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 OF 
 
 
 
 kiM)0D.,IUbli3li«d hTVhUihiciiS'C^ llhv' i!,.\P^t. 
 
IRELAND IN 1834, 
 
 A 
 
 JOURNEY THROUGHOUT 
 IRELAND, 
 
 DURINO THE 
 
 SPRING, SUMMER, AND AUTUMN OF 
 
 1834. 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY D. INGLIS, 
 
 AUTHOR OF " SPAIN IN 1830," " THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, 
 "the TYROL," &C. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 WHITTAKER & CO., AVE-MARIA LANE. 
 
 1834. 
 
LONDON : 
 
 raiNTED BV MANNING AND SMITHSON, 
 
 ITY-LANE, PATERNOSTER-RO^V. 
 
TO 
 
 MATTHEW BARRINGTON, ESQ. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 It is not, believe me, in tlie foolish vanity 
 of supposing I confer a favour, that I dedicate these 
 volumes to you; nor is it even meant, in some 
 sort, as an acknowledgment of the many aids and 
 kindnesses for which I stand your debtor : that 
 debt would continue undiminished, if I were to 
 dedicate to you fifty books, — better than any I 
 either have written, or ever shall write. I have 
 better reasons than these, for my dedication. 
 
 Sitting over my coffee, devouring "The Last 
 Days of Pompeii," this note was handed to me : — 
 
 " Sir, — We only wait for the contents, and dedi- 
 cation, in order to put the last sheet to press." 
 
IV DEDICATION. 
 
 The dedication ! Wliy, I never thought of a 
 dedication : — " let the devil wait, — and shut the 
 door." 
 
 No, said I, laying down my pen, which I had 
 hastily dipped in the ink, — and ringing the bell; 
 I'll not do the thing in a hurry. There's no 
 occasion to wait ; I '11 send the dedication to- 
 morrow. 
 
 This, said I, — drawing TCij great chair in front 
 of the fire, and placing my slippered feet on the 
 fender, — this is not a thing which ought to be 
 done hastily: a book need not, indeed, have a 
 dedication at all ; but, if there be a dedication, it 
 ought to be a judicious one. 
 
 My book, said I, musingly, and gently tapping 
 the fire, — is a truth-telling book, — it is no party 
 book, — and, God knows— (while a thousand images 
 of appalling misery, and hopeless poverty, — not 
 poetical fancies, but stern realities — thronged upon 
 my memory), — God knows I feel acutely for the 
 people of this unhappy land. I will dedicate my 
 book to some one, who knows thoroughly, the 
 
dedication; v 
 
 country and its needs; some one who is no hot 
 and headstrong partizan ; some one, who has the*' 
 good of his country at heart, and who has proved 
 it too. 
 
 I wheeled my chair round, and wrote this dedi- 
 cation: and I do most solemnly aver, that if I 
 knew any man better acquainted with Ireland 
 and her people than yourself, — if I knew a man 
 who holds in greater detestation, the extremes of 
 party, — if I knew a man who loves his country 
 better, or would serve it more faithfully than you, — 
 or one who has given more disinterested proofs of 
 sympathy with the helpless poor, — I would dedicate 
 my book to that man. But I know of no such 
 man. 
 
 On some points of minor importance, our 
 opinions may not, perhaps, entirely coincide. In 
 the main, however, I trust we are agreed: and 
 when I say, that the people of Ireland are oppressed 
 by some, deluded by others, and neglected by all 
 — and that, notwithstanding the folly, and knavery, 
 and neglect, with which Ireland has been, and is, 
 cursed — she needs but a seed-time of kind deeds. 
 
VI DEDICATION. 
 
 in order that a harvest of abundant blessings may- 
 be reaped, I anticipate a cordial — Amen* 
 
 Hoping that your days, like those of your 
 respected father, Sir Joseph, may be prolonged, — 
 and that you may, after long years of kind deeds 
 and usefulness, crown "a life of labour with an 
 age of ease " and honour, 
 
 I remain. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 Yours, most faithfully, 
 Henry Do Inglis. 
 
 London, November, 1834. 
 
CONTENTS OF VOL L 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Page 
 Introductory Observations — Arrival in Dublin, and 
 First Impressions — Deceptiveness of Appearances in 
 Dublin — Striking Contrasts — The Liberty of Dublin, 
 and its Population — Traits of Character and Condition — 
 Improvidence and Ostentation — Dublin as a City — Its 
 Streets, Squares, Buildings, and Park — The Mendicity, 
 and other Institutions — Society — Street Population 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Journey through Wicklow to Avoca — The Meeting of the 
 Waters, and the Vale of Avoca — The Jaunting-car — 
 Condition of the People, and Mode of Life — Facts — 
 Religious Differences — Journey to Wexford — Gorey, 
 and its neighbourhood — The People — Loan Society — 
 Rents — Orange Lodges — Lord Courtown's Domain — 
 Ferns and its Bishop — Enniscorthy — Lord Portsmouth's 
 Estate — Approaches to Wexford — The Town and its 
 Inhabitants — Prices — The Barony of Forth ; the State 
 and Peculiarities of the Inhabitants ------ 21 
 
 CHAPTER IIL 
 
 Mr. Bianconi and his Establishment — Memoir of Mr. 
 Bianconi — Journey from Wexford to Waterford — New- 
 Ross — Land and Farmers — Con-acre — Tithe — Road to 
 Waterford, and Cabins by the road-side — The Quay of 
 Waterford — Export Trade of Waterford — Condition of 
 the People — • Landed Proprietors — Monk-houses — 
 
Vm CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Whiskey-drinking and Licenses — Neighbouring Water- 
 ing Places — Cotton Factory at Mayfield — Marquis of 
 Waterford's Domain — The Beresfords — Carrick-on-Suir, 
 and its Poverty — The Duncannon Estates — Return to 
 Waterford — Waterford Beggars — ^Journey to Kilkenny 
 — Thomastown and its neighbourhood — Pigs, and a new 
 light — Is Ireland an improving country ? — A Holiday — 
 Catholic Population — Land, and Middle-men — Leases 
 — Excursion to Innistioge and Woodstock - - - - 52 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Journey to Kilkenny — Our Ignorance respecting Irish 
 Towns — The Antiquities of Kilkenny — Its Cathedral and 
 Round Tower — Picturesque Ruins — The Castle — Con- 
 dition of the People — Kilkenny Manufactures, and Mis- 
 statements — The Repeal Question — Pigs and Dung- 
 heaps — Kilkenny " Boys" — The Town of Callen, and its 
 Proprietor, Lord Clifden — Some Facts and Opinions — 
 The Aristocracy of Ireland — Journey to Thurles — 
 Freshford and Johnstown — The Bog of Allen — Thurles, 
 and its Inhabitants — The Ruins of Holy Cross — Journey 
 to Cashel— Cashel, and the Rock of Cashel— The Arch- 
 bishop — his Gardens — Another Round Tower — Market- 
 day in Cashel — Pig-selling and Buying, and Irish Bar- 
 gaining — Miserable Objects in Cashel — Country between 
 Cashel and Tipperary — Outrage and its Origin — Tithes 
 — Competition for Land — Abduction- — The Town of 
 Tipperary, and Condition of the People — Mr. Stanley's 
 Estates — Correction of an Error ------- 86 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Journey to Clonmel — Cahir, and its beautiful neighbour- 
 hood — Lord Glengall — The Catholic Chapel, and a 
 Scene — The Priesthood — Condition of the People — 
 Scenery of the Suire — Fine Gardens — Cahir Fair — 
 Weddings in this part— Road to Clonmel— Prosperity of 
 the Town— Trade of Cloiimel— Corn Mills in England 
 
CONTENTS. IX 
 
 Page 
 and in Ireland — Mr. Bianconi — Employment of Labour 
 — Religious Sects— General indications of Prosperity — 
 Libraries — Public Institutions — State of Society in the 
 Southern Counties — Environs of Clonmel — Journey to 
 Mitchelstown --------.-.-123 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 Mitchelstown and its situation — Lord Kingston's Domain 
 and Castle — Miserable condition of the People of 
 Mitchelstown, and Details — State of the surrounding 
 Country— Rents — The Sessions at Mitchelstown — Lord 
 Kingsbro's Mountain Lodge — Prices of Provisions — 
 Mitchelstown Caves — Journey to Mallow — Donneraile 
 —Mallow— State of the Poor of Mallow, and of the 
 Neighbourhood — Farmers — Mallow as a Watering 
 Place — Suburbs — Duty on Glass — English and Irish 
 Ideas of Comfort — Difficulties in the way of Improve- 
 ment — Schools — Markets, and rough Manners — The 
 Vicinity of Mallow — Neighbouring Landlords ™ Bad 
 Feeling between the Aristocracy and the People — Re- 
 turn to Mitchelstown — Its excellent Hotel - - - - 140 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Journey to Lismore — Fermoy — The Blackwater River — 
 Lismore — Picturesque Views — Condition of the Town, 
 and neighbouring Landholders — The Duke of Devon- 
 shire — Other Landlords — Ejectments — Visit to the 
 Trappist Settlement at Cappoquin — Details — Environs of 
 Lismore — The Castle — Descent of the Blackwater to 
 Youghall — The Town of Youghall — Its situation — 
 Antiquities and Inhabitants — Means of Improvement — 
 Trade — The Church — Sir Walter Raleigh's House — 
 Emigration — Journey to Cork— Situation, Streets, and 
 Population of Cork — Suburbs — Traits of Character- 
 Public Institutions— Present State of Cork as a Com- 
 mercial City ------------- 161 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 Page 
 The Cove of Cork — Descent of the River Lee — Cove Town 
 and Harbour— Means of improvement of Cove — Boating 
 — Excursion to Blarney — Blarney Castle — "The Groves 
 of Blarney " — The Kissing-stone — Journey to Ban try — 
 Bandon — Clonakilty— Ross-Carberry — Picturesque Sce- 
 nery — Proofs of Poverty — Skibbereen — Bantry, and its 
 Bay— Cultivation of Bog-Land — Coral Sand as Manure 
 ■ — Road to Glengariff — Scenery of Glengariff — Passage 
 across the Mountains — Kenmare — Improving Condition 
 of Kenmare — The surrounding Country, and Banks of 
 the Kenmare River — The Barony of Glanrought, and 
 Lord Lansdowne's Estates — Impressions, Facts, and 
 Details — Land and Rents — Condition of the People — 
 Blackwater Bridge— The New Road from Bantry to 
 Kenmare ---- _-_ 192 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Town of Killarney — Idleness and Pauperism— Lord 
 Kenmare — Bad Feeling among the Aristocracy, and its 
 Causes — ^The Lakes — The Author's Opinion of Killarney 
 Lakes — Their Character — Upper Lake, Ture Lake, 
 Lower Lake — Glena — Innisfallen — The Echoes— Com- 
 parison with the English Lakes — Muckross Abbey — 
 The Earl of Kenmare's Domain ------- 220 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Journey through the Wilds of Kerry — Castlemain Bay — 
 Killorglin — Lord Headly's Estate — Sea Views — O'Con- 
 nell's Country — The Agitator in his own Country — ■ 
 The Grand Jury Bill — An Anecdote — Cahir-siveen — 
 Condition of the Landholders — Intelligence of the Kerry 
 Peasantry — Examples — Valentia Island — Voyage across 
 the Bay to Dingle— Dingle, and the Condition of the 
 People — Peculiarities of the Inhabitants of this District 
 — Extreme early Marriages — The Catholic Clergy, and 
 proposed Provision for them — Brandon Bay — The Tithe 
 Question — Journey to Tralee ^----•'-- 232 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Page 
 Tralee — The Quarter Sessions in Tralee — The Civil and 
 Criminal Cause List — State of Kerry — Faction — The 
 Police of Ireland — Litigiousness of the Irish — Pros- 
 perity of Tralee — Trade — Prices of Provisions — Unem- 
 ployed Poor — Journey to Listowel and Tarbert — Traits 
 of Character — First View of the Shannon — Details — 
 Tarbert and the Shores of the Shannon — Irish Inns of 
 the West — Steam Navigation on the Shannon — Ascent 
 of the Shannon to Limerick — Road to Ennis — Clare, 
 and the River Fergus— Ennis — Land, and High Rents 
 ■ — Environs of Ennis ---_-----_ 252 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Clare Assizes — English and Irish Assizes — Description of 
 Cases tried — Fair Murders — Spirit of Faction — Difficulty 
 of eliciting Truth — Disregard of an Oath — Extent to 
 which Faction is carried— A paid Magistracy necessary 
 — Rape Cases — Abduction— Murder — Assaults — Kiss- 
 ing the Book — Superstitions — General Impressions from 
 attending an Irish Assize --------- 280 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Return to Limerick — The New and Old Towns — Present 
 State of the Trade of Limerick — Prosperity — Projected 
 Improvements — Mr. Spring Rice — Public Institutions — 
 The Lunatic Asylum — The Barrington Hospital — Anti- 
 quities — Condition of the Destitute Poor, and unemployed 
 Artizans of Limerick — Minute Details — Poor Laws — a 
 Mont de Piete — Loan Fund — Environs of Limerick — 
 Land and Rents — Erabarkments on the Shannon — The 
 Village of Adair — Curragh, and Dunraven - - - - 295 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Ascent of the Shannon from Limerick to Athlone — Castle 
 Connell— The Rapids— Holy Well— The River above 
 Castle Connell— -Killaloe— The Steam Navigation Com- 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 pany — Voyage up Loch Derg to Portumna — Character 
 of this expansion of the Shannon — Details of the Ascent 
 — Portumna — The River, and its Banks between Por- 
 tumna and Banagher — Comparison with other Rivers — 
 Desolate Scenes — Banagher — Journey to Athlone - 315 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Athlone — The Bridge and the Shannon — Barracks and 
 Fortifications — Ballymahon — Land, Landlords, and 
 Rents in the County of Longford — Condition of the Far- 
 mers — The Protestant Population — Religious Dissension 
 — Want of Sympathy with the People, on the part of the 
 Aristocracj' — Labouring Classes — Con-acre — Irish Op- 
 position to the Law — The Protestant Clergy — The Catho- 
 lic Priesthood — Trading Magistrates — Necessity for a 
 Stipendiary Magistracy - ----337 
 
A JOURNEY 
 THROUGHOUT IRELAND, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Introductory Observations — Arrival in Dublin, and First 
 Impressions — Deceptiveness of Appearances in Dublin — 
 Striking Contrasts — The Liberty of Dublin, and its Popu- 
 lation — Traits of Character and Condition — Improvidence 
 and Ostentation — Dublin as a City — Its Streets, Squares, 
 Buildings, and Park — The Mendicity, and other Institutions 
 — Society — Street Population. 
 
 It would perhaps be an impertinence, were I to 
 begin this book, by any general assertion of the 
 ignorance of the British public, respecting Ireland: 
 there can be no impertinence, however, in acknow- 
 ledging my own ; and now that I have seen 
 Ireland, I may be permitted to say, that during 
 my journey throughout that country, I found 
 more to correct in my previous impressions and 
 
 VOL. I. B 
 
*2 DUBLIN. 
 
 opinions, than in any journey I ever made 
 through any other country. Let me for a moment 
 exclude from this acknowledgment, the social 
 condition of the people of Ireland, and apply it 
 but to all that is visible to the eye, — her cities, 
 towns, and villages; her mountains, vales, and 
 rivers ; her mansions, domains, ruins, and castles ; 
 the general aspect, in short, of the country; and 
 — without touching yet, upon the social condition 
 of the people — the as]pect of the population in 
 town and country; in their habitations, their 
 dress, and in all that is external. If I was 
 ignorant upon all these things, how profound 
 must have been my ignorance respecting all that 
 lies beneath the surface; and that can only be 
 come at by patient observation, and anxious 
 inquiry. 
 
 I was every where informed, that Ireland is a 
 difficult country to know; that in case of attempt- 
 ing to glean opinions on all hands, their contrariety 
 would bewilder me; or, that if, in endeavouring 
 to avoid this cause of bewilderment, my inquiries 
 took a more limited range, it would in that case 
 be difficult, if not impossible, to escape the influ- 
 
DUBLIN. 3 
 
 eiice of the peculiar opinions of those amongst 
 whom I might be thrown. This difficulty was 
 strongly urged upon me by an eminent and 
 talented judge, at whose table, in Dublin, my 
 intended journey formed the subject of conversa- 
 tion ; and he then said, that he could easily imagine 
 two well educated persons, and both equally free 
 from prejudice, returning to Dublin from a jour- 
 ney through Ireland, with views and impressions 
 directly opposed to each other; according as the 
 letters of introduction, which they carried with 
 them, chanced to be, to men of one party, or to 
 men of another. 
 
 This most to be dreaded cause of error, — a shoal 
 upon which, 1 fear, many who have written upon 
 Ireland, have made shipwreck of truth, — t endea- 
 voured to avoid, by seeking and obtaining letters 
 of introduction to men of all opinions, of all ranks, 
 and of all religions; and if, in adopting this 
 course, I encountered that other difficulty, arising 
 from diversity of opinion, I trusted to be able to 
 overcome it, by minute personal observation of the 
 tilings about which this diversity of opinion existed. 
 I shall give an example of what I mean. I shall 
 
DUBLIN, 
 
 suppose that I have an introduction to a landlord 
 who has a great objection to poor laws, and who 
 is besides, partial to high rents. I say to him, 
 perhaps, " How are the people off in your 
 neighbourhood, — have you many unemployed 
 labourers?" Or, I say to him, " Are rents pretty 
 moderate hereabouts?" Let it be recollected, 
 that I put these questions in utter ignorance of 
 the character and opinions of the individual whom 
 I address ; for it may happen, that this man is a 
 good and considerate landlord, and no foe to poor 
 laws. He might probably say, in reply to the first 
 question ; " Indeed the people are pretty well off, 
 we have scarcely any unemployed labourers here- 
 abouts." And to my second question he might 
 say; " Indeed rents are pretty moderate in this 
 neighbourhood, we have many comfortable farmers 
 hereabouts." I might put the same questions to 
 an individual of that extreme party, which is 
 desirous of making every thing as bad as possible : 
 and the reply would probably be, " Egad, half 
 the people here are starving;" or "the whole 
 land in this parish is rack-rented." 
 
 All this is very puzzling ; but the corrective is 
 
DUBLIN. 5 
 
 to be found in personal observation, and more 
 minute inquiry. If I go to the market-place of the 
 little town, and see some scores of men standing 
 with agricultural implements in their hands, willing 
 to be hired at eightpence a-day without diet, and 
 yet not hired, — then I am sure that there is not con- 
 stant employment for all who desire it: or, if I go 
 into half-a-dozen cabins, and find every one a 
 filthy hovel, filled with squalid and ragged children, 
 greedily scrambling for a dry potato : or, if I walk 
 into the country, and meet women who have been 
 begging a few potatos amongst the farmers ,* and if 
 I return with them, and find that they are carrying 
 the potatos home to an infirm mother or father, or 
 husband out of work, or famishing children, — then 
 surely I am able to estimate at its true value, the 
 opinion of the individual who assured me, that " the 
 people were pretty well ofi*," If, on the other hand, 
 1 find few labourers idle, and if I find cabins com- 
 paratively habitable, and their inmates luxuriating 
 on potatos and butter-milk, enough and to spare; 
 I am then able to correct the assertion of the in- 
 dividual who said half the people were starving. 
 It is evident, that upon all matters touching the 
 
6 DUBLIN. 
 
 social condition of a people, opinions may be cor- 
 rected and estimated by personal observation : and 
 although in journeying through Ireland, one finds 
 abundant cause for astonishment in the widely 
 varying opinions and contradictory assertions upon 
 every subject connected with the country and the 
 people; I yet believe, that truth may be come at by 
 any one who will take pains to seek it out, and who 
 comes to the search with an unbiassed mind: — and 
 before entering upon my journey, I w^ould only 
 add, that I lay claim to this distinction. I have no 
 purpose to serve, no party to please, no interest 
 to consult. I am in every sense unfettered. To 
 be dishonest, therefore, would be an injury to my- 
 self; and this is, to the public, the best guarantee 
 for truth. 
 
 Early, on a fine spring morning, I crossed the 
 bay of Dublin, and entered Kingston harbour a 
 little after sunrise. The bay of Dublin has been 
 so often described, that it needs no eulogy from 
 me. I will only observe, that if it be deficient in 
 
DUBLIN. 7 
 
 some of those attractions which characterise the 
 rival bays of more southern climes, it will yield to 
 none, in the extent and depth of its arch, or in the 
 form and character of its mountain boundaries. 
 
 When I stepped on shore at Kingston, I looked 
 around me with the same curiosity and interest 
 which I have been accustomed to feel on setting 
 foot on other foreign lands; for my ignorance of 
 Ireland might well justify me in looking upon Ire- 
 land as a foreign land, and upon her people as 
 foreigners. This I consider an advantage : for un- 
 less a country be so regarded, I question if the 
 traveller will be likely to record those minute and 
 common things, which often throw so much light 
 upon the genius and condition of a people; and by 
 the omission of which, the graphic character of a 
 work is so much impaired. It was somewhat too 
 early in the morning to find much food for obser- 
 vation. I saw beggars as importunate and as needy 
 as elsewhere — porters as loquacious, but more or- 
 derly — waiters as eloquent in urging the claims of 
 their hotels — and a new race, the drivers of the 
 jaunting-cars, vociferous in their recommendations 
 of the superior advantages of their vehicles, in con- 
 
DUBLIN. 
 
 venience and cheapness, over all rival and more 
 ambitious conveyances. 
 
 First impressions of Dublin are decidedly favour- 
 able. Entering from Kingston, there is little to be 
 seen that is unworthy the approach to a capital; 
 and without passing through any of those wretched 
 suburbs which stretch in many other directions, 
 one is whirled at once into a magnificent centre, 
 where there is an assemblage of all that usually 
 gives evidence of wealth and taste, and of the ex- 
 istence of a great and flourishing city. 
 
 A stranger arriving in Dublin in Spring, as 1 
 did, will be struck, even less by the architectural 
 beauty of the city, than by other kinds of splendour : 
 I allude to the indulgences of luxury, and the ap- 
 parent proofs of wealth that are every where thrust 
 upon the eye — the numerous private vehicles that 
 fill the streets, and even blockade many of them , 
 the magnificent shops for the sale ^ of articles of 
 luxury and taste, at the doors of which, in Grafton- 
 street, I have counted upwards of twenty handsome 
 equipages ; and in certain quarters of the city, the 
 number of splendid houses, and " legion" of liveried 
 servants. But a little closer observation and more 
 
DUBLIN. y 
 
 minute inquiry, will in some measure correct these 
 impressions; and will bring to mind the well-known 
 and well-founded proverb, that " it is not all gold 
 that glitters." 
 
 And if caution be necessary in drawing conclu- 
 sions respecting the wealth of Dublin from what 
 meets the eye, tenfold caution is required in draw- 
 ing any conclusion respecting the condition of Ire- 
 land, from even the real prosperity of Dublin. T 
 saw comparatively few shops closed, comparatively 
 few houses untenanted. No one complained of 
 want of business : and it is a fact, that all the 
 coachmakers were in such full employment, that no 
 contract could be obtained for building coaches on 
 the Dublin and Kingston railroad. But for my 
 own part, I would rather see a lack of employment 
 among the coachmakers, if this were a proof that 
 Irish landlords remained on their estates, and ran 
 jaunting-cars in place of carriages through their 
 counties ; and I would rather see a less competition 
 for fine houses, and smaller fines paid for leases of 
 shops, if this were a proof that there was a less in- 
 flux of country gentry into Dublin. 
 
 But this appearance of even Dublin prosperity, 
 b3 
 
10 DUBLIN. 
 
 is somewhat deceptive. I have already hinted that 
 " it is not all gold that glitters ;" by which, I mean, 
 that the Dublin tradesman sets up his car and his 
 country-house, with a capital, that a London trades- 
 man would look upon but as a beginning for indus- 
 try to work upon: and I believe it may be asserted 
 with truth, that there is less profitable trade in Dub- 
 lin now, than was found some years ago. Dublin 
 formerly possessed an extensive, safe, and very 
 lucrative commission trade from both the West 
 Indies and England; but the facilities of steam- 
 navigation are now so great, that the country deal- 
 ers throughout Ireland, who formerly made their 
 purchases in Dublin, now pass over to England and 
 there lay in their stocks. This may possibly be 
 good for the public — I do not know whether it be 
 or not, — I merely state a fact not favourable to the 
 prosperity of Dublin. 
 
 In walking through the streets of Dublin, strange 
 and striking contrasts are presented between gran- 
 deur and poverty. In Merion- square, St. Stephen's- 
 green, and elsewhere, the ragged wretches that are 
 sitting on the steps, contrast strongly with the 
 splendour of the houses and the magnificent equi- 
 
DUBLIN. 11 
 
 pages that wait without : pass from Merion-square 
 or Grafton-street, about three o'clock, into what is 
 called the Liberty, and you might easily fancy 
 yourself in another and distant part of Europe. I 
 was extremely struck, the first time I visited the 
 outskirts of the city in the direction of the Phoenix- 
 park, with the strong resemblances to the popula- 
 tion of Spanish towns, which the pauper population 
 of Dublin presented. I saw the same rags, and ap- 
 parent indolence — the result of a want of employ- 
 ment, and a low state of moral feeling: boys with 
 bare heads and feet, lying on the pavement, whose 
 potato had only to be converted into a melon or a 
 bit of wheaten bread, to make them fit subjects for 
 Murillo; and houses and cottages in a half-ruined 
 state, with paneless windows or no windows at all. 
 I was also struck with the small number of provi- 
 sion-shops. In London every fifth or sixth shop is 
 a bacon and cheese-shop. In Dublin, luxuries of a 
 different kind offer their temptations. What would 
 be the use of opening a bacon shop, where the 
 lower orders, who are elsewhere the chief purchasers 
 of bacon, cannot afford to eat bacon, and live upon 
 potatos. 
 
1'2 DUBLIN. 
 
 As I liave mentioned tlie lower orders in Dublin, 
 I may addj that the house in which I lived in Kil- 
 dare-street, being exactly opposite to the Royal 
 Dublin Society, which was then exhibiting a cattle- 
 show, I was very favourably situated for observing 
 among the crowd collected, some of those little traits 
 which throw light upon character and condition. I 
 remarked in particular, the great eagerness of every 
 one to get a little employment, and earn a penny 
 or two. I observed another less equivocal proof 
 of low condition. After the cattle had been fed, 
 the half-eaten turnips became the perquisite of the 
 crowd of ragged boys and girls without. Many and 
 fierce were the scrambles for these precious relics; 
 and a half-gnawed turnip, when once secured, was 
 guarded with the most vigilant jealousy, and was 
 lent for a mouthful to another longing tatterde- 
 malian, as much apparently as an act of extraor- 
 dinary favour, as if the root had been a pine-apple. 
 Yet these moutlifuls were freely given; and I have 
 seen, that where two boys contended who should 
 take charge of a gentleman's horse, the boy who 
 obtained the preference and got the penny or 
 twopence, divided it with his rival. These were 
 
DUBLIN. 13 
 
 pleasing traits; and were indicative of that generosity 
 of character which displays itself in so many kindly 
 shapes ; but which is perhaps also in some degree 
 the parent of that improvidence, to which the evils 
 of absenteeism are partly to be ascribed. 
 
 There can be no doubt that this trait of national 
 character — improvidence, allied with a love of osten- 
 tation — has greatly swelled the lists of absentees, and 
 helps in no inconsiderable degree, to keep up the 
 deceptive appearance of Dublin wealth. With few 
 exceptions, a Dublin tradesman who has realized 
 10,000/. or perhaps a greatly less sum, is above his 
 business, sets up his jaunting-car, becomes the pos- 
 sessor of a villa, and entertains company. Osten- 
 tation, too, is displayed in the most singular things. 
 I have counted twenty-seven hackney-coaches and 
 sixteen cars, in the funeral procession of a person 
 in the humbler walks of life: and the passion for 
 display on the part of the deceased's relatives, 
 seemed to have been communicated to his guests, 
 for the carriages were all thrown open ; and from 
 the gaiety of the dresses, one might have easily 
 mistaken the cavalcade for a procession of wedding 
 guests. Many of my readers have seen this — it 
 
14 DUBLIN. 
 
 may be seen any day. But as it struck me, who 
 had never seen it before, as singular, it may be 
 worth telling to others. 
 
 Dublin, for its size, is a handsomer city than Lon- 
 don. Sackville-street will compare with any street 
 in Europe; Merion-square and St. Stephen's-green 
 surpass in extent any of the squares in the British 
 metropolis. There are points of view in Dublin, 
 embracing the principal streets, the quays (for Dub- 
 lin has quays), and some of the finest public edi- 
 fices, more striking I think than any that are to be 
 found in London: and although the Irish capital 
 can boast of no St. Pauls, yet, in the architectural 
 beauty of some of her public buildings, she has just 
 reason for pride. I need but name the Custom- 
 house ; and the Bank of Ireland, with its magnificent 
 and yet classically chaste colonnades, in proof of 
 this assertion. 
 
 The inhabitants of Dublin are justly proud of 
 their Phcenix-park. Neither in extent, nor in 
 natural beauty, will any of the London parks bear 
 the slightest comparison with it. It was here that, 
 for the first time, I saw those magnificent thorn 
 trees, which I afterwards found so constant an 
 
DUBLIN. 15 
 
 adorner of every gentleman's park, and which, 
 even by the highways, greatly outvie the thorns of 
 of our English lanes. The Phoenix-park is of 
 enormous extent — said, and I believe truly, to 
 contain nearly three thousand English acres. Like 
 Greenwick-park, it has its mounts, and its fine 
 single trees, and its shady avenues ; but these are 
 more like the avenues of the hois de Boulogne ; and 
 besides all this, it has its valleys, and ravines, and 
 extensive groves. In fact, the Phcenix-park, both 
 in extent, and in diversity of surface, is superior to 
 any public park, promenade, prater, or prado, be- 
 longing to any European city that I know. The 
 access, however, is bad. On one side, it is ap- 
 proached through a bad suburb ; and by any way, 
 it is distant and dusty. That it should be the 
 latter, surprised me: for surely, where there are 
 so many unemployed poor, and such abundance of 
 water, the access to this great resort, ought to be 
 deficient in no advantage which labour could secure. 
 The Zoological-gardens have lately been con- 
 structed on an eligible part of the Phoenix-park ; 
 and when I visited Dublin, were quite a fashion- 
 able lounge. As much as 30Z. per day, were taken 
 from visitors by the sixpenny entrance fee. 
 
16 DUBLIN. 
 
 Notwithstanding the fascination of Dublin so- 
 ciety, my anxiety to commence my journey 
 increased; for Dublin is not Ireland — and it was 
 Ireland I had come to see. Some of the most 
 interesting among the public institutions, par- 
 ticularly the Bank, and Trinity College, and the 
 neighbouring Catholic College of Maynooth, I 
 resolved to delay visiting until my return to 
 Dublin. There was one institution, however, of 
 which I had heard so much, that I could not leave 
 Dublin without visiting it. I allude to the Men- 
 dicity Society. This society may be considered a 
 concentration of all the industrious pauperism of 
 Dublin. In a country where there is no legal pro- 
 vision for even the aged and infirm, some institu- 
 tion of this kind is no doubt essential, not only on 
 a principle of humanity, but for common decency's 
 sake. But such institutions are, after all, miserable 
 make-shifts ; and a visit to the Dublin Mendicity 
 Society will not put anybody in love with that 
 system of voluntary charity, which, we are told by 
 an eminent divine, is so blessed an encourager of 
 human sympathies. 
 
 When I visited the Dublin Mendicity Society, 
 there were 2145 persons on the charity, of whom 
 
DUBLIN. 17 
 
 200 were Protestants. The finances were then at 
 a very low ebb ; and the directors of the institution 
 were threatening a procession of the mendicants 
 through the streets, by way of warming the charity 
 of the spectators. This, I understand, has once or 
 twice been resorted to; and I confess, I cannot 
 conceive any thing more disgraceful to a civilised 
 community. The English reader, who has never 
 visited Ireland, can have no conception of a spec- 
 tacle such as this. What a contrast to the gaiety 
 of Grafton-street, would be the filth, and rags, and 
 absolute nakedness, which I saw concentrated in 
 the court of the institution ! The support of this 
 charity is a heavy tax upon the benevolent feelings 
 of the Protestant population : 50?. is subscribed by 
 the Protestant, for IZ. that is subscribed by the 
 Catholic population. I was sorry to learn this ; for 
 although it be true that wealth lies chiefly amongst 
 the Protestants, yet it is the middle classes, rather 
 than the wealthy, who support this institution ; and 
 50Z. for IZ. is surely out of proportion. 
 
 I will not enter into any details respecting an 
 institution which cannot, I trust, be a permanent 
 one. I saw some at work, earning a pittance of a 
 
18 DUBLIN. 
 
 few pence per week. I saw hundreds, for whom 
 no employment could be found, lying and sitting 
 in the court, waiting for the mess which had 
 tempted them from their hovels, and the incer- 
 titude of mendicancy — which many however prefer; 
 and I saw an attempt at teaching the young — who, 
 whatever progress they may make in head learning, 
 cannot, I fear, make great progress in morals, con- 
 signed, as they are, after day-light, to the care of 
 their worthless parents; and returning to the hovels 
 in which vice and misery are so often united. 
 
 The same day that I visited the Mendicity 
 Society, I visited also two other institutions — the 
 House of Industry, and the Foundling. The 
 former of these is upon an enlarged, and very 
 admirable footing, and is altogether as fine an 
 institution of the kind as I have any where seen. 
 The Foundling Hospital was, at one time, an im- 
 mense institution, providing for not less than 
 10,000 children. This institution is now breaking 
 up, and is to be superseded by separate county 
 hospitals. The education of the children in this 
 great hospital, having been a Protestant education, 
 the Catholic party in Ireland could not look upon 
 
DUBLIN. 19 
 
 it with much favour; and the new arrangement is 
 generally said to be the result of Catholic interest 
 — I know not with what truth. 
 
 No well recommended stranger in Dublin, can 
 leave it without many pleasant recollections ; for it 
 must be associated with much of hospitality and 
 kindness; and with much of that refinement that 
 lends to society so great a charm. There is in 
 Dublin, all the materiel for the enjoyments of 
 society : excellent houses; handsome furniture and 
 appointments; a sufficiency of domestics; good 
 taste; and a will, to make all these subservient to 
 the pleasures of intercourse, and the virtue of hos- 
 pitality. 
 
 I should say of the street population of the best 
 quarters of Dublin, that it differs little from that 
 of London ; and that, but for the multitude of 
 jaunting-cars, which are peculiar to the country, 
 one set down in Sackville, or Grafton-street, would 
 scarcely perceive any thing un-English in the 
 aspect of the population. But there are differences, 
 which a somewhat closer observation will detect. 
 The ladies dress more gaily, gentlemen not quite so 
 well. Beggars, if not greatly more numerous than 
 
20 DUBLIN. 
 
 in London, are greatly more ragged and miserable 
 looking : but, above all, there is less an air of 
 business tban among the street population of 
 London. There is a greater proportion of loungers; 
 and a less number of those, whose quick step and 
 eager look, bespeak occupation and its rewards. 
 Need I say, that there is also a diiference between 
 English and Irish physiognomy : but there is no 
 describing this difference. It exists, however ; and 
 will be remarked by the stranger, even on a very 
 cursory glance : and certainly, not to the disad- 
 vantage of the Irish females, whose generally high 
 foreheads, and intellectual expression, were not 
 thrown away upon me. 
 
21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Journey through Wicklow to Avoca — The Meeting of the 
 Waters, and the Vale of Avoca — The Jaunting-car — Con- 
 dition of the People, and Mode of Life — Facts — Religious 
 Differences — Journey to Wexford — Gorey, and its neigh- 
 bourhood — The People — Loan Society — Rents — Orange 
 Lodges — Lord Courtown's Domain — Ferns and its Bishop — 
 Enniscorthy — Lord Portsmouth's Estate — Approaches to 
 Wexford — the Town and its Inhabitants — Prices — The 
 Barony of Forth ; the state and peculiarities of the 
 Inhabitants. 
 
 I cannot commence my journey, without ac- 
 knowledging the assistance which all who were 
 acquainted with my prjoect so eagerly proffered. 
 I have already said, that I was desirous of hearing 
 what men of all conditions, and of all opinions, iiad 
 to say : and in the accomplishment of this wish, I 
 found every aid. I carried with me from Dublin, 
 upwards of 130 letters of introduction, to persons of 
 all ranks, from the peer to the farmer (to the peasant 
 I introduced myself) ; and of all opinions, from the 
 Orange magistrate of Down and Derry, to the 
 
22 WICKLOW. 
 
 Catholic repealer of Kilkenny and Tipperary ; from 
 the Protestant dignitary, to the country curate; 
 from the Catholic bishop, to the parish priest. To 
 those acquainted with Ireland, I need not say 
 how these letters were prolific; I am persuaded, 
 that from leaving Dublin until returning to it, I 
 delivered at least three times the number of letters 
 I have mentioned. I have two objects in mentioning 
 these facts: the one, as demonstrative of the desire 
 of all parties that the truth should be told; the 
 other, as proving to the public, that I was not 
 in the hands of any particular party. But the 
 former of these requires a few words of explana- 
 tion. Whether from the nature of the introduc- 
 tions I carried from England, or from conversation, 
 or from the books which I had already published, 
 there was a general impression that I meant to 
 speak the truth; and this being once believed, I 
 found men of all parties eager to put me in their 
 way of finding it. It may be, that some had not 
 truth in view ; and that the letters which I received 
 from these, to persons of their own sentiments, were 
 meant to perpetuate error. This may have been : 
 I do not know that it was; and I trust, and indeed 
 
WICKLOW. 23 
 
 believe, that the instances were rare. To me, how- 
 ever, the advantage was the same : and there is one 
 thing certain, that my opinions cannot be biassed 
 by the hospitalities I received; for these I received 
 equally from men of all parties and all beliefs. 
 
 I left Dublin in the afternoon, for Inniskerry, a 
 little village about nine miles from Dublin, on the 
 borders of the county of Wicklow; and arrived 
 there about dusk, after a drive through an agree- 
 able country, fertile and well wooded for several 
 miles after leaving Dublin, but of a wilder character 
 as it approached the mountains. 
 
 It would be no difficult matter to fill a chapter 
 with descriptive sketches of the county of Wicklow; 
 and Inniskerry, the village at which I have now 
 arrived, is always the first head quarters of the 
 Wicklow tourist. But I have no intention of 
 filling any great space in these volumes with de- 
 scriptions of scenery ; and where I make an excep- 
 tion to this rule, it will be in favour of places less 
 likely to be known to the reader, than the Dargle, 
 the Devil's Glyn, Powerscourt, and the Seven 
 Churches. It is certainly a great advantage, that 
 which is possessed by the inhabitants of Dublin, of 
 
24 WICKLOW. 
 
 being able, during a three days' tour, to see so 
 sweet an union of the beautiful and the picturesque, 
 as many parts of Wicklow present; and even to 
 form a conception of the still higher attractions of 
 mountain scenery. It is true, everything here is en 
 petit ; but it is a beautiful minuteness. 
 
 From my head quarters at Inniskerry, which, 
 by the by, is a clean and prettily situated little 
 village, I visited the Glen of the Downs, the 
 Dargle, and Powerscourt, whose waterfall, so 
 much extolled in the Guide-books, pleased me less 
 than the fine vegetation and magnificent timber on 
 the domain through which the road is constructed : 
 and on the evening after my arrival at Inniskerry, 
 I took my seat, in company with five other persons, 
 on a public car, which plies between that village 
 and another, called Roundwood, about nine miles 
 distant. 
 
 It is singular that I should have written a whole 
 chapter, without having made special mention of 
 the Irish jaunting, outside car. Although there 
 are carriages of all descriptions in Ireland, and 
 coaches too on many of the public roads, the jaunt- 
 ing car is the national vehicle ; and Ireland would 
 
WICKLOW. 25 
 
 scarcely be Ireland without it. It may be said 
 completely to supersede, as a private vehicle, the 
 whole of the gig tribe, — dennet, tilbury, cabriolet, 
 &c. ; and to be a formidable rival to the coach, as n 
 public conveyance. Throughout the whole of the 
 south, and a great part of the west of Ireland, the 
 public, as well as the mails, are chiefly conveyed 
 by cars; and it is no small convenience to the 
 traveller, that he may travel post, by a car, at 
 eightpence, and in some parts, at sixpence per 
 mile, throughout Ireland, as expeditiously, and, in 
 fine weather, far more agreeably, than in a post- 
 chaise. But to return to its peculiarities, and pros 
 and cons, — everybody has no doubt seen an Irish 
 car; for a stray specimen now and then makes its 
 appearance across the Channel; and I need not 
 therefore tell, that an Irish car is a vehicle gene- 
 rally drawn by one horse ; and that two, four, or 
 six persons, sit back to back. How any thing so 
 unsociable should have been first thought of, it is 
 difficult to understand ; but it is fair to admits that 
 when few persons are seated on a car, there is an 
 easy, lounging way of sitting, not absolutely pro- 
 hibitory of social intercourse. The great advantage 
 
 VOL. I. c 
 
26 WICKLOW. 
 
 of an Irish car, is the facility of getting up and 
 down ; which, in travelling on a hilly road, is very 
 desirable. But as I shall have frequent occasion 
 to mention these vehicles, I shall proceed on my 
 journey. 
 
 It chanced that I was seated next to the Protest- 
 ant clergyman of an adjoining parish; and we soon 
 got into conversation. He told me he was a con- 
 siderable landowner, as well as a clergyman : and 
 spoke strongly, of the discomfort of having a 
 Catholic tenantry about him ; which, however, he 
 was doing his best to rid himself of. I was unfor- 
 tunate in this first specimen of the country clergy 
 I had met. I told him, I thought he was fortunate 
 in having a tenantry at all; and so as they paid 
 their rents, it seemed a matter of comparatively 
 little importance of what religion they were ; and 
 notwithstanding the little sympathy which I evinced, 
 we continued pretty good friends as far as Round- 
 wood. The country between Inniskerry and 
 Roundwood is very varied in its aspect : for several 
 miles, the road runs through the Powerscourt 
 domain ; but afterwards, through a wild and unin- 
 teresting country, but evidently under improve- 
 
WICKLOW. 27 
 
 ment. I noticed more than one substantial farm- 
 house newly built, or in course of building. 
 
 It was after dark, and on a somewhat chilly 
 evening, when I reached Roundwood; and here, 
 for the first time, I experienced the comforts of a 
 turf fire; the easiest lighted, and therefore, to a 
 traveller, the most agreeable of all fires. For 
 home comfort, commend me to a sea-coal fire ! but 
 in travelling, commend me to whatever kind of fire 
 soonest produces the desired results, — heat and 
 cheerfulness. There is nothing to detain one at 
 Roundwood ; and I left it accordingly, early next 
 morning, with the intention of sleeping at Avoca, 
 and of resting there a few days. From Round- 
 wood, I passed through a wild but more interesting 
 country ; I had the colour and the fragrance of the 
 bright whin blossom, and the companionship of a 
 noisy brook. I made a little detow\ to glance at 
 Glendalough, more commonly known as " the 
 Seven Churches," — a wild spot, not unworthy of a 
 visit, — and then continued my journey to Rath- 
 drum and Avoca. After passing Rathdrum, the 
 country improves in picturesqueness ; and a few 
 miles beyond Rathdrum the attention of the tra- 
 
28 WICKLOW. 
 
 veller is arrested by tlie driver of his car turning 
 round, and saying, " the Meeting of the Waters, 
 your Honour." But for associations, this spot, I 
 think, would disappoint the traveller. There is a 
 bridge, and the meeting of two streams, and 
 wooded hills, and the handsome residence of Colonel 
 Howard; but to my mind, the character of the val~ 
 ley improves in beauty as we descend. The valley 
 widens ; green meadows are left between the river 
 and the more retiring banks ; and the feathery 
 birch, then bursting into leaf, contrasted finely with 
 the dark firs, and with those beautiful evergreens, 
 of which, in my journey through Ireland, I shall so 
 often have occasion to speak. Towards evening, I 
 arrived at Wooden Bridge Inn, Avoca. 
 
 " There 's not in the wide world a valley so sweet." 
 
 That, I will not venture to say; but I will say, 
 " sweet vale of Avoca; " for this I can say consci- 
 entiously. 
 
 I remained here three days, walking up the 
 glens and among the mountains ; mixing with, 
 walking with, and talking with the people ; and 
 allowing the interest which I felt in a fine and 
 
WICKLOW. 29 
 
 romantic country, to be lost in the higher interest, 
 which attaches to the social condition of the people. 
 
 The contemplation was a less pleasant one : — for 
 notwithstanding that I was in the next county to 
 Dublin ; that Wicklow is a county ornee^ full of 
 villas and gentlemen's seats ; and that the mines in 
 this county, and in the vicinity of the spot which is 
 at present my head quarters, employ nearly two 
 thousand persons; — notwithstanding all this, I 
 found little satisfactory in the condition of the 
 people. 
 
 I found rents in Wicklow such as, for the most 
 part, could never be paid by the produce of the 
 land ; and the small farmers, as well as labourers, 
 barely subsisting. High rent was the universal 
 complaint ; and the complaint was fully borne out, 
 by the wretched manner in which I found the 
 people — Catholic and Protestant — living. And if 
 the question be put to them, why they take land 
 at a rent which they know it will not bear, — the 
 reply is always the same : how were they to live ? 
 what could they do ? From which answer we at 
 once arrive at the truth, — that competition for land 
 
30 WICKLOW. 
 
 in Ireland, is but the outbiddings of desperate 
 circumstances. 
 
 As for the condition of the labouring classes, I 
 found little to bear out the assertions of some of 
 my Dublin friends, to whom Wicklow ought to 
 have been familiar, — that I should find all the 
 labourers employed, and tolerably comfortable. 
 On one of the afternoons I spent here, I walked 
 up a mountain road, and after a short walk, reached 
 a glen with, several cabins scattered in it ; and three 
 of these I visited. 
 
 The first I entered was a mud cabin, — one 
 apartment. It was neither air nor water tight; 
 and the floor was extremely damp. The furniture 
 consisted of a small bedstead, with very scanty 
 bedding, a wooden bench, and one iron pot; the^ 
 embers of some furze burnt on the floor ; and there 
 v/as neither chimney nor window. The rent of 
 this wretched cabin, to which there was not a yard 
 of land, was two pounds. 
 
 The next cabin I entered, was situated on the 
 hill side : in size and material it was like the other. 
 I found in it a woman and her four children. 
 
WICKLOW. 31 
 
 There were two small bedsteads, and no furniture, 
 excepting a stool^ a little bench, and one pot. 
 Here also were the burnt embers of some furze, 
 the only fuel the poor in this neighbourhood can 
 aiFord to use. The children were all of them in 
 rags; and the mother regretted that on that ac- 
 count she could not send them to school. The 
 husband of this woman was a labourer, at sixpence 
 per day; — eighty of which sixpences, — that is, 
 eighty days' labour, being absorbed in the rent of 
 the cabin, which was taken out in labour ; so that 
 there was little more than fourpence halfpenny per 
 day left, for the support of a wife and four children, 
 with potatos at fourpence a stone. 
 
 I entered one other cabin : it was the most com- 
 fortless of the three ; it was neither air nor water 
 tight, and had no bedstead, and no furniture, ex- 
 cepting a stool and a pot; and there were not 
 even the embers of a fire. In this miserable abode 
 there was a decently dressed woman with five chil- 
 dren; and her husband was also a labourer, at 
 sixpence per day. This family had had a pig; 
 but it had been taken for rent a few days before. 
 Tliey had hoped to be able to appropriate the 
 
32 WICKLOW. 
 
 whole of tlie daily sixpence to tlieir support, and 
 to pay the rent by means of the pig ; but the 
 necessities of nature, with the high price of pota- 
 tos, had created an arrear before the pig was old 
 enough to be sold. The landlord might not be to 
 blame : he was a very small farmer of hill land, at 
 twenty shillings an acre; and was just as hard set 
 to live, and pay his rent, as his humbler depejident 
 was. 
 
 I am only beginning my journey : this is but 
 the county of Wicklow; and I was told that I 
 should find all so comfortable in Wicklow, that 
 from the comparatively happy condition of the 
 peasantry there, I must be cautious in forming any 
 opinion of the peasantry generally. While I 
 write this sentence, I write in utter ignorance of 
 what I may yet see ; for I write this work almost 
 in the manner of a diary, — noting down my obser- 
 vations from week to week : but from what I have 
 already seen, I am entitled to fling back with 
 indignation the assertion, that all the Irish in- 
 dustrious poor may find employment. But what 
 employment? employment which affords one stone 
 
WICKLOW, 33 
 
 of dry potatos per day for a woman and her four 
 children. 
 
 A labourer in this county considers himself 
 fortunate in having daily employment at sixpence 
 throughout the year; and many are not so fortu- 
 nate. I found some who received only fivepence ; 
 but there are many who cannot obtain constant 
 employment, and these have occasional labour at 
 tenpence or one shilling ; but this, only for a few 
 weeks at a time. I found the small farmers living 
 very little more comfortably than the labourers. 
 A little buttermilk added to the potatos, made the 
 chief difference. 
 
 Upon one subject, it is obvious that I must sub- 
 stitute inquiry for personal observation ; I mean in 
 relation to the important question, whether there 
 has been any improvement in the condition of the 
 people of late years. I might indeed infer, that no 
 improvement could have taken place in the con- 
 dition of a people whom I find in rags, — living in 
 mud cabins, without furniture and windows, and 
 sometimes without chimneys ; and existing upon a 
 scanty meal of potatos. But I have not contented 
 myself with this inference, and have always anx- 
 c3 
 
34 WICKLOW. 
 
 iously inquired of those most able to give me 
 correct information, — always old persons, and per- 
 sons of different ranks and opinions; one or two 
 landlords; one or two farmers, both Catholic and 
 Protestant; and frequently the Protestant clergy- 
 man and the Catholic priest; — and of Wicklow, I 
 may say, that I found nothing to induce tlie belief, 
 that any improvement had taken place in the con- 
 dition of either the small farmer or the labouring 
 classes. The number of absolutely unemployed 
 poor has decreased with the active working of the 
 mines at Glendalure, which employ about two 
 thousand persons. But task work, and consequent 
 high wages, have attracted many from a distance ; 
 and the miners are a drunken and improvident 
 race. One who had earned thirty shillings the past 
 week, came into the inn while I was there ; and I 
 heard him regretting that it was impossible for him 
 to drink the whole of this sum. • 
 
 I deeply regretted to see at Avoca, a proof of 
 the bad feeling which in that part of the country 
 appears to exist between the Catholic and Protest- 
 ant population. I was sitting at the window of 
 the inn, on Sunday evening, when a man, in a 
 
WICKLOW. 35 
 
 state of intoxication, came along the road, calling 
 out, " To the Devil with the Boyne waters, and 
 they who drink them." Presently three men, who 
 were sitting on the bridge, followed the offender, 
 threw him down, beat and kicked him brutally, 
 and stamped upon his face ; ten or a dozen persons 
 were by, and no one interfered ; and the men 
 walked away, leaving the other on the ground in a 
 state of insensibility. The explanation is this : 
 there was till lately, only one brewery at Rath- 
 drum, the property of Catholics. Another brewery 
 was recently set up by Protestants, in the same 
 town ; and the ale brewed in it is called by the 
 Catholics, " the Boyne waters." I regret, in the 
 outset of my book, to be obliged to record these 
 facts. I trust I shall not have many such to 
 record. 
 
 Before leaving the vale of Avoca, I must endea- 
 vour to give the reader some general idea of a spot 
 so celebrated in song. The whole vale is about five 
 miles long, and is generally about a quarter of a 
 mile broad. It begins at the spot called " the meet- 
 ing of the waters," where the Avonbeg and the 
 Avonmore join their streams, and take the name of 
 
36 WICKLOW. 
 
 Avoca. Nearly four miles lower, another stream 
 joins the Avoca; and this second meeting of waters, 
 quite as beautiful as the first meeting, is said by 
 those who live near to it, to be the meeting of the 
 waters. The vale of Avoca is chiefly in pasture: 
 the fields are divided by whin hedges ; and the hills 
 which flank the valley on both sides, are covered 
 to the summit with wood, chiefly ash, birch, and 
 fir, mingled with " the green holly," and with laurel 
 and laurestinus. Abundance of sweetbrier, too, 
 lends its perfume, and millions of blue hyacinths 
 their beauty, to the shady paths that traverse in a 
 hundred directions these wooded hills. 
 
 I left Avoca for Gorey and Wexford by the 
 coach, w^hich passed by the inn door. The road 
 skirts the river, and runs underneath fine wooded 
 banks almost all the way to Arklow, one of the 
 poorest looking villages that could w^ell be seen. 
 It is entirely supported by the herring-fishery 
 during the season; but all the rest of the year, is 
 miserably off". Soon after leaving Arklow, we 
 entered the County of Wexford; and after passing 
 through a poorish, uninteresting, and not thickly 
 peopled cauntry, I reached Gorey, where I pur- 
 
GOREY. 37 
 
 posed making" a halt, having several letters of 
 introduction in the neighbourhood. 
 
 I found a good deal to please me in and about 
 Gorey. There are a considerable number of 
 resident landlords in this part of Wexford ; and the 
 property of the absentee landlords is under good 
 management. The condition of the people too, 
 especially of the farmers, is, upon the whole, better 
 than in Wicklow; though here also, anything ap- 
 proaching to constant employment for the labourer, 
 is not to be had, and the- wages of labour are 
 scarcely higher. In my first perambulation in the 
 neighbourhood of the town, I visited two very nice 
 clean cabins, with partition walls in them, and a 
 respectable display of crockery. One of these had 
 been erected by the tenant, who paid thirty shillings 
 ground rent. The sum necessary for building the 
 cabin, had been advanced by a loan society, which has 
 been established in Gorey; and from which, I found 
 a general impression, that great good had resulted, 
 Artizans and country labourers equally availed 
 themselves of it; — the shoemaker, for instance, ob- 
 tained money to purchase leather; the countryman, 
 to buy a pig or build a cabin, or to seed his patch 
 
38 GOREY. 
 
 of ground. The sums lent, are from II, to 5L; and 
 are repaid by weekly instalments, at the rate of a 
 shilling for each 11. lent: sixpence interest on each 
 1/. is also paid; and every borrower must give two 
 joint-securities, and produce a character from two 
 householders, for honesty and sobriety. I found that 
 the loans were repaid with wonderful punctuality, 
 and that the society had not actually lost one 
 penny. Independently of the advantage in condition, 
 which must accrue to a small place from a circulating 
 capital of some hundred pounds, good moral effects 
 are likely, I think, to result. Habits of punctuality 
 are encouraged, and so is sobriety; since this virtue 
 is essential to obtaining a loan. Supposing the 
 advantages of these societies admitted, could not 
 such establishments be made general throughout 
 Ireland, by government advancing money to local 
 committees (upon the joint-security of such com- 
 mittees, as trustees), at such a rate of interest— say 
 four per cent., as would cost the nation nothing? 
 This, I think, is worthy of consideration. 
 
 Most of the cabins I visited in this neighbour- 
 hood, boasted a pig ; in many cases, the result of a 
 loan. Most of them wxre in styes, but some in the 
 
GOREY, 39 
 
 cabins, wliere, as Paddy says, he has the best right 
 to be, " since it's he that pays the rint." " We'll 
 be .^aite comfortable when we get the stye up," said 
 one young woman not twenty years of age, who, 
 with two children and the pig, occupied a very 
 clean neat cabin; — her husband was a labourer, at 
 tenpence per day, without diet. The secret of 
 these very nice cabins, I found to be, a premium 
 offered by an agricultural society, of from 10s, 
 to 2Z., for the cleanest and most comfortable cot- 
 tages. To obtain these premiums, great exertions 
 are made; and a loan from the loan society I found, 
 had in most cases been necessary, to produce that 
 neatness and air of comfort likely to secure the 
 premium. I need scarcely say, that there was 
 otherwise no improvement in condition; but that, 
 on the contrary, greater privations were requisite, 
 in order to pay back the weekly instalment. 
 
 Land, in this part of Wexford, is universally let 
 too high. A very fatal admission was made to me 
 here, by an agent of extensive properties, the rents 
 of which were among the lowest in the neighbour- 
 hood. He said, that although the price of the land 
 let by him was not determined by competition; that 
 
40 GOREY. 
 
 is, although he did not let to the highest bidder, he 
 nevertheless took more money than the land was 
 worth; and that this, he was in a manner forced to 
 do, in order not to depart too entirely from the 
 practice of the neighbourhood. I found that where 
 farms had been let by competition, farmers were 
 miserably off. Others I found, with farms of sixty 
 and seventy acres, let at twenty-five shillings over- 
 head, comfortable; these farms, if they had been 
 let to the highest bidder, would have brought 
 thirty-five shillings; and the tenant, in place of 
 being comfortable, would have been in the con- 
 dition of the labourer. 
 
 Religious bitterness is carried very far in this 
 neighbourhood ; and this may be mainly ascribed 
 to the recent institution of an Orange lodge. If 
 government will continue to apply such remedial 
 measures as the state of Ireland requires, and will 
 present a firm front to all improper demands, there 
 will be no occasion for Orange lodges. The 
 results of this ill-judged zeal are strikingly dis- 
 played at Gorey. There is a Protestant and a 
 Catholic inn — known by these names; the Pro- 
 testant and the Catholic coach, owned by, driven 
 
GOREY. 41 
 
 by, and supported by, persons of different per- 
 suasions ; and the very children, playing, or 
 squabbling in the street, are divided into sects. 
 This is miserable work, for which the institutors of 
 the Orange lodge have to answer. 
 
 While at Gorey, I visited the domain of Lord 
 Courtown; which is small, but very beautiful. It 
 is a little green Paradise, sloping up from the sea, 
 with fine avenues of old wood, and with clumps of 
 evergreens, laurel especially — the luxuriant growth 
 of which, I had never seen equalled in England. 
 They are constructing a little harbour, which, 
 when completed, will be of much use to the fishery 
 on this coast, which has greatly suffered from the 
 want of some refuge. 
 
 It struck me, as I returned from Courtown, and 
 walked up the street of Gorey, that the people 
 looked less industrious than the population of an 
 English town. Over almost every half-door, some- 
 body was leaning with crossed arms; and many 
 others, sitting at their doors, doing nothing. No 
 doubt the little retail shopkeepers had some idle 
 time on their hands ; but English people, both men 
 and women, generally find some little job to do ; 
 
42 WEXFORD. 
 
 and when one sees tlie tattered coats and small- 
 clothes, which in Ireland are worn even by others 
 than beggars, and which ten minutes and a needle 
 and thread would put to rights, unfavourable com- 
 parisons are apt to be made. 
 
 After spending two days at Gorey, I proceeded 
 to Wexford ; the road to which, by Ferns and Innis- 
 corthy, is rather an interesting one. Between 
 Gorey and Ferns, I passed through an open 
 country, with furze inclosures, and all under cul- 
 tivation. I noticed some country houses with 
 fiourisliing plantations, and the cabins by the way- 
 side were not of the worst description. Most of 
 the inmates possessed pigs ; some had styes, but I 
 noticed several snouts at the cabin doors. There 
 chanced to be in the coach a parcel for the Bishop 
 of Ferns ; and in order to deliver it, the coach left 
 the high road, and drove for about two miles 
 through the domain, and past his lordship's house. 
 This evinced some respect for the church. The 
 bishop's park is pretty, and the house handsome 
 and substantial. Ferns is a poor village, with 
 nothing to recommend it excepting some rather 
 extensive ruins, part of them, they say, of a king's 
 palace. 
 
WEXFORD. 43 
 
 The approacli to Enniscorthy is imposing : there 
 is an ancient look about it, and some grey towers ; 
 and the navigable river, and bridge, and wooded 
 banks, form rather a striking assemblage of images. 
 The reader probably knows that Vinegar-hill, of 
 bloody memory, lies close to this town. Ennis- 
 corthy possesses extraordinary advantages, and 
 ought to be an extremely flourishing town ; for 
 the corn of the greater part of the county of 
 Wexford passes through the market of Enniscorthy, 
 and is shipped there. But this town is one of the 
 victims of absenteeism of the worst kind ; for even 
 the agent of Lord Portsmouth, to whom the town 
 belongs, does not live in the neighbourhood, but in 
 Dublin, and only visits Enniscorthy to collect rent, — 
 leaving, no doubt, some subordinate individual to 
 scrape in the odds and ends which he has not had 
 time to collect. Notwithstanding that it was a 
 holiday when I passed through Enniscorthy, there 
 was a busy corn market, and a large concourse of 
 people in the streets, buying and selling. 
 
 The country between Enniscorthy and Wexford 
 is extremely interesting : the banks of the Slaney, 
 a fine navigable river, are fertile and beautiful, and 
 
44 WEXFORD. 
 
 there is a fair sprinkling of gentlemen's seats. 
 The country is almost all under tillages and I 
 every where noticed an excellent promise of crops. 
 The cabins too were not of the worst kind ; most 
 of them had windows and chimneys; and the 
 children about the doors were several degrees 
 removed from nakedness. About three miles from 
 Wexford, I crossed a wooden bridge of extra- 
 ordinary length, thrown over the estuary, which 
 here opens out into several fine reaches, presenting, 
 both above and below the bridge, some very sweet 
 scenes of the softer character. The immediate 
 approach to Wexford is excellent : there is a fine 
 broad road, flanked by many excellent houses ; and 
 being the evening of a holiday, I had a favourable 
 sample of the population. 
 
 The best part of Wexford is seen before getting 
 fairly into it. Its localities are soon described. It 
 consists of one very long, and very narrow street, 
 and a quay running parallel to it, and of nearly 
 equal length ; together with a few short side streets 
 somewhat wider than the main street, and not so 
 much the resort of business. There is also a very 
 long, poor suburb, chiefly inhabited by the fisher- 
 
WEXFORD TOWN. 45 
 
 men. There are many good shops in Wexford, 
 and I heard no complaint of want of trade ; and the 
 best illustration I can give of the comfortable con- 
 dition of the people of Wexford is, that during 
 two days which I spent in the town, 1 was not 
 once asked for charity. I do not mean to say, that 
 there is not a pauper, or a person out of employ- 
 ment in Wexford; but it may be said that Wexford 
 is a flourishing town. I only saw one thing to 
 contradict this opinion — two or three unroofed and 
 half ruined houses, which must have remained long- 
 in that condition, as the walls and window ledges 
 were covered with wall-flower. The people of 
 Wexford county generally, are said to be a money- 
 getting people ; and in the system which prevails 
 extensively with regard to marriages, among the 
 rural population, there is considerable evidence of 
 this. The disposal of farmers' daughters is matter 
 of regular traffic — acre for acre, or pound for pound 
 — and so great is the difficulty of marrying girls 
 without portions, that it is no unusual thing to find 
 farmers, who are in comfortable circumstances, 
 living as poorly as the common labourer, or the 
 rack-rented tenant of a few acres, in order that 
 
46 WEXFORD TOWN. 
 
 they may save a few hundreds for fortuning off 
 their girls. 
 
 There are no public buildings in Wexford of any 
 importance, excepting the gaol, which is large and 
 handsome. 
 
 Wexford is]a cheap place of residence. When I 
 visited it, beef was M. per lb., mutton 5c?., veal 
 2^., pork 2j<f., fine chickens Is. a couple, and 
 butter Qd. per lb. A fine Turkey may be bought 
 during the season for 35., and other poultry in pro- 
 portion ; and there is a very plentiful and cheap fish 
 market. 
 
 Before leaving Wexford, I devoted a day to an 
 excursion into the Barony of Forth. This district 
 and its inhabitants are familiar to every one in 
 the south of Ireland ; and are become by-words for 
 all that indicates a superior order of things, and a 
 superior race of people. The district commences 
 close to the town of Wexford, and extends about 
 fifteen miles in a south-west direction. The in- 
 habitants were originally a South Welsh colony; 
 and till but of late years, the language of Wales 
 was generally spoken, and is still understood by 
 some of the older people. But to this day, there 
 
WEXFORD. 47 
 
 are other distinctive traits in both the physical 
 appearance of the people, and the moral aspect of 
 society among them, sufficient to denote their 
 independent origin. The character of the people 
 is universally reputed to be industrious, provident, 
 peaceable, cleanly, and sober; and particularly 
 exhibiting a pride in outward decency of appear- 
 ance. I had heard much of this district and its 
 inhabitants, and left Wexford early, in a jaunting 
 car, to see all its singularities with my own eyes. 
 
 I found a country without any natural beauty, 
 but with every thing else to recommend it. I saw 
 universal tillage, good husbandry, and a com- 
 paratively comfortable people. The farm-houses 
 and cottages, — for they are cottages rather than 
 cabins, — are very thickly strewn ; and, with few ex- 
 ceptions, the former are substantial, the latter clean 
 and comfortable. I visited many of both ; for an- 
 ticipating, and always finding, as I every where 
 have in Ireland, a ready welcome, I left the car, 
 crossed the fields, and unhesitatingly lifted the 
 latch. The farther I travelled into the district, the 
 more striking became its characteristics; and not 
 only did I find the interior of the houses comfort- 
 
48 WEXFORD. 
 
 able; but in the flower-plots and little ornamental 
 gardens, I recognized the traits which I have 
 enumerated. In the husbandry of the district, 
 there was every thing to commend. The land was 
 well laboured and clean; the crops of wheat and 
 of beans — the cultivation of which is extensively 
 pursued here — were excellent ; and a serviceable 
 plough, with two horses and only one man, shewed 
 some knowledge of the economy of labour. 
 
 But it must not be imagined, from what I have 
 already said, that the people of the Barony of 
 Forth are rolling in plenty; and that the condition 
 of life is utterly different here from the rest of 
 Ireland. This superior neatness, cleanliness, and 
 apparent comfort, are more the result of a distinc- 
 tion in character, than of a distinction in condition. 
 This pride of neatness and decorum has been 
 matter of tradition ; and is rarely forgotten in the 
 children of the present day, whatever deterioration 
 may take place in their condition. Neither, how- 
 ever, would I infer, that the difference is all ex- 
 ternal. Superior industry, and greater providence, 
 have produced among the farmers an improved 
 husbandry, and perhaps a somewhat larger capital ; 
 
WEXFORD. 49 
 
 and this again has been the means of giving more 
 general and more regular employment to labourers; 
 so that in this district, few are unable to find em- 
 ployment, though the wages of labour are not 
 higher than in other places; nor, consequently? 
 the mode of life greatly diiferent. The potato diet 
 here, is not so exclusive as elsewhere; barley bread 
 is a good deal used; and among the females, tea 
 is a very universal luxury. 
 
 Farms in this barony, run from ten up to fifty 
 and sixty acres; but farms of thirty, and from thirty 
 to forty acres, are the most usual: and with farm 
 produce at its present prices, and with an average 
 rent on arable land, of from 21. to 2Z. IO5. per acre, 
 the farmer cannot do a great deal more than live, 
 and pay his rent. I went into the house of a 
 farmer owning forty acres, when he and his family 
 were about to begin dinner. It consisted of potatos, 
 butter- milk, sweet skimmed milk, barley bread and 
 butter. The farm had been four generations in the 
 farmer's family: his great-grandfather paid six 
 shillings per acre, his grandfather ten shillings, his 
 father one pound, and he paid two pounds. He 
 said he could live as I saw him live, and pay his 
 
 VOL. I, D 
 
50 WEXFORD. 
 
 rent, with his own and his son's labour, and lay by 
 a trifle for his daughters. 
 
 Persons of different religious persuasions, live in 
 the utmost harmony with each other in the Barony 
 of Forth. Difference in creed, is unattended by 
 any results on society; — and here also, the feuds 
 and factions which in many parts prevail, and the 
 personal collisions which result from them, are 
 absolutely unknown. 
 
 The extreme point of my excursion into the 
 barony, was about two miles beyond Broadway, 
 which is indeed at the extremity of the barony; 
 where there is a salt-water lake, a Catholic chapel, 
 a ruin, and an island, which were once objects 
 of religious superstition. In returning to Wexford 
 by another road, I was greatly struck by the gay 
 effect produced by the furze, or, as they are called 
 in Scotland, the whin hedges, which form the only 
 enclosures in this district. The furze hedges are 
 very general in Ireland, and are much preferred by 
 the people to every other, and not without reason. 
 In parts of the country where turf is scarce and 
 coal dear, the furze is a ready and abundant fuel : 
 nor is this the only use to which it is put, — the 
 
WEXFORD. 5i 
 
 tender shoots are mashed, and given as food to. the 
 horses ; and the refuse is mixed up and used as 
 manure. There is still another use of a furze 
 hedging. When full grown, it affords in rainj^ 
 weather a shelter to live stock, which neither thorn 
 nor any other hedge affords; for there are no drip- 
 pings from a furze hedging. This is a fact of 
 which any pedestrian may agreeably convince him- 
 self, if caught in a shower of rain, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of a furze inclosure. 
 
 I noticed a singular usage in returning to Wex- 
 ford. Passing by a farm-yard, I observed two 
 horses greedily drinking milk out of a large pail. 
 I of course stopped to make some inquiry respect- 
 ing so unusual a spectacle; and I was informed, 
 that the milk not required for the pigs, and the 
 spare potatos, were always given to the horses, who 
 liked the diet much, and thrived well upon it. I 
 never observed this practice on any other occasion, 
 or in any other place, ♦ 
 
52 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Mr. Bianconi and his Establishment — Memoir of Mr. Bian- 
 coni — Journey from Wexford to Waterford — New Ross — 
 Land and Farmers — Con-acre — Tithe — Road to Waterford, 
 and Cabins by the road-side — The Quay of Waterford — 
 Export Trade of Waterford — Condition of the People — 
 Landed Proprietors — Monk-houses— Whiskey-drinking and 
 Licenses — Neighbouring Watering Places — Cotton Factory 
 at Mayfield — Marquis of Waterford's Domain — The Beres- 
 fords — Carrick on Suir, and its poverty — The Duncannon 
 Estates — Return to Waterford — Waterford Beggars — Jour- 
 ney to Kilkenny — Thomastown and its neighbourhood — 
 Pigs, and a new light — Is Ireland an improving country? — 
 A Holiday — Catholic Population — Land, and Middle-men — 
 Leases — Excursion to Innistioge and Woodstock. 
 
 It is singular enough, that Ireland should be in- 
 debted to an Italian, for the establishment of a 
 system of easy and cheap communication through- 
 out all the south, and a great part of the west. 
 The name of this public spirited individual, is 
 Charles Bianconi, — and as it is at Wexford that 
 the traveller finds himself for the first time within 
 the range of Mr. Bianconi's establishment, I shall 
 
WATERFOBD. 53 
 
 make no apology for introducing in this place, just 
 before availing myself of it, some little notice of 
 the establishment, and of the establisher; and I will 
 premise what I have to say, by mentioning that I 
 am indebted for my information to Mr. Bianconi 
 himself, to whose enterprise and public spirit, the 
 people of Ireland are so largely indebted. 
 
 It has been incorrectly stated, that Mr. Bianconi 
 came to Ireland as a print-seller: he was respect- 
 ably connected in Italy; and being as a boy some- 
 what of a scape-grace, he was entrusted by his 
 parents to the care of an individual, who was then 
 setting out on a commercial journey to Britain. 
 This individual, to whom was confided the power 
 of breaking in his pupil, in whatever way he chose, 
 chose to employ him in carrying small prints round 
 the country for sale. This delegated drudgery 
 continued during some time; and when the indi- 
 vidual who had charge of the youth returned to 
 Italy, Charles Bianconi found no choice but to 
 remain on his own account. From twopenny 
 prints^ he rose to sixpenny, and from sixpenny to 
 shilling wares; and with its costliness, the weight 
 of his burden increased. 
 
54 WATERFORD. 
 
 It was while trudging, as he was often accus- 
 tomed, between Waterford and Clonmel, that it 
 first occurred to him, how agreeable it would be 
 if any cheap conveyance passed along the road, to 
 carry himself and his burden ; and some indistinct 
 project then began to be entertained, respecting the 
 establishment of such a conveyance : but it has 
 been erroneously stated, in some Memoirs of Mr, 
 Bianconi that have from time to time appeared^ 
 that he set up a car to assist himself as an itinerant 
 print merchant. Gradually he amassed a little 
 money; but it was not until after he had taken 
 Advantage of then existing circumstances, to enter 
 into the bullion trade, and had realized a little 
 capital, that he started his first car. For some 
 little time he met with but indifferent success; but 
 gradually the public began to appreciate the con- 
 venience; and at length the success of the first 
 ear induced him to start a second ; and to persevere, 
 until he has become what he now is, one of the 
 largest proprietors of horses and vehicles in 
 Europe, 
 
 Clonmel is Mr. Bianconi's centre; and from 
 thence his cars radiate in every direction — em- 
 
WATERFORD, 55 
 
 bracing nearly fifty of the chief towns of the south 
 and west ; and not only following the high-roads, 
 but connecting these towns with each other by the 
 cross-roads. The establishment reckons between five 
 and six hundred horses, and upwards of two hun- 
 dred vehicles : and Mr. Bianconi is now the prin- 
 cipal contractor besides, for conveying the mails on 
 all the cross-roads of the south and west of Ireland. 
 The whole establishment is excellently conducted. 
 Every horse has his name ; and the names are regu- 
 larly entered in the way-bills. There is an hospital 
 too, for the sick horses; and in his care of his 
 four-footed favourites, Mr. Bianconi does not for- 
 get his other dependents. When his drivers become 
 infirm or fall sick, they and their families are taken 
 care of: and apart from his establishment, Mr. 
 Bianconi is foremost in all that relates either to the 
 amelioration of human distress, or to the improve- 
 ment of his adopted town and country. About 
 200,000 stone of oats, and about 1400 tons of hay 
 are consumed in Mr. Bianconi's establishment. I 
 have omitted to say, that the vehicles used by Mr. 
 Bianconi, are the regular juanting-cars, constructed 
 on a large scale; — that the fares are extremely 
 
56 NEW ROSS. 
 
 moderate ; and that on the principal lines of road, the 
 rate of travelling is about nine English miles per 
 hour, 
 
 I left Wexford, seated on one of Bianeoni's ears, 
 at seven a. m. Leaving Wexford, the country is 
 agreeable, undulating, and fruitful; and looking 
 back, I caught some charming views over the 
 estuary, and along its banks. The cottages we 
 passed, were neither of the best nor the worst 
 description ; they had generally some kind of 
 windows, and the pig some kind of separate house. 
 We breakfasted at a poor little place, the name of 
 which I do not recollect, and proceeded on to New 
 Ross, which we reached about mid-day; after 
 passing through an uninteresting but a well cul- 
 tivated country, chiefly under tillage, deficient in 
 wood, and everywhere with whin enclosures. 
 
 New Ross is an old town situated on the Barrow, 
 which here divides the county of Wexford fro-m 
 the county Kilkenny. The old town was mostly 
 destroyed during the rebellion, and has since been 
 partially rebuilt. This town lives chiefly by agri- 
 culture, and partly by the business created by the ex- 
 port trade, which commences here on the Barrow, to 
 
NEW ROSS. ^ 57 
 
 be reshipped at Waterford. But notwithstanding 
 these advantages. New Ross is any thing but a 
 flourishing town: I remained a day there; and 
 both by personal observation and inquiry, had 
 sufficient proof of its poor condition. I found a 
 very large number of the working classes without 
 employment, and the street crowded with ragged 
 mendicants. A considerable proportion of the 
 land in this neighbourhood, is in the hands of mid- 
 dlemen, and is rented at from 41. to 61 an acre. I 
 had not hitherto found the con-acre system common 
 in the parts which I had already visited, but here 
 I found it existed to a considerable extent. What 
 con-acre means, is no doubt understood by many 
 of my readers ; but as there may be some to whom 
 the term is not familiar, I will explain it. A 
 farmer manures, ploughs, and in every way pre- 
 pares a large field to receive a crop ; a poorer 
 description of persons, rent off portions of this 
 field — a half, a quarter, or an eighth of an acre, 
 for one season ; and all that these persons have 
 to provide, is the seed which they put in, and they 
 take their chance of the produce. The rent paid 
 for such portions is always high. In the neigh- 
 d3 
 
58 NEW ROSS. 
 
 bourhood of New Ross, I found it to be from lOZ. 
 to 12Z. an acre ; and it may be said generally, that 
 the rent is always calculated for the most favourable 
 seasons. The poor man, however, who has no 
 certain employment, and no means of living, un- 
 dertakes to pay any rent, which, high as it is, a 
 favourable season will enable him to pay ; and if, 
 on the contrary, he perceives that the crop is not 
 likely to answer his purpose, he throws up his bit 
 of land, and leaves the landlord to come upon the 
 crop for the rent. I have known as much as 20/. 
 per acre agreed to be paid for land, which was not 
 only prepared, but seeded; and all labour also, 
 being performed by the landlord. 
 
 I found in this neighbourhood, great fear 
 among the landlords, that the tithe-bill, by which 
 the tithe was proposed to be a land tax, would lead 
 to a refusal to pay rent ; and a strong disposition 
 on the part of tenants, to resist tithe in every 
 shape. I was shewn a lease, in which there was a 
 clause to this effect, — that the tenant shall still be 
 answerable for tithe, and shall be bound to pay it, 
 if the landlord he obliged to pay it. The lease was 
 of course invalid; but this clause shewed a doubt 
 
NEW ROSS. 59 
 
 on the part of both landlord and tenant, whether 
 tithe would be in any shape recovered. The same 
 individual shewed me a threatening notice which 
 had just been sent He had been desirous of let- 
 ting at a higher rent, some land in the neighbour- 
 hood of New Ross, which had been previously let 
 at 3Z. 5s., and had come from Waterford for the 
 purpose ; but a threatening notice had been served 
 that morning, and he was unable to get a tenant. 
 
 The country between New Ross and Waterford 
 is hilly, open, almost all under tillage, and not very 
 thickly peopled. Both the farm houses and the 
 cabins were of a worse description than I had yet 
 seen in Wexford, and appeared to get worse as I 
 approached Waterford. While the car was slowly 
 drawn up the steep hills, I always took the oppor- 
 tunity of walking in advance, which permitted 
 me to enter, or look into the cottages. In one, 
 without chimney or window, or a particle of fur- 
 niture, excepting two broken stools, I found an 
 old infirm man at his breakfast of potatos and salt. 
 This man was able to work but little, and was 
 supported almost solely by going about the country 
 begging of the farmers : he offered me a potato, 
 
60 WATERFORD. 
 
 which I accepted ; and I gave him in return — what 
 I advise every traveller in Ireland to carry with 
 him — a little tobacco. In another cabin, I found a 
 woman working straw for bonnets. She said she 
 could earn by her labour Is. Sd. a week. Walking 
 up one of the hills, I overtook about sixty boys 
 and girls, who had been at mass. It was Saturday ; 
 and their parents being busy washing, had sent 
 their children to chapel in their stead. 
 
 The road from New Ross to Waterford does 
 not run by the river side, although the river runs 
 to Waterford ; and it is not until very near the 
 city that the views improve, or that the country 
 bespeaks any approach to a large town. The 
 entrance to Waterford, however, is extremely 
 imposing : the river Suir is crossed by a very long 
 w^ooden bridge ; and the first part of the town one 
 enters, is the quay, which, whether in its extent, or 
 in the breadth of the river, or in the beauty of the 
 opposite banks, is unquestionably one of the very 
 finest quays I recollect to have seen. At full tide, 
 the views are indeed beautiful. The quay is little 
 less than a mile in length; and the river is not 
 much less than a quarter of a mile wide. The 
 
WATERFOKD. 61 
 
 opposite banks gently slope into green hills, well 
 clothed with wood, and adorned with villas; and 
 the church, called Christendom Church, with its 
 fine surrounding trees, standing close to the water, 
 adds greatly to the beauty of the prospect. The 
 quay of Waterford reminded me of the quay of the 
 Soane, at Lyons. 
 
 During the last fifteen ^^ears, Waterford has 
 been an improving town; though that improvement 
 has not been at all equal to what might have been 
 expected from its trade ; and at the time I visited 
 it, the retail trade of the place was sufi'ering from 
 the low prices of farm produce, and consequent 
 depression of the agriculturists. During the last 
 nine years, the exports of Waterford have nearly 
 doubled ; and at present exceed two millions. 
 But an export trade is not the most lucrative : in 
 Waterford there are but few capitalists ; the mer- 
 chants, therefore, carry on their trade under very 
 disadvantageous circumstances ; and it is said, that 
 not one twentieth per cent, of the value of the 
 exports remains to Waterford. 
 
 Although there are very many unemployed 
 persons in Waterford; and although the number of 
 
62 WATERFORD. 
 
 infirm poor has made a mendicity society necessary; 
 and although, as the reader will presently be 
 informed by my personal observation, scenes of 
 the utmost misery and destitution are constantly 
 brought under the notice of any one who walks 
 into the bye streets; yet, taking the circle of 
 country round Waterford, I believe I am entitled 
 from my inquiries, to say, that there has been some 
 improvement among the people. In female cloth- 
 ing, the introduction of cotton has had the effect of 
 improving cleanliness. Waterford stuff used to be 
 the common material ; and a gown made of this, 
 would last six or seven years ; and during all that 
 time, the pin that fastened it up behind, was never 
 taken out. This dress has been superseded by 
 cotton, and there is therefore an improvement in 
 cleanliness. In houses, the premiums offered by 
 the agricultural society, have produced some im^- 
 provement ; and the abolition of the duty on coal, 
 which is now pretty generally used in and about 
 Waterford, has led to some improvement in the 
 construction of farm houses, by creating a necessity 
 for grates, and for chimneys of a better form. In 
 food, there has been no improvement among the 
 
WATERFORD. 63 
 
 labouring classes ; tlie wages of labour will not 
 admit of any: but in the town, and among the 
 small farmers, potatos have, in some degree,^ 
 yielded to wbeaten bread. The wife of almost every 
 small farmer carries a wheaten loaf back with her 
 from market: and bread of a second quality is 
 cheap, — the large export of the fine qualities 
 leaving the inferior kinds for home consumption. 
 
 Taking a circle of ten or twelve miles round 
 Waterford, the large properties are not so much 
 over- let as the smaller. The estates of the Water- 
 ford, the Duncannon, and the Devonshire families, 
 are not understood to be rack-rented ; and are all 
 under good management. The property in the 
 worst condition, is that of Mr. Lane Fox, who 
 grants no leases, and whose tenantry are mostly in 
 arrear. I was much amused by learning the kind 
 of presents which this absentee landlord made to 
 his tenants' wives and daughters, on the occasion of 
 a recent visit to his property. Supposing the 
 county of Waterford, and the tastes and wants of 
 its people, to resemble those of New Zealand or 
 California, the good hearted, but mistaken land- 
 lord, visited his estates with pockets full of beads. 
 
64 WATERFORD. 
 
 little mirrors, brooches, and other gew«gaws of a 
 like kind. 
 
 While at Waterford, I made frequent excursions 
 into the surrounding country ; and sufficiently 
 verified the fact, that the smaller properties were 
 very much over-let. I found 5Z., 4Z. IO5., and even 
 11. per acre, paid for small farms ; and in all these 
 cases, potatos formed the sole diet of the farmer, 
 with occasionally the back-bone of a pig. This 
 puts me in mind of a place in Waterford, called 
 Arundel-square, where pigs' back bones, and all 
 those parts not exported, are exposed for sale at 
 three- halfpence and twopence per pound; and on 
 Saturday evening, this square is filled with eager 
 purchasers. There is no possibility of living, and 
 paying such rents as I have mentioned. Many 
 acknowledged that their arrears never could be 
 paid; and that they had taken the land at such 
 rents, merely as a refuge against starvation. This 
 is universally the case where land is let by compe- 
 tition. Men who are unable to turn to any 
 business but agriculture, will agree to pay any rent, 
 so long as want of employment prevails to so enor- 
 mous an extent. 
 
WATERFORD. 65 
 
 There are in Waterford several large public 
 institutions ; particularly, a House of Industry, 
 which appeared to be under good management, 
 though the want of a separate place for lunatics, 
 is very objectionable; and a mendicity society, 
 the same in principle as that in Dublin, but exhi- 
 biting rather less filth and wretchedness. But the 
 most important institution which I visited, was a 
 Catholic school, at which upwards of seven hundred 
 children were instructed. This is a new establish- 
 ment, called by some, monk-houses ; and is an 
 association of young men, who dedicate their lives 
 to the instruction of youth, and who call themselves 
 " Brothers of the Christian Schools." It is, in 
 fact, a monastic institution, bound by vows, like 
 other orders : and although I am far from question- 
 ing the motives, either of the founder, Mr. Rice, 
 or of the young men who thus make a sacrifice of 
 themselves ; yet I cannot regard favourably an 
 institution under such tuition. I know too much 
 of Catholicism, in other countries, to doubt, that 
 intellectual education will be made very secondary 
 to theological instruction ; and although I am very 
 far from ascribing all, or any large portion of the 
 
66 WATERFORD. 
 
 evils of Ireland to the prevalence of the Roman 
 Catholic faith, yet I would rather not see a system 
 of education extensively pursued, in which the 
 inculcation of Popish tenets forms the chief feature. 
 These schools are established in many other towns 
 besides Waterford ; and where I meet with them, 
 I shall not fail to notice them. There are at 
 present, ninety members of the order of " Brothers 
 of the Christian Schools;" and their number is 
 rapidly increasing. 
 
 Whiskey drinking prevails to a dreadful extent 
 in Waterford. There are between two and three 
 hundred licensed houses ; and it certainly does seem 
 to me, that among the remedial measures necessary 
 for the tranquillity and happiness of Ireland, an 
 alteration in the licensing system is one of the most 
 important. At present, the expense of a license 
 increases with the respectability of the house that 
 demands it, the expense being charged according 
 to the rate ; so a premium is thus offered to the 
 lowest houses. This system certainly ought to 
 be changed, and the price of licenses raised : 
 government would lose nothing by this; for, 
 although the number of licensed houses would be 
 
WATERFORD. 67 
 
 reduced, the reduction would be amongst those 
 houses which now encourage illicit trade. 
 
 Before leaving Waterford, I visited some of the 
 worst quarters of the town, and was introduced to 
 scenes of most appalling misery. I found three 
 and four families in hovels, lying on straw in dif- 
 ferent corners, and not a bit of furniture visible ; 
 the hovels themselves, situated in the midst of the 
 most horrid and disgusting filth. The heads of the 
 families were out, begging potatos, round the 
 country. I noticed among the inferior classes in 
 Waterford — I do not mean the mendicant or des- 
 titute poor — too many evidences of idle, slovenly 
 habits, — ragged clothes, which might have been 
 mended; uncombed hair, which might have been 
 in order ; and even in the farm houses I observed, 
 amongst a class who in England would have been 
 neat and tidy, dirty caps and faces, ragged 
 children, and an untidy and slatternly look about 
 things, not warranted by the circumstances of the 
 inmates. 
 
 The population of Waterford is about 30,000; 
 of whom 25,000 are Catholics. 
 
 There are two watering places, or rather sea- 
 
68 WATERFORD. 
 
 bathing places, in the vicinity of Waterford; 
 Tramore, and Dunmore. I visited both, though 
 they scarcely repay a visit. The road lies through 
 an uninteresting country, and the places themselves 
 are merely assemblages of indifferent houses. The 
 seabeach at Tramore, however, is remarkably fine ; 
 and no shopkeeper at Waterford is entitled to hold 
 up his head, who does not spend a few weeks with 
 his family at Tramore. 
 
 A more interesting excursion is to Curraghmore, 
 the magnificent domain of the Marquis of Water- 
 ford: and in the same neighbourhood, there are 
 several other objects of interest; Mayfield, the 
 extensive cotton factory of Messrs. Malcomson; 
 the Besborough domain; and the town of Carrick 
 on Suir. The road from Waterford to Curragh- 
 more, lies through a very pleasant country, which 
 becomes beautiful as the domain is approached. 
 There is the fine broad river; the wide, well cul- 
 tivated, and well wooded vale ; and a magnificent 
 oak forest stretching over an extensive district, as 
 fine a specimen of forest scenery as any I know in 
 England. 
 
 Before visiting Curraghmore, I applied for per- 
 
WATERFORD. 69 
 
 mission to see tlie neighbouring cotton factory, and 
 in order to get to it, passed througli the village of 
 Mayfield, which exhibited every sign of that 
 improvement which might be expected, from the 
 employment afforded by the adjoining manufactory. 
 I found no fewer than 900 persons employed, of 
 whom a large number were of course young 
 persons: the wages of the boys and girls were 
 from 2s, 6d. to 7s. per week ; the upgrown persons 
 worked at task- work, and might easily earn IZ. 
 The most marked improvement has taken place in 
 the neighbourhood, since the establishment of this 
 manufactory : not in lodging only, but in food also, 
 a great change has taken place ; and although high 
 wages, which leave a surplus, are some incentive 
 to intoxication, it is a fact, that not an hour's labour 
 is ever lost in the factory, owing to the dissipated 
 habits of those employed in it. 
 
 The calico manufactured here, finds an advan- 
 tageous market, not only in Ireland, but in 
 England also, and is able to compete there with 
 the fabrics of Manchester. It has been commonly 
 said that Irish manufacturers cannot compete with 
 those of Britain; but this establishment at May- 
 
70 WATERFORD. 
 
 field does compete successfully; and with a suffi- 
 ciency of capital, and an equally favourable 
 situation, one would imagine that any other might 
 be equally prosperous. The expense of erection is 
 less than in England ; labour is cheaper ; and where 
 there is navigation, the difference in the expense of 
 conveyance to market, is but a small item. 
 
 I regretted deeply to learn, not from the pro- 
 prietor of the mill only, but from other sources, 
 that Lord Waterford's family have thrown every 
 obstacle in the way of this establishment ; and that, 
 only the other day, an attempt had been made to 
 take advantage of some manorial rights, and to 
 demolish the mill dams. Pity it is, that the aris- 
 tocracy should, even by open acts, separate them- 
 selves from the interests of the people around them. 
 The enterprising Quaker who has established this 
 factory, has done more for the neighbourhood, than 
 Lord Waterford and all the Beresfords have ever 
 done ; and his lordship's pride ought to be, less in 
 his magnificent domain, and fine stud, than in the 
 comfortable condition of the surrounding peasantry, 
 and in the establishment which has produced it. 
 
 It was only by dint of much importunity that I 
 
WATERFORD. 71 
 
 succeeded in gaining admittance to the domain; 
 but it is well worth the trouble of importuning. 
 It is indeed a magnificent domain ! It contains 
 4600 acres ; and is one ofj if not the very largest 
 park in the United Kingdom. The River Clyde 
 — not the noble river of the north ; but a fine full 
 stream nevertheless — traverses the park; and the 
 timber by the river-side is of the most magnificent 
 description, particularly the Norwegian firs, which 
 I have scarcely seen surpassed, even on the banks 
 of the Glommen in " old Norway." The house 
 is not at all worthy of the domain. 
 
 The defeat of the Waterford family in the elec- 
 tion for the county, was felt by them as a severe 
 blow; but it has had its uses: more attention is 
 now paid to the interests and comforts of the 
 tenantry ; and it is universally admitted, that the 
 property has recently been, and is at present, under 
 excellent management. 
 
 From Curraghmore, I proceeded to Carrick-on- 
 Suir, driving through the park, which extends to 
 within about three miles of the town. I know of 
 few finer prospects than the valley of the Suir 
 presents, as it opens upon one, from the heights 
 
72 WATERFORD. 
 
 above Carrick. It is of great extent ; of tlie utmost 
 fertility ; extremely well wooded ; with fine moun- 
 tains for a back ground; with a broad navigable 
 river flowing through its centre ; and adorned by 
 many fine domains. I do not think it is equalled 
 by the Vale of Clwyd. 
 
 It rained torrents as I descended the heights 
 towards Carrick, which nevertheless looked well, 
 with its old bridge, and ivied castle, and pleasant 
 environs ; but, like many continental towns, there 
 was a sad falling off on entering it. I was struck 
 with its deserted, fallen-off appearance, — with the 
 number of houses and shops shut up, and windows 
 broken, — ^and with the very poor, ragged population 
 that lingered about the streets. Nor were these 
 appearances dissipated by farther opportunity of 
 observation : I had not yet visited any town in a 
 poorer condition than this. Carrick~on-Suir, once 
 a town of great prosperity, and large stuff manu- 
 facture, and situated in one of the most abundant 
 of districts, appears to be now distinguished — only 
 by the extreme poverty of its population. I found 
 the price of labour here, lower than I had yet any 
 where found it. Sixpence to eightpence, without 
 
CARRICK. 73 
 
 diet (and even for temporary employment), was 
 all that could be obtained ; and, at this price, many 
 hundreds of unemployed labourers could have been 
 got by holding up one's finger. From all quarters 
 1 ascertained that a constant deterioration had taken 
 place in the condition of this town, and its neigh- 
 bourhood, during the last ten years: but, indeed, 
 any one remaining a day at Carrick, and keeping 
 his eyes open, need scarcely put the question 
 "whether any improvement has taken place?" 
 I have already said that the rents on Lord Water- 
 ford's, and on the Duncannon properties, are not 
 rack rents : as much cannot be said for the smaller 
 properties in this neighbourhood. Too many are 
 disposed to let land to the highest bidder ; though 
 it must be admitted that, in many parts, it is 
 impossible to carry that disposition into effect, 
 owing to the danger of taking land over another 
 man's head. Carrick, it will be recollected, stands 
 partly in the county of Tipperary. I noticed, 
 amongst other indications of the small means of the 
 lower classes, stalls, set out with a miserable assort- 
 ment of small bits of meat, the offal of pigs, 
 chiefly ; and much of the meat was in a state unfit 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
74 CARRICK. 
 
 to be eaten. These morsels were sold at a penny, 
 three-halfpence, and some of them, even as low as 
 one halfpenny. Carrick-on-Suir, with all its po- 
 verty, may boast of excellent bread ; I never ate 
 better ; and I may take this opportunity of saying, 
 that the baker's bread generally, in the south of 
 Ireland, is most excellent. 
 
 The condition of Carrick might be greatly bet- 
 tered by improving the navigation of the Suir to 
 Waterford; so that vessels of a larger tonnage 
 might come up to Carrick, and load there. It is 
 thought that the expense of deepening the channel 
 would not cost above 4000Z. or 5000Z. : but, even 
 this trifling capital is not to be had; because there 
 is a want of enterprise, resulting from a want of 
 public security, — a want that must continue to 
 exist, so long as the mass of the people continue 
 to be without employment. 
 
 The population of Carrick-on-Suir — I mean of 
 the town parish — is about 10,000, of which num- 
 ber the Protestants amount to about 250. 
 
 I returned to Waterford, on the Kilkenny side 
 of the Suir, that I might have an opportunity of 
 seeing the Besborough domain, and the scenery 
 
WATERFORD. 75 
 
 on the lower part of the Suir. Three miles on 
 the road to Waterford, Besborough lies. The do- 
 main is remarkably well laid out; and the house, 
 which is well situated, contains some good pictures, 
 certainly well worth a detour of a few miles. The 
 village of Pilltown, which stands on the road, close 
 to, and, I believe, upon the Besborough property, 
 , is evidently a pet village : it is a row of cottages, 
 ddorned with evergreens and flowers ; and is meant 
 to convey, to the passer-by, the idea of snugness 
 and comfort. I trust the noble proprietor has not 
 contented himself with externals : I have no reason 
 to think that he has; on the contrary, the Dun- 
 cannon family are everywhere well spoken of. 
 At the same time, in a country where I know that 
 more than 45. Qd, a week, without diet, cannot be 
 afforded for labour, I look with some distrust upon 
 these beautiful cottages ; because I know that in- 
 ternal comforts cannot be in correspondence with 
 external indications. 
 
 There are few more beautiful drives in any 
 country, than that from Carrick to Waterford. 
 The road keeps, for the most part, close by the 
 fine broad river, which sweeps through a country 
 
 e2 
 
76 THOMASTOWN. 
 
 of amazing fertility and beauty ; and the first view 
 of Waterford, seen through an opening in the rocks 
 that terminate a long reach of the river, is one of 
 the most striking things I recollect to have seen. 
 
 I left Waterford, for Kilkenny, by way of 
 Thomastown, travelling by the mail-coach as far as 
 the latter place. There was a fearful congrega- 
 tion of beggars besetting the coach at its starting : 
 and, although such scenes in Ireland are most 
 harrowing to the feelings, it is sometimes impos- 
 sible to help being amused, by the quick replies 
 and insinuating ways of these sons and daughters 
 of poverty. A commercial traveller chanced to be 
 seated next to the door, and, while the coach 
 waited for the mail-bags, he was assailed by a 
 torrent of importunity. " One little sixpence, 
 your honour ! it 's but a half-penny a-piece for the 
 poor crathurs." The young man answered, that 
 he had nothing less than half-crowns. " May your 
 honour never have less,'^ said two or three together 
 — wits really jumping. " I dare say," said he, 
 '^ you would take my coat off my back." " And, 
 if your honour gave it with good will, may be we 
 would," said another. 
 
THOMASTOWN. 77 
 
 There is nothing interesting in the country 
 between Waterford and Thomastown. The land 
 is generally under cultivation; but there is also 
 some waste land, susceptible of all improvement; 
 and the land that is under tillage, is by no means in 
 the condition of which it is susceptible. The road 
 from Waterford to Thomastown, runs the whole 
 way through the county of Kilkenny, which it 
 enters, immediately on crossing the bridge; and 
 Thomastown is situated not very far from the 
 centre of the county. The only bad inn I had yet 
 seen in Ireland, I found at Thomastown. 
 
 The following morning betimes, I was looking 
 about me ; and there is indeed a great deal to be 
 seen in the neighbourhood of Thomastown. The 
 country is extremely pretty ; there are a number of 
 fine and extensive domains at no great distance ; 
 and several ruins are scattered here and there; 
 the most interesting of which is at Jerpoint, 
 about a mile from the town. Lord Carrick has a 
 pretty park in the neighbourhood ; and with Kil- 
 fane, the seat of Mr. Power, I was particularly 
 pleased. At Kilfane, I saw some excellent pic- 
 tures; and amongst them the celebrated portrait 
 
78 THOMASTOWN. 
 
 of Napoleon, by Gerard. There must, I think, be 
 a drawback on the enjoyment of the finest domain 
 in Ireland. — All that the heart can desire, may be 
 concentrated within its walls; nay, even the sub- 
 ject village may own the fostering protection of a 
 kind hearted resident landlord. But beyond, all 
 this disappears : private wealth and humanity, can 
 extend their influence only to a limited distance; 
 and beyond the circle of that influence, rags and 
 beggary are found. I am led to make this obser- 
 vation here, because there are several resident 
 landlords about Thomastown ; and because there 
 is but one opinion round the country, as to the 
 worth of Mr. Power, as a resident landlord ; and 
 yet I found the condition of the people, generally^ 
 to be wretched. I met in my walks, mves and 
 mothers begging about the country ; carrying their 
 sacks home with a few potatos, and under their 
 arms a little bundle of sticks, — the only fire-wood 
 they could afford, — picked up by the road side. 
 These were not common mendicants; but, as I 
 personally ascertained, were the wives and 
 daughters of labourers, who could find no employ- 
 ment : many had not even the means of obtaining 
 
THOMASTOWN. 79 
 
 seed to put into their little patches of potato 
 ground. The cabins I found wretched in the 
 extreme, — many without even a pig in them. This, 
 I put in italics ; for a new light had now begun to 
 da^vn upon me. I used to be shocked at seeing a 
 pig's snout at a cabin door, and looked upon such 
 a spectacle as a proof of wretchedness ; but I now 
 began to bless the sight, and to pity more, the poor 
 wretches who possessed no pig. It is true, indeed, 
 that things were still better when a pig-stye was 
 visible ; for that gave evidence both of the exist- 
 ence of the pig, and of the superior comfort of its 
 owner : but still, it was always to me a pleasant 
 sight, where, if no pig-stye was visible, I saw him 
 that pays the " rint" walk leisurely in and out of 
 the cabin door, or heard his comfortable grunt 
 within. The greatest example of individual pros- 
 perity I observed among the poor in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Thomastown, was finding three pigs 
 resident in one cabin. It must be recollected, 
 that at the time when . these observations were 
 made, labour ought to have been particularly in 
 demand, for it was just the season for potato 
 planting. 
 
80 THOMASTOWN. 
 
 I remained longer in Thomastown than the 
 importance of the place itself demanded ; but being 
 a central point in Kilkenny, and having introduc- 
 tions in the neighbourhood, I availed myself of 
 my position, to add to my own personal obser- 
 tions, the results of others* experience. I particu- 
 larly inquired, of persons of all conditions and 
 opinions, as to whether any improvement was 
 discernible in the condition of the people, within 
 the last twelve or fifteen years; and I regret to 
 say, that I heard but one opinion : that a visible 
 deterioration had taken place in the condition of 
 the labouring classes and of the small farmers. 
 How often do we hear the question mooted, Is 
 Ireland an improving countrjr? The reply ought 
 to depend altogether on the meaning we affix to 
 the word improvement. If by improvement, be 
 meant more extended tillage, and improved modes 
 of husbandry, — more commercial importance, 
 evinced in larger exports, — better roads, — better 
 modes of communication, — increase of buildings, — 
 then Ireland is a highly improving country; but, 
 up to the point at which I have arrived, I have 
 found nothing to warrant the belief, that any 
 
THOMASTOWN. 81 
 
 improvement has taken place in the condition of 
 the people. 
 
 I passed a Sunday in Thomastown ; and had of 
 course an opportunity of seeing the population of 
 a Kilkenny country parish, thronging to the 
 Catholic chapel. Every woman wears a cloak, 
 and the hood of every cloak is thrown over the 
 head, unless the cap underneath be an extremely 
 smart one ; in which case, the hood is allowed to 
 fall a little back ; or if the cap be a non-such, it is 
 altogether exposed. The habit of covering the 
 head appears to be universal. If a girl is not pos- 
 sessed of a cloak, she will borrow the shelter of an 
 apron, or even of a petticoat, — like the women of 
 La Mancha : and in the dress of the men, I re- 
 marked also a resemblance to Spanish costume : 
 notwithstanding that the weather was dry and 
 mild, almost every man wore a great coat. The 
 shops were crowded, after mass. All the country 
 people who had money, flocked into the " stores," 
 to buy some little thing, — the village dealers, to 
 supply their retail trade; and others, to buy a 
 little tea, sugar, or any thing else that domestic use 
 required. 
 
 e3 
 
82 THOMASTOWN. 
 
 A considerable part of the land about this part 
 of Kilkenny is in the hands of middle-men. I 
 know of a large tract on lease for ninety-nine 
 years, for which the landlord gets but Is. per acre ; 
 but which is let by the middle-man at 2Z. I know 
 of other property let at 6/., for which the landlord 
 receives only IO5. I would not, however, from 
 what I have said, be understood to pass any general 
 censure upon middle-men. Many middle-men are 
 excellent landlords ; and middle-men, like those 
 from whom they hold, ought to be judged by their 
 individual character. So long, indeed, as the want 
 of capital in Ireland, presents insurmountable 
 obstacles to the improvement of land, and the 
 occupation of larger farms, by which a more 
 respectable tenantry would come in the place of 
 middle-men, I scarcely think the utter extinguish- 
 ment of middle-men would be an advantage ; for 
 the respectable portion of them are, in fact, the 
 only body that at present forms any class separate 
 from the aristocracy, and from the labouring, or at 
 least, the industrious classes. 
 
 Some of the best landlords in this neighbourhood, 
 are averse from granting leases : and although the 
 
THOMASTOWN. 83 
 
 reason for this, assigned by them — viz, that leases 
 destroy the influence of the landlord, — will scarcely 
 be admitted in these days to be a valid one, there 
 are other reasons which may be alleged in favour 
 of the practice. If leases were not granted, there 
 would be a less competition for land ; and conse- 
 quently, lower rents ; and where there is a lease, 
 ejectment is a more easy engine of despotism. 
 Such a system, however, could only be successfully 
 pursued by a landlord of the highest character, and 
 by one who would, besides, lay out some money on 
 a farm, as an earnest of his intentions ; but would 
 be quite unsuitable to a country where farmers 
 possessed capital themselves, which they could not 
 be expected to lay out, without a security for 
 enjoying its return. 
 
 Before leaving Thomastown, I made an excur- 
 sion to the village of Innistioge, and to Woodstock, 
 the seat of Mr. and Lady Louisa Tighe; and 
 which enjoys the just reputation of being one of 
 the most beautiful domains in the south of Ireland. 
 I could not but observe the ragged condition of 
 the post-chaise that carried me there : the windows 
 and window frames were broken ; the lining in 
 
84 THOMASTOWN. 
 
 tatters ; and in place of a bit of carpet, tlie bottom 
 of the vehicle was filled with straw; and yet, I 
 believe ten shillings would have put all to rights. 
 The road runs all the way by the river side ; and 
 the country, I found varied and beautiful. In- 
 nistioge itself is most picturesquely situated ; and a 
 quarter of a mile farther, is the entrance to Wood- 
 stock. 
 
 Having the advantage of an introduction to the 
 family, I had, of course, more than the ordinary 
 facilities for seeing the beauties of the place ; and I 
 found it every way worthy of its character. I 
 was particularly struck with the extraordinary 
 growth of the laurels, which are here great trees, 
 affording depth and "continuity of shade;" and 
 throughout the domain, the gifts of nature, which 
 has been most bountiful, have not been thrown 
 away; for they have all been consigned to the 
 hands of taste. 
 
 Much might be effected, if resident Irish land- 
 lords would more identify themselves with the 
 people. This, the proprietors of Woodstock have 
 done; and as one proof of the influence of character, 
 I may mention, that the Catholic children of the 
 
THOMASTOWN. 85 
 
 village attend, without exception, the school under 
 the superintendence of Lady Louisa Tighe; and 
 which is taught by a Protestant. It is not enough 
 that landlords be resident: absenteeism would be 
 imperfectly cured, unless they were philanthropic 
 also. 
 
86 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Journey to Kilkenny — Our Ignorance respecting Irish Towns 
 — The Antiquities of Kilkenny — its Cathedral and Round 
 Tower — Picturesque Ruins — the Castle — Condition of the 
 People — Kilkenny Manufactures, and Mis-statements — The 
 Repeal Question — Pigs and Dung-heaps — Kilkenny "Boys" 
 — The Town of Callen, and its Proprietor, Lord Clifden — 
 Some Facts and Opinions — The Aristocracy of Ireland — 
 Journey to Thurles — Freshford and Johnstown — The Bog 
 of Allen — Thurles, and its Inhabitants — The Ruins of Holy 
 Cross — Journey to Cashel — Cashel, and the Rock of Cashel 
 — The Archbishop — his Gardens — ^ Another Round Tower — 
 Market-day in Cashel — Pig-selling and Buying, and Irish 
 Bargaining — Miserable Objects in Cashel— Country between 
 Cashel and Tipperary — Outrage, and its Origin — Tithes — 
 Competition for Land — Abduction — The Town of Tipperary, 
 and Condition of the People— Mr. Stanley's Estates—Cor- 
 rection of an Error. 
 
 Kilkenny lies nine miles from Thomastown, and 
 I hired a car to carry me thither to breakfast. In 
 paying the hire of the car, before starting, I was 
 obliged to request change of a 51 note. The town 
 was ransacked for five small notes in vain. No- 
 body had so much money : at length some one 
 
KILKENNY. 87 
 
 thought of the parish priest, and the thing was 
 done. A cultivated, but not an interesting country, 
 lies between Thomastown and Kilkenny; but a 
 mile or two before entering the city, the country 
 improves, and exhibits the appearances which 
 uusally indicate the approach to a place of 
 some consequence. The entrance to Kilkenny is 
 extremely imposing: one traverses no miserable 
 suburb ; but passes at once into a broad street, by 
 a still broader highway, adorned by a double row 
 of lofty trees, over which appear the towers of 
 Kilkenny Castle, the residence of the Ormonde 
 family. 
 
 Judging by myself, our ignorance about the 
 second and third rate Irish towns is extreme. 
 There are only some few we ever hear of. 
 Leaving" Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Belfast 
 out of the list, less I think is known of the other 
 towns, unless by the gentlemen of the army, than 
 of the same class of towns on the continent. 
 Before the introduction of the Reform Bill, which 
 somewhat enlightened us as to the size of towns, 
 less was known of the Irish towns than now ; but 
 even yet, our ideas of Kilkenny, Clonmel, Athlone, 
 
88 KILKENNY. 
 
 Mullingar, Mallow, Fermoy, Casliel, Thurles, 
 Tipperary, Ennis, Galway, Sligo, and a host of 
 others, are of the vaguest description. 
 
 I found the city of Kilkenny, a large, well-built, 
 beautifully situated, and very interesting town. In 
 fact, I scarcely know any town more interesting 
 or more picturesque. There are many streets in 
 Kilkenny, though only one principal one, where 
 the best shops are situated; and although Kilkenny 
 is not what it has been, it is still a little capital 
 for this part of Ireland, and supplies both the 
 surrounding gentry and the country dealers. 
 
 Kilkenny is full of interesting objects, and 
 remains. In my first walk through the town, I 
 saw for the first time, one of the " round towers." 
 It is close to, and almost forms a part of the 
 cathedral, a large ancient pile, surrounded by 
 venerable trees. One must be an antiquarian, in 
 order to be a thorough enthusiast in round towers ; 
 at the same time, the singular form, and great 
 height, and dark hue, and known antiquity, and 
 mystery too, attached to these pillars, must be 
 striking to any one, however little of an antiquary. 
 The dusky antiquity of the cathedral, and its 
 
KILKENNY. 89 
 
 mysterious companion — unknown centuries older 
 than all around it — were in striking contrast 
 with the young green of the sycamore and beech 
 trees, which were covered with their spring buds. 
 The cathedral is inferior in size only to St. Patrick's, 
 and Christ Church in Dublin ; and the antiquarian 
 will find inside, a good deal that is worthy of his 
 attention, particularly the stone chair of St. Kievan, 
 who is said to have preceded St. Patrick by twenty 
 or thirty years, in his holy mission to christianize 
 Ireland. There are also several sepulchral honours 
 erected to the memory of members of the Butler 
 family. 
 
 Nor are these the only interesting remains in 
 Kilkenny : the ruins of the Franciscan Abbey 
 exhibit some fine traces of the past; and the 
 Dominican, or Black Abbey, still retains in good 
 preservation its tower, some of the aisles, and other 
 less perfect relics of its ancient perfections : 
 another, the Augustinian monastery, constructed 
 on a light and beautiful design, has been attempted 
 to be converted into a place of worship, and 
 although spoiled, yet shews some fine remains. 
 But above all, the view from the uppermost of the 
 
90 KILKENNY. i 
 
 bridges over the Nore, is interesting ; for it com- 
 prises all these objects— the town itself, interspersed 
 with trees and with the spires of the churches ; the 
 cathedral, and its tall, dark companion ; the ruins 
 of the two abbeys; the river, and lower bridge; 
 and, bounding the prospect in that direction, that 
 fine structure, Kilkenny Castle,~-its gothic towers 
 rising above the surrounding wood. This baronial 
 castle is full of historic associations. It was built 
 by Strongbow, in the twelfth century ; and two cen- 
 turies afterwards came into the possession of the 
 Earl of Ormonde, in whose family it has remained 
 ever since. Little of the ancient edifice remains ; 
 and the present marquis is almost rebuilding it, 
 preserving only the ancient towers. The family, 
 to whom I carried letters of introduction, being 
 unfortunately absent, I had only the privileges of 
 a stranger in my visit to the castle. 
 
 But let me leave externals, and ask, in what 
 state are the people of Kilkenny ? 1 wish I could 
 have contemplated their situation, with as much 
 complacency and pleasure as I did the city itself, 
 and the natural beauties that surround it : but I am 
 compelled to say, that I found the most wide- 
 
KILKENNY. 91 
 
 spread, and most aggravated misery. The po- 
 pulation of Kilkenny is about 25,000 ; and I am 
 enabled to state, after the most anxious inquiry, 
 and close personal observation, that there were at 
 the time I visited Kilkenny, upwards of 2000 
 persons totally without employment. It chanced 
 that I was at Kilkenny just after the debate on 
 the Repeal question ; in which the prosperity of 
 Ireland was illustrated, by reference to that of Kil- 
 kenny, of whose prosperous manufactures honor- 
 able mention was made, condescending even upon 
 the number of water wheels at work, which were 
 said to be eleven in number ; and the carpet manu- 
 factory too, was spoken of in such terms, that it 
 was said to be owing to its success, that the weavers 
 of Kidderminster had petitioned for repeal. I 
 visited these prosperous factories, immediately after 
 the account I have mentioned was received: the 
 principal of these factories used to support two 
 hundred men with their families : it was at eleven 
 o'clock, a fair working hour, that I visited these 
 mills, and how many men did I find at work? 
 One man ! And how many of the eleven wheels 
 did I find going 1- — one ; and that one, not for the 
 
92 KILKENNY. 
 
 purpose of driving machinery, but to prevent it 
 from rotting. In place of finding men occupied ; I 
 saw them in scores, like spectres, walking about, 
 and lying about the mill. I saw immense piles of 
 goods completed, but for which there was no sale ; — 
 I saw piles of cloth at 2s. a yard, with which a man 
 might clothe himself from head to foot for IO5. ; 
 but there were no buyers : the poor of Kilkenny 
 are clothed from Monmouth-street : — I saw heaps of 
 blankets, enough to furnish every cabin in the 
 county; and I saw every loom idle. As for the 
 carpets which had excited the jealousy and fears of 
 Kidderminster, not one had been made for seven 
 months ; it was but an experiment, and had utterly 
 failed : and just to convey some idea of the des- 
 titution of these people — when an order recently 
 arrived, for the manufacture of as many blankets for 
 the police, as would have kept the men at work a 
 few weeks, bonfires were lighted about the country 
 -—not bonfires to communicate insurrection, but to 
 evince joy, that a few starving men were about to 
 earn bread to support their families. I speak 
 warmly on this subject : but how can I speak 
 otherwise than with warmth ? Surely I need not 
 
KILKENNY. 93 
 
 say, that I do not accuse any one of false invention, 
 or wilful misrepresentation : but I accuse some one 
 of having furnished to the advocates of the Union, 
 lies^ in place of truth. Their views required no 
 such props : and I, who am no repealer, regret that 
 an argument should be thus furnished to the 
 repealers. The supporters of the Union, advance 
 as an argument against the repeal of the Union, 
 the prosperity of Ireland ; and Kilkenny is quoted 
 as an illustration of that prosperity. The statement 
 turns out to be utterly false ; and thus, the repealers 
 boast, that they have a stronger case. 
 
 Having mentioned repeal, I may state, that as 
 far as I have yet gone through the south of Ireland, 
 I have found the whole of the lower, and a great 
 proportion of the middle classes, repealers. By 
 the middle classes, I mean the shopkeepers and 
 farmers ; I found Protestants of that class, who are 
 indeed few in number, quite as much repealers as 
 Catholics. I have generally found, however, a 
 readiness to admit, that if employment were pro- 
 vided for the people, and any measure devised, 
 which should have the effect of enticing, or forcing 
 back absentees, repeal would lose its value. 
 
94 KILKENNY. 
 
 Independently of the pauperism occasioned by 
 the non-prosperous condition of the manufactures 
 of Kilkenny, the whole working population I 
 found in a miserable condition: hundreds subsisting 
 on the chance contributions, which were levied 
 on the farmers round the country; and hundreds 
 more, subsisting at the very lowest point at which 
 life can be sustained. The suburbs I found more 
 wretched than any I had yet seen in any town : 
 pigs were by no means a universal possession; 
 and the chief wealth of the poor, seemed to be 
 dung-heaps before their door. I do not speak in 
 jest — the dung-heap insures a certain quantum of 
 subsistence, in this way: — The con- acre system 
 prevails here : and it is usual for the possessor 
 of the land, to let it out in small patches, rent free, 
 for one season, on condition of the patch being 
 manured by the person who takes it. Thus a poor 
 man may insure to his family the produce for a 
 season, of as much land as he is able to put a suffi- 
 ciency of manure into ; so that I had now advanced 
 a step farther, and was not only gratified by seeing 
 a pig in a cabin, but also by the spectacle of a large 
 dung-heap close to the door. 
 
KILKENNY. 95 
 
 I ought not to have omitted to state, when speak- 
 ing of the unprosperous state of the manufactures 
 of Kilkenny, and of the assertion to the contrary; 
 that while I write this, I have before me the 
 original minute of a meeting held on the 6th of 
 February, for the purpose of alleviating the condi- 
 tion of the poor, in which the population is spoken 
 of as '^ wholly unemployed," — so that the destitution 
 of the people had existed months before the asser- 
 tion as to the flourishing state of Kilkenny. The 
 minute I allude to, is signed by the Mayor, by 
 Dr. Kinsella, the Roman Catholic Bishop, and 
 by the Protestant Dean, the Honorable and Rev. 
 Joseph Bourke. 
 
 I spent part of a day on a race-ground, about 
 four miles from Kilkenny, where some steeple races 
 took place, and where a la"rge concourse of persons 
 was assembled. I was particularly struck with the 
 difference in the display of luxuries, at an Irish and 
 an English merry-making. Gingerbread and other 
 dainties, are exhibited at a race or fair in England; 
 here, I observed carts filled with good common 
 household bread. This was deemed a luxury. 
 
 This being an assemblage of " Kilkenny boys," 
 
96 ' KILKENNY. 
 
 who, next to Tipperary boys, bear the best fighting 
 character — I thought to have had it to say, " it 's 
 there where one '11 see the fightin' that '11 do his 
 heart good;" but several things prevented this exhi- 
 bition. There was but little money among the 
 lower orders, to buy whiskey; and torrents of rain 
 had the eflfect of thinning the field. I saw plenty 
 of " boys" with their shillelahs; but the fighting 
 was only desultory. There were abundance of 
 booths, and Irish pipes, and Irish jigs; and "boys" 
 who appeared to have hired a fiddler for their own 
 exclusive use, dancing a pas seul within a circle of 
 admirers. 
 
 I must not omit to make mention of the beautiful 
 black marble of Kilkenny, and of the better known 
 " Kilkenny coal." The marble quarry is situated 
 about a mile from the city; and there is a sawing 
 and polishing mill also. The marble is extremely 
 beautiful : it has a black ground, curiously varie- 
 gated with madrepore, bivalve, and other organic 
 impressions, and is used for chimney-pieces all over 
 this part of the country. Kilkenny coal is well 
 known by its qualities; the chief of which are, 
 that it does not flame, or emit any smoke. Its 
 
CALLEN. 97 
 
 sulphureous exhalation, however, renders it utterly 
 unfit for domestic use. 
 
 I had heard, even in England, of the wretched 
 condition of a town in the County of Kilkenny, 
 called Callen; and finding that this town was but 
 eight miles from Kilkenny, I devoted a day to 
 Callen. I never travelled through a more pleasing 
 and ''smiling country, than that which lies between 
 Kilkenny and Callen ; and I never entered a town 
 reflecting so much disgrace upon the owner of it, 
 as this. In so execrable a condition are the streets 
 of this town, that the mail coach, in passing through 
 it, is allowed twelve minutes extra ; an indulgence 
 which can surprise no one who drives, or rather 
 attempts to drive through the street; for no one 
 who has the use of his limbs, would consent to be 
 driven. And yet, will it be credited, that a toll 
 is levied on the entrance into the town, of every 
 article of consumption ; and that not one shilling 
 of the money so received, is laid out for the benefit 
 of the town. The potatos, coal, butter-milk, with 
 which the poor wretches who inhahit this place 
 supply their necessities, are subject to a toll, which 
 used to produce 2501. per annum; but which, 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
98 CALLEN. 
 
 having been resisted by some spirited and prying 
 person, who questioned the right of toll, the receipts 
 have been since considerably diminished. It was 
 with some difficulty that I obtained a sight of the 
 table of tolls ; but I insisted on my right to see it; 
 and satisfied myself, that potatos and butter-milk, 
 the food of the poor, pay a toll to Lord Clifden, who, 
 out of the revenue of about 20,000Z. per annum, 
 which he draws from this neighbourhood, lays out 
 not one farthing for the benefit of his people. 
 
 I had not yet seen in Ireland, any town in so 
 wretched a condition as this. I arrived in it very 
 early in the morning; and having been promised 
 breakfast at a grocer's shop (for there is no inn 
 in Callen), I walked through the outskirts of the 
 town, and round a little common which lies close 
 to it, and there I saw the people crawling out of 
 their hovels, — they and their hovels not one shade 
 better than I have seen in the sierras of Granada, 
 where the people live in holes excavated in the 
 banks. Their cabins were mere holes, with nothing 
 within them (I speak of two which I entered) ex- 
 cepting a little straw, and one or two broken stools. 
 And all the other outskirts of the town, are in 
 
CALLEN. 99 
 
 nearly a similar condition : — ranges of hovels, with- 
 out a ray of comfort or a trace of civilization about 
 them; and people either in a state of actual starva- 
 tion, or barely keeping body and soul together. All 
 this I saw, and cannot be deceived; and from the 
 inquiries which I made of intelligent persons, the 
 Protestant clergyman among the number, I may 
 state, that in this town, containing between four and 
 five thousand inhabitants at least, one thousand are 
 without regular employment; six or seven hundred 
 entirely destitute ; and that there are upwards of 
 two hundred actual mendicants in the town — per- 
 sons incapable of work. Is there any one so blind 
 as to contend, that this is a state of things which 
 ought to continue; and that an absentee nobleman 
 should be permitted to draw, without deduction for 
 the support of the infirm poor, the splendid income 
 which he wrings out of a people left to starvation 
 or crime? An attempt was made by some philan- 
 thropic persons, to have the common enclosed and 
 cultivated, which would have given some employ- 
 ment; but the project was unsuccessful. The 
 great resisted it; — and again, will any one say, 
 that Lord Clifden, or others situated like his lord- 
 
100 CALLEN. 
 
 ship, ought not to he forced to consent to a proposal 
 tending to give employment to those of whom his 
 own rack-rents and ejectments have made paupers? 
 Let any one who desires to see a specimen of an 
 absentee town, visit Callen. And Lord Clifden is 
 the more reprehensible, since he occasionally visits 
 the country, and is not ignorant of its condition. 
 It is true, that his lordship drives as rapidly through 
 his town as the state of the street will admit; but 
 it happened fortunately, that upon one occasion, 
 the carriage broke down; and this patriotic and 
 tender-hearted nobleman, was forced to hear the 
 execrations of the crowd of naked and starving 
 wretches who thronged around him. 
 
 Nor is the country around Callen fortunate in 
 its other landlords. The land of Lord Dysart, 
 another large proprietor, is frightfully rack-rented. 
 Land, at a distance from any market, is let at 
 4Z. and 4Z. IO5. per acre: and I know of five acres 
 let at a rent, the whole produce of which would 
 barely pay the rent of one acre. The Marquis 
 of Ormonde is another proprietor; but his land is 
 not so much over-set ; and the general opinion ap- 
 pears to be, that he is anxious to do right. 
 
CALLEN. 101 
 
 I greatly fear that an angry feeling towards the 
 lower classes, has been engendered amongst the 
 aristocracy, by the result of the last elections, 
 when old members were unseated, and repealers 
 brought in. Some have been irritated by the 
 conduct of their tenantry ; and others have been 
 hurt by what they conceive to be ingratitude. 
 In^ some instances, there has been ingratitude no 
 doubt; and that some irritation should have been 
 produced, . is only natural ; but these are feelings 
 which ought to be conquered. As a body, the land- 
 lords of Ireland have not been towards their tenantry 
 what they ought to have been; and have long 
 stood in need of much broader " hints" than those 
 which Blackwood addressed to the aristocracy of 
 England : and if, as the gentry of Ireland generally 
 assert, the people were incited by their priests, — 
 then it is unreasonable that anger should be excited 
 against those whom they imagine to have been 
 deluded. But I confess, that from all I have 
 heard and seen, I have my doubts whether it be in 
 most cases the priests that incite the people, 
 or whether it be not rather the people that take 
 the lead. I believe it will be admitted by all who 
 
102 CALLEN. 
 
 have had the best opportunities of judging, that 
 unless the instigations of the priest fall in with the 
 wishes of the people, his influence is powerless; 
 and instances have actually occurred, in which a 
 priest, after having opposed himself to O'Connell 
 and the repeal candidate, was scoffed at by his 
 flock, and refused his accustomed dues. And for 
 my own part, I am not at all surprised that a 
 people sufl'ering all the extremities of human pri- 
 vation, should catch at straws; and that Mr. 
 O'Connell should find it an easy matter to raise a 
 cry in favour of any thing which he asserts to 
 be for the benefit of the people; so that on no 
 ground are the aristocracy justified in visiting upon 
 the people, the errors which have originated in 
 ignorance, — or delusion, 
 
 I walked back to Kilkenny from Callen in the 
 evening, without any fear of robbery, in a country 
 where half the people are starving. Robbery, 
 singular to tell, is a crime of unfrequent occur- 
 rence; and I look upon it, that a traveller is in 
 less danger on the highways of Ireland, than in any 
 other part of the British dominions. 
 
 Before leaving Kilkenny, I inquired the prices 
 
KILKENNY. 103 
 
 of provisions; and found beef to be four-pence, 
 mutton sixpence, bacon and pork two-pence, fowls 
 I5. a couple. A turkey in tbe season costs 2s. 6d., 
 a goose Is. lOd, The club-house, or Hibernian 
 Hotel, Kilkenny, is one of the very best I ever 
 found in any country, London not excepted ; and 
 in order that the traveller may have some idea 
 of the expenses of travelling in the south of 
 Ireland, I shall state the prices of this hotel, which 
 are much the same as those charged elsewhere. 
 Accommodation, which consisted of a large and 
 excellent bedroom and a well furnished private 
 sitting-room fronting the street, 2s. Dinner, 
 2s. 6d.; tea. Is. Id.; breakfast, I5. 8d. Wine 
 and foreign spirits, the same price as in England ; 
 but the wine is generally better. A glass of 
 whiskey-punch, five-pence. These prices vary 
 but little over the south. 
 
 My object now was, to traverse the county 
 of Tipperary, passing through that part of Kil- 
 kenny county which I had not yet seen. I 
 accordingly left Kilkenny, on Bianconi's car, for 
 Thurles, in the north of Tipperary. 
 
104 FRESHFORD. 
 
 A charming country lies between Kilkenny and 
 Freshford, tlie first town on the road. The views, 
 looking back on Kilkenny, are very striking ; and 
 the banks of the Nore, near to which our road lay, 
 are finely wooded, and are adorned by several hand- 
 some country seats. I was everywhere delighted 
 with the magnificent thorns, which, both in the 
 hedges by the way-side, and as single trees in the 
 neighbouring parks, were entirely covered with their 
 white, pink, and fragrant blossoms. Freshford is 
 a poor little place ; but I saw multitudes of pigs, 
 and mountains of manure about the doors. Driving 
 out of Freshford, I was surprised to see so much 
 manure lying uncollected on the high-road. In 
 England it would have been all scraped up; and 
 it is from such little things as this, that one is 
 forced to admit the less industrious habits of the 
 people; and that, bad as their condition is, they 
 do not make the best of it. 
 
 From Freshford to Johnstown, where we stopped 
 to breakfast, the country is less interesting; — the 
 fields were so completely covered with daisies, that 
 they appeared as if spread over with lime ; and I 
 observed a greater quantity of pasture land than I 
 
FRESHFORD. 105 
 
 had usually seen. Beyond Johnstown to Urling- 
 ford, three miles farther, the country gets poorer ; 
 and Urlingford stands almost on the skirts of the 
 Bog of Allen, — a branch of which we soon after 
 entered. 
 
 Of all the bogs of Ireland, we hear most in 
 England of the Bog of Allen ; the reason of which 
 is, that it is the largest,— extending through a great 
 part of the centre of Ireland ; and although sepa- 
 rated and intersected by belts of arable land, 
 by gravel hills, and by reclaimed portions of land, 
 is, with all its branches, one bog — the bog of 
 Allen. The branch which we crossed, extended 
 about twelve miles to the left ; and to the right it 
 broke into several branches, extending to a much 
 greater distance. It presented a dreary expanse 
 of dark brown herbage, here and there broken 
 by heaps of dry turf; here and there too, little 
 patches had been reclaimed; and wherever there 
 was an elevation, it was covered with the finest 
 green, agreeably relieving the monotony of the 
 reddish brown level around. The houses erected 
 on the skirts of the bog, were wretched in the 
 f3 
 
106 TIPPERARY. 
 
 extreme; and the people in the lowest scale of 
 humanity. 
 
 I am not competent to write on the reclamation 
 of the bogs of Ireland ; but I believe it has been 
 fearlessly asserted, by those fully competent to give 
 a sound opinion, that a very large part of these 
 bogs is reclaimable, at an expense of 71. per acre. 
 Twenty millions have lately been given to the 
 West India planters; some say, to extinguish a 
 name, and make good a theory. At all events 
 it is undeniable, that the condition of the Irish 
 poor is immeasurably worse than that of the West 
 India slave: and if but seven millions were thrown 
 upon the bogs of Ireland, a million of acres might 
 be reclaimed; and employment and food afforded 
 to the hundreds of thousands who now, for want 
 of employment and bread, disorganize the country, 
 force absenteeism, tax the people of England for 
 the preservation of law and order, and peril the 
 very existence of the empire. 
 
 We were now in the county of Tipperary, 
 which, in approaching Thurles, is an uninteresting 
 country. Thurles cuts some figure at a distance, 
 owing to the new and very handsome Roman 
 
TIPPERARY. 107 
 
 Catholic chapel, and the unfinished Roman Catho- 
 lic college. The town stands on a wide, scantily 
 wooded, and uninteresting plain. It contains 
 about eight thousand inhabitants, and is a tolerably 
 prosperous town ; for, having no larger town nearer 
 to it than forty or fifty miles, it supplies an ex- 
 tensive interior district, and is besides an important 
 market for country produce. There are no fewer 
 than fifteen fairs, and two weekly markets held at 
 Thurles. I saw scarcely any beggars in this place; 
 and the cabins in the outskirts were not of the 
 worst kind. There are two nunneries in this 
 town ; in one of them, there are twenty nuns and 
 sixty boarders. I also found here, one of the 
 schools belonging to the Roman Catholic institu- 
 tion, of which I have already spoken. 
 
 Besides the absence of beggars, I saw several 
 other indications of an improving town, I ob- 
 served no shops to be let, and I saw several houses 
 in course of being built. Land is high let about 
 Thurles, but it is good land ; and farmers paying 
 3Z., 4Z., 5Z., and even more per acre, admitted that 
 they could live, and pay their rents, unless in 
 unfavourable seasons. When we speak of land in 
 
108 TIPPERARY. 
 
 Ireland being high set, we speak of course with 
 reference to the capital and skill brought to bear 
 upon it. If more skill or capital were, or could be 
 thrown upon much of the land in Ireland, it could 
 well bear the rents now exacted ; and if the means 
 of communication were multiplied and improved, 
 and if, by the more general employment of the 
 people, agitation were, as it necessarily would 
 be, diminished, absenteeism checked, and capital 
 attracted to Ireland, there can be no doubt that 
 the present just complaint of high rents would be 
 less frequent; because the skill and capital thrown 
 upon the land, would increase its value to the occu- 
 pier. And it need scarcely be added, that the 
 employment of the agricultural population, and the 
 investment of capital in other speculations, would 
 operate in diminishing the rent of land, by diminish- 
 ing the competition for it. 
 
 I found the price of labour a shade higher 
 in this part of Tipperary than in Kilkenny: as 
 much as eight-pence was given with diet, and 
 one shilling without diet : but I do not speak 
 of constant employment ; and it must not be for- 
 gotten, that this was the season of potato planting. 
 
THURLES. 109 
 
 Prices of provisions here, I found precisely the 
 same as at Kilkenny. 
 
 A fire broke out in Thurles, the night before I 
 left it, and several houses were consumed. An 
 immense concourse of persons was present; and 
 there was more noise than work ; and strange to tell, 
 the town was unprovided with a fire engine. The 
 lower orders of Irish have much feeling for each 
 other. It is a rare thing to hear an angry, or con- 
 temptuous expression, addressed to any one who 
 is poor : commiseration of the destitute condition 
 of others, is largely mingled in their complaints 
 of their own poverty; and it is a fact, that they 
 are most exemplary in the care which they take 
 of their destitute relatives, and in the sacrifices 
 which they willingly make for them. In the 
 crowds which thronged the streets of Thurles, 
 during the conflagration, loud and general were 
 the lamentations for the poor "crathurs" who 
 lost their little all. 
 
 About three miles from Thurles, is to be seen one 
 of the finest abbey remains in Ireland. It is called 
 Holycross ; and as it lay on my road to Cashel, the 
 next point at which I purposed halting, I left 
 
110 CASHEL. 
 
 Thurles in the afternoon, to be taken up by the 
 car to Cashel in the morning, and spent the 
 evening at Holycross, in and about the ruins. 
 They are very extensive : and even to one not an 
 antiquarian, highly interesting, both from the 
 general outline of the ruins, their towers, chapels, 
 and arches ; and from the beauty of some of the 
 architectural remains within, particularly two 
 monumental relics which adorn the choir — one 
 conjectured to be intended as a receptacle for the 
 fragment of the true cross, originally presented to 
 this abbey ; the other — very beautiful in its design 
 — supposed to be a mausoleum of one of the 
 Ormonde family. 
 
 Next morning I proceeded on my journey. 
 From Holycross to Cashel, I passed through as 
 fine and fertile a country as it has ever been my 
 fortune to see ; thickly peopled, and abounding 
 in hamlets and cottages. The celebrated rock of 
 Cashel, crowned with its magnificent ruins, is seen 
 many miles distant; but the city (for Cashel is a 
 city) is not seen until one is just entering it. 
 
 Cashel is rather a pretty town : the principal 
 street is wide and well built ; but the place is far 
 
CASHEL. Ill 
 
 from being in a flourishing condition. It was for- 
 merly a place of much resort, and consequent 
 prosperity; but it is now almost entirely an absen- 
 tee town ; and I found every thing extremely dull, 
 and things getting daily worse. Wages were here 
 only eight-pence a day without diet, and numbers 
 were altogether without employment. The popu- 
 lation of Cashel is, at present, about 7000 ; and 
 the number of Protestant communicants about 150. 
 I was sorry to hear bad accounts of the Protestant 
 archbishop. I found him universally disliked, even 
 by those dependent upon him, and of the same 
 religious persuasion. He does no good; and by 
 all accounts, is a close hard man, in every sense 
 far overpaid by the 10 or 12,000/. a year which he 
 enjoys. He has the disadvantage, indeed, of being 
 compared with his predecessor, whom all, Pro- 
 testant and Catholic, unite in praising. 
 
 Notwithstanding the just dislike which I imbibed 
 of this high dignitary, I did not deny myself the 
 enjoyment of his lordship's gardens, in which I 
 spent a charming morning. All that can delight 
 the senses, is here. Parterres of lovely flowers, 
 and rare shrubs ; velvet lawns ; secluded walks rich 
 
112 CASHEL. 
 
 in odours ; and atove the fine screen of holly and 
 laburnum, and lilac, and copper-beech, and laurel, 
 towers the rock, and the magnificent ruin that 
 covers it. There is a private door through his 
 lordship's grounds, communicating with the rock ; 
 in order that, unobserved by his numerous flock, 
 he may retire to this solemn spot, and meditate on 
 the insufficiency of earthly enjoyments. The arch- 
 bishop has a palace, as well as a garden ; but it is 
 reported that he means to reside in Waterford in 
 future, where his flock will be larger, and his 
 range of usefulness, therefore, more extensive. 
 
 The rock of Cashel is generally considered to 
 be the finest assemblage of ruins which Ireland 
 contains. The height itself, on which the ruins 
 stand, is a rocky elevation, — covered, however, with 
 the most beautiful grass ; rising abruptly out of the 
 plain, and standing close to the town. The ruins 
 cover the greater part of the elevation ; and 
 whether to the antiquary, or to the mere lover of 
 the curious and the picturesque, exhibit in their 
 varied architecture, and various antiquity — in their 
 Saxon arches, and Norman arches — and in the 
 " round tower," which is also a part of them, one 
 
CASHEL. 113 
 
 of the most interesting objects of contemplation 
 that is anywhere to be found. The round tower, 
 though forming a part of these ruins, differs from 
 all that surrounds it ; not merely in its form, but 
 even in the material of which it is built — the other 
 ruins being of limestone, but freestone being the 
 material of the tower. 
 
 The view from the summit of these ruins, or 
 even from the elevation on which they stand, is 
 equally beautiful and extensive. The whole 
 couiity of Tipperary is spread out below — one 
 beautifully variegated plain, richly cultivated, and 
 bounded by the Galtee and other mountain ranges; 
 while immediately below, the beautiful pleasure 
 grounds of the bishop — their lawns, parterres, 
 borders, clumps, and shrubberies, in all their varied 
 livery of green, lie like a piece of mosaic work. 
 
 The second day I spent at Cashel, was market 
 day; and among other sights, I was greatly 
 amused by the country people driving bargains 
 for pigs. A man, a pig-dealer, would come to a 
 countryman who held a pig by a string. " How 
 much do you ask ?" — " 285." the answer might be. 
 "Hold out your hand," says the buyer; and the 
 
1 14 CASHEL. 
 
 proprietor of the pigs holds out his hand accord- 
 ingly : the buyer places a penny in it, and then 
 strikes it with a force that might break the back of 
 an ox : " Will ye take 205. ?'' The other shakes 
 his head — " Ask 245. and see if I '11 give it ye," 
 says the pig-merchant. The owner again shakes 
 his head. It is probable that by this time, some 
 one among the bystanders — for there is always a 
 circle formed round a bargain-making, — endeavours 
 to accommodate matters ; for it is another instance 
 of the kindly feeling towards each other, that all 
 around are anxious that the bargain should be con- 
 cluded. Again, the merchant says, " Hold out 
 your hand," and again a tremendous blow is struck, 
 and a new oifer made, till at last they come within 
 a shilling perhaps of each other's terms ; when the 
 bargain is struck; and the shilling about which 
 they differed, and probably two or three others, 
 are spent in whiskey punch " screeching hot." 
 
 Sitting in the evening at the window of the inn, I 
 saw a sight such as 1 never saw in any other part of 
 the world — a lad twelve years of age, and upwards, 
 naked in the street. I say naked : I do not mean 
 without a rag ; but I mean so entirely in rags, that 
 
CASHEL. 115 
 
 he might as well have been stark naked. All he had 
 on him was a jacket, and a few tatters of a shirt, 
 hanging in stripes here and there. Public decency- 
 would not permit such a sight in England ; and 
 viewing such a spectacle, one is tempted to ask, is 
 there no clergyman, no magistrate, no decent man, 
 in Cashel, who, for the sake of sheer modesty, 
 would throw a pair of trowsers to the ragamuffin. 
 
 When I was at Cashel, potatos had become so 
 dear, that bread was partly substituted for them by 
 the poor, A baker's shop chanced to be situated 
 precisely opposite to the inn ; and I saw very many 
 children buy a halfpenny worth of bread, and 
 divide it into two or three pieces, for the supper 
 of as many. Neither here, nor in many other 
 parts of Ireland, is bread sold by weight. There 
 are loaves at Sd., 4<f., &c. ; and these are cut into 
 two or four pieces. The large loaves are not 
 weighed ; and as the size of the loaf is no criterion 
 of the quantity of flour put into it, great impo- 
 sition is doubtless practised. 
 
 I now left Cashel, for the town of Tipperary, 
 Tipperary county, with the exception, I believe, of 
 some parts of Limerick, is considered to contain 
 
116 TIPPERARY. 
 
 the finest land in Ireland; and, certainly, nothing 
 can exceed the fertility and abundance which are 
 spread over the fields. Golden Bridge, which lies 
 about four miles on the Tipperary road, from 
 Cashel, is reputed to be one of the most disturbed 
 spots in Ireland; and here have been perpetrated 
 some of those inhuman acts, at which humanity 
 shudders. It was here that the Rev. Mr. Whitty 
 was barbarously murdered; and here, where, in 
 open day, two men, with blunderbuses, entered a 
 field, where many were at work, and asked for 
 Jack Sullivan; and, having found the individual 
 they were in search of, placed him on his knees — 
 shot him stone dead, and walked away unmolested. 
 This, I think, is the first time I have mentioned 
 the subject of outrage. I might have mentioned 
 it twenty times, if I had given ear to all the stories 
 and reports which are circulated. That there is 
 much exaggeration, no one who travels through 
 Ireland, and inquires upon the spot, can doubt : 
 but that frightful examples of ferocity, hatred, and 
 revenge have occurred, and do occasionally occur, 
 is but too certain : and, from every respectable 
 quarter, X heard but one opinion as to the necessity 
 
TIPPER ARY. 117 
 
 of a Coercion Bill. Almost every outrage and 
 murder that lias disgraced Ireland, has arisen out of 
 one of two causes — either competition for land, 
 or tithes ; and, until means be found for reducing 
 the former, and till the latter be finally and justly 
 settled, it will be in the power of any restless, 
 wrongheaded, or interested man to agitate Ireland. 
 Competition for land can only be diminished by 
 employing the people ; but I greatly fear, that no 
 scrutiny, however strict and impartial, into the 
 revenues of the Protestant church, and that even 
 no application of the surplus, will be satisfactory to 
 the land occupiers of Ireland. Here, as every 
 where else, in the south, I heard the strongest 
 objections to tithe in any shape; and a curious 
 instance came to my knowledge, of the determination 
 of farmers to get rid of tithe. A farmer agreed to 
 pay 305. an acre for a certain quantity of land ; the 
 landlord being bound to pay tithe and all other 
 dues. On rent day the tenant arrives, and, before 
 paying his rent, asks what tithe the landlord pays ? 
 " Why do you wish to know that,'' says the land- 
 lord, " what is it to you what tithe I pay ? you pay 
 me 30s., and I take tithe and every burden off 
 
118 TIPPERARY. 
 
 your hand." " I know that,'' says the farmer ; 
 " but I'll not only not pay tithe myself, but your 
 honour sha'nt pay it either." The tenant offered 
 the landlord his rent, deducting whatever tithe he, 
 the landlord, paid ; and the rent is, at this moment, 
 unpaid. 
 
 I said, that all acts of outrage, or atrocity, were 
 to be traced to competition for land, or the aversion 
 to tithes. There are, however, in this county of 
 Tipperary, some few other causes of less frequent 
 occurrence. Abduction is one of these; and this 
 is always a cause of deadly feud: and there are 
 also factions, which are of long standing, — existing 
 without any intelligible cause ; but which are even 
 inheritances : and although these are not the origin 
 of deliberate murder, they are the occasion of those 
 fights, which almost invariably take place at fairs, 
 when persons of different factions meet ; and which 
 too often terminate in bloodshed. 
 
 All the way to Tipperary, the same rich 
 country is seen on both sides of the road; and 
 about half way, I passed by the fine domain and 
 seat of the late Lord Landaff ; which I did not stop 
 to walk over ; but which, next to the domain of 
 
TIPPER ARY. 119 
 
 the Marquis of Waterford, is said to contain the 
 greatest quantity of valuable timber. 
 
 Tipperary is most agreeably situated, in a fine 
 undulating, smiling country; and within a few 
 miles of a beautiful range of hills, which divides 
 the counties of Tipperary and Limerick. Tip- 
 perary, though inconsiderable in size, to bear the 
 name of the county, is rather a flourishing town ; 
 and is, what a mercantile traveller would call, " a 
 good little town." There is no town westward, 
 nearer than Limerick ; and there is, consequently, 
 a busy retail trade, the result of country wants. 
 There is also a good weekly market, which makes 
 Tipperary the depot of agricultural produce, for a 
 range of twelve or fifteen miles round. Owing to 
 the low price of agricultural produce, the retail 
 trade was somewhat dull when 1 visited Tipperary ; 
 but it was supposed it would revive the ensuing 
 winter. Notwithstanding the better circumstances 
 of the tradesmen, the condition of the labouring 
 classes I found little better than elsewhere. Not 
 so large a proportion of the people were out of 
 employment here, as in some other places; but 
 wages were only eight-pence a day, without diet ; 
 
120 TIPPERARY. 
 
 and I ascertained that tliere is no constant employ- 
 ment for all, or any thing approaching to all, the 
 population. I certainly observed fewer ragged 
 people, and fewer beggars, in Tipperary, than in 
 Cashel, and many other towns ; but in searching 
 the suburbs, I found many cabins wretched enough, 
 and enormous rents paid for them. Some paid 4/., 
 none less than 2Z. IO5., and the average rent might 
 be 3/. 
 
 The con-acre system is very general in the 
 neighbourhood of Tipperary, and very popular. 
 They looked upon it as the only refuge which 
 many a man had against starvation. The rents 
 paid, were at the rate of from lOZ. to 12Z. an acre; 
 and a guinea per quarter was generally paid in 
 advance. Here, therefore, the system is on a more 
 unfavourable footing for the renter of the con 
 acre ; for before he can avail himself of it^ he must 
 be possessed of a little capital ; and the farmer has 
 security against his tenant relinquishing his pos- 
 session. 
 
 The number of resident gentry about Tipperary 
 is considerable ; though some of the largest pro- 
 prietors are absent, — I will not say absentees, — for 
 
TIPPER ARY. 121 
 
 that, I tliink, is not the term to apply to those who 
 have their chief possessions in England. All that 
 can be expected from such individuals, is, to have 
 proper resident agents; and occasionally to visit 
 their properties. Many absentee properties are 
 quite as well managed, as if the proprietors were 
 resident : and as one example of this, 1 may name 
 the large estates of Mr. Stanley, in this neighbour- 
 hood. I found only one opinion as to the excellent 
 management of these estates ; — rents are moderate, 
 and the tenantry well treated ; and from my own 
 observation, I can speak to the generally com- 
 fortable condition of things upon this property. A 
 reading society,, of which I believe the, agent upon 
 the property is librarian, has been instituted for 
 the benefit of Mr. Stanley's tenantry; and the 
 project, I understood to be perfectly successful. 
 
 I found every thing perfectly quiet and orderly 
 in the neighbourhood of Tipperary. The very 
 name forces to our recollection, images of shillelahs, 
 and broken heads, and turbulence of every kind; 
 and I found it readily admitted, that the fighting- 
 propensities of the Tipperary boys are somewhat 
 remarkable. I recollect dining in Dublin, with a 
 large party, at which were present some grand 
 
 VOL. I. G 
 
122 TIPPERARY. 
 
 jurors of what are called the disturbed counties; 
 and the conversation turning upon employment for 
 the poor, as a means of lessening agitation, it was 
 objected, that in the counties of Tipperary and 
 Kilkenny, where it was asserted there is the most 
 employment for the people, there is also the most 
 disturbance. In the first place, it is utterly false, 
 that in these counties, there is employment for the 
 people ; the fact rather is, that the more frequent 
 disturbance in Tipperary than elsewhere, arises 
 rather from the opposite cause, — as it is natural it 
 should. The soil is so fine in this county, that less 
 industry is required, in order to obtain a return for 
 land; and the holders of small bits of land, have, 
 therefore, more time upon their hands. Another 
 reason is, that the population is more concentrated: 
 and it may also be stated, that illicit whiskey — one 
 fruitful source of outrage — is cheaper here than 
 elsewhere, owing to the low price of grain in this 
 grain county; which has unfortunately induced 
 producers of grain to turn their attention to illicit 
 distillation, by which they can make larger profits 
 than in the grain market. 
 
 The population of the town of Tipperary is 
 about 8000 ; of whom, about 700 are Protestants. 
 
123 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 I 
 
 Journey to Clonmel — Cahir, and its beautiful neighbourhood 
 — Lord Glengall — The Catholic Chapel, and a Scene — The 
 Priesthood — Condition of the People — Scenery of the Suire 
 — Fine Gardens — Cahir Fair — Weddings in this part — Road 
 to Clonmel — Prosperity of the Town — Trade of Clonmel — 
 Corn Mills in England and in Ireland — Mr. Bianconi — 
 Employment of Labour — Religious Sects — General indica- 
 tions of prosperity — Libraries — Public Institutions — State 
 of Society in the Southern Counties — Environs of Clonmel 
 — Journey to Mitchelstown. 
 
 I left Tipperary, for Cahir and Clonmel, the 
 evening following my arrival. 
 
 It is utterly impossible to conceive any drive 
 more beautiful than this. The Galtee range of 
 mountains lay to the right, at but a short distance ; 
 and these, under a sinking sun, exhibited the most 
 beautiful diversities of light and shade. The 
 nearer heights, sometimes close to the road, were 
 covered with thriving plantations; magnificent parks, 
 with the finest timber scattered over them, were 
 g2 
 
124 CAHIR. 
 
 passed by in succession ; and finer crops of grain, 
 or more beautiful grass, eye never rested on. 
 
 Cahir, where I arrived a little after sun-set, is 
 charmingly situated : I am not sure that I do not 
 prefer its picturesque beauties to those of Avoca. 
 There is every constituent of the picturesque — 
 wood, a fine river, a bridge, ivied ruins, and a 
 magnificent back-ground of mountains. The view, 
 from the windows of the inn, embraces all of these. 
 The fine domain of Lord Glengall commences just 
 at the back of the town; and, with the Suire 
 running through the centre of it, abounds in scenes 
 of beauty. Lord Glengall has not of late had 
 much in his power; but great expectations have 
 been formed, from his lordship's late alliance, and 
 from his avowed intention of residing on his 
 property. The land on this property is not con- 
 sidered to be much over-let. It averages, to the 
 actual possessors, about 40s. ; and is generally 
 excellent land. Lord Glengall, himself, does not 
 receive anything like this average, a great part of 
 the estate being in the hands of middle-men. 
 
 The town of Cahir lies on the side of a hill; 
 and is adorned by two very pretty spires; one, 
 
CAHIR. 125 
 
 belonging to the new Protestant church, a hand- 
 some little edifice ; the other, appertaining to the 
 Catholic chapel, a grander and far larger edifice. 
 A considerable number of the most recently erected 
 Catholic chapels have spires, which, in height and 
 architecture, quite eclipse those of the churches of 
 the Establishment. 
 
 I am sorry to be obliged, in this place, to record 
 a fact, to which I could not have given credit on 
 any evidence, less conclusive than that of my own 
 eyes. The Roman Catholic chapel is newly erected, 
 and is yet unfinished : and I was told, that the 
 anxiety to obtain funds for its completion, gave rise 
 to the enaction of some curious scenes at the door. 
 I went there, about ten o'clock ; and I certainly did 
 witness a scene of a most singular kind. The 
 gates were shut, and four men stood by. One 
 had a silver salver, to receive the larger contri- 
 butions : two were provided with wooden ladles, for 
 the copper offerings ; and these they shook in the 
 ears of every one who approached : and one man, 
 the priest, stoodj just within the gate, armed with a 
 shillelah. No one was admitted ivho did not con- 
 tribute I I saw a man attempt to pass without 
 
126 
 
 CAHIR. 
 
 contributing; and I saw the priest push and buffet 
 the man, and, at length, strike him several times 
 with his stick, and knock his hat off his head ! 
 This is no matter of hearsay. I saw it : and I saw 
 from thirty to forty persons kneeling outside of the 
 gate, on the high road, — poor persons, who had not 
 a halfpenny to spare. To be more and more sure, 
 that this was the cause of their remaining without, 
 I gave some halfpence amongst them, and saw them, 
 admitted. 
 
 The influence of the Catholic priesthood in this 
 neighbourhood is great; but, from all that I could 
 learn, and from conversations I have myself held 
 with the lower classes, I have some reason to think 
 it is on the decline. An instance occurred, only a^ 
 few days before I left Tipperary, in which a 
 Catholic priest, who attempted to interfere in a 
 hght, was set upon by both parties, and treated 
 with very little reverence. 
 
 Mr. O'Connell's proposition, respecting the 
 allowances to the Roman Catholic clergy, created a 
 great sensation in this part of Ireland : the priests 
 generally affirmed their hostility to the proposal; 
 but I should take the liberty of greatly doubting 
 
CAHIR. 127 
 
 whether that hostility would be very obstinate, 
 in case of the proposal being actually before them, 
 for acceptance or rejection. Some are of opinion, 
 that its acceptance would be a death-blow to 
 Catholicism; but this opinion must not be taken 
 up too hastily : so long as dues are exacted by the 
 priest, for the performance of those offices, upon 
 which the people consider their title to heaven to 
 depend, so long will the priest receive these dues ; 
 and so long, therefore, will a large portion of 
 influence be retained. 
 
 Cahir is rather an improving place. The flour 
 trade is pretty extensively carried on, both_ in 
 grinding, and in carrying to Clonmel. Very ex- 
 tensive corn mills have recently been erected; 
 and they are in full employment. About 80,000 
 barrels of wheat were brought into Cahir last year; 
 and the trade is on the increase. But, notwith- 
 standing this trade, want of employment is felt in 
 Cahir. I noticed, on Sunday, in coming from 
 church, the street crowded with labourers, with 
 spades and other implements in their hands, stand- 
 ing to be hired ; and I ascertained that any number 
 of these men might have been engaged, on con- 
 stant employment, at 6d. per day, without diet; 
 
128 CAHIR. 
 
 for partial employment 6(1., with diet, or 9d. 
 without diet, was usually given. 
 
 I remained some little time at Cahir, and in its 
 neighbourhood ; and was delighted with the scenery 
 on the Suire. I shall not soon forget the charming 
 scenes which a day, spent with some hospitable 
 friends, introduced me to. The climate, in this 
 part of Ireland, must be very favourable to the 
 productions of nature; and, after seeing a garden 
 in this neighbourhood, I found reason to think, 
 that I Jiad overrated the exclusive capabilities of 
 Guernsey and Jersey. In the garden, to which I 
 allude, I found azalias in the utmost perfection; 
 magnolia ; aloe ; camellia ; arbutus, quite a tree ; 
 evergreen magnolia; myrtle; altheafrutex; daphne; 
 rhododendron, of all colours ; and from thirty to 
 forty species of holly, in flower; besides innumer- 
 able fine specimens of laurel and bay. All of these 
 were growing in the open air, and without flower- 
 pots. 
 
 The whole valley of Suire, here, is beautiful: 
 there are deep woods, and green slopes; and a 
 sparkling river ; and two fine mountain ranges — the 
 Galtee and the Lismore hills; and, if one descends 
 as far, the ruined castle of Ardfinane, and its village? 
 
CAHIR. 1*29 
 
 the property of Lord Donoughmore, wlio sadly 
 neglects it. A great part of the population is 
 Protestant ; and the place is, altogether, miserably 
 poor. 
 
 It chanced to be the fair at Cahir on one of the 
 days I spent in its neighbourhood ; but the unfail- 
 ing accompaniment of Tipperary fairs — fighting — 
 seldom takes place at Cahir ; for there are extensive 
 cavalry barracks, and a regiment of dragoons within 
 five minutes ride of Cahir. One does not see so 
 much rustic gallantry at an Irish, as at an English 
 fair. In fact, from all that I could learn, marriage 
 in this country is a very commercial concern ; 
 arranged by parents ; and, respecting which, there 
 is as much higgling as about any other bargain. 
 Girls are extremely obedient; and sometimes never 
 see the bridegroom until the moment of the mar- 
 riage; for it not unfrequently happens that the 
 girl's father, and the intended husband differ, about 
 a pig, or a chair, or a table, less or more; and 
 another " boy," who chances to stand in need of a 
 wife, making a more liberal offer, he is accepted, 
 and the first lover discarded. 
 
 On the night of the fair I returned to the town, 
 G 3 
 
130 CLONMEL. 
 
 about midnight, having been dining in the country, 
 a mile or two distant. I met several persons on the 
 road, but no interruption or insult of any kind. 
 
 I left Cahir, at an early hour in the morning, for 
 Clonmel, the largest town in the county of Tip- 
 perary, and one of the most important towns in the 
 interior of Ireland. After a charming drive of 
 nine miles, through a very agreeable and improving 
 country, I passed under the gateway of Clonmeh 
 and alighted at " the Great Globe." 
 
 At once, on entering Clonmel, one perceives a 
 hundred- indications of an improving town. This 
 was truly refreshing, after Kilkenny, Cashel, and 
 the many other wretched places I had passed through, 
 and sojourned in. For the last fifteen years the 
 prosperity of Clonmel has been steadily increasing, 
 and it is, at present, a decidedly improving town. 
 It is the great point of export for the county of 
 Tipperary, — which is one great granary, — as well 
 as for parts of other counties; for it is the first 
 point at which water carriage commences. 
 
 The chief branches of the trade of Clonmel are, 
 the corn trade, the bacon trade, and the butter 
 trade. The first of these is very large, not fewer 
 
CLONMEL. 131 
 
 than between two and three hundred thousand 
 barrels of wheat being annually brought into Clon- 
 mel. The corn mills in, and about Clonmel, are 
 upon a very extensive scale, and are very numerous. 
 A corn mill in England is, generally, a little pic- 
 turesque building, crossing a rushing stream, and 
 employing "the miller and his men," — some half 
 dozen perhaps. Corn mills at Clonmel, are very 
 diiFerent things; they are like the great factories, or 
 mills, which we find in the English manufacturing 
 districts, and employ almost as many persons. 
 
 The bacon trade here is also very extensive, — 
 not fewer than 50,000 pigs being on an average 
 killed in one year. Last year, some considerable 
 diminution in this trade took place ; owing pro- 
 bably to several conspiring causes ; — among which 
 may be named, a preference in England of English 
 curing ; the abrogation of the duty on salt, which 
 lessens the expense of English curing; and the 
 constantly increasing facilities of steam conveyance, 
 for the export of the live pig. The butter trade, 
 which is still large, has lately been somewhat on 
 the decline. It is common in Clonmel, for all 
 these three branches of trade to be united. 
 
132 CLONMEL. 
 
 Cionmel has other inferior branches of trade, 
 which give considerable employment. There is a 
 very large distillery in the neighbourhood : as 
 well as several breweries; there is also a branch 
 of the calico manufacture : and I must not omit, 
 amongst the sources of employment and prosperity, 
 the establishment of Mr. Bianconi, of which 
 Cionmel is the head quarters; for it is obviouSy 
 that the care of so many horses, — the wages paid 
 to so many men, — the building, and painting, and 
 repairing of so many cars, — the making and 
 mending of so much harness, — must give profitable 
 employment to a great number of persons, Cion- 
 mel would be greatly advantaged by the improve- 
 ment of the navigation of the Suire, which only 
 admits boats of small tonnage up to Cionmel. 
 But this, I fear, is a distant prospect; since it 
 would require a larger sum to eifect it, than for 
 some time at least, is likely to be vested in Irish 
 improvements. There are not, in Cionmel, many 
 able-bodied labourers out of employment ; destitute 
 persons are of course found, and some mendicants; 
 though the number is few, considering the size of 
 the place : labourers, however, live little better 
 
CLONMEL. 133 
 
 here than they do elsewhere : and a great part of 
 the higher wages of artizans, is spent in whiskey. 
 In Clonmel, there are no fewer than 160 licensed 
 houses. 
 
 I was pleased to learn, that great harmony exists 
 in Clonmel, between Catholic and Protestant. 
 They live very amicably together. The population 
 of Clonmel is about 18,000 ; of whom, about 15,000 
 are Catholics, — the remaining 3000 being of 
 various sects. There are about 1800 Episcopalians, 
 and a considerable number of the Society of 
 Friends; the members of which, in Clonmel, are 
 generally prosperous, and somewhat aristocratic. 
 I noticed among the Quakeresses, more smartness 
 of dress, and a greater disregard of the strict cos- 
 tume, than in any other place I ever visited. 
 
 The population of Clonmel wears a respectable 
 look ; one sees few ragged and bare-footed people, 
 and few idlers. There is an appearance of some- 
 thing doing ; a bustle and throng, evidently arising 
 from people having an object in view. The shops, 
 too, are good, well filled, and well frequented. 
 Nor must I omit another unequivocal sign of 
 improvement. I found two very respectably 
 
134 CLONMEL. 
 
 stocked booksellers' shops, and two respectable 
 circulating libraries. These were the first libraries 
 I had seen, since leaving Kilkenny : neither at 
 Thurles, Cashel — the archiepiscopal city of Cashel — 
 nor at Tipperary, is there any circulating library, 
 or book society. This is certainly a singular and 
 unpleasant fact. Towns in England, containing as 
 these do, from seven to ten thousand inhabitants, 
 would certainly afford at least one public library, 
 and more than one reading society. A library 
 was attempted at Tipperary ; but it was not sup- 
 ported, and either was lately, or now is, on sale. 
 
 I visited the chief public institutions of Clonmel ; 
 the most important of which, is the House of 
 Industry. One thing struck me as an error. I 
 saw a great number of persons, who were sent 
 there by a magistrate, for no other reason than 
 because they were females of bad character. — 
 This, I cannot but regard as hurtful to the general 
 morals, and indirectly tending to the corruption 
 of female character ; for the vacuum occasioned 
 by forcibly withdrawing these individuals, is speedily 
 filled. A large lunatic asylum is now in pro- 
 gress ; and this, during the last two years, has been 
 
CLONMEL. 133 
 
 another source of employment to the inhabitants of 
 Clonmel. 
 
 Besides its principal commercial street, Clonmel 
 has many other good streetSj inhabited evidently 
 by respectable individuals; and there are a con- 
 siderable number of resident gentry in the neigh- 
 bourhood, who keep up much friendly intercourse : 
 and having mentioned this word, I am reminded 
 by it, that I have not said any thing of the state of 
 society, since leaving Dublin. With few excep- 
 tions, and unless for some particular object, I do 
 not mention the names of individuals from whom I 
 received attentions. But I have seen enough of 
 society in Wexford, Waterford, Kill^enny, and 
 Tipperary counties, to entitle me to speak of it. 
 
 I should say, that throughout the country, there 
 is a great deal of intercourse, and a constant inter- 
 change of visits ; and that every one, whose means 
 are sufficient, and whose house is large enough, 
 has resident company : and I must add, that a con- 
 siderable difference is observable in the mode of 
 life, among the same class of persons, in England 
 and in Ireland. I think there is generally more 
 display in Ireland, and a less apparent regard to 
 
136 CLONMEL. 
 
 economy : though it must be recollected, that this 
 display costs less in Ireland, than in England. 
 Two or three servants are seen waiting at table in 
 Ireland, in a house where in England, one w^ould 
 suffice : but then, wages are at least a third lower 
 than they are in England; and it costs a much less 
 sum to support servants in Ireland, because they 
 are contented with a different description of food. 
 Vehicles, too, are more common. Every body 
 keeps a jaunting car ; but then a jaunting car costs 
 but 20Z. or 251. building, with all its et ceteras; 
 and there is no tax on either carriage or horse ; 
 and in many counties, no toll-bars. 
 
 People entertain handsomely in Ireland ; but in 
 looking over the dinner table, one must recollect 
 the difference between London and the Irish 
 markets, in the price of provisions. A pair of 
 fowls, that in London would cost 55. or 6s., may 
 be bought in most parts I have yet visited, for Is. 
 or Is. 6d. The turkey, that in London would cost 
 105., I2s., or 155., is placed on the table in Ireland, 
 for 2s. 6d., or 35. ; and I have seen a roasting pig, 
 which could not have been purchased in any part 
 of England for 6s., bought in Ireland for I5. 6d. 
 
CLONMEL. 137 
 
 The profusion of a dinner tablej therefore, is not 
 an expensive profusion. 
 
 In the article of drink, there is less apparent, as 
 well as less real expense, than in England : in the 
 best society, little wine is taken ; and unless in the 
 very highest society, whiskey punch is universally 
 introduced. I have seen whiskey punch at the 
 tables of country gentlemen, worth at least five or 
 six thousand per annum; and where, in nothing 
 else, any deviation could be found from the elegance 
 which pervades the dinner table of men of equal 
 fortune in England. Excellent claret, however, is 
 always at the option of the stranger, if he prefer it. 
 
 Of Irish hospitality towards strangers, I need 
 say nothing : that hospitality is not mere civility ; 
 it is kindness also. It must be borne in mind, that 
 in the observations I make at present, I am not 
 qualified to speak of other parts of Ireland, than of 
 the^ counties of Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, 
 and Tipperary. Of Connaught society, I shall be 
 enabled to speak by and by. 
 
 The environs of Clonmel are extremely pretty. 
 The slopes of the hills which form the right bank 
 of the Suire, and which, opposite to Clonmel, are 
 
138 CLONMEL. 
 
 of very considerable altitude, are cultivated almost 
 to the summit; reminding me, in some places, of 
 the slopes of the lower Pyrenees, in the neighbour- 
 hood of Bagnires. From an elevation called Fairy 
 Hill, situated on the right bank of the river^ about 
 half a mile below Clonmel, a magnificent view over 
 the valley of the Suire is laid open, — not surpassed, 
 in richness and variety, by any of the celebrated 
 vales of England or Wales. 
 
 Many delightful excursions may be made from 
 Clonmel; particularly up the banks of the river, 
 and through the domains of Mr. Bagwell, Lord 
 Donoughmore, and Colonel Greene. Lord Do- 
 noughmore's is a very fine domain, abounding in 
 magnificent specimens of ash, elm, and lime trees ; 
 and Kilmanahan Castle, the residence of Colonel 
 Greene, is a fine structure, and beautifully situated. 
 I am sorry I can say nothing in favour of these 
 three landlords. Mr. Bagwell, to whom a great 
 part of Clonmel belongs, does no good, and evinces 
 little sympathy with the people : and the virtues of 
 Colonel Greene, as a resident landlord, are far 
 from being conspicuous. Mr. Bagwell is still 
 young; and, it is to be hoped, may yet discover 
 what are the true interests of a landlord. 
 
CLONMEL. 139 
 
 Having spent some pleasant days at Clonmel, I 
 left that town for Mitchelstown. The first nine miles 
 of the road I was already acquainted with ; for the 
 road to Mitchelstown, travelled by Bianconi's cars, 
 lies through Cahir. There is, indeed, another road, 
 by Clogheen and Ballyporeen, famed in song; 
 but the road being (as I was informed) uninter- 
 esting, and there being no public conveyance, I 
 preferred taking advantage of Bianconi. Between 
 Cahir and Mitchelstown, there is nothing very 
 attractive ; the country is not all under cultivation, 
 nor susceptible of a high state of improvements 
 The Galtee hills lie all the way on t]ie left, at 
 no great distance from the road; and offer to the 
 eye those pleasant resting-places, and those agree- 
 able diversities of light and shadow, in which 
 mountain views are prolific. I reached Mitchels- 
 town early in the afternoon, and established myself 
 in the Kingston Arms Hotel; where I remained for 
 about ten days, writing up my notes, digesting my 
 information, and occasionally enlarging my ob- 
 servations; I shall always recollect with pleasure, 
 my sojourn at Mitch elstown» 
 
140 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Mitchelstown and its situation — Lord Kingston's Domain and 
 Castle — Miserable condition of the People of Mitchelstown 
 and Details — State of the surrounding Country — Rents — 
 The Sessions at Mitchelstown — Lord Kingsbro's Mountain 
 Lodge — Prices of Provisions — Mitchelstown Caves — Journey 
 to Mallow — Donneraille — Mallow — State of the Poor of 
 Mallow, and of the Neighbourhood — Farmers — Mallow as a 
 Watering Place— Suburbs — Duty on Glass — English and 
 Irish Ideas of Comfort— Difficulties in the way of Improve- 
 ment — Schools — Markets — and rough Manners — The 
 Vicinity of Mallow — Neighbom'ing Landlords — Bad feeling 
 between the Aristocracy and the People — Return to 
 Mitchelstown — Its excellent Hotel. 
 
 I like greatly the situation of Mitchelstown, — 
 fine mountain boundaries form its horizon ; and its 
 neighbourhood offers an agreeable diversity of 
 scenery, in the inequalities of its surface, and the 
 abundance of wood: but above all, there is here 
 the splendid domain of the Earl of Kingston, of 
 which I shall afterwards have occasion to speak 
 more in detail. There is one very singular feature 
 
MITCHELSTOWN. 141 
 
 about Mitclielstown. It possesses, what I believe 
 no other town of the same size, or of even much 
 larger dimensions, can boast — a square; not the 
 mere market place of a country town; — there is 
 that besides; but a square surrounded by well built 
 houses, and as large as some of the smaller of the 
 London squares. One half of this square, conisist- 
 ing of about seventeen houses, is called the College ; 
 and is an endowment of the Kingston family, for 
 the reception of reduced respectable families, who 
 have a free house and 40Z. per annum; — the house, 
 too, being kept in repair. The gate into the 
 Kingston domain, forms part of one side of the 
 square, and the hotel is opposite to it. 
 
 Free admission into Lord Kingston's park, is a 
 great advantage, possessed by all the inhabitants. 
 The gardens even are open to all respectable per- 
 sons. Lord Kingston's domain contains about 
 twelve Jiundred English acres; and whether in 
 forest paths, or grassy walks, or wide gravel roads, 
 offers all that can be desired, either for the gay 
 promenade or the solitary ramble. The house — 
 Mitcheltown castle, is one of the most magnificent 
 in Ireland : it is built in the castellated form ; and 
 
142 MITCHELSTOWN. 
 
 both from its extent and height, is a most imposing 
 object from every part of the smTOunding country, 
 seen, as it generally is, towering above the sur- 
 rounding woods. The interior is not unworthy of 
 the external appearance of the edifice. It has a 
 magnificent gallery, fine suites of apartments, and 
 all besides, that comfort can add to splendour. 
 
 Mitchelstown and its neighbourhood have suifered 
 grievously, by the late afiliction which has fallen 
 upon the Kingston family : — the deprivation of an 
 expenditure of 40,000/. per annum, has been most 
 seriously felt in the country ; and the deterioration 
 of Mitchelstown and its neighbourhood, has fast 
 followed the misfortune to which I have alluded ; — 
 if I were to search Ireland throughout, I could not 
 find a better illustration of the difference between 
 residence and non-residence, than in the present 
 situation of Mitchelstown. 
 
 The evils which have resulted from the mis- 
 fortune of the Kingston family, affect the whole 
 of the lower classes in the town and its vicinity : — 
 when 1 was in Mitchelstown, the distress was so 
 urgent, that in order to prevent the actual starva- 
 tion of hundreds, a public meeting was held, and a 
 
MITCHELSTOWN. 143 
 
 subscription entered into; and the scenes, wliich 
 the investigation that followed, for the distribution 
 of meal, &c., laid open, were of the most aggravated 
 misery. Will it be believed, that in a town con- 
 taining about five thousand inhabitants, eighteen 
 hundred persons were found in a state of starvation? 
 at least twelve hundred of these were unemployed 
 labourers and their families ; the remaining six 
 hundred consisting of the aged, the infirm, widows, 
 and their children. In one side of one street, five 
 hundred and seventy persons were found requiring 
 relief: and besides the eighteen hundred requiring 
 relief in the town, nearly twelve hundred more 
 were in a state of destitution, in the immediately 
 surrounding country and within the parish. These 
 are facts, and fearful facts they are; and well 
 worthy the attention of those who are inimical to 
 the institution of any system of poor laws, or of a 
 labour rate ; or who look coolly, upon any proposal 
 for providing extensive employment. I should like 
 to know how Dr. Chalmers' " sympathies " would 
 have permanently provided for the six hundred 
 aged and infirm. I do not approve of the argument 
 of those who say, " at present the son supports the 
 
144 MITCHELSTOWN. 
 
 infirm father — the brother, the aged sister ; why 
 disturb that arrangement which nature points out." 
 Ireland is not a country in which additional burdens 
 ought to be thrown upon the industrious poor. 
 The willingness of an industrious son — a labourer 
 at eight-pence a-day, to support his father, — is no 
 reason why the rich, who are more able than he, 
 ought not to give of their abundance. 
 
 The property around Mitchelstown is, upon the 
 whole, in a good condition, as to the rents and the 
 comforts of the landholders. A great part is held 
 directly from Lord Kingston; and it may be 
 fairly said, that there are no rack-rents. The 
 average rent of land to the occupier, may be stated 
 at about 255. The mountain farms are let very low, 
 as low as 55. an acre : and it was no unusual thing- 
 with Lord Kingston, to remit altogether, the rent 
 of a man who was active and of improving habits. 
 Few thatched farm houses are to be seen. They 
 are mostly stone slated houses, built in the English 
 mode. Where I know that there are the means of 
 comfort within, I like to see a neat exterior. Land 
 is generally under a fair state of husbandry ; though 
 nowhere, in the condition of which it is susceptible. 
 
MITCHELSTOWN. 145 
 
 Every where in Ireland, when the opportunity- 
 presented itself, I attended the sessions, and I did 
 not neglect the opportunity in Mitchelstown. 
 Here, I was pleased with the administration of 
 justice, — as indeed I had generally been, else- 
 where : it appeared to me to be patient, pains- 
 taking, and equitable. A stranger is exceedingly 
 struck with the different complexion of the cases 
 Vv^hich come before an English and an Irish 
 sessions. Among the twenty-six cases which were 
 called, on the day on which I attended the sessions 
 at Mitchelstown, there was not one case of theft. 
 Five were cases of assault, generally arising out of 
 the merest trifles; and some of these, assaults of 
 the most aggravated character — so much so, that 
 in England they would certainly have been 
 transportation cases : here they were punished 
 summarily, by fine, and imprisonment at hard 
 labour. The rest of the cases were made up of 
 summonses for wages. In these, I observed gene- 
 rally, a great spirit of litigation, and a good deal 
 of quibbling : the sums claimed, were mostly for 
 wages at eight-pence a day without diet : and one 
 claim was for wages at so low a rate as five-pence, 
 
 VOL. I. H 
 
146 MITCHELSTOWN. 
 
 This, however, was claimed by a youth. In the 
 cases for assault, the weapons with which the 
 assault was committed, were generally produced, — 
 staves, that would have felled an ox ; or stones 
 that would have shivered a three-inch board. 
 These latter are the most usual, and fatal weapons 
 in the hands of an irritated, or malevolent Irishman. 
 A stone is hurled at once, upon the least provo- 
 cation ; and it is with stones, that many of the most 
 savage, and deliberate murders have been committed. 
 
 A visit to Lord Kingston's mountain lodge, 
 where Lord Kingsboro' usually resides, forms an 
 agreeable excursion from Mitchelstown. It lies 
 about five miles from Mitchelstown, among the 
 outposts of the Galtee mountains ; and is certainly 
 a delightful retreat. The "lodge" is built on a 
 mount, which rises out of a hollow; and all above, 
 below, and around, are thick fir woods, with a fine 
 back-ground of dark mountains. A rapid stream 
 too, circles round the height upon which the house 
 stands. 
 
 I must not forget to mention the holy well, 
 which is near Mitchelstown. The Catholic priest 
 has greatly beautified the approach to this spot, 
 
MITCHELSTOWN. 147 
 
 whieh is much resorted to by the devout, for devo- 
 tional purposes. I have often seen them praying 
 on the brink of the well, which is generally 
 believed to work miraculous cures, and is dedicated 
 to some saint whose name I forget — a saint, not so 
 famous, I think, as some others. 
 
 Mitchelstown is a very cheap place of residence ; 
 and in proof of this, I annex the following list of 
 prices. 
 
 Beef sells at from 3^d. to M. per lb. Mutton, 
 at from Ad. to bd. Lamb, in the season, about Sd. 
 Veal is rarely to be had, and is not of a good 
 quality. Pork, about 2^d.y but is sometimes as 
 lov/ as l^d, per lb- Bacon pigs, average 205. 
 a cwt. 
 
 Fish is scarce. A good cod may be bought for 
 2s, 6d. A haddock,' 6d. to Is. The very best 
 salmon may be bought at bd. per lb., and trout at 
 Is. a dozen. 
 
 Rabbits are sold at 8<^. a couple. Turkeys, 3^. 
 a couple ; geese. Is. lOd. sl pair; ducks, Is. sl pair; 
 fowls, lOd. to Is. a pair. 
 
 Bread of the first quality is 2d. per lb. Fresh 
 butter, 9d. per lb. in summer; and Is. or Is. Id. 
 
148 MITCHELSTOWN. 
 
 in winter. Milk is sold at S^d. for four pints, all 
 the year round. Vegetables are not supplied in 
 great variety, or plenty, except potatos, which 
 average about 2|c?. per stone. 
 
 Coals are 26s. sl ton ; turf. Is. 8c?. a horse load. 
 
 A mason will receive for his labour 2s. a day ; a 
 carpenter, 2s. 6d. ; a slater, 2s. ; but they cannot 
 get constant employment. 
 
 The rent of a good house, containing two sitting 
 rooms, three bed rooms, good attics, a commodious 
 basement story, with garden, coach house, and 
 stables, rents at about 201. per annum. Smaller, 
 but respectable houses, may be had for lOZ. 
 
 Some of my readers may have heard of the 
 recently discovered Mitchelstown, or as they are 
 sometimes called, Kingston, caves, — having been 
 discovered on the property of the earl. Indis- 
 position prevented me from visiting these caves; 
 and having allotted the last day of my sojourn at 
 Mitchelstown for this visit, it was impossible for me 
 afterwards to make up for the omission ; because to 
 have delayed my departure, would have forced me 
 to break engagements in other parts of the country ; 
 and in particular, one, — to meet the crown solicitor 
 
MITCHELSTOWN. 149 
 
 of Munster, at the Clare and Limerick assizes, 
 which I was anxious to attend. I confess, how- 
 ever, that my disappointment was not great : caves, 
 though in Ireland, are nothing Irish : and I had 
 reason to know, that there had been considerable 
 exaggeration, on the subject of the caves. I have 
 no great curiosity about these things myself, having 
 seen caves and mines in abundance; and having 
 been always disappointed; and I knew also, that 
 my scientific knowledge would not have enabled 
 me to speak learnedly of stalactites, and stalagmites. 
 Such were my grounds of consolation. I annex, 
 however, a few particulars, gathered from the best 
 sources. 
 
 The caves are situated about midway between 
 Cahir, in the county of Tipperary, and Mitchels- 
 town, in the county of Cork, but are rather the 
 nearest to Mitchelstown ; and as the inn at Mit- 
 chelstown, is of superior excellence, that is the best 
 point to visit them from. The entrance is scarcely 
 wider than sufficient to allow one to get in ; but it 
 has been lately somewhat improved. After enter- 
 ing, you partly walk, and partly slide down an 
 inclined plain, about fifty feet in length ; and 
 
150 MITCHELSTOWN. 
 
 arriving then, at tlie edge of a precipice, you 
 descend a ladder, . and reach, about twenty feet 
 below, another inclined plain, with a very rugged 
 bottom. This leads to one of the halls, not very 
 large, and about thirty feet high ; and from thence, 
 the visitor creeps on all fours into another hallj 
 where there is much to attract and please. Here 
 are four crystallized pillars, reaching from the floor 
 to the ceiling; one of them, nearly twenty feet in 
 circumference at the base, and forming an irregular 
 cone. Besides this hall, there is what is called the 
 gothic gallery, which is about twelve feet wide ; 
 and the garret cave, about thirty feet square : the 
 great attraction of all these, being the brilliant 
 spar, in many places covering the bottom; the 
 stalactites depending from the roof; and above ail, 
 the festooning and drapery of beautiful crystalliza- 
 tion, which hang from the projecting rocks, in 
 singularly graceful folds. More minute description 
 of a cave than this, appears unnecessary. After 
 rainy weather, the bottom is wet ; but is passable 
 enough at all times. A good deal of scrambling is 
 requisite, and some creeping ; but these only give 
 a zest to an expedition of this kind ; and there can 
 
MALLOW. 151 
 
 be no doubt that tbe caves, although the subject of 
 ridiculous exaggeration, are worth a visit by any 
 one ; and must be extremely interesting to those, 
 who are learned in spars and stalactites. 
 
 Mallow, which lies about eighteen miles from 
 Mitchelstown, and not very far from the centre 
 of the county of Cork, I visited before proceeding 
 farther south. In going to Mallow, I passed 
 through Kildorrery, and Donneraille. The former 
 of these scarcely requires a passing word. The 
 latter is more interesting ; both because it is much 
 larger, and because it is surrounded by the beau- 
 tiful scenery of Lord Donneraille's domain, which 
 contains about seven hundred acres, and abounds 
 in fine timber. The town is poor enough. Lord 
 Donneraille gives little encouragement to any- 
 thing calculated to improve the place ; and evinces 
 but a very moderate sympathy with the condition 
 of the people. His lordship's agent is well-dis- 
 posed; but his good dispositions receive small 
 encouragement from his superior. 
 
 After leaving Donneraille, the road to Mallow 
 is uninteresting. The country is scantily wooded ; 
 
152. MALLOW. 
 
 and a great proportion of it appeared to me, to be 
 under very indilFerent cultivation. There is a 
 constant gradual descent of between two and three 
 miles to Mallow, which lies in a hollow of the hills; 
 but with a richly wooded and beautiful country 
 immediately around it, and extending up and down 
 the Blackwater river, which runs by the town. 
 
 Mallow has long had the character of being a 
 highly respectable town ; inhabited by many 
 respectable persons; with a numerous resident 
 gentry around it ; enjoying a thriving retail trade ; 
 and a great resort of invalids, for the benefits of its 
 waters. Some of these advantages it yet retains ; 
 in others, it has declined. Mallow still enjoys a 
 good trade, partly arising from the well-peopled 
 resident neighbourhood ; and partly by the demand 
 of the country dealers; for there are several 
 capitalists, trades^people in Mallow, who lay in 
 their stocks in London, and who supply the dealers 
 as advantageously as if they went to Cork or 
 Dublin. I found no complaint, therefore, of the 
 retail trade of Mallow, except that which arose 
 from the dull season of the year; and the low means 
 
MALLOW. 153 
 
 of the agriculturists. Indeed, I should say of the 
 chief street in Mallow, that it had as thriving a 
 look as any English country town. 
 
 But these general indications of prosperity, and 
 the really favourable condition of the retail trade, 
 I found to be no index to the condition of the 
 labouring classes. I have every reason to believe 
 I do not speak much wide of the truth, when I 
 assert, that seventy-five per cent, of the working 
 classes of Mallow, are not in constant employment ; 
 and the remuneration for labour is at the lowest ebb, 
 more than eight-pence per day, without diet, being 
 scarcely ever given. I walked through the estab- 
 lishment of an extensive pawnbroker, and received 
 from my visit, no very favourable impression of the 
 condition of even those classes above that of the 
 labouring poor. I saw numerous articles, the pro- 
 perty of small farmers, — articles worth from IO5. to 
 30s., and generally pledged, as I was informed, for 
 payment of county rates. I was also told, that at 
 the time when tithes were sued for, the business of 
 the establishment was extremely flourishing, owing 
 to the property put in pawn by the farmers. 
 
 As a resort for invalids. Mallow has greatly 
 h3 
 
154 MALLOW. 
 
 declined. Some years ago, it was visited during 
 
 the season, by not fewer than a hundred families 
 
 on an average; and there are not now one-sixth 
 
 part of that number of visitors. Various reasons 
 
 are assigned for this. It may be partly owing to 
 
 the caprice of fashion, which has of late years been 
 
 setting in, in favour of Cove; but it is more the 
 
 result of the increased steam intercourse with 
 
 England, which permits Irish invalids to take 
 
 advantage of the waters of Cheltenham, Clifton, 
 
 and other places of resort across the Channel; 
 
 which, whether better than Mallow or not, have 
 
 the superior attraction with which every distant 
 
 place is invested. The waters of Mallow are 
 
 recommended in cases of consumption, not perhaps 
 
 so much with the hope of cure, as with the view of 
 
 alleviating symptoms. The climate too, is mild ; 
 
 the town is entirely screened from cold blasts ; and 
 
 there is a great variety of beautiful and enticing 
 
 drives. The Spa house is pretty and convenient. 
 
 The inhabitants of Mallow are not without their 
 sources of indoor recreation. They have a com- 
 modious club house, w^ith a reading room, and 
 tolerable library ; and there is a public circulating 
 
MALLOW. 155 
 
 library in the town, kept by a respectable book- 
 seller. 
 
 Mallow, like all Irish towns, has its bad lanes, 
 and its indifferent suburbs ; but I have seen worse 
 cabins in most other towns. Few or none were 
 without bedsteads, and some furniture, and glass 
 windows — diminutive indeed — but windows never- 
 theless. I will not omit this opportunity of 
 observing, that the repeal of the duty on glass 
 would very materially tend to better the habitations 
 of the Irish peasantry. The cabin with a bit of a 
 glass window, has quite a superior air, in com- 
 parison with its unenlightened neighbours. It 
 must be admitted, however, in throwing out any 
 suggestion for improvement of this kind, that the 
 character of the Irish peasant presents some 
 obstacles; and that the progress of improvement 
 in food, habitation, and clothing, will not be a 
 rapid one : education only, can check the ten- 
 deuces, which naturally stand in the way of 
 improvement. There is little or nothing at 
 present, of that feeling among the Irish peasantry, 
 which spreads comfort and neatness, about and 
 within the cottage of an English labourer ; which 
 
156 MALLOW. 
 
 wliite-waslies, or sands his floor ; polishes his table ; 
 brightens his utensils ; twines honeysuckle and 
 roses round his porch,' and covers his table with 
 the materials of a comfortable meal. The Irish 
 peasant is too easily satisfied. The English 
 peasant will work, not only that he may live, but 
 that he may live well and comfortably. The Irish 
 peasant, on the contrary, will generally work only 
 up to the acquirement of mere subsistence : he 
 would rather be idle, than work for what he calls 
 "kitchen:" (i. e.) all beyond the necessaries of 
 life. But first of all, let us enable the Irish peasant 
 to live, even without "kitchen." These superior 
 tastes will follow. 
 
 Of the population of Mallow, there are about 
 seven Catholics to one Protestant; and the Pro- 
 testants are greatly divided: the most numerous 
 body of dissenters from the establishment, being 
 the Wesleyan Methodists. I visited one of the 
 schools in their connexion, and found it well 
 attended. There were two or three Catholic 
 children present; and I may take this opportunity 
 of saying, that I have found frequent examples of 
 Catholic parents sending their children- to Pre- 
 
MALLOW. 157 
 
 testant schools, because they thought their children 
 received a better education in them than in their 
 own ; and from my own observation, I think they 
 are right. 
 
 In a visit which I made to the market at Mallow, 
 I was considerably struck by the very uncivilized 
 demeanour of the venders. I was accompanied by 
 a highly respectable inhabitant of the town: and 
 not contented with setting forth the excellence of 
 their legs, loins, shoulders, &c., of the beef, mutton, 
 and lamb exposed, they beset my companion like 
 so many savages; and followed him out of the 
 market, half the length of a street ; one thrusting a 
 quarter of lamb, the other a saddle of mutton, in 
 his face. 
 
 I made an excursion through the beautiful 
 country which surrounds Mallow, visiting, in leav- 
 ing the town, the pretty residence of Mr. Jephson; 
 and the fine old castle, now ruined and ivy grown, 
 beautifully situated at the entrance of the pleasure 
 grounds. I had ample evidence in my drives round 
 Mallow, of the extensive resident neighbourhood. 
 Handsome or pretty villas were every where seen, 
 and all inhabited by the proprietors of them ; but 
 
158 . MALLOW. 
 
 notwithstanding this advantage, I found a fearful 
 lack of employment for the labourer. In one 
 parish, where I made minute inquiries, I ascer- 
 tained that almost any number of labourers could 
 have been hired for constant labour, at sixpence 
 per day — working, out of that miserable allowance, 
 the rent of a cabin, — perhaps eighty days labour. 
 
 The large properties in this part of Cork, are 
 under very different management. Lord Arden, 
 who owns a fine estate in this neighbourhood, is a 
 noble minded man, — perfectly liberal, if not per- 
 fectly judicious ; and studying in every way, the 
 comfort of his tenantry. His lordship gives no 
 leases — a practice of which I have already spoken, 
 as not altogether unsuitable to the present condition 
 of Ireland, but which the growth of capital would 
 necessarily put an end to. 
 
 A very different landlord from Lord Arden, is 
 Lord Limerick. He draws the uttermost farthing. 
 
 I was sorry to learn, that a bad feeling existed 
 in this neighbourhood, between the gentry and the 
 lower classes. This originated in arrears of rent 
 being demanded from those who had promised 
 votes ; but who, when the time arrived, voted as they 
 
MALLOW. 159 
 
 said, " for their clergy and their country." Some 
 of these individuals were committed to prison ; — the 
 amount of rent due, was collected at the Catholic 
 chapel door; and the priest, heading a crowd of 
 people, released the individuals from confinement ; 
 and in returning through the streets, took the 
 opportunity of haranguing the people, on the 
 tyranny of the upper classes. God forbid that I 
 should quarrel with any man for voting in such a 
 manner, as he conceives likely to serve his country; 
 or that I should defend any acts of revenge, in 
 punishment of supposed political offences. But 
 neither can I excuse the conduct of a minister of 
 religion and peace, irritating the passions of the 
 lower classes, and endeavouring to widen the 
 breach, which unhappily now subsists, between the 
 aristocracy and the people. 
 
 From Mallow I returned to Mitchelstown, which 
 I now prepared to leave, for Fermoy, Lismore, 
 Youghall, and Cork. 
 
 At Michelstown, one of the schools under the 
 new educated board, is in operation; but I shall 
 abstain from making any observations upon these 
 schools, until I have had more extensive oppor- 
 tunities of judging of them. - 
 
160 MALLOW. 
 
 Let me not leave Mitchelstown, without doing 
 justice to the excellence of the hotel, — which, I 
 really think, has not a fault. Excepting in some 
 parts of Scotland, I have never eaten such break- 
 fasts as at Mitchelstown. As for dinners, no one 
 could desire better. I shall not soon forget Mrs. 
 Sing's dressed lamb's heads, or rhubarb pies; — 
 wine and whiskey are alike worthy of the dinner 
 that precedes them; and, in civility, accommoda- 
 tion, and moderate charges, Mitchelstown Hotel 
 must satisfy every one. 
 
161 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 Journey to Lismore — Fermoy— The Blackwater River — Lis- 
 more — Picturesque Views— Condition of the Town, and 
 neighbouring Landholders — The Duke of Devonshire — 
 Other Landlords — Ejectments — Visit to the Trappist Set- 
 tlement at Cappoquin — Details — -Environs of Lismore — 
 The Castle — Descent of the Blackwater to Youghall — The 
 Town of Youghall — Its situation — Antiquities and Inhabi- 
 tants — Means of Improvement — Trade — The Church — Sir 
 Walter Raleigh's House — Emigration — Journey to Cork — 
 Situation, Streets, and Population of Cork — Suburbs — 
 Traits of Character — Public Institutions — Present state of 
 Cork as a Commercial City. 
 
 I now left Mitchelstown, for the military town of 
 Fermoy. The only interesting object on the road 
 from Mitchelstown to Fermoy, is Kilworth, the 
 village and seat of Lord Mountcashel, whose vil- 
 lage did not exhibit signs of much prosperity ; but 
 I merely speak of it, as I saw it en passant; and 
 besides, I passed through it at that very early hour 
 (5 A. M.) when things do not look to great advan- 
 tage. At Kilworth, there is an extensive corn 
 
162 LISMORE. 
 
 mill, which gives employment to a considerable 
 number of persons. 
 
 Fermoy, which is only eight Irish miles distant 
 from Mitchelstown, is seen several miles before one 
 reaches it. This is partly owing to the extensive 
 barracks, which, at a distance, would lead one to 
 imagine the town much larger than it is. Fermoy, 
 however, is not a very small town, and is a re- 
 markably pretty and prettily situated place. It lies 
 on the right bank of the river Blackwater; and 
 from its extending in line along the river, a la 
 militaire, and having a hollow square in the centre 
 of the line in front of the bridge — covered too, both 
 in flank and rear, by fine, cultivated, wooded slopes 
 — it presents a more imposing appearance than 
 most other towns of the same size. The barracks 
 are magnificent. Thfey stand opposite to the town, 
 on the left bank of the river, — the old on one side, 
 and the new on the other side of the road, which 
 runs from the centre of the town at right angles to it. 
 
 I need scarcely say, that Fermoy depends for its 
 support, mainly upon its garrison, which sometimes 
 contains several regiments ; and is at all times, one 
 of the largest military stations in Ireland. But 
 
LISMORE. 163 
 
 notwithstanding the patronage of the military, and 
 consequent good retail trade which Fermoy cer- 
 tainly has, I found that it had its proportion of 
 unemployed persons; and rather more, I thought, 
 than its due proportion of beggars. There is a 
 considerable number of resident gentry about 
 Fermoy; the town has, what is called, a genteel 
 neighbourhood; and by commercial men, it is de- 
 signated, a good little town. 
 
 The banks of the Blackwater, between Fermoy 
 and Lismore, present many attractions; though 
 the more celebrated scenery on the Blackwater 
 is to be found lower down. A finely cultivated 
 country lies all the way on the right; and the 
 opposite bank of the river is adorned by many fine 
 seats, generally embosomed in wood. Mount Cashel 
 appears to great advantage, soon after leaving 
 Fermoy; and the seat of Mr. Grant, some miles 
 farther, is very beautifully situated. I noticed on 
 the road to day, a trait of manners which I had not 
 before observed: — two peasants, who appeared to 
 recognize each other after a long separation, and 
 who chanced to meet on the road, embraced each 
 other, a la Francais. This, by-the-by, is an 
 
164 LISMORE. 
 
 execrable road — the first very bad road I had yet 
 seen in Ireland. 
 
 Lismore possessed a two-fold interest. I had 
 everywhere heard much of its surrounding beauties; 
 and I had, ever since setting foot in Ireland, heard 
 the very highest praises of the state of the Duke 
 of Devonshire's property, of which, Lismore was 
 the first portion that had come in my way. My 
 expectations were therefore considerably raised; 
 and I am happy to be able to say, that they were 
 not disappointed. As for the natural beauties of 
 Lismore, they are scarcely to be surpassed. The 
 Blackwater, both above and below the bridge which 
 leads into the town, flows through one of the most 
 verdant of valleys, just wide enough to shew its 
 greenness and fertility; and diversified by noble 
 single trees, and fine groups. The banks bounding 
 this valley, are in some places thickly covered, in 
 other places, lightly shaded with wood. Then, 
 there is the bridge itself, and the castle — grey and 
 massive, with its ruined and ivy-grown towers ; and 
 the beautiful tapering spire of the church ; and the 
 deep wooded lateral dells, that carry to the Black- 
 water, its tributary' streams. Nothing, I say, can 
 
LISMORE. 165 
 
 surpass, in richness and beauty, the view from the 
 bridge, when at evening, the deep woods, and the 
 grey castle, and the still river, are left in shade ; 
 while the sun, streaming up the valley, gilds all 
 the softer slopes and swells that lie opposite. 
 
 To say that there are no unemployed poor, and 
 no beggars, or paupers in Lismore, would be, to 
 assert an untruth ; but I feel myself bound to say, 
 that of the former class, there are comparatively 
 few ; and that a large proportion of the pauperism 
 of Lismore, does not naturally belong to it; but 
 has resulted from the clearances of some neighbour- 
 ing, and less considerate landlords ; and I am also 
 fully warranted in saying, that I found much truth, 
 though perhaps a little exaggeration, in the accounts 
 I had every where heard of the Duke of Devon- 
 shire's property. 
 
 The foundation upon which the reputation, as a 
 good landlord, of this great proprietor rests, is, that 
 his land is let lower than the land of most other 
 proprietors ; that, in fact, a farmer can live out of 
 his land : and this, in Ireland, is saying much. I 
 do not think the average rent of good land, at a 
 moderate distance from the town, exceeds 205. ; 
 
166 LISMORE. 
 
 and many of the very small occupiers were cer- 
 tainly in a much more comfortable condition tlian 
 I had seen them elsewhere. I found, for example, 
 in the course of a walk, one man, who had three 
 acres and a half at 75. an acre. This land was 
 originally in a nearly uncultivated state, and was 
 let for twenty years, at that rent. I found another, 
 paying SI. for two acres of good land close to the 
 town, with a very comfortable house attached, 
 which elsewhere would have let at SI. or 41. without 
 any land. It is also agreeable to have it in my 
 power to say, that no one had an ill word to say 
 of those in the management of the property. In 
 many other minor matters, the tenants of the Duke 
 of Devonshire, at Lismore, have advantages, — the 
 chief of which perhaps is, the privilege of cutting 
 turf, as much as they please, at one penny per 
 horse load. I would remit the penny : it can be 
 no object to the Duke ; and cases may occur, in 
 which a penny may be an object to a poor person. 
 Ejectments too, with their attendant cruelties, are 
 unknown on this property ; if tenants must be got 
 rid of, something is done for them. I am sorry I 
 cannot say so much for many other landlords. " I 
 
LISMORE. 167 
 
 am deucedly fatigued this morning," said an 
 attorney, upon whom a lady called one Monday 
 morning ; " yesterday we had some tough work — 
 thirty-eight ejectments to put into effect, and a 
 world of trouble they cost us ; egad, so tenacious 
 were some of the people, that we had to pull down 
 the roofs about their ears." This is heartless work. 
 Were it not for the employment afforded on the 
 Duke of Devonshire's property, and for the other 
 advantages enjoyed by those who live under his 
 Grace, Lismore would be a very poor place. It 
 contains no manufacture of any kind ; and although 
 the gentry of the neighbourhood are many of them 
 resident, the retail trade of the town derives little 
 advantage from them. Fermoy and Youghall lie 
 too near ; and there are besides, the little towns of 
 Cappoquin, and Tallow, each within a few miles 
 of Lismore, and each, of course, in some degree 
 patronized by those who live near to it. I saw no 
 cabins of the very worst description, in the out- 
 skirts of Lismore ; nor many even nearly approach- 
 ing to the worst : but I found, among the aged and 
 infirm, a great deal of that poverty and destitution, 
 which can never be prevented or removed by the 
 
168 LISMORE. 
 
 exertions of individuals, however high their public 
 character, or however eminent their private virtues. 
 
 I devoted a day to a visit to the establishment of 
 the Trappists, situated about six miles from Lis- 
 more. The road lies through the little town of 
 Cappoquin ; and as far as that place, runs along the 
 left bank of the Blackwater, and discloses, at every 
 bend, new and striking beauties. Cappoquin, 
 prettily situated, just at the turn of the river, is 
 rather a clean little village, consisting of one street, 
 which, at the upper end, degenerates into a suburb 
 of cabins. Beyond this, the road climbs up the 
 side of a deep wooded dell ; and gradually rises, 
 until it leaves cultivation behind, and enters upon 
 the moor and bog land, which stretches over all the 
 neighbouring mountains ; and upon this upland 
 slope, is situated the Trappist establishment, which 
 has a singular effect seen at a distance, — apart from 
 all other buildings, — itself of immense magnitude, 
 and seemingly placed in the midst of a desert. 
 
 It is not yet two years, since the Trappists 
 settled in this neighbourhood; and (thanks to the 
 superstitions of the country people) the progress 
 they have made in building the convent, as well as 
 
MSMORE. 169 
 
 in reclaiming the land, is indeed miraculous. Sir 
 Richard Keane, a large landowner in this neigh- 
 bourhood, granted them, rent free, on a lease of a 
 hundred years, five hundred and seventy odd acres 
 of moor and bog land ; and Sir Richard is likely to 
 be amply repaid for his liberality, in the proof 
 which has been afforded of the capabilities of the 
 land. The very first year, a fine crop of potatos 
 was raised. At present, upwards of sixty acres are 
 under tillage ; and on some of these acres, I saw as 
 luxuriant crops of oats as I had seen in any other 
 part of the country. In the extensive garden, too, 
 which the Trappists have formed, I observed as 
 fine beans, pease, and other vegetables, as could 
 possibly be raised on any soil. All this has been 
 accomplished by the agency of lime kilns. The 
 land is boggy on the surface ; but below, there is 
 as fine and deep a soil, as any farmer could desire„ 
 It is true, that there has been a great supply of 
 human labour; and of all its accessories. The 
 brethren themselves are between forty and fifty 
 strong ; and in such veneration are these holy men 
 held, that an incredible amount of labour has been 
 contributed gratis. I myself saw eighteen horses^ 
 
 VOL, I, I 
 
170 LISMORE. 
 
 and carts, and upwards of twenty men at work, 
 drawing lime, all of them sent by tlie farmers as an 
 act of piety. Some kinds of labour, however, are 
 paid for. The masons, and others employed in 
 building, are paid ordinary wages, — for the munifi- 
 cence of some great men (among others, the Duke 
 of Devonshire, who, singularly enough, gave lOOZ.) 
 and the contributions of the good Catholics, leave 
 the Trappists in want of nothing. The building, 
 which has only been begun ten months, already 
 vies in size with any moderate sized cathedral, and 
 might hold within it a dozen of the Irish Protestant 
 churches. 
 
 The spectacle here offered to the traveller and 
 inquirer, is at the same time pleasing and melan- 
 choly. It is pleasing, as affording direct proof of 
 the facility with which a great part of the waste 
 lands of Ireland may be cultivated, by the instru- 
 mentality of two things, in which Ireland most 
 abounds, — lime, and human labour ; and it affords, 
 too, a melancholy proof of the misdirection of 
 human energies, and the prevalence of superstition. 
 
 The Trappists are almost all of them young 
 men. At present, they do not strictly conform to 
 
LISMORE. 171 
 
 the rules of tlieir order; but the moment their 
 convent is completed, and the necessity for com- 
 municating with their fellow men ceases, they 
 purpose taking upon themselves all the austerities 
 of the order — silence, as the most indispensable 
 and distinguishing. The brethren are almost all 
 of them Irish ; the few exceptions being English. 
 
 I had some conversation in returning, with one 
 of the men who was leading limestone. He was a 
 small landholder, and did not at all grudge his 
 labour ; and in place of agreeing with me, that he 
 was a fool to throw away his own and his horse's 
 labour, he said he should be a much greater fool if 
 he did not. If to the munificence of Protestant 
 landlords, there continues to be united the religious 
 zeal of Catholic farmers and labourers, these five 
 hundred and seventy acres of Sir Richard Keane's, 
 will be, ere long, a fine productive estate ; and the 
 source of a pretty independency to the brothers of 
 La Trappe. 
 
 Besides the Trappist settlement, there are several 
 objects of curiosity at no great distance from Lis- 
 more. Amongst these, I may particularly men- 
 tion Drumanna, the seat of Mr. Villiers Stuart ; 
 I 2 
 
172 LISMORE. 
 
 and Glencairn, the residence of Mrs. Bush. The 
 latter of these, is higher up the river than Lismore ; 
 the former stands on the river side, between Cappo- 
 quin and YoughalL But drive or walk in whatever 
 direction you may from Lismore, you are sure of 
 being surrounded by beauty. 
 
 There is in Lismore, a school under the new 
 education board, at which between two and three 
 hundred Catholic children attend. Here, as else- 
 where, the school is entirely in the hands of the 
 Catholics, — the Protestant clergyman having de- 
 clined any connexion with it. There is also a 
 Protestant parochial school here, at which about 
 twenty-five children receive instruction. The 
 number of Protestants in Lismore, is under three 
 hundred. There are ninety communicants on feast 
 days. The cathedral church of Lismore is pretty 
 and small; but room is, nevertheless found in it, 
 for the stalls of the non-resident prebends and other 
 dignitaries. The office of the dean, who died lately, 
 has not been filled up. 
 
 Lismore Castle, which I have mentioned as 
 a striking and picturesque object seen from the 
 bridge, is worth a visit, not so much on account of 
 
LISMORE. 173 
 
 any tMng in the interior, as for tlie view from its 
 summit. The castle was gutted, and rebuilt in the 
 interior, about twenty years ago ; and, at present, 
 the outer walls only remain in their original state. 
 The pleasure-grounds are beautifully laid out ; and 
 are remarkable for a double row of very ancient 
 yews, — which form a most funereal walk, — and for a 
 magnificent clump of ash trees, which over-top the 
 castle on one side. In the gardens are seen all the 
 choice shrubs and flowers usually found in this 
 part of Ireland, — particularly an arbutus, as large 
 as a forest tree. 
 
 We have had "descents" of the Danube, and 
 descents of the Rhine and of the Rhone, and of 
 many other rivers ; but we have not in print, as far 
 as 1 know, any descent of the Blackwater; and yet, 
 with all these descents of foreign rivers in my 
 recollection, I think the descent of the Blackwater 
 not surpassed by any of them. A detail of all that 
 is seen in gliding down the Blackwater, from Cap- 
 poquin to Youghall, would fill a long chapter: 
 there is every combination that can be produced by 
 the elements that enter into the picturesque and 
 the beautiful; — deep shades — bold rocks — verdant 
 
174 LISMORE. 
 
 slopes — with the triumphs of art superadded, and 
 made visible in magnificent houses, and beautiful 
 villas, with their decorated lawns and pleasure- 
 grounds. There is Tourin, the seat of Sir R. 
 Musgrave, a fine old place ; Drumanna, the mag- 
 nificent domain of Mr. Villiers Stuart,— embossed 
 in a world of foliage. There is Campire, and 
 Strancally, and the fine place of Mr. Ronan, and 
 Ballinatray, and others, — all diversifying these 
 banks, in the short course of the river from Cappo- 
 quin to Youghall. I left Cappoquin soon after 
 mid-day, and reached Youghall about four o'clock. 
 
 I was greatly pleased with the first distant view 
 of Youghall, across the bay, situated under a jut- 
 ting, wooded hill ; and appearing to stand partly in 
 the water; with the gap beyond, through which 
 the broad Atlantic is seen. One might be greatly 
 deceived in the size of Youghall, by merely driving 
 through it. Besides the chief street, which is 
 extremely long, there are many other good streets, 
 both towards the water, and towards the hill ; and 
 innumerable lanes also, containing a very dense 
 population. The great number of persons peram- 
 bulating the principal street in the evening, is 
 
YOUGHALL. 175 
 
 indeed particularly striking, and is sufficiently indi- 
 cative of the size of the town. 
 
 But the inhabitants of Youghall have a more 
 healthful, and a more inviting promenade, than the 
 street. I scarcely know any where a finer prome- 
 nade than the Cork road, just on leaving the town, 
 with the sea directly below the parapet ; and com- 
 manding views of the strikingly beautiful entrance 
 to the bay, and of the wide ocean beyond. 
 
 Youghall has all the appearance of being, what it 
 is, an old town. The houses, however good, have 
 an old look about them. There are exceptions, of 
 course; for every town, however old, has its modern 
 quarters ; but the general character of the town, is 
 antiquity. In the chief street, we see an old grey 
 tower — one of the ancient defences of the town. 
 Mounting towards the hill, one stumbles upon 
 massive fragments of the old wall; and here and 
 there, houses are seen in a ruined state, betokening, 
 I fear, not antiquity only, but decay also. From 
 many points, one catches a fine view over the bay, 
 the town, and the surrounding country; amongst 
 others, from the pleasure-grounds attached to a 
 building, called "The College;" — why so called, I 
 
176 YOUGHALL. 
 
 could not learn ; and also, from a garden contiguous 
 to it. The " College/' although the property of 
 the Duke of Devonshire, is in a sadly neglected 
 condition; but I believe his Grace's title is dis- 
 puted, which partly accounts for this. 
 
 The suburbs of Youghall are large, and bad : 
 they extend in every direction up the hill, behind 
 the old town wall, and contain many very miserable 
 cabins. I found the rent of those, of a somewhat bet- 
 ter description, generally 2Z.; which, with wages at 
 eight-pence per day, the usual rate here for constant 
 employment, would require sixty days* labour ; andj 
 in all cases where the tenant is in the landlord's 
 employment, it is the invariable practice to take 
 out the rent in labour. In a town so large as this,> 
 there must be very considerable want of employ- 
 ment, and a large quantum of destitution, — the 
 result of age and infirmity. Here too, as in every 
 sea-port, there is a class of fishermen, whose pre- 
 carious calling frequently places them within the 
 reach of pauperism. At the same time there are 
 worse towns, in these respects, than YoughalL 
 
 Youghall is susceptible of very great improve- 
 ment in many ways. Nothing would more cer- 
 
YOUGHALL. 177 
 
 tainly confer a benefit on Yoiighall, than the 
 establishment of a steamer to Bristol. It is true 
 that Youghall is situated between Waterford and 
 Cork, from both of which places there are steamers. 
 But Youghall possesses advantages, which do not 
 belong to either Cork or Waterford. There is no 
 river to descend; the vessel is not obliged, as at 
 Cork, to sail only at the top of the tide, nor, in the 
 return voyage, to wait for the flow. Five minutes 
 after a vessel weighs anchor, at Youghall, she is at 
 sea; and there is little reason to doubt that a 
 steamer from Youghall, in place of from Cork, 
 would save a tide to Bristol. In another respect, 
 a steamer, to and from Bristol, would benefit 
 Youghall. It would create an important trade- 
 At present, the dealers in groceries, &c. are sup- 
 plied from Cork: they would then lay in their 
 stocks direct from Bristol ; and would, in their 
 turn, supply the country dealers. 
 
 The improvement of Youghall, as a sea-bathing 
 place, would be another means of increasing its 
 prosperity. I never saw a spot offering greater 
 facilities for this. The sea-beach is beautiful and 
 extensive ; fine sites for houses are abundant ; the 
 i3 
 
178 YOUGHALL, 
 
 surrounding country is agreeable ; and the climate 
 mild. There is not capital enough, or at all events, 
 not enterprise in Youghall, to set on foot, or carry 
 on with spirit, an improvement of this kind: but 
 it would certainly, in the end, repay the great 
 proprietor of Youghall, any outlay of capital that 
 might be necessary. The Duke of Devonshire 
 does nothing for the improvement of Youghall : it 
 is not, like Lismore, his pet town ; and the imme- 
 diate return for capital, laid out in improvement, is 
 not perhaps so obvious as to tempt the experiment. 
 But it ought not to be expected that each outlay 
 should produce its own return ; it is in the general 
 improvement of the town, and the consequent 
 improvement of property, that the return ought to 
 be looked for. 
 
 Several objects, in and about Youghall, are 
 deserving of the traveller's notice. The church, and 
 its neighbouring ruins, are among the chief objects 
 of curiosity. The church is large, and massive; 
 and one window, which remains of the contiguous 
 ruin, is extremely beautiful, and quite entire. The 
 church-yard, too, is one of the largest and finest, in 
 point of situation, I have ever seen. It is inter- 
 
YOUGHALL. 179 
 
 spersed with lime and other trees ; and, like every 
 thing else about Youghall, has many remnants of 
 antiquity, — old tombs, old ivied walls, moss-grown 
 stones, and luxuriant weeds. 
 
 Nor must I omit to mention the residence of 
 Sir Walter Raleigh, now called Myrtle Grove, 
 one of the few buildings of its time, now habitable. 
 This ancient building appears now, nearly as it 
 appeared in its remote day; the style of the 
 windows only has been changed ; and the present 
 possessor. Colonel Fount, evinces a proper respect 
 for the antiquities by which he is surrounded. 
 The interior of the house is oak wainscoting ; and, 
 in the drawing-room, the chimney-piece exhibits 
 one of the finest specimens of carving I have ever 
 seen. In making some repairs on this house, one 
 of the oldest printed Bibles extant was found built 
 up in the wall. It bears a date, only thirty-four 
 years after the invention of printing. The environs 
 of this old house are beautiful, and are remarkable 
 for the exuberant growth of evergreens — myrtles 
 and verbena especially, both of which here attain 
 an extraordinary perfection. 
 
 I have already slightly adverted to the com- 
 
180 YOUGHALL. 
 
 mercial state of Yougliall. I subjoin a few more 
 minute details. 
 
 . The only import trade of Yougliall, is in timber, 
 culm and coal. During last year, nine ships, having 
 a burden of 1710 tons, arrived at Youghall, with 
 1935 tons of timber, from the British settlements 
 in North America : and this branch of trade is 
 thought to be on the increase. During the same 
 period, 440 coasting vessels, with a burden of 
 37,400 tons, brought into Youghall 20,605 tons of 
 culm, and 27,680 tons of coal. These branches of 
 trade are nearly stationary. 
 
 The export trade of Youghall is considerable, 
 and is thought to be rather on the increase, espe- 
 cially in the export of cattle. The corn trade 
 varies, of course, with the produce of each harvest. 
 
 There were exported during the last year 107,090 
 quarters of oats; 23,288 quarters of wheat; 4921 
 quarters of barley ; 9988 sacks of flour, 2^ cwt. to 
 each sack; 1013 cows; 5220 pigs; 880 sheep; 
 2718 bales of bacon; 9950 firkins, and 136 kegs 
 of butter : — the firkin contains 90 lb., the keg 60 lb. 
 All of these exports are for the home markets. 
 
 There are thirty-seven vessels belonging to 
 
YOUGHALL. 181 
 
 Youghall, varying in burden from 30 to 815 tons ; 
 beside fishing bookers. 
 
 A strong disposition to emigrate has been of late 
 manifested in • Youghall, and its neighbourhood ; 
 and, in fact, it may be said of this part of Ireland, 
 as of many others, that emigration is limited only 
 by the lack of means among the lower classes. 
 From the beginning of the year 1834, to the 15th 
 June, 568 emigrants had left the port of Youghall; 
 a greater number than had emigrated in any pre- 
 ceding year. They were chiefly agriculturists, and 
 not of the lowest class. I noticed in one of the 
 poorest cabins, in the neighbourhood of Youghall^ 
 where scarcely any furniture was to be seen, one 
 of the printed bills, announcing the approaching 
 departure of a ship for Canada, stuck upon the 
 wall. This is a very little circumstance, but it is 
 full of meaning. 
 
 I left Youghall, for Cork, by the mail, at an 
 early hour, and proceeded through rather an un- 
 interesting country — much of it under imperfect 
 cultivation — to Castle Martyr; a very pretty clean 
 village, and every way creditable to Lord Shannon, 
 of whom I was happy to hear. the best accounts. 
 
182 CORK. 
 
 From Castle Martyr to Middleton, I observed 
 little tliat calls for record ; but, from Middleton to 
 Cork, nothing can surpass the beauty of the 
 country that lies on both sides of the river Lee, 
 which, at full tide, forms here the first of those 
 magnificent inlets that reach from Cork to Cove. 
 I shall not at present enlarge upon this charming 
 scene, because I shall afterwards, in descending the 
 river to Cove, have an opportunity of seeing it to 
 greater advantage, and of doing what justice to it 
 I am able. I reached Cork about nine o'clock, 
 and found accommodation in that most excellent 
 and splendid establishment " The Imperial." 
 
 Cork, I call a very fine city, surpassed by few in 
 the excellence and width of its streets, or in the 
 magnificence of its outlets ; and deficient only in 
 the architectural beauty of its public buildings. 
 Although there is not in Cork so great a contrast 
 between splendour and misery as in Dublin, more 
 of this contrast is visible than English cities of the 
 same size exhibit. The best quarters of Cork are 
 fully upon a par with the best quarters of Liver- 
 pool or Manchester; but the worst parts of Cork 
 are worse, and more extended than in these towns. 
 
CORK. 183 
 
 The best streets in Cork are the mercantile streets ; 
 and in these the shops are little, if at all, inferior to 
 those of Dublin : few streets in Cork have the 
 appearance of being inhabited by the upper classes. 
 One cause of this is, that so large a number of the 
 merchants live out of town. The passion for 
 country houses in Cork is universal; and the ex- 
 treme beauty of the environs is a great encourager 
 of this passion. 
 
 Cork is a picturesque city — in its architecture ; 
 in its form; in its situation. With scarcely an 
 exception, the streets are irregular; every house 
 having a style, height, and size of its own : in its 
 outline the city is picturesque, for, although the 
 principal part of it is tolerably compact, it branches 
 out at various points, following the course of the 
 river and its tributaries : and it is eminently pic- 
 turesque in situation, built, as it is, upon a most 
 irregular surface, and dominated by the wooded 
 heights that form the magnificent boundaries of the 
 river and its sea-reaches. The best view of Cork 
 is obtained from the elevation which rises to the 
 north, at no great distance from the barracks ; but 
 from every elevation, on every side, the city is seen 
 
184 CORK. 
 
 to advantage. It is greatly deficient in spires, 
 however. In any continental city, of the same 
 size, one could certainly enumerate from twenty to 
 thirty : Cork boasts of but two. 
 
 The extreme suburbs of Cork, are not so wretched 
 as I found them in most other large towns : but if 
 one does not find the long rows of mud cabins 
 which branch out from Waterford or Kilkenny, 
 abundance of wretched hovels are found in the 
 lanes and yards of the city. In a city containing 
 107,000 inhabitants; and in which, there is no 
 refuge for indigence, excepting that which is sup- 
 plied by voluntary charity, there must be a fearful 
 mass of helpless pauperism. 
 
 I should say of the street population of Cork, 
 that it has a look of respectability. The upper and 
 middling classes have a business air ; and although 
 one is frequently solicited by the mendicant, there 
 appeared to me to be fewer rags, and fewer bare- 
 feet; and, in short, a less amount of destitution, 
 relatively to the population, than in Dublin; or, 
 than in any other town I had yet seen in Ireland, 
 excepting Clonmel. But especially, one does not 
 observe in Cork, as in Waterford or Kilkenny? 
 
CORK. 185 
 
 those groups of able-bodied labourerSj who find no 
 market for the only commodity they possess. The 
 price of labour in Cork, sufficiently proves the 
 greater demand for it. In Youghall, only twenty- 
 eight miles distant, eight-pence is the usual rate; 
 in Cork, the double of that sum, — -Is. M. may be 
 stated as the common rate. 
 
 I was sorry to find in Cork, as in Dublin, the 
 disposition towards improvidence ; and display, 
 amongst the upper and middle classes, strongly 
 manifest. The passion for country houses, I have 
 already spoken of: but there are other passions that 
 trench upon both industry and economy — par- 
 ticularly the passion for horses and hunting, which^ 
 indeed, is not confined to Cork, but is observable in 
 every part of Ireland where I have yet been. Six 
 packs of hounds are kept in the neighbourhood of 
 Cork ; and everybody hunts, who can possibly 
 contrive to keep a horse : nor is the indulgence of 
 this passion looked upon as at all inconsistent 
 with business. The young merchant may, without 
 any imputation on his business habits, mount his 
 hunter at the door of his counting-house. This is 
 very different from our English commercial habits. 
 
186 CORK. 
 
 And, to descend a step lower, it is no inconsiderable 
 proof of the love of pleasure amongst the citizens 
 of Cork, that in a town of its size, there are nearly 
 four hundred public jingles, as they call them in 
 Cork ; or cars, as they call them elsewhere. 
 
 The Sunday citizen population is mighty gay; 
 and amongst the very lowest classes on Sunday, I 
 saw very few rags. I strolled as far as the bishop's 
 chapel — one of the largest and handsomest of the 
 Catholic chapels— and had there an opportunity of 
 seeing a vast congregation of the lower classes. 
 Besides the multitude which crowded the church 
 inside, there were from six to eight hundred per- 
 sons kneeling and prostrate, in the inclosure around 
 the church ; al^of^hem, apparently, engrossed with 
 their devotions, and many, literally counting their 
 beads. 
 
 The public institutions of Cork, are upon a great 
 scale, and generally are conducted on the most 
 approved plan. Amongst these, the most remark- 
 able, perhaps, is the county gaol. This fine structure 
 is situated about three quarters of a mile from the 
 town, precisely opposite to the city gaol, which stands 
 on the other side of the river. The Cork county gaol 
 
CORK. 187 
 
 is one of the best specimens I have seen. In all that 
 concerns that internal regulation which depends 
 upon the acting governor, it is perfect; and the per- 
 fection of its prison system, is only limited by the 
 imperfections of the law. In one respect, I found 
 much to admire in the system adopted by the acting 
 governor; I allude to classification. This assiduous 
 officer has discovered, long ago, that classification by 
 offences is absurd ; inasmuch as it is not the worst 
 man, who, on all occasions, commits the greatest 
 crime ; but that the only rational system of classi- 
 fication, is that which classifies by conduct; and 
 upon this principle, I found the governor acting. 
 The labour of the prisoners in the Cork gaol, in part 
 supplies its consumption ; and up to the full amount 
 of consumption, there is no good reason why gaol 
 labour may not be made available; beyond this 
 consumption, it would not be advisable to employ 
 gaol labour, in a country circumstanced as Ireland is. 
 The Cork Institution, as it is called, is familiar 
 to us, from the parliamentary grants which were at 
 one time made to it, and from the withdrawal of 
 these grants. It contains a good deal that is 
 interesting :— -a scientific library, of considerable 
 
186 CORK, 
 
 extent; a museum, including most departments of 
 science; and a fine collection of casts from the 
 antique, wliich are very properly made available to 
 the advancement of the fine arts, by serving as 
 models for instruction in drawing. 
 
 There are many other institutions of a public 
 nature in Cork, deserving of notice : but minute 
 details respecting these, would be inconsistent with 
 my plan. But it is as a trading city, that Cork is 
 chiefly interesting. Since the termination of the 
 war, and especially since the introduction of steam- 
 navigation, the trade of Cork has entirely changed 
 its character. At the expiration of the war, it 
 instantly lost the important commercial advantages 
 which arose from the fulfilment of government 
 contracts ; but still retained possession of an exten- 
 sive general trade : and although it may be said 
 now, that the general merchant is almost extinct, — 
 the trade itself is perhaps not diminished, but is 
 only more diffused. This has been owing chiefly 
 to the introduction of steam-navigation ; the smaller 
 traders now supply themselves from London or 
 Bristol; and a large trade is also carried on, on 
 English capital, by commission-houses. There are 
 
CORK. 189 
 
 still a few general mereliants, and a few houses 
 connected with the West India and Mediterranean 
 trades ; but the only large import trade is timber, of 
 which not less than 15,000 tons are imported yearly. 
 All the other articles which, before the introduction 
 of steam, used to form the trade of the large 
 mercantile houses, are now imported in smaller 
 quantities, by the numerous individuals who either 
 retail within the city, or deal in wholesale with the 
 smaller country towns. 
 
 The chief export trade of Cork, is the bacon 
 trade, the butter trade, live stock, and the provision 
 trade. Of these, the bacon trade is on the increase, 
 and so is the export of live stock. The butter 
 trade is thought to be diminishing, but it is still 
 very large ; and owing' to the greater perfection of 
 the casks made in Cork, which are known to hold 
 the pickle better than any casks made elsewhere, 
 the foreign export trade in butter, is likely to 
 maintain itself. The chief provision trade now, is 
 that afforded by the government contracts. 
 
 The manufactories of Cork are not numerous. 
 There is a woollen factory, in which about two 
 hundred persons are employed : and there are also 
 
190 
 
 CORK, 
 
 several hundred foundries, and a considerable 
 manufactory of glass. But distilleries and breweries 
 are the great manufactories of Cork, — of the former, 
 seven were at work when I visited Cork; and 
 of the concerns of Beamish and Crawford, in 
 breweries and in flower-mills, some idea may be 
 formed from the circumstance, stated to me in 
 several quarters as a fact, that one-eighth of the 
 whole rate of the city of Cork is paid by that firm. 
 I have already, when speaking of Cahir, adverted 
 to the difference between a flour mill in England 
 and in Ireland. The Lee mills in Cork, would 
 form the best illustration of this contrast, owing to 
 their very great extent, and the perfection of every 
 thing connected with them. The reason why a 
 flour mill in Ireland is an immense establishment, 
 employing scores of men, and doing business on a 
 large scale, while the English flour mill is a little 
 picturesque house by the side of a rivulet, is, that 
 the Irish miller manufactures on his own account ; 
 and this again, necessarily results from Ireland 
 being an exporting country. 
 
 From all I could collect, I think it may be 
 stated, that Cork is not retrograding in the extent 
 
CORK. 191 
 
 of its trade ; althougli the character and channels of 
 its trade have changed : and it may be added, that 
 a steady improvement is visible to all who have 
 had the best opportunities of observation, in the 
 condition of the middle classes; which, indeed, 
 is but the natural result of that more general 
 diffusion of trade to which I have alluded. 
 
192 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Cove of Cork — Descent of the River Lee — Cove Town 
 and Harbour — Means of improvement of Cove — Boating— 
 Excm'sion to Blarney— Blarney Castle — ''The Groves of 
 Blarney " — The Kissing-stone — Journey to Bantry — Bandon 
 — Clonakilty — Ross-Carberry— Picturesque Scenery — Proofs 
 of Poverty — Skibbereen — Bantry, and its Bay — Cultivation 
 of Bog Land — Coral Sand as Manure — Road to GlengarifF— 
 Scenery of GlengarifF— ^Passage across the Mountains — 
 Kenmare — Improving Condition of Kenmare — The sur- 
 rounding Country, and Banks of the Kenmare River — The 
 Barony of Glanrought, and Lord Lansdowne's Estates — 
 Impressions, Facts, and Details — Land and Rents — Con- 
 dition of the People — Black water Bridge — The New Road 
 from Bantry to Kenmare. 
 
 Everybody has heard of the Cove of Cork. From 
 the city to Cove, it is about nine miles by the 
 nearest road; and by water, it is eleven. In my 
 journey from Youghall to Cork, I had seen just 
 enough of the banks of the Lee, to give me the 
 desire to see more of them; and I therefore took 
 advantage of the steam vessel, which leaves Cork 
 for Cove every morning. " Have you been to 
 
COVE. 193 
 
 Cove ?" " Have you seen the banks of our 
 river ?" are questions often and eagerly put to the 
 stranger in Cork ; and well may the question be 
 put : for it is quite certain that if the stranger has 
 visited Cove, he will reply, " Yes, T have ; and I 
 have seldom seen any thing more beautiful." The 
 broad river — in reality an arm of the sea, but 
 which has all the appearance of a lake — stretches 
 below the city in a magnificent reach of five or six 
 miles ; high swelling banks rise on both sides ; and 
 these, the whole way to Passage, exhibit the most 
 charming succession of lawns, woods, and pleasure- 
 grounds, appertaining to the numerous villas that 
 embellish them : and these are indeed villas, or 
 something beyond villas ; not boxes with their 
 acre, or half-acre of lawn, shrubbery, and garden ; 
 but handsome houses, with room enough about 
 them, to give them an air of independence and 
 respectability. Between Cork and Passage, I 
 counted upwards of thirty such houses, calculated, 
 I should say, for the residence of persons with 
 from 1500Z. to 3000Z. a year. Besides these, 
 there are innumerable citizens' boxes nearer to the 
 city; and especially, on the banks of the river 
 
 VOL. I. K 
 
194 COVE. 
 
 higher up ; many of them worthy the name of villa, 
 and all, pretty snug places. 
 
 Two villages are passed on the right bank of the 
 river, between Cork and Cove. Black Rock is the 
 first of these; and it is only remarkable for the 
 extensive nunnery, which stands facing the river. 
 Passage is lower down ; and is beautifully situated, 
 just where the wide reach of the river ends, and 
 where it contracts into little more than river width. 
 Beyond this narrow reach, the river sweeps to the 
 left, and discovers at a Kttle distance, the mag- 
 nificent Cove, with its islands and town. 
 
 The Cove of Cork, means, in England, a large 
 sea basin, situated near to Cork : but the Cork 
 people call the Cove, the harbour; and by Cove, 
 they mean the town which is built there; while 
 many of us at home, scarcely know that there is 
 such a town as Cove. But Cove is not only a 
 town; but a considerable town, and a pretty town; 
 and the most fashionable sea-bathing place in the 
 south of Ireland. 
 
 Cove town is situated on the side of the great 
 basin, and on a considerable eminence, and com- 
 mands a magnificent view over the Cove, with its 
 
COVE. 195 
 
 islands, and rich shores ; and— beyond Spike Island 
 — the narrow entrance from the Atlantic, and the 
 ocean beyond it. It chanced to be within a week 
 or two of the regatta, when I visited Cove ; and 
 ten or twelve of the yachts were sweeping to and 
 fro, with full sail, under the influence of a fine 
 light breeze. Yachting and boating are quite a 
 passion in this neighbourhood : and although this, 
 like another passion I have named, tends in some 
 degree to encourage the disposition towards im- 
 providence, which is so truly a characteristic of the 
 Irish nation — yet the public benefit by it. Yachting 
 gives employment to many ; and the frequent 
 meetings of the club, contribute greatly to the 
 prosperity of Cove; which, however, is far from 
 being so prosperous, as from the many advantages 
 it possesses, it might be expected to be. 
 
 Nothmg is wanting, to render Cove a most 
 flourishing town, but the outlay of some thousand 
 pounds on the erection of houses for the accom- 
 modation of strangers. At present, houses and 
 lodgings are very scarce, and very dear. I 
 inquired the rent of a small furnished house — a 
 mere box, with a few square yards of garden, and 
 k2 
 
196 
 
 COVE. 
 
 found it to be 20Z. a month. For another, — a house 
 of two stories, — each story with four windows in 
 front, I was asked a hundred guineas for three 
 months. From these prices, it is evident, that there 
 is no supply equal to the demand; and that 10,000Z. 
 judiciously laid out, would be very advantageously 
 invested. But nothing is done for the town in this 
 way. Mr. Smith Barry, who is a good resident 
 landlord, and a public spirited man, is prevented I 
 believe by certain circumstances, from granting 
 leases ; and the other great proprietor. Lord Mid- 
 dleton, an absentee, either knows nothing, or cares 
 nothing about Cove and its wants. These are 
 misfortunes for Cove : for situated as it is, in so 
 beautiful a country; so near to Cork; with a 
 fashionable reputation, and with extraordinary 
 advantages of climate, much might be made of 
 Cove. I was happy to learn, that a literary 
 society, and library, had lately been established at 
 Cove ; and that the institution was flourishing. I 
 ought to have mentioned, when speaking of boating, 
 that Cove and Cork men, row in a peculiar 
 manner. They make a double dip ; after im- 
 mersing the oar, they make a half pull, and then 
 
BLARNEY. 197 
 
 dip, and pull again. This mode of rowing is not 
 elegant, though it is said to be effective. 
 
 Who would be at Cork without visiting Blarney, 
 which is situated about six miles from Cork ? The 
 road to it lies up the bank of the Lee, and conducts 
 the traveller through a succession of very pretty 
 scenes. The castle stands upon an eminence, and 
 consists of one very massive square tower. There 
 are many things more picturesque than Blarney 
 Castle ; but then, it is Blarney ; and is therefore 
 necessary to be visited ; and there you '11 see 
 
 " The groves of Blarney, that are so charming" — 
 
 and the castle, 
 
 " That was once so ancient " — 
 
 and Blarney loch, 
 
 " That holds its own sweet waters, 
 That have rested in it since before the flood." 
 
 But Blarney loch, holds more than its own sweet 
 waters; for it holds the most beautiful of white 
 water-lilies, that fringe its margin, encircled by 
 the great heart-shaped leaves that almost cover the 
 surface. The Blarney stone, which every one is 
 
198 BLARNEY. 
 
 expected to kiss ; and which embrace, confers on 
 the kisser the power of flattering as much as he 
 pleases, and of commanding the belief of those who 
 are flattered, is on the top of the tower, and quite 
 accessible to all who desire to profit by the 
 opportunity. 
 
 From Cork to Bantry, there are two roads : one 
 of these is much shorter than the other ; but I -pre- 
 ferred the longer road, which passes through 
 several considerable towns — Bandon, Clonakiltyj 
 Ross-Carberry, and Skibbereen. This is the 
 road travelled by the mail; and by the mail I 
 travelled. It is not a country possessing great 
 interest; and I therefore contented myself with 
 passing through it. Mail travelling in Ireland is 
 not remarkable for its speed, or precise regulations : 
 it ranks, I think, with the English slowest coaches ; 
 but it is a very safe mode of conveyance, for the 
 drivers are extremely cautious ; and it is also cheap. 
 In speed, regularity, and even cheapness, Bianconi's 
 cars leave the mails far behind. 
 
 The fine country, and good husbandry in the 
 neighbourhood of Cork, do not extend far in 
 this direction. At the distance of but a few miles. 
 
CLONAKILTY. 199 
 
 I found the land under very imperfect cultiva- 
 tion ; and all of it, susceptible of great improve- 
 ment. Near to Bandon, the appearance of the 
 country improves; and there is a slight approach 
 to the picturesque, in following the course of the 
 river. Bandon was once a flourishing manu- 
 facturing town; but its manufactures have some 
 time ceased: and although the immediate desti- 
 tution occasioned by the loss of trade, has been 
 somewhat cured by emigration and otherwise, 
 Bandon is at present a poor town, and is stocked 
 with paupers. I did not stop to make any par- 
 ticular inquiries ; and can therefore speak of 
 Bandon only as I saw it, en passant. 
 
 From Bandon, the road winds through a bare, 
 ill-cultivated country, to Clonakilty. Proceeding 
 in this direction, things appeared to be evidently 
 getting worse. The cabins almost reminded me 
 of Callen ; and every thing had a poor, neglected 
 aspect. Clonakilty is another decayed town : — 
 there was formerly a good linen trade in it; but 
 that manufacture does not now exist ; and the town 
 is at present without any means of support, except 
 that which arises from agricultural labour, and the 
 
200 CLONAKILTY. 
 
 more precarious trade of fishing. I noticed mucli 
 obvious misery; and the number of bare-footed 
 persons had greatly increased. The effect pro- 
 duced on the traveller by the spectacle of bare feet 
 and legs, depends very much on the state of the 
 weather, and upon other circumstances. A healthy 
 looking girl, tripping along a country road, or 
 field path, without shoes or stockings, suggests no 
 want of comfort ; but to see the streets of a town, 
 on a rainy day, trodden by multitudes of bare feet 
 — many the feet of old persons — creates a very dif- 
 ferent impression, and the impression is a just one. 
 It is impossible to believe that any one would 
 walk bare-footed, on wet, ill-paved streets, from 
 choice ; but I know it to be often matter of choice 
 in the country. I have seen a gentleman — a man 
 of family and fortune, and a magistrate — walking 
 through the fields, carrying his boots in his hands, 
 for greater coolness and freedom. 
 
 After leaving Clonakilty, the country, although 
 not any better cultivated, becomes more agreeable ; 
 and the approach to Ross-Carberry, is extremely 
 picturesque. It stands on an elevation, at the head 
 of a long narrow inlet of the sea, flanked by wooded 
 
SKIBBEREEN. 201 
 
 banks, and itself half hidden in wood. We skirted 
 th<? town ; and stopped just opposite to the Court- 
 house, where a petty sessions had been held. The 
 court had just broken up; and the room emptied 
 itself of as ragged a population as I had yet any 
 where seen. I scarcely saw one woman or girl 
 with shoes or stockings; and here, for the first 
 time, I observed a considerable number of the men 
 also bare-footed. The Court-house is certainly not 
 the place where any one would have gone bare- 
 footed from choice. 
 
 After leaving this town, the country became 
 extremely picturesque. We passed along, and 
 round the heads of deep, winding, wooded inlets of 
 the sea, — reminding me, in some degree, of Nor- 
 wegian scenery on a small scale; and soon after 
 reached Skibbereen, a small ugly town ; but a busy 
 and thriving town; enjoying an excellent retail 
 trade, owing to the demand of an extensive sur- 
 rounding district. 
 
 It is a very poor and uninteresting country that 
 
 lies between Skibbereen and Bantry; the greater 
 
 part of it is bog land : some small part of it indeed 
 
 reclaimed; but a large portion which human labour 
 
 K 3 
 
•202 BANTRY. 
 
 has never approached. On some parts, where little 
 pools of water had collected, the water-lilies, white 
 and yellow, were numerous ; and on others, the 
 beautiful white tufts of the bog-cotton, relieved 
 the dreariness of the prospect. The approach to 
 Bantry is pretty. Rounding a little inlet, one 
 suddenly reaches the margin of the bay; and, 
 keeping its waters on the left, and the domain of 
 Lord Bantry on the right, ten minutes more brings 
 one into the little town, and to the very indifferent 
 inn, or hotel, as I believe it is called, which the 
 town affords. 
 
 Bantry lies at the head of the celebrated bay 
 which bears its name ; encircled by hills, or at least 
 by considerable elevations, many of which are 
 tolerably cultivated, and wooded. Lord Bantry is 
 the great proprietor here, and is universally well 
 spoken of. His lordship is for the most part resi- 
 dent; and as far as his means will permit, he 
 consults the benefit of the town, and the comfort of 
 the people. Much might be done for Bantry, as a 
 sea-bathing resort ; and money judiciously laid out, 
 would certainly be invested to advantage. There 
 was formerly a considerable fishery at Bantry ; but 
 
BAN TRY. 208 
 
 it has now failed — the fish having changed their 
 place of resort. 
 
 For the cultivation of the bog land in this neigh- 
 bourhood, extraordinary facilities are offered ; and 
 owing to these, the country appears to be in a very 
 improving condition. I allude particularly to the 
 Bantry sea-sand ; which is called there, coral sand, 
 and which is allowed, by universal consent, to be 
 the most efficacious of manures, for the improve- 
 ment of every description of land, as well as for 
 the reclamation of bog land. Common sea-sand is 
 a very common manure, in many parts of this 
 country ; but the superior excellence of the Bantry 
 coral sand is universally admitted, and is owing to 
 the large proportion of lime which it contains. 
 
 My course now lay by Glengariff, Kenmare, 
 and Killarney, to Tralee and the lower Shannon. 
 The weather not permitting boating, I hired a car 
 to carry me to Glengariff; and I question whether 
 much was lost by the substitution of a land journey. 
 The road winds round heights, and through hol- 
 lows, generally wooded ; and doubles a number of 
 inlets of the sea ; some of them open to the ocean ; 
 others having the appearance of lakes; and fine 
 
204 GLENGARIFF. 
 
 views are every now and then caught over Bantry 
 Bay, and its mountain boundaries. 
 
 Few spots offer a more perfect example of tlie 
 picturesque, than Glengariff inn. It is situated at 
 the head of a narrow creek, which runs up from the 
 bay. High mountains form one of the boundaries 
 of the creek ; and the beautiful domain of Captain 
 White, Lord Bantry's brother, forms the other. 
 Rocks, rushing streams, wooded ravines, quiet 
 coves, and a fine back-ground of mountains, are the 
 elements of the landscape. I was not disappointed 
 in Glengariff, because I had put little faith in the 
 exaggerated reports I had heard and read. Visit 
 Glengariff with the expectation of finding much 
 that is picturesque, and you will not be disap- 
 pointed; but if sublimity and the magnificence of 
 nature be looked for, they will certainly not be 
 found. 
 
 I visited, and was greatly pleased with Captain 
 White's domain : it contains many beautiful spots ; 
 commands many fine mountain views; and is 
 adorned by a fancifully built, but judiciously placed 
 mansion. I found no complaint of want of work in 
 this neighbourhood: the new road now in course 
 
GLENGARIFF. 205 
 
 of being formed, between Glengariff and Kenmare, 
 employs several hundred hands; and the people 
 upon Captain White's property, are generally 
 comfortable. Few have less land than suffices for 
 the keep of two cows, the rent of which is taken 
 out in labour, at eightpence a-day. I dined sump- 
 tuously at Glengariff, on pink coloured, — there 
 called, white trout, — caught an hour before ; a dish 
 of scolloped cockles, new potatos, and flour scones ; 
 which, with a glass of parliament whiskey, helped 
 to prepare me for the fatigue of the journey to 
 Kenmare. 
 
 Most people travel this road on horseback ; but 
 not being able to get horse or pony to my mind, I 
 hired a car, and two men to assist. These cannot 
 well be dispensed with, unless the horse drag 
 kindly up, and back well down hill. The road, 
 though excessively bad, and so extremely steep 
 that one must walk nearly the whole of the way, 
 presents so many fine mountain views, that no one 
 has any right to grumble. The rock scenery is 
 particularly interesting; and, mixed with the oak 
 and holly woods, above which the great rocks lift 
 their broad backs, is not only of a picturesque, but 
 
206 GLENGARIFF. ' 
 
 of a very novel character. I left tlie road, to visit 
 a lodge of Lord Bantry's, remarkable only for its 
 seclusion, and for the clearness of the stream which 
 rushes by ; and took the opportunity of also visiting 
 two houses, — in one of which I found a peasant who 
 owned three acres, for which he paid SI. ; and in 
 another, a peasant who owned three acres and a 
 half, for which he paid SI. lOs. It is a good mode 
 of confirming the truth of what one hears from 
 different individuals, to inquire not only as to their 
 own circumstances, but also into those of their 
 neighbours : if the statements of their neighbours 
 correspond with their own, there is every reason 
 to believe them correct. 
 
 I found the road as bad, but not so steep, as it 
 had been represented. I believe the horse could 
 have dragged up the car without assistance; but 
 the men assured me, that in descending, I should 
 find their aid indispensable. Just as we reached 
 the summit of the pass, the mists, which had been 
 floating about the mountains, — veiling the extent of 
 the views, but adding perhaps to their beauty, — 
 dispersed : the sun came brilliantly forth ; and the 
 whole of the mountains stood clearly out, with all 
 
KENMARE. 207 
 
 their glens, and shadows, and little silvery lakes. 
 The descent I found to be indeed very rapid : the 
 men had brought ropes, with which they endea- 
 voured to lock the wheel, by attaching it to the 
 axle ; but the rope was rotten, and broke ; and the 
 descent was not accomplished without some 
 scrambling. 
 
 From the foot of the mountain, to Kenmare, I 
 passed through an evidently improving country : 
 the road was tolerably good: I saw several com- 
 fortable looking houses; and a greater number of 
 lime kilns, the beneficial effects of which were evi- 
 dent in the appearance of the neighbouring land. 
 Every farm, indeed, appeared to have a lime kiln 
 of its own. A few miles before reaching Kenmare, 
 the valley of the Kenmare river, and the river 
 itself, are descried from a height over which the 
 road passes. Soon after, a bridge is crossed; and 
 the road, running parallel with the river, and under 
 a fine arch of trees, reaches the town. 
 
 Kenmare is a small, but very prettily situated 
 town. The estuary, called the Kenmare river, 
 reaches some miles above it; and from Kenmare to 
 the sea, the distance is about twenty-six miles. 
 
208 KENMARE, 
 
 The estuary varies in breadth, from two or three 
 hundred yards, to upwards of a mile ; and presents, 
 in its whole line, the aspect of a magnificent river. 
 I was struck by observing from the windows of the 
 inn, what is rather a novel spectacle in the small 
 Irish towns, — several large houses in course of 
 building ; and, upon walking over the town, I 
 counted no fewer than eleven good houses in a 
 state of forwardness: a considerable number of 
 others seemed to be newly built; and although I 
 observed six or eight houses in a ruined condition, 
 I thought myself warranted in concluding, from 
 what I had seen, that these were intended to be 
 replaced by a better description of buildings. This, 
 I afterwards found, was to be immediately done. 
 Extending my walk a little way out of the town, 
 towards the river, I reached a new pier, from 
 which, I was glad to learn, that corn had- been 
 shipped, for the first time, last autumn, for the 
 English market. This neat little pier cost 2100/., 
 of which the Marquis of Lansdowne contributed 
 1200Z. 
 
 I spent two days in and about Kenmare, — one 
 of them, a long summer's day, mounted on a Kerry 
 
KENMARE. 209 
 
 pony, riding down the opposite side of the Ken- 
 mare river, — riding and walking in and out among 
 the mountain glens ; and traversing the greater part 
 of the Barony of Glanrought. I had a double en- 
 joyment in the ramble ; arising both from the 
 charming weather and fine mountain views, and 
 from the spectacle of a rapidly improving country, 
 and a comparatively comfortable population. 
 
 I think I said, in a former chapter, that from the 
 moment of setting foot in Ireland, I had heard the 
 highest character of the property of the Duke of 
 Devonshire ; and that, on that account, I felt a 
 more than usual interest in reaching Lismore. A 
 precisely opposite reason increased the interest of 
 a visit to Kenmare ; for I had heard very indifferent 
 accounts of the property of Lord Lansdowne ; and 
 was told, in Cork, that I should find a miserable 
 population, who were accustomed to shut up their 
 cabins, and go a-begging for months during the 
 summer. Now, it afi'ords me the greatest pleasure 
 to be able, from minute personal observation and 
 inquiry, to bear testimony to the improving con- 
 dition of this extensive and naturally barren tract, 
 and to the comparatively comfortable condition of 
 
210 KENMARE. 
 
 the people. Formerly, the greater part of this 
 property was held in large farms, by lessees, who 
 sub-let these lands in small portions, and therefore 
 became middle-men. As these leases have dropped, 
 by death, or otherwise, the estates, so held, have 
 been divided into farms of equal size, and let to 
 tenants holding immediately under Lord Lans- 
 downe, who has erected, upon each farm, a comfort- 
 able dwelling-house, the whole expense of which, 
 excepting labour, has been defrayed by his lordship. 
 Riding through this part of Kerry, one is im- 
 mediately struck by the absence of mud cabins, 
 and, by the presence of these new farm-like houses, 
 every where dotting the slopes. Such things being- 
 rarities, I did not content myself with a distant 
 view; but visited ten or twelve of these houses, 
 and they seemed to me well suited to the wants of 
 the individuals by whom they were occupied. 
 There was nothing of pretension about them. I 
 found them to be built of lime-mortar, rough-cast, 
 with chimneys, and with two apartments inside ; 
 and generally containing a sufficiency of furniture, 
 and a fair portion of comfort,— -speaking always, 
 let it be recollected, with reference to the character 
 
KENMARE. 211 
 
 and habits of the people. And, what is most 
 important of all, I did not find that the tenants 
 were paying exorbitant rents. One tenant, occu- 
 pying a little farm of nine acres, with one of these 
 houses, paid 2/. 135. for his possession; that is, about 
 six shillings an acre. From one to two acres of 
 this farm was under tillage; and the rest was in 
 pasture, on which two cows were fed. I found 
 another tenant, occupying eighteen acres, paying 
 for his farm Ih 2s., or eight shillings an acre. This 
 was somewhat more improved land; it supported 
 four cows; and grew potatos, corn, and flax. I 
 found another, with thirty acres, paying 6/. As., or 
 four shillings an acre. This was poorer land ; but 
 the farm supported six cows — though four would 
 have been a more proper number — and grew a little 
 wheat on low spots, and excellent potatos. All of 
 these farms had houses attached; and I certainly 
 feel myself bound to say, from a very minute 
 observation of these houses and lands, that these, 
 and all the other tenants similarly circumstanced, 
 held their land on terms, on which any industrious 
 man might pay his rent, and support his family in 
 that degree of comfort consistent with Irish notions. 
 
212 KENMARE. 
 
 There are other advantages too, which these tenants 
 possess. Every one has turf, a discretion, for the 
 trouble of cutting and fetching it; and as the whole 
 of these lands lie along the Kenmare river, fish 
 is easily attainable. I counted upwards of forty 
 boats lying on the beach ; and to the smaller tenants, 
 whose farms are chiefly in pasture, and require 
 little labour, the privilege of fishing is a most 
 valuable one, both for the purposes of sale and 
 subsistence. 
 
 During this day's ride, I counted fifty-seven 
 farm-houses of the description I have mentioned ; 
 and I was informed, by the farmers, that I had not 
 seen a third part of the number. Throughout the 
 whole of this tract, there are not any of those mud 
 cabins, with a small patch of potato land, which 
 are so numerous in most parts of Ireland. No 
 tenant holds a less quantity of land than about 
 eight acres. I speak, at present, of land held 
 immediately under Lord Lansdowne ; for nothing 
 will strike a traveller, in this country, more than 
 the diiference in the condition of land so held, and 
 of that land which is held under several middle-men. 
 I passed through some clusters of as miserable 
 
KENMARE. 213 
 
 cabins as I ever beheld — twelve or fifteen of them, 
 congregated together. I went into several of these, 
 and found that they were all held under lessee 
 middle-men — some of them resident, and some 
 absent. These cabins had but a small portion of 
 land annexed, and were, beyond description, 
 wretched abodes; and the inmates of two of them, 
 told me, that they were in the habit of shutting up 
 their cabins, and going, for a month or two, during 
 autumn, in search of work, or livelihood, into Cork 
 county, or elsewhere. If I had merely inquired 
 upon whose estate these people lived, and heard 
 from them that the estate was Lord Lansdowne's, 
 without inquiring whether there was any inter- 
 mediate holder, I should have thought I had found 
 confirmation of the necessitous condition, and beg- 
 ging propensities, of that noble Lord's tenantry. 
 It is proper for me to state, that I found several 
 larger middle-men, excellent men, and improving 
 landlords, and with no tenantry in the condition I 
 have mentioned. 
 
 In the course of a ramble, up one of the distant 
 glens, I fell in with two men holding mountain 
 farms. These, as they, themselves, told me, had 
 
214 KENMARE. 
 
 been holders of little more tlian cabins, under 
 middle-men ; and, wlien the lease expired, and the 
 land was divided and appropriated among the 
 existing tenants, these two, being considered to 
 have least claim, and the original farm not being 
 large enough to be divided among all those who 
 had holdings on it, were turned upon mountain 
 land: eight acres were given to one of the two, 
 ai?d fifteen to the other. One paid a rent of '2s. 6d, 
 for his farm ; the other 4s. They told me they 
 could scarcely live out of their land ; but I suspect 
 industry was wanting, for, on land close to theirs, I 
 saw good corn and potatos growing ; and both lime 
 and sea-sand are plentiful over this country. Idle- 
 ness will make a pauper of any one; and it is 
 impossible for any landlord altogether to exclude 
 pauperism. Standing with a farmer, at the door of 
 his house, I observed, in a hollow at a little distance, 
 five or six cottages in a ruined condition; but 
 smoke issued from the door, and through holes in 
 the roof of one of them. These, the farmer told 
 me, were the cabins of those who had been on a 
 farm, of which the lease had expired, and which 
 was now divided ; but he knew nothing of the 
 
KENMARE. 215 
 
 inmate of the smoking cabin. I walked down to 
 the hollow, and found a man, his wife, and three 
 children, living in this roofless and utterly unfur- 
 nished hovel ; and although, at first, I could get no 
 other information than that they were tenants of 
 Lord Lansdowne's, I ascertained, at length, that 
 they had been tenants of this same cabin, under a 
 middle-man ; and when the lease dropped, and the 
 farm was divided, this individual was offered a 
 mountain farm, which he would not accept; and, 
 after having been wandering through different 
 parts of the country, begging, he had returned, 
 with his family, and taken possession of the cabin 
 in which he had formerly lived. 
 
 I have dwelt the longer on the events of this 
 day's ride, and on the condition of the property on 
 the Kenmare river, because of the very unfavour- 
 able reports I had heard : and finding as I did, that 
 these reports were utterly without foundation ; and 
 that this very untractable district, — so unfavourable 
 in many respects to improvement, — exhibited those 
 unerring signs of it, which can result only from a 
 considerate landlord, and an intelligent agent, I 
 felt it to be my duty to state the facts upon which 
 
216 KENMARE. 
 
 I have grounded my opinion: and I would only 
 add, that the more distant I was from these estates, 
 the more unfavourable were the reports I heard of 
 them ; and in their immediate vicinity, and amongst 
 those best qualified to judge, 1 heard nothing but 
 the most favourable reports. I would take the 
 liberty of particularly mentioning the Earl of 
 Kenmare, — by universal consent, one of the best 
 of landlords, — who spoke to me in the highest 
 terms of the condition of the property to which I 
 have so particularly alluded. 
 
 There is still one other observation I have to 
 make, before proceeding on my journey. When 
 we speak of a poor or a rich tenantry, we ought to 
 speak with reference to the nature of the land. A 
 rich population is not to be expected on a moun- 
 tainous district, like the barony of Glanrought ; and 
 when we find tenants of mountain farms circum- 
 stanced as they are in this country, we ought to 
 expect nothing beyond a very moderate share of 
 comfort. Suppose a farm of a hundred acres to 
 have been held by a middle-man, and that thirty 
 tenants are located upon it; this lease drops, and 
 the landlord proceeds to divide. To continue these 
 
KENMARE, 217 
 
 thirty tenants upon the hundred acres, giving little 
 more than three acres to each, would only be, to 
 perpetuate pauperism. The landlord has perhaps 
 laid down a rule, that he will have no tenant with 
 a smaller possession than eight acres ; because, in 
 an upland country, no man can be comfortable on 
 a less quantity of land : the twelve most improving 
 of the thirty tenants are therefore selected for hold- 
 ings, each of eight acres, on these hundred acres ; 
 and the remaining eighteen become possessors of 
 mountain holdings — not so good, indeed, as those 
 possessed by the selected twelve ; but vastly better 
 to an industrious man, than no holding at all : and 
 thus it will be seen, that poor, though not pauper 
 tenants, must exist upon every improving estate, 
 situated in an upland country. 
 
 Before leaving Kenmare, I visited Blackwater 
 bridge, which lies amongst the mountains, about six 
 miles distant. It is a very agreeable ride to this 
 spot, and the scene itself is beautiful. The river 
 tumbles through a deep channel, in a ravine finely 
 fringed by oak and ash trees: a high and very 
 picturesque bridge of two arches spans the river; 
 and 1 had there an opportunity of seeing the 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
218 KENMARE. 
 
 spectacle so often described, of the unwearied 
 efforts of the fishes to get above the fall. 
 
 Kenmare, and all this district, will receive in- 
 calculable benefits from the fine road now con- 
 structing from Bantry to Cork: this road, which 
 takes Glengariff in its line, will connect Killarney 
 with Cork by a most interesting route; and it is 
 intended to throw a bridge over the Kenmare 
 river, or sound, as it is there called, just below the 
 town. 
 
 I now left Kenmare, for Killarney. The first 
 part of this excellent road is not particularly 
 interesting. It leads through an upland, bare, and 
 partly, cultivated country, in which, however, there 
 are signs of improvement, and some tolerably good 
 houses; and after passing a lake and a few cottages, 
 tlie descent towards Killarney begins. The first 
 view one obtains of the upper lake of Killarney, is 
 not striking : it disappointed me ; but the weather 
 was rather unfavourable for the enjoyment of 
 scenery, and I suspended my judgment, although 
 I could not alter the impression. The descent 
 along the sides of the hills, and through the fine 
 woods with which they are clothed, pleased me 
 
KENMARE. 219 
 
 much; and here, for the first time, I saw, almost 
 in its perfection, the arbutus — the far-famed pride 
 of Killarney. I noticed here also, for the first 
 time, that pretty little flower which forms some- 
 times our garden borders; and which is called. 
 "London-pride," or "none-so-pretty." In descend- 
 ing to the lake, the road passes through a tunnel, 
 which has a good effect, but which was certainly 
 unnecessary; as a little more free use of gun- 
 powder, would have entirely opened up the passage. 
 Soon after passing through this tunnel, the road 
 descends close to the shore of the upper lake, and 
 winds first along part of its margin, and then con- 
 tinues to skirt a part of Turc lake, with the fine 
 wooded elevation called Turc mountain, on the 
 other side. There, however, the road leaves the 
 lakes; and passing through a fine rich country, and 
 skirting several domains, leads into the town. 
 
220 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Town of Killarney — Idleness and Pauperism — Lord 
 Kenmare; — Bad Feeling among the Aristocracy, and its Causes 
 — The Lakes — The Author's Opinion of Killarney Lakes — 
 Their Character — Upper Lake, Turc Lake, Lower Lake — 
 Glena — Innisfallen — The Echoes — Comparison with the 
 English Lakes — Muckross Abbey— The Earl of Kenmare 's 
 Domain. 
 
 Killarney suggests to an Englishman, merely a 
 spot where lakes are situated : it is nothing but a 
 name. But to one residing in the neighbourhood, 
 it suggests a biggish, populous, noisy, and not very 
 pretty town. The situation of the town is good, 
 without being at all picturesque ; for although, with 
 a fine country around, it lies at least a mile and a 
 half from the nearest point of the lakes. There are 
 two good streets in the town ; but many bad alleys, 
 and close filthy lanes and yards; and I regret to 
 say, that there is a large pauper population, and a 
 vast number of idle persons, — some from necessity, 
 
KILLARNEY. 221 
 
 and some from choice : for besides its own natural 
 proportion of destitute and unemployed persons, 
 Killarney lias in addition, that class of the idly 
 disposed and poor, who are either attracted to every 
 spot much resorted to by strangers, or who are 
 created, by the charm which precarious employment 
 possesses in the estimation of many, over the more 
 certain, but more moderate wages of labour. 
 
 Killarney is the property of the Earl of Kenmare; 
 but his lordship is just as little answerable for the 
 faults of Killarney, as the reader of this book. The 
 whole of the town is held under leases for ever ; so 
 that Lord Kenmare has no power of improvement 
 in his hands : and this is greatly to be regretted ; 
 for a better man, or a better landlord than Lord 
 Kenmare, does not exist ; and were it not for the 
 employment afforded on his estate, by this wealthy 
 resident and public spirited nobleman, the pauperism 
 of Killarney would be fearfully great. A con- 
 siderable part of Lord Kenmare's large estate, is 
 in the hands of middle-men; but his lordship is 
 strenuously exerting himself, to bring about a 
 better system. 
 
 There is much bad feeling among the aristocracy 
 
2*22 KILLARNEY. 
 
 in the neighbourhood of Killarney : and Lord 
 Kenmare is far from being so popular among a 
 certain class, as he deserves to be. Amongst the 
 neighbouring gentry, there are many large middle- 
 men, who are not fond of Lord Kenmare's reforming 
 system; and there are also some of Mr. O'ConnelFs 
 friends, and even some branches of his family, who 
 cannot forgive the sin committed by the head of 
 the Irish Catholic aristocracy, in being an anti- 
 repealer, and a respecter of order ; nor pardon the 
 slight put upon them by Lord Kenmare, in select- 
 ing as his deputy lieutenants, men upon whom he 
 thought he could depend for support, in time of 
 emergency. Through these causes, bad feeling has 
 been also excited among the lower classes, which 
 is greatly to be regretted; because Lord Kenmare's 
 religious opinions, and his high rank (for the Irish 
 peasant has much respect for blood) might have 
 otherwise exerted a most powerful influence on his 
 numerous tenantry and dependents, — an influence 
 which would certainly have been well exerted. 
 
 But I must not forget, that there are such things 
 as the lakes of Killarney; and although I have no 
 intention of writing a guide to the lakes, t must not 
 
KXLLARNEY. 223 
 
 pass over with too slight a notice, objects deserving 
 all the reputation they have acquired. To obtain 
 any correct notion of the beauty of the Killarney 
 lakes, it is necessary to embark at the head of the 
 upper lake, and to descend the chain —a distance of 
 about fifteen miles. The best way of accomplishing 
 this, which may be accomplished in one day, is, to 
 go from the to\vn round the lower part of the lower 
 lake, and by the gap of Dunlow. By this route, one 
 passes some fine seats — particularly that of Lord 
 Headly, — and another, the residence of one of the 
 O'Connell family. ' The mountain views, too, are 
 fine, — particularly the views of M'Gillicuddy's 
 reeks, and of another mountain, Carran Tual, which 
 is now admitted to be the highest of the Irish 
 mountains. This claim always carries some little 
 interest with it ; and Mangerton^always an ugly 
 mountain, — divested as it now is, of its claim to 
 being the highest, has become almost insignificant. 
 The height of Mangerton, is 2550 feet; while 
 that of Carran Tual, is 3410. 
 
 The gap of Dunlow did not seem to me, to be 
 worthy of its reputation : it is merely a deep 
 valley: but the rocks which flank the valley, are 
 
224 KILLARNEY. 
 
 neither very lofty, nor very remarkable in their 
 form ; and although, therefore, the gap presents 
 many features of the picturesque, its approaches to 
 sublimity are very distant. I was more struck by 
 the view after passing the gap, up what is called 
 "the dark valley," — a wide and desolate hollow, 
 surmounted by the finest peaks of this mountain 
 range. 
 
 After passing the gap of Dunlow, and descending; 
 the steeps on the south side, I embarked at the 
 head of the upper lake, and descended the chain of 
 lakes, through many varied and most enchanting 
 scenes. I saw Killarney to every advantage ; for 
 I was favoured by one of those warm days of sun- 
 shine and shade, which are particularly calculated 
 for the enjoyment of mountain and lake scenery, — - 
 a sky, warm enough to give richness to the land- 
 scape ; and yet, v/ithout the haziness which accom- 
 panies heat; and air, just enough to vary the 
 effects of light and shade, on lake and mountain, 
 without disturbing that tranquillity which is the 
 peculiar charm of lake scenery. I had likewise the 
 advantage of Lord Kenmare's boat and rowers, 
 and of the particular instructions which they had 
 received from his lordship. 
 
KILLARNEY. 225 
 
 If the traveller visit Killarney without those 
 exaggerated notions which are apt to be conveyed 
 by a guide book, he will certainly be satisfied and 
 delighted. There is nothing of the sublime about 
 Killarney ; but there is all of that kind of beauty, 
 which depends upon the combinations of form and 
 colour. The mountain outlines can scarcely be 
 finer than they are; and in the variety of colour 
 produced by the variety of foliage, — from the 
 beautiful bright green of the arbutus, to the brown 
 mountain heath, — Killarney is eminently distin- 
 guished. 
 
 To my mind, the upper lake is the most 
 attractive : the mountains are nearest to it ; it has 
 not one tame feature; and it is more studded with 
 islands, than either of the other lakes. I landed 
 upon several of the islands, and was delighted with 
 the luxuriant vegetation; and above all, with the 
 arbutus, which is here a great tree ; and whose 
 fresh tints, contrast so well with the grey rocks 
 among which it grows. There is a sweet secluded 
 cottage on the shore of this lake, usually called 
 Hyde's cottage, but which is now the property of 
 the Earl of Kenmare. 
 
 l3 
 
226 KILLARNEY. 
 
 The narrow passage or channel, between the 
 upper and the other lakes, is at least five miles in 
 length; and offers a charming variety of scenery. 
 Indeed, I doubt whether anything about Killarney, 
 surpasses the scene around Dinas Island. It is a 
 perfect specimen of close river scenery ; nor have 
 I any recollection of having seen its equal on the 
 banks of any of the many continental rivers which 
 are familiar to me. 
 
 Turc lake, which is reached after passing through 
 the channel, is not at the first glance, so attractive 
 as either of the other lakes ; but if the traveller do 
 not coast round Turc lake, he will lose much. It 
 has numerous tiny bays and coves,— beautiful in 
 form, — and offering to the eye of the painter, the 
 most exquisite combination of colour ; arising from 
 the union of rock and foliage, and from the infinite 
 variety of fern, lichens, and mosses, that overspread 
 its banks. 
 
 The lower lake is preferred by some, to the two 
 others; and although I do not coincide in this 
 opinion, I willingly concede to it, merits of a very 
 high order. Its chief character is beauty ; and 
 certainly a spot of more loveliness than Glena, it 
 
KILLARNEY. 227 
 
 would be difficult to find. It is a little cove, at the 
 head of the lower lake; and here Lady Kenmare 
 has built her a pleasure house, on a gentle swell, 
 with the freshest of verdure, and the sweetest of 
 shrubs and flowers around ; and set, like an emerald, 
 in the bosom of deep towering woods. Another 
 cottage, at a little distance, has been erected by 
 Lord Kenmare, for the use of strangers; and 
 although I am rather inclined to look upon a pic- 
 nic as a good dinner spoiled ; yet, in such a spot as 
 this, the calamity might be endured. 
 
 One of the most beautiful islands' on any of the 
 lakes, or, I might perhaps say, on any lake, is 
 Innisfallen. Never saw I such ash-trees as are 
 here, — never such magnificent hoUys. A walk 
 round this little paradise well repays one. Although 
 the island contains scarcely twenty acres, it oifers 
 a wonderful variety of scenery : little emerald lawns 
 —forest glades in miniature — sylvan amphitheatres 
 — groves, bowers, and thickets of evergreens, and 
 flowering shrubs — and magnificent single trees, 
 worthy of a primeval forest. There is an old ruin 
 too, on the island, and a banqueting-house erected 
 for the accommodation of strangers ; and, when I 
 
2*28 KILLARNEY. 
 
 saw itj it was prepared for a banquet. Lord Kenmare 
 is the owner of Innisfallen ; and also of Ross Island, 
 another large and beautiful island on the lower lake. 
 In speaking of Killarney, I must not forget its 
 echoes. I had the advantage of having, in my 
 boat, the Prince of Killarney buglemen^ and I had 
 also a cannon of a larger calibre than the public 
 boats carry : and, in the course of our voyage, we 
 often woke the echoes of the hills, and I never 
 heard echoes in greater perfection. There is, cer- 
 tainly, something bordering on the sublime, in the 
 oft-repeated echoes of the mountains, even when 
 these are awoke, not by the deep-mouthed thunder, 
 but by the sonorous bugle. The hills seem, alike, 
 to call to each other ; and, although it would have 
 puzzled Burke to trace the emotion of sublimity to 
 terror, it may be traced to its truer origin — power ; 
 for — when we hear the call repeated and answered, 
 from mountain to mountain — sometimes loud, and 
 without interval, and then fainter and fainter — and, 
 after a solemn pause, again rising, as if from some 
 far distant glen — our imagination endues the moun- 
 tains with life ; and to their attributes of magnitude, 
 and silence, and solitude, we, for a moment, add 
 the power of listening, and a voice. 
 
KILLARNEY. 229 
 
 It will not be irrelevant, to say a few words in 
 this place, of the comparative merits of the English 
 and the Irish lakes. 
 
 Although the lakes of Killarney are three in 
 number, yet they are all contained in one mountain 
 hollow; and certainly there is not, within the same 
 compass, anything in England presenting the same 
 concentration of charms. There is infinitely 
 greater variety at Killarney. In form, and in the 
 outline of its mountain boundaries, the lower lake 
 of Killarney is decidedly superior to Winander- 
 mere : and although the head of Ulleswater presents 
 a bolder outline than is any where to be found at 
 Killarney ; yet it is upon this outline alone, that 
 the reputation of Ulleswater depends. Elsewhere 
 than at Patterdale, the lake scenery is tame; and 
 the same may be said of Winandermere ; which, 
 towards its lower extremity, is almost devoid of 
 attraction. On the contrary, throughout the whole 
 chain of lakes, there is variety at Killarney : tame- 
 ness is nowhere to be found; and I cannot think 
 that the somewhat nearer approach to sublimity 
 which is found at the head of Ulleswater, can weigh 
 in the balance against the far greater variety in the 
 
230 KILLARNEY. 
 
 picturesque and the beautiful, which Killarney 
 affords. It would be unfair to compare the lakes 
 of Killarney, with Winan derm ere, Keswick, and 
 Ulleswater ; for these are spread over a great 
 extent of country ; whereas, the lakes of Killarney 
 are all contained within a smaller circumference 
 than Winandermere : but even if such a comparison 
 were to be admitted, Killarney would outvie the 
 English lakes in one charm, in which they are 
 essentially deficient. I mean, the exuberance and 
 variety of foliage, which adorns both the banks and 
 the islands of the Killarney lakes. Such islands 
 as Ronan's Island, Oak Island, Dinas Island, and 
 Innisfallen, covered with magnificent timber and 
 gigantic evergreens, are nowhere to be found 
 amongst the English lakes. I think it will be 
 gathered, from what I have said, that I accord the 
 preference to Killarney, 
 
 No one must visit Killarney, without seeing 
 Muckross Abbey. It is a very beautiful and very 
 perfect remain, — and contains within it, the most 
 gigantic yew tree I have ever seen. Its arms 
 actually support the crumbling wall, and form a 
 canopy above the open cloisters : the trunk of this 
 
KILLARNEY. 231 
 
 majestic yew, measures thirteen feet in circumfe- 
 rence. I was somewhat shocked with the want of 
 propriety observed in the management of this spot. 
 Human skulls in hundreds, and bones in thousands, 
 are heaped in every corner ; and at each step, it is 
 more than likely, -that one will kick some eyeless 
 relic of mortality. The domain of Muckross is 
 beautiful : it lies along the shores of the lower lake, 
 and its shady walks are adorned by innumerable 
 blossoming shrubs; amongst others, the rose of 
 Sharon, and the gum-cistus. 
 
 The domain of the Earl of Kenmare is altogether 
 lovely. Its lake and mountain views, and vistas, 
 are beyond praise. I think I have never beheld 
 any thing more captivating, than the vista from the 
 dining-room windows; when the declining sun, 
 streaming from above the mountain tops, falls 
 slanting on the lake, and on the bright velvet lawn 
 that stretches to its shore. 
 
232 
 
 CHAPTER X, 
 
 Journey through the Wilds of Kerry — -Castlemain Bay — Killor- 
 glin — Lord Headly's Estate — Sea Views — O'Connell's 
 Country — The Agitator in his own Country^ — The Grand 
 Jury Bill — An Anecdote — Cahir-siveen — Condition of the 
 Landholders — Intelligence of the Kerry Peasantry — Ex- 
 amples — Valentia Island — Voyage across the Bay to Dingle 
 — Dingle, and the Condition of the People — Peculiarities of 
 the Inhabitants of this District — Extreme early Marriages — 
 The Catholic Clergy, and proposed Provision for them — 
 Brandon Bay — The Tithe Question— Journey to Tralee. 
 
 My course now lay through the wilds of Kerry; 
 and first, to Cahir-siveen, and Valentia Island ; 
 which, with the exception of the little islands called 
 the Blaskets, is the nearest point of Ireland to the 
 coast of America. The distance from Killarney to 
 Cahir-siveen, which, on the maps, is generally 
 marked Cahir, is about forty English miles, and the 
 road is altogether a very interesting one ; both on 
 account of the scenery through which the traveller 
 passes, and on account of the peculiarities that 
 
KERRY. 233 
 
 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 
 Peninsula. 
 
 The first few miles of the road, I had already 
 passed over, in exploring the beauties of Killarney; 
 and till reaching Milltown, there is not much to 
 interest the traveller, excepting the glimpses of the 
 lakes, which are caught from every eminence one 
 passes. Milltown is a very poor town; the property 
 of Sir George Godfrey ; who, from all that I could 
 learn, has more the will than the power of benefiting 
 it. Beyond Milltown, the view opens finely, over 
 the upper part of Dingle Bay, and Castlemain: 
 and soon after, I reached the town of Killorglin ' 
 the property of the Mullins' family, — and a still 
 poorer place than Milltown. Beyond this town, 
 the road continually increases in interest. - The 
 Iveragh range of mountains rises boldly on the left ; 
 and a lake, called Lough Carracht, is seen with one 
 end buried among their steeps, and the other, 
 approaching near to the road. A little farther on, 
 the road enters, and traverses for several miles, an 
 extensive bog, also the property of the Mullins, or 
 
234 KERRY. 
 
 Ventry family. I never saw a bog better situated 
 for improvement: it lies close to the bay of Dingle, 
 and at a considerable elevation above it ; and at the 
 distance of but a few miles, there is a plentiful 
 supply of limestone ; and abundance of sea-sand 
 close at hand. Yet, with the exception of that 
 part of the bog which belongs to Judge Dey, it is 
 entirely neglected, and nearly profitless. Judge 
 Dey has the universal character of being an excel- 
 lent and enterprising lajadowner ; and, judging by 
 what I saw, I have no doubt, that if this bog were 
 all his property, it would long ago have been 
 covered with luxuriant crops of grain and potatos. 
 
 It is on this road also, where lies that estate of 
 Lord Headly, — so well known by the evidence of 
 Mr. Nimmo, before the House of Commons. The 
 exertions made to reclaim that land, and the success 
 which attended them, have been so fully detailed in 
 that evidence, that any imperfect notices of mine 
 are unnecessary. I saw land, which had formerly 
 owned but the dominion of the sea, bearing fine 
 crops of every description ; and I saw a population, 
 which, before the exertions of Lord Headly, was 
 little removed from savage, comfortably housed and 
 
KERRY. 235 
 
 clothed, and exhibiting more certain indications of 
 civilization, than are often to be met in the most 
 fertile and central parts of Ireland. In a little bay 
 here. Lord Headly has erected some neat bathing 
 cottages, which are much frequented during the 
 summer. His lordship has an extensive property 
 in this neighbourhood ; and it every where exhibits 
 those symptoms of improvement which might be 
 expected. 
 
 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 
 little inferior to any of the celebrated roads which 
 have been constructed along the shores of the 
 Mediterranean; and is every way superior to the 
 road from Bangor to Conway, in North Wales. I 
 am sorry I cannot say so much for the population 
 and their dwellings. I never passed more wretched 
 cabins, than on some part of this road. Some of 
 the worst of these, are situated on the property of 
 Lord Lansdowne, but are held under his lordship, 
 by middle-men. 
 
 I was now in O'ConnelFs country : here was 
 the property of Daniel O'Connell, Esq., or the 
 
236 O'CONNELL. 
 
 Liberator, as the people called him; there, the 
 property of Charles O'Connell, Esq. ; and there 
 again, the property of another O'Connell : but the 
 greater part of the O'Connell property — almost all 
 that of the O'Connell, is held under head landlords; 
 and he, is only an extensive middle-man. Near 
 to Cahir-siveen, 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. But the 
 driver of my car, was not a native of these parts ; 
 for be it known to the reader, that O'Connell is 
 less popular- in his own country than he is else- 
 where. If you ask an innkeeper, or an innkeeper's 
 wife, any where in O'Connell's district, what sort 
 of a man their landlord is ? " Och, and sure he 's 
 the best o' landlords ! — he takes the childer by the 
 hand, and he wouldn't be over proud to dthrink 
 tay with the landlady." But if you step into a 
 cabin, the holder of which owns Daniel O'Connell, 
 Esq., as-his landlord; and if you ask the same ques- 
 tion, he '11 scratch his head, and say little any way. 
 Shortly before I visited Cahir-siveen, there was a 
 
0*CONNELL. 237 
 
 road-presentation in that neighbourhood, and the 
 rate payers, who have now a vote in these matters, 
 refused at first to pass it, unless the O'Connells 
 would pay two-thirds of the expense ; because, said 
 they, " the O'Connells have lived long enough 
 out of road presentations ! ! " 
 
 As I have mentioned this subject, I will add, 
 that I have reason to know, from , unquestionable 
 authority, that before the late Grand Jury Bill was 
 enacted — that is, up to the present time — there had 
 been much shameful grand jury jobbing in many 
 of the Irish counties; particularly in Tipperary, 
 Clare, Limerick, Kerry, and Roscommon. A 
 grand juror of Tipperary called one morning, 
 previous to the holding of the quarter sessions, 
 upon a brother grand juror — a man, however, of 
 much greater influence than himself, — and pulling 
 out, and unfolding voluminous plans and papers, 
 began to explain the advantages which would 
 accrue to the public, from the construction of a 
 certain road through his, the expounder's property. 
 " Put your papers in your pocket, man," said the 
 man of influence ; " say nothing about the public 
 advantage. I '11 just say it 's a little job of my 
 
238 CAHIR-SIVEEN. 
 
 own ;" and so things were managed. There can 
 be no doubt- that the Bill will work most advantage- 
 ously for the public service, and most fatally for 
 jobbers. It cannot be denied, however, that there 
 will be exceptions from its benefits. A few days 
 later, when I was at Tralee, a presentment account 
 was opposed by several magistrates, on the ground 
 that the road had not been repaired as it ought to 
 have been; that the money had been mis-spent, 
 and that the road was at that moment in a bad 
 condition. The rate payers, however, being the 
 majority, passed the account : because, said they, 
 although the road might not be good enough for 
 their Honours' springed carriages, it answered very 
 well for them. 
 
 1 reached O'Connell's town, Cahir-siveen, in 
 time for an excellent fish dinner of haddock, and 
 mullet ; and the three or four hours that intervened 
 between dinner and bed time, I spent in rambling 
 about the environs of the village, and in the 
 neighbouring country. The town is said to be 
 rather improving; though, from its situation, I 
 cannot think the improvement can ever be great ; 
 for it lies within a very dangerous navigation, 
 
CAHIR-SIVEEN. 239 
 
 high up the stream that there forms an inlet of 
 the sea; and in strong westerly winds, the only 
 safe entrance, between the mainland and Valentia 
 Island, is all but inaccessible. 
 
 The country around Cahir-siveen is extremely 
 wild, and but very partially reclaimed : and the 
 condition of the people far from being comfortable. 
 I visited several wretched cabins, and found the 
 inmates paying exorbitant rents. Land is not let 
 here by the acre ; but by the quantity of land fit 
 to support a cow. I found one man owning land 
 for six cows, paying at the rate of 505. per cow ; 
 and at that time, the price of butter was such, that 
 not more than 405. could be got for the produce 
 of each cow. Others, I found paying in precisely 
 the same proportion. The greater industry of 
 the people — and, I may add, the greater intel- 
 ligence, universal among the Kerry peasantry, — 
 help them with their indifferent bargains. I saw 
 in many of their cabins, beautiful examples of 
 industry — every branch of a family occupied in 
 doing something useful ; and I did not address one 
 individual, from whom I did not receive answers, 
 that would have done credit to persons of any 
 
240 CAHIR-SIVEEN. 
 
 education ; and yet, on •asking one individual who 
 had conversed with me readily and sensibly upon 
 many subjects, how many weeks there were in a 
 month, — I was answered, that there were two. 
 Nature has done much for these people — education 
 little. 
 
 Walking along a mountain path, I overtook a 
 girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old — I speak 
 by guess, for it is rarely in this country, that a girl 
 can tell her age. She carried a basket, in which 
 were from four to five dozen of eggs. I asked 
 where she had got the eggs ?- — She had been round 
 the country buying them cheap. Where was she 
 taking them to ? — She was going to send them, 
 and some dozens more, with Mich O' Sullivan's 
 carts, to Cork. — Upon whose account was she 
 buying the eggs ? — On her own. On her own 
 account? — Yes. Who gave her the money ?-~The 
 parson (she was a Protestant) had lent it to her : 
 some time ago, her cousin had sent a basket of 
 eggs with Mich O' Sullivan, to Cork, and he had 
 made three shillings. This was certainly a curious 
 example of enterprise and industry. I returned 
 into the town with the girl, and saw her father : 
 
VALENTIA ISLAND. 241 
 
 lie was a small landholder; and he said, Bidd}^ 
 went, after her day's work was done, and mer- 
 chandized for herself. 
 
 The views about Cahir-siveen are interesting — 
 of a wild and solitary character. The mountains 
 jut into the sea on every side ; the island of 
 Valentia lies opposite, separated from the main 
 land, by a narrow channel; and the small town, 
 enclosed among the brown mountain slopes, seems 
 like a place at the world's end. 
 
 The next day, I visited Valentia Island : but my 
 visit to it was a hurried one ; for the navigation of 
 Dingle Bay is safe only in fine weather ; and being 
 anxious to reach Ennis at the opening of the Clare 
 assizes, it was necessary that I should take ad- 
 vantage of the favourable weather, to cross the bay 
 to Dingle. A great part of Valentia Island, is 
 under tillage ; and there is a considerable range of 
 pasture. The houses of the tenants, I found of a 
 superior description ; but their internal comforts 
 scarcely corresponded ; for land is high let. Nearly 
 all, if not all the island, belongs to the Knight of 
 Kerry, who is much respected in this neighbour- 
 hood ; and who has done considerable service to 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
242 DINGLE. 
 
 the place — not so much by outlay of money, as by 
 example, in various modes of improvement. The 
 slate quarry on the island is extensive and valuable, 
 and is at present in the Knight of Kerry's own 
 hands ; and is worked for export. It is used for 
 flagging, for fish slabs, and for many purposes to 
 which marble has been usually applied ; and finds 
 a ready market in England. Several good houses 
 are scattered over Valentia Island, besides those of 
 the farmers. The house of the knight is situated 
 near to the sea, on an eminence, on the east side 
 of the island, and near to a little glen, and small 
 rivulet. 
 
 I returned from Valentia Island to Cahir-siveen, 
 just in time to save the tide, and embarked in a 
 heavy fishing-boat, which was about to return to 
 Dingle. With a smart breeze the voyage may be 
 accomplished into two hours, but I had no such 
 good fortune. There was scarcely a breath of 
 wind, and we were forced to row the whole way ; 
 sometimes, indeed, profiting by the brief course 
 of a passing breeze to hoist our sale; but losing 
 more than we gained, by the suspension of rowing. 
 This must, indeed, be a frightful navigation, with a 
 
DINGLE. *243 
 
 heavy rolling sea before an Atlantic north-wester ; 
 and, being only desirous of reaching Dingle before 
 night-fallj I did not regret the slowness of our 
 progress, and the tranquillity of the sea, which 
 encouraged a more leisurely observation of the fine 
 scenery that lay on every side. The tide did not 
 permit us to steer directly for Dingle ; and, accord- 
 ingly, we made the opposite shore, considerably to 
 the west, and then rowed under the rocks, eastward, 
 passing in succession, Ventry Harbour, numerous 
 bold headlands, and singularly formed rocks, and 
 many curious sea-worn caves, never visited but by 
 the sea-fowl, that are congregated in thousands 
 along this coast, — riding on the wave, covering the 
 rocks, and wheeling on the sides of the cliffs. I 
 noticed many varieties of sea-fowl : some were of 
 the purest white ; some were white, all but the tips 
 of the wings ; and some were speckle-bodied, with 
 red feet and bills. 
 
 Dingle harbour is what sailors call a blind har- 
 bour; that is, a harbour that, from the sea, is not 
 discovered to be a harbour. It is exceedingly 
 difficult to make this haven during a strong 
 westerly wind ; and vessels passing it by, and run- 
 M 2 
 
244 DINGLE. 
 
 ning to the eastward, are infallibly lost on Castle- 
 main bar. When once entered, however, Dingle 
 harbour is a very secure one. A vessel of six 
 hundred tons' burden may go up to the pier, with 
 a spring tide ; and vessels of any tonnage may find 
 secure anchorage within the inlet. 
 
 The town of Dingle is situated on the slope of 
 the hills, with fine, and very high mountains round 
 it on all sides, excepting one, where the sea forms 
 a large inland lake. It is rather a good-looking 
 town. The number of respectable houses is much 
 greater than one would expect to find in so small 
 and remote a place ; and good gardens are gene- 
 rally attached to them; so that, viewed from a 
 distance, the town appears to be well screened with 
 wood. But Dingle is not a flourishing town. A 
 thriving linen trade was once carried on here ; and 
 no trade is so beneficial as this, in giving employ- 
 ment to different descriptions of persons. But this 
 trade is entirely fallen, and has not been replaced 
 by any other. There is, however, a considerable 
 and an increasing export trade in corn and butter. 
 About ten cargoes, averaging each two hundred 
 tons, leave Dingle yearly, with corn and butter, for 
 
DINGLE. 245 
 
 British ports. The town enjoys also a tolerable 
 retail trade. The neighbouring country, as well as 
 Cahir-siveen, and the opposite side of the bay, are 
 supplied from Dingle ; and one or two dealers lay 
 in their stocks themselves, direct from England. 
 There is also a considerable fishery at Dingle : — 
 upwards of fifty fishing-boats, with about 350 men, 
 aiFord the means of support to about 1200 persons. 
 Dingle supplies Tralee market with the finer kinds 
 of fish; and fish-hucksters traffic regularly, with 
 horses, between Dingle and Tralee. 
 
 I found a considerable number of unemployed 
 persons in and about Dingle, and labour extremely 
 cheap. Six-pence a day, and seven-pence at most, 
 is the usual rate without diet; and it is the 
 universal practice, in this part of the country, to 
 work, during the summer, from five in the morning 
 until seven in the evening. The provisions of the 
 poor, however, are cheap here. I found potatos 
 only 2^d. a stone. 
 
 The land around Dingle is in a very indiiFerent 
 condition, as regards the occupiers. A great part 
 of it is the property of the Mullin's family, held 
 under a trust, created by a former Lord Ventry, 
 
246 DINGLE. 
 
 and is badly managed. Tenants occupy miserably 
 small lots ; and being unable to live on the produce 
 of their land, go, half the year, a begging, or in 
 search of employment. Fuel, too, is scarce in this 
 country; but the facility of catching fish perhaps 
 counterbalances this disadvantage. 
 
 The Peninsula, or stripe of land, reaching from 
 Tralee, westward, to the Atlantic, of which Dingle 
 is the chief town, is said to have been colonized 
 from Spain ; and, in many respects, the people yet 
 retain strong traces of their origin. Here, we see 
 women with dark hair and jet-black eyes — and 
 dark brown-headed boys, that might have served as 
 a study for Murillo — and men, whose gait and 
 complexion only require to be set off by a Spanish 
 hat, jacket, and girdle, to pass for bandits of 
 Andalusia. Nor is the resemblance visible only in 
 the aspect of the people: I fancied I discovered 
 more pride, and more reserve; and, in a quarrel 
 which I chanced to see, there was less vociferation, 
 and, as it seemed to me, a graver deportment than 
 I had elsewhere observed. But this might possibly 
 be fancy: it is certain, however, that the features 
 of many of the people are decidedly Spanish ; and 
 
DINGLE. 247 
 
 in the names of places, a Spanish origin may often 
 be traced. 
 
 Marriages in this district are contracted at an 
 earlier age than in any part that I had yet visited. 
 Fourteen and thirteen, are common ages for the 
 marriage of girls; fifteen is not considered at all 
 an early age for marriage; and there are even 
 instances of their having been contracted at so early 
 an age as twelve. This is, on many accounts, a 
 great and public evil : and, among the benefits 
 which might be expected to be derived from the 
 assignment, under cautious regulation, of some 
 government provision for the Catholic clergy, the 
 discouragement of early marriages would certainly 
 be one. It is well known that marriage is among 
 the most fruitful sources of profit to the priest ; and 
 if the abolition of baptismal and marriage dues 
 were made consequent upon such a provision as I 
 have alluded to, it would be no longer the interest 
 of the priest to encourage, or countenance — as it is 
 certain he often does — the unwise, and almost 
 criminally early marriages of the peasantry. I am 
 far from meaning to say that such encouragement is 
 universal; I know, however, that it is frequent; 
 
248 DINGLE. 
 
 and the Catholic priest, who betters his condition 
 by the marriages of his flock, would be committing 
 an act of rare virtue were he not merely neutral, 
 but were even to discourage early marriage. At all 
 events, it appears to me, that men*s interests ought 
 never to be placed in opposition to the public good ; 
 and that — if legislation can prevent this — legislators 
 are bound to apply the remedy. I will mention 
 another advantage which would certainly result 
 from such a provision for the Catholic clergy. It 
 would encourage a more respectable class of men 
 to become members of the priesthood ; and this 
 would essentially contribute towards the peace of 
 the country. The warmest defenders of the Catho- 
 lic clergy would admit, that many, are utterly dis- 
 qualified from exercising judiciously, and in a spirit 
 suited to the times, the functions of their calling, 
 owing to the sphere of life from which they have 
 been taken : and, that some certain provision, by 
 way of glebe, or otherwise, would tempt a better 
 order of men to enter the priesthood, cannot I think 
 admit of the smallest doubt. I may probably again 
 recur to this subject : at present, I shall only add, 
 that I would look for benefit from the provision 
 
DINGLE. 249 
 
 alluded to, rather in its results upon early marriage, 
 and in the encouragement it would give to a better 
 order of clergy, than in the effect which some sup- 
 pose it would have, in diminishing the influence 
 of the priesthood. 
 
 The inns, in this part of the country, put me in 
 mind of those I had seen in the Engadine. The 
 houses are very spacious ; and the keeping of the 
 inn is only one branch of the business of the inn ^ 
 keeper. Both at Cahir-siveen, and at Dingle, the 
 inn-keeper kept an extensive shop for the sale of 
 groceries, and of all kinds of cloth and haber- 
 dashery goods. 
 
 Before leaving Dingle, I crossed the mountains 
 to the heights above Brandon Bay, which lies on 
 the north side of the Peninsula. It was a long and 
 fatiguing ascent; but it was repaid by the very 
 striking and extensive view from Connor's Hill, 
 from which you look down upon the sea on both 
 sides : the view on one side embracing Dingle Bay, 
 as far as Valentia Island, with the town and fine 
 harbour immediately below ; and on the other side, 
 comprehending Brandon Bay, and various fine 
 headlands, with high mountains on both sides, and 
 M 3 
 
250 DINGLE. 
 
 deep and wide mountain valleys ; and innumerable 
 tarns, dark and still, lying in the hollows of the 
 hills; and distant cascades, and nearer torrents; 
 and all, in short, that lends interest to mountain 
 scenery. 
 
 Returning from this excursion, I remarked some 
 bog land brought newly into a state of partial cul- 
 tivation; and upon making some inquiries, I was 
 told that this was done, because no titlie would in 
 future be exigible from it. There and everywhere 
 I have yet travelled, I have found the tithe question 
 a difficult one to grapple with. Utterly and at 
 once to extinguish tithes, every one in Ireland 
 admits, would be only making a present to the 
 landlord : and any adjustment that leaves it in the 
 landlord's power to shift the burden from himself, 
 would confer little benefit on those for whom it 
 is intended. Even, however, if the landlord should 
 succeed in laying the addition upon the rent, it is 
 better that the tenant should pay the charges upon 
 his possession in a lump, than by separate demands; 
 and that all the charges should be exigible by the 
 landlord : a farmer could better calculate the amount 
 he had to pay ; and would know when to be pre- 
 
DINGLE. 251 
 
 pared ; and as it cannot be the true interest of the 
 landlord unnecessarily to distress a good tenant, 
 more indulgence might in general be expected 
 from him, than from the inexorable tithe-proctor. 
 
 After spending an interesting day or two at 
 Dingle, I left it for Tralee. The road traverses 
 the mountains, diagonally from the Dingle, to the 
 Tralee side; and leads the traveller through an 
 improving country, and through scenery of a 
 highly attractive character. Several inconsiderable . 
 villages are passed through : a gap, far superior 
 to the gap of Dunlow, is seen on the left, with 
 a fine lake half hidden in it; and from the summit 
 of the mountain ridge, a splendid prospect opens 
 over Tralee Bay, across to Kerry Head, and the 
 Shannon Mouth. I reached Tralee a little before 
 dusk, and found the streets and every inn crowded, 
 — for the quarter sessions had opened the day 
 before : but I succeeded in finding comfortable 
 lodgings. 
 
252 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Tralee — The Quarter Sessions in Tralee — The Civil and 
 Criminal Cause List — State of Kerry — Faction — The Police 
 of Ireland — Litigiousness of the Irish — Prospeiity of Tralee 
 — Trade — Prices of Provisions — Unemployed Poor — Journey 
 ta Listowel and Tarhert — Traits of Character — First View 
 of the Shannon — Details — Tarbert and the Shores of the 
 Shannon — Irish Inns of the West — Steam Navigation 
 on the Shannon— Ascent of the Shannon to Limerick — 
 Road to Ennis — Clare, and the River Fergus — Ennis — ■ 
 Land, and High Rents — Environs of Ennis. 
 
 I Lave no hesitation in pronouncing Tralee, the 
 county town of Kerry, to be altogether the most 
 thriving town I have seen since leaving Clonmel ; 
 and, in some respects, it leaves Clonmel behind it. 
 Tralee has streets that would not disgrace the best 
 quarters of any city ; and these, not streets of 
 business, which it also has, — but streets containing 
 gentlemen's houses, or, at all events, houses which 
 no gentleman might be ashamed to live in. 
 
 I have said, that I arrived at Tralee when the 
 
TRALEE. 253 
 
 quarter sessions were about to be held ; and I did 
 not neglect tlie opportunity afforded me : for, upon 
 no occasion, is so much insight obtained at so small 
 an expenditure of time and labour, into the cha- 
 racter of the peasantry; and even into the state of 
 the country. Being accommodated with a seat on 
 the bench, I had better opportunity for observation, 
 and for noting the proceedings. 
 
 The first thing that strikes a stranger, attending 
 a court of this kind in Ireland, is, the military air 
 of the place, — the armed police in military uniform, 
 guarding the avenues, and stationed throughout 
 the court. The next thing that strikes one, is the 
 intense interest that seems to be excited among the 
 people. But I soon found, that there were other 
 and more important subjects of wonder than these. 
 This was a quarter session for one half of the 
 county of Kerry; and can the reader guess how 
 many civil causes were to be disposed of? There 
 were fourteen hundred and seventy causes entered for 
 judgment; and the assistant barrister informed me, 
 that this was not considered a heavy list. Seventy- 
 seven of this number were ejectments; and the 
 tremendous remainder was chiefly made up of 
 
254 TRALEE. 
 
 breaches of contract, — indicating, I fear, at the 
 same time, a woful lack of veracity and just 
 dealing ; and a most indomitable spirit of litigious - 
 ness. 
 
 Nor was I less struck, nor do I believe the 
 reader will be less struck, with the list of criminal 
 cases handed to me. The following was the 
 classification : — 
 
 Assault 47 
 
 Riotous Assembly . . . . . 74 
 
 Aggravated Assault .... 1 
 
 Rescue 34 
 
 Rescue Decree . , . . . 21 
 
 Larceny 10 
 
 Embezzlement ..... 4 
 
 Taking and retaining forcible possession . 4 
 
 Libel 1 
 
 Injury to tbe Freehold .... 3 
 
 In all .... 199 
 
 One hundred and ninety-nine criminal cases at a 
 quarter sessions, for one half of the remote and 
 quiet county of Kerry ! ! and of these, one hundred 
 and seventy-four cases implying the undue exercise 
 of physical force ! ! But it is necessary that I 
 should here enlarge a little. In England, when 
 we speak of a disturbed county, we mean, a county 
 
TRALEE. 255 
 
 in which there are movements directed to some 
 particular purpose, — or arising- out of opposition to 
 some particular law, — or insurrectionary move- 
 ments; and I have not the least doubt, that if, in 
 Parliament, the condition of the west of Ireland 
 were spoken of, it would be said to be perfectly 
 tranquil ; and we might, probably, have tirades 
 against the large and expensive police establishment 
 kept up in a quiet country, of which the county of 
 Kerry might be cited as an example. But to call 
 a county quiet, in one half of which, during three 
 months, there have been seventy-four examples of 
 riotous assembly, and fifty-five cases of rescue, — 
 together with nearly fifty cases of personal assault, 
 is a perversion of words. These assemblies are 
 not, indeed, assemblies of white-feet, or peep-of-day 
 boys ; nor are they directed against the collection 
 of tithes, — or of rent, — nor have in view any express 
 political purpose ; — and so far, indeed, they are less 
 important than if they had any of these objects ; — 
 but they are riots for all that, — disturbances of the 
 peace, — assemblages of persons who fight with 
 each other, and maim each other, and kill each 
 other; and no one, but through the grossest igno- 
 
256 TRALEE. 
 
 ranee of Ireland, or to serve party purposes, would 
 speak of the present police of Ireland, otherwise 
 than in terms of the highest commendation, and as 
 a force at present absolutely requisite to prevent 
 the complete disorganization of society — even if 
 there were no agitators, and Ireland had no ele- 
 ments of political or agrarian agitation. I have no 
 hesitation in saying, that for putting down these 
 private factions, out of wliich arise the disgraceful 
 and savage brutalities, that are often perpetrated 
 by wholesale, legislation is just as requisite as it is 
 for any more specific purpose. These factions, 
 which are not understood in England, create far 
 more disturbance, and far more bloodshed, than any 
 of the associations entered into for illegal purposes. 
 I was in this county at the time of the memorable 
 affair of Balybunian, when nearly two score persons 
 were driven into the Shannon, and drowned, and 
 knocked on the head like so many dogs ; and will 
 anybody say, that premeditated fights of this kind, 
 solemnly resolved upon months before, do not 
 require as vigorous an intervention of the law, as 
 any disturbance arising out of a tithe distraining ! 
 Where magistrates are afraid to act, and witnesses 
 
TRALEE, 257 
 
 dare not swear ; and where, in one reputed quiet 
 county, more riots, attended with loss of life, take 
 place in one month, than in all England and Scot- 
 land for a year, it is surely idle to talk of the 
 expense of a police. 
 
 But let me observe, that the causes of these dis- 
 turbances are the same as those which answer to 
 the call of political agitation — imperfect civilization, 
 and want of employment. Education, employment 
 for the people, and a vigorous administration of the 
 law, will dissolve the elements of these, as well as 
 of all disturbance ; and although at this moment, a 
 strong police is absolutely requisite to maintain in 
 Ireland anything like order and decorum, I have 
 as little doubt, that healing measures, coupled with 
 an extensive and practicable system of education, 
 will gradually diminish the necessity for coercion of 
 any kind. Let government continue to act with 
 moderation; let the tithe question be settled; let 
 the extremes of all parties be discouraged ; let 
 Irish interests be not sacrificed to a too paltry 
 economy; let the infirm and the aged poor be cared 
 for; let the superabundant labour of Ireland be 
 thrown upon her wastes ; let public works be 
 
258 TRALEE. 
 
 encouraged; let agitation for all dishonest purposes, 
 be firmly met, and agitators scorned; let the church 
 be wisely, but thoroughly reformed ; let, in short, 
 the government continue to shew — what the people 
 of England already give it credit for — a sympathy 
 with the real evils of the country, and a determina- 
 tion, — spite of landlords, — spite of church digni- 
 taries, — spite of agitators of all kinds, — to do justice ; 
 let all this be, and Ireland will continue but a 
 little while longer, the distracted, poverty-stricken, 
 crushed, and unhappy land, which a century of 
 neglect and misgovernment has made it. 
 
 The litigiousness of the Irish peasantry is most 
 remarkable ; and I am inclined to think that liti- 
 giousness is encouraged by the frequency of holding 
 sessions. Law seems to be always at hand ; and it 
 accustoms the people too much to these exhibitions: 
 it is a fact, that where petty sessions have been 
 made less frequent, the quantity of business has 
 greatly diminished. A calculation was made for 
 me, by a gentleman well acquainted with these 
 matters, of the number of cases of all kinds tried in 
 the county of Kerry during a year; and upon a 
 fair average of cases tried at each of the petty 
 
TRALEE. 259 
 
 sessions and manor courts, the wliole number 
 amounted to the enormous sum of 33,000. Wher- 
 ever I have seen the quarter sessions in Ireland, it 
 has impressed me favourably ; and I doubt whether 
 the contemplated alterations will be beneficial. I 
 am strongly inclined to be of opinion, however, 
 that the peace of Ireland would be greatly preserved 
 by the establishment of a paid magistracy. Local 
 connexion is inimical to the steady and fearless 
 administration of justice; and it is a fact, that 
 strangers, brought into office as police inspectors, 
 have more influence among the people, and can 
 effect more, than the magistrates who have been 
 always resident among them. 
 
 The indications of prosperity visible in the out- 
 ward appearance of Tralee, I found upon inquiry, 
 to be just indications. Twenty years ago, Tralee 
 was little else than a congregation of cabins ; and 
 within a far shorter period, it has received, — as a 
 merchant of the town expressed it, — its new face. 
 
 From September, 1833, till May, 1834 (eight 
 months), 4000 tons of wheat were exported from 
 Tralee, 3000 tons of oats, and 400 tons of barley. 
 Besides this very considerable quantity, there was 
 
260 TRALEE. 
 
 bought in the market for home consumption, 1000 
 tons of wheat, 70 tons of oats, and 4000 tons of 
 barley. Since the year 1825, the corn export trade 
 of Tralee has increased about one-third ; and the 
 home trade, about one-fifth. The butter export 
 trade of Tralee used to be considerable; but it is 
 greatly on the decline, — scarcely one-twentieth part 
 of the quantity being now exported, comparatively 
 with the year 1825. 
 
 The retail trade of Tralee is an extensive and 
 improving one; and many of the dealers are wealthy. 
 As good shops are to be found in Tralee, as in 
 Cork; and the stock, in many of them, is very 
 extensive. A ship canal is now constructing from 
 the bay to the town; but its probable utility is 
 doubted by many. It is thought that the strong 
 westerly gales, which blow into the bay, will 
 accumulate sand in the canal, and obstruct the 
 navigation. 
 
 I was at Tralee on market day, and I never 
 recollect to have seen a busier place. Indepen- 
 dently of an extensive supply of country produce, 
 there was a very abundant exhibition of all kinds 
 of manufactured goods, and apparel; and every 
 shop in the town was crowded to the door. 
 
TRALEE. 261 
 
 The following are the prices of some articles of 
 provision in Tralee. Beef, averages Sd. per lb. ; 
 mutton, S^d.; pork, 2d.; a fine turkey, in the 
 season, costs Is. 9d. ; a fine goose, 1 Od. ; and fine 
 fowls, 8^. a couple ; a good codfish can be bought 
 for about 8d. ; and oysters are 3d. a dozen ; potatos, 
 when I was at Tralee, in the scarce season, were 
 3d. per stone. Servants' wages are very low in 
 this neighbourhood. A man servant does not 
 receive more than 8/., and a female servant never 
 more than 31. ; and often as little as 21. and even 
 305. House-rent in Tralee is high, — higher than 
 in any English county town : but, a little way out 
 of Tralee, it is moderate enough. A gentleman, 
 whom I visited, had an excellent house, somewhat 
 more than two miles from Tralee, beautifully 
 situated on the bay, with spacious out-houses, and 
 with ten English acres of good land, for which he 
 paid 451. Estimating the land at 21. lOs. per acre, 
 (for land around Tralee lets high), he paid 20Z. for 
 his house and its accommodations. 
 
 The town of Tralee is the property of Sir 
 Edward Denny ; he grants leases on lives, renew- 
 able for ever; but it is not in his power to let 
 
262 TRALEE. 
 
 ground at a lower rate than lOZ. an acre. He is 
 also tlie chief proprietor of the surrounding 
 country; but the occupying tenants chiefly hold 
 under middle-men, who extract the utmost rent 
 that competition can produce, I will take this 
 opportunity of saying, that a gradual reduction of 
 rents in Ireland, is to be expected from the system 
 now so general among landowners, of getting quit 
 of middle-men, at expired leases. Landlords, I 
 think, are beginning to see their interest more 
 clearly in this matter ; and if, as I earnestly hope 
 may speedily be the case, some legislative enact- 
 ment compels, or at least encourages, the cul- 
 tivation of waste lands, and the employment of the 
 able-bodied labourer on public works, competition 
 for land will gradually diminish ; and rents will at 
 length find their just level. 
 
 I found at Tralee, a greater number of unem- 
 ployed poor, than from the prosperity of the town, 
 I could have expected. But the recent improve- 
 ments in building houses, and in the erection of a 
 new court-house, which is every way a handsome 
 and commodious structure, attracted a large supply 
 of labour to the town ; and these being now almost 
 
TRALEE. 263 
 
 completed, the demand has ceased. The canal, 
 indeed, employs many; but wages are extremely 
 low; and in this rainy climate, it often happens 
 that the labourers, after working in the canal from 
 five in the morning until eleven in the forenoon, 
 are discharged for the day with the pittance of two- 
 pence ; and thus, these men and their families, are 
 made paupers for that day. 
 
 There is a spa in the neighbourhood of Tralee, 
 considerably resorted to for its waters ; the situation 
 of the place is pleasant ; and a number of pretty 
 country houses have been erected in the vicinity. 
 
 It was the evening of market day, when I left 
 Tralee for Listowel. I was seated on the mail 
 car; and as the streets were thronged with carts 
 and people, a little boy marched before, blowing a 
 trumpet; while the driver, with an air of extra- 
 ordinary importance stood up in his seat, and from 
 one end of the street to the other, bawled out to 
 the "boys" and the "gintlemen" to make room 
 for his majesty's mail coach. 
 
 The country between Tralee and Listowel is 
 naturally fertile, with here and there some bog 
 land, which might be made fertile. The children 
 
264 LISTOWEL. 
 
 whom I saw standing about the cabin doors, or 
 tending the pigs or goats, appeared altogether 
 regardless of covering; several, I noticed with 
 nothing but shirts; apparently unconscious that 
 clothes were any comfort : and one boy, with 
 neither shirt, nor any nether garments whatever — 
 with nothing but a jacket, and a great rose stuck 
 in the button-hole, could not but excite a smile. 
 
 Listowel is approached by crossing a long bridge 
 over the river Feale. The town is but a poor one; 
 but as it was late when I reached it, and not 
 having it in my power to stay longer than that 
 nighty owing to the necessity of reaching Ennis, I 
 had no leisure for inquiries. 
 
 I left Listowel at a very early hour, for Tarbert, 
 that, if necessary, I might cross the Shannon into 
 Clare the same day. An early journey sometimes 
 shews a traveller what he could not see at a later 
 hour. Some of the cabins by the way side were 
 still closed ; and the inmates of others had newly 
 opened their doors. It was Sunday morning ; and 
 I observed that the articles of apparel meant to be 
 displayed at mass, and which had been washed the 
 night before, had been left on the hedges all night — 
 
THE SHANNON. 265 
 
 a practice that speaks favourably for the honesty 
 of the people. I observed also, that many of the 
 Kerry peasantry in this district, were not so poor, 
 as from the appearance of their cabins, one might 
 have guessed them to be. Out of one cabin, a 
 calf might be seen picking its way; a couple of 
 goats issuing from another ; while within, might be 
 seen and heard, the cocks and hens, which had not 
 yet been turned out to earn their day's bread. 
 
 It was this morning, that, for the first time, I 
 saw that noblest of all rivers in the British 
 European dominions — the Shannon. It was im- 
 possible to look upon the Shannon, without feeling 
 deeply interested; and this for many reasons. I 
 knew it to be the greatest of all our rivers ; I knew 
 it to be a great artery, by means of which, im- 
 provement might be carried, and capital circulated, 
 through the remotest parts of Ireland ; I saw it to 
 be in itself, a noble stream, rivalling the finest of 
 the continental rivers; and an additional interest 
 was communicated to it, from the belief that, to 
 my countrymen, that part of Ireland lying to the 
 west of the Shannon, is a terra incognita. 
 
 But as I shall, for some time, have frequent 
 
 VOL. I. N 
 
266 THE SHANNON. 
 
 occasion to speak of tlie Shannon, and as it will be 
 our companion during a considerable part of this 
 journey, I will here speak a little more in detail 
 of this noble river ; and, in doing so, I shall not 
 scruple to avail myself of the valuable information 
 given by Mr. Williams, in a pamphlet published 
 by him, upon the internal navigation of Ireland. 
 
 The source of the Shannon is reputed to be 
 Loch Allen; but some say, and I have no doubt 
 those who say so are right, that Loch Allen has its 
 feeders, and they therefore, though incorrectly 
 perhaps, place the source of the Shannon higher 
 than Loch Allen. By and by, I shall visit Loch 
 Allen, and shall probably then be able to tell more 
 accurately which is the source of the Shannon. 
 The course of the river is two hundred and thirty- 
 four miles; and the most singular feature about 
 this great river is, that throughout its whole course, 
 it possesses a sufficient depth of water for the pur- 
 poses of internal intercourse. With some trifling 
 interruptions, it is navigable from its mouth to 
 its source. The other singular characteristic of 
 this river is, its extraordinary diversity. It is 
 partly river, and partly lake. In the upper part 
 
THE SHANNON. 267 
 
 of its course, it expands into two great lakes, 
 Lough Derg, and Lougli Ree, each of them 
 twenty miles in length, — and forms, in its course 
 from Leitrim to Limerick, many smaller lakes, 
 varying from one to three miles in length. Below 
 Limerick, to the sea, a distance of sixty miles, it 
 forms a magnificent estuary, varying in breadth, 
 from one to eight miles, and capable of bearing to 
 the quay of Limerick, a vessel of 400 tons burden. 
 The whole fall of the river amounts to 146 feet 
 10 inches. Mr. Williams says, " From the cir- 
 cumstance of the Shannon running through the 
 centre of the kingdom, it may be compared, for the 
 purposes of intercourse, to double that length of 
 coast." 
 
 The Shannon washes the shores of no fewer 
 than ten counties, — Leitrim, Roscommon, Long- 
 ford, Westmeath, King's County, Galway, Tip- 
 perary, Clare, Limerick, and Kerry. 
 
 " How," says Mr. Williams, " can we convey to 
 English eyes, the picture of the Shannon through 
 its great course ?" The fact is, there is nothing 
 more required, than to glance at a good map of 
 
268 THE SHANNON. 
 
 Ireland, in order to obtain a tolerable notion of the 
 nature and extent of this noble river, and of its 
 value, as a means of improvement. But I shall 
 answer Mr. Williams' question, in his own words. 
 *' Let us suppose a navigable river," (navigable 
 throughout its course) " taking its rise in some 
 distant county of England, as far from Liverpool, 
 as Essex, or Middlesex. Suppose it occasionally- 
 spreading itself into noble and picturesque sheets 
 of water, of more than twenty miles in length, with 
 numerous islands, receiving the waters of many 
 rivers, and stretching its bays into the adjacent 
 counties, as it were to increase the measure of its 
 utility and beauty. See it winding its way through 
 Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire 
 and Warwickshire, and the rich soil of Leicester- 
 shire ; and after passing Staffordshire, Derbyshire, 
 and Cheshire, falling into the estuary of the 
 Mersey, in Lancashire. See it presenting to each 
 of these counties, the benefit of fifty miles of 
 navigation ; — and we shall have a correct view of 
 the extent and capabilities of this river." I trust 
 the reader will become better acquainted with the 
 
TARBERT. 269 
 
 Shannon, as he proceeds with me on my journey; 
 and that when we stand together near to its source, 
 we shall almost be able to write a pamphlet on it 
 ourselves. Prefixed to the second volume of this 
 work, a chart of the course of the Shannon, reduced 
 from Mr. Williams' map, and with some additions 
 of my own, will materially assist the reader. 
 
 It was on approaching Tarbert, that I ran into 
 this digression on the Shannon. I now resume my 
 narrative. 
 
 Tarbert is a very small town, situated at the 
 head of a little bay of the Shannon, which, from 
 the entrance to Tarbert Bay, to the nearest point of 
 the opposite coast of Clare, is about two and a half 
 miles broad. Tarbert Bay is prettily wooded ; and 
 the banks of the river, below Tarbert, are adorned 
 by several handsome seats. It was Sunday, and I 
 had an opportunity of seeing the peasantry of this 
 neighbourhood, with holiday looks, and holiday 
 clothes. I saw more incongruity of apparel here, 
 than I had any where else seen ; and a greater 
 partiality for gaudy colours. Red petticoats, and 
 bright yellow shawls, were much in vogue ; and so 
 smart were the women's caps, that every hood was 
 
•270 TARBERT. 
 
 tlirown back, to let them be seen. It was singular 
 enough to see some tolerably neat holiday apparel, 
 accompanied by bare feet and legs ; I fear it was 
 not the will that consented — for although it is no 
 doubt often matter of choice to go barefooted, yet 
 this certainly could not have been the case on 
 Sunday. 
 
 I have already spoken of the goodness of the 
 Irish inns. My remarks, however, were made 
 before I had travelled into the remoter parts of the 
 country ; and when I remarked to any Irish person, 
 that I had found the inns better than I expected, I 
 Avas told to suspend my judgment until I had 
 visited the less frequented parts of the country. I 
 have now travelled through the remotest ex- 
 tremities of the wilds of Kerry; and I find no 
 reason to retract the opinion I expressed. At 
 Kenmare, at Cahir-siveen, at Dingle, at Listowel, 
 and now at Tarbert, I found comfortable, and 
 clean inns. I have at this inn, a well and newly 
 carpeted room, with good mahogany chairs, three 
 excellent mahogany tables, a handsome glass over 
 the chimney piece, clean chintz window curtains, 
 white blinds, and the walls of the room well 
 
TARBERT. 271 
 
 papered. My bed-room is as unexceptionable; 
 and every thing is comfortably served up at table. 
 Prices continue nearly the same : dinner is gene- 
 rally charged 2s., tea Is., breakfast Is. 3d., bed Is. Sd., 
 and whiskey 56?. per glass, with water and sugar. 
 
 I spent the afternoon in walking five or six miles 
 down the shore of the Shannon, as far as Ardmore 
 point. The evening was remarkably fine, and the 
 atmosphere clear ; so that the whole of the opposite 
 coast of Clare, as far as Kilrush, was beautifully 
 distinct; and I was able even to see clearly, the 
 round tower on Scattery Island. 
 
 The reader, probably, knows, that there is a 
 steam navigation on the Shannon, both above and 
 below Limerick. One of the company's vessels 
 plies between Limerick and Kilrush, and takes 
 passengers from Tarbert, if any there be ; and I, 
 of course, took advantage of it the next day, to go 
 up to Limerick. In order to embark, it is neces- 
 sary to walk to Tarbert Island, a mile distant ; but 
 there is some talk of constructing a pier, either at 
 Tarbert, or at Glyn, a village a mile or two farther 
 up the river. The fares on the Shannon are very 
 moderate; the distance from Tarbert to Limerick, 
 
272 TARBERT. 
 
 is thirty-five miles, and the fare is 45. The vessels, 
 too, are excellent, and in every way well appointed. 
 
 Soon after leaving Tarbert, the river contracts ; 
 for on the Clare side, a narrow headland pushes 
 itself far into the river. The Clare side is here 
 sloping and cultivated, without much wood, which 
 is more abundant on the other side of the river; 
 and on the Kerry side, the bank is also adorned by 
 several villas. Two or three miles above Tarbert, 
 we were opposite to Glyn village, and to the very 
 handsome residence of the Knight of Glyn, with its 
 fine woods around it. The village looks neat and 
 cle^a from the water ; and the church on a neigh- 
 bouring height, is a very pretty object. Here, 
 the county of Kerry ends, and Limerick county 
 begins. 
 
 On the Clare side, the river now forms a wide 
 bay, called Labeshida Bay; and the banks, both 
 on the Clare and Limerick side, exhibit the same 
 features, until we reach Loghill. It is, I believe, 
 on this part of the Shannon, that the real incidents 
 which gave rise to the excellent novel, called 
 " The Collegians," took place ; and that the real 
 Elie O'Connor was betrayed and drowned. On 
 
MOUNT TRENCHARD. 273 
 
 both sides, the banks of the Shannon are beautiful 
 beyond Loghill. On the Limerick side, situated 
 on a green eminence near to the river, is Mount 
 Trenchard, the seat of Mr. Spring Rice ; and 
 opposite, on the Clare side, the beautiful domain of 
 Cahircon, with its deep bay, and mansion buried 
 among woods. 
 
 Soon after passing Mount Trenchard we reached 
 Foynes Island, the property of Lord Dunraven; 
 and immediately afterwards, Achnish Island, which, 
 however, is not an island, unless in extraordinarily 
 high tides. These are both on the Limerick side 
 of the river, which now, on the other side, expands 
 into the fine estuary, which reaches far into the 
 county of Clare, and is studded with grassy islands 
 of the most beautiful greenness, covered with 
 innumerable cattle. The view was here most cap- 
 tivating. The deep woods of Cahircon and Mount 
 Trenchard were behind ; the green islands and 
 more distant hills of Clare, on one side, with the 
 estuary of the river Fergus stretching far to the 
 left; while on the Limerick side, a recess in the 
 banks shewed, at a little distance, the town and 
 castle of Askeaton ; and at a greater distance, " the 
 N 3 
 
274 LIMERICK. 
 
 Hill of Trutli," so celebrated throughout this part 
 of the country, as the resort of the fairies, or " good 
 people." The view of this hill, gave rise to some 
 conversation touching the good people ; and the 
 man at the helm, entertained his auditors with 
 many stories of fairies, — in the existence of whom, 
 he evidently entertained the firmest belief. 
 
 The river, after we passed the estuary of the 
 Fergus, suddenly contracts to about a mile and a 
 half wide ; and Begh Castle, an old black ruin, and 
 near to it, the domain of Castletown, and still 
 farther, the fine ruin, called Carrig-aguinal Castle, 
 situated on a bold rock, present themselves succes- 
 sively. These are all on the Limerick side; but 
 on the side of Clare, the objects of attraction are 
 still finer, — particularly Bunratty Castle; which, 
 together with a new mansion, lies in a deep recess, 
 surrounded by wood, and with fine green slopes 
 behind. 
 
 All the remainder of the distance to Limerick, 
 the views are full of beauty. High, sloping, and 
 finely cultivated hills, a little back from the river ; 
 with handsome houses, and more than one old ruin 
 nearer to the banks, are seen on the Clare side: 
 
LI3IERICK. 275 
 
 while Cooper Hill, and Tervac, two fine domains, 
 lie embosomed in wood on the other bank. The 
 river has now gradually contracted; and the two 
 last of its reaches, up to Limerick, are not more than 
 from a quarter to three quarters of a mile in 
 breadth. Limerick is not seen, until the last reach 
 of the river be entered; and owing to the absence 
 of spires and architectural eminences, the city does 
 not shew to great advantage. 
 
 My object being to reach Ennis, the county 
 town of Clare, about twenty-six miles from Lime- 
 rick, I did little more than step out of the steam 
 vessel, and into a car ; and at present, therefore, I 
 shall say nothing of the city, until my return from 
 Ennis. 
 
 The first part of the road to Ennis, embraces 
 nearly the same views as the voyage up the 
 Shannon ; for the road runs parallel to, though at a 
 little distance from, the river. From several of the 
 eminences over which I passed, a great part of the 
 course of the lower Shannon is laid open ; and the 
 country on either side of the road was green, 
 fertile, and beautiful. Several of the ruins which 
 are seen from the river, — particularly Bunratty 
 
276 CLARE. 
 
 Castle, — I passed close by; and several fine 
 domains, — among others, that belonging to Sir 
 Edward O'Brien, lay in our way. 
 
 The little town of Clare, which, from its situa- 
 tion ought to be the county town, in place of Ennis, 
 lies between Limerick and Ennis, and only about 
 two miles from the latter. There is a fine naviga- 
 tion up the estuary of the river Fergus, to the 
 bridge of Clare; so that Clare is the export point 
 of the Ennis market. A very trifling expenditure 
 would extend the water communication to Ennis ; 
 and there is no doubt, that, in that event, the 
 prosperity of the town would rapidly increase ; for 
 Clare is not only a fine corn country, but an 
 extensive cattle breeding country. The proposal 
 of a canal, however, has met with every opposition 
 from narrow-mindedness and jobbing. The great 
 Ennis proprietor likes nothing that costs anything ; 
 and the proprietor of Clare is not of course anxious 
 to remove the point of export from Clare to Ennis. 
 Notwithstanding the advantages possessed by Clare, 
 the place looks poverty-stricken. 
 
 I reached Ennis just as it fell dark ; and found 
 the town in all the bustle that in an Irish county 
 
ENNIS. 277 
 
 town, precedes the holding of assizes : the inns 
 were all choke full; and for lodgings, the most 
 exorbitant prices were demanded. From three to 
 eight guineas, for a few days, were asked for two 
 rooms ; and I was glad to find a place to creep into, 
 even on these terms. Although the assize was 
 opened on the following day, no business was 
 entered upon, until the day after ; and I therefore 
 employed the interval in those perambulations, 
 scrutinies, and inquiries, which occupy a part of 
 my attention in every town. 
 
 I had not yet seen, in Ireland, any town with 
 suburbs so extejisive, in comparison with the town 
 itself; or, perhaps, it would be more correct to say, 
 that I had not seen any town with so few good 
 streets, in comparison with the bad; for the rows 
 and streets of cabins form, in fact, the greater part 
 of the town, and cannot properly be called suburbs. 
 There is not, indeed, one good street in Ennis ; 
 and there are only two streets which rise above the 
 rank of lanes. Ennis, however, is a populous 
 town, containing 12,000 inhabitants ; and is suscep- 
 tible of considerable improvement in many ways, 
 but especially by the construction of some commu- 
 nication with the river navigation at Clare, 
 
278 ENNIS. 
 
 The retail trade in Ennis is not extensive, ex- 
 cepting in the necessaries of life. Limerick is 
 so near, and the communication with it so frequent 
 and so easy, that it absorbs a great part of the retail 
 trade of the county of Clare. 
 
 I have nowhere yet found land let dearer, or its 
 small occupiers in a poorer condition, than in the 
 neighbourhood of Ennis. I found average good 
 land, but by no means first rate land, situated about 
 a mile from the town, let at IL and 8Z. per acre ; 
 and very indifferent land, as far and even at a 
 greater distance from the town, let at 4Z. and bl, 
 per acre. This is literally squeezing the uttermost 
 farthing out of the soil; and the proprietor of a 
 large portion of the land in this neighbourhood, a 
 Mr. Gore, is one of those short-sighted individuals, 
 whose object is, to keep up a nominal rent roll, and 
 to let his land to the highest bidder. This gentle- 
 man takes no warning by the frequency of unpaid 
 rents, and possessions relinquished; and finds no 
 difficulty, in the present state of the country, when 
 the demand for improved land is greater than the 
 supply, of letting his land at whatever price he 
 chooses to put upon it. The miserable suburbs of 
 
ENNIS. 279 
 
 Ennis aiford evidence of the same system. I need 
 scarcely add, that there is great want of employ- 
 ment in and about Ennis ; and that nothing is done 
 in the way of providing it. 
 
 The country about Ennis offers many beautiful 
 scenes. I would particularly name Eden vale and 
 Eden lake, — spots of great loveliness and repose. 
 But the neighbourhood of such charming scenes as 
 these, too often remind one of Castle Rack-rent — 
 a large neglected looking mansion, and a pack of 
 hounds ; and congregations of miserable cabins 
 scattered around. Clare is a backward county; 
 little has been done for it; and in no county, 
 has grand jury jobbing been more unblushingly 
 carried on. 
 
280 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Clare Assizes — English and Irish Assizes — Description of 
 Cases tried — Fair Murders — Spirit of Faction — Difficulty of 
 eliciting Truth — Disregard of an Oath — Extent to which 
 Faction is carried — A paid Magistracy necessary — Rape 
 Cases — Abduction — Murder — Assaults— Kissing the Book — 
 Superstitions — General Impressions from attending an Irish 
 Assize. 
 
 A small Irish county town, during assizes, presents 
 a spectacle that is never seen in England ; for even 
 supposing the calendar to be as long, in an 
 English as in an Irish countyj — which it never 
 is, — the difference in the character of the cases to 
 be tried, materially affects the aspect of the town 
 and its population. In England, a case of murder 
 or man-slaughter, brings to the county town only 
 the near relations of the party to be tried, — and 
 perhaps, of the party prosecuting ; but in Ireland, 
 things are on a different scale. The English 
 murder is a private act, perpetrated by some 
 
CLARE. 28 ! 
 
 ruffian for the sake of gain : the Irish homicide has 
 been committed for no reason at all; and not by 
 one cold-blooded ruffian, but by a crowd of demi- 
 barbarians, who meet for the purpose of fighting; 
 and who have no other reason for fighting, than 
 because one half of the number are called O' Sul- 
 livan, and the other O' something else; so that 
 when a manslaughter is to be prosecuted at an 
 Irish assize, the case does not bring up merely the 
 accused and his one or two witnesses, but it brings 
 half the " boys" in the county who bear the same 
 name as the accused; and as many more, of the 
 same name as the man who was killed, — every one 
 of the former, ready to kiss the book, and swear, 
 that the boy accused of the homicide, never handled 
 a shillelah, or lifted a stone, or was seen in a "scrim- 
 mage" in his days ; and every one of the latter as 
 ready to swear, that the boy that was killed, was 
 the most peaceable boy that ever bore his name, 
 and that he was killed for no reason at all. Besides 
 these homicide cases, which are peculiar to an Irish 
 assize, prosecutions of any kind bring together a 
 greater number of persons than in England,— for 
 be it a robbery, or a rape, or any other crime, of 
 
•282 CLARE. 
 
 whi,ch a man is accused, all his relations come for- 
 ward to swear an alibi. It may be easily conceived, 
 therefore, what a motley crowd fills the streets of 
 an Irish county town at the time of an assize. 
 
 Nor is it only the number of persons, but their 
 eagerness also, that strikes a stranger. Besides 
 the groups that throng every part of the open 
 streets, and who are always in earnest talk, dense 
 crowds are collected at the door of every attorney's 
 office, and no one of this brotherhood can walk a 
 yard, without having his sleeve pulled by half-a- 
 dozen "boys" or women, all interested for or 
 against somebody; and intreating his honour to 
 get them justice : which may mean, either to get a 
 man hanged, or to save a man from hanging. 
 
 The most numerous class of cases at most Irish 
 assizes, is that which is facetiously denominated 
 fair murders; that is, homicides committed at fairs; 
 and I do not know any means, by which so much 
 insight is to be obtained into the character of the 
 Irish peasantry, and into the condition of the 
 country, and state of things among the lower 
 classes of society, as by listening to these prosecu- 
 tions ioifair murders. There were many of these 
 
CLARE. 283 
 
 prosecutions at the Ennis assizes ; and, although I 
 had already heard much of the factions, into which 
 the peasantry are divided, I had no conception of 
 the extent of this evil, nor of the bitterness with 
 which this spirit of faction is attended. However 
 these factions may have originated, there is now no 
 distinction among their adherents, excepting that 
 which arises from the possession of a different name. 
 The O'Sullivans are as distinct a people from the 
 O'Neils, as the Dutch from the Belgians. The 
 factions have chiefs, who possess authority. Regu- 
 lar agreements are made to have a battle ; the time 
 agreed upon is generally when a fair takes place; 
 and, at these fights, there is regular marshalling, 
 and " wheeling ;" and, as for its being a crime to 
 break a " boy's " head, such an idea never enters 
 the brain of any one. 
 
 The spirit of faction is brought into court by 
 almost every witness in these prosecutions. I saw 
 a witness, a woman, brought in support of the 
 prosecution for a homicide committed on some 
 cousin, — who, on being desired to identify the pri- 
 soners, and the court-keeper's long rod being put 
 into her hand, that she might point them out, struck 
 
284 CLARE. 
 
 each of tliem a smart blow on the head. As for 
 finding out the truth, by the mere evidence of the 
 witnesses, it is generally impossible. Almost all 
 worth knowing, is elicited on the cross-examination; 
 and it is always, by the appearance and manner of 
 the witness, more than by his words, that the truth 
 is to be gathered. All the witnesses, examined for 
 the prosecution, were, by their own account, mere 
 lookers-on at the battle; nor stick, nor stone had 
 they. Their party had no mind to fight that day ; 
 but, in making this assertion, they always take care 
 to let it be known, that, if they had had a mind to 
 fight, they could have handled their shillelahs to 
 some purpose. On the other hand, all the witnesses 
 for the prisoner aver just the same of themselves ; 
 so that it is more by what witnesses wont tell, than 
 by what they do tell, that truth is discovered. 
 Half the witnesses called, on both sides, have 
 broken heads ; and it is not unfrequently by a com- 
 parison of the injuries received on both sides, and 
 by the evidence of the doctor, that one is helped to 
 the truth. 
 
 It will be easily seen, from what I have said, that 
 I found ample confirmation of what I had often 
 
CLARE. 285 
 
 heard, — the small regard for veracity among the 
 Irish peasantry, and their general disregard of an 
 oath. To save a relation from punishment, or to 
 punish any one who has injured a relation, an Irish 
 peasant will swear anything. This would be called, 
 by some, hatred of the law; but, although, in 
 swearing falsely, the Irish peasant wishes to defeat 
 the ends of justice, he does not do so, merely 
 because he hates justice and the law, but because 
 he thinks he is bound to save his relation, or any 
 one of his faction. If the name of the man who was 
 killed be O'Grady, then every witness, who comes 
 up to be sworn for the prosecution, is also an 
 O'Grady ; or, if they be women, they were O'Gra- 
 dys before they were married : and, if the name of 
 the prisoner be O'Neil, then all the witnesses, for 
 the defence, are O' Neils; or, if there be any ex- 
 ceptions in name, still there is a relationship of 
 some kind. 
 
 The factions, which occasion the atrocities of 
 which we, in England, know very little, (for the 
 cases' reported from the Irish assizes, in the English 
 papers, are, generally, cases in some degree politi- 
 cal, and are seldom, or ever, the homicides arising 
 
286 CLARE. 
 
 out of fights at fairs), have never been energetically 
 met by the law and the magistracy. Some years 
 ago, when trading magistrates were common, their 
 non-interference was purchased by services per- 
 formed. If a magistrate, living in the vicinity of a 
 place where two great factions wished to try their 
 strength, had a meadow ready for mowing — or a 
 a field of wheat, ripe for the sickle — or wished to 
 lay in his winter's turf — twenty or thirty men, of 
 both factions, would volunteer their labour, and 
 refuse, not only pecuniary recompense, but refresh- 
 ment even : the fight was suffered to go on ; and 
 the breakers of heads were leniently dealt with. 
 These days, I believe, are passed, or fast passing; 
 but there is still far too little energy shewn in 
 putting down faction. It is true, that in many 
 remote places — and it is often in the remotest spots 
 that these encounters take place — there are no 
 military, and few policemen ; but a resident magis- 
 trate, if he be a man fit for his office, may always 
 be previously informed upon these matters. He 
 knows that a faction exists in his neighbourhood ; 
 he knows that the fair is drawing near ; he knows, 
 that at every fair, a fight takes place ; and where 
 
CLARE. 287 
 
 any agreement lias been made to figlit out the 
 quarrel at the fair, he may, without any difficulty, 
 obtain the most accurate information; and every 
 one knows how easily a mob, especially an Irish 
 mob, is reduced to obedience by a very trifling 
 display of firmness and force. I look upon it as 
 most essential to the prosperity of Ireland, that 
 these factions should be put down. They are 
 nearly as inimical to the investment of capital, and 
 nearly as much encouragers of absenteeism, as 
 many of those other kinds of agitation, which are 
 more familiar to us: and I will again take the 
 liberty of repeating my belief, that the substitution 
 of a stipendiary, for an unpaid magistracy, is essen- 
 tial to the peace of Ireland. It is quite unreason- 
 able to expect that an unpaid magistracy, situated 
 as that magistracy is in Ireland, should do their 
 duty. But, to return to the Ennis assizes. 
 
 The most numerous class of cases (with one 
 exception), and the most important class, as throw- 
 ing the greatest light on the character and state 
 of the people, were those homicides of which I 
 have spoken. The exception in point of number 
 of cases, is rape : of these cases, I think nearly 
 
288 ENNIS. 
 
 forty were entered for trial ; but only a very few 
 of that number were heard ; and all of them termi- 
 nated in acquittal. In nine cases out of ten, the 
 crime is sworn to, merely for the purpose of 
 getting a husband; and the plan generally suc- 
 ceeds. The parties are married before the cause 
 is called for trial ; and I have myself seen an 
 earnest negotiation carried on under the piazzas 
 of the court-house, a little while before a case was 
 called. There was the " boy " indicted for a 
 capital crime, but out on bail, as he generally 
 is ; and the girl, about to swear away a man's 
 life ; and the attorneys, and a large circle of rela- 
 tions, all trying to bring about a marriage, before 
 Pat should be called upon to appear, and answer 
 to the indictment that he, " not having the fear 
 of God before his eyes, and being instigated 
 by the devil," did so and so. In the case to 
 which I was a listener, Pat and the fair one could 
 not agree: the trial went on; and Pat was 
 acquitted. 
 
 The number, and nature of these cases, certainly 
 indicate no very high state of morals ; for in 
 every one of them, circumstances have occurred. 
 
ENNIS. 289 
 
 which aiFord to the prosecutrix some ground of 
 charge ; and the amicable termination of these 
 cases, shews how small the ground of the capital 
 charge is. In these cases too, the want of veracity 
 is strongly displayed; and it certainly impresses 
 a stranger with no very favourable idea of female 
 character, to find a girl falsely swearing a capital 
 charge against a man whom she is willing at 
 that moment to marry. 
 
 I saw tried, one of those singular cases of 
 abduction, which very frequently occur in Ireland; 
 and which also throw considerable light on the 
 state of society among the lower ranks. Sham 
 cases of abduction are frequent. The " boy " 
 and the girl are agreed; but the girl's relations 
 being dissentient, owing to her being an heiress, 
 and entitled to a better match, it is made up 
 between the young people, that the girl shall be 
 carried away by apparent force. The youth 
 makes known the case to his friends, and collects 
 a number of associates: they come during the 
 night to the house of the girl, force open the door, 
 seize upon the maid, who, though "nothing loth," 
 screams, and makes all the opposition in her power, 
 
 VOL. I. o 
 
290 ENNIS. 
 
 place her on horseback, and, after escorting her 
 a sufficient distance, deliver her over to the "boy," 
 on whose account the abduction was got up. The 
 charge of abduction which I saw tried at Ennis, was 
 a real abduction however, and a very shameless one, 
 attended with circumstances of great cruelty; and 
 originating, as indeed they always do, in love 
 of money. These abductions are most detrimental 
 to the peace of the country; because a feud is 
 instantly generated, between the relatives of the 
 girl, and those of the aggressor; and many sub- 
 sequent fights invariably result from these out- 
 rages. 
 
 One of the cases tried at the Ennis assizes, was 
 in many respects similar to that celebrated case 
 which was the foundation of that excellent novel, 
 "The Collegians." A man was tried for the 
 murder of a girl whom he had seduced ; he killed 
 her, and buried her in a peat-rick ; and the simi- 
 larity is the stronger, inasmuch as he was at 
 the time, in treaty to marry another, not so high- 
 born a damsel indeed, as Anne Chute ; but high 
 enough, and rich enough, to induce him to sacri- 
 fice his Elie O'Connor. In this case, one of the 
 
ENNIS. 291 
 
 witnesses, on being desired to identify the pri- 
 soner, and being asked the question, " Is that the 
 man ?" turned round, and recognizing the prisoner, 
 said, " That 's him," and added, " How are you 
 Paddy ?" nodding familiarly and good-humouredly . 
 to the accused. The man was convicted, and 
 hanged. 
 
 Another case tried, arose out of one of those 
 disputes, which so frequently originate in the pos- 
 session of, and competition for, land. It was a 
 case wherein a widow paid an enormous rent for 
 a bit of potato land ; and the rent not being paid, 
 and the mischievous power of distraining being- 
 resorted to, the possessor endeavoured to save 
 some portion of the potatos. This gave rise to 
 a fight; and the fight occasioned manslaughter. 
 In this case, there was much false swearing, and 
 much difficulty in arriving at the truth ; and the 
 case strongljr impressed upon me the conviction, 
 that the power of distraining, in the hands of the 
 lower orders, is a most mischievous power. 
 
 I noticed, that great importance is attached to 
 kissing the book; and sometimes, this ceremony 
 is required, for greater security, to be performed 
 o 2 
 
292 ENNIS. 
 
 two or three times. Without kissing the book, a 
 witness looks upon his oath as very imperfectly- 
 taken ; and it is necessary that in the act of kissing, 
 the witness be narrowly watched, lest he kiss his 
 own thumb — with which he holds the book — in 
 place of the book itself. 
 
 I noticed also, in the examination of one of the 
 witnesses, a proof of the prevailing belief in the 
 " good people," or fairies. A witness, being asked 
 upon his oath, whether a certain individual could 
 have made his way out of a room, the door and 
 windows of which had been fastened, said, with the 
 utmost gravity, it was impossible he could have got 
 out, unless by enchantment; meaning by this, 
 without the assistance of the good people. 
 
 To attend an Irish assize, is certainly not the 
 means by which a stranger is likely to obtain 
 favourable impressions of Irish character. Few of 
 its favourable traits are exhibited there ; while all 
 the darker shades are made but too manifest. Want 
 of veracity, on the most solemn occasion on which 
 veracity is ever called for, is but too plainly esta- 
 blished. We find the very reverse of that straight- 
 forwardness, which it is so delightful to see exhibited 
 
ENNIS. 293 
 
 in the examination of a witness. If positive false- 
 hood will serve the end, it is unhesitatingly resorted 
 to ; and as for telling the whole truth, I saw no one 
 instance of it. 
 
 But the most striking defect of character which 
 is brought to light, is a perfect contempt of human 
 suffering, and an utter disregard even of the value 
 of human life. Weapons, of the most deadly de- 
 scription are brought into court as evidence, — sticks 
 and whips loaded with lead ; and stones, that might 
 crush the head of a horse. A ruffian may occasion- 
 ally be found in England, who would flay a man 
 alive to become possessed of his purse ; but I 
 greatly question, whether out of Ireland, fifty men 
 could be found in any one parish, in any country 
 in Europe, ready to beat one another's brains out 
 with sticks and st6nes, and all but glorying in the 
 deed. And, as I have already observed, the same 
 ferocity which has been exhibited at the fight, is 
 brought into court : false oaths are the substitutes 
 for weapons ; and by these, witnesses seek to avenge 
 the death of a relative who has been more unfortu- 
 nate, but probably not more criminal than the 
 accused. 
 
294 ENNIS. 
 
 I was much struck at Ennis, as I had been at 
 Tralee, with the acuteness and talent of the Irish 
 attorneys. Their cross-examinations of witnesses 
 were admirable; certainly not surpassed by the 
 very best cross-examinations I ever heard from 
 the mouth of an English barrister, 
 
 A day or two before the conclusion of the Clare 
 assizes, I left Ennis for Limerick; returning by a 
 road different from that by which I had gone to 
 Ennis, and through an equally interesting and 
 fertile country^ 
 
295 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Return to Limerick — The New and Old Towns — Present 
 State of the Trade of Limerick — Prosperity — Projected Im- 
 provements — Mr. Spring Rice — Public Institutions — The 
 Lunatic Asylum — The Barrington Hospital — Antiquities — 
 Condition of the Destitute Poor, and unemployed Artizans of 
 Limerick — Minute Details — Poor Laws — a Mont de Piete— 
 Loan Fund — Environs of Limerick — Land and Rents — 
 Embarkments on the Shannon — The Village of Adair — 
 Curragh, and Dunraven. 
 
 I know of no town in which so distinct a line is 
 drawn between its good and its bad quarters, as in 
 Limerick. A person arriving in Limerick by one of 
 the best approaches, and driving to an hotel in 
 George Street, will probably say, " What a very 
 handsome city this is !" while, on the other hand, 
 a person entering the city by the old town, and 
 taking up his quarters there — a thing, indeed, not 
 likely to happen — would infallibly set down Lime- 
 rick as the very vilest town he had ever entered. 
 
296 LIMERICK. 
 
 The new town of Limerick is, unquestionably, 
 superior to anything out of Dublin. Its principal 
 street, although less picturesque than the chief streets 
 of Cork, would generally be reckoned a finer street. 
 It is straight, regular, and mt)dern-looking ; and 
 contains abundance of good private houses and of 
 excellent shops; and although there is less the 
 appearance of business in Limerick than in Cork, 
 and fewer evidences of affluence in its neighbour- 
 hood; yet, in the more modern aspect of every 
 thing, there are more certain proofs of improve- 
 ment in the former city. The new town of 
 Limerick is, indeed, of recent origin; and the 
 various indications of prosperity which Limerick 
 presents, are all of them true indications. 
 
 The advance of the prosperity of Limerick, has 
 been rapid and uniform. The amount of exports 
 has nearly doubled since the year 1822. Nor has 
 this increase been in only one branch of trade. 
 With very few exceptions it has attended every 
 branch. The corn export trade, especially, has 
 advanced. In 1822, the export of wheat was 
 102,593 barrels; in 1828, the export had increased 
 to 150,583 barrels; in 1832, the quantity exported 
 
LIMERICK. 297 
 
 was 194,144 barrels; and in 1833, 218,915. In 
 barley, the export has never been great; and 
 although it has doubled since the year 1 824, it has 
 somewhat decreased during the two last years. In 
 oats, the increase has been very great. From 
 155,000 barrels, exported in 1822, the quantity 
 had risen, in 1832, to 408,000. In flour and oat- 
 meal, too, the increase of export has been steady 
 and great. Of the former article, 172 cwt. only 
 was exported in 1824. In 1828, the quantity had 
 risen to upwards of 6,000 cwt.; in 1832, it v/as 
 33,000 cwt.; and in 1833, upwards of 37,000. In 
 oatmeal, the advance has been equally great. The 
 butter trade, which I have found rather declining 
 in most other places, exhibits no symptom of 
 decline in Limerick. In 1822, 42,869 firkins were 
 exported; in 1831, 67,699 firkins were exported; 
 the following year, there was an advance upon 
 this quantity ; and in 1833, 75,000 firkins were 
 exported. In many other articles of trade, the 
 increase has been equally great; but the ge- 
 neral increase of trade, is best observed by the 
 estimated value of the whole exports. In 1822, 
 o3 
 
298 LIMERICK. 
 
 the estimated value was 479,538/.; in 1 830, the 
 estimated value was 720,266/.; the following year, 
 it was 854,406/.; in 1832, it was 1,005,945/.; and 
 in 1833, 936,995/. The tonnage of vessels clearing 
 out of the port, exhibits the same advance. In 
 1822, the tonnage was 29,876; in 1825, 41,871; 
 in 1831, 52,326; in 1833, 56,850. 
 
 From these data, I think I may venture to pro- 
 nounce Limerick to be at this moment an advancing 
 city ; and if certain improvements, now in con- 
 templation, be carried into effect, there is little 
 reason to doubt, that the progress of Limerick will 
 be even more rapid than it has hitherto been. The 
 improvement to which I particularly allude is, the 
 construction of a dock, by which the great draw- 
 back on the trade of Limerick — want of floating 
 depth of water at low tide — will be obviated. The 
 plan proposed, is a bold one: it is, to throw a dam 
 completely across the river, at some distance be- 
 low the town; so that vessels of 500 or 600 tons 
 will be enabled to come up the river, and find a 
 dock with from 20 to 24 feet of water. 
 
 This is not the only improvement that is in 
 
LIMERICK. 299 
 
 progress in Limerick. A handsome new bridge 
 across the Shannon is nearly completed ; and a fine 
 square is laid down, railed round, and planted, 
 though not yet built upon. The centre of this 
 square is adorned with a fluted pillar, surmounted 
 by a statue of Mr. Spring Rice, — an honour well 
 merited by that gentleman ; — for to his public 
 spiritedness and exertions, the city of Limerick is 
 mainly indebted for every improvement that has 
 either been completed, or that is now in progress. 
 
 The public institutions of Limerick are on a fine 
 scale, and some of' them, under excellent manage- 
 ment. Among the most interesting of these, the 
 Lunatic Asylum may be mentioned. It is, indeed, 
 a pattern for all such institutions. I have never 
 anywhere seen a better example of what may be 
 accomplished by proper management. The build- 
 ing, in its exterior, might be the residence of a 
 nobleman; its interior would put to shame the 
 best scrubbed parlour of Rotterdam ; and, in view- 
 ing its inmates, madness appears divested of half 
 its horrors. When I visited this institution, it 
 contained 204 persons, only four of whom were 
 that day under coercion. 
 
300 LIMERICK. 
 
 The county gaol is also reputed to be one of the 
 most approved prisons in the kingdom. I did not 
 visit it ; but I believe it is conducted on the same 
 system as the Cork county gaol, of which I have 
 already spoken. 
 
 There are several institutions in Limerick, for 
 the alleviation of man's bodily sufferings; and 
 amongst these, I would particularly mention " Bar- 
 rington's Hospital;" not only because it is one of 
 the best conducted ; but also, that I may have an 
 opportunity of mentioning, — as it deserves to be 
 mentioned, — the name of a family to whom the 
 poor of Limerick are so deeply indebted. This 
 hospital was built, and presented to the city, by the 
 family of Sir Joseph Barrington ; and as some 
 evidence of the extensive benefit conferred on the 
 city by this institution, I may mention, that no 
 fewer than 14,000 persons were relieved at the 
 dispensary attached to- the hospital, during the last 
 six months. Lnportant additions to this hospital 
 are at present contemplated by Mr. M. Barrington, 
 who seems resolved not to stint his beneficence, 
 but is willing rather, that the capabilities of the 
 institution shall keep pace with the wants of the 
 
LIMERICK. 301 
 
 city. Hospitals are frequently endowed with the 
 wealth which the rich cannot carry into the grave 
 with them; but to found an hospital during a man's 
 lifetime, is an act that deserves to be recorded, and 
 remembered. 
 
 I visited, in Limerick, an extensive school for 
 females, which is assisted by the new education 
 board. I found about four hundred children, re- 
 ceiving a useful education, — able, in general, to 
 write well; perfectly instructed in reading; and 
 exliibiting, in their appearance and behaviour, the 
 utmost order and neatness. This school is situated 
 in the old town; which contains other objects to 
 interest a stranger. Thomond-bridge is among 
 the most curious of the ancient monuments of 
 Limerick. The irregularity and rude antiquity of 
 its structure, are equally curious to the antiquarian, 
 and striking to the lover of the picturesque. The 
 bridge is supposed to have been built about the 
 year 1210 ; it is perfectly level, and is built upon 
 fourteen arches. 
 
 Another interesting monument, is the cathedral, 
 a large shapeless pile, with a handsome interior; 
 and with a tower, which every stranger ought to 
 ascend ; for there is no elevation adjacent to 
 
302 LIMERICK. 
 
 Limerick, from which any satisfactory view of the 
 city can be obtained; and from this tower, not 
 only the city, but a large portion of the counties of 
 Limerick and Clare, is laid open ; and the tortuous 
 course of the noble Shannon is made intelligible. 
 Unless there be a considerable eminence contiguous 
 to a town, the readiest way of becoming acquainted 
 with its situation, form, and extent, is to climb the 
 steps of the highest church tower. I never omit to 
 do this. 
 
 To the antiquarian, there are many interesting 
 vestiges in the old towns of Limerick. The 
 Limerick reader will understand why I say towns ; 
 to the English reader, it requires to be told, that 
 there is an English and an Irish town. Remnants 
 of walls, and isolated bastions, are here and there 
 discovered ; and the stone, on which the treaty of 
 Limerick was signed, is pointed out to the stranger. 
 
 But there are objects of a far different nature, in 
 the old towns of Limerick; — objects of a deeper, 
 and more melancholy interest. The reader will 
 recollect, that in Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, and 
 in other towns which I have visited, I have made it 
 a part of my duty to inquire into the condition of 
 the poor ; and having been informed by those upon 
 
LIMERICK. 303 
 
 whom I thought some reliance was to be placed, 
 that I should find more and deeper destitution 
 in Limerick, than in any place which I had yet 
 visited, my inquiries in Limerick were prosecuted 
 with all the care which I was capable of bestowing ; 
 and I regret to say, that I found too dreadful con- 
 firmation of the very worst reports. I spent a day 
 in visiting those parts of the city, where the 
 greatest destitution and misery were said to exist. 
 I entered upwards of forty of the abodes of poverty; 
 and to the latest hour of my existence, I can never 
 forget the scenes of utter and hopeless wretchedness 
 that presented themselves that day. I shall endea- 
 vour to convey to the reader some general idea of 
 what I saw. 
 
 Some of the abodes I visited were garrets, some 
 were cellars; some were hovels on the ground- 
 floor, situated in narrow yards, or alleys. I will 
 not speak of the filth of the places ; that could not 
 be exceeded, in places meant to be its receptacles. 
 Let the worst be imagined, and it will not be 
 beyond the truth. In at least three-fourths of the 
 hovels which I entered, there was no furniture 
 of any description, save an iron pot,- — no table, no 
 
304 LIMERICK. 
 
 chair, no bench, no bedstead; — two, three, or four 
 little bundles of straw, with, perhaps, one or two 
 scanty and ragged mats, were rolled up in the 
 corners, unless where these beds were found occu- 
 pied. The inmates, were some of them old, 
 crooked, and diseased; some younger, but ema- 
 ciated, and surrounded by starving children ; some 
 were sitting on the damp ground, some standing, 
 and many were unable to rise from their little 
 straw heaps. In scarcely one hovel, could I 
 find even a potato. In one which I entered, I 
 noticed a small opening leading into an inner 
 room. I lighted a bit of paper, at the embers of 
 a turf which lay in the chimney, and looked in. 
 It was a cellar wholly dark ; and about tv/elve feet 
 square : two bundles of straw lay in two corners ; 
 on one, sat a bed-ridden woman ; on another, lay 
 two naked children, — literally naked, with a torn 
 rag of some kind thrown over them both. But 
 I saw worse even than this. In a cellar which I 
 entered, and which was ' almost quite dark, and 
 slippery with damp, I found a man sitting on 
 a little sawdust. He was naked : he had not 
 even a shirt : a filthy and ragged mat was round 
 
LIMERICK. 305 
 
 him : this man was a living skeleton ; the bones all 
 but protruded through the skin : he was literally 
 starving. 
 
 In place of forty hovels, I might have visited 
 hundreds. In place of seeing, as I did, hundreds 
 of men, women, and children, in the last state of 
 destitution, I might have seen thousands. I 
 entered the alleys, and visited the hovels, and 
 climbed the stairs at a venture ; I did not select ; 
 and I have no reason to believe that the forty 
 which I visited, were the abodes of greater 
 wretchedness than the hundreds which I passed by. 
 
 I saw also, another kind of destitution. The 
 individuals I have yet spoken of, were aged, 
 infirm, or diseased : but there was another class, 
 fast approaching infirmity and disease; but yet 
 able and willing to earn their subsistence. I found 
 many hand-loom weavers, who worked from five in 
 the morning till eight at night, and received from 
 a task-master, from half a crown to four shillings 
 a week. Many of these men had wives and 
 families ,* and I need scarcely say, that confinement, 
 labour, scanty subsistence, and despair, were fast 
 reducing these men to the condition of the others. 
 
306 LIMERICK. 
 
 upon whom disease, and utter destitution had al- 
 ready laid their hands. The subsistence of these men 
 consisted of one scanty meal of dry potatos daily. 
 
 I will only add one other instance of destitution. 
 Driving in the neighbourhood of Limerick, on the 
 Adair road, in company with a medical gentleman, 
 the apparition of a man suddenly appeared by the 
 side of our car. The gentleman who accompanied 
 me knew him: he had been a stone- breaker; but 
 had become infirm, and at length utterly "disabled, 
 by disease, from labour : his cabin was close by ; 
 and we ascertained, that he, and his family, had 
 subsisted, during the last three days, on the leaves 
 of that yellow-flowered weed which grows among 
 the corn ; and which is boiled, and eaten with a 
 little salt. I think I have already mentioned the 
 use of this weed for a similar purpose, by the 
 destitute poor of Kilkenny; or if I have not, I 
 ought to have done so. 
 
 I think it is impossible for me to select a better 
 opportunity than this, to advert briefly to a topic, 
 on which I have not hitherto ofi'ered any direct 
 observations. I allude to the disputed question, 
 whether there be, or be not, a necessity for some 
 
LIMERICK. 307 
 
 legal provision for tlie poor : and I confess, that 
 with such scenes before me as I have at this 
 moment, it does seem to me an insult to humanity 
 and common sense, to doubt the necessity to which 
 I allude. I might carry the reader back with me, 
 to gather arguments from Kilkenny, Waterford, 
 Cashel; and, indeed, from almost every town, 
 village, and hamlet, that has lain on my way ; but 
 the situation of the poor of Limerick is at this 
 moment fresh in my memory ; and I ask any man 
 of ordinary intelligence, whether such a state of 
 things can, or ought to be allowed to continue ? 
 Why should Lord Limerick, in Ireland, be exempt 
 from the duty which Lord Limerick, in England, 
 must perform ? Why, under the same government, 
 should men be allowed to starve in one division of 
 the empire, and not in another ? I mention the 
 name of Lord Limerick, not because I suppose he, 
 or any other man, can prevent pauperism on his 
 city property ; but because, when I inquire who 
 are the individuals that contribute to keep the 
 bodies and souls of these miserable creatures 
 together, and when I ascertain, that many a 
 humane citizen contributes more than the noble 
 
308 LIMERICK. 
 
 owner of all the property, then I perceive, that 
 there is something wrong ; and, — that leaving for a 
 moment the question, as it relates to the poor, out 
 of consideration, — justice demands, that in the ratio 
 of their abundance, men should be forced to con- 
 tribute. 
 
 At present, I shall not pursue the subject farther. 
 But in a future chapter, when I shall have seen 
 every part of Ireland, I shall speak at greater 
 length, and with more confidence. This I mean 
 to do, with reference to a Poor Law Commission, 
 which was prosecuting its inquiries while I was in 
 Ireland. By the kindness of friends, I was fur- 
 nished with all the papers which government 
 intended should guide the inquiries of the com- 
 missioners: and when I shall have travelled over 
 every part of Ireland, I shall probably feel myself 
 competent to furnish some answer to the queries 
 which are contained in the instructions alluded to ; 
 and possibly, to present my own report. 
 
 A prospectus for establishing, in this city, a 
 Mont de Piete, or charitable pawn-office, fell into 
 my hands. The project originated with Mr. Bar- 
 rington; and, certainly, from, the statements made 
 
LIMERICK. 309 
 
 in the prospectus to which I allude, any substitute 
 for the common pawn-broking system ought to 
 meet with encouragement. The rate of interest, 
 30 per cent., sanctioned by government, is in- 
 creased to a ruinous degree, by the necessity of 
 redeeming and repawning weekly, in place of 
 monthly. One shilling lent, and received in the 
 week, pays Id. interest, and Id. for the duplicate: 
 this is 85. Sd. interest on one shilling, for a year ; 
 or 8/. 135. Ad. on a pound, for a year; or 886Z. 13s. 
 4 per cent., per annum; and this, exclusive of 
 compound interest. The prospectus, after setting 
 forth the wrongs suffered by the necessitous, under 
 the present system, proposes that the profits of the 
 establishment, after paying expenses, shall be 
 applied, in the first instance, in payment of the 
 interest of the capital lent, at 5 per cent., and that 
 the surplus profits shall be divided into equal 
 shares ; one, in paying off the debentures ; and the 
 other (and when the debentures are paid, the 
 whole) in maintaining and extending the benefits 
 of the hospital. I have dwelt the longer upon this 
 matter, from the belief which I entertain, that the 
 miserable condition of the poor of Ireland is made 
 
310 LIMERICK. 
 
 greatly more miserable, by the extortionate system 
 of common pawn-broking; and tliat an important 
 relief would be afforded to the poor, by the es- 
 tablishment, wherever practicable, of a Mont de 
 Piete, to which the needy man may go with con- 
 fidence — secure against usurious exaction — knowing 
 that he will receive the fair value on the article 
 deposited ; that no advantage will be taken of his 
 ignorance or necessity ; and that he is, at the same 
 time, obtaining relief for the present, and con- 
 tributing to a fund which will comfort and relieve 
 him in the hour of distress. I sincerely trust 
 Mr. Barrington may be successful in his attempt, 
 and that the benefits to the poor of Limerick, 
 which would infallibly follow, may lead to similar 
 institutions elsewhere. 
 
 There is in Limerick, as in Cork, and several 
 other places, a loan fund, the residue of subscrip- 
 tions for the distressed Irish, which was apportioned 
 by the London Committee, in 1822, to different 
 counties, for the promotion of industry. I have a 
 statement, now before me, of the present condition 
 of this fund ; and it will surprise the reader to be 
 told, that, while the sum put at the disposal of the 
 
LIMERICK. 311 
 
 county of Limerick has increased, by judicious 
 management, since the year 1822, from 6370Z. to 
 7521/., and, in other counties, in greater or less 
 proportion, — in some counties it has remained 
 stationary, or suffered a decrease. In Clare, the 
 6000Z. intended to be applied to the benefit of the 
 industrious, by loan, at a small interest, and on 
 proper security, has become 5989Z. In Sligo, the 
 3870Z. has become 383 IZ. In Leitrim there has 
 been on the original 2000Z. a decrease of no less 
 than 867Z.; and perhaps the most singular fact of 
 all is, that the 2500Z. allocated to Tipperary is, at 
 this moment, precisely 2500Z. There must have 
 been somewhere gross mismanagement, or grosser 
 jobbing. Where has the 2500Z. been since 1822? 
 It can never have been applied as intended, because 
 a single loan made, must have either added to, or 
 taken from it: it cannot have lain in a bank, 
 because interest would have accrued upon it ! 
 From all that 1 could ascertain, both in Cork and 
 in Limerick, I have reason to think that this loan 
 fund has been most beneficial in its effects; and 
 that any loan fund, under judicious management. 
 
312 LIMERICK. 
 
 must produce important results, in encouraging 
 industry, and accumulating capital. 
 
 I have said nothing, as yet, of the environs of 
 Limerick. In the neighbourhood of such a river 
 as the Shannon, they can scarcely be otherwise 
 than beautiful; and the great natural fertility of 
 the soil, and the improved husbandry, pretty 
 generally adopted, greatly increase the attractions 
 of -this fine district. The Marquis of Lansdowne 
 possesses an extensive estate close to Limerick. 
 It is in the finest state of cultivation ; and, from a 
 personal survey, I may state that every industrious 
 tenant is in comfortable circumstances ; and that 
 the moderate rent charged for the excellent land in 
 this neighbourhood, was in striking contrast with 
 the rents paid for the comparatively indifferent 
 land, which I had lately seen in the neighbourhood 
 of Ennis. 
 
 I cannot speak so well of the property of the 
 Earl of Limerick. Whatever advantages the te- 
 nantry possess, are referable to the exertions and 
 good-heartedness of his lordship's agents. I will 
 not trust myself to speak further of the Earl of 
 
LIMERICK. 313 
 
 Limerick, unless only to add, that from high and 
 low, rich and poor, I never heard a good word o 
 his lordship. 
 
 Some extensive embankments are now in course 
 of being constructed below Limerick, with the view 
 of reclaiming land. One of these, the lowest 
 down the river, is undertaken by a Scotch gentle- 
 man, who has already sunk a large sum in the 
 attempt : the others are undertaken by Lord Lans- 
 downe and by Mr, Barrington ; and there is no 
 doubt of the ultimate success of all these attempts. 
 
 Before leaving Limerick, I visited the beautiful 
 village of Adair, and the fine domains of the Earl 
 of Dunraven, and of Sir Aubrey de Vere. 
 
 This was one of the most agreeable days I have 
 spent. I took a circuitous road, skirting the left 
 bank of the Shannon, and visiting a village, called 
 Palace, on my way, that I might have the pleasure 
 of looking in upon the talented author of " The 
 Collegians." Carragh, the domain of Sir Aubrey 
 de Vere, I greatly admire. Sir Aubrey, being 
 then engaged as foreman of the Grand Jury at 
 Limerick, I had not an opportunity of presenting 
 my letter of introduction. It is only when I do 
 
 VOL. I. p 
 
314 LIMERICK. 
 
 not, or liave not an opportunity of presenting my 
 letters of introduction, that I mention them at all ; 
 and this, not as information to the public, to whom 
 the matter is of no importance ; but, for the 
 information of the individuals who gave me the 
 letters, and of the individuals to whom they were 
 addressed, who may possibly be aware of my 
 having been in possession of such letters; and who, 
 ■without some mention of them, would be ignorant 
 of the reason why they were not used. 
 
 Adair, and the domain of the Earl of Dunraven 
 (to whom I also carried a letter, which I did not 
 deKver), are both beautiful. Within Lord Dun- 
 raven's domain are no fewer than three ruins of 
 abbeys, — one of them, the Black Abbey, yet in 
 tolerable preservation. There is also, close to the 
 picturesque bridge over the Maize, the ruins of the 
 castle of the Earls of Desmond. The Earl of 
 Dunraven is now building a new castellated man- 
 sion, close to the old house : with Kingston Castle 
 in my recollection, it appeared rather diminutive : 
 but the surrounding scenery is close scenery, and 
 not suitable to a very commanding edifice. 
 
315 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Ascent of the Shannon from Limerick to Athlone — Castle 
 Connell— The Rapids— Holy Well— The River above Castle 
 Connell — Killaloe — The Steam Navigation Company — 
 Voyage up Loch Derg to Portumna — Character of this 
 expansion of the Shannon — Details of the Ascent — Por- 
 tumna — The River and its Banks between Portumna and 
 Banagher — Comparison with other Rivers — Desolate Scenes 
 — Banagher — Journey to Athlone. 
 
 River of billows ! to whose mighty heart 
 
 The tide- wave rushes of the Atlantic sea ; 
 
 River of quiet depths ! by cultured lea, 
 Romantic wood, or city's crowded mart ; 
 River of old poetic founts! that start 
 From their lone mountain cradles, wild and free. 
 Nursed with the Fawns, lulled by the wood-lark's glee, 
 And cushal's hymeneal song apart — 
 River of chieftains ! whose baronial halls. 
 
 Like veteran Avarriors, watch each wave-worn steep, 
 Portumna's towers, Bunratty's regal walls, 
 
 Carrick's stern rock, the Geraldine's grey keep — 
 River of dark mementos ! 
 
 I now return to the Shannon; from which, the 
 city of Limerick, and its attractions, and interests, 
 have some time diverted me. 
 p2 
 
316 CASTLE CONNELL. 
 
 It is impossible to ascend by water, from 
 Limerick to the village of Castle Connell, owing 
 to the rapids which intervene : but the road, 
 although not running close to the river, commands 
 its banks; and carries the traveller through as 
 lovely a country as the imagination can well 
 picture. In variety, and wooded fertility, it is not 
 surpassed by the most celebrated of the English 
 v^ales, no one of which can boast as an adjunct to 
 its scenery, so noble a river as the Shannon. 
 Many fine seats lie on the left of the road, towards 
 the river, particularly Mount Shannon, the resi- 
 dence, at least the property, of the Earl of Clare ; 
 and glimpses are also caught of several other fine 
 domains and villas, amongst others, those belonging 
 to the numerous family of Massey. 
 
 On reaching the village of Castle Connell, mj^ 
 first feeling was admiration ; my next, surprise, 
 that I should never before have heard of Castle 
 Connell. It is surrounded by every kind of 
 beauty ; and after spending a day in its neighbour- 
 hood, I began to entertain serious doubts, whether 
 even Killarney itself, greatly surpassed in beauty, 
 the scenery around Castle Connell. It is a little 
 
CASTLE CONNELL. 317 
 
 village of neat, clean, country houses, situated close 
 to the Shannon, and backed and flanked by noble 
 domains, and fine spreading woods. Just below 
 the village, commence the rapids of the Shannon, 
 of which I had never even heard, until I reached 
 Limerick ; and these are of themselves well worth 
 a visit. I hired a little boat to shoot the upper 
 rapid, and take me across ; for the scenery is best 
 seen from the Clare side ; and I was well repaid 
 for my trouble. A charming walk leads down 
 the opposite bank, through Sir Hugh Massey's 
 grounds; and I do not at this moment recollect 
 any example of more attractive river scenery. The 
 wide, deep, clear river is, for more than a quarter 
 of a mile, almost a cataract; and this, to an English 
 eye, must be particularly striking. It is only in 
 the streams and rivulets of England, that rapids 
 are found : the larger rivers, generally glide 
 smoothly on without impediment from rocks : the 
 Thames, Trent, Mersey, and Severn, when they 
 lose the character of streams, and become rivers, 
 hold a noiseless course ; but the Shannon, larger 
 than all the four, here pours that immense body of 
 water which above the rapids is forty feet deep. 
 
318 CASTLE CONNELL. 
 
 and tliree hundred yards wide, tlirough and above 
 a congregation of huge stones and rocks, which 
 extend nearly half a mile; and oiFers not only an 
 unusual scene, but a spectacle approaching much 
 nearer to the sublime, than any moderate-sized 
 stream can offer even in its highest cascade. None 
 of the Welsh water-falls, nor the Geisbach in 
 Switzerland, can compare for a moment in grandeur 
 and effect with the rapids of the Shannon. 
 
 Nor is the river the only attractive object at 
 Castle Conneil : its adjuncts are all beautiful. The 
 greenest of lawns rise from it; the finest timber 
 fringes it : magnificent mansions tower above their 
 surrounding woods; swelling knolls are dotted with 
 cattle and sheep ; and it so happened too, that the 
 landscape had all the advantage which the alter- 
 nations of sunshine and shadow could Q-ive it, 
 
 a 
 
 I. went as far as a holy well, dedicated to St. 
 Senanus. Judging from what I saw, it must be in 
 high l-epute ; for hundreds of little wooden vessels 
 lay heaped in and above it, the offerings of those 
 who had come to drink ; and the trees that over- 
 shadowed the v/ell were entirely covered with 
 shreds of all colours— bits and clippings of gowns. 
 
CASTLE CON NELL. 319 
 
 and handkerchiefs, and petticoats, — remembrances 
 also of those who drank. These, I believe, are the 
 title-deeds to certain exemptions, or benefits, 
 claimed by those who thus deposit them in the 
 keeping of the patron saint, who is supposed to be 
 thus reminded of the individuals w^hose penances 
 might otherwise have been overlooked. I noticed 
 among the offerings, some strings of beads, and a 
 few locks of hair. 
 
 The inn at Castle Connell is beautifully situated, 
 and very moderate in its charges; and the inha- 
 bitants of Limerick make abundant use of it : for, 
 besides that Castle Connell is resorted to as summer 
 quarters, it is also a noted rendezvous of the trades- 
 people, on Sundays and holidays. Houses are 
 scarce and dear. For a very small house, 10/. a 
 month is asked ; and a couple of rooms indifferently 
 furnished, could not be had for less than 25s. per 
 week. I found this to be universally the case 
 throughout Ireland at all places of occasional 
 resort; everywhere affording proof of want of 
 enterprise in the employment of capital, however 
 judicious the investment might be. 
 
 I hired a small rowing boat to take me up the 
 
320 THE SHANNON. 
 
 river to Killaloe, where the steam navigation of the 
 upper Shannon commences. The rapids of Castle 
 Connell, although they interrupt the river navi- 
 gation, are not allowed to impede the water com- 
 munication between the upper Shannon and 
 Limerick, — a canal being cut from the city, to a 
 point in the Shannon, about a mile and a half 
 above Castle ConnelL 
 
 Leaving Castle Connell, Clare is on one side, 
 and Limerick county on the other side of the river; 
 but the division line between Limerick and Tip- 
 perary is soon passed; and then Clare is on the 
 west, and Tipperary on the east side of the river. 
 Nothing could be greener than the sloping banks 
 which we rowed swiftly by ; they were adorned 
 too, on the Limerick side especially, by several 
 pretty villas ; and this being hay season, the 
 slanting sunshine, falling athwart the after-grass, 
 bathed it in hues that were almost too brilliant 
 to be natural. The river is here, from two to 
 three hundred yards wide, and averages fr5m thirty 
 to forty feet in depth. 
 
 About two miles up the river from Castle Connell, 
 we reached O'Brien's bridge; an old bridge, with a 
 
THE SHANNON. 321 
 
 castle, and small village, on the Clare side of the 
 river. The bridge has thirteen arches, and is only 
 interesting from its antiquity. There is a slight 
 fall of water ; but not so much as to occasion any 
 difficulty or danger, either in ascending, or in 
 shooting the arch. Beyond O'Brien's bridge, the 
 country improves; fine cultivated hills appear at 
 some little distance from the river; and although 
 a deficiency of wood may be remarked, the views 
 on either side present many sweet pictures of quiet 
 pastoral scenery — verdant slopes, and drowsy 
 cattle, and nodding water lilies, and here and 
 there, a farm-house, and its more animated accom- 
 paniments. We also passed several small islands, 
 none of them large enough to be made subservient 
 to utility. 
 
 About a mile and a half before reaching Killaloe, 
 another canal cut is requisite, owing to some 
 inconsiderable rapids. The canal skirts the domain 
 of the Lord Bishop of Killaloe; whose palace and 
 grounds are sufficiently inviting: the fine long 
 meadow-grass of the bishop's lawn, reminded me 
 by contrast, of a saying I had heard of the county 
 of Kerry, where grass is so scarce, that it is said, 
 p3 
 
3*22 KILLALOE. 
 
 the cows wont lift up their heads to look at a 
 passer-by, for fear that they should not be able 
 to find the grass again. I reached Killaloe about 
 four hours after leaving Castle Connell. 
 
 Killaloe, I found an improving town. This 
 improvement arises from several causes; but chiefly 
 is owing to the spirited proceedings of the Inland 
 Steam Navigation Company, — a company, whose 
 objects are most closely connected with the im- 
 provement of Ireland, and which are too important, 
 and too vast, to be left, in the present infancy of 
 the establishment, to private exertion, or even to 
 public patronage. The improvement of the navi- 
 gation of the Shannon and its tributaries, is 
 deserving of the especial protection and aid of 
 government. Killaloe is the head-quarters of the 
 company ; and from this point, there is a regular 
 steam communication for goods and passengers 
 up the Shannon, through Loch Derg, to Portumna, 
 Banagher, and Athlone ; and from the same point, 
 by packet boat to Limerick, and thence, again, by 
 steam to the sea. It is intended to carry the steam 
 navigation above Athlone, through Loch Ree, 
 to Lanesborough, Carrick, and Leitrim ; and when 
 
KILLALOE. 323 
 
 these arrangements are completed, there will be 
 a direct navigation on the Shannon, of nearly tivo 
 hundred andjifty miles, mostly performed by steam; 
 together with a direct water communication to 
 Dublin, by the grand canal. 
 
 I have ascribed the improving condition of 
 Killaloe, chiefly to the enterprise of the steam navi- 
 gation company. This arises in several ways, — 
 partly in the direct employment afforded by the 
 company in the construction of buildings, docks, 
 &c.; and partly in the general encouragement 
 offered to trade, by the facilities afforded, both for 
 internal communication, and for export trade, which 
 has lately been greatly on the increase. There 
 are also other sources of employment and wealth in 
 Killaloe. The extensive slate quarries in the 
 neighbourhood, afford a yearly export of at least 
 100,000 tons; and dispense about 300Z. weekly, 
 in wages: and close to the town, an extensive 
 mill has lately been erected, for the sawing of 
 marble and stone, which are sent there both from 
 Galway and Limerick counties ; so that altogether 
 there is little want of employment in Killaloe. 
 
 The town is very agreeably situated on the 
 
324 THE SHANNON. 
 
 rising ground above the river, and vrithin a mile of 
 the noble expansion of water, called Loch Derg. 
 An old bridge of nineteen arches, just below the 
 town, connects the counties of Clare and Tipperary; 
 and there is an old cathedral, with a square tower, 
 and Saxon archway of considerable beauty. I 
 attempted to gain the summit of the tower, by the 
 stair inside ; but found it in so ruinous and danger- 
 ous a condition, that 1 was forced to give up the 
 attempt. 
 
 I stepped on board the steam vessel at eight in 
 the morning, satisfied with every thing about 
 Killaloe, excepting the inn, which is far from being 
 what might be expected at the place where the 
 navigation company has fixed its head-quarters. 
 About a mile and a half from Killaloe, just at tite 
 entrance to Loch Derg, is a mount on the left 
 bank, covered with trees, called O'Brien's fort? 
 where it is said, the ancient kings once resided. 
 On entering Loch Derg, several pretty and inte- 
 resting objects attract one on both sides. The 
 vessel kept nearly mid-water, and this first reach of 
 the loch being only about a mile wide, there is 
 nothing lost to the eye. Derry Castle, the resi- 
 
THE SHANNON. 3*25 
 
 dence of Captain Head, on the Tipperary side, is 
 a beautiful spot: the lawn slopes down to the 
 water ; the house is almost hidden in fine woods ; 
 and there is a fine back-ground of cultivated moun- 
 tains. On a little island, close to the shore, are 
 seen the ruins of a castle. 
 
 All the way through this first reach of the loch, 
 a distance of about four miles, the character of the 
 banks continues the same : not that there is any 
 thing like monotony ; all the variety that can be 
 produced by verdure, wood, and tillage is there: 
 but the banks are invariably sloping and cultivated, 
 with higher and more sterile elevations rising 
 behind : ten or twelve islands, of inconsiderable 
 size, lie scattered over this first reach. At the 
 point where this first reach of the loch terminates, 
 opening into the wider part of the lake, the banks 
 on both sides are extremely beautiful. The Clare 
 side is covered with deep woods, backed by lofty 
 hills; and the Tipperary side is adorned by the 
 fine domain of Castle-loch, embosomed in mag- 
 nificent oak woods : here, too, an island surmounted 
 by a ruin, is seen on the right, close to the shore ; 
 and a small harbour has been constructed in a little 
 
326 THE SHANNON. 
 
 bay, for the convenience of the export of slate. 
 This first reach of the loch, varies in depth from 
 thirty up to ninety feet ; but in the mid channel, 
 the average depth is from seventy to eighty feet. 
 Close to the shore, there is generally from ten to 
 fifteen feet water; and at some parts, as much as 
 forty feet. 
 
 Immediately, on emerging from the first reach, 
 the loch spreads both to the left and right. The 
 left reach, which is not the path of the vessel, is an 
 interesting one. Clare is on one side of it, and 
 county Galway on the other. On the Clare side, 
 the nearer banks are finely cultivated and well 
 wooded ; and more than one ruined castle is seen 
 rising from the water's edge. One of these castles 
 was some time ago held in forcible possession by 
 illicit distillers, against all the civil force that 
 attempted, from time to time, to dislodge them; 
 and it was at length found necessary, to batter 
 down the sheltering walls with cannon ball. On 
 the Galway side, the scenery is diversified by 
 several fine country seats, and by the prettily 
 situated village, called Mount Shannon. Several 
 islands, also, adorn this reach ; particularly Holy 
 
THE SHANNON. 327 
 
 island, — covered with beautiful green pasturage, 
 on which there is an extensive grazing ; and where 
 also, is one of the ancient round towers, besides 
 some lesser and more imperfect ruins. The other 
 islands are no way remarkable. With the exception 
 of Bushy island, which is what it professes to be, 
 they are destitute of wood. 
 
 Leaving this reach of which I have just been 
 speaking, to the left, we now turned into the main 
 reach of the loch. The banks are now, for a few 
 miles, less interesting on the Tipperary side ; but 
 on the Gal way shore, several gentlemen's seats are 
 seen, and a tolerable sprinkling of wood. We 
 made a short halt at a place, formerly called Cow 
 island, now christened Williamstown. Here an 
 hotel is in course of being built; and it is in con- 
 templation to make this a point of export from the 
 county of Clare, and to construct a road to Ennis, 
 its chief town. Opposite to this, on the Tipperary 
 side, many interesting objects are descried: several 
 old castles frown on the shores of two deep bays, 
 Youghall and Dromineer bay, which diverge far to 
 the right; and here and there, more modern houses, 
 with sweeping lawns, and crowning woods, give 
 animation to the scene. 
 
328 THE SHANNON. 
 
 The slow rate at wliicli the steamer carried us 
 through the lake, afforded ample time for observa- 
 tion ; and although the weather was not what would 
 generally be called fine, and gave rise to much 
 grumbling among the passengers, I was not among 
 the number of grumblers. It was not, indeed, one 
 of those splendid summer days, when lakes are like 
 mirrors, and woods are mirrored in them; when 
 the green slopes seem to bask in sunshine, and 
 repose dwells among the hills. It was all sorts of 
 weather: we had gleams of sunshine; sudden 
 mists; flying showers; moments of calm ; sweeping- 
 breezes : so that in the course of one voyage up 
 Loch Derg, I had the advantage of seeing it under 
 as many aspects, as if I had traversed it in every 
 season. 
 
 After passing Cow island, the loch bends a little 
 to the left; and just at the bend, we passed close 
 to a large island called Flanmore, — a green sloping- 
 island, on which I noticed some ruins. On the 
 Galway side, the country here is wild and unin- 
 teresting; but on the Tipperary shore, villas are 
 scattered here and there ; and as we proceeded 
 farther, they became more numerous. The lake 
 
THE SHANNON. 329 
 
 here, for several miles, is not more than a mile in 
 width; and the Tipperary banks are as full of 
 beauty, as wood, lawn, cultivation, and villas, can 
 make them. The domain of Castle Biggs, is par- 
 ticularly attractive. A fine swelling headland 
 projects into the lake; a grey stern ruin stands 
 close to the water ; while the modern house, in the 
 midst of a beautiful park, looks down upon a pretty 
 cove, studded with green islands. Opposite to this, 
 on the Galway side, the banks are thickly covered 
 with wood, which is not, however, of large growth ; 
 and a wild uninteresting tract of country reaches 
 along Cloongagave bay, — the last into which the 
 loch expands on the left. 
 
 We were now within sight of Portumna town 
 and Portumna lodge, — or rather, the remains of 
 what was once the fine seat of the Marquis of 
 Clanricarde. Its-situation is not particularly happy: 
 the country is flat, and the wood generally of small 
 growth; and it is not believed that the Marquis 
 will ever again rebuild his mansion. 
 
 The great reach of Loch Derg, through which 
 I have just conducted the reader, contains upwards 
 of forty islands, varying in size from a mere point. 
 
330 PORTUMNA. 
 
 to the circumference of perhaps two English miles. 
 The lochj not reckoning in its width, the great 
 reach which has Clare on one side, and Galway on 
 the other, is from one to three miles broad. The 
 depth is very variable. There is, however, every- 
 where, a sufficiency of water for all the purposes of 
 navigation. The length of this expansion of the 
 Shannon, from Portumna to Killaloe, is twenty- 
 three miles. 
 
 The town of Portumna lies about a quarter of a 
 mile from the river, and I had only time for a 
 flying visit ; for I wished to take advantage of the 
 fine evening, and go forward to Banagher, in the 
 small river steamer, to which the passengers from 
 Killaloe are transferred. Portumna is a place of 
 considerable export trade to Dublin, and enjoys a 
 good retail trade besides ; but the improvement of 
 the town is much checked by the disinclination of 
 the Marquis of Clanricarde to grant good leases. 
 
 The distance up the river, from Portumna to 
 Banagher, is fourteen miles and a half; and, by 
 the bye, I must not omit to note the expense of 
 travelling by steam on the Shannon. The distance 
 from Killaloe to Banagher, is thirty-eight miles; 
 
THE SHANNON. 331 
 
 and for this, the charge is 6s. Ad., or 2d. per mile. 
 The charge is certainly not high; and I understood, 
 that the only ground of complaint — the slow rate of 
 travelling — was on the eve of being removed, by the 
 employment of a new steam vessel of greater power. 
 The company has already done wonders; and it 
 would be absurd, as yet, to expect perfection. 
 
 To the lover of the picturesque, the banks of 
 the Shannon, between Portumna and Banagher, 
 present little that is attractive. But to other 
 minds, there may be an interest of perhaps a higher 
 kind. We are navigating in a steam vessel, a 
 river, here a hundred and thirty miles from the 
 sea ; and we know it to be navigable nearly a hun- 
 dred miles higher. Its volume appears to be as 
 great as when we saw it at Limerick : it is several 
 hundred yards broad; and twenty and thirty feet 
 deep. What a body of water is this ! What are 
 the Thames, the Medway, the Mersey, the Severn, 
 the Trent, the Humber, the Tweed, or the Clyde, 
 a hundred and thirty miles from the sea? I am 
 not sure if they exist at all; or if any of them do, 
 they are but brawling streams for the minnow to 
 sport in. There !«, in fact, an approach to the 
 
332 THE SHANNON. 
 
 sublime, in the spectacle of such a river as this ; 
 and the feeling receives aid from the character of 
 its banks. These are wide, and apparently inter- 
 minable plains, uninclosed, — almost level with the 
 river, — bearing luxuriant crops of herbage, and 
 feeding innumerable herds. We see scarcely any 
 habitations; no villages or hamlets; and no road or 
 traffic on the banks. The meadows of which I 
 speak, extend on both sides of the river, the greater 
 part of its course from Banagher to Portumna. 
 These meadows are all overflowed during the 
 winter, and are let for grazing at a very high rent. 
 For many miles, there is nothing to relieve the 
 monotony of these vast flats, excepting an old 
 castle, called Torr Castle, — no otherwise remark- 
 able than as being the only object which breaks 
 the level. The views on this part of the Shannon, 
 brought forcibly to my recollection, the banks of 
 the Guadalquivir, between Seville and Cadiz. 
 
 Six or seven miles above Portumna, the river 
 branches out, leaving several flat green islands ; on 
 one of which, a Martello tower, once a defence 
 against the people of Connaught, is still foolishly 
 kept up. The ruins of Meeleck monastery, too, 
 
THE SHANNON. 333 
 
 on the Galway side, attract tlie attention. They 
 appeared to be both fine and extensive. It is here, 
 that the lower Brusna river falls into the Shannon. 
 It is the boundary line betwixt the provinces of 
 Leinster and Munster; and is one of those aids, 
 which may be brought to bear advantageously on 
 the Shannon navigation. From the point of junc- 
 tion, it is only eight miles to the town of Birr, and 
 at a very moderate expense, the Brusna may be 
 rendered navigable. 
 
 From this point to Banagher, the river flows in 
 various branches, leaving not fewer than twenty 
 islands, great and small. The country on both 
 sides, too, begins to improve ; and to assume 
 greater variety. Wood, though but of scanty 
 growth, begins to appear, and the ground rises into 
 some considerable elevations. I reached Banagher 
 a little before dusk, and found excellent accommo- 
 dation in the only hotel. This town, like all the 
 others on the line of the inland navigation, is pro- 
 gressively advancing. There is a good ' corn 
 market, a considerable export, and a thriving retail 
 trade. The town itself has little in its appearance 
 to recommend it. It consists chiefly of one very 
 
334 BANAGHER, 
 
 long street; and lias some batteries on tlie Con- 
 naught side ; and a bridge of nineteen arches. 
 
 To have had the advantage of a steam vessel 
 from Banagher, up the river to Athlone, I should 
 have been obliged to have remained at Banagher 
 several days ; for, at present, this convenience 
 occurs only twice a week. I sufficiently ascertained, 
 however, that by travelling to Athlone by land, I 
 should lose little in the attractions of scenery. 
 The river, from Athlone to Banagher, flows 
 through a wide tract of bog land, — even more 
 uninteresting than the meadows which extend 
 between Fortumna and Banagher. The only relief 
 from this monotony, is the Seven Churches, — 
 ruins, which stand close by the river, about ten 
 miles above Banagher. 
 
 I hired a car to Athlone; and left Banagher the 
 day after I arrived in it. Here I found a change 
 in the expense of travelling. Posting by car, had 
 hitherto been everywhere Sd. per mile ; but I now 
 found, that the price varied with the number of 
 persons using the car. If one person only travels, 
 the price is 6d. per mile ; if two travel, it is Sd, ; if 
 three travel, it is IQd, 
 
BANAGHER. 335 
 
 For some miles after leaving Banagher, the road 
 keeps near to the river; and then passes through 
 the station, called Shannon harbour, where the 
 Grand Canal to Dublin connects itself with the 
 Shannon. From this point, there is regular com- 
 munication daily ; both to Dublin, and, by steam, 
 on the Shannon, to Limerick. A little beyond 
 Shannon harbour, we crossed the upper Brusna 
 river, at a point where the wood scenery is ex- 
 tremely beautiful, and where also, the fine domain 
 of Colonel L' Estrange skirts the road. 
 
 Soon after, we entered that wide tract of bog 
 land, which I have described the Shannon as 
 traversing. It extended on both sides of the road, 
 as far as the eye could reach; and presented, under 
 the influence too, of a dull atmosphere, as dreary a 
 prospect as can well be conceived. The bog of 
 Allan, which traverses a great part of King's 
 County, lay on our right ; and the bogs of Galway 
 stretched away to the left. Occasionally, as the 
 road ascended some trifling elevation, the Shannon 
 was discovered, winding its brimful course, through 
 the low, wide, brown, bog lands, which extended far 
 on either side of it. To the utilitarian, even this 
 
336 BANAGHER. 
 
 prospect is not deficient in interest. Turf— that 
 article of prime necessity in Ireland — is not equally 
 abundant in all parts; and here, in the extensive 
 bogs through which a great river flows, there is 
 security for an abundant and cheap supply of fuel 
 to parts the most remote. 
 
 The road between Banagher and Athlone, I 
 found one of the worst I had seen in Ireland. 
 Few gentlemen's seats are in its neighbourhood; 
 and, therefore, it is nobody's interest to make a job. 
 Some considerable distance before reaching Ath- 
 lone the country improves, and the immediate 
 neighbourhood of the town is finely diversified and 
 well cultivated. 
 
337 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Athlone — The Bridge and the Shannon — Barracks and Forti- 
 fications — Ballymahon — Land, Landlords, and Rents in the 
 County of Longford— Condition of the Farmers— The Protes- 
 tant Population — Religious Dissension — Want of Sympathy 
 with the People, on the part of the Aristocracy — Labouring 
 Classes — Con-acre — Irish Opposition to the Law — The 
 Protestant Clergy— The Catholic Priesthood— Trading Ma- 
 gistrates — Necessity for a Stipendiary Magistracy,, 
 
 Athlone is a remarkably ugly town. So deficient 
 is it in good streets, that after I had walked over 
 the whole town, I still imagined I had seen only 
 the suburbs. But it is, notwithstanding, both an 
 interesting town, and an excellent business town. 
 It stands in the midst of a well cultivated and 
 thickly peopled country ; and, both in its export 
 and general trade, is rapidly improving. At least 
 eighty tons, chiefly corn, are sent down the Shan- 
 non, on a weekly average, by the Navigation Com- 
 pany. The bridge is extremely ancient, and is in 
 
 VOL. I. o 
 
338 ATHLONE. 
 
 ^ disgracefully ruinous condition. In many places 
 the parapet wall lias given way ; and the carriage- 
 road is so narrow that, on a market-day, it fre- 
 quently happens that one can pass in no other 
 manner than by jumping from cart to car and from 
 car to cart. The bridge is altogether a disgrace to 
 the town and the kingdom. Notwithstanding that 
 between Athlone and Portumna, the Shannon 
 receives the two Brusna rivers, the Suck, and many 
 smaller tributaries, it appears, at Athlone, to carry 
 an undiminished volume of water. Above Athlone 
 bridge — upwards of a hundred and fifty miles from 
 the sea — the river is three hundred yards wide, and 
 ranges from twenty to thirty-five feet in depth. 
 
 Athlone is a great military station. Extensive 
 barracks, both for foot regiments and for artillery, 
 lie in its immediate neighbourhood; and, on the 
 Connaught side, a line of fortifications has been 
 erected. In the very centre of the town, too, there 
 is an ancient eastle, with a strong central tower, 
 and massive bastions. All these places are fully 
 garrisoned. 
 
 Athlone, I made my head-quarters for a week ; 
 and, from it, made excursions through different 
 
LONGFORD. 339 
 
 parts of the county of Longford. Independently of 
 my chief objects of inquiry, another object of 
 interest presented itself, in the reputed birthplace 
 of Goldsmith, and in the scene of " The Deserted 
 Village," to both of which I shall by and by return. 
 
 Ballymahon was one of my central points. This 
 is a town about ten miles from Athlone, and 
 capable of much improvement. A very fertile 
 country surrounds it : it is sufficiently near to water 
 communication ; and some idea may be formed of 
 the extent of its market, when I mention that from 
 300Z. to 400Z. worth of eggs have been sold on 
 one market-day. The town and its capabilities 
 are, however, utterly neglected by the proprietor, 
 who grants no leases, and acts — as a great majority 
 of landlords do — -as if he had no interest in the 
 permanent improvement of his property. 
 
 Land, throughout the county of Longford, is, 
 with few exceptions, let high, but there are excep- 
 tions. Lady Ross forms one of these. The land on 
 her ladyship's estate is well worth the value put 
 upon it, and, with a little more skill and industry, 
 would aflford even higher rents than are exacted. 
 But there is a lamentable want of good husbandry ; 
 o2 
 
340 LONGFORD. 
 
 clean farming appears to be unknown : everywhere 
 fields are seen covered with luxuriant crops of 
 weeds, to be ploughed in as manure ; and nowhere 
 is there visible any of the neatness and care which 
 are indicative of industrious habits. I visited a 
 farmer who possessed 107 acres at 2Ss. the Irish 
 acre (not above 16s, the English acre), almost 
 every acre of the farm arable ; and yet this man 
 had as few comforts about him as are found among 
 the holders of a few acres. It must not be for- 
 gotten, however, that one would frequently judge 
 erroneously of the condition of a farmer, by 
 observing only his way of life. More minute 
 observation and closer inquiries must be made. 
 Comfort, as we understand it, is neither understood 
 nor relished in Ireland. I know examples, both in 
 this and in other counties, of persons, living in the ' 
 most miserable way, leaving considerable sums 
 behind them ; and giving handsome portions to 
 their daughters. I do not adduce these examples 
 with the view of insinuating that the land-occupiers 
 are in a better condition than they appear to be. 
 If examples occasionally occur, of farmers leav- 
 ing behind them old stockings, full of sove- 
 
LONGFORD. 341 
 
 reigns, or of portioning off their daughters hand- 
 somely, this is accomplished at the expense of all 
 that we should call the necessaries of life ; and I 
 cannot think it any brilliant example of prosperity, 
 that a farmer should leave a bag of gold behind 
 him, if he and his family have subsisted all their 
 lives on dry potatos. To entitle one to say that a 
 farmer can live out of his land, he must be able to 
 pay his rent ; to live comfortably ; to educate and 
 provide for his family ; and to do something towards 
 improving his land. I fear, however, if such were 
 the standard by which the condition of the Irish 
 land-occupiers were to be judged, we should be 
 brought to the conclusion, that none of the land- 
 holders in Ireland, excepting perpetual lease- 
 holders, can live out of their land. 
 
 There is a considerable Protestant population in 
 the county of Longford ; but I was sorry to learn 
 that much bad feeling existed, owing to a difference in 
 religious belief. A trifling example of this occurred 
 while I was in the neighbourhood. Lady Ross 
 had established several Protestant schools : and the 
 Catholic children, of the adjoining village, were 
 accustomed to post themselves on a bridge, across 
 S3 
 
342 LONGFORD. 
 
 which the Protestant children were obliged to pass, 
 and to spit upon them as they passed by. Several 
 of these offenders were brought before an active 
 and impartial neighbouring magistrate, who, very 
 properly, sent them to the house of correction. 
 
 The resident landlords of the county of Long- 
 ford, are, with few exceptions, an unimproving 
 race ; and I regretted to find, that betwixt them 
 and the lower orders, there was not the best 
 understanding. A wealthy and unembarrassed 
 baronet, on being asked, why he did not embellish 
 his domain, which stood greatly in need of it, and 
 thus give some employment to the people, said, 
 " he made it a rule to circumscribe, within the 
 least possible limits, his intercourse with the lower 
 orders." It is not every landlord who might choose 
 so to express himself; but I fear there are too many 
 who so act. I have generally found the land- 
 owners extremely ignorant of the real condition of 
 the poor : and how, indeed, are they to gain their 
 knowledge, unless they specially seek it ? They do 
 not themselves hire labourers ; they do not call on 
 the small farmer for rent; they do not themselves 
 eject or drive for rent; — and it is not to the hall. 
 
LONGFORD. 343 
 
 but to the farm-liouse, that the mendicant, and the 
 mendicant's wife, and the orphan child, and the 
 unemployed labourer, carry their sack, and their 
 petition. The landlord has his gate-house, beyond 
 which the vigilant porter permits no unwelcome 
 visitor to pass. 
 
 The wages of labour throughout the county of 
 Longford are low : Sd. in summer, and 6d. in 
 winter, is the usual rate; and that without diet. 
 Many have endeavoured to convince me that this 
 rate is sufficiently high for the quantity of labour 
 performed ; and that it would be greater economy 
 to pay Is. 6d. to an English labourer, than 8d. to an 
 Irishman ; and that I might, every hour of the day, 
 have confirmation of this, by observing the listless 
 way a labourer goes about his work. But, when I 
 see a labourer leaning on his spade, I do not see, 
 in this, so much a proof of unwillingness to work, 
 as of want of full employment; and I am not 
 aware that there is any complaint of idleness against 
 the migrating Irish, by those who employ them : 
 and besides, — let those who make unfavourable com- 
 parisons between English and Irish labourers, ask 
 themselves the question — how an English labourer 
 
344 LONGFORD. 
 
 would work, if a scanty meal of dry potatos were 
 substituted for bacon and beer ? 
 
 The con-acre system is universal in this county ; 
 and the rent paid does not generally exceed the 
 rate of 8/. per acre. The same practice, too, pre- 
 vails here, as I had found in the county of 
 Kilkenny, and in some other parts, by which the 
 individual furnishing manure receives, rent free, 
 the produce of as much land as he is able to ma- 
 nure. At 11. an acre for manured potato land, the 
 tenant appears to have a good bargain. Add to 
 the 7Z., — 3Z. 10s. for seed and labour ; and suppose 
 the produce of the acre fifteen tons of potatos, at 
 2d, per stone. The value would in that case be 
 20/., leaving to the occupier 9Z. 10s. if he sent the 
 potatos to market. These, too, are both low 
 calculations : fifteen tons is not the most abundant 
 produce; and 2<i. per stone is a low price. The 
 rent of con-acre here is lower, however, than 1 
 have generally found it elsewhere. The reader 
 will recollect that lOZ. and 12/. are the more usual 
 rents. 
 
 I regretted to have confirmation in the county of 
 Longford, of that desire generally ascribed to the 
 
LONGPORD. 345 
 
 Irish peasantry, of opposing the course of justice. 
 It has generally been said, that in this, Ireland 
 offers a great contrast to the neighbouring island : 
 that, whereas in England, every man's hand is 
 raised in support of the law ; in Ireland, all are 
 arrayed in opposition to it. That there is a consi- 
 derable degree of truth in this, cannot be denied; 
 though, at the same time, many acts, which, at first 
 sight, might be set down as arising out of pure 
 dislike of the course of justice, appear, upon 
 minuter inquiry, to have originated in clanship; 
 and in a conviction common throughout Ireland, of 
 the claim which all relations have to protection, 
 however grievously they may have offended against 
 the law. Examples of this, I think, I have already 
 given, when speaking of the assizes at Ennis. 
 Some facts, however, which came to my knowledge 
 in Longford, were strongly indicative of a deter- 
 mination to set law at defiance ; and of a disposition 
 to regard all men as martyrs, or at least as injured 
 persons, who had been brought, by crimes however 
 heinous, within the operation of the law. 
 
 I will adduce two instances. A stranger to that 
 part of Ireland, and a Protestant, was servant in 
 
346 LONGFORD. 
 
 the house of a magistrate ; and he robbed his 
 master to a considerable extent. This man, though 
 a perfect stranger, was screened by the peasantry 
 during a long period, and was received and enter- 
 tained on no other passport, than as being in 
 danger of being overtaken by justice for having 
 robbed a good master — a magistrate. Another 
 example is still more striking. An individual, 
 moving in the upper ranks of life, named Luke 
 Dillon, was tried some years ago for rape committed 
 under most aggravated circumstances, the object of 
 the crime, too, being in his own sphere of life. 
 Sentence of death was commuted to banishment for 
 life; and Luke Dillon appeared to be forgotten. 
 A man, however, one day appeared in this neigh- 
 bourhood, and gave out that he was Luke Dillon, 
 returned from banishment, and setting the law at 
 defiance. The man was a swindler, — not Luke 
 Dillon ; but he judged — and he judged correctly — 
 that by pretending to be this individual who had 
 suffered under a sentence of the law, and who 
 wished to set it at defiance, he should receive pro- 
 tection, and be enabled the easier to exercise his 
 swindling propensities. This man was appro- 
 
LONGFORD. 347 
 
 hended, and broiiglit to trial at the sessions ; and it 
 appeared in evidence, tliat he had been concealed, 
 protected, and entertained, as being the infamous 
 wretch who had been banished, and who, it was 
 believed, had been adroit enough to outwit the law. 
 I was happy to find the Protestant clergy of this 
 part of Ireland greatly respected ; and this respect 
 is evinced in singular ways. From time to time, 
 considerable emigration has taken place from this 
 part of Ireland to America; and it is not unusual 
 for remittances to be sent home from the colonies, 
 by those who have emigrated, for the use of their 
 poor relatives. Now it is a curious fact, and a fact 
 that consists with my knowledge, that Catholic 
 emigrants send their remittances to the care, not of 
 the Catholic priest, but of the Protestant clergy- 
 man, to be distributed by him among those pointed 
 out. The same respect for, and reliance on, the 
 Protestant clergyman, is evinced in other ways. 
 It is not at all unusual, for Catholics possessed of a 
 little money, to leave the Protestant clergyman their 
 executor, in preference to their own priest, or to 
 any other individual. The Irish peasant has natu- 
 rally a respect for, and confidence in, a gentleman. 
 
348 LONGFORD. 
 
 of whatever persuasion he is. Ah ! how the gen- 
 tlemen of Ireland have laboured to eradicate this 
 respect, and to destroy this confidence ! Yet it 
 still exists ; and needs but a little intercourse, and 
 a little kindliness, to be at any time restored. 
 
 The influence of the Catholic priesthood is seen 
 on all occasions excepting those in which the guar- 
 dianship of mone}^ is concerned; and it is to be 
 regretted, that this influence is not always well 
 exerted. Every one who knows anything of ma- 
 gisterial business in Ireland, or who has had oppor- 
 tunities of attending assizes or sessions, well knows 
 that this influence is frequently exerted in co- 
 operation with the peasantry, against the law ; and 
 in screening criminals from its operation. A hun- 
 dred instances of this are on record. I know a case 
 in the county of Longford, of a man being put 
 upon his trial for abduction, — when the priest 
 volunteered to give the man a character; and yet, 
 the individual tried, had been concerned in two 
 other cases of abduction : and it came out on a 
 cross-examination, that these facts were perfectly 
 known to the volunteering priest. 
 
 I do look upon it as most important to the 
 
LONGFORD. 349 
 
 civilization and to the peace of Ireland, that a 
 better order of Catholic priesthood should be. raised. 
 Taken, as they at present are, from the very inferior 
 classes, they go to Maynooth, and are reared in 
 monkish ignorance and bigotry; and they go to 
 their cures, with a narrow education, grafted on 
 the original prejudices and habits of thinking, 
 which belong to the class among which their early 
 years were passed. From my considerable ex- 
 perience of Catholic countries, I know enough of 
 Popery to convince me how necessary it is, that its 
 priests should have all the advantages which are to 
 be gathered beyond the confines of a cloister. 
 
 I found in one part of this county, great want of 
 accommodation for the Protestant congregation. I 
 allude to the parish " of the Union of Kilglass." 
 There is monstrous abuse here. The bishop is 
 rector, and draws from four to five hundred pounds 
 per annum; and yet there is no church, or Pro- 
 testant service in the parish. His lordship, on 
 being respectfully written to on the subject, replied, 
 that there was service in the next parish ! 
 
 Trading magistrates are not yet extinct in the 
 county Longford: value is still occasionally re- 
 ceived for magisterial protection, in the shape of 
 
 VOL. I. R 
 
350 LONGFORD. 
 
 labour, — such as, a winter-cutting of turf being 
 brought to a man's door. Neither is there much 
 co-operation among the magistracy. They take 
 pleasure in thwarting each other; and it is not 
 unusual for persons imprisoned by the warrant of 
 one magistrate, to be forthwith liberated by the 
 warrant of another. This, I think, ought not to be 
 possible. Crime can never be effectually repressed, 
 where such a state of things exists; and every 
 week's new experience in Ireland, more and more 
 convinced me, that the establishment of a general 
 stipendiary magistracy, would be one great step 
 towards the civilization and pacification of the 
 country. Without this, the factions which disturb 
 so many of the counties, cannot be put effectually 
 down. The unpaid magistracy of Ireland cannot, 
 as a body, practise that steady, fearless, and 
 energetic vindication of the law, which must cer- 
 tainly go hand in hand with every measure of 
 equity and conciliation. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED BY MANMNG AND SMITHSON, 
 IVV-LAXE, PATJJRNOSTER-ROW. 
 
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