Magillicuddy"s Reeks, which stand ^^ ;:^ _^^ ^^^ like towers of defense about their ^ ^^'^^^^^^* ;"T"r"^^^ — -, royal master. North of them, — ^_ beyond a fine, undulating country^ ^-;.i~ — we could see Dingle Bay ; and on the south, over rough, barren hills, cut in pieces by deep glens a.nd widening vales, lay, in glossy brightness, the Bay of Kenmare, and a little further, over another rough range, through which we could trace the celebrated and romantic Glengariff, was Bantry Bay, and still further. Cape Clear and the broad Profile of Rocks at Devil's Punch Bowl. The Flesk River. * A Series of Papers, "A Run through the South of Ireland," in the Dublin Saturday Magazine, 1865-6, has given us some good hints, practical, descriptive, and otherwise. t Ireland as I Saw It, by William S. Balch, New York, 1850. 46 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Atlantic. Toward the east, a long line of broken, barren, heathy hills, rocky- dells, and deep ravines. The romantic valley of the Flesk, winding tortuously through this wild and desolate region, so well described in Lever's O Donoghue, is distinctly traced — the rounded Paps and Cahirconree on the one side, and Croghan and Keim-an-eigh on the other. In this direction is a scene of wild and confused desola- tion, such as the eye rarely rests upon, which contrasts forcibly with the beautiful and cultivated vales be- yond, and the broad and gently undu- lating plains on the north. " What adds greatly to the beauty of this remarkably picturesque scen- ery are the numerous little lakes which bespangle it like stars in the deep blue firmament of heaven. Scarcely a hut or sign of human habitation meets the eye in all this range. ... I had never dreamed that such a dreary, mountainous district could be found in the Emerald Isle ; never that a landscape so variegated, wild, and picturesque was to be looked for, except in Scotland or Switzerland. The lakes and town of Killarney, the shaded villas, the small and vari-colored fields, the innumerable white thatched huts dotting the broad sweep of cultivated and apparently level land west and north, which, seen at this distance, look very neat and comfortable ; the floating clouds, which once or twice enveloped us in mist — everything, in fine, conspired to entrance me with the beauty, the splen- ior, and novelty of the scene. " The view from the top of Mount Washington is more grand, more aAvfully sublime, but lacks the variety, beauty, and romance of this spot. There we see no crumbling castles, ivied abbeys, ruined monasteries, unfinished cathedral, gray old towers, embowered villas, O'Donoghue legends, sportsmen's lodges, shepherd's cots, thatched cabins, Irish wit, and Celtic songs. We have beauti- ful lakes, though none so sweet and silvery as these scattered all about us. We have narrow defiles, but none more wild and picturesque than Glengariff, the Pass of Keim-an-eigh, the Gap of Dunloe, or Commedhuv. We have taller Over the Upper Lake. KERRY. A7 mountains, and ranges, and spurs shooting off in different directions, but none are more bleak and wildly confused than these. Ours mingle not the white bleached granite, rising occasionally, in perpendicular masses, with the brown heather, purple erica, dark-green patches of moor and fen, and glassy lakelets. We have more patriotic names, but none so venerable and euphonious as Carran Tual, Cahirconree, Cracmaveel, Finnevagogh, Cruchabinny, Fortagrisane, Glen- gariff, Toomies, and Cahir Reeks. Ours have a newness and a freshness, which, in one sense, charms us. They rise from the midst of vast forests, which climb far up their sides, till dwindled into shrubs and moss; then come the naked and confused mass of dark rocks. These plant their deeply indented bases on broad fields of rich soil, bedotted with lakes, towns, hamlets, and huts, which latter extend up their shrubless sides as far as space of earth is found to till." In this connection may be added the observations of another visitor from America: "The glory of the picture lay in its massive frame of purple moun- tains, towering in savage grandeur tier upon tier, until high over all loomed the peak of Carran Tual, or the inverted reaping-hook, so called from its shape. In- deed, it is this combination of sublimity and beauty, rugged mountain and grassy slope, crystal waters and waving woods, all concentrated in such a small compass, that makes Killarney unsurpassed as a perfect picture by any other spot on God's earth." The writer thinks that for simple beauty alone there is no single view in Killarney or in its vicinity equal to one on the Blackwater at Lismore, or near Cappoquin, where that river abruptly changes its eastward course and runs southward to the sea. But he adds, " Though unsurpassed, in the wealth of glo- rious rivers and fertile fields, gorgeous woods and ivy-mantled castles, the dark and magnificent background to the picture which forms so striking a feature in the Killarney landscape is wanting." . . . Again, "I have seen some views on Lake George in this State (New York) which for clearness of the water, greenness of the islands on its bosom, and beauty of the woods in their gorgeous autumnal livery, might compare favorably with any single view of Killarney. But here, again, the mountains, though magnificent in their wooded tiaras, are not near as high nor half as grand in form ; and Lake George can boast of no ivy-crowned ruin to awaken thoughts of the past." As one takes a parting view of the Upper Lake from the Kenmare Road, he is deeply impressed with the prevailing sense of solitary beauty; and will agree with Willis, that " here Nature sits in lonely and silent grandeur amidst her primeval mountains. Solitude, stillness the most profound, rests upon the 48 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. woody shores and the tranquil lake, filling and overpowering the mind with a deep sense of the perfect seclusion of the scene." Sir Richard Colt Hoare, a noted Eng- lish antiquary and topo- grapher, declared that the collected beauties of this favored district are so great, so varied, and so superior to any- thing that he had ever seen in Italy, Switzer- land, or England, that to delineate or describe them he felt impossi- ble. Artists and au- thors will agree with him ; and, in realizing that neither pen nor pencil can do complete justice to the scen- ery and ever - varying effects, will also unite with Judge Haliburton of Nova Scotia, when he says: " Killarney is not over-praised — it is not praised half enough. Go there of a fine day, when the lake is sleep- ing in the sunbeams, and the jealous moun- tain extends its shadowy vail to conceal its beautiful bosom from the intrusive gaze of the stranger. Go when the light silver vapor rises up like a transparent scarf, and folds the lofty summit of Mangerton, till it is lost in the fleecy clouds on the upper regions. Rest on your oars and drift slowly down to the base of the cliff, and give utterance to the emotions of your heart, and say, ' O, God, Tore Mountain from Dinnis Island. KERR V. 49 how beautiful ! ' and your voice will awaken the sleepy echoes from their drowsy caverns, and every rock, and every cavern, and every crag, and every peak of the mountain will respond to your feeling, and echo in a thousand voices, ' O God, how beautiful ! ' Then turn your back to the coming breeze, an^ steer for Muckross Abbey. __ Cascade on the Galivay Rivei Pause here again to take a last, long, lingering look at this scene of loveliness, and with a mind thus elated and purified, turn from nature to nature's God, and entering upon the awful solitude that reigns over His holy temple, kneel upon its broken altar, and pray to Him who made this island so beautiful, to vouchsafe in His goodness and mercy to make it also tranquil and happy." Macaulay, writing at, and of Killarney, says : " I never in my life saw anything more beautiful ; I might say, so beautiful. Imagine a fairer Windermere in that part of Devon- shire where the myrtle grows wild. The ash-berries are redder, the heath richer, 4 50 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. the very fern more delicately articulated than elsewhere. The wood is every- where. The grass is greener than anything that I ever saw. There is a positive sensual pleasure in looking at it." "^ The chorus of Cascades from Derrycunnihy and the Galway River — to which allusion was made on our route from the Black Valley to our first view of the Upper Lake — breaks upon the reverie into which these expressions of apprecia- tion led us, only, however, to enable us to still more fully realize the beauty of the objects that inspired them. Amono- the attractive modern features which taste and wealth have added to the neighborhood of Killarney is the handsome castle built by Mr. Colts- man about half a century ago. A native of Great Britain, he became en- amored of the beauty of Killarney, and purchasing an estate adjoining the Lower Lake, raised the castellated and picturesquely situated residence shown in the engraving ; principally, it was said, from his own designs. The grounds when selected were bleak, but within ten years after, fine plantations and fruit-orchards added their charms of foliage to the scene. Crowning an emi- nence which falls gently on every side, the castle affords unobstructed views of the surrounding scenery. The County of Kerry abounds in natural won- ders, but the observation of Mr. Wakefield many years ago is almost as true of to-day — that the attention of the tourist is so much occupied with Killar- ney, that the romantic scenery and antiquities in other parts are either forgotten or largely overlooked. Of course this is readily accounted for, yet the beau- ties of Killarney will not, or at least should not, dull the edge of the percep- tive sensibilities for scenery not less remarkable, if less celebrated. The scenery of the sea-coast is particularly fine. Lough Carra, fifteen miles west of Kil- larney, about seven miles in length, and varying from two to four miles wide,, was formerly only known to persistent sportsmen, but Avith the aid of good roads and accommodations, it is growing into general estimation. It is divided into upper and lower, and the former is one of the grandest of the Kerry Lakes, and deemed not inferior to its namesake at Killarney. The Valle}- of Glencar, in which Carra takes its rise, is surrounded by mountains, that pre- sent a grand amphitheatric appearance — one rising above the other, with the Reeks and Carran-Tual towering back of all to the south. The Lough — which is connected with the sea by Carra River, five miles long — is almost in the direct line to Cahir-civeen, the Southern Coast of Dingle Bay, and the Harbor and * Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, vol. ii., p. 230. KERRY. 51 Island of Valentia. Cahir-civeen is chiefly noted for its proximity to the birth- place of O'Connell. Derrynane x'\bbey, the patriot's country seat, originally a farm-house which has received additions from time to time, is picturesquely situated near the mouth of the Kenmare River, and in the vicinity of some mo- nastic ruins dating from the seventh century. Speaking of this district, in i752, Smith's " Kerry," the only work which then, or for perhaps three-quarters of a century later, noticed the remote locality, said, "At Aghmore, toward the western extremity of the parish, are the remains of a small abbey of canons regular of St. Austin, founded by the monks of St. Finbar, near Cork, in the seventh century. It is situated in a small island near the mouth of the river of Kenmare, having its walls so beaten by the sea, that they will soon be entirely demolished. About a league to the southwest of this island, which is at low water joined to the shore, there are two islands called Scariff and Dinish ; the former is a high mountain in the sea, and hath one family on it, who take care of some cows, and make a considerable quantity of butter; on the top of the highest ground in the island, is a ruined hermitage. These islands, with the continent, are farmed from the Earl of Cork and Orrery, by Mr. Daniel Connel, who has on a part of the said land, named Derrynane, built a good house, and made other improvements, the only plantation hereabouts." Inglis went through the "Wilds of Kerry" in 1834, and of the route from Killarney to Cahir-civeen said, "The road is altogether a very interesting one, both on account of the scenery through which the traveler passes ; and on account of the peculiarities that attach to the people of these parts, which are said to have been colonized by Spanish settlers, and which long held a close intercourse with the Penin- sula. . . . Nothing can be finer than the road skirting the sea, after leaving Lord Headly's property. In the magnificence of its mountain and sea views, it is not inferior to any of the celebrated roads which have been con- structed along the shores of the Mediterranean ; and is every way superior to the road from Bangor to Conway, in North Wales." He was now in " O'Con- nell's country." " Near to Cahir-civeen is the birth-place of the great agitator. It is a ruined house, situated in a hollow near to the road ; and when I reached the spot, the driver of the car pulled up, and inquired whether I would like to visit the house." In 1825, on the death of his uncle Maurice, " Old Hunting-Cap," who had adopted him, Daniel O'Connell became possessed of Derrynane. He made the old house suitable to his position, enjoyed himself as a prince, and gave princely entertainment to his friends. He was enthusiastic about the scenery 52 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. among which he had passed his boyhood, and loved to roam about with his guests, and to point out to them the cloud-capped mountains of Coomakisth and Kilcrohan, and climb with them to the Scholar's Cave, there to feast the eye on the sea in all its grandeur, and the ear with the unceasing and never- tiring chorus of the Atlantic. He kept a large establishment during his visits to Derrynane, and the old retainers and their children and children's children flocked about him at home, like the sea-birds round a rock on the sea- shore, or as the multitude circled him on political occasions. He loved the music of the pack by day as well as he loved the music of the piper when the day's doings had closed, and the evening's merri- ment had commenced. At the head of his table, he showed to such advantage that one could scarcely think so wide a wealth of sunshiny nature could ever be transformed into stormy wrath. No word of political or religious significance was indulged in, that could suggest, much less indicate, a difference between host and guest. And, like a true old boy as he was, he ever loved the society of the young and fair. Florence MacCarthy, describing O'Connell in his moun- tain home, thus depicts the region of Derrynane. Shore of Dingle Bay. " Where foams the white torrent and rushes the rill Down the murmuring slopes of the echoing hill ; Where the eagle looks out from his cloud-crested crags, And the caverns resound with the panting of stags ; Where the brow of the mountain is purple with heath. And the mighty Atlantic rolls proudly beneath, With the foam of its waves like the snowy Fenane, Oh ! this is the region of wild Derrynane." Valentia Island is the extreme point of land on the south side of Dingle Bay, and with the exception of the little islands north of it, is the nearest point of Ireland to America. The island is about five miles long, and two broad, and is owned by the Knight of Kerry, who resides on it at Glenbean. It has a world-wide interest as the Atlantic Telegraph Station — the spot on which the VIEWS IN THE L^KE COUMTRY. 54 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. European end of the Atlantic Cable from America is fixed. The ocean is here seen in all its wildest magnificence, the waves rising to a height scarcely credible to those who have not visited this coast. Near the northwest entrance to Valentia Harbor is Beg Innis Island, on which Cromwell placed a fort. A light- house is now there, the lantern of which is fifty-four feet above the sea level, displaying a fixed white light, visible at twelve miles, dis- tance. A signal tower is also on Breahead, the southern- most point of the island. One of the largest vessels of the Spanish Armada was wrecked here — a cabin-boy being the only person saved. Pusha-Pike Fishing. To the northeast. Dingle Bay extends inland. Its shores are indented with numerous harbors and lesser bays, formed by the moun- tains running out into the sea and producing a wild and imposing effect. South of Valentia are the Skelligs, a group of three rocks which rank among " the greatest curiosities of the Atlantic." They were formerly celebrated as the resort of pilgrims. The great Skellig is nearly eight miles south- west of Breahead, and eight miles northwest of Bolushead, and is composed of a mass of slated rock, rising perpendicularly to the height of i6o feet, and then forms two pyramids, one of which is 1,500 feet above the level of the sea. There are two light-houses here, they are 65o feet apart, and are distinguished as the upper and lower Skellig lights; their lanterns, 372 and 173 feet above high water, displaying two fixed white lights, seen respectively at a distance of twenty-five and eighteen miles at sea. The soundings about these islands are in ninety fathoms water, and abound with a great variety of fish. The southern bays, rivers, and estuaries are famous fisheries, and the usual mode of fishing in these waters is termed " pusha-pike." It needs but one man to manage a net. " At low tide he moors his boat to a pole fixed in the water, and spreading a net loosely over two poles placed at an angle, lowers it into the narrow channel. When the net is touched by a fish, the fisher who holds the upper part, feels the touch, and he instantly raises the net and secures the prize." The peninsula, north of Dingle Bay, extending from the lofty Sliev Rlish between Tralee and Castlemaine, to the Blaskets, is full of natural beauties and KERRY. 55 BiViittrs Castle historical associations. Here, as all along these coasts, the Spaniards had set- tlements, and the remains of strongholds are numerous. At Ferriter's Cove, seven hundred Spaniards and Itahans landed with munitions to aid Des- mond, then in arms against Elizabeth. They took the town of Smerwick, but subsequently, having surrendered, were mercilesssly slaughtered — the foreigners were put to the sword, and the _ Irish hanged to a man. This act was brought against Sir Walter Raleigh on his trial, and he was unable to fully excul- pate himself from participation in the dishonorable and foul deed. As Hall, an English writer says, " The butchery is, and ever will be, a foul stain on Raleigh ; it was a gratuitous and merciless act of slaughter, utterly indefensible ; ... it was, however, but in keeping with the whole system pursued by the English in these parts." The remaining tower of Ferriter's Castle, situated on a wild spot on the very verge of the Atlantic, recalls another of many terrible illustrations of this "system." The last of the Ferriters, Pierce, was "out in the troubles" of 1641, surren- dered under promise of pardon, but was, with all his followers, put to the sword. About four miles from Dingle, at Kilmelchedor, are two ancient heathen tem- ples ; one in the ornamental style, and the other plain. The first is called in Irish, Temple Melchedor — the "Temple of the Golden Moloch;" and is believed to be as old as Cormac's Chapel at Cashel. Over the door on the inside is the figure of an ox's head — supposed to represent the Golden Moloch himself. The other is called Gallern's Oratory. The wildness of the place, and the sparsity of population, lead the people, in their inability to see their use, to credit such buildings to supernatural agency. The presence, however, of such remarkably perfect specimens of architecture in such localities, must be a subject of deeply interesting conjecture, if not study, to rational, intelligent people. Among the most wonderful of the coast sights are the Caves of Ballybunlan. " The whole shore," writes the old historian, " here hath a variety of romantic caves and caverns, formed by the dashing of the waves ; in some places are high open arches, and in others Impending rocks, ready to tumble down upon the first storm." Mr. William Ainsworth published a small volume descriptive 56 PICTURE SO UE IRE LA ND. of them in 1834, in which he says: "The cliffs of Ballybunian are even less remarkable for their dimensions, than they are for the singular form of rocks, which seem as if carved by the hand of man ; and, independently of the lofty Bally I'll mall, on I he Coast. mural precipices, whose angular proportions present every variety of arrangement, as in Smuggler's Bay, where they oftentimes are semicircularly arranged, like the eroin-work of an arch, or the tablets or small strings running round a window. KERRY. 57 Ardfert Abbey. or are piled above one another in regular succession, presenting a geological phe- nomenon of great grandeur and magnificence, they have also other distinct beau- ties, which originate frequently in similar causes." ~~ Tralee is the chief town of the county. It is well built and lighted, presents a pleasing aspect ; has about thirteen thou- sand inhabitants, and carries on a prosperous traffic. With a vast expanse of water before it and Sleiv Mish beside it, the scenery in its neighborhood is very at- tractive. Near the village of Ardfert, about five miles north- west from Tralee, are the ruins of Ardfert Abbey, not only the most important monastic remains in Kerry, but which among antiquarians rival the interest surrounding St. Cormac's at Cashel. Ardfert was a very ancient diocese. The ruins of the Cathedral bear marks of great antiquity. The western front contains four round arches ; in the eastern, as seen in the illustration, are three elegant narrow-pointed windows, and on the right of the altar are some niches with Saxon mouldings. A round tower, built chiefly of dark marble, and one hundred and twenty feet high, stood near the west front, suddenly fell down in 1771. Tradition states that Ardfert had seven churches ; and the remains of four were at a recent date traceable within the Cathedral enclosure, which also contains the tombs of many of the old families of Kerry, of which we give a specimen. The castle of the Lords of Kerry who protected the churches of Ardfert is represented by the broken remnant wall. Smith says it was " demolished in the Tomb m Ardfert Abbey. 58 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. wars of 1 641," but the building then destroyed was a recent structure, erected on the site of the ancient castle, "built by Nicholas, the third Lord Kerry, in 131 1, and re-edified by Thomas, the eighteenth Lord, in iSgo." The Cathe- dral is dedicated to St. Brendan. Carthaguiney is the name of the peninsula that shoots — as Camden said of the whole county, " like a tongue into the sea, roaring on both sides of it" — a length of twenty-five miles, a ridge of mountains sending its loftiest summits toward the west end, the tallest of which is called after the same Saint, Brendan, named the Voyager. This mountain and the bay within its shelter are deeply interesting as the place whence St. Brendan set out on his voyages of discovery in the sixth century. Having learned from his cousin Barinthius of a voyage made, and of the western isles landed on, by him, he determined — for the conversion of the heathen — to take a voyage of discovery himself Aware that many traditions existed on the western Irish coast, of the existence of a farther western land, he proceeded up the coast and made inquiries among the remnants of the Tuatha-de-Danaan people, whose great knowledge led them to be regarded as magicians by the Milesians. He set up his cross at Inniskea and Innisgloria, where subsequently in his honor were erected those monuments whose curious remains still exist. Having satisfied his mind, he returned to his native Kerry, and from a bay sheltered by the lofty mountain, that is now known by his name, he set sail for the Atlantic land. " At length the long-expected morning came, When from the opening arms of that wild bay, Beneath the hill that bears my humble name. Over the waves we took our untracked way : Sweetly the morn lay on tarn and rill. Gladly the waves played in its golden light. And the proud top of the majestic hill Shone in the azure air — serene and bright. " Over the sea we flew that sunny morn, Not without natural tears and human sighs. For who can leave the land where he was born, And where, perchance, a buried mother lies, Where all the friends of riper manhood dwell. And where the playmates of his childhood sleep : Who can depart, and breathe a cold farewell, Nor let his eyes their honest tribute weep ? " Our little bark kissing the dimpled smiles On Ocean's cheek, flew like a wanton bird. And then the land, with all its hundred isles. Faded away ..." D. Florence McC.'^rthy, Voyage of St. Brendan. KERRY. 59 Directing his course southwest to meet the summer solstice, after a long and rough voyage, he came to summer seas, where he was carried along for days without the aid of sail or oar. "This, it is presumed, was the great Gulf Stream, which brought his three vessels to shore somewhere about the Virginia Capes, or where the American coast trends eastward and forms the New England States." He landed, proceeded for fifteen days into the interior until he came to a large river flowing from east to west, and returned under some admonition that Mount Brendan. the Christianizing of the land would devolve on other men, and in other times. After an absence of seven years he returned to his native country. Curious details are given of his wanderings in old metrical narratives. The voyage of St. Bren- dan was very popular from the twelfth century. It was first promulgated in Latin, subsequently translated into all the languages of Western Europe, and exercised, says Montalembert, " a lively influence upon the Christian imagination during all the middle ages, and even up to the time of Christopher Columbus, to whom the salt-water epic of St. Brendan seems to have pointed out the way to America". * * " 1 am convinced," said Columbus, " that the terrestrial paradise is in the island of St. Brendan, which nobody can reach except by the will of God." Quoted by M. Ferdinand Denis, Le Monde Enchante, p. 130. Vide Montalem- bert, Monks of the West (vol. i., p. 695). 6o PICTURESQUE IRELAND. The legend, says Otway, "when tested by common sense, clearly shows that Brendan landed on a continent, and went a good way into the interior, met a great river running in a different direction from those he heretofore crossed ; and here, from the difficulty of transit or want of provisions, or deterred by in- creasing difficulties, he turned back." * On his return he visited Brittany, where he founded a monastery, and subsequently, at the age of about seventy, the great establishment at Clonfert, Galway, into which he collected three thousand monks. The "Annals of The Four Masters" record his death in a.d. 5/6, as follows: " St. Brenainn, Abbot of Cluain-ferta-Brenainn, died on the i6th May. He died at Eanach-dain (now Annadown, in the barony of Clare, County Galway), and his body was interred at Cluain-ferta-Brenainn." On the top of Mount Brendan are the remains of the Saint's Oratory ; and an ancient stone-paved causeway leading to it, which are believed to be coeval with the voyager himself Old ecclesiastical writers refer to Kerry as St. Bren- dan's land, and Camden calls that part of the Atlantic off the coast of Kerry, at the mouth of the Shannon, Mare Brendanicuin, or the Sea of Brendan. As our opening chapter describes the nearest Irish land to America, brief allusion to the first European Avho, according to tradition, found his way to the American Continent, will not be deemed out of place. Our eminent poet Long- fellow assigns the Flemish version of the wonderful journey of St. Brendan {Reis van Sainte Brandaeii) to the twelfth century, and in his " Poetry of Eu- rope " gives an outline of the strange romance, which he deems of French origin. In the thirteenth century Bishop Voraginius of Genoa, made special mention of it in the " Golden Legend," and in 1483, Wynkin de Worde re- hearsed it in the " Life of Saynte Brandan " in its earliest English form. The early popularity in France of the Irish Saint's voyage is illustrated by the allusion of Pierre St. Cloud — that among the graceful resources of a troubadour was his ability to sing a tale " Of Arthur brave or Tristram bold, Of Charpel, or Saint Brendan old." French interest in the subject has not abated even during our time, judging from the fact that two French versions, as well as the original in Latin, were printed in Paris in 1836. In Blackiuood' s Magazine (vol. xxxix.) may be found a spirited translation of one of the early French romances ; and Denis Florence McCarthy has treated the theme in an original poem, from which an extract has been made. * Sketches in Erns and Tyrawley, pp. loo-l. V ^-^ ^ j^ Xoz^^^" Copyright, 1878, by Thomas Kelly, New Yoi'k. Jf T T ID JF IJ> W JIS JL r IT %s, <^ HT —l 1 1 I L 1 l_ Cop>Ti([ht,18Tfl, hy ThoiriM Kelly, New York. W I C K L O W. Thi County of AVicklow is one of the mobt enchant- ing territories, not only in Ireland, but in Europe For its size, it will proba- bly compare in pic- turesque contrasts of sublimity and beauty with any of similar extent in the world. It has been called the Garden of Ireland ; the Eden and boast of the inhabitants of Dublin ; the most picturesque of Irish counties ; and has inspired what might seem exaggerated strains of laudation from foreign as well as native writers. This susnicinn of over-praise, however, quickly fades away in presence of the 6i Firsi View of Wicklow—from the Scalp. 62 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. scenes and sensations commemorated, and the heretofore doubter is hkely ta discover the resources of his language insufficient to convey the compensating homage of his constant state of surprise, wonder and delight. He will realize the inability, expressed by a most appreciative writer on the subject, " to portray in words all the charms that embellish this romantic region ; " and feel that even "glimpses of the sweet haunts of this fairy land" conjure up " The power, the beauty, and the majesty That have their haunts in dale or piny mountain, Or forest, by slow stream, or pebbly spring. Or chasms, or watery depths." Here nature has been lavish of her bounties; and culture, taste, and well-directed wealth have united in developing or embellishing the scenic gifts of Providence. While mountains of rugged aspect, but striking outline, rise thousands of feet over gloriously wooded uplands and broad hills, and form the guardian almoners of numerous rich and fertile valleys, the face of the country is otherwise seamed with chasms that sink hundreds of feet into the earth. Through these the streams' tear in their conquering way, flashing in magnificent cataracts over steep crags, resounding in the cavernous clearings made by the toil of centuries, or whimper- ing with gentle poetical effect in pebbly brooks and reflecting pools, as they emerge from the gloom and meet the sunshine in the more expanding valleys. Within the borders of Wicklow are very remarkable contrasts of rugged, untamed sublimity, and tastefully developed loveliness. It is alive with beautiful and sparkling streams, rivers and lakes, wild cascades and stately waterfalls. Its glens and vales are of every variety : of the wildest grandeur, narrow and pre- cipitous, like the Scalp and Glen-ma-lure ; of most romantic features, like the Dargle and the Devil's Glen ; of almost savage sadness, as at Glen-da-lough — the valley of the Seven Churches ; and of fascinating fertility and expanded beauty, as in the Vale of Avoca and the Vale of Clara. A writer, a few years since, truly said : " It is a land of loveliness, of sunshine and flowers, of sloping hill and deep valley, of mountain and marine view ; land of rich soil and lovely seats, of roads of marble surface winding through incomparable demesnes ; and only for the loss of Parliament, with the absenteeism consequent on this vital loss, would be a terrestrial paradise. Notwithstanding this absentee drain, the resident gentry of the locality have spared neither purse nor pains in the improvement of their demesnes, and the face of the land is covered with natural beauties, as various as unrivaled, at every half-mile of the tourists' jour- ney, from the Bridge of Bray to Arklow, and from Wicklow Head to Cnoc-a-dru." WICK LOW. 63 The proximity of Wicklow to the city of Dublin has been of great advan- tage to it, both as regards the improvement of its natural attractions and the extension of their fame. Within easy reach of the metropolis, the eastern por- tion especially offers deliciously shaded retreats to successful men who seek a home there ; to the fashionable, it is an exhaustless summer resource ; to the tourist, a series of marvels at little cost of time or money ; and to the resident nobility and gentry, a perpetual treasury of limitless delight. The benefit is mutual, for few capitals of any distinction in the world are so immediately within such reasonable access to such a noble variety of glorious scenery. There are three main avenues from Dublin County into Wick- low : the coast line by Bray ; the western, by the road to Blessington leading to the Poul-a-phuca waterfall, and what might be termed the central — although considera- bly to the east of the central county line — through the Scalp. A more central ave- nue is that through Killakee and over the Kippure Moun- tain, by the Military Road, which enters Wicklow over the Vale of Glancree, with Lough Bray on the right. From Killakee, in the Dublin Mountains, there is a grand panoramic view embracing the city, suburbs, and bay of Dublin. The favorite Wicklow " trail," however, is by the Scalp, an apperture or defile which seems to have been created by some convulsion of nature, in which a great mountain of granite was split in the center, the efTect producing, as viewed from some distance, the appearance of the letter V. The road runs through the bottom of the rugged valley thus made. At either side of the road for a quarter of a mile, the mountain is very steep, ragged and jagged in outline, and rises to a considerable height. The effect is enhanced by the wild and barren character of the rocky walls of the 'pass. These are utterly without verdure. Nothing is presented to the eye but ridges of rocks, huge masses of disjointed granite thrown into all possible combinations and groups, leaning on each other in Tho Scalp. 64 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. angular points, projecting in a variety of forms, and in places apparently held so loosely in position as to threaten instantaneous descent, bringing havoc in their train. The sensation, passing through the defile, is of wonder, not unmixed with awe, and even terror, at the unpleasant uncertainty as to the safety of the passage. Occasionally in the winter, or after heavy rains, crags are precipitated down the re- sounding sides, and block up the road until removed by great labor and difficulty. At one side of the pass, a subterranean stream of water murmurs among the rocks, until it finds exit into light at the foot of the descent, while in fitful unison may at times be heard overhead the scream of the hawk, the kite, and the raven. Through the de- - -^ . file is seen the Golden Spears, two conical mountains which are popularly known as the "Sugar Loaves." The great Sugar Loaf, above four miles distant, is especially prom- inent in the view approaching the Scalp, and, looming directly over the aperture, seems to close up and forbid all egress from the Avild gorge, which was formerly one of the natural fortresses of the Clan Ranelagh, the sept of the O'Byrnes, which with the O'Tooles, their correlatives, when driven by the Anglo-Normans from their original territory in Kildare, took secure hold in the mountain fastnesses and vales of Wicklow, swayed their clans for centuries, and were a terror to the " English of Dublin." The approach to the County Wicklow from the coast side is very picturesque, the sea from Dalkey — the southernmost extremity of Dublin Bay — to Bray-Head in the foreground below you, and the Wicklow Mountains rising boldly up form- ing a near background to the picture. It is a portion of the coast line which inspires exclamations of pleasure from the voyager, when steaming, after the usually rough experiences of the Irish Channel, into Dublin Bay and making for the welcoming piers of Kingstown Harbor. Bray-Head is a noble promontory which rises to the height of eight hundred Bray -Head to tlu " Suga> Loaf'^rom Dalkey — North. WICK LOW. 65 r-^. feet above the sea level. Under it nestles the town of P>ra}, a charming suburban \vatering-])lace, esteemed as the most beautiful town in the county of Wicklow. It is situated on the borders of Dublin and Wicklow, the di\ ision being made b) the Bray (or Dar- gle) River, which here forms the boundary between the coun- ties. The old town, or Little Bray, is on the Dublin side ; and the new and handsome town within the borders of Wicklow, to the beauties of which it adds no slight attraction. It is the most convenient "headquarters" for the tourist who desires to visit the scenery for which the county is celebrated, and is also interesting by historical connections with the past. Here, according to good authority, Saint Patrick made his first landing when he came to preach the Gospel ; although others indicate the place as somewhat more south, at the mouth of the 5 66 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Vartry River. However, the Saint proceeded northward, having been repulsed by a local chief named Nathi. . The " Annals of Clonmacnoise " tells us that on the Saint's landing at Inver Dea he was opposed by the Leinstermen, one of whom struck one of his companions on the mouth with a stone, and knocked out four of his teeth, from which misfortune he was called Mantatus, or the toothless, and the church of Kill-Mantain, now Wicklow, is said to have derived its name from him. An ancient bridge connects the old and new towns of Bray, and this was defended in days past by a castle evidently built by the Normans, or their de- scendants, as a shield against the O'Tooles and O'Brynes, the heroic native septs of the district. In 13 15 the clansmen destroyed the usefulness of this castle, and about a hundred years subsequently their descendants fought a great battle here with the English of Dublin. The natural beauties of the locality have been greatly improved during the last quarter of a century : terraces, esplanades and walks have been made along the bold coast ; hotels and villas have been erected, and every inducement created to attract the wise and the wealthy to partake of the health-giving atmosphere and poetical surroundings. Nowhere is there a more lovely tract of country than that which lies around Bray ; and there are few portions of mountain scenery more beautiful than that which encompasses it. From the railway station, but better, from all the more elevated lands around the town this fine circular mountain-range can be traced. From the church, which occupies one of the finest sites imaginable, at the top of the town, a panoramic view of the richest scenery is commanded Encircled by a range of mountains of varying outline, commencing at Bray-Head, including the two Suear Loafs, Douce, and terminatino- at Shankhill, the mountain line is only broken by the Vale of Shanganagh, which appears from this point like a thick forest. Killiney, Dalkey Island, and the Hill of Howth, are also in view from this eminence. Bray owes its latter-day attractiveness to William Dargan, a man who from the humble beginning of a day-laborer, arose to great prominence as a contractor and railway magnate, the encourager of national industry, the projector of the Dublin International Exposition of 1853, and who declined the honor of knighthood at the hands of Queen Victoria. But a few years ago Bray was composed of fisher- men's huts and dwellings, scattered few and far between. Under the practical genius of Dargan, these huts and cabins have given way, as by magical transfor- mation, to promenades, terraces, streets and squares. Surrounded by scenery of beauty and grandeur, open on one side to the sea, bounded on the south by WICKLOW. 67 the promontory, and inland by the Sugar-Loaf Mountains, overlooking the Valley of Diamonds, Bray possesses advantages which, with the improvements already effected, and those in progress, indicate it as destined to be one of the most attractive places of residence and resort within daily reach of Dublin, and one of the chief watering-places in Ireland. It has been called the " Irish Brighton," but " when we turn to the mountains and the woods, we feel how vastly superior are the natural advantages which Bray possesses, and how soon it might be ex- pected to rival Brighton in every respect, if it were as near the great English metropolis. There is something delightfully exhilarating in the wildness and freshness of the Little Sugar-Loaf and Bray-Head, as we look down from their gray rocky cliffs upon the broad expanse of ocean on the one side and the exquisitely beautiful landscape on the other." A tunnel for the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railroad has been cut through the solid rock of Bray-Head under the engineering directions of Mr. Brunei. As seen in our illustra- tion, the rail-track runs along the edge of the cliff, and the abyss below and the great elevation above, with the swift motion of the cars, combine to give an exciting interest to the scene. At many places the Head rises almost perpendicularly from the sea, and above the railroad a delightful promenade has been constructed all around it, leading on the southern side by the cliff-path to Greystones, another and rapidly rising watering-place some five miles dis- tant. In the neighborhood of Bray are several noble residences situated among fine woods, hills, slopes, and carefully tended grounds, which are well worthy of inspection. Their possessors wisely reside here, and taking interest in the wel- fare of the district, are justly proud of their efforts to aid the charms of nature. The village of Enniskerry, two miles from Bray, situated on the lap of gently rising hills, its neat cottages gleaming through bright foliage, presents a refreshing picture. A mountain stream, the Kerry, flows from the village down a wooded glen until it mingles with the Glenislorane, or Dargle — an anglicized cor- ruption of the words Dot?'- and Gleann, signifying Oak Valley — which takes its A Narrow Gorge in the Dargle. 68 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. name from the celebrated ra\ ine through which it passes, and to ^\hich it contributes so many beautiful and brilliant effects. The Dargle is per- haps the first, and some- times the onl) one of _ the Wicklow glens in- In the Dargle. troduced to visitors, and its celebrity is commensurately extensive. The stream divides two demesnes, those of Powerscourt and Charleville, both beautiful, but the former admirably BRIDGE IN THE DARGLE. 70 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. deserving the title of magnificent. The Dargle is the great resource of picnic- parties from DubHn, for whose comfort Viscount Powerscourt has kindly pro- vided tables and seats. The ravine itself is of great depth and about a mile in length, winding among precipitous cliffs and rocks, clothed with overhanging trees and brush, assuming all sorts of fantastic forms, and luxuriantly covered with foliage. Here barren rocks Ji^-iM . jut out over moss-covered slopes ; and there gnarled bran- ches of venerable trees hang over the stream and reach across it. The foliage some- times makes a perfect curtain shutting out the water, which is thus often unseen, but heard fretting and foaming through the bowlders far below, which sometimes form narrow gorges. On one side the mass of thick foliage rising upward from the brink of the river has called to mind Milton's line, " Verdurous walls of Paradise upraised,' while on the other hand the character of some portions of the glen, with the unseen river, so far below the surface of the woods in which it is lost, might suggest "without any extraordinary stretch of the imagination, it was a river in some inner world, laid open by a Titanic throe, that had cracked asunder the rocky crust of this shallow earth ; — the soil, and the deep-striking roots of the trees terminating far above us, looking like a black rim on the inclosing precipices." An eagerly sought glimpse of the troubled waters gives no " silvery relief " to the solemn grandeur of their gloom, the stream taking a somber tinge from the shadow of the overhanging rocks and dense foliage. Advance but a few steps and a delicious change meets the eye — the water breaking musically over blocks Caicade in the Dargle. WICK LOW. 71 of granite, flinging up glistening spray, aud pouring forward in successive cas- cades, sometimes so narrow that you could easily spring over it, and then widen- ing into the placid dimensions of a miniature lake. Midway down the ravine is The Lover's Leap, a dizzy precipice, a great height over the river — from which there is a splendid prospect. From it every part of the deep glen below is embraced, gradually expanding on the left to the open champaign, with the blue sea in the distance ; and another charming view of the Dargle is from the bottom of the Glen on the margin of one of the miniature lakes in which the waters are confined by a ledge of rocks. Look- ing up the stream the waters are seen tumbling over a rocky channel, out of the dark woods which arise to a vast height on either side, while patches of blue sky are occasionally seen through the parting branches overhead. The Moss House is the name of a rustic banquet-hall or summer-house, erected on a picturesque eminence, for the accommodation or shelter of visitors, from which also one of the favorite views of the Dargle strikes the beholder. Immediately beneath him gapes a chasm in the huge granite rocks, that seem broken asunder to afford a passage to the water that struggles far below over a rocky bed embosomed in trees. Above, a dark and gloomy forest overshadows all. A path from the Moss House leads to the water's edge at the bottom of the Glen. As seen from the opposite side of the river the prospect at this point is characterized as " in the highest degree sublime." From thence the vale appears deep, retired and gloomy. At the feet the crystal stream, and the rocky chasm yawning in front. This scenery — a union of rock, wood and water — variously sublime, romantic and inspiring, continues for a mile to the top of the glen at the bridge, where the road from Enniskerry crosses it at the gate of the Powerscourt demesne. This demesne of fourteen hundred acres, with hill and dale exquisitely ap- portioned, and so completely inclosed by mountains as to realize the picture of the Happy Valley, can scarcely be equaled anywhere. Unrivaled landscapes can be obtained at numerous points, but some think those from near the en- trance unexcelled. " Here," says an observant tourist, " as we approach the House, the first break of scenery toward the south is inconceivably grand, soft, and various." The avenue winds up a gradual ascent, through undulating grounds, adorned with every variety of shrubs and evergreens, and immense old trees, some clothed with ivy. Sugar Loaf and Douce Mountains soon come in view, and proceeding higher we overlook an extensive glen on the left, at the head of which the Powerscourt Mansion is seen. The position is .commanding in the extreme. " When we consider," says Walker, " the extent ^2 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. fe€ i:'^:^i of the Park, stretch- ing away to the water- fall on one side, and up the mountains overlooking '""- Enniskerry on the other, " -=- we cannot be surprised if royalty itself should covet an abode like this." Tinnehinch, the former residence of the great orator, Henry Grattan, purchased for him by the Irish at a cost of $250,000, is an interesting feature of the landscape. The Deer Park at Powerscourt is rich in natural beauties, containing many grand old oaks, but the noted feature is the cele- brated Powerscourt Waterfall, which breaks through a gap in the mountain, and over a nearly perpendicular rock over two hun- dred feet high. It forms the extremity of a beautiful semicircular amphitheater of wooded mountains, which heighten the splendid effect of the cataract. In dry seasons, the fall descends like a thin, transparent vail ; but after a rain, or TJu Golden Spears, from over the Glen of the Downs. WICK LOW. 73 ^^ in winter, when the mountain channels have been charged, the water leaps forth with tu- multuous fury m a single arch and with a thun- dering roar, which command the wonder and delight of the be- holder. Taking the road south from Bray, we pass the splendid evergreen oaks, cypress and yew trees in the desmesne of Hollybrook, pursue our course at the bottom of the valley between the Golden Spears Mountains, and at about four miles from Bray we enter the romantic pass called the Glen of the Downs. Nothing could afford a stronger contrast to the wild and rugged effect of the Scalp than this richly wooded Glen. It is not a fissure in the earth like the Dargle, but a pass like the Scalp, only it is much larger and Lough Dan — }iear view. 74 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. longer, extending a mile and a half, and having its bold mountainous sides covered with primitive wood, oak, hazel, birch, holly, with masses of modern plantation; larch, spruce, and Scotch fir, and an endless variety of luxuriant copse. The bottom of the Glen is only the width of the road which leads through it, and a small bright stream, the endless accompaniment of all the charms of Wicklow. The Glen forms part of the demesne of Bellevue, the property of the La Touches, to one of the ladies of which family the public are in- debted for a free banqueting-hall, situated on a commanding height. From this " Octagon-house," the finest views are obtained ; the glen beneath, rich with tints of foliage and age-dyed rocks, with the sea on the east and mountains rising on all other sides, among which the peaks of the Golden Spears, or Sugar Loaves as they are popularly called, tower conspicuously near, the whole presenting a scene of luxurious soft- ness, combined with grandeur and magnificence. The low road from the Glen of the Downs leads to the village of Delgany, which, pleasantly situated among beautifully verdant hills, and with the sea in the distance, presents a very pleasing view as it comes unexpectedly in sight. In its neatness, accommodations and situa- tion, Delgany reminds tourists of " the more favored English localities." From the Powerscourt Deer-Park the tourist can take the hieh road to Powerscourt Waterfall. Glen of the Downs — entrance from South. IV/CKLOW. 75 Dtl^am Houndwood, which has become noted as the location of the great reservoir of the DubHn Water-works, by which the pure and soft water of the Vartry is supplied not only to the capital, but to Bray, Kingstown, Blackrock, Sandymount, and Pembroke Township. The embankment is i,6oo feet long and 500 wide. The basin holds 2,482,810,483 gallons of water, being a supply of 12,000,000 gallons daily for two hundred - z -^ _^ days. At a dis- -^ ~^ ^ ~ tance the basin gleams like a lake. But within a few miles are two real lakes — Lough Tay, or Luggelaw, and Lough Dan — • which will well repay the artist. Two miles from Roundwood the ascending- road lies between two mountains. Douce on the north, and Ballenrush on the ■south. Up we go for three miles through a bleak, wild, and barren country, expectant, but still wondering where can the talked-of lakes be hid. So, while traveling along a level plateau, having turned from the public road, on a sudden two lakes in a valley far beneath swim "^^ into the vision. Sinking as much beneath the level of the surrounding country as the neighboring mountains rise above it, are two mighty excava- tions forming the beds of Loughs Tay and Dan. The sudden development of so much beauty is delightfully plea- surable ; and we gaze in wonder at the whole, before we can tame the eye to the varied and contrasting details. A glorious vale lies beneath us — immediately below. Lough Tay or Luggelaw ; and stretching to the south, the wild Lough Dan, connected by the river Kil- lough, looking from the distance like a white ribbon. Luggelaw is set among almost perpendicular mountains, some of the wildest, some of the richest charac- ter. One side is luxuriously raimented from the shore to the mountain top by every variety of forest trees, fir, ash, thorn, oak and elm, of gigantic growth and Lough Dan, from Luggelaw. 76 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Litggelaw — the barren side. richness of foliage ; from this side a thousand tiny cascades spring forth, and on their way to the lake, through rocks, roots and tangled underwood, present num- berless delicious fountains. On the - _ other side all is bleak and bare, the heath-covered Douce looming over both. The principal supply of the lough is the little Annamoe River, which, collected from the rills which, furrow the mountain -sides lying westward, flings itself over a rocky precipice at the upper end of the lough. In close proximity to this waterfall is Luggelaw Cottage — "one of the most romantic retreats in any country" — iormerly a mountain residence of the La Touches, but now devoted to the purposes of a shooting-lodge in con- nection with a leading hotel at Bray, from which during the season an omnibus is run, making this charming place easily accessible to many who might other- wise never behold it. The grounds con- -=— ^ -- -~ n e c t e d with this lodge embrace the entire of the lovely but lonely lough, with all its magni- ficent boundaries. From the high road above it, the best view of the lough with the vast extent of surrounding mountains, with the reach of the glen between it and Lough Dan, and a portion of the latter, may be obtained. As Fraser remarks, although this part of the road, from its steep- ness in many places, is ill suited to carriages, " yet from no part is this sublime portion of WIcklow scenery so finely displayed." Higher up beyond the cottage the valley closes with a vast amphitheater of rocks. Descending by a sloping path through the woods the shore Is reached, and amid the seclusion and beauty T.oihsJi Dan. WICK LOW. 77 one realizes that for " mountain grandeur and sylvan loveliness combined, there is no spot in Ireland, out of Killarney, equal to this." It is 807 feet above the level of the sea, and occupies a circular dell of about one hundred and twenty acres at the head of the glen. Save in Italy, no small lake is so deep. ^'kh'j hi the Vale of CI a 7- a Lough Dan, 685 feet above the sea level, is about two miles distant from Lug- gelaw, and assumes the form of a river less than two miles long and half a mile wide, surrounded by the mountains of Knocknacloghole and Scar on the west, and Sliev-Buckh on the east. It is in one of the wildest districts, and though. 78 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. according to general opinion, losing by contrast with the variety of Luggelaw, it has an interest of its own. One of the mountains in which it is embosomed forms, at about two-thirds of its line, a headland which must be doubled before the remainder of the water becomes visible. The mountains are bare to the summits, in some parts sloping to the water's edge, and in others rising abrupt- ly from, and projecting over the lake, - ■ • *^^^ masses of rock furrowed with the trick- ling moisture of vegetable morasses, : ^'' " patched with moss and lichen, and pre- senting occasionally a solitary ash or holly growing out of its fissures. The base of these rocks is in some places hollowed into caverns by the action of the waters, which are at , times greatly agitated, being more open to the winds than those of Luggelaw. The glen J , „ between the lakes is fertile, beautiful, Lotign Bray. ' and richly cultivated. Returning to the point from which the grand surprise of Luggelaw and Lough Dan burst on our vision, and continuing the northwest inclination of the mountain road, we soon reach Sally-Gap. At the cross-roads, taking the one due north, and then following it to the east, we cross the infant Liffey, which has its rise near by, and have before us the Vale of Glancree, in all its length and breadth, with its mixture of moorland and cultivation ; in the center the Glancree River, made by the surplus water from Lough Bray, as well as the numberless rills and streams that rush down the sides of Kippure Mountain, the chief of the Dublin range, but whose southern side here looms over the Wicklow border. Glancree is the highest and one of the best defined of the Wicklow vales. It is wild, soli- tary, and in strong contrast, by its heath-clad effect, to the softness which exces- sive vegetation has given to others we have noticed. Near the head of the vale, on the left and under Kippure, are the upper and lower Loughs Bray. They are situated in a locality of much wildness, and occupy two deeply secluded dells about halfway up the mountain. The larger (lower) lake has a surface of sixty- four acres, and the upper, of twenty-eight. The former is 1,225 ^"^^ ^^^^ latter 1,453 f^Gt above the sea level, while the broad brow of Kippure overlooks the lough from an altitude of 1,248, and Seefingen Mountain from 1,139 f^^*^- The darkness of the waters of Lough Bray — caused by the peat of the surround- WICK LOW. 79 ing moorlands — is intensified by the shadows of the overhanging mountains. In the midst of the gloom and desolation, a charming evidence of human existence, in the shape of a picturesque cottage, gives to and takes from the scene a pleas- ing effect. This romantic residence was the retreat of Sir Philip Crampton, a former Surgeon-General of Ireland, and was presented to him by the Duke of Northumberland, when Viceroy, in memory of pleasant days spent in a cottage of humbler pretension on the same site, which was accidentally destroyed by fire. This object truly forms an " oasis in the desert." The view from the road near the lower lake embraces a noble prospect, from the wildness of Kippure to the richness of Powerscourt, with the Sugar Loaf beyond ; before us the Vale of Glancree, and the Mountains of War and Douce to the right (or south). Below us at the head of the vale is Glancree Barrack, one of those built with the military roads by the Government after the national insurrection in 1 798, to enable it to cope with and if possible control the mountain chiefs, who, like Michael Dwyer and Joseph Holt, successfully defied it. The Barrack, however, with additional buildings, is now occupied as a Reformatory for youthful Catholic vagrants, who receive instruction in various trades in addition to the ordinary education of the " National Schools." It is the largest institution of the kind in Ireland, and of somewhat the same nature as the noble Catholic Protectory in Westchester County, New York. Great attention is paid to Agriculture at the Glancree Reformatory, and it is true that " their labors in clearing, draining, subsoiling, tilling and manuring, under the skillful directions of the officers, have converted a large tract of barren mountain into a garden, which presents in its green luxuriant crops a wonderful contrast to the savage scene of rocks and heather that surround it." Having got as far north in Wicklow as we can get in this section, and having no desire to clamber over Kippure, which, however, we have done many and many a time, we will resume our pursuit of the picturesque at the southern extremity of Lough Dan. Here the infant Avonmore, having brightly sparkled through the glen between Knocknacloghole and Scar, ffows into the lake, mingles with the Annamoe, and gives its name to the united streams that emerge from it as one, and pursues its way through a series of scenes, famous in song — through the Vale of Clara to Avoca. The little village of Annamoe is remembered as the place where Laurence Sterne had the wonderful escape when a child — having fallen into a mill-race while the mill was going, and having the good fortune of being swept through unhurt. A short distance from Annamoe is Laragh, per- haps the most central position in the county from which to reach the greater 8o PICTURESQUE IRELAND. number of its wonderful and beautiful moun- tain, lake and glen combinations. Situated in a high valley in the midst of the mountains, where several glens of various extent and char- acter — such as the farnous Glendalough, Glendassan, which contains the lead -m mines of Lug- ganure, and through which lies the road to Poul-a-phuca and Blessington ; Glen- macanass, leading west of Lough Dan, between Scar on the east, and Brockagh and Thonelagee Mountains on the west, through which runs the Military Road , Glen Avon, a name given by Mr. James Fraser* to the plain ex- tending from Laragh in an easterly and thence northerly Rathdrwn. direction to Sally-Gap, a distance of twelve miles, embracing Luggelaw and Lough Dan— fall into the Vale of Clara, Laragh is a notable geographical center. Here the various roads which are carried along these glens Author of the long-time and favorably Icnown Hcindhooh for Travellers in Ireland, etc. WICK LOW. 8i unite, as well as others leading to Roundwood, and east to the Devil's Glen, the Glen of Dunran, and Wicklow town ; to Baltinglas through Glenmalure on the southwest ; and last but not least, southward to that world-famous GUnmaliii c . •" scene of enchantment," — that perhaps best known of all valleys — Avoca, the first and second meeting of the waters, and thence to Arklow. Here also, at Laragh, the streams that spring from their mountain -sides and water these glens, flow into the Avonmore, which then takes its way down the Vale of Clara 6 82 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. which extends southward from Laragh to Rathdrum, a six-miles' reach of that lovely combination and diversity of hill, woods and water specially character- istic of the sylvan features of Wicklow. The Vale of Clara is quite beautiful and in some places romantic, giving the eye relief after many of the wildly grand though barren prospects on at least two of the routes to it. Many fine views of the Avonmore gleaming along under its oak-clothed banks are presented from the surrounding heights. The hamlet of Clara is very prettily situated about halfway down the vale, which is bound on the east to this point, by the hills under Trooperstown Mountains, and from the hamlet to Rathdrum by copse-clad heights which have a very fine effect. On the west the vale lies under the "foot hills" of Kirikee and Carrigliveen. The copse-wood is a striking feature, extending from Moneystown Hill to Rathdrum, a distance of three miles and a half, and having an average of a mile in width. It laps over into the vale of Clara for two miles ; and is almost entirely on the estate of the Earl of Fitzwilliam, who is the largest land proprietor in the county. The small town of Rathdrum at the end of the Vale of Clara, by the route we have indicated, is conspicuously and beautifully seated on the west side of the Avonmore, and on a steep bank of more than seven hundred and fifty feet. In the olden days of stage and mail coaches the Wexford coach could not enter, but had to turn aside, and reach the higher part of the town by a branch. Even after leveling to meet more modern demands, the long ascent was very severe on horses. Now, however, the line of the railroad to Wexford crosses the Avonmore near this point on a bridge which is a very picturesque object in the scene. One of the handbooks wisely mentions as a recent acceptable feature, a new hotel into which you step from the railway platform. " Erected on the face of a cliff, chiefly for the accommodation of tourists, it is a desirable resting-place for those who wish to explore the district." Other objects of inter- est are the handsome new Catholic Church, and the "Flannel Hall" on "Wool Hill," the summit of the eminence on which the town stands. A writer, sixty years ago, stated that the latter was erected by the Earl Fitzwilliam (in 1793) for "the exhibition and sale of woolen yarns, flannels, raw wool, etc., in which articles a considerable trade is carried on. The periodical fairs or great market days here are attended by crowds of dealers from all parts of the island. A very fine wool is grown in this part of the country." A writer of to-day supplements this pic- ture of industry with the following : " The mountainous regions westward of the town, so favorable for sheep-grazing and the production of wool, made it a WICKLOW. 83 suitable place for a flannel market, and for some time the trade flourished, purchasers going there regularly from Dublin. But the hand-loom weaving could not compete with machinery." Leaving Rathdrum, and taking Fraser with us as a guide, we start for Glen- malure and the ascent to Lugnaquilla, the highest of the Wicklow Mountains. Making for the hamlet of Greenan, which is adjoined by a considerable wood and the demesne of Ballinacor, we strike into the lower part of Glenmalure. The glen proper is twelve miles long, that is from the Table Mountain where it commences to the first " Meeting of the Waters " where it has its embozuluire, and unites with the Vale of Avoca. Ballinacor is seven miles from the Table Moun- tain, and five from the first Meeting of the Waters. Glenmalure is bounded on the west by a mountain chain of which Croghanmoira and Garraway Stick are the highest summits, and on the east by the range of which Kirikee, Mulla- cop and Lugduff are the most elevated. The great military road which comes down the Vale of Glancree crosses both the ranges that shelter Glenmalure on its route from Laragh to Aughavanagh. The glen is traversed for its entire length by the Avonbeg, which, originating in some springs on the sides of the Table Mountain, forms the Ess-fall at the head of the glen, and receiving the numerous rills which trickle and leap down the ravines, pours the collected force into the Avonmore under the umbrageous height of Castle Howard and forms the Meeting of the Waters. The character of Glenmalure is as different from that of the Dargle or the Downs as it is from the Scalp or Glancree. It is wild but impressive, and the barren rocks rise in picturesque forms which give "a savage grandeur to the scene." This is true of the upper part ; but in fact Glenmalure has two distinct features ; one above, and the other below Ballinacor. Below it the landscape is undulating, soft, cultivated, beautiful. Here it is of considerable breadth, the hills lower, the sides widely displayed and the mountains gracefully ex- tended on either side : it is a sunny valley — the sweet and natural precursor to the Vale of Avoca. Above Ballinacor the scenery assumes that character of wildness generally associated with the name of Glenmalure. It becomes narrower and deeper. Except in the passes the mountains have an average height of 2,200 feet, and their precipitous sides are only broken by chasms and ravines which add to their barren aspect and pictorial effect. Passing Ballinacor upward we reach the solitary inn of Drumgoff, "where," says Fraser, "tourists generally stop," for the safe reason, doubtless, that " good accommodation is afforded." The most interesting features of Glenmalure commence here to 84 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. attract our attention, and hence for seven miles to the base of Table Mountain, a continuation of magnificent close mountain scenery commands our enthusiastic and artistic appreciation. Many tourists are unanimous in the belief that there is no glen in Wicklow comparable with this portion of Glenmalure : and one, quoted in Bartlet, in view of the Ess-fall springing down the precipitous face of the mountain, says, that " with the exception of the Killeries in Connemara," the head of Glenmalure " is not to be equaled in the kingdom." In none of the other Wicklow glens do the mountains assume such well-defined outlines, and at the same time attain to such elevations. Nowhere is the prevailing character of the place less disturbed by the traces of cultivation, the attempts at improvement, and other unaccording circumstances ; nowhere is the repose so profound, and the scenery so striking ; nowhere do we appear to be so embosomed in moun- tains ; nor do we — continues Fraser — remember any other combination of natu- ral objects in the glen scenery of the district so capable of awakening emotions of awe and sublimity. In seasons when the thousands of rills and torrents are fed with water, the numberless cascades inconceivably enhance the general effect, adding a restless radiance of beauty to the grandeur of the glen. The road through the glen becomes a mere bridle-path in its mountain ascent. It leads over the Table Mountain at an elevation of 2,266 feet. The views from differ- ent points on the ascent, and especially from the summit, which commands the glen of I male, into which the road leads on the other side, will amply repay the tourist. Glenmalure was the fastness of the famous Feagh Mac Hugh O'Byrne, a chief of the sixteenth century. Spenser recommended Queen Elizabeth to spare neither means nor men to extirpate this dashing chief. In 1580 an English expedition for this purpose under Lord Arthur Grey, then Lord Deput3^ Sir Peter Carew, and others, was almost annihilated by the Irish under Feagh Mac Hugh, and Fitz Eustace Viscount Baltinglass, at this locality, which some writers erroneously state as having occurred at Glendalough. Returning to the central hamlet of Laragh we are within a mile and a half of the famous Glendalough or Valley of the two Lakes, or " the seven Churches," as it is variously called. Glendalough, which embraces a hamlet, many ruins and a round tower, is situated in the heart of " the O' Byrne's Coun- try," in the territorial subdivision now known as the barony of Ballinacor, some twenty-two miles from Dublin. The valley is about two miles and a half long, and varies from half a mile to a mile in width. It is bounded on the north by the mountains of Brocagh, Glendassan, and Comaderry, and on the south by I I I I PICTURESQUE IRELAND. those of Derrybawn and Lugduff : and except at the entrance between Brocagh and Derrybawn it is completely hemmed in by these lofty, wild, bare and precip- itous elevations. The most unimpressionable visitor cannot fail to be affected by the solemn and melancholy aspect of the scene as he approaches. Here the Christian religion and literature flourished at a very remote period — and even civilizations before that era have left their mark here. St. Kevin, to whose faith and energy the Christian glory of the valley is due, and whose name is synonymous with both the extent and asceticism of the monastic life, flourished in the sixth century. He was born of Christian parents in 498 ; trained for the Christian ministry, among devoted teachers, priests and hermits, and having erected a monastery at Clon-duach, returned to his native locality and founded his chief establishment in Glendalough, according to Usher and Harris in the year 549. From this were derived several other religious houses in Leinster. St. Kevin, having well arranged the order and discipline of this institution at Glendalough, retired to the upper part of the valley, about a mile from the Abbey, and there, in a small place beset by thick trees and refreshed by rivu- lets, he led the life of a hermit for four years, practicing great austerities, until prevailed on to return to the Abbey, where, with the exception of some short visits to other monasteries, he continued to reside until his death. This event took place on the 3d of June, 618, when the saint had attained the age of one hundred and twenty years. During St. Kevin's lifetime a considerable city had grown up here, and the place became an episcopal see either then or shortly after his death, for some writers assert that he was never consecrated bishop. Glendalough subsequently became celebrated as a seat of learning and piety ; and the reputation of its founder was such that for several centuries vast multitudes continued to repair to it on every 3d of June to celebrate his festival. Pope Alexander HI., by a bull dated the 13th of May, a. d. 1179, confirms the city of Glendalough, with the churches, to Malchus, Bishop of Glendalough, The Abbey, or Priory of St. Saviour. WICKLOW. 87 and to his successors, saving the rights of the abbot. In 12 14, the See of Glenda- lough was united to that of DubHn, but the archbishops of the latter being Eng- lish, the Irish would only recognize the authority of the Bishops of Glendalough ; and it was near the end of the fifteenth century before a union was established. During the ninth and tenth centuries Glendalough was repeatedly ravaged by the Danes ; within sixty years in the eleventh century it was five times reduced by fire to a heap of ashes ; it was also ravaged in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by the English ; and under incessant incursions it finally fell into decay. The ruins of the churches alone remain. No vestige of the famous " city " was visible a few years back save a small paved quadrangle which indicated the site of a market-place. No traces of do- mestic buildings have been discov- ered, but the remains of a causeway, -^^^g' ^i4 ~:^^^^ extending from the ancient market- place to Hollywood, some twenty miles distant on the borders of the County Kildare, were recently visi- "ble. This laborious work of art was twelve feet wide, composed of roughly-hewn blocks of stone set edgewise, not unlike the Roman roads met with in England. The temples of stone which the holy men of the ancient Church in Ireland were wont to build to the glory of God were constructed in such a manner as to convey the idea that their founders intended they should " last forever." At Glendalough, as at other kindred establishments of about the same era, we find only the remains of strictly ecclesiastical edifices. We meet the first of the " ruins " on the Laragh road, at about a mile east of the Cathedral in the glen cemetery. It is called " the Monastery," by the people, and is variously known as the Abbey, and the Priory of St. Saviour. It is the most interesting of the detached buildings outside of the group near the lake ; and is perhaps architecturally the finest, as it was evidently the most exten- sive of all the edifices in this region. It consisted originally of two parallel buildings, of rare and beautiful workmanship, adorned with curious sculptures, of which only detached fragments are now attainable. Two of its columns remain, their capitals exhibiting the ornamental style of the ninth and tenth centuries. These, says Wakeman, in England would be pronounced Norman, more particu- Si. Kevin's Kitchen. PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Our Lady's Church — Doorway. larly as the arch they are designed to sustain displayed a variety of the zigzag- or chevron molding, as may be seen from several stones. A great mass of sculptured blocks are scattered about, over- grown with brush and brambles. Some speci- mens found in the vicinity, though rude, are of great interest. " On one stone is represented a wolf gnawing a human head ; on another, the head of a young man, whose long hair is entwined with the tail of the animal." The character of the hair is supposed to represent the ancient Irish coulin or glibb, and its at- tachment to the wolf's tail an allegorical form of showing "the fondness of the one for the pursuit of the other." The Abbey is now in the demesne of Derrybawn ; and adjacent to it, in a small crypt, was recently found the tomb of St. Kevin. The Trinity or Ivy Church, which stands close by the roadside near the village, should be carefully studied, as it constitutes a very well-preserved example of undecorated work of the earliest, or very nearly the earliest, age of church architecture in Ireland. It consists of nave and choir, connected together with a perfectly Roman - look- ing arch. There was originally a semi-detached round tower or belfry, at the southwestern angle of the nave, making the third example of that curious style of building which we know to have existed at Glendalough. On an eminence sloping from the mountains toward the lake the principal ruins with the round tower form a group which affects us with somber and even melancholy sensations. An American writer says that " the almost deathly quiet, the op- pressive loneliness, the strange, deep, unearthly gloom of this moldering city The Church of Rhcfcart. WICK LOW. 89 of the dead, are things to h& felt in all their melancholy and weird-like power, but which could scarcely be pictured by the most vivid word-painting." Its solemn solitariness is almost overpowering. It is intrinsically a place of the past. No place we have seen so sadly speaks to us of the past : and we do not wonder that Walter Scott stood with folded arms — lost in thought for more than half an hour, before the doorway of the " Lady Church." The principal group of ruins — consist- ing of the round tower, the Cathedral, the Lady Church, Saint Kevin's Church, or "kitchen," as it is called, and a small inclosure called the Sacristy, used as a burial-place for Roman Catholic clergymen — stand in a well-tenanted cemetery, the entrance to which is over the Glendassan River and through an archway, a portion of the ancient fortified wall. This gateway originally consisted of an outer and inner arch, similar to the celebrated Newport gate at Lincoln, in Eng- land, which is undoubtedly of Roman workmanship. These arches were sur- mounted by a tower. The outer portal, after long threatening to fall, came to the ground not many years ago. The great round tower is of course the most prominent feature of the central group. It is a splendid specimen, standing a little to the southwest of the cathe- dral. It is one hundred and ten feet high and fifty-one feet in circumference at the base. It had originally six floors. The doorway head is semicircular and cut out of a single stone. It is built of granite, and of a hard kind of slate wedged in behind the granite blocks. The conical cap by which it was sur- mounted was blown down by a storm in 1804. To those who believe in the pre- Christian origin of the round towers in Ireland, as many of the ablest anti- quaries, architects and archseologists do, the contrast which this remarkable pagan monument presents towering over all the. Christian ruins in the valley, whether of ecclesiastical or sepulchral character, is sure to lead the mind into the mys- tical depths .of the past. " Nothing is clearer," says O'Donovan, the eminent Irish scholar and archseologist, " than that Patrick engrafted Christianity on the pagan superstitions with so much skill, that he won the people . over to the Christian religion before they understood the exact difference between the two systems of belief." Upon the festivals of the heathen were erected Christian holy-days, elevated and rendered attractive by Christian solemnities. A train of suggestive thoughts growing out of these facts, are the natural result of a cogitation surrounded by these ruins of Glendalough. Men of less vivid tem- perament than Otway, can readily sympathize with his mood in association with the scene and the ruins, "where the long continuous shadow of the lofty and slender tower moves slowly from morn to eve over wasted churches. 90 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. scattered yew-trees, and the tombs, now undistinguishable, of bishops, abbots, and anchorites, walking its round as time-sentinel, and telling forth to the An- cient of Days how many suns have run their diurnal and annual course since these holy men had descended to their graves." The cathedral, as may be expected, is the great stone church of the establish- ment, although the smallest of ecclesiastical structures in the country which have been dignified by the title of "cathedral." The upper portion of its walls ap- pears to be less ancient than the lower, which has all the character of very early work. In the decoration of the more modern part an Irish style of ornamenta- tion of about the twelfth century is distinctly marked. The nave is forty-eight feet long by thirty wide, and a semicircular arch formed the chancel. " St. Kevin's Kitchen," a very curious stone-roofed building standing at a little distance to the south of the cathedral, is believed by the best antiquaries who have inspected the ruins of Glen- dalough to have been a house of the saint converted into a church in the twelfth century. The original structure appears to have been a plain oblong, to which a chancel and sacristy were added ; certain it is that the additions cannot be later than the twelfth century, and that what was originally the east end of the build- ing was ait through for the purpose of forming a choir-arch. The upper portion of the original eastern window remains. It is supposed that the stone roof, and the little miniature round tower belfry standing upon the western gable, are additions of the same date as the chancel. Taking it altogether, St. Kevin's Kitchen is a most curious antiquarian study, and is of similar construction to St. Douloughs, near Dublin, Cormac's Chapel on the Rock of Cashel, and the Crypt at Killaloe. Its unromantic name is of no great antiquity, and was probably suggested by the chimney-like appearance of the bell-turret. What remains of our Lady's Chapel, which must have been originally a small building, is of great interest. This is the church which his monks erected St. Kevin's Cell. WICK LOW. 91 for the saint when they wished to induce him to abandon that more solitary por- tion of the valley where the Rhe-feart Church still exists. This venerable relic of ancient Christian architecture, the doorway through which St. Kevin must have passed perhaps several times daily for years, and through which his dead body must have been carried for interment, remains still quite perfect, a splendid specimen of that style of building which our ancestors derived from works of a pagan time, such as the great prehistoric monuments of New Grange and Dowth, where, for countless ages, " Beneath the cairn's gray pyramid The urns of mighty chiefs lay hid." The sides and top of the opening are ornamented with a flat projecting band, and the soffit of the lintel with a cross. The masonry is truly cyclopean, and would seem to have been raised by builders who still retained a tinge of the Druidical fondness for the massive and time-defying. The Rhe-feart Church, as its name indicates, stands in the royal cemetery, Rhe-feart signifying the kings' burial-place. Like the " Lady Church," it consists simply of one oblong apartment with a square-headed doorway with inclined sides placed in the center of the west gable. This doorway is not ornamented with a cross, but a portion of a projecting band, similar to that of the " Lady Church," decorates it externally. Beyond some plain unimportant crosses, the surrounding cemetery does not, at least above ground, contain any memorial of the kings, chieftains, and ecclesiastics here interred. The interior, however, is overgrown with briers. Some writers allude to an oblong slab which bore an Irish inscription to the effect that it marked " the resting-place of King Mac Toole, who died in Jesus Christ, loio." A later writer says the last inscribed monument which remained was, some few years ago, broken into small pieces and sold by the " guides " of Glendalough, chiefly to English curiosity-seekers, as portions of the tomb of a " real Irish king." Not far from the Rhe-feart Church is a portion of a ruin — a circle of stones of that class of buildings usually called Claughawn, which there is reason to believe formed the cell of St. Kevin during a portion of his rule over "the Churches." The most singular remains of this description, however, is at the sylvan glen between the mountains of Lugduff and Derrybawn, where the Poolanass brook pours its little torrent over a ledge of rocks, and forms a sparkling fall. The ruin discloses masses of flat stones regularly laid, forming part of a circle, in the cen- ter of which are the remains of a rude stone cross. It is known as St. Kevin's cell. 92 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. As it is situated in a rock which juts outward, the view of the valley in all direc- tions from this point is magnificent. Descending to the lake shore here, one of the most comprehensive views of the overhanging mountains is to be found. Of the remaining churches, Temple-na-Skellig and the priest's house are so dilapidated as not to require any especial description. The latter, we may say, from drawings made about the middle of the last century, was very peculiar and richly decorated. The former, "the Temple of the Rock," or, as it is called in old records, " Convent de Deserto," is situated in a solitary nook, almost inacces- sible save by water, under the impending mountain of Luo-duff. As at Killarney every- thing is associated with the wise prince O'Donoghue, at Glendalough everything is linked with Saint Kevin. Legends are associated with his churches, his cell, his well, his basin, his keeve, his bush, his chair, etc., but that connected with his bed has won perennial fame in the regions of ro- mance. St. Kevin's Bed is a small excavation, made, it is said by the saint himself, in the front of a rock under Lugduff, and overhanging the dark lake, at a height of thirty feet. Access to it is had from above, or below; the latter path from the lake shore is difficult ; while the former' is dangerous, the approach being by a narrow path along the steep side of the mountain, at every step of Avhich the slightest false movement or unsteady balance would precipitate the pedestrian into the lake. "There is one place in particular," says one of the ad- venturers, " where all the eloquence of the guide is sure to be exerted to encour- age the party, and where it frequently proves unsuccessful — that is the edge of the rock called the Lady's Leap." After passing this Rubicon, the landing-place above the cave is soon reached, but the descent to it must be made with great caution ; keeping the face to the rock down which we climb. The present writer, in the " hey-day of his youth," made the adventure, and succeeded in what was then deemed the feat of getting into St. Kevin's Bed, without a guide and by the mountain path. The excavation is capable of holding two persons in a St. Kevin's Bed. WICK LOW. 93 recumbent position, and the difference of the modes of getting into it may be suggested b> the getting into a small dormer window from below by means of a ladder, or from above by means of the roof. This rocky and isolated refuge Saint Kevin made — according to tradition — to conceal himself from the visits of a beautiful maiden Kathleen. Here he fled from temptation. But the "eyes of most unholy blue " from which he fled, led their lovely owner to this " rocky, wild retreat." " And when morning met his view, Her mild glances met it too." Ancie7tt Stone Cross, and Round Towe?-, at Glendaloush. In the sudden shock of surprise and anger on awaking, the saint hurled the 94 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. persistent beauty from the beetling rock into the dark waters of the lake. Moore introduced this legend to popularity in a vividly dramatic ballad, and the tempta- tion of young Kevin and the tragic catastrophe have been admirably treated by Gerald Griffin. The legend thus brought home to the senses in such poetical forms, had its origin doubtless in an allegory based on truth — to illustrate the fact that here in his solitude and gloomy retirement his vows of asceticism be- came strengthened, he conquered the passions incident to youth and tenderness, rose defiant to the temptations of worldly beauty, fascination, and danger, and by an ecstatic effort hurled them from his path forever. This self-denial and fervor led to a life of extraordinary virtue and piety, which resulted in miracu- lous powers. These, says the Monasticon Hibernicum, drew " multitudes from towns and cities, from ease and affluence, from the cares and avocations of civil life and from the comforts and joys of society, to be spectators of his pious acts and sharers in his merits, and with him to encounter every severity of climate and condition. This influence extended even to Britain, and induced St. Moch- narog to convey himself hither ; who fixed his residence in a cell on the east side of Glendalough, where a city soon sprang up, and a seminary was founded, from whence were sent forth many saints and exemplary men, whose sanctity and learning diffused around the Western world that universal light of letters and religion which, in the earlier ages, shone so resplendent throughout this re- mote, and at that time tranquil isle, and were almost exclusively confined to it." Among the interesting relics of the cemetery of ruins is an ancient cross of one solid block of granite eleven feet high. Fragments of other crosses are scattered about, and a line of them across the valley between the two lakes can still be traced. ■■ With Vandal Time, tlieir sculptures rude But sacred combat well ; Like trusty friends, they have outstood The wealth that from us fell. " These crosses, like great note-marks, stand O'er all the Celtic sod. Grown gray in agony of love Referring us to God." — " Eva : A Goblin Romance," Part I. The principal group of ruins, as seen in the engraving, are romantically situ- ated at the juncture of Glendassan and Glendalough, and near where the streams which water those glens unite. As the name indicates, there are two loughs: WICKLOW. 95 the lower of small extent, the upper a mile in length, a quarter of a mile in width, and 441 feet above the sea level. The mountains like stupendous walls arise on both sides some eighteen hundred feet. The upper lake is supplied by two streams, the Poolanass, which has been referred to, and the Glanealo, which, rushing down the gorge between the summits of Comaderry and Lugduff, dashing and foaming through the crags and masses of broken rocks which are heaped in wild disorder at that end of the glen — forms a strikingly picturesque fall as it leaps into the lake. The Glenealo is the infant Avonmore, and takes that name when, after uniting with the Glendassan, it passes under Derrybawn Bridge, and leaves this glen of gloom and desolation. We cannot rehearse the many legends associated with Glendalough, or dwell on the more authentic trans- actions of history which embrace the wonderful defiance of the native septs of this territory for centuries of all foreign interference. One fact alone must suffice to indicate this prolonged conflict and spirit of independence. " Glendalough, the capital of the sept which had inherited those glens, is only twenty-three miles from the metropolis, the seat of the English power ; and yet they continued to defy that power unconquered for four centuries." On leaving the scene of so much learning and energy, peaceful pursuits and warlike experience, we are inclined to agree with Mr. Walker that the general impression left by the locality is one of sadness. "The aspect of the surrounding mountains being so much in keeping with the ruins scattered over the valley, and speaking of power, of art, and piety, in ages so remote that history affords no authentic records of their authors or origin. The gloomy lake, and the cold, stern mountains seem to be in a sort of mysterious communion with the ivy-clad towers and broken arches of the ruined temples, still haunted by human associations which produce a painful sense of desolation." Retracing our steps from Laragh to Roundwood, we can follow the course of the Vartry River to where it forms the boundary between the demesnes of Bal- lycurry and Glenmore and flows through the Devil's Glen, which according to Brewer might more appropriately have been denominated the " Glen of the Gods." The Vartry rises on the southern side of the great Sugar Loaf, receives a tribu- tary from a thousand feet up the eastern side of Douce with other rivulets, and after increased volume, and a rapid course over a high table-land and rough moors, is precipitated over a ledge of rocks with a splendid fall into the Devil's Glen. This ravine is of somewhat the same character as the Dargle, with which comparisons are necessarily made. It is, however, deeper and longer, being a mile and a half in length, and in some places the sides rise to an elevation PICTURESQUE IRELAND. of four hundred feet. It is more somber than the Dargle, and has a grand waterfall at its upper end, which the other glen does not possess. The lower entrance is through a tunnel, and as the approach is concealed by luxuriant foli- age, the spectator is unprepared for the beautiful scene that bursts upon the sight. WICK LOW. 97 In a like manner the view of the glen, approached from the high, bleak, and barren lands above it, has all the attractiveness of strong contrast. All around is a bare tract of sheep-pasture ; a few steps forward, and the eye be- holds a picture presenting all that is rich in vegetation, varied in sylvan tints, bold in rocks and cliffs, and enlivened by a stream bounding and foaming amongst the rocks, gliding between grassy banks, or hiding under the umbrageous branches of natural wood. The best views are obtained from the glen road ascending to the fall. Brewer * thought the Devil's Glen " one of the most ro- mantic objects in an island fertile of subjects for the inspiration of romance." ^^ Impending rocks and moun- tains and a river flowing through a narrow channel form the striking features of this favorite locality. It has beauties peculiarly its own, and the same writer on the picturesque in natu- ral scenery thinks "it is marked by some combina- tions of pictorial objects in which wood, rock, and water are blended in forms unknown " in either the Dargle or Glen of the Downs. Other English writers are equally enthusiastic in acknowledging its beauty — " with its roaring river, its huge precipices, its circuitous paths, and the noble and graceful 'fall' that seems a crown of glory to its head." A distinguished Spaniard, Dr. D. Joaquin Lorenzo Vi'llanueva, has celebrated this glen in an ode, in which, after alluding to the most noted and charming places of his native land, he says : Entrance to the Devil's Glen. "But I, 'mid the bosky shadows Of the Devil's Glen, defy the splendor Of all earth's mounts and rneadows. For a perfect peace doth lend her Charms supreme — there laughter's hushed and grief itself grows tender."! * Beauties of Ireland, by J. N. Brewer, 2 vols., Lond. 1S26. f " Mas yo con el sombrio Bosque de Devil's Glen y su bastida Al orbe desafio ; Do reina una cumplida Paz, hierve el gozo v el pesar se olvida." 98 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. "Than Pindus, theme of poets, Leafier this vale; than Pimplea clearer Its crystal waves that sow its Breast with diamond gleams, and here are Silvery sands and pebbles bright than which there's nothing dearer.' Midway in the glen, at a suitably chosen spot a sort of rustic temple has been erected, which is equally available for calm contemplation when the visitor is alone, or for the gayer purposes of social enjoyment when on a picnic frolic and the sky is threatening. From this temple a charming walk has been constructed along the up- T - per part of the wood, in the course of which many fine views are attainable. On leaving the Devil's Glen, the Vartry, passing through a rude amphi- theater, has time, so to speak, to rest after its turbulent exertions, thence, flowing onward, beau- tifies the demesne of Glenmore, and passing r^, Ashford- bridge and Newrath- bridge, exhausts itself into the Broad Lough, a tidal marsh near the town of Wicklow. Between Ashford and Newrath it flows through the demesne of Ro- sanna, famous for its venerable trees, among which are some of the finest oaks and Spanish chestnuts in the country. Famous for the pos- session of those woods in which all poets de- light, Rosanna is still more famous as the home of a lovely and gifted Irish poetess, Mary Tighe, who here wrote her beautiful and imaginative poem Psyche, founded on the classic allegory of Love and the Soul. It is written in the Spen- serian stanza, and is characterized by elegance, classical taste, a wealth of graceful imagery, and a brilliancy of coloring rarely excelled. Chambers says that she "evinced a more passionate and refined imagination than any of her tuneful sisterhood." " Was not Tighe an angel," exclaims one of the critics of the Nodes AmbrosiancB, "if ever there was one on earth — beautiful, airy, and evanes- cent as her own immortal Psyche?" Lovely and accomplished Mrs. Tighe in youth had mixed with the gay world, but extreme sensibility, crowned by a happy marriage, led her to retirement. She was an invalid for several-years, and Moore has made her early death the subject of the exquisite lyric, " I saw thy form in youthful pride," concluding : Htad of Dtvil s Glen. WICKLOW. 99 " If souls could always dwell above, Thou ne'er hadst left that sphere ; Or could we keep the souls we love, " We ne'er had lost thee here, Mary ! Though many a gifted mind we meet, Though fairest forms we see. To live with them is far less sweet Than to remember thee, Mary." Rosanna, Avondale, Glenmalure and the Vartry naturally Inspired the expres- sion of Mrs. Tighe's admiration. The chestnut bowers of the former were nota- ble in her day, at the beginning of the century, and their broad shadows - to-day are evidence of ancient ances- try and of a long reign of care and peace in this happy valley. Convenient to the Devil's Glen, and on its northeast is the Glen of Dunran, which exhibits features of interest, es- pecially when we learn that within less than a century a scene as rocky as the Scalp has been transformed by art into one of attractive vegetation, trees having been planted in the inter- stices of the rocks, where to all appear- ance there was scarcely soil enough to cover the roots. The narrow ravine stretches along the base of Carrig na Muck, the ridge on the opposite side lying in front of the higher summit of Dunran. The avenue, through which strangers are permitted to drive, runs through the demesne of Dunran, and is about two miles in length parallel to the public road. The Glen of Dunran differs from all those we have been describing; in its peculiar conformation on the one hand, aiid in its exceptional want of a stream flowing through it; which is owing to its altitude. It is nevertheless everywhere interesting, from the finely wooded and romantic steeps along the base of which we travel : particularly at the eastern entrance, where by some natural upheaval the stratified rocks have been tilted up on end, and from various points of view the Dcvil s Lrhn PICTURESQUE IRELAND. present singular and grotesque forms : some bearing striking resemblances to towers, spires, minarets and fortifications. From the artificial pond near the center of the ravine, a path winds for about half a mile through the wood lead- ing to the ascent by which the View Rock is reached. From this point the view is, as may be expected, well worth the trouble to obtain it. Here, you command the rich country stretching from the base of the hill to Wicklow town ; the ex- tensive oak wood which clothes the sides of Carrig na Muck, and constitutes the principal feature of the ravine ; y-=^^^^qy^ ::it^ and the sterile rocks Avhich rise from the wood to the summit of the mountain of Dun ran. The fine forest scene which is here presented to our view, is greatly heightened by the dark foli- age of the old pines scattered through it, and which clothe the conical rock forming the eastern boundary of the ravine, where the upheaved strata referred to are so strikingly prominent in a variety of shapes. The summit of Dunran is 1,122 feet above the level of the sea, and a good view of the beautiful tract of country from the base of the mountain to Delgany is obtained from the high ground near the northern entrance to the glen. Fraser recommends those who have not had the prospect from the View Rock to take the high road by Dunran House to the Glen of Kiltymon on the north, on which the views are better than from the lower roads along the route.* While in this vicinity, reference may be made to the man}' fine demesnes in the neighborhood of Newtown-Mount-Kennedy, a couple of miles north of The View Rock, Dunran. ■ Fraser's Hand-book, p. 1S5. ^-.^T_^^'l WATh.Ki-Al_J_ IN THE DEVIL'S GLEN. PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Dunran ; and situated in the center of that rich tract lying between the Downs Mountain and the hill of Delgany on the north, the secondary range of hills which sweep from the Downs to Dunran on the west and south, and the sea on the east. Of these variously attractive places, the most noticeable are Wood- stock, Mount Kennedy, Glendaragh, Altadore, which are enlivened by pleasant streams. In a glen of the latter, called the Hermit- age, is a waterfall which is esteemed the special attraction of a retreat otherwise deemed delicious. Rathdrum or Drumgoff is usually chosen as the \, starting-point for the ascent of Lugnaquilla, which rises to the height of 3,039 feet, and is one of the five mountains in Ireland which lift their heads one thousand yards above the level of the sea. On the route described Drumgoff is of course the nearest place : and on leaving the inn we soon pass the lonely barrack, take the military road toward Aughavanagh, and after a short distance turn to the right and climb the front of Drumgoff Hill. Having reached the top, the course lies northward, following the bed of a moun- tain torrent up a sloping vale for a considerable dis- tance. Kelly's Lough, a small pond in a hollow, is next passed, and then a steep precipice of loose rubble stone and long grass tests the powers of endurance of the tourist. Surmounting this steep, and gaining the ridge above it, the dark cliffs of Lugnaquilla come in sight ; thence a smooth sod leads to the summit, so that, with the exception of a comparatively brief space, the ascent, if the weather is favora- ble, does not present many great difificulties to the persistent sight-seer. The mountain top embraces a large extent of table-land, and the highest point is marked by a stone, called Pierce's Table, resting on low supporters, some- what resembling a Druidical cromlech. From the summit a very splendid and extended panorama is unrolled on all sides. Toward the north, facing the glen of Imale, the side is broken into a secluded hollow beyond Kelly's Lough, over- hung by bold and precipitous rocks, called the North Prison, beyond which are seen the plains of Kildare, Meath and West-Meath. Southward toward Aughavanagh the mountain is more immediately escarped into a secluded dell, the South Prison, as on the north, and the eye ranges over the whole of Wexford County and its ocean boundaries in the far distance. On the south- west a vast tract from the base of the mountains to the higher summits of Tip- Waterfall at Hermitage. WICKLOW. 103 perary is embraced, holding between the central parts of the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny ; while to the east are those ranges of beautiful hills that wavelike raise their crests and fade into the horizon over the Irish Sea. It is suggested to those who make the ascent of Lugnaquilla and have not seen the Ess-fall, to return by the latter route, which is only three miles longer, a distance that will be more than compensated by the views in Glenmalure.* As previously stated, the lower part of Glenmalure expands in a pleasant way : the hills sloping back on either side, and being wooded to the water's edge, present a naturally attractive opening to the still more beautiful Vale of Avoca. The Avonmore which has its origin in the sad region of Glendalough, and the Avonbeg which forced its way through the wild fastnesses of the upper Glenma- lure, uniting at Castle Howard, form the world-famous " Meeting of the Waters," and henceforth take the name of the Avoca from the vale through which it passes. From this point to Arklow, the scenery is unequaled for its variety of beautiful views in which the pleasingly picturesque is combined with the most strikingly romantic. The Vale of Avoca is distinguished by a most admirable admixture of mountain, forest, lawn, and river scenery. The hill-sides are gener- ally not more than a quarter of a mile distant from each other, and for nearly eight miles are thickly wooded. The road winds through this vale, which em- braces the grand woods of Castle Howard, Ballyarthur, Castle Macadam, Shelton Abbey, and Glenart. From Castle Howard — which occupies a proud position on an eminence two hundred feet over the water, and seems to be upheld by the tops of the trees which present a dense wall of foliage from the river bank to the house — to the forest-embosomed Glenart, a succession of sweet, soft and tranquil pictures fill the vision and call forth renewed expressions of delight. Tourists of all classes and nationalities are almost ecstatic over the pleasure received here. Three-quarters of a century ago, Sir John Carr visited Avondale, the splendid residence of Sir John Parnell, who lost the Chancellorship of the Exchequer by opposing the Union, and gave a pen-picture of the opening of this vale. "A new scene of enchantment presented itself at the ' Meeting of the Waters,' and riveted us in silent admiration. It was a scene of valleys, whose leafy sides were covered with the most luxuriant foliage, presenting a compact slope of leaves through which neither branch nor trunk of tree could be seen. Upon the top of one of these umbrageous mountains, a banqueting-room or tower arose, the casement of which was brightened by the sun ; whilst below, dimly seen through * See Frasev's Hand-book, pp. 235-7. 104 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. over-arching beech trees, a confluence of streams mingled with the river under the blue mist of approaching evening." * A late writer is not less picturesque in conveying his appreciation of the same scene. " Nature," he says, "has here scattered her charms with a liberal hand: waving woods, clear waters, and verdant shores combine to render the scene one of surpassing softness and beautiful tranquillity." It is not a scene in which either the poet or painter would find resources to awake or fill the imagination with sensations of sublimity or terror : but it is superabundant in those qualities of repose and peace which have found fitting expression in the exquisite lyric of Moore. Evidently taking inspiration from the Meeting of the Waters, the poet conveys the effect produced by the reposeful bloom and " bosom of shade " so strikingly characteristic of the whole vale. Notwithstanding its popularity, the brevity as well as the beauty of the lyric suggests its reproduction here, as appropriate. There is not in the wide world a valley so sweet As that vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet ; Oh ! the last rays of feeling and life must depart, Ere the bloom of that valley shall fade from my heart. Yet it was not that Nature had shed o'er the scene Her purest of crystal and brightest of green ; 'Twas not her soft magic of streamlet or hill, Oh ! no, — it was something more exquisite still. 'Twas that friends, the beloved of my bosom, were near. Who made every dear scene of enchantment more dear. And who felt how the best charms of nature improve, When we see them reflected from looks that we love. Sweet vale of Avoca ! how calm could I rest In thy bosom of shade, with the friends I love best, Where the storms that we feel in this cold world should cease. And our hearts, like thy waters, be mingled in peace. A strong occasional contrast to the general luxuriance of forest effect, is formed by the appearance of wild and barren rocks, particularly near the copper mines of Cronbane and Ballymurtagh which succeed to the woods of Castle Howard, and lie on different sides of the river, nearly opposite to each other — Ballymurtagh on the west, and Cronbane on the east. A vitriolic stream from the latter, years ago destroyed one of the finest salmon fisheries at Arklow. * The Stranger in Ireland, etc., by Sir John Carr, author of ^ Northetn Summer ; The Stranger in France, etc., 1807. VALE OF AVOCA. io6 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. The working of the mines revolted the feehngs of the anglers, one of whom from the " sister island " at the time wrote, Second Meeting of tht ]VatL> i ft om Bal/intiuiph I am sure, but for this noxious infusion, that the Avoca would abound in white trout, and afford to the angler, through its romantic course, not less sport than our father Walton experienced in the resembling waters of the Dove in Derbyshire." Through varied scenery we reach the second Meeting of the Waters, made by the junction of the Aughrim (or Avonbeg, yellow river) with the Avoca, where the river is crossed by a substantial stone, bridge, though the locality retains its former name of " The Old Wooden Bridee." As- cending the hill at this point by an embowered winding path, a view of rare interest is beheld. The Second is thought by many to outrival the first Meet- Near "IJie Old IVooden Bridge. ing of the Waters : but it is not the water alone that renders this second beauty specially attractive. It is the Meeting of the Glens. " From the east and the ci/(?iyy-a-AA^yCi^a^ ^^y^^^j^// , /'>,: ,'^/ icA/^ct-iA- SEWTCEK , THOMAS HELIX, WICKLOW. 107 -west, the north and the south they come hke rivers to the sea." From this point five vales or glens are visible, as well as Croghan-Kinsella, which contained the Wicklow gold mines worked in the last century, and commemorated in a dra- matic piece by John O'Keeffe. The vale of the Avoca widens gradually in its approach to Arklow : between the mines and the latter, on the east of the river the continuous woods of Bally- arthur and Shelton rival in beauty the range of woods terminating in Glenart on the opposite side. The town of Arklow, and its old ruined castle standing on an eminence over the Avoca, which, after beautifying so much glorious scenery, discharges itself through a bridge of nineteen arches, have a grand and imposing appearance ; while an extensive sea view terminates the prospect. Arklow was the scene of a memorable battle between the royalist forces under General Needham, aided by Lord Farnham, Sir Watkin W. Wynne, Colonel Skerret, Colonel Bainbridge and others, and the Wexford nationalists from Gorey, on the 9th of June, 1798. The "insurgents" intended attacking, the town both from the sea side and from the opposite quarter. The garrison learning this, was extensively reinforced and advantageously posted outside of the town ; where the two forces met face to face, in a regular pitched battle. The fire began with the regularity of disciplined troops, and was maintained for hours. The fortune of the day was various, until the insurgents threw the army into confusion by dismounting the royal cannon and following the achievement by sin- gular bravery. The royal officers became alarmed. General Needham had given the orders for retreat. Victory seemed with the nationalists — when, their ammu- nition giving out, they retired to Gorey, unpursued, however, by the royalists — as, says the Protestant historian Rev. Wm. Gordon, " a pur- — -,^-^- suit would have been very _ ..i, hazardous." At this battle, ,^ the priest-general Rev. Mi- chael Murphy, leading on a division of pike-men, was torn to pieces by a cannon- ball. As we have gone from north to south of Wicklow "" ' ^----~-- Lower Vale, and Shelton Abbey. in search of the picturesque, we shall have to take a trip to its western border by the road from Laragh, or io8 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. by the road from Dublin, through Tallaght, Brittas and Blessington, to see, four miles from the latter, the romantic falls at Poul-a-phuca. This celebrated cataract is formed by the Liffey, which, in its devious meanderings, enters a deep chasm amid perpendicular rocks, and throws its accumulated mass of water over a series of rocky walls and ledges into a deep pool, called in Irish Poul-a- phuca, the pool of the Pooka, or Puck's hole; the Irish elf Phuca — an odd mix- ture of merriment and malignity, being a counterpart, if not prototype of Puck the " merry wanderer of the night." A picturesque bridge of a single arch — sixty- five feet — has been thrown over the gorge, and adds to the scenic effect. Fine views can be obtained from a banqueting-room below the falls, and from a cot above the bridge. The breadth of the gorge between the rocks is forty feet, and the height from which the waters successively fall from the upper stage beyond the bridge, i8o feet. The chasm under and below the bridge widens to a ravine, and the river Liffey spreads over a rugged bed for some distance, and then takes a graceful course to Ballymore Eustace ; through Kildare and Dublin, where we shall agrain meet it in some charmino- scenes. ANTRIM. The Glints Gxie Cxusewxy The County of Antrim is famous for the remarkable and magnificent coast range which presents such wonderful features to the eye of art and science almost throughout the entire extent of its ocean boundary from the mouth of the Lagan to the mouth of the Bann. This region has long been a subject of inquiry and delight to geologists, philosophers, scientists, artists and tourists. The mountains which are highest along the coast are not only strikingly pictur- esque, but are peculiarly attractive in displaying the strata of which their wind and wave wracked steeps are formed. The Giant's Causeway, one of the, in •every sense, monumental wonders of Antrim — not to say of all nature — is evea 109 no PICTURESQUE IRELAND. enhanced by the promontories, rocks, cliffs, caves and ruins in its vicinity. To> convey some general idea of the topography of this coast, of which so much has been written, is difficult. It has been suggested, to somewhat understand its character, that the reader look at the map, and before the mind's eye imagine a line extending from Belfast to Portrush — a circuit of some sixty miles — presenting a resemblance to the continuous walls of a fortified city, with all its bastions, curtains, and battlements, and he may arrive at some idea of the stupendous masonry with which nature at this extremity of the island resists the perpetual force of a turbulent ocean. This battlemented line is intersected by a great number of bays, which are usually designated " ports," at the extremity of each of which lies a valley, stretching into the country, generally divided by a stream of limpid water, and bounded by basaltic mountains which form the eastern and western boundaries of each bay. The interior of the county, which expands into- fertile and pleasant plains and vales, might, as Dr. Drummond remarks, be char- acterized by its valleys running in an opposite direction to those on the coast, " Thus the vales of Six-Mile- Water and Glenwhirry are opposite to those of Larne and Glenarm ; the rivers of the former hastening to join the waters of Lough Neagh, while those of the latter empty themselves into the sea." The county is almost entirely surrounded by water — on its exterior line by Belfast Lough, the Irish Channel and the Atlantic Ocean, and on its interior by the Lagan, Lough Neagh, Lough Beg and the Bann ; — hence the old name Ean-dr^nni, the " ridge by the water," or, as otherwise translated, the " habitations by the waters." If Antrim is justly celebrated for its natural features, it is equally, perhaps in the eyes of commerce more, celebrated as the home of great industries, developed by energy of character, scientific appreciation,. business enterprise, and commer- cial integrity. As Manchester is the cotton capital, Belfast is the linen capital of the British Empire. Belfast surpasses all other places in Ireland in the progress- and rapidity of its prosperity, and in this reminds an English writer of "the stories of American cities and towns." It is situated about twelve miles from the sea, at the mouth of the Lagan, which separates Down and Antrim, at the southern extremity of what was once called Carrickfergus Bay, but now Bel- fast Lough. Although built on an alluvial flat only a few feet above the sea level, the general arrangement of the streets, invariably running toward the sur- rounding hills and acting as funnels to convey constant currents of pure mountain air into the heart of the town, renders it very healthy. Although the vicinity is eminently historical and full of antiquarian and archaeological objects of interest, the town of Belfast itself is thoroughly modern, no house in it dating earlier than ANTRIM. Ill the middle of the last century. The castle, to the erection of which Belfast owes its existence as a town, was destroyed by fire in 1708, three of the ladies Chiches- ter perishing in the flames. The site of the castle, which was a magnificent structure, is now occupied by the castle buildings and castle market ; and the traces of the past history of Belfast are only to be found in the names of some of the older streets and localities. Thus Cromac Street and Cromac Place furnish reminiscences of Ballycromage, an- ciently a townland and probably a place of execution, Cromog signify- ing " a gallows." Clowney Bridge recalls Ballyclony, " the place of the meadows." Friars' Town — from Baile na inbrathair, or " the town iJ of the friars " — indicates the former existence of a monastery there. Millfield, on the western side, was the probable site of the mill and brewhouse which, at the end of the sixteenth century, were the only buildings here in addition to the castle. The rise of Belfast has been singularly rapid. Two centuries ago it was a mere fishing village. Carrickfergus was the principal entrepot for merchandise consigned to the adjacent country. Even after Belfast had in- creased in commercial importance, ships of large burden landed four miles dis- tant on the Down side of the Lough, and even as late as 1839 steamers plying between Belfast and Liverpool were compelled, at low water, to land their pas- sengers by means of small boats, at Donegal Quay, the only one then existing. An act of Parliament of June 30th, 1837, authorized a corporation to preserve and improve the port, and by remarkable ingenuity and judgment this body overcame numerous obstacles. Another act of June 21st, 1847, created a Board of Belfast Harbor Commissioners, under which the improvements in progress were completed and others projected." Indeed the result of the labors of these bodies has been hailed as almost of a magical character. A new channel has Methodist LolU^c, L«:ljast. * A lucid account of obstacles encountered, and the ability by which they were surmounted, will be found in The Ancient and Modem Histoiy of the Maritime Ports of Ireland, by Anthony Marmion. Fourth ed., London, iS6o. PICTURESQUE IRELAND. 1. "iU\x\XVl i;Jl\,st—Aiilyiiii side of tli been constructed, enabling vessels drawing from eighteen to twenty feet of water to come up close to the quays, the river frontage of which is at present upward of two miles in extent ; while five docks and basins, with a water-surface of ninety-six acres, furnish accommodation for vessels from all the leading ANTRIM. "3 :W;ii^^-,;:^T^:31|i ^.-^^,. ^ C,'."v ■^^—■- - of tliL Lagan. European and American ports. Dry docks and graving docks have been added to the various ship-building establishments, in the principal of which, that of Harland & Wolff, which employs over two thousand hands, all the United States Mail Steamers of the " White Star " line were built. 114 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Our " Bird's-eye View" presents a good idea of the situation of this fine town. The broad open space on the right is Queen's Quay with its ample accommoda- tion ; Donegal Quay on the opposite side of the river is principally used by the steamers plying to and from London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and other ports. The Lagan is crossed here by two splendid bridges, Ormeaugh Bridge, and Queen's Bridge, the latter of which, consisting of five granite arches of fifty feet span each, is a conspicuous feature in the view. It occupies the site of the old Long Bridge, which received so much damage by the passage of Schomberg's heavy cannon, on its way from Groomsport to the Boyne in 1689, that it never afterward was considered secure. We cannot but allude to the picturesque back- ground made by Divis Mountain, and Cave Hill (crowned by Mac- Art's fort), which, rising as it were from the tidal waters of the Lough, reach an altitude of 1,567 and 1,185 feet. The diversified and romantic acclivities of Cave Hill are graced by fine villas, gardens and planta- Queen's College. tions The general appearance of Belfast immediately and favorably impresses the mind of every visitor. While the busy scenes in the leading thoroughfares re- mind one of the ceaseless activity of Glasgow, Manchester, and other large centers of manufacturing industry, there is comparatively little of the smoke and dust which seem to have become permanent characteristics of those places. The activity of Belfast in commercial enterprises did not jarevent its inhabitants from cultivating letters, arts and science. Printing was introduced in 1696, and the first Bible printed in Ireland was printed here in 1704. Among the principal archi- tectural ornaments of the town are the buildings devoted to education and intel- lectual culture. Of those there may be enumerated the Belfast Academy, the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, the Model School, School of Art, Public Library, the Queen's College, the Presbyterian College, and the Methodist Col- lege. The places of religious worship, especially those of recent erection, are distinguished by architectural merit and effect. The Presbyterian and Wesleyan ANTRIM. 115 Presbyterian College. are of course largely in the majority, the former having thirty and the latter fifteen churches. The Baptists, Independents, Friends, Unitarians, and other Protestant denominations also possess sev- eral pUces of worship, as do the Roman Catholics, the most notable among the latter being St. Malachy's and St. Patrick's, both of which are on a cathedral scale, and in the Pointed style. The latter have also several conventual establishments. The Queen's College, opened in 1849, is a brick building in' the Tudor style, with an elegantly designed tower rising in the center. The number of students averages four hundred annually. During the noted meeting of the British Association in Bel- fast in 1874, the fine library of this college was appropriately utilized for committee consultations, and similar purposes. This college was built from the design of Charles Lanyon, county surveyor of Antrim; who also designed nearly all of the public buildings — the churches and lunatic asylum excepted — of Belfast. The Presbyterian College, erected in 1853, is devoted to the training of students intended for the ministry. The professorial chairs are endowed by Government. The Wesleyan Methodist College, erected in 1868, at a cost of over $150,000, ^ possesses an en- dowment of $125,- 000, raised by voluntary contri- butions, and re- ceives about three hundred students annually. One of the in- stitutions of which Belfast feels justly proud is the Botanical Garden. It is near the Queen's College, covers an area of seventeen acres, and extends to the Lagan. Its Botanical Garden, LIBRARY, QUEEN'S COLLEGE. THE ALBERT MEMORIAL. ii8 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. conservatories, its fine collections of plants and native heaths, specimens of forest trees, delightful scenery, and pervading effect of unremitting care and taste, pre- sent constant sources of admiration. The Albert Memorial, which stands at the foot of High Street, is of very striking appearance. It consists of a clock-tower, with open belfry and spire, the face next High Street being embellished by a statue of the Prince Consort. A'ort/i Gate, CarriLkJ'crgn The height of the structure, one of the most graceful of its kind, is 138 feet. It Avas erected by public subscription, and completed in 1S69. In every aspect Belfast is attractive. A distinguished and gifted American, Samuel S. Cox, with the growth of the great cities of his country in his ex- perience and before his mind's eye, writes " that no American city of the same size presents so much activity and commercial life : while at the same time, it is laid out with an elegance which betokens foresight and grace." Mr. Cox's visit was made toward the end of the month of August, and he describes the fields as "snow-white with linen bleaching in the sun, while the country between Drogheda and Belfast waved with the flax, some of which was in process of pulling." * * The Buckeye AlimaJ, by Samuel S. Cox, p. 395. ANTRIM. 119 The Irish Hnen manufacture — allusion to which, however brief, must be made in connection with Belfast — dates from a very remote period. It is said that so early as a.d. 12 16 it was in a flourishing condition, and that in a.d. 1245 Walter de Burgo, Earl of Ulster, had parcels of linen woven for his household. At a much earlier date, the Danes, in sacking Bangor, are said to have carried off vast Carrickfergus Castle^from the land side. quantities of fine linen robes. The linen cloth was usually dyed with saffron, and was worn by the inhabitants in large loose-fiowing robes, requiring some thirty or forty yards for each garment. When Shane O'Neill made his memorable visit to the Court of Elizabeth, the saffron-hued vests of his followers attracted as much attention from the Londoners as their flowing locks. The real progress of the Irish linen trade dates, however, from the settling of the French refugees in and about Lisburn in 1699. They brought with them the use of the spinning- wheel, and various improvements in weaving and bleaching, the adoption of which did more to benefit the trade than all the laws which had been passed for its protection. In 171 1 the Linen Board was formed "for the encouragement of PICTURESQUE IRELAND. the flax and hempen manufactures of Ireland," having the distribution of an annual grant of about $100,000, voted by Parliament. The protective system received further developments in later years, but did not prevent the linen indus- try from experiencing several seasons of extreme depression, especially during the American War of Independence. The prosperity of the trade dates from 1828, when the Linen Board was dissolved, and the various restrictions on the manufacture removed. The capitalists, thrown entirely on their own resources, without the least prospect of a re- turn to the boun- ty system, were compelled to adopt every pos- sible improve- ment, and so en- ergetically did they adapt them- selves to the new order of things, that up to this time they have kept a foremost place in the markets of the world. The developments of the linen industry are both numerous and impor- tant. The weaving of diaper was first introduced at Newtownards by James Bradshaw, about a century and a half ago. The manufacture of damask was introduced about the same time at Waringstown by Richard H olden ; at Lisburn by William Coulston ; followed up by Michael Andrews at Ardoyne. By these every new invention for perfecting the workmanship was introduced. Some of the original designs for table linen produced in this neighborhood stand unrivaled. Damasks from these looms at present adorn the tables of Queen Victoria and some of the other crowned heads of Europe, as well as of many of the leading nobility. Lurgan has long held the first place in the manufacture of cambric, lawn, and cambric handkerchiefs, and in diapers, and Ballymena stands out pre-eminent for its fine yard-wide plain linens. Carrickfergus, ten miles from Belfast,- formerly the county town of x\ntrim, received its name from Carrig, a rock, and Feargus, an Irish hero who was lost in a storm some three centuries before the Christian era. It has an ancient and turbulent record of wars, and sieges, and sanguinary conflicts. It was surrounded Swiff s Church at Kilroot, ANTRIM, by a wall, some traces of which are yet visible on the western side , and the North Gate, iri good preservation, still remains The streets within and without the ^ ^^^t-=;^S^ walls are narrow and ,,, Lrlenarm. antiquated. The chief object of interest now, as it was the commanding object of possession in the past, is the venerable castle. Standing on a low rock, it projects into the sea, and is ordinarily surrounded on three sides by water. It occupies a military position of great importance, and is the only one of the ancient Norman fortresses remaining in a state of preservation. It is garrisoned by troops, mounts twenty-five pieces of cannon, and is the most extensive depot for small arms in the North of Ireland. 122 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. This historical pile was built by Sir John de Courcy in 1178, Henry II. having made him a grant of all the land he might conquer in Ulster. Toward the town are two half-moon towers, and between them is the only entrance, defended by a strait passage with loop-holes. About the center of this passage Avas a drawbridge, protected by a barbican still to be seen. Between , the half- moons there was also an aperture through which to fling stones, melted lead, etc., on the assailants. There is a portcullis and aperture for the same purpose in- side, and still farther within, the lower and upper ballmm, ofificers' quarters, armorer's forge, furnace for heating lead, bomb-proof vaults, and all the other necessary resources of a powerful stronghold. The square tower is divided into five stories, in the third of which is the largest room, being twenty-five feet high, thirty-eight feet broad, and forty feet long. Within the keep, the walls of which are nearly nine feet thick, was a draw well, now nearly choked up, thirty- seven feet deep, the waters of which were said to possess medicinal virtues. This fortress, as suggested, was for centuries the objective point of many chiefs and invaders. " A right of supremacy over the lords of this territory (the ancient Dalriada, and Dalaradia) was claimed by the powerful family of the northern O'Neills, who were at length deprived of the southern part of this county by the family of Savage, and other English (Anglo-Norman) adventurers."* In 1315, Edward Bruce, having landed at Olderfleet (JVolder Firtli^ captured Carrickfergus Castle after a most vigorous defense by Sir Thomas Mandeville, who was killed in a sortie. After the defeat and death of Bruce, the English re- gained possession, but in 1333 William de Burgo, Earl of Ulster, was assassinated, and the O'Neills obtained possession, either extirpating the Anglo-Normans or reducing them within narrow bounds. In these prolonged conflicts, " several families," says Thierry, "who possessed great domains in those parts, such as the Audelys, the Talbots, the Touchets, the Chamberlains, the Mandevilles, and the Sauvages, all Normans byname and origin, were obliged to quit."f Subsequently the Anglo-Normans partially regained their possessions. The few Norman, fami- lies re-established in Ulster, after these events, were, as Thierry says, "either poor or had formed relations with the natives, and became more Irish than the Irish themselves." In 1386 Carrickfergus was burned by the Scots, and in 1400 was again destroyed by the combined forces of the Scots and Irish. It had many * Topographical Dictionary of Ireland : With Historical end Statistical Descriptions, tic. By Samuel Lewis. 2 vols. 4to. London, 1837. Article Antnm. \ History of the Conquest of England by the N'oj-mans : Its Causes and Consequences in England, Scotland, Ireland etc. By Augustus Thierry. Translated by Wm. Hazlitt. 2 vols. London, 1S56. Vol. ii,, p. 322. ANTRIM. 123 vicissitudes by fire and famine and war, and the corporation in 1573 represented the town as being one-third in ruins. It was in this state when the Earl of Essex landed here on his disastrous expedition against Hugh O'Neill. His successor, Lord-Deputy Sidney, built a wall around it in 1576 : but its resources were so reduced by the incursions of the O'Neills and O'Donnells that the Deputy, Lord Grey, found it necessary in 1581 to issue an edict peremptorily forbidding the in- habitants from paying to the Lord of Clannaboy the tribute known as " Bryan Ballaughe's Eric." In 1641 the design of Sir Henry Mac Neill to capture the town was frustrated by the vigi- lant activity of Arthur Chi- ^^£ ^-_ - Chester, governor of the _^_ Castle — who bore a promi- nent part in the final subju- gation of Ulster, and was rewarded by large tracts and titles — built a great castle here and another at Belfast, of which town he is esteemed the virtual founder. In the war of this year the fortress was alternately in the hands of the Scotch, English, and Irish. In 1642 Munroe held it for the Scotch Presbyterians : in 1648 he was surprised, captured and sent to England by Monk, who occupied it for the Parliament. Next, Montgomery of the Ards held it for Charles I., and in 1649 it was taken by Sir Charles Coote in the name of Cromwell. In 1666 the garrison mutinied, and seized castle and town, but were compelled to a surrender by the Duke of Ormonde. The " Irish quar- ter " outside the walls recalls Ormonde's proclamation of 1677 forbidding Ro- man CathoHcs to dwell within fortified towns. In 1689, the castle was held by, Lord Iveagh for James II. ; but during the year, the garrison, having exhausted its ammunition, surrendered to Schomberg for William III., who landed here in 1690 to take personal command of his army. The stone on which he first set his foot is still shown at the end of the pier. The quietude which followed this event for nearly three-quarters of a century was broken by Commodore Thurot, the descendant of ah exiled Jacobite officer named Farrell, who, in 1760, with three French frigates and eight hundred men, invested and captured the castle after a o-allant resistance. The next event of interest was also under naval auspices ; Olderfleet Castle. 124 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. as well asunder the stars and stripes carried by Paul Jones. On his famous cruise in \k\^ Ranger in 1778, while near Carrickfergus on the 21st June, he learned that the British man-of-war Drake, twenty guns, was in the bay. Prevented by the weather from attacking her that night, he sought shelter on the Scottish coast. The next day he set fire to Whitehaven, on the 23d sacked the Earl of Sel- kirk's, on St, Mary's Isle, and on the 24th dashed back to pay his respects to the Drake, which, in answer to an express from Whitehaven, he found coming out. Jones hoisted the stars and stripes, and in response to "a hail " demanding who he was, replied, " The American Continental ship Ranger, that he waited for them, and desired them to come on." This he emphasized with a broadside. The action was warm, close and ob- stinate, and resulted in the capture of the Drake. The old Church of St. Nicholas — dating from the eleventh or twelfth century — is the other object of in- terest in Carrickfergus. It contains some fine monuments, but the Done- gal family is charged with culpable neglect of family monuments and hereditary associations in permitting the venerable edifice to crumble piecemeal into ruins. The route from Carrickfergus around the coast to Ballycastle affords a grand treat to lovers of the picturesque. The road, which was designed in 1834 by Mr. Bald the engineer, and built at the joint expense of the government and the county, is a fine work cut through the hills of limestone, winding round the cliffs and passing for a great distance close to the sea. On the route to Larne it passes through the village of Eden to Kilroot, interesting to the literary world as containing the remains of the church in which Jonathan Swift, afterward the great Dean of St. Patrick, first officiated after taking orders. Not far distant, at Ballycarry, is another object of great interest to a special denomination connected with the history of Ulster — the ruins of the church of Templecoran, the first Presbyterian church erected (161 3) in Ireland. Leaving the coast road to Larne, a visit to the noted promontory called Island Magee will repay the tourist. On the eastern boundary are the stupendous basaltic cliffs, the Gobbins ( from Gob, the mouth, and Ben, height, or headland), forming a perpendicular palisade over 200 feet in height. The Island Magee massacre is infamously famous in history. Without entering Into the discussion as to the numbers slain. IIu uobhiii LliJJs 126 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. the fact is sufficient that a united band of English and Scotch under Munroe^ the Covenanter governor of Carrickfergus, on the 8th .of January, 1642, "in re- venge for some outrage on the Protestants in a neighboring district," precipitated a large number of unoffending Roman Catholics over the Gobbin Cliffs. In these cliffs are seven caves, into which the tide flows. They are a little above low-water mark, under a basaltic rock 210 feet high, intersected by layers of ochreous basalt an inch thick, and of a bright vermilion color. The island is over seven miles in length,' and averages perhaps one and a half in width. At Brown's Bay is an ancient Logan stone, now displaced from its pivot, weighing twelve tons ; and on ^^=j, ^- . the northern end at Ballyumpage are the remains of a crom- lech, or, as it is call- ed, "Druid's Altar," * near which several articles in pure gold have been found. Near the entrance to the peninsula, in a fine situation on a bold shore, are the remains of Castle Chichester, and there are also on the island the ruins of two ancient churches. A writer on the locality says that a curious account of this island is to be met, " in a private MS. in this county, which mentions that in the reign of Elizabeth it was a complete waste," without any wood, and that, evidently at the suggestion of Essex, "the Queen granted a lease of it to Savage." The ancient rent of the island was " two goshawks and a pair of gloves." Island Magee was noted as the theater of sorcery; in 171 1 eight females were tried on charges of witchcraft in Carrickfergus, and the memory of " Fairy Brown " is still a cause of "terror to the neighboring peasantry." We can pro- ceed by the ferry on the northwestern extremity to Larne by way of Olderfleet ; or reach the same place by resuming the coast road at Kilroot. Larne, nine and a half miles from Carrickfergus, is pleasantly situated under * Eugene O'Curry does not think the names synonymous. He is of the opinion that cromlechs were neither intended for, nor used as altars or places of sacrifice — that they were in no sense Druidical, but in every sense sepulchral. See MS. Matetials of Ancient Irish Hist. Appendix xcv. The Maidens. ANTRIM. 127 a steep hill in a fertile and sheltered glen at the head of Lough Larne, the name given to the inlet of the sea lying between Island Magee and the mainland of Antrim. The approach discloses some bold and picturesque scenery, the bright blue sea surrounding the island, and in almost immediate foreground the bleach greens and quarries. The entrance to the Lough — a deep channel — may be ob- served to lie between the long narrow strip of land, which from its resemblance to a reaping-hook is called the Curraan, or Carran, and Island Magee. Near the ex- tremity of the Carran are the ruins of Olderfleet Castle, erected to keep watch on the Scottish invaders. It was only abandoned as a military station when the crowns of England and Scotland were united on the ^ brow of James the First. Six miles from _^ the mainland are the Maidens — two lofty light-houses erected on rocky islets. The lanterns are respectively eighty-four and ninety feet above high water. From Larne the road leads along the coast, and four miles distant is tunneled through Ballygally Head, a bold promon- tory faced with enormous basaltic pillars, many joints of which are not less than eight feet in length. We next approach the village of Glenarm, and we may pause as well to admire the beauty of the situa- tion as the means by which we reach it. The coast road in this section leading into and from Glenarm has commanded enthusiastic approval. In its construction, according to the commissioners' report, two peculiar difficulties presented them- selves — one the necessity of constructing the road under a considerable extent of rocks some hundreds of feet in height, and with its base washed by the open sea: and the other its passage along portions of very steep hills of moving clay banks. " About 30,000 cubic yards of rock have been hurled down on the shore, and the road, ten feet above the highest tides, has been floored, partly upon the loose, and partly upon the solid rock." If the engineer "had worked with a poet and painter at his back, he could not have laid out its course more agreeably to the eye and to the imagination. It is constructed with equal skill, taste and enterprise; cliffs cut through, chasms crossed, watercourses walled and bridged — a roughly- ribbed and jagged coast, in short, traversed by a road as smooth and almost as Barbican of Anil 1 128 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. level as a tennis court. We have been surprised at the excellence of the roads all over Ireland, but by none so agreeably as this." * The view from the summit of any of the hills surrounding Glenarm is sur- passingly beautiful. Looking toward the sea, the Mull of Cantyre, the Scottish mainland stretches in the distance, upon which, even in moderately clear weather — says Wakeman — not only the fields but even the neatly white-washed houses are distinctly visible. The village is nestled in a romantic glen, surrounded by woods and watered by a troutful stream. Its chief architectural feature is the castle, which represents a still older structure of which some remains are still extant, and which was ___^ ;r^^ for many years the - ^-^^^= ""^ ^^ seat of the MacDon- nells, Earls of An- trim. The castle is quadrangular, flank- ed at the angles with four beautifully pro- portioned towers supporting minarets, topped by vanes. The entrance is through a noble bar- b i c a n , approached from without by a bridge. " Four hundred deer and stags graze around it, and six hundred old an- cestral trees overshadow its ground : and all this smiling and peaceful beauty, shel- tered between the wild black rocks which form the little glen, with a view opening on old ocean rolling his stormy white-crested waves beyond, forms perhaps the most wonderful site in all the world for a stately baronial mansion." The distant hill rising above the opening of the valley is the celebrated Sleive Mish, where St. Patrick as a boy captive is said to have tended the swine of Milcho. A fine bay six miles in extent reaches from the headlands of Glenarm on the south to the bold promontory of Garron Point on the north. Between those points on land the road crosses the vale of Carnlough, in the center of which is the hamlet of the same name. Garron Point is a conspicuous promon- tory consisting of three pinnacles united by precipices of basalt. The highest Bmf're and LastU at GUiuinn * Bartlett's Ireland. Letter-press by N. P. Willis, J. Sterling Coyne, etc. ANTRIM. 129 summit is of easy access, along a gently rising verdant bank. Near it, on the acclivities of Nachore hill, 1,179 f^^t above the sea, which rises over the Point, and occupying an elevated site is Garron Tower, a modern castellated ;.^ structure of fine appearance, built by the dowager Marchioness of Londonderry, whose boundless wealth, it is gratefully recorded, was ' employed liberally in the improvement of her es- tate in this part of Antrim. She had a railway constructed at her own expense from the lime- stone quarries to the sea, at the village of Corn- lough, which quickly underwent a complete transformation under -^m^'' the magic power of her gold- en wand She presided per- Cnujon Toum sonally over the entertain- ments given to her tenants, and delivered able lectures to them on the management of their farms. From this and the neighboring heights extensive views of the scenery between Glenarm and Cushendon, as well as of the Scottish ' '■■""'^■S-r coast, are obtained. From the shore line also at Garron Point, the views, north and south, are truly characterized as magnificent. The road here is cut through the cliff of the promontory, and presents a rather notable appear- ance. Farther on are the limestone rocks called Clough-i-stookan (from clotigk, stone, and stook, a pinnacle), which have been isolated from the mainland, not by 9 I30 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Road through Cliff at Gar ran Point. the engineer, but by the labor of time and the tides. Rounding Garron Point we enter Red Bay, so called from the soft red sandstone of its rocky boundary. And just here, perhaps, it is as well that we should pause and hear, in a condensed form, what the scientists have to say on the interesting and important geologi- cal and mineralogical features of this county. Excepting a diversified district on the east coast, and the valley of the Lagan, nearly the whole County of An- trim is occupied by basaltic beds, present- ing magnificent abrupt declivities on the north and east. These secondary beds consist of enormous unstratified masses of an average depth of 300 feet, though at Knock-Layd it is 980 feet, the base of which is of mica slate. The beds of columnar basalt occur almost exclusively on the northern extremity. Besides the columnar strata, known as the Giant's Causeway, and the adjacent cliffs, similar strata are seen in other parts, particu- larly near the town of Antrim and Kilroot. Slievemish or Slemish Mountain is an enormous mass of greenstone, which also occurs in other localities. Porphyry occupies a considerable district south of Connor and Kells, and is met in other places, especially near Cushen- dall. The substance called wood-coal occurs in thin strata at Portnoffer, Kiltymorris, Bal lintoy, and elsewhere. All the other rocks of An trim are beneath the basaltic beds in geological position. The first is hard chalk, sometimes called white limestone, which averages 200 feet in thickness and occurs on the eastern and "~"~" southern sides of the county and on the southern coast of Rathlin Island Clo ugh - i- Stooka n . Green sandstone next occurs in ANTRIM. 131 the neighborhood of Belfast, to the north of Carrickfergus, near Larne, at Garron Point, etc. ; and under this are found Has beds on the coast between Garron Point and Larne. These, together with the chalk and basalt, are based upon beds of reddish and reddish-brown sandstone of various textures, which are found under the entire southeastern border, in several spots along the eastern coast, and in considerable tracts from Red Bay to Ballycastle : the upper strata form a marl, in which are veins of gypsum. The coal district of Ballycastle comprises about two miles along the coast ; the beds crop out above the level of the sea, dipping to the _ south east about one foot in nine, ^ ^ and alternate with sm- others of sandstone and slate clay, being themselves of a ' slaty quality. The only rocks lying un- der the strata of the great coal district, besides the primi- tive rocks of mica- slate, etc., men- tioned, are those of " old red sandstone," between the bays of Cushendall and Cushendun. All of the above-mentioned strata are occasionally intersected and dislocated by remark- able dykes of basalt or whinstone, varying from three inches to sixteen feet in width. Sometimes very minute dykes or veins of greenstone penetrate these enormous beds of basalt, and are particularly noticeable near Portrush, where they are seen in the face of the cliff hot more than an inch broad. Chert is also found in abundance and variety at Portrush. Fuller's earth exists in the basaltic dis- trict, in which also a rough tripoli is found at Agnew's Hill, near Larne, and a vein of steatite or French chalk in the path to the Gobbins. Red Bay is the most beautiful of the bays on the Antrim coast. Opening inland from the bay is Glenariff. From Red Bay to Cushendun, a distance of six miles, there are four vales or glens — Glenariff, Glendall, Glenaan, and Glen- dun, named after their respective streams, the Ariff, the Dall, the Aan, and the Dun. Of these elens the first named is esteemed the most beautiful. It is Tunnel at Red Bay. 132 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. bounded on the one side by the cHffs of Carnlea, 1,179 f^^t high, and on the opposite by Lurgethan, a huge truncated cone of equal altitude. Leaping be- tween boldly escarped Avails the Ariff River forms a waterfall and flows into the sea at the little hamlet of Waterfoot. Beyond the latter are the noted caves of Red Bay, excavations in the soft red sandstone, formed perhaps by the unceas- ing inroads of the ' -'I IT^^F waves in days past, now exclud- ed by the embank- ment. Red Bay Castle, the ruins of which tower above a lofty arch cut through JIin-/oii£;h Bay. , , the southern end of one of the projecting red cliffs, was, in 1598, the residence of Randall Mac Donnell, then lord of the county, but was originally built by the Bissetts. The shore view from Red Bay is something very remarkable. On the left, a range of deeply-furrowed escarpments, with torn and irregular abutments, extends for miles along the coast. In this the courses and furrows of numerous waterfalls — torrents precipitated over mural crowns more than one thousand feet high, have a striking and splendid effect. Many of these waterfalls are permanent — some abundant in the rains of spring and summer, and all foaming and flashing in winter. The glens alluded to arrest our attention as we proceed. Next to Glenariff is Glendall, lying between Lurgethan and Trostan, the latter being 1,810 feet high and the highest of the hill chain here. The road through this orlen leads from Cushendall to Ballymena. Glenaan, a narrow valley, lies between the mountains of Sleevebulliagh, 1,346 feet high, and Eshery, the moorland crown of which is 1,197 feet over the sea. Glendun is bounded on the west by the mountains of Glenmakeeran, 1,321 feet high, and across the lower end the new road from Cushendun to Ballycastle is carried over a fine stone bridge, the central arch of which is eighty feet above the river Dun. The village of Cushendall affords the tourist a resting-place and a point from which he can devote at least a couple of days to profitable expeditions among the cliffs, shores, mountains and glens of the vicinity, especially as he must soon leave the coast ; as, from Cushendall to Fairhead, with the exception of the little ANTRIM. 133 •>■ bays of Cushendun ami Murlough, the mountain descend so sheer to the si„a as to leave no opportunity for a road ; which has to take a turn inland, and be earned over the mountains at a con- siderable elevation to Bally- castle, and at a distance of some two miles and a half from the shore. The coast road, however, from Larne to this point, is one which presents N 1 \ '% Fair he ad. jch 134 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. scenery to the eye as cannot readily be obliterated from the memory. It embraces the most interesting coast-drive in the kingdom. Skirting the shore the entire way, a rare opportunity is afforded of viewing its great distinguishing features to the best advantage. The outlines of the shore assume the most pleasing forms, and produce effects which are peculiarly agreeable from their striking contrasts and harmonious variety. Here, the road penetrates the high, jutting, rocky pro- montory; there it sweeps around the smooth, lovely, circular bay. Unlike many of our estuaries, says Fraser, the ebbing tides disclose no silty, no noxious resi- duum, but leave the smooth strand and pebbly beach in lieu of the dark blue waters. The outlines, forms, colors, and char- acters of the cliffs, so totally different in all these respects from those of the other shores of Ireland, never fail to arrest the attention, while the ever-varying and new alternations of rocky precipice, grassy bank, sequestered knoll, and cultivated lea invariably excite the most pleasing emotions. Within a mile of Cushendall are the ruins of the old Church of Layd, where, according to tradition, is buried Ossian, the famous poet, son of Fioun, the disciplinarian of the ancient Fenian hosts, and himself a leader of this na- tional militia. Three miles • northward is the pleasantly situated fishing hamlet of Cushendun, and six miles farther Tor Head, only distant twelve miles from the Mull of Cantyre, which makes it the nearest point to Scotland. " In some old maps of Elizabeth's time. Tor is called ' the Scots' warning fire,' from the Scots who had settled in these parts making fires on it to bring over their friends to their assistance, when about to be assailed by the English or Irish." The sturdy tourist will keep to the cliff path, and take in the beauty of Mur- lough Bay, from which to its northwestern point of Benmore, or Fair Head, the coast is not only very fine, but of deep interest to the geologist. Vast fragments of rocks lie scattered along the shore, amongst which enormous masses of colum- nar greenstone prevail. Fair Head, the Robogdium Promontormm of Ptolemy the Geographer, is a bold Entrance io Grey Mans Path. ANTRIM. 135 and beautiful headland, one of the most striking on the whole coast of Ireland. According to the Ordnance Survey its height is 639 feet, of which the face of the cliff shows 319 feet of a perpendicular escarpment. It is formed of colossal basaltic pillars, some of which exceed two hundred feet in length, and are from five to twenty in diameter. One of these, by Dr. Playfair's measurement, is a quadrangular prism, thirty-three feet by thirty-six on the sides, and of the gigan- tic altitude mentioned. It is said to be the largest basaltic pillar yet discovered on the face of the globe, "exceeding in diameter the pedestal that supports the statue of Peter the Great at St. Petersburg, and considerably surpassing in length the shaft of Pompey's pillar at Alexandria." At the foot of this magnificent col- onnade is seen an immense mass of rocks similarly formed, accumulation of debris, and huge fragments of the enormous pillars which have fallen from their place, and lie piled in masses and groups, resembling many of the varieties of artificial ruins, and forming a novel effect : the deep waters of the sea rolling at their base with a full and heavy swell. The whole headland is widely different from the small, compact, close-grained basalt of the neighborhood, being a highly crystalline greenstone, and supposed to belong to a different epoch, notwith- standing its close proximity to the great basaltic mass. " It presents to the spectator," says Dr. Drummond, "the most stupendous colonnade ever erected by nature, and in comparison of which the proudest monuments of human archi- tecture are but the efforts of pigmy imbecility to the omnipotence of God." " The scene of ruin," says another writer, "at the base of these Titanian pillars, is probably not exceeded in Europe." Hall says it is " grand in the extreme — sublime beyond conception/' and, appalled at its extent and magnificence, adds, " it is utterly impossible for any description to afford an idea of its surpassing grandeur — to portray which the pencil of the artist is equally incapable." Bay- ard Taylor, in his Views a-Foot, records a metaphor which is both suggestive and descriptive : " My companion," he says, " compared it to Niagara Falls petrified, and I think the simile very striking. It is like a cataract falling in huge waves, in some places leaping out from a projecting rock, in others descending in an un- broken sheet." Whether considered in a scenic or scientific point of view, Fair Head is the highest, boldest, and most interesting promontory on the whole grand line of the Antrim coast ; and it will be freely admitted, that no one who has de- scended this promontory by the "Grey Man's Path," can forget its wonderful basaltic precipices, and the natural ruins at its base. In walking along the top of the cliff, several of the vast pillars may be seen to be partially loosened from the mainland, and to lean out fearfully over the gulf below. The Fhir Leith, or 136 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Grey-Man's Path, is a fissure in the precipice, through which a path winds down to the shore. A part of a huge pillar has fallen across the narrowest part near the top, and looks threatening enough to forbid risking oneself in the path beneath. But in the midst of these wild scenes one gets accustomed to danger. The pas- sage widens in the descent, and the walls assume a vast and sombre significance, rising, as they do, some two hundred and twenty feet. The views from off this promontory of a fine day are truly beautiful. Scotland approaches within seventeen miles, and i t s rocky shores and moun- tains, and even i t s habitations, with the aid of a moderate glass, are quite distinct- 5^ ly seen. Far off - to the north the Paps of Jura and the Crag of Ailsa appear faintly against the cloudless horizon, as if some viewless hand had traced " An airy palace on the sky ;" and nearer, to the east, the mountains of Ayrshire and the crags of Arran seem softened by distance into an almost ethereal tinge of blue ; while westward, the sharp bluffs of the receding headlands of the Causeway jut out one by one, until they conduct the eye across to the point of Innishowen Head and the moun- tains of Donegal, still more faintly blue than the Scottish mountains to the east. In descending from Fair Head towards Ballycastle we pass two small lakes — Caolin and Crossa — near the edge of the precipice, and nearly five hundred feet above the sea. The celebrated Whin-dyke of Carrig Maur opens a passage for the waters which precipitate themselves over the cliff, forming a scanty but at times pretty waterfall dripping fantastically from the brow of the dingy rocks into the ocean.* Not far from the promontory is a little settlement, with the remains of a factory, which is known as the Salt-Pans, a view of which adds to Ilu Salt Pans *See Tours in Ulster : a Handbook to the Antiquities and Scenery of the North of Ireland. By J. B. Doyle. With numerous illustrations. Dublin, 1854, ANTRIM. 137 like summit is 1,635 feet above the sea. Ballycastle is the principal town to be met with after Larne. It is compa- ratively new, that is, scarcely a century The Grey-Man's Palh. 138 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. and a quarter old, and owes its advantages to the energy and foresight of one man, Hugh Boyd, who without considerable fortune, or great natural connec- tions, or superior talents, opened public roads, formed .. harbor, built a town, established manufactures, and lived to see a wild country cultivated and active with industry. He also, at his own expense, built a church, whose walls received his body on the day of its consecration in 1756. After the demise of Boyd mis- fortune seems to have fallen on his life-project. In 1770 the Irish Parliament aided improvements to encourage the coal works ; but the sand filled the harbor, and the mining operations failed. Since 1873 the latter have been resumed with some prospect of success. The collieries which are situated in an abrupt bank over-hanging the sea between Fair Head prom- ontory and the town, are sup- posed, says Mar- mion, to have been worked even as early as the time the Phoenicians traded with this country. Ham- ilton, writing in 1 784, records the fact that some twelve years previous, the workmen, in pushing forward a new adit, unexpectedly broke through the rock into a cavern. The hole was not very large, and two lads with candles were made to creep in to explore this new region. Going forward they entered an extensive labyrinth branching off into numerous apartments, in the mazes of which they were completely lost and their lights extinguished. Opening a pas- sage, the workmen in the drift extricated the lads after a night's imprisonment. " On examining this subterranean wonder, it was found to be a complete gallery which had been driven forward many hundred yards to the bed of coal ; — that it branched off into various chambers, where the miners had pushed on their differ- ent works; — that pillars were left, at proper intervals, to support the roof; — in short, it was found to be an extensive mine, wrought by a set of people at least as expert in the business as the present generation. Some remains of the tools, and even the baskets used in the works, were discovered, but in such a state that on Keiibanc — looking over Ballycastle Bay to Fairhead. ANTRIM. 139 Tjeing touched they immediately fell to powder. The antiquity of this work is pretty evident from hence, that there does not remain the most remote tradi- tion of it in the country ; but it is still more strongly demonstrable from a natural process which has taken place since its formation, for stalactite pillars liad been generated, reaching from the ^^ ■ — ^-- ___^ -^^ roof of the pit to the floor ; and the sides and supports were found covered with sparry incrustations, which the present Avorkmen do not observe to be deposited in any definite portion of time." * Dr. Wm. H. Drummond, in a note to his poem " The Giant's Causeway," throws a doubt on Hamilton's theory regarding the an- cient working of these mines, by stating that they had been wrought " about eighty years j^rior to the discovery of the chambers alluded to." This doubt, however, is removed by a circumstance which seems to carry conclusion with it in the minds of several writers ; it is this : that Bruce's Castle on Rathlin Island, over seven miles distant, was built with lime burned with sea coal, the cinders of which are visible in the mortar and bear a strong resemblance to those of Ballycastle coal. The suspicion that the coal might have been brought from England, is untenable for several reasons : first, at the time the castle was built, the English had but just discovered the use of sea coal as fuel ; second, the English collieries were not then generally worked ; third, we find that in the time of Edward I., sea coal having been tried in Lon- don, its use was prohibited on the ground that the vapor was noxious to the public health ; and fourth, if the English did export coal it would be to some place of commercial character ; and the British charts of the period do not lay down a single village in all this line of coast.f South of Ballycastle, , at the eastern base of Knocklayd, is the Vale of Glenshesk, the road through which leads to Armoy, where are the remains of an ancient tower. The coast cliffs are crowned by castle ruins. Doonany is Carrick-a-Rede and Sheep Island. " Letters concerning the Northern Coast of the Countiy of Antiiin, containing a Natural History of its Basalles, etc. Ey the Reverend William Hamilton, A.M., Fellow of Trin. Coll. Dub. ,1786. Pp. 33-35. f Hamilton, p. 27. 140 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Kcnbanc Ca:,tk,f) out Southeast— Raihlin in the distance. close by; Duncurry, on a cliff 300 feet high, within a mile and a half; and three miles westward McAllister's Castle on Kenbane {Keji-ban), the white head, ANTRIM. 141 Cat lick a-Redt at flu Rope Bt idze 'I a pictures- que rock of white limestone in the midst of the basalt. It is connected with the main- land by a nar- row ledge, and the chalk is worn by the waves into several fantastically shaped caves. The most remarkable cave in the vicinity is a sort of mmiature of Fingal's at Staffa, called Grace Staples' Cave, the columnar pillars of which are regularly placed, as if art and not nature had arranged their position. Between this and Carrick-a-Rede there is a remarkable fissure in the rock, called the Bulye, made, according to tradition, by a stroke of the mighty sabre of Cuchullin, one of the Ossianic heroes. 142 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. Carrick-a-Rede, so called from being a " rock in the road," which intercepts the course of the salmon along the coast — is another highly striking promon- tory or islet on this romantic shore, which derives additional interest from being connected with the mainland by a flying rope-bridge flung across an appalling chasm. The island is over three hundred feet high, and contains about two and a half acres ; and the frightful bridge, made for the accommodation of fisher- men in summer-time, is constructed in a simple manner. Two strong cables are extended across the gulf by an expert climber and fastened firmly into iron rings mortised into the rock. Between and upon these ropes boards a foot In breadth are laid crosswise in succes- sion, on which other boards are fastened lengthways by cross-cords, and thus the aerial pathway is formed, which, though broad enough to bear a man's foot with tolerable convenience, does not by any means hide from view the pointed rocks and raging sea beneath. This light and airy contrivance, swaying and un- dulating in a space sixty feet wide, and over a chasm ninety feet deep, presents an appearance of danger which unde- niably affects even persons of strong nerve. The greatest caution is necessary in using the hand-rope placed on one side as a guide. The slighest inadvertence in placing too much weight on it would precipitate the passenger headlong into the sea, or Avhat is worse, on to the rocks. It is, as Hamilton suggests, a beautiful bridge in scenery, but a frightful one in real life. The people in the habit of using it, however, pass and repass with apparent ease ; and even the fishers' wives and sons carry burdens across with evident contempt of danger. Still, from a boat in the water, and gazing upward, it is painful to see people crossing the bridge, and distressing to anticipate the imminent danger to which they are incessantly exposed in their struggle for existence. It may be asked, says a writer, why the fishermen do not spare them- selves the trouble of throwing across this very dangerous bridge, and ap- proach the island by water ? and the answer Is given that It Is perfectly Carrick-a Rede — Base of the Chasm. ANTRIM. 143 impracticable, owing to the extreme perpendicularity of the basaltic cliffs on every side, except in one small bay, which is only accessible at particular periods. The residents in the little cottage on the island comprise the clerk and the fishermen, who remain only during the summer months. "This sal- mon fishery, and indeed all those along the northern coast, are very produc- tive. The fishermen are paid, and all the expenses of fishing defrayed, by proportionate allowances of salmon." There is a beautiful and remarkable cave of unsupported basaltic columns, thirty feet high — the bases of which have been washed away or otherwise removed — in the cliffs near the island. The shores around Carrick-a-Rede are exceedingly picturesque, and the surface which alternates with the high cliffs and rocks very beautiful, romantic, and fer- tile. One of the finest views afforded on the whole coast of Antrim is obtained from a little eminence above the path leading from the old Ballycastle road down to "the Rock in the Road." Proceeding west through the hamlet of Ballintoy, and by the bay of the same name, we reach, at a distance of some four miles, the remarkable rock and ruins of Dunseverick. The rock is isolated, of perpendicular form, one hundred and twenty feet in height, and about half an acre in area on the top. The Cas- tle is a solitary remnant of a ruin like that at Kenbane and other cliff castles on this coast, and the whole presents a strikingly romantic and suggestive aspect. " Immense masses of the rock have been hewn away, evidently for the purpose of rendering the castle as inaccessible as possible. An enormous basaltic rock, south of the entrance, also appears to have been cut in a pyramidal form, and flattened on the top, perhaps as a station for a warder, or for the use of some en- gine of defense." The locality is invested with peculiar interest to the historical student from the fact that it perpetuates the name of Sovarkie, one of the earliest Milesian kings of Ireland, who with his brother Kermna, jointly ruled the king- dom nearly twelve hundred years before the Christian era. They were the first Ulster kings of Ireland ; and the portion north of a line from Drogheda to Lim- erick was governed by Sovarkie, who built a fortress-palace named Dun Sovar- kie. The neighborhood naturally took the name of the fort, as Fort Washing- ton and Fort Hamilton give names to places in the neighborhood of New York ; but it is doubtful if the area of the rock, as seen at present, would have accom- modated the dimensions of Dun Sovarkie. A portion of the fortress — a look-out — may have been on the rock, as it seems to be agreed by antiquarians "that a fortress existed here long before the introduction of Christianity." It was a chosen place for a stronghold, and the ruin, represented in the illustration, the 144 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. walls of which were eleven feet thick, is the remnant of one of the McQuillans' castles — subsequently occupied by the O'Cahans — and dates to the twelfth century. The tourist now has his choice of two routes to the Causeway — one by a Bengore Head — The PleasLm, from i/u IVcst Avalk along the headlands, the other by the road to Bushmills, and thence to the Causeway, The author of Totirs in Ulster is justified in his selection of the former, as being one of the most varied, most singular, and interesting walks to be found in any country. Every step is replete with novelty. The thousand little objects, that can scarcely be named — grotesque fragments of rocks, little tiny amphitheaters scooped out of the cliffs — these, combined with the striking and majestic features of the more celebrated points of view, keep the mind in a state of pleasing excitement, and produce impressions, such, perhaps, as no other class of scenery would impart. The same writer recommends the tourist to suitably prepare himself for this walk b}' procuring No. 3 of the Ordnance Map of An- trim for handy and frequent reference,"" to which we would add that his owm book will be a useful pocket companion to the map. After Dunseverick we * Tours in Ulster, etc. By J. B. Doyle. Illustrated, 1S54. ANTRIM. 145 DiDiseverick Castle. meet the rock of sorcery, Ben an Danaan, and next a fine cascade, where the stream from Feagh Hill plunges over the cliffs into Port Moon. 146 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. The leading features of this coast, as Hamilton remarks, are the two great promontories of Bengore and Fair Head, which are eight miles distant from each other : both formed on a great and extensive scale, both abrupt toward the sea, abundantly exposed to observation, and each in its kind exhibiting noble ar- rangements of the different species of columnar basalts. Fair Head has already been described. Bengore is'about seven miles from Ballycastle. In reaching it from Dunseverick we pass some nine " ports," each from an eighth to a quarter of a mile in extent, with its particular name, and some with striking rocks — such as the Hen and her Chickens, the Stack, the Four Sisters, which the guides will _,^„^^ ^ point out. Bengore, viewed at a dis- tance on sea, presents a headland pro- file running out a considerable dis- tance from the coast into the ocean. Strictly speaking, however, it is made up of several capes, the tout ensemble of which forms what the seamen call the Headland of Bengore. These capes are composed of a variety of dif- ^ ferent ranges of pillars, and a great - number of strata ; which, from the ab- !l ruptness of the coast, are extremely ~ conspicuous, and form an unrivaled pile of natural architecture, in which all the neat regularity and elegance of art is united to the wild magnificence of nature. In every ocean view from Fair Head to Bengore, and indeed from points south- east of the former and far west of the latter, the Island of Rathlin (also called Ragherry, Rachlin, Rachrin) is a prominent object, varying, of course, in size and position, from the point of view. Its nearest points to the mainland are about three miles from Fair Head, and five and a half from Ballycastle. Its form is a rude resemblance to a low-legged boot, the toe of which points to Ballycastle col- lieries, the top. Bull Point, to the Atlantic Ocean, and the heel, where Bruce's Castle is situated, to the Scottish coast of Cantyre, which is nearly fifteen miles distant. From the top to the heel is five miles, and from the heel to the toe four. Its breadth varies from half a mile to a mile and a quarter. On the inside of the bend is Church Bay. The highest point on the northwestern part — North Kenra- mer — is 447 feet above the sea level ; and the cliffs all around the northern shores. Bt iCLL i Lastle. ANTRIM. 147 from Bruce's Castle to the recess of Church Bay, veryprecipitous, averaging 300 feet. This small island, surrounded as it is by a wild and turbulent sea, fortified by barriers of inhospitable rock, and containing little or nothing in itself to pro- voke the rage of either avarice or ambition, might, suggests Dr. Drummond, be supposed to have escaped the desolating scourge of war. But if its almost inaccessible retirement recommended it as a home for peace and religion, the latter also awakened piratical cupidity ; while its commanding position and natu- ral defenses suggested its use both as a warlike rendezvous, and as a refuge for the heroic unfortunate. Hence history records many pages of blood and rapine on the little thea- ter of this island. It has felt the fury and rapacity o f Danish, Engl ish and H e b r i d i a n arms. The mon- astery established b)^ St. Columba, with all its shrines was ravaged and destroyed in 790 , and again in 973 by the Danes, who, on their second descent, killed the abbot. The memory of a dreadful massacre by the Highland Scotch Campbells is still preserved ; and a place called Sloe na Calleach ("slaughter of the old women ") perpetuates a tra- dition of the destruction of all the aged women of the island, by precipitation over the rocks. The barbarian author of the atrocity was named MacNalreavy. Hamilton remarks that in his time the memory of this deed was so strongly im- pressed on the inhabitants that no person of the name of Campbell was allowed to settle on the island. After the disgraceful execution of William Wallace, by Edward I., and the disruption of Scottish claims and rights, Robert Bruce found a refuge here when forced to leave his native country. He was pursued, how- ever, and the remains of the fortress, on the northern angle of the island, cele- brated for the defense which the hero made in it, is still known as Bruce's Castle. The antiquity of this building is nearly six centuries; indeed, "it maybe consider- ably older, as the time which Bruce spent in Rathlin was scarce sufficient for the purpose of erecting it." Here it was that the Bruce received the lesson in Doon Point. 148 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. The Giant's Granny. perseverance from watching the labors of a spider, which, after several failures, suc- ceeded in securely fastening its web to a beam, that led him to the glorious field of Bannockburn. Since then it ,_»7.T, has been held unlucky and ungrateful, says Scott, for one of the name of Bruce to kill a spider. The English invaded Rathlin unsuccess- fully in 1 551; but seven years later the Lord-Dep- uty Sussex drove out the Scots with great carnage. Rathlin — the Ricina of Ptolemy — has long been an object of study as well as of curiosity, on account of the similarity of its shores to those on the coast of Antrim, from which, it is supposed, it has been severed by some awful convulsion. Geologists agree that the structure of the island and the adjacent mainland are identical, and Hamilton was of opinion that this island, standing between the coasts of Antrim and Scotland, may be the surviving fragment of a large tract of country, which at some period of time has been buried in the _ deep, and may have formerly united Staffa -^^ and the Giant's Causeway. The island is "fi= principally occupied by those basaltic beds ^fe:- which are classified by Dr. Berger under the ~ heads : tabular basalt, columnar basalt, green- stone, graystone, porphyrj', bole or red ochre, wacke, amygdaloidal wacke, and wood-coal ; and imbedded in them are granular olivine augite, calcareous spar, steatite, zeolite, iron pyrites, glassy feldspar, and chalcedony. Doon Point, on the eastern coast, is regarded as a beautiful and remarkably curious development of the process of basaltic formations, presenting, as it does, a combination of per- pendicular, horizontal and bending pillars. It is thought "more worthy of obser- vation than the Causeway, and better calculated to explain the phenomenon of the basaltic crystallizations." Its base resembles a mole composed of erect columns like those of the Giant's Causeway; over the extremity of this mass, others appear >% ' r- The Lion's Head. .. r Hill-' ':'i*l't'l-' '*' iilflf t* tlfitH I m^4 -£fi»- PLEASKIN— GIANT S CAUSEWAY. ISO PICTURESQUE IRELAND. in a bending form, as if they had slid over in a state of softness, capable of accom- modating themselves to the course of their descent, and thus assuming the figure of various curves in consequence of the action of gravity ; over all, several pillars are disposed in a horizontal position, such as would accord with an hypothesis of their having just reached the brink of the ascent, where they were suddenly ar- rested and became rigid, lying along with their extremities pointing out toward the sea.* The channel between the main and the island is very turbulent, the eastern opening being insufficient for the press of waters from the Atlantic, which conse- quently returns in a counter-current tide westward for thirty miles, while the true tide is running east. The channel is called the Valley of the Sea {Sleuck na Massa), and also Brecan's Caldron, or hollow {Corrie-Brecaiii), in consequence of the loss here of Brecain — son of Nial of the Nine Hostages — and his fleet of fifty Curraghs. Nothing can be grander than the Atlantic rolling with the tide, but no sooner does the ebb oppose itself to this mighty mass of waters, than the wild- est confusion occurs, the waves foaming and tossing in a fearful manner. The rushing of the waters from the Scottish and Irish shores at each other is vividly described in Cormac's Glossary. They are sucked down as if into a gaping cal- dron. " The waters are again thrown up, so that their belching, roaring, and thundering are heard amidst the clouds, and they boil like to a caldron upon a fire." In the Lord of the Isles, founded on adventures of Bruce after he left Rathlin, Scott alludes to the " roar " of " Corryvreken's whirlpool rude." Returning to Bengore, from which we were attracted by Rathlin, we resume our observations on the coast line. Bengore proper presents a broad convexity to the sea, forming a striking contrast to the semicircular bays and pointed capes, the most perfect of which is called the Pleaskin {Pleasg-ke7i, the dry head). Near the former is the remarkable natural pillar which, thanks to the guides and custom, is called " The Giant's Granny." Passing westward by Port na Trughen — Lamentation harbor, so called from the woful moans, as of human voices, issuing from the caves — we meet the "Giant's Pulpit," hanging over the sea, the perpendicular rock called the " Giant's Ball Alley," the " Twins " off the fine headland called Ben-bane na Parage (the white cliff of the sea), and the red sandstone group called the " Lion's Head " a little east of Horse-shoe Harbor, and finally Port na Pleaskin, before we reach the splendid semicircular precipice of Pleaskin itself. Sir John Forbes thinks It the most beautiful and pictur- esque of these cliffs, and that In which the various strata, particularly the colum- * See Hamilton, p. 128 ; Drummond, pp. 168-171. ANTRIM. 151 nar, are more regularly shown. However we may agree with Sir John, that " no drawing would do full justice to its splendor and magnificence, as seen in the morning sunshine from the boat;" still it will be seen that in the bold profile viewfrom the east, given by our artist, its remarkable features alluded toby Ham- ilton — whose description in its combination of scientific accuracy and pictorial effect has not been bettered by any writer since — are suggestively conveyed. The summit of Pleaskin is covered with a thin grassy sod, under which lies the natural rock, having generally an uniform hard surface, somewhat cracked and shivered. At the depth of twelve feet from the summit, this rock begins to assume a columnar tendency, and forms a range of massy pillars of basalt, which stand 1 perpendicular to the horizon, presenting, in — ^ , ' the sharp face of the promontory, the appear- ance of a magnificent gallery or colonnade, upward of sixty feet in height. This colon- nade rests on a solid base of coarse, black, irregular rock, sixty feet thick, abounding in blebs or air-holes — but though comparatively irregular, it may be observed to affect a pe- culiar figure, tending in many places to run into regular forms, resembling the shooting of salts and many other substances duringa hasty crystallization. Under this great bed of coarse stone stands a second range of pillars, between forty and fifty feet in height, less gross and more sharply defined than those of the upper colonnade, many of them, on a close inspection, emulating even the neatness of the columns in the Giant's Causeway. This second range is supported on a layer of red ochre stone, which serves as a relief to show it to great advantage.* These two admirable natural galleries, together with the interjacent mass of irregular rock, form a perpendicular height of one hundred and seventy-five feet ; from the base of which, the promontory, covered over with rocks and grass, slopes down to the sea for the space of two hundred feet more, making in all a mass of nearly four hundred feet in height, which in beauty and variety of its coloring, in elegance and novelty of arrangement, and in the extraordinary magnitude of its objects, cannot readily be rivaled by anything of the kind at present known. The cliff appears as though it had been painted for effect in various shades of The Kin^ anil Ins \ool, \ j > oin tiu llisl. * " The only instances of different ranges of basalts that have hitherto been discovered, occur in the valuable work of M. Faujas de St. Fond on the volcanoes of Viverais, etc. ; but the arrangement which appears there, even with the neat- ness that always attends an engraving, is greatly inferior to that of Pleaskin." — Hamiltini. 152 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. green, vermilion, red ochre, gray licliens, etc., its general form so beautiful, its sto- ried pillars, tier over tier, so architecturally graceful — its curious and various strati- fications supporting the columnar ranges, here the dark-brown amorphous basalt^ The Xiirsing Child — Priest and his Flock. there the red ochre, and below that again the slender but distinct lines of wood- coal; all the edges of its different stratifications tastefully diversified by the hand of nature, with grasses, ferns, and rock-plants. This theater of nature, composed of so many various strata harmoniously arranged, rock upon rock, and gallery upon gallery, so magnificent, so solitary, facing the wide Atlantic as if formed for the temple of "spirits from the vasty deep," impresses the mind with admira- tion and awe, and shows us how nature surpasses in the symmetry of her plans as- much as in the magnitude of her materials. From " Hamilton's Seat" three mag- nificent headlands open upon the view, with all their singular and beautiful accompaniments of fanciful objects, such as the " Sea Gulls," the " King and his Nobles," the " Nursing Child," the " Priest and his Flock," and others ; but it is the Pleaskin itself which rivets the attention. Sir Richard Colt Hoare thought the view of the three promontories " truly astonishing and pleasing;" and S. C. Hall ' "" mimi M I r n I 'lli, ^ I'illiiiip^ CHIMNEY ROCK— GIANT'S CAUSEWAV. 154 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. even more enthusiastic, says " it is impossible for painter to portray, or the imagi- nation to conceive, a walk of more sublime beauty " than that which we have indicated. See the Pleaskin from the water, if you can, but do not fail to see it by land ; for, exclaims the same writer in advocacy of his urgent advice, " the wonders of the Causeway, the grandeur of Fair Head, the dells and glens, the changing yet perpetual beauty of Cushendall and Cushendun, of Glenarm and Red Bay, of all the Antrim coast and scenery — sink into comparative insignifi- cance before the combined grandeur and loveliness of the Pleaskin." The large illustration of the Pleaskin indicates the character of the formations beyond, and one of the "Sea Gull" ^^ — '^US*' ^^- 3^^^&^^k Isles on the right ; there is another ^[|| of the same name in Port Noffer. The illustration on page 152 presents a sug- gestive view of the line of promontories, from that over the " Nursing Child," near the center, which separates Port na Tober (the harbor of the well) from Port na Callian (the old woman's harbor), to the " Chimney Tops," on the headland to the extreme right ; and between them the group of rocks in the latter port, called the " Priest and his Flock." Getting over the "Horse's Back," the headland at the western extremity of Port na Callian, we behold Port na Spania, or Spanish harbor, so named from a vessel of the famous " Invincible Ar- mada" having been lost here. In this port is a stupendous precipice, almost equal to the Pleaskin ; and the formation of the pipe-like pillars on the perpen- dicular rock naturally suggested for the particular spot the title of the " Spanish Organ." Some islands and another little port, Madadh Ruadh (red fox har- bor), are passed, and we arrive at the promontory over which the insulated pillars, called the " Chimney Tops," are pinnacled. The tallest of the " Chimneys " is forty- five feet. Tradition says they derived their names from the fact that in the night- time they were mistaken for the chimneys of Dunluce Castle by one of the ships of the Spanish Armada, which opened its batteries on and succeeded in break- ing one of them. The ship was subsequently lost on the rocks in the little bay to the east. West of the Chimneys is Port Reostan, and the Roveren Valley, The Cluinncy 'I'ops—Jroni tlic East. ANTRIM. 155 Avhere there is a remarkable whin-dike which cuts the face of the cliff, shaped exactly like a barbed arrowhead. Of the whin-dikes, which abound on the coast, this is esteemed a fine speci- men. We have alluded to that of Carrig Maur at Fair Head. These dikes are walls of whinstone, trap, or prismatic basalt, varying from a few inches to forty and fifty feet in breadth, penetrating to an unknown depth, and often attended by a softening or an induration, and a dislocature of the strata through which they pass. Sometimes two of these walls or veins are seen running in parallel lines, and when they are interrupted by a chasm or arm of the sea, they rise on the opposite side with the same dis- tance and parallelism. Thus acontinu- ^ ation of the Antrim dikes is traced on the Scottish shores.* Passing the ^ '^i, broad high rock, generally covered with the birds which suggested the name of Sea Gull Isle, we are in Port Noffer, a corruption, no doubt of Port na Fhir, the port of the man, meaning the giant par excellence, Finn Mac Cumhal (pro- nounced Mac Cool), who has given his name to the famous Causeway — which is now in sight, forming the western boundary of the harbor — as well as to all the remarkable formations about it. To our left, rounding from the Sea Gull, is a magnificent colonnade of pillars one hundred and twenty feet in height on the side of the hill. It appears as though a landslide had disclosed the hidden range of vertical columns, which, in turn, seem to support the mountain above them and to prevent its further descent. This is the Giant's Organ, a name not too fanciful for the striking suggestiveness of the effect produced. Tlie Giant's Otgan. * See Drummoiid, Pref. xvii. Dr. Richardson on Whin-dikes; In addition to Hamilton, Richardson, rector of Clonfecle, has written with much care, and recorded observations of great value on the northern coast. These, with Portlock's Geology, will serve to illustrate the interesting formation of the north with a comprehensiveness worthy of the subject. See Doyle's Tours, etc., p. 249. Sir John Forbes, M.D.,in his Mefnorandunis, etc., 1853, gives an intelligent resume of information respecting the Giant's Causeway and its vicinity, paying merited acknowledgments to Dr. Rich ardson's writings, and to the more recent and excellent work on the subject, Geological Notices of the Environs 0/ Belfast,