+------------------------------------------------------------+|Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent spelling of place names ||are left as in the original. |+------------------------------------------------------------+

 THE SUNNY SIDE

 OF

 IRELAND. 

 [Illustration]

 Second Edition. Re-written and Enlarged. 

 THE SUNNY SIDE

 OF

 IRELAND. 

 HOW TO SEE IT BY THE GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY. 

 BY

 JOHN O'MAHONY. 

 With Seven Maps and over 160 Illustrations. 

 AND A CHAPTER ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AND WEST OF IRELAND, BY

 R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B. A. , B. E. , &c. 

 ALEX. THOM & CO. (LIMITED), 87, 88, & 89, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN. 

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 

These pages attempt to make better known the large part of Ireland whichis served by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and whiledoing so to realise Shakespeare's words:

 "An honest tale speeds best being plainly told. "

If they succeed in these endeavours, they will satisfy the compiler. Noinexorable route is insisted upon, but no suggestion is stinted whichmay help the tourist to enjoy fully the beautiful country he passesthrough--and a beautiful country it truly is, be it approached fromAthlone, its north-western gate, by the Shannon, where, "In the quiet watered land, the land of roses, Stands Saint Kieran's city fair, "

or from its south-western side, in the kingdom of Kerry, where the oceanleans against the mountains, and the storm-swept peak of Skellig Michaelmakes the most westerly citadel of Christ in the Old World! Everywherewithin its broad borders, swift-rushing rivers, mirror-like lakes, andmountains tiaraed in the skies, delight the vision and gladden theheart. 

The Gaelic names of places are usually word pictures reflecting withfidelity the physical features of each place, or "tell sad stories ofthe death of kings. " Where possible, the equivalents have been given inEnglish. 

With these forewords, nothing further remains but to offer an Irishwelcome-- FAILTÈ. 

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 

Since "The Sunny Side of Ireland" was issued the Royal Assent has beengiven to an Act of Parliament which makes the Great Southern and WesternRailway foremost in every sense amongst Irish Railways. The twoProvinces of Munster and Connaught are now knit together by a hugenetwork of railway lines comprised in their amalgamated system. 

The several counties thus included are dealt with in this SecondEdition. The volume is further enhanced by more particular informationas to the sports and pastimes of the country, and by a valuable chapteron the Natural History of the South and West of Ireland, by writers ofauthority on such subjects. 

 LIST OF MAPS. 

 MAP OF THE GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY AND ITS CONNECTIONS IN IRELAND 6

 MAP SHOWING CONNECTIONS OF THE GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY IN GREAT BRITAIN 7

 MAP OF DUBLIN CITY 14

 MAP OF ENVIRONS OF DUBLIN 15

 MAP OF CORK CITY 72

 MAP OF ENVIRONS OF CORK 73

 PICTORIAL MAP OF KILLARNEY DISTRICT 132

 CONTENTS. Page

 INTRODUCTION 8

 DUBLIN AND DISTRICT--

 DUBLIN 15

 DUBLIN DISTRICT 24

 LIMERICK AND DISTRICT--

 LIMERICK 46

 LIMERICK DISTRICT 53

 THE SHANNON LAKES 67

 CORK AND DISTRICT--

 CORK 73

 CORK DISTRICT 85

 THE RIVER BLACKWATER, YOUGHAL, &C. 98

 WATERFORD AND DISTRICT 112

 KILLARNEY AND GLENGARRIFF 133

 LAKES AND FJORDS OF KERRY 175

 COUNTY CLARE 221

 GALWAY AND DISTRICT 235

 CONNEMARA AND SLIGO 245

 SUMMER AND WINTER RESORTS 256

 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AND WEST OF IRELAND 260

 SPORTS--

 CYCLING 278

 GOLF 291

 RIVER FISHING 295

 LAKE FISHING 299

 SHOOTING 303

 INDEX 306

 ADVERTISEMENTS 309

Introduction. 

Travelling through Ireland in the good old times was at best aprecarious and inconvenient diversion. Those who had to do so regrettedthe necessity, and those who had not, praised Providence. Many "personsof quality, " to use Dr. Johnson's phrase, have written narratives oftheir adventures and experiences in "the most damnable country. " No manof position, even early in the nineteenth century, would dream oftravelling threescore miles from his residence without having signed andsealed his last will and testament. The highways were beset by"Gentlemen of the Road, " such as that fascinating felon, "Brennan on theMoor, " of whom the ballad tells--

 "A brace of loaded pistols he carried night and day. "

The coach roads were dangerous, the stage was deplorable, and everythingbut the scenery unpleasant. The interior and west of the country wereconnected with Dublin by canals cut in the time of the IrishParliament, which followed the enterprise of the Dutch. They were lookedupon at the time as feats of engineering skill, somewhat in the lightthat we view the Suez or Panama Canals to-day. Neville, the engineer, was the recipient of extravagant encomiums from the Lords and Commons, and his fame is embalmed in a street ballad which sings the praise of--

 "Bold Neville, Who made the streams run level In that bounding river Called the Grand Canal. "

Nowadays we have changed all that, and Neville and his skill are aslittle remembered in Ireland as the military-road cutter in Scotland, ofwhom, to show that

[Illustration: G. S. & W. R. Corridor Train. ]

Ireland had not the monopoly in "bulls, " an English admirer wrote:--

 "If you had seen those roads before they Were made, You would hold up your hands and bless General Wade. "

A poor Italian boy--Charles Bianconi--who tramped through the country asa print-seller, was the first, in the days of Waterloo, in the south ofIreland, to begin really that healthy competition with the mail-coacheswhich made straight the way for the Iron Horse. 

The Great Southern and Western Railway was incorporated in 1845. Mr. Under-Secretary Drummond, the English statesman who got closest to theIrish heart, was identified with the construction of the line. 

Year after year the Company prospered and increased, gradually absorbingthe smaller lines adjoining it until the year 1901, when it amalgamatedthe only two other systems of broad gauge lines in their district whichhad remained independent. Practically the two provinces of Munster andConnaught are now knit together by the great network of railway lineswhich comprise the Great Southern and Western System. The total lengthis about 1, 100 miles. The main line stretches from Dublin, through Cork, to Queenstown, forming the route for the American Mails and the greattransatlantic passenger traffic. Branches extend to Waterford, Limerick, Killarney, and Kerry, and every place of importance in the South ofIreland, while in the west the line extends from Tralee, throughLimerick, to Sligo. The carriages which the Company provide are of thevery latest design; vestibule corridor trains, with dining and breakfastcars, are run daily, and the speed of the trains will bear comparisonwith any. The journey, Dublin to Cork (165 miles) is performed in fourhours; to Killarney (189 miles) in about fifteen minutes more, and allthe important tourist centres can be reached within a very short time. The comfort of passengers is well arranged for; refreshment rooms areprovided at the principal stations, and breakfast, luncheon, and teabaskets can always be had, as well as pillows, rugs, and all the modernconveniences of travel. Besides all this, the enterprise of the Companyhas provided at Killarney, Parknasilla, Kenmare, Caragh Lake, andWaterville, hotels, which for appearance and luxury, tempered byeconomy, are the equals of any in Europe. 

[Illustration: Interior of G. S. & W. R. Dining Carriage. ]

The scenery of Ireland surpasses the most roseate expectations. Within acomparatively small compass her scenic beauties include mountains, lakes, and seas, and it is the good fortune of the Great Southern andWestern Company to have within its borders the finest scenery in thecountry. The "Skies of Erin" have been paid tribute to by artists againand again. Turner said the sun never seemed to set so beautifullyanywhere as in Ireland, and Lady Butler, the well-known painter, hasexpressed the opinion that nowhere, except in the valley of the Nile, does the firmament put forth such varied changes of beauty as inIreland. To the Gulf Stream, which strikes the south-western coast, scientists attribute the mildness of the climate. From Queenstown toLeenane the coast-line contains countless health resorts, where invalidsmay be recommended winter quarters as salubrious as many of thecontinental districts. 

The sportsman has always found himself at home here. The fine huntingcounties of Kildare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, and Waterford are familiar toevery son of Nimrod. Shooting and fishing, although the preserves arenot so many or so well kept as in Scotland, may be called the staplesports of Ireland. Golf has come to stay, and within recent years linkshave been laid in the vicinity of most of the tourist districts. 

One word for Irish industries will not be out of place. Ireland has noindustries in the sense in which England has. With the exception ofBelfast, there is no place in the country which approaches to a factorytown in the sense in which that phrase is understood across the channel. Agriculture, of course, is the backbone of Ireland, and in connectionwith it the creamery system of the south may be mentioned. Anyoneanxious to find a line of industry in Ireland which has beaten the Danein his own market should visit Cleeves' famous factory at Limerick. Thewoollen industry in the country has withstood destructive legislature, and a typical example of modern success is the great tweed factory ofMorroghs, at Douglas, County Cork. The Blarney tweeds have become ahousehold word, but Douglas is shouldering them in the keen competitionfor public recognition. The great bacon-curing houses of Denny, atWaterford, are well worth seeing, as is also the thriving wholesomeCo-operative Factory at Tralee. In Dublin the mammoth brewery ofGuinness and Sons can be viewed under the conductorship of a servant ofthe firm employed for the sole purpose of showing visitors through thegreat concern. But it is the lesser industries in Ireland which arereally attractive. The law of the survival of the fittest stands tothese--the homespuns woven in the cottages, the beautiful Dublin poplin, the delicate lace of Youghal and Limerick, the exquisite pottery ofBelleek, these good things are beyond compare. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Sackville-street, Dublin. ]

Dublin and District. 

DUBLIN. 

The Tourist too often hurries away from Dublin to the south or west withbut a superficial knowledge of the attractions of the city. It will wellrepay a stay, and if the visitor happens to come at Horse Show week hecan easily believe himself sojourning in the capital of one of thewealthiest countries in Europe. During that short carnival each autumnthe tears are brushed aside, and Erin is all smiles and welcomes for herguests. The hotels are good, the lodging-houses are clean, and moderatein price. The restaurants have much improved within recent years. Readers of Lord Mayo's encouraging articles to would-be Irish touristswill do well to test his tribute to "The Dolphin" in Essex-street. Ifanyone wants to see the ladies of fashion at their tea, Mitchell's inGrafton-street is a sure find, and the well-equipped D. B. C. Tea-houses, which are established in several parts of the city, will meet therequirements of moderate purses. 

To attempt to mention more than a few of the more important places worthseeing in this city would be beyond the intention of these pages. Stretched beneath the beautiful Dublin Mountains the city scattersitself about the sides of the River Liffey. To get from one place toanother in Dublin is simplicity itself. The electric-tram system isequal to any in Europe, and excels most in the cheapness of its fares. The cars run through the principal streets and along the quay sides tothe suburbs. A good view of the city may be had from the top of a tramon a fine day. Those who wish to suit their own convenience, however, will always avail themselves of the outside car. The jaunting car is toDublin what the gondola is to Venice--at least an imaginative IrishMember of Parliament has said so, and that settles the matter. Whenselecting an "outside" take care that you secure one equipped with apneumatic tyre. The Dublin driver is much maligned, he is generallycourteous, and not without humour. The municipal authorities supply himwith a list of fares and distances. He is bound to produce it should anydifficulty arise as to the financial relations, which sometimes happens. 

[Illustration: _Photo, , Lawrence, Dublin. _ Shelbourne Hotel, Stephen's-green. ]

Dublin was an old fortress of the Danes. They held the whole easternseaboard of Ireland until 1014 when Brian Boru defeated them and broketheir power at the battle of Clontarf. Historic remains of the oldcity--the Ford of the Hurdles the Irish call it--there are none. TheDanes, the Normans, the Elizabethan, the Cromwellian, the Jacobite, allmade history in Dublin in their day, but the city as it stands ispractically modern. Between the Rotunda, one of the finest maternityhospitals in the world, and St. Stephen's Green, the beautiful parkpresented to the citizens by Lord Ardilaun, the principal buildings inthe city lie. The College Green, however, forms a natural centre fromwhich to make a short tour. The magnificent portico of the Bank ofIreland--formerly the Irish House of Parliament--is characterized bysurprising dignity of proportion. Visitors can witness the printing ofbank notes. The Irish House of Lords, which remains unaltered, is anoblong room with recess for throne at one end. Within may be seen twovaluable Dutch tapestries, the one representing the famous Siege ofDerry, and the second the Battle of the Boyne. Immediately outside "TheOld House at Home, " as the historic building is affectionately called byIrishmen, is a noble statue of Henry Grattan. He was the people'sdarling from 1782, when the Volunteers mustered in College-green, up to1800, when the Act of Union was passed. Behind Grattan stands the oldleaden statue of William III. , erected in 1701. This equestrian figureof "King Billy, " as the prince of glorious, pious, and immortal memoryis familiarly known, has been the centre of, in its time, much mischiefand merriment. Up to 1822 His Majesty was annually decorated with orangeribbons to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Thisparty demonstration was always resented by the populace, and King Billycame in for no end of ill-treatment. However, he has braved the battleand the breeze. 

Turning from the Bank we face the University, in front of which standfine bronze statues of its distinguished sons, Edmund Burke and OliverGoldsmith. The University, unlike its sisters, Oxford and Cambridge, contains but a single college--that of the Holy and UndividedTrinity--founded by Adam Loftus in Elizabeth's reign. Visitors to theCollege should be shown the chapel halls, museum, and library, and grandquadrangles, including Lever's notorious "Botany Bay. " While in thelibrary the world-famous "Book of Kells" may be inspected, and theenduring qualities of its marvellous illuminations admired. The Collegepark is very beautiful, and during the College races at midsummerpresents quite a gala sight. 

[Illustration: _Photo, , Lawrence, Dublin. _ Dublin Castle. ]

In Dame-street most of the Irish banks have their offices. At the end ofthe street furthest from the College is the City Hall. The building wasoriginally the Royal Exchange, but in the middle of the nineteenthcentury it was handed over to the Dublin Corporation. The Corinthiancolumns which form the portico are very handsome. The entrance ismodern, the older structure having given way in "the troubled times, "while a crowd of citizens were beguiling the time watching a publicwhipping of a malefactor from the steps. The centre hall is crowned witha decorated dome. The hall contains statues of O'Connell, Under-Secretary Drummond, Grattan, and Dr. Lucas, a publicist ineighteen-century Dublin. The Council Chamber is well furnished, and someof the portraits of former Lords Mayor are very fine. Immediately behindthe City Hall is Dublin Castle, far from being the imposing structurethose familiar with its history may suppose. The Lower Castle Yard isentered from Palace-street. It contains the Birmingham Tower, a modernstructure replacing the fortress, some of the walls of which stillstand, from which the fiery Red Hugh O'Donel, Prince of Tyrone, escaped. The Castle Chapel is beside the Tower, and permission to visit it iseasily obtained. Among the things of interest in the chapel are theemblazoned arms of all the Irish viceroys. The wood work throughout isIrish oak, and there are ninety heads in marble to represent thesovereigns of England. St. Patrick's Hall, the Throne-room, and the LongDrawing-room are the most important of the State apartments. While inthe vicinity of the Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral should be visited. Founded so long ago as 1190, this cathedral, dedicated to the Apostle ofIreland, has had a chequered history. Mostly Early English inarchitecture, modern styles have been grafted on the building withoutconsistency or unity of ideal. The monuments are many. Dean Swift'sbears an inscription written by himself and breathing the hatred ofoppression and love of liberty characteristic of the writer--

 "Hic depositum est corpus JONATHAN SWIFT, s. T. D. Hujus Ecclesiae Cathedralis Decani Ubi saeva indignatio Ulterius cor lacerare nequit Abe Viator Et imitare si poteris Strenuum, pro virili, Libertatis vindicatorem, Obiit 19° die mensis Octobris, A. D. 1745, Anno Aetatis 78. "

Hard by is a white marble slab in memory of her whose name must be forever associated with that of Swift--"Stella. " Ten minutes' walk throughPatrick-street will bring one from St. Patrick's to the most interestingecclesiastical structure in Dublin--Christ Church Cathedral. An oldDanish foundation, fire and time laid hands upon the originalbuilding. Its restoration is a triumph of architectural genius in thereproduction of thirteenth-century English Gothic. Strongbow's tomb isthe famous monument of the place. The Crypt contains, besides otherantiquities, the old City stocks, which is some three centuries old. Other places worth seeing in the city are the Four Courts, the CustomHouse, the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough-street, St. Michan's Church andChurchyard, and the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Gardiner-street. Thegeneral architecture in the streets is incongruous, and the modern"improvements" not always desirable. In the back streets here and therethe quaint gables as old as Queen Anne still survive, but the Dutchhouses have almost entirely, and the Cage houses have entirely, disappeared. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Custom House, Dublin. ]

Leinster Lawn, or the Duke's Lawn, as the man in the street in Dublinstill calls it, contains, among other attractions, the National Gallery, Museum, and Public Library. These are store houses of treasure. Thecatalogue of the Gallery reveals a valuable collection of paintings, andthe Museum contains an unique exhibition of gold, silver, and bronzeornaments, collars, brooches, shields, clasps, and spears, which werefound from time to time throughout Ireland, and are evidence of herformer civilization. The Royal Irish Academy, in Dawson-street, possesses a rich collection of ancient Irish manuscript. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ National Library, Dublin. FourCourts, Dublin. ]

The cemeteries of Dublin are small, except Glasnevin. A drive throughthe Phoenix Park will bring one by the embanked river or through thenorthern side of the city. An inquisitive tourist asked an Irish driverwhy the Park was so called, when there was no such bird ever in theworld. "Sure that's the reason, " said the driver. "Sure there's no suchPark in the world either. " Lord Chesterfield put up a column with aPhoenix in the Park, but of old its name was Parc-na-Fionniake (thefield of the clear water). It lies on the northern bank of the rivercelebrated by Sir Samuel Ferguson:--

 "Delicious Liffey, from the bosoming-hills What man who sees thee issuing strong and pure But with some wistful, fresh emotion fills, Akin to nature's own sweet temperature; And haply thinks:--On this green bank 'twere sweet To make one's mansion sometime of the year, For health and pleasure on these uplands meet, And all the Isle's amenities are here. "

Long ago the St. John's Hospitallers had their house at Kilmainham, andthe lands belonging to the Order lay about either side of the stream. The Hospice is now the Old Man's House--an Asylum for Disabled Soldiers, designed by Sir Christopher Wren--and possesses one of the finest hallsin Europe. The lands have been built over at Inchicore, and on the otherside of the river formed into the Phoenix Park, containing close ontwo thousand acres, and bounded by a circumference of seven miles. ThePark contains the lodges of the Viceroy and the Chief Secretary forIreland, and the monuments to Lord Gough, Lord Carlisle, and the"overgrown milestone, " as the obelisk to the Duke of Wellington has beencalled. The People's Gardens have been laid out with great taste, butthey cannot compare with the natural beauty of the Furze Glen with itsdeep shade and silent lake. Visitors in the summer time should not failto drive from Knockmaroon gate, beside the Liffey, to "The StrawberryBeds. " Here, in the season, delicious fruit, fresh from the gardens, andrich cream, can be had in most of the cottages beside the road. 

DUBLIN DISTRICT. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Round Tower and Church atClondalkin. ]

The country in the immediate vicinity of Dublin contains much that ispicturesque. The scenery along the coast has in general been alreadyreferred to. But Killiney, Bray, and Howth, if time permits, should bevisited. The train and tram facilities are sufficient. Wicklow Countyhas been called the Garden of Erin, and on no account should a visit toGlendalough or "The Meeting of the Waters" in the Vale of Avoca bedeferred. But those who wish to speed on to the south or west will do sofrom the Kingsbridge Terminus. From here we pass through Inchicore, thebusy thriving hive of industry, where the Great Southern and WesternRailway have their engineering works. The first station we come to isthat of ~Clondalkin~. The old village sits snuggled up at the foot ofits round tower, which is one of the best specimens of that earlyarchitecture in Ireland, of which the poet says:

 "Two favourites hath Time--the Pyramids of Nile And the old mystic temples of our own dear Isle. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Salmon Leap, Lucan. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Castletown House. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Carton House, Maynooth. ]

Irish antiquaries for generations have squabbled over these famous"Pillar Towers of Ireland, " but the general trend of scientific opinionis that they are of early Christian origin. Father Matt Horgan, a famousMunster antiquary, humorously started the theory that they were built topuzzle posterity, which they have very successfully done. ~Lucan~ is ahealth resort, possessing a sulphur spa, and situated in a well-woodedcountry above the Liffey. The Hydropathic stands well sheltered andcommanding a splendid view. The drives in the district are many, and theantiquarian will find much of interest. In Lord Annaly's demesne are theremains of an early Norman castle, and in the vicinity is an ancientRath and souterraine. The drive to the Salmon Leap, at Leixlip, shouldnot be missed. Near by is ~Castletown~, the palatial mansion of theConnolly family, and a grotesque structure known as "Connolly's Folly, "which was built in the time of the famine of "Black '47" to giveemployment. Here, too, the great Dean of St. Patrick's beguiled his timeat "The Abbey, " the home of Esther Vanhomrigh, the "Vanessa" of hisstrange life. From Lucan Maynooth may be reached. Here is St. Patrick'sNational College for the education of priests for the Catholic Church, originally founded on a Government grant. "Carton House, " in thevicinity, is the residence of the Dukes of Leinster. It is surrounded bybeautiful parks, well planted, among the trees the royal oaks, for whichKildare was celebrated, being conspicuous. ~Straffan~ may be called a"hunting village, " as the meets of the famous "Killing Kildares" mostusually take place in its neighbourhood. Here, too, are the seats ofLords Cloncurry and Mayo. The thriving market town of ~Naas~ is twomiles from Sallins, and is the railway station for Punchestown, thegreat steeplechase meeting of the Kildare Hunt. Long centuries ago itwas an historic spot--"Naas of the Kings. " From the station may be seenthe Hill of Allen, rising like a sentinel on the mearings of the "GreatPlain of Ireland. " ~Harristown~, the second station on a branch line, isabout three miles from Poulaphouca Waterfall. The road to the Fallsleads through the picturesque village of Ballymore-Eustace, situated ona bank at a bend in the river Liffey. The view from the river below theFalls is very impressive. Tullow is the terminus of this branch of theline. It is a good business town, and the river Slaney affords excellenttrout fishing. Within half-an-hour's walk from Sallins is BodenstownChurchyard, where Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founder of the United IrishOrganisation of 1798, is buried. He was the most desperate man who evercrossed the path of the English Government in Ireland. "The mostextraordinary man I ever met, " is the verdict of the Duke of Wellington. "He went to France with but one hundred guineas in his pocket, andinduced Bonaparte, by his single unaided efforts, to send threearmaments to Ireland. " Six and twenty miles from Dublin, the town of~Newbridge~ exists as a kind of aide-de-camp to the CommissariatDepartment of the ~Curragh Camp~. The Curragh, a great plain over twelvemiles square, was once a common, the property of the Geraldine tenants, but the Crown quietly seized upon it, and "their right there is none todispute. " It has been made a camp of instruction, and can accommodate, under more or less permanent cover, ten thousand men. It is in a goodfox-hunting, sporting country, "the country of the short grass, " andseveral times a year is the scene of race meetings. It is the Newmarketof Ireland, for here are the training stables for Punchestown, Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Baldoyle, and all the lesser meetings in theGreen Isle, and many of the greater ones across the water. The Curraghwas the scene of more than one battle in centuries past, and, like Tara, was one of the historic places chosen in the minds of the insurgents ofNinety-eight as an ideal mustering point. The Curragh District Golf Clubhas been formed by the military stationed there. ~Kildare~, some thirtymiles from Dublin, is the junction for the Kilkenny branch of the line. The town is very old, being, in the early Christian era, a cell of St. Bride, a patroness of Ireland. The ancient cathedral has been partlyrebuilt, and in the south transept is the vault of the Earls of Kildare, progenitors of the Leinster line. These Geraldines were the most famousof the Norman invaders:

 "And, oh! through many a dark campaign They proved their prowess stern, In Leinster's plains and Munster's vales On king, and chief, and kern;

 But noble was the cheer within The halls so rudely won, And generous was the steel-gloved hand That had such slaughter done. How gay their laugh, how proud their mien, You'd ask no herald's sign-- Amid a thousand, you had known The princely Geraldine. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Liffey, near Celbridge. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Curragh Military Camp. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Curragh Military Camp. ]

The Round Tower in the graveyard, which is one hundred and three feethigh, is perfect, except that the original cap has been replaced with abattlement, out of character with the rest. The old castle stood by, toguard the church and tower, and what remains of it has been turned touse as a tenement. The Earls of Kildare were often warring with theKings of England. The Archbishop of Cashel one time protested to theKing against the Earl burning down his cathedral, and the Earl, whenreprimanded, explained to the King in person that he would not have doneso had he not thought that the Archbishop was inside the church at thetime. This was the same Earl of whom the Parliament complained that "allIreland could not govern the Earl of Kildare. " "Then, " said the King, "let the Earl of Kildare govern all Ireland, " and he was appointed LordDeputy, and made an excellent one. From Kildare, Carlow, twenty-sixmiles distant, and Kilkenny, fifty-one, are the principal stations onthe line which terminates at Waterford. ~Carlow~ is an old town whichbelonged to the hereditary enemies of the Fitzgeralds, the Butlers ofOrmonde. It is beautifully situated, surrounded by fine trees, and builton the picturesque Barrow. There is splendid water-power above the town, and it was the first place in Ireland that was lighted with electricity. ~Kilkenny~, the marble city, easily induces the visitor to linger withinits walls and enjoy fully the attractions of the river Nore. Long ago itwas a keep of "Dermott of the Foreigners, " "who had grown hoarse frommany shoutings in the battle, " and was given by him as a dowry withhis beautiful daughter Eva to Strongbow. Afterwards it passed, bypurchase, into the possession of the Butlers, Lords of Ormonde. Here aParliament was held in 1367, which endeavoured by law to prevent theabsorption of the newcomers by the old Irish race. It tainted the bloodof all who gave their children into fosterage with Irish women, andpenalised the usage of Irish dress and customs. It made it a capitaloffence for any of English blood to marry an Irish woman, which washumorous enough when we remember that Strongbow, "the first of theforeigners, " did so. But the statute was of no avail, and the Butlers intime became as big rebels as the Geraldines. Here, in 1642, theConfederate Catholics held their Parliament. Among other things theydrafted a scheme of local government for the country, and set up thefirst printing press in Ireland. ~St. Canice's Cathedral~, the RoundTower, one hundred feet high, the Black Abbey, and Franciscan Friary, are the principal ecclesiastical objects of interest. The Round Tower isat the southern side of the Cathedral. This latter building, which is ofan Early Pointed Style, was founded in the twelfth or thirteenthcentury. The pavement is of the famous Kilkenny marble. The principalobject of interest in the building is St. Kieran's Chair, against thewall in the northern transept. 

[Illustration:]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Kilkenny Castle. ]

The grounds of the Franciscan Friary have been overbuilt by a brewery, but the fine seven-light window and tower still stand. The ~BlackAbbey~, a thirteenth century foundation, has come back into thepossession of the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans, who have restoredit. The small parish church near the northern transept of St. Canice'scontains a window commemorative of Lieutenant Hamilton, V. C. , ofInistioge, who was killed in the massacre of the Cavagnari Expedition bythe Afghans in 1879. From the market place, Kilkenny Castle, the nobleseat of the Butlers, may be entered. In the absence of the family ofthe Marquis of Ormonde, the public are allowed to visit the castle. Itis a practically modern residence, built into the ancient walls; andthree of the imposing watch towers of bygone years survive. The hall ofthe castle is decorated with beautiful Spanish leather work, and therich tapestries on the staircase were wrought in the sixteenth century, on looms set up in the town by Flemings. Besides the family plate, jewels, and heirlooms--which are displayed in several apartments--thepicture gallery is exceptionally attractive. Among its treasures areMurillo's "St. John, " Corregio's "Marriage of St. Catherine, " andGiordano's "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. " From St. John's Bridge, above the Nore, a splendid view of the castle may be seen. There is apleasant pathway under the castle wall, along the river side from thebridge. From Kilkenny many interesting excursions may be made. To~Kells~, twelve statute miles, where there are the ruins of an importanttwelfth century priory. Two miles from Kells is Kilree, where aresituate a ruined church, Round Tower, and Celtic cross, and a remarkabletomb slab in the church, on which is an ancient symbolic sculpture of acock-in-a-pot crowing. Three miles from Kilree is Aghavillar, withruined church, attached castellated house, and Round Tower. About sevenmiles from the city is the Cave of Dunmore, a stalactite cavern worthseeing. ~Thomastown~, on the line to Waterford, was formerly a walledtown. It is less than two miles from Jerpoint Abbey, the ruins of whichare interesting. It was founded by Donough Tiernach, Chief of Ossory, in1180. The style is Early Norman, but the turrets and battlements arefifteenth century work. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Picture Gallery, KilkennyCastle. ]

Cromwell, who is discredited with destroying places in Ireland where henever was, is said to have passed by Jerpoint without molesting it, butwhen the peal of bells rang out in thanksgiving, he took it for achallenge, and returned and sacked the place. In Cork he melted down thechapel bells, saying that "as it was a priest that invented gunpowder, the best thing that could be done with chapel bells was to make theminto cannons, " which he did. 

If, instead of branching off the main line at Kildare, we continue alongit in the south-western direction. 

~Monasterevan~, which was an old ecclesiastical place of importance, nowinsignificant except for its malting houses and distillery. The Marquisof Drogheda's demesne and residence, Moore Abbey, stands in the centreof the well-wooded lands, which were formerly monastic property. ~Portarlington~, a small town on the Barrow, has the seat of the Earl ofPortarlington. The river divides the town, and is the boundary herebetween Kildare and the Queen's County. The Irish name of this place isColtody; but in the time of the "Merrie Monarch" it was given to a courtfavourite, Lord Arlington, who here built a little harbour on theBarrow, whence its name. In the townland of Deer Park, near the town, there is still a colony of pure Huguenot descent. Portarlington is thejunction of the branch line running to Athlone. 

~Maryborough~ is pleasantly situated on the river side. From the Rock ofDunamaise, an old fort of "Dermot of the Foreigners" in an almostimpregnable position, there is a splendid view of the Slieve Bloommountain ranges. At Ballybrophy is the junction for the Parsonstown andRoscrea and Nenagh branches. ~Roscrea~, under the Devil's Bit mountains, has celebrated ecclesiastical remains and a modern Cistercian Monastery, the parent house of which is the famous Mount Melleray Abbey. Among theruins of interest to the antiquary are the remains of Augustinian andFranciscan foundations, and a Round Tower, about the foot of which St. Cronan had one of the early schools in Ireland in the sixth century. Asquare tower of the Butlers and a tower of Prince John's Castle willrepay attention. ~Birr Castle~, the seat of the Earl of Rosse atParsonstown, is surrounded by a fine park. It is remarkable for itsmammoth telescopes, one of which is fifty-two feet long, with a speculumsix feet in diameter. Nenagh, at the foot of the Silvermines and Keepermountains (2, 278 feet), is a stirring market town, and possesses aNorman keep in fair preservation. Birdhill brings us to the Shannon, theattractions of which are dealt with in another chapter. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Birr Castle. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lord Rosse's Telescopes atBirr. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Bridge, Athlone. ]

The branch line which runs from Portarlington to Athlone, runs rightthrough the Bog of Allen. It is available for through passengers forConnemara. For miles, the undulating bog land, green and brown. The~King's County~ still remains out of the primeval forests, and its greatpeat fields are the only source of wealth to the surrounding peasantry. ~Athlone~, some two miles below Lough Ree, on the Shannon, is themilitary key to the Province of Connaught. The keep of the old Castle, dating from King John's reign, remains, but the bridge and salmon weirare of more interest. In 1691 Ginckle besieged the town on the easternbank, but a handful of Irish troops held the Connaught side, desiring tokeep the position until St. Ruth arrived. The defence of the bridge isone of the most gallant exploits in Irish history. Colonel RichardGrace, who held the position for the Jacobites, was offered security inhis estates and military honours, if he surrendered, by the Duke ofSchomberg. At night, when the offer reached the Jacobite general, he wasin his quarters, playing the familiar Irish card game of spoil-five withhis officers. The six-of-hearts happened to be the "deckhead. " Gracetook it from the pack and wrote on the back, "It ill becomes a gentlemanto betray his trust, " and gave it to the Williamite messenger. The"six-of-hearts" is still known as "The Grace's Card, " especially inKilkenny, where the general's estates were. From Athlone excursions maybe made to Auburn, eight miles; Clonmacnoise, ten Irish miles; and toLough Ree. Lissoy, where Goldsmith spent his childhood, there can belittle doubt, was the original of--

 "Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain. "

It is a pleasant drive, the road from Ballykeeran skirting LoughKillinure. Lough Ree, three miles from Athlone, is low-lying, some tenmiles long, and in parts prettily wooded. There is a small archipelagoin the northern end, of which pretty "Hare Island" is the residence ofLord Castlemaine. The Seven Churches of Clonmacnoise formed the old cityof St. Kieran, whose feast day is the 9th September. There are two RoundTowers, O'Rourke's and M'Carthy's; a Holy Well, the Cairn of ThreeCrosses, Relich Calliagh, founded by Devorgilla, who bewitched Dermot ofthe Foreigners. Teampul-Kieran is a small cell. Teampul-Connor has aninteresting tenth century doorway, and in Teampul-Fineen the chancelarch still remains, and the piscina can be traced. Teampul-Ree has tworound-headed lights and a lancet window, twelfth century work. The~Great Cross of the Scriptures~ is inscribed with Gaelic, "a prayer forFlan, son of Malseclyn, " and "a prayer for Colman, who made this crossfor St. Flan, " referring to the ninth century monarch of Meath, and toColman, Abbot, early in the tenth century, of Clonmacnoise. The cross isfifteen feet high, and its panels were sculptured with Scripturalscenes, interlined with Celtic tracery. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Shannon at Athlone. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Clonmacnoise. ]

 "In a quiet, watered land, a land of roses, Stands St. Kieran's city fair; And the warriors of Erin in their famous generations Slumber there. 

 "There, beneath the dewy hillside, sleep the noblest Of the Clan of Conn; Each below his stone with name in branching Ogham, And the sacred knot thereon. "

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Dublin District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing, Shooting, &c. 

[Illustration]

Limerick and District

[Illustration]

LIMERICK. 

Leaving ~Limerick Junction~, between it and Limerick City, there are fewplaces of interest. The country side is very rich, and is the centre ofthe Creamery Co-operative system. At Boher is Glenstal, the residence ofSir Charles Barrington. The demesne contains the Ilchester Oaks, withwhich the country people associate a romance. The story is told indetail in Lefanu's "Seventy Years of Irish Life. " At Caghercullen, whichis now part of Glenstal Demesne, early in the last century lived SquireO'Grady, an old _grandee_ of Limerick; he was a fox-hunting widower, andhis beautiful and only daughter was the cynosure of all eyes. When shecame out at a Limerick hunt ball the little beauty captivated LordStourdale--eldest son to Lord Ilchester who was then with his regimentat Limerick. O'Grady's keen eye soon discerned that the young peoplewere falling in love with each other. Proud of his family as theIrishman was, he feared his position was such that an English lord maynot look on an alliance with favour. He wrote a friendly letter to LordIlchester--in order to prevent trouble--saying that, as an elder man, heperceived that his son was about getting into a scrape, and it would bewell to have him brought home or sent on active service. Stourdaledisappeared; and Lord Ilchester wrote thanking the squire, and notifyingthat an old military friend--a Colonel Prendergast--would call and thankhim personally. The colonel came in good time, and partook of O'Grady'shospitality. As he was leaving, he mentioned to the squire that hethought his beautiful daughter was falling into bad health. O'Grady, with brusque confidence, said that she had been fooling about Stourdale, but would soon forget him. Lovers will rejoice at the sequel of theromance. Colonel Prendergast discovered himself as Lord Ilchester, andexpressed his gratification at the possibility of having such a wife forhis son. There was the usual happy marriage; and the present Earl ofIlchester and the present Earl of Lansdowne, can claim descent fromMaureen O'Grady. 

~Limerick~. --Like most of the Munster seaboard towns, it was built bythe Danes; and it was the cock-pit of the fights between the Ostmen andthe warlike clans who followed O'Brien's banner in the early centuries. It made history in Cromwell's days, and until recently the old houseoccupied by Ireton stood within its streets. Ireton sentenced many menof eminence to death during the short triumph of Cromwell. Among themost noble of the cavaliers who died at Limerick was Geoffrey Barron ofClonmel, a young Irish lawyer who acted as civil secretary to theConfederates. With exquisite cruelty he was sentenced to be executedupon the morning which had previously been fixed for his wedding. Heasked, as a favour, that he should be permitted to wear his bridegroomattire on the scaffold, and Ireton granted the boon. 

He made a brave show amid the crop-eared Roundheads. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Treaty Stone, Limerick. ]

 "Taffeta as white as milk, Made all his suit. Threads of silver in the silk Trailed like moonlight through it. Silver cap and white feather, Stepping proud and high, In his shoon of white leather, Came Geoffrey Barron to die. Then the Roundhead general said, Fingering his sword-- Art thou coming to be wed, Like a heathen lord?

 "Go! thy pride thy scaffold is, Give her sigh for sigh. Breath for breath, and kiss for kiss, For Geoffrey Barron must die. But he laughed out as he ran Up the black steps; Never happier bridegroom man, With his wife's lips. If for mortal woman's sake, In silks should go I, I shall for heaven the same pains take, Now, Geoffrey Barron must die. "

But the name of Limerick scintillates in those glowing chapters in itscountry's history, when it stoutly withstood the valour and prowess ofthe great soldier-king, William of Orange. Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan, thebeloved of damsels and dames, was the hero of this period. A handsome, large-limbed, brawny soldier, towering over the tallest of his dragoons, and true as the steel he wore, he was a fitting leader of a forlornhope. Originally, one of the "Gentlemen of the Guard" under the MerrieMonarch, his defence of Limerick was a military achievement worthy ofthe ambition of any general; nor were his Williamite opponents slow tocordially appreciate his valour. But he was fated to die, "on a far, foreign field. " The sieges of Limerick led up to its name of the City ofthe Broken Treaty. William of Nassau, having routed King James inAugust, 1690, invested the city with 35, 000 men. Tyrconnel and Lauzun, Commander of the French allies, had cleared out, considering that theplace could not be defended. Sarsfield, although not in command, withother kindred spirits, decided to defend the position. The heavyordnance of the Williamites, while on the way to the scene of siege, wassurprised at night at Ballyneety by Sarsfield and a hero called"Galloping O'Hogan, " and the guns spiked and the ammunition mined andfired. Auxiliary artillery was, however, brought into camp, and theassault delivered. The guns breached the walls, the outworks werecarried, but before the garrison could pour in, the townspeople--men andwomen--the latter, vieing in valour, flowed out and swept away allopposition. The siege was raised. But a year later, Ginckle againinvested the place by land and sea. After three months' defence, Sarsfield agreed to capitulate, the chief conditions of the treatybeing, that Catholics should be admitted to practice their religionwithout hindrance, and that the Jacobite garrison should march out withthe honours of war. The latter condition was kept, but when Sarsfieldand his regiments had gone beyond the seas, the former was shamefullyviolated. By the Thomond may be seen the Treaty Stone, on which thecapitulation papers were signed, October 3rd, 1691. In the Cathedralplace is the modern monument to Sarsfield. The castle, which was builtby King John--now a store--is an excellent example of the militaryarchitecture introduced into Ireland by the Normans. The Shannon, thelargest river in Ireland, flows through the city. Limerick lace isvalued wherever people of taste are. The industry still thrives; but theformer greatness of the glove manufacturers has departed. Bacon curingis the great industry of the city to-day, and the names of Denny, Matterson, and Shaw--the principal manufacturers--have become householdwords. The greatest factory in Limerick, however, is belonging to thefamous Condensed Milk Company, organized through the enterprise of SirThomas Cleeve. The milk of some 15, 000 cows contributes to the hugeoutput of this great concern. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Sarsfield Statue, Limerick. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Castleconnell, nearLimerick. ]

LIMERICK DISTRICT. 

From Limerick tours may be made into North Kerry by rail, or by combinedsteamer and coach service along the Shannon lakes and shores. Theamalgamation of the railway services in the south and west of Irelandhas contributed greatly to the many facilities which, with an improvedrailway accommodation, now await the tourist. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Falls of Doonass-RiverShannon. ]

Some seven miles from Limerick, and about the same distance fromKillaloe, is the pretty little town of ~Castleconnell~. The place was ofyore a stronghold of the O'Brien's, and to-day the remains of the oldcastle from which the village takes the name still stand. During theJacobite wars the place was of importance as one of the military keys tothe Province of Connaught, and Sarsfield and Ginkel alternatelygarrisoned and fought for its possession. The village is situateddelightfully beside "The lordly Shannon, " and is famous as a resort foranglers. The scenery in the immediate vicinity is unsurpassed, and theShannon here has been described as possessing "The majesty of the Amazonwith the grandeur of the Rhine. " Taking the well-appointed Shannon Hotelas our centre many most enjoyable excursions can be made to thebeautiful places in the adjoining district. The hotel itself is onlyfive minutes' walk from the far-famed Rapids of Doonass, and beside thecelebrated Chalybeate Spa. Beneath a list of excursions is given of someof the pleasant driving and boating trips that may be made. It cannotpretend to be exhaustive, however, and is only offered as suggestive. Assume that the visitor has three days at his disposal--

 ~First Day. ~--Start from Hotel, walk to Chalybeate Spa, World's End, Old Castle and Grounds (admission by pass), cross River at Ferry, walk to "Old Turrett, " from which a grand view of the "Rapids" may be obtained--the Scenery at this particular point is unsurpassed--visit St. Synan's Well, return to Hotel, drive to "Clare Glens, " see the Cascades--this is one of the most picturesque spots imaginable and well repays a visit. 

 ~Second Day. ~--DAY TRIP ON THE LORDLY SHANNON (LOUGH DERG). --Take train from Castleconnell Station at 10. 40 a. M. For Killaloe where the Shannon Development Co. 's Steamer awaits the arrival of the Train to convey passengers for a Cruise on Lough Derg. Steamer returns to Killaloe about 5. 30 p. M. , the Train leaves Killaloe at 6. 10 p. M. For Castleconnell, arriving at 6. 41 p. M. ; or take car from Hotel to meet the 8. 15 a. M. Steamer at Killaloe for Portumna, return by down Steamer to Killaloe, thence by 6. 10 p. M. Train for Castleconnell. This Cruise embraces the whole length of Lough Derg, and affords a grand combination of lake and mountain scenery. 

 ~Third Day. ~--A selection from the following may be made:--

 (_a_) Drive to Limerick City. See its magnificent Churches, Treaty Stone, etc, etc. 

 (_b_) To Killaloe. St. Flannan's Cathedral, a very ancient edifice, Oratory with stone roof, Brian Boru's Fort, and Cragg Hill, from which a very pretty view of Lough Derg may be obtained. 

 (_c_) To Glenstal Castle and Grounds (admission by pass). 

 (_d_) To Keeper Hill. A splendid panoramic view of the surrounding country afforded from the summit of this Hill, including Lough Derg and "reaches" of the Shannon below Limerick. 

 (_e_) To Adare Manor (admission by pass). 

 (_f_) Or take Row Boat from Castleconnell to Killaloe _via_ O'Brien's Bridge, or to Limerick _via_ Plassy. 

 (_g_) Take train from Castleconnell Station at 10. 40 a. M. For Nenagh, drive from Nenagh to Dromineer, take Steamer from Dromineer to Killaloe, thence rail or car to Castleconnell. 

 (_h_) Or take train from Castleconnell Station at 10. 40 a. M. For Killaloe, take Steamer Killaloe to Dromineer, drive from Dromineer to Nenagh, thence rail to Castleconnell. 

 (_i_) Lower Shannon Steamer Trip to Kilrush (see special programme of Sailings). 

Above a bend in the river at the Falls of Doonass the "Rapids" begin, and eddying and whirling through the rocks run for nearly half a milealong the surface of the river. It is to the angler, however, Castleconnell will prove most attractive. The season commences on the1st February, and closes on the 31st October. Trout, pike, and perchfishing free; salmon and grilse fishing by arrangement. The fishing-rodsmanufactured at Castleconnell have won a world-wide reputation forMessrs. Enright and Sons, and Mr. Jack Enright has himself won therecord as a long distance fly caster. A writer in _The Fishing Gazette_having dealt in an appreciative article with Castleconnell givesvaluable information as to the names and situations of the moreimportant pools on the river. 

The fisheries in the Castleconnell district taken in rotation frombelow, are: the Prospect or Clareville Fishery, on the Limerick side ofthe river (this means that the fishery extends to midstream; adjoiningit on the Clare side, and immediately opposite, is the LandscapeFishery. Both of these are well-known salmon and peel catches. A few ofthe best pools in Prospect are Pinnee, Salahoughe, Feemoor, andCommogue. On Landscape the best pools are Poulahoo, Pallaherro, andFilebegs). 

Adjoining the Prospect Fishery, on the Limerick side of the river, isthe New Garden Fishery, which contains the pools of Moreagh, Glassogue, Black Weir, and Sporting Eddy. Next to this, on the Limerick side, isthe Hermitage Fishery, which contains some famous catches, such as Backof Leap, Fallahassa, Poolbeg, the Commodore, Bunnymoor, and Head ofMoreagh. Still on the Limerick side, we next reach the Woodland'sFishery, a picturesque portion of the Shannon, and here are the pools ofPanlaides, Drarhus, Thunnavullion, and Long Eddy. Next is reached theCastle Fishery, and the pools here are Balcraheen, Lackaleen, and theLough, the last affording several courses of fly fishing. Still on theLimerick side the World's End Fishery adjoins the Castle Fishery, andthe pools here are the Pantry, the Kitchen, and the Over the Weir. 

Returning to the Clare side of the river the fishery next to Landscapeis the famous Doonas, the lower part of which contains the pools ofPoolcoom, the Stand, Black Weir, Faalgorribs, Franklin's Eddy, and theOld Door, while the upper part includes Lickenish, the Dancing Hole, OldTurf, Lurgah, Lacka, and Sallybush. Next on the Clare side we reach theSummer Hill Fishery, part of which is opposite the Woodland's Fisheryand part opposite the Castle Fishery. The pools on Summer Hill are theBlack Eddy, Clare side of Drarhus, Thunahancha, Figar, Clare side ofLackaleen, and Clare side of the Lough. After this the Erinagh Fisheryis reached, and here the pools are Gorribs and side of the big Eddy. 

In the spring salmon fishing is pursued principally with Devon minnowsas lures, the "cullough" running a good second favourite. Phantomminnows and the very large spinning Shannon flies are also useful. A bitlater on the prawn takes precedence, the bigger the prawn the better. Asthe season advances the lure, whatever it may be--fly, minnow, prawn, orwhat not--should decrease in size until October, when again they shouldassume larger proportions, but not so big as in the spring. Towards thelatter end of March, and onwards for the rest of the season, artificialflies are are almost exclusively used. Truly wonderful specimens of thefly dresser's art are some of the Shannon patterns. Fancy a salmon flydressed on an 8-o hook! Yet this is at times absolutely necessary toensure success. The best patterns for various times of the year are--ForFebruary, March, and April, big Shannon Blue Fly, the Black Goldfinch, the Jock Scot, and the Yellow Lahobber; for May, June, and July, PurpleMixture, tinsel bodied Green Parrot, purple bodied Green Parrot, Silverand Blue Doctors, Purple Widgeon, Orange and Grouse, and Thunder andLightning. Towards the end of the season here, as elsewhere, strangefancy patterns will frequently prove successful. The most suitablepatterns of trout flies (the size of which depends entirely upon theheight of the water) are--Orange and Grouse, Green Rail, Purple Rail, Black Rail, Orange Rail, March Brown, Hare's Ear, silver-tinselled bodyBlack Rail, and Orange and Grouse with a sprig of Guinea Fowl or GreenParrot in wing. 

The tackle for the coarse fish is of the ordinary character. 

At the foot of Lough Derg stands ~Killaloe~, an ideal resting place foran angler. The cathedral is of some interest, and in the vicinity theProtestant Bishop's palace stands. The bridge connecting the town withthe village of Ballina has thirteen arches, and the huge weir helps as abreakwater. Shortly above the bridge of old time stood Kincora, thefortified palace of Brian Boru; its glory has departed, and all thatremains is a mound, crowned with a grove of trees. Here Brian of theTribes held his sway; and still the peasant in Munster, wishing toexpress his welcome, says in Gaelic--"Were mine the boire of the Dane orthe wine of Kincora, it would be poured for you. " Here it was that theNorse King, Magnus, wintered early in the twelfth century, and found awife for his son, Sigurd, in the house of Brian. M'Laig, the bard ofBrian Boru, after the death of his king in 1014, made a lamentation, which Mangan thus translated:--

 "Oh! where Kincora is Brian the Great? And where is the beauty that once was thine? Oh! where are the princes and nobles that sate At the feast in thy halls, and drank the red wine? Where! oh, Kincora. They are gone, those heroes of royal birth, Who plundered no church and broke no trust, It is weary for me to be living on earth, When they, oh, Kincora, are below in the dust. Lo, of Kincora. "

From Killaloe, northwards for twenty-five miles, Lough Derg at timesexpands in width over eight miles, where its distant shores form a skyline--hedged in with Tipperary and Clare Mountains. The lough loses noneof its picturesque attractiveness to the sportsman, who is informed thatthe whole of the fishing is free. 

From Limerick as centre, as we have said, tours may be made into NorthKerry. 

To the average tourist North Kerry is a _terra incognita_, and yet fromthe pleasant pasture lands around "Sweet Adare" in Limerick to where thedistant mountain of Caherconree sees his regal head reflected in thesea--there lies a beautiful land. Beyond Patrickswell, on the Maigue, isthe little village of Adare, once the camping ground and stronghold of"those very great scorners of death, " the Desmond Geraldines. Still theruins of Desmond Castle, and of three abbeys, tell the tale that hereonce, beside a citadel of strength, were places of religion and refuge. Now, in the depth of the retreat of sylvan splendour, the Earl ofDunraven has his noble mansion. [1] At Adare, as well as at Ballingrane, six miles away, still are many evidences of the Palatine plantations, which were effected here in the eighteenth century. In 1709 a fleet wassent to Rotterdam by Queen Anne, and brought to England some 7, 000refugees from the German Palatinate. Of these, over 3, 000 were settledin this part of the County Limerick. They were allowed eight acres ofland for each man, woman, and child, at _5s. _ per acre; and theGovernment engaged to pay their rent for twenty years, and suppliedevery man with a musket to protect himself. Industrious and frugal, theexiles throve in the land of their adoption; many of them emigrated toAmerica, and only a comparatively small number of families still remain. These, however, preserve, besides the names, many of the characteristicsof their predecessors--as Dr. R. T. Mitchell, Inspector ofRegistration in Ireland, testifies in his survey of this verydistrict:--"Differing originally in language, though even the oldest ofthe present generation know nothing of the German tongue spoken orwritten, as well as in race and religion, from the natives amongst whomthey were planted, these Palatines still cling together like the membersof a clan, and worship together. Most of them have a distinctly foreigntype of features, and are strongly built, swarthy in complexion, darkhaired, and brown eyed. The comfortable houses built in 1709 are inruins now. The original square of Court Matrix in the ruined wall can betraced, and also, in the very centre of this square the foundations ofthe little Meeting House in which John Wesley occasionally preached tothem in the interval, 1750-1765. Modern houses stand there now, but notclosely grouped together. They are all comfortable in appearance, somethatched, some slated, some with one story, others with two; nearly allhave a neat little flower garden in front, and very many have an orchardbeside or immediately behind the house. There is all the appearance ofthrift and industry among them. " From ~Ballingrane~, a branch linepassing Askeaton, with its ruined Castle and Abbey ruins, to ~Foynes~, agood harbour, from which passage can be made to Kilrush, and thence perrail to Kilkee. From the junction the main line runs by ~Rathkeale~ and~Newcastle~, where there is a ruined castle of the Knights Templars, andby Abbeyfeale and Kilmorna, where Mr. Pierce Mahony bred and kept hisstud of famous Kerry cattle, to Listowel, an old market town whichfigured in the Desmond rebellion. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Adare Abbey, Croom. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin_ Adare Manor. ]

From Listowel the Lartigue railway, unique in the British Isles, runs to~Ballybunion~, a beautiful watering place, remarkable for its sea-cavesand old castle. ~Ardfert~ is remarkable for its ruined Abbey andCathedral, both dedicated to St. Brendon, the story of whose voyage tothe New World was one of the subjects mentioned at the court ofFerdinand and Isabella by Columbus, when inducing them to assist him inhis mission of discovery. ~Tralee~ is the largest town in the Kingdom ofKerry. It is one of the most thriving towns in the south of Ireland, andis situated in the vicinity of marine and mountain scenery. Thoseinterested in the revival of industry in Ireland will do well to visitthe Kerry Knitting Co. 's Factory, as well as the fine bacon-curingestablishment of the Wholesale Co-operative Society which has beenerected under the management of the well known Mr. Joseph Prosser. AtSpa and Fenit there is good sea-bathing, and on the Dingle Promontorythe ascent of Mount Brandon may be made. From Dingle excursions caneasily be taken to Slea Head, by Ventry, and under the Eagles' Mountain, and within sight of the Blasket Islands. ~Smerwick~ has in itsneighbourhood a coast line of mighty cliffs, the most remarkable ofwhich is called the ~Three Sisters~. Smerwick was the scene of themassacre of seven hundred Spaniards, who had surrendered in thesixteenth century to Lord Deputy Grey's forces. The bloody affair is theblackest stain in the careers of the gallant Raleigh and the gentleSpenser. Between Smerwick and Ballydavid Head the well preserved remainsof the ~Oratory of Gallerius~ may be seen. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lartique Railway, Ballybunion. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Ballybunion. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Ballybunion. ]

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Limerick District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing, Shooting, Cycling, &c. 

[Illustration]

The Shannon Lakes. 

DUKE OF YORK ROUTE. 

The Shannon Development Company run during the season a service ofsteamers between Killaloe and Dromod (county Leitrim). The whole of thejourney from ~Killaloe~ to Dromod--about one hundred miles--isinteresting and full of variety, the shores and lakes of the lordlyriver presenting an ever-changing panorama of beautiful scenes. AboutKillaloe the views are very fine. The mountains of Clare and Tipperaryshadow the town on either side, and away to the north for twenty-threemiles stretches Lough Derg. Going up the lake, the first stopping placeis at Scariff, which overlooks the beautiful Inniscattery or HolyIsland. The reach from here to Portumna is crowded with islands, and onboth shores are ruined castles and finely wooded demesnes. Dromineer, onthe opposite bank, four and a quarter miles from Nenagh, is the nextstation. Nearly opposite Portumna, with its ruined and blackened castle, are the ruins of the monastery of Tirdaglass. 

[Illustration: Sailing on the Shannon. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Kincora, Killaloe. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Shannon Steamer. ]

The ancient city of Portumna was once the chief pass and means ofcommunication between Connaught and North Munster. Between Portumna, atthe head of Lough Derg and Banagher, are the rich meadow lands ofGalway, along which the river winds tranquilly, passing beautifullywooded islands; its banks green with rich, low-lying pastures. A fewmiles from Shannon Bridge is Clonmacnoise, over which hang many ancientmemories of learning, of wars, and of worship. Near Athlone is a pointin the river where the Counties of Westmeath, Roscommon, and King'sCounty meet, and the waters of Lough Ree wash the shores of CountyRoscommon on the one side and of Westmeath and Longford on the other. Lough Ree is but little known to the tourist; and yet this lake, withits rocky shores full of indentations, and its shoals of sparklingislands, is one of the loveliest in Ireland. King John's Castle, on theRoscommon side of the lake, is a magnificent Norman ruin, and the townof Roscommon--which is not far from the brink of the lake--also containsthe remains of a fine castle and of a Dominican Friary. The castle, which is flanked by four towers of massive masonry, was built in thethirteenth century by Sir Robert de Ufford, and afterwards suffered manychanges of fortune; it is now the property of The O'Conor Don. The abbeyis chiefly interesting as containing the sculptured tomb of PhelimCathal O'Connor. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lough Ree, Shannon Lakes. ]

Circular tourist tickets for one day trips are issued by the RailwayCompany. Details will be seen on summer time tables. 

[Illustration]

Cork and District. 

CORK. 

Enshrined in song and _saga_, set in the beautiful valley of a romanticriver, Cork is one of the pleasantest places within the four shores of"the most distressful country. " It is the capital of the rich Provinceof Munster, "the wheat of Ireland, " says a Gaelic proverb, and while itpreserves the characteristics of an old Irish town, here, too, thetraveller, familiar with the quaint cities of the Continent, will meetwith much that is suggestive of foreign scenes. 

Cork sits snugly at the foot of, and leans her back up against, highhills that shelter her from the north, and the breeze that blows up fromthe sea is fresh and mildly bracing. From a height to the northoverlooking the city a bird's-eye view can be had of the entiresurroundings, and of what the poet Spenser called--

 "The pleasant Lee, that like an island fayre Encloseth Cork in his divided flood. "

Away to the west the eye can easily trace the river, winding with hasteto the sea, through the barony of Muskerry, "the fair country, " from itsfountain home over the hills and far away. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Patrick-street, Cork. ]

More than halfway along the Mardyke Walk there is a sidepath leadingdown to a ferry across the Lee. Here a good view may be had of the riverlooking towards the city, with Sunday's Well, Blair's Castle, andShandon standing high on the hill. 

The history of the foundation of Cork City, and its progress through thecenturies, is well authenticated. Towards the close of the sixthcentury, the place was founded by Lochan, son of Amirgin, the greatsmith to Tiernach M'Hugh, the proud chief of the O'Mahonys. Lochan hassince come to be called St. Finbarr. His feast day is a retrenchedholiday in the diocese of Cork, and his patron day is kept by thepeasantry at the shrine of Gougane Barra, by the cradle of the riverLee. The Irish name, Cork, signifies that the locality was a marsh, andin the life of its founder it is described as a "land of many waters. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Marina, Cork. ]

For less than three hundred years the little city throve, and then camethe Sea Rovers, hungry for spoil. In 820 they burned down Cork, carryingaway as pillage the silver coffin wherein St. Finbarr was buried. Shortly afterwards they returned, and seized on the marshes lyingbeneath Gill Abbey Rock, fortified them, and founded another littlecity--but their own. There they sang their "Mass of the Lances; it beganat the rising of the sun, " and, as the Four Masters assure us, "wheresoever they marched they were escorted by fire. "

But in time the Rovers were absorbed, and race hatreds died out. Theypaid tribute to the MacCarthys, and were married and given in marriageto the Irish. Merovingian Kings came to buy and sell in Cork, and theSagas of the North tell of many a hardy Norseman who fell captive to themaidens of Munster. To this day the Danish blood moulds the nature ofmany in Cork, and among the men especially the passionate affection forthe sea is a characteristic. When the Normans invaded Ireland they foundCork a Danish fortress. They broke the power of the Danes in a seafight, and won over the allegiance of MacCarthy, the old King of Cork, through the wiles of a woman. The strangers had not been long in thecity when they, like the Danes before them, were absorbed, and becamemore Irish than the Irish themselves. As their island city grew inopulence, they began to assert an independence similar to the freecities of the Continent. A historical writer of repute points out thatthey were practically independent of external authority. Their edictshad nearly the force of laws. They levied taxes, and regulated commerce. They judged, pilloried, and hanged offenders. To suit themselves theymodified the English laws of property. They set up a mint of their own, and their money had to be declared by the English Parliament to be"utterly damned. "

Their audacity can be imagined from the part they played in PerkinWarbeck's rebellion of 1492. They decked him out "with some clothes ofsilk, " and John Walters, the Mayor, insisting that the poor Fleming wasson to the Duke of Clarence, demanded that the Lord Deputy shoulddeclare him King. Failing in this a number of Cork merchants sent him toFrance, where they duped the King, and induced the Duchess of Burgundyto give them armament and money. They then sailed for Kent, and havinglanded there, proclaimed their foundling "Richard the Fourth, King ofEngland and Lord of Ireland. " But the sequel of all this bravurabehaviour was not so happy, as Warbeck and Walters lost their heads, andCork lost its charter. 

In 1847 the city suffered fearfully from the ravages of famine andfamine fever. The failure of the potato crop drove the unfortunate, hunger-stricken peasantry into the city for sustenance; and it has beenestimated that upwards of a million of people emigrated in these unhappyyears through the port of Cork. During the Fenian movement, 1865-67, Cork was a hotbed of treason, and more prisoners were sentenced fromthere than from all the other parts of Ireland put together. Thus, inthe nineteenth century, the name of "Rebel Cork, " which was earned sofar back as the time of Perkin Warbeck, was still deserved. 

The manners of the people, gentle and simple, rich and poor, areperfect. There is, perhaps, too often a tendency to adopt your view ofanything or everything with the most accommodating agreeableness. Thisis very pleasant, if not always sincere, but in this respect a thingnever to be forgotten is that Cork is only a few miles from Blarney, and

 "There is a stone there, whoever kisses, Oh! he never misses to grow eloquent. 'Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber, Or become a Member of Parliament. 

 A clever spouter, he'll sure turn out, or An 'out-an'-outer' to be let alone; Don't hope to hinder him, or to bewilder him, Sure he's a pilgrim from the Blarney Stone. "

Thackeray, like many another man before his time and since, has paidtribute to the loveliness of the girls of Cork. There is a gracefulcharm about them before which the most inveterate bachelor succumbs. Theaccents of the Siren singers were never so insinuating and caressing asthe Munster brogue as it slips off the tongue of a gentlewoman. Blueeyes predominate, but are excelled in lustre by what Froude has beenpleased to call "the cold grey eyes of the dark Celt of the south ofIreland. " Edmund Spencer, when he was not busy "undertaking" Rapparees, or smoking Raleigh's fragrant weed--"than which there is no more fairherb under the broad canopy of heaven"--wooed and won and wedded a fairwoman of Cork; not of the city, though, but of the county. She was acountry lass, as he is at pains to point out to the Shandon belles whofain would vie with her:--

 "Tell me, ye merchant daughters, did ye see So fayre a creature in your town before? Her goodlie eyes, like sapphyres shining bright; Her forehead, ivory white; Her lips like cherries charming men to byte. "

There is nothing of peculiar interest about the streets of Cork buttheir number, their narrowness, and the irregularity of the houses. St. Patrick's-street, which is the principal thoroughfare, has many handsomeshops, and winds its way in three curves through the city. 

From the "Dyke, " as it is locally known, through the "Band Field"--thebaby park of Cork--we can cross to an entrance to the Queen's College onthe Western-road. The College itself is a handsome building of whiteCork limestone, in the later Tudor style, forming three sides of aquadrangle, and consisting of lecture-rooms, museum, examination hall, &c. It is built in the centre of well-laid pleasure grounds, which areopen to the public, and which formerly were the site of St. Finbarr'sold monastery. During the session proper, practically from November toJune, visitors will not be admitted through the building without anofficial order, which may be had at the Registrar's office. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Queen's College, Cork. ]

During the vacation the steward or assistant officials are in attendanceto conduct visitors. The large palm-house is one of the most successfulin Ireland, and the Crawford Observatory will repay a visit. The groundswere laid out under the personal supervision of the late president, Dr. W. K. Sullivan, a distinguished scientist. While at the south side ofthe city, St. Finbarr's Cathedral[2] (Church of Ireland), eastward fromthe College, should be seen. It is a very dignified design of the FrenchEarly Pointed style. The nave, aisles, and transepts are grouped underthree lofty towers with spires. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ St. Finbarr's Cathedral, Cork. ]

From the foot of the street a few minutes' walk will bring us under theold bi-coloured steeple, which contains the famous Shandon Bells. Thechurch was built in 1772. The steeple is unique, inasmuch as thesouthern and western sides are of white limestone, and the northern andeastern red sandstone--

 "Parti-coloured, like Cork people, Red and white, stands Shandon steeple. "

But the "Bells" are the chief attraction, and the quaint inscriptions onthem amuse the curious. In the stillness of a summer night their sweetchimes sound with peculiar cadence across the waters which encircle theold city of the Lee. The charter song of Cork is:--

 THE BELLS OF SHANDON. 

 With deep affection and recollection I often think of the Shandon bells-- Whose sounds so wild would, in days of childhood, Fling round my cradle their magic spells; On this I ponder, where'er I wander, And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee; With thy bells of Shandon, That sound so grand on The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

 I have heard bells chiming full many a clime in, Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine; While at a glib rate brass tongues would vibrate, But all their music spoke nought to thine; For memory dwelling on each proud swelling Of thy belfry knelling its bold notes free, Made the bells of Shandon Sound far more grand on The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Shandon Church, Cork. ]

Francis Sylvester Mahony, author of this ballad, known in the world ofliterature as "Father Prout, " was born in Cork in 1804. He was educatedfor the priesthood, but spent the best years of his life in London, as amagazine writer. 

Further north than Shandon is St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral, anample piece of architecture, not particularly attractive. Coming downthe hill towards the city on Pope's-quay, St. Mary's Dominican Churchmay be seen. It is a very beautiful church, of the composite style ofarchitecture. The Grecian portico is remarkable for the gracefulness andjustness of its proportions, and is very much admired. It is, perhaps, the most chaste building of its kind in the kingdom. 

Besides the churches and public buildings already enumerated, theCourthouse and the Municipal Schools of Science and Art should be seen. The Courthouse is in Great George-street. In a recent fire there manyvaluable records were destroyed. Courthouses seem to be ill-fated inCork. The old Courthouse fell during the trial for treason in the Penaldays of the Catholic Bishop of Cork. The present Courthouse was burnt onGood Friday, 1891. 

The punning, duel-fighting, hanging judge, Lord Norbury, of whom thecountry people still say, "He'd hang a man as soon as knock the head offa rush, " often dispensed with an escort in the most exciting times, androde here on circuit with a brace of pistols at his saddle-bow. But hewas a man of uncommon determination. Once, when his acts were unusuallyunjudicial, he was reprimanded from Dublin Castle and threatened withcompulsory retirement. He rode instanter to Dublin, and never stoppeduntil he drew rein at the Castle gate. He demanded to see the LordLieutenant, but the then Viceroy, Lord Talbot, was in England. He wasushered into the presence of a courteous official, who was a littleastonished to be authoritatively asked, "Who are you?" "I, sir, " saidthe Under Secretary, whom he addressed, "am Mr. Gregory. " "Then you bed----d, and don't Sir me, " said his Lordship. "Fifty-two years ago Ibegan life at the Irish Bar with fifty guineas and a case of pistols. Here it is! I have fought my way to preferment. Within a few months Iexpect a letter of an unpleasant character from the Castle. Tell thewriter he may take his choice of these, and send me his second. " Historydoes not record whether "the letter of an unpleasant character" was everwritten. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Guy and Co. , Cork. _ Cork Exhibition. ]

The Municipal Buildings of Science and Art in Emmet-place can bearcomparison with those of any town of the same size in Great Britain orIreland. The sculpture and picture galleries are open to visitors. Thesplendid collection of casts from the antiques in the Vatican Gallerywere executed under the superintendence of Canova, and sent by Pope PiusVII. To George IV. The ship which carried them by long sea from Italyput into Cork, and was there detained for harbour dues. The King, instead of paying, transferred the Papal gift to the Cork Society ofArts. 

A paltry exhibit of coins, antiquities, and fossils forms the Museum. Although Cork County has been one of the richest in Ireland in "finds"of gold and metal work of the ancient Irish, they are absolutelyunrepresented. 

CORK DISTRICT. 

The county of Cork is the largest shire in Ireland. The pleasure seeker, the artist, the antiquary, the sportsman, the invalid, will each findwithin its broad barriers much to meet his wants. Sir Walter Scott iscredited with the statement that the history of this single countycontains more romance than the history of the lowlands and highlands ofhis own dear land of the mountain and the flood. 

The surface of the county Cork is as diversified as the people. In someplaces, such as Kilworth, Mushera, and Ballyhoura, the elevation isconsiderable, elsewhere it sinks to a low-lying plain, such as atKilcrea, where the bog is that tradition says saw the last wolf inIreland killed, and Imokilly, where the sea is yearly eating into thelowlands. The county is watered by no less than twenty rivers ofimportance. 

Making the city the headquarters for a few days, there are many placesof interest in the vicinity which may with ease be visited. Theexcellent tram system may be availed of by visitors to the sights in itsimmediate vicinity. A drive by Douglas and Vernamount can berecommended. Douglas was an old town, famous for its manufacture of sailcloth, and in recent years a village providence in the person of thelate Mr. John Morrogh has resuscitated industry in the district by theestablishment of a splendidly equipped tweed factory. With a fine dayand a good "outside jaunting-car" to travel the five miles' drive to~Blarney Castle~ will be found most enjoyable. The famous stone, whichno one should miss kissing, is set in the parapet wall. The word"Blarney, " meaning pleasant "deluderin' talk, " is said to haveoriginated at the Court of Queen Elizabeth. MacCarthy, the thenchieftain over the clan of that name, resided at Blarney, and wasrepeatedly asked to come in from "off his keeping, " as the phrase in theState Papers goes, to abjure the system of Tanistry by which the clanelected the chief, and take tenure of his lands direct from the Crown. He was always promising with fair words and soft speech to do what wasdesired, but never could be got to come to the sticking point. TheQueen, it is told, when one of his speeches was brought to her, said, "This is all Blarney; what he says he never means. "

By the Great Southern and Western Railway the castle can also bereached. By this route a good stretch of the Upper Lee is seen, withCarrigrohane Castle, which belonged to the M'Sweeneys, beetling high ona rock, and the line runs through the picturesque valley of theSournagh, which may be likened to a Swiss ravine. All the remains of theformer greatness of Blarney consists of the ruins of two mansions, oneof the fifteenth century, and the other of the Elizabethan period. Inits time the place was one of considerable strength, and was erected byCormac MacCarthy Laider, or the Strong-handed chief of his name. Most ofthe outworks and defences are gone. The old square keep, ivy-crowned, rises from a huge limestone rock, around which the Coomaun or crookedriver winds. The Castle is over 120 feet high; the great staircase atthe right-hand side leads through the entire building, here and theresmall vaulted chambers being set in the massive walls, which are inplaces nine feet thick. The arched room, of which the projecting windowwith three lights overlooks the streamlet below, is known as the Earl'sChamber. The last fight in which Blarney Castle figured, was that inwhich the Confederates held out for King Charles in 1642. It fell beforethe superior ordnance of Cromwell's commander, Ireton. It was neverafterwards used for a dwelling-house, being almost completelydismantled. From the summit of the Castle a good view of the surroundingcountry can be had. To the west lies Muskerry, with what Ruskin calls"the would-be hills" rising towards Mushera Mountain. To the north isSt. Ann's Hydropathic Establishment, on a gentle slope, surrounded bywell-wooded parks. In the village beneath is the well-known BlarneyTweed Factory of Messrs. Martin Mahony Brothers, through which visitorsmay be shown when convenient to the courteous proprietors. The "RockClose, " which is at the foot of the Castle at the southern side, is onebeautiful jungle of foliage, in which myrtle, ivy, and arbutusintertwine with the rowan tree and the silver hazel. 

[Illustration: Blarney Castle. ]

If we have gone to Blarney on the "outside jaunting-car, " the returnjourney may be made by Bawnafinny, Kerry Pike, and the Sournagh Valley, and Northern Lee road. Beneath Bawnafinny, "the pastures of beauty, " weget a glimpse of Blarney Lake, a broad sheet of water bordered with talltrees, above which the old Castle raises its head. It would gladden theheart of Izaak Walton, as it is full of fish, among which is the famousgillaroo trout, which will not rise to the tantalising fly. Thepeasantry have a legend, that within the lake lies hidden the treasureand plate of the last of the MacCarthys, who hid them there sooner thanallow his conquerors to gain possession of it. The secret is said to beknown to three of the old family, and before one dies he tells it tothe other, so that it may be recovered when the MacCarthy "comes to hisown again. " The milk girls also on May mornings are said to havefrequently seen fairy cows along the banks of the lake, which vanishinto thin mists when approached by human footsteps!

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Blackrock Castle, Cork. ]

~Ballincollig~ is a place of some interest. The powder mill is along-established factory, and gives considerable employment in theneighbourhood. The large cavalry barracks is amongst the finest in thesouth of Ireland. 

~Blackrock~ is little better than a fishing village; but the suburbsbetween it and Cork are filled with villa residences, pleasure grounds, and market gardens. Beside the road, between the city and the village, are situated the well-known nursery gardens belong to Hartland. Thedaffodil farm, when the flowers are full, is a sight very difficult tosurpass in the three Kingdoms. Maxwellstown House, on the slope of asouthern hill, was the scene of a tragedy, not yet forgotten in Cork. After a marriage _dejeuner_, the bride retired to her dressing-room todon her going-away dress, but the bridegroom waited in vain for herreturn. She had died suddenly in the arms of those who attended her; andthe story goes that the disconsolate lover dismissed the servants, shutup the house with everything just as it was, and went on his way outinto the wide world alone. Long years afterwards, when news of his deathcame from a far-off land, his next-of-kin had the house re-opened, andfound everything just as it had been left half a century before, afterthe wedding breakfast. The dust and cobwebs were cleared away, and allwent to the hammer. 

Eastward, towards the harbour's mouth, there is much to be enjoyed. Excursionists may take the train direct from the Great Southern andWestern Railway terminus, or by Passage from the Albert Station, andthen by steamer to Queenstown. Taking the direct line the train runsalmost parallel with the promenade called the Marina, which separatesfrom the river side the broad pasture known as Cork Park, which is thelocal race course. A race meeting at Cork is well worth witnessing. Thegay young bucks, described long ago by Arthur Young, still are with us, and they and their lady friends make a fine flutter during race week. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Queenstown Harbour. ]

~Passage~ (~West~) was once the busy site of ship-building anddock-yards, but the industry is no longer of anything like its originalproportions. The town is an old-fashioned place, and has not escaped thepen of Father Prout, who, in what he calls "manifestly an imitation ofthat unrivalled dithyramb, " The Groves of Blarney--with little of itshumours and all its absurdity--signs the attractions of what he styles afashionable Irish watering-place:--

 "The town of Passage Is both large and spacious, And situate Upon the say; 'Tis nate and dacent, And quite adjacent To come from Cork On a summer's day. "

Steamers ply between the railway station at Passage and the many littletowns around the port. ~Glenbrook~ and ~Monkstown~ are particularlypicturesque. Above the latter, nestling in the trees, may be seenMonkstown Castle, the legend attached to which says it was built for onegroat. The owner of the site, one of the Archdeckens, an Anglo-Irishfamily, having gone away to the wars in the Lowlands, his better-halfpromised him a pleasant surprise on his return. She employed a number ofworkmen to build the castle, a condition of the contract being that theyshould buy their food from her while so engaged. Truly, she was a shrewdwoman. Her profits were such, that she had enough to pay the entire costof the work, less one solitary groat. 

~Spike Island~ is mentioned in Church History as a present given by aMunster King to St. Cartach, of Lismore. In modern times it was used asa convict prison, the convicts' labour being employed in theconstruction of the fortifications around the harbour. 

~Queenstown~, or, to give it its old Irish name, Cove, is built upon anisland. It is the paradise of naval pensioners, and the home of allnationalities, yet Irish is still a spoken tongue not a mile away, behind "Spy Hill. " The magnificent Cathedral to St. Colman, the patronSaint of Cloyne, occupies a commanding position over the harbour. It isin the later florid Gothic architecture, and within one of itstransepts is buried the celebrated Dr. Coppinger, a learned writer andmember of the most famous and enduring of the Danish families to whomIreland became a native land. In an old graveyard on the island, CharlesWolfe, the writer of the elegy on Sir John Moore, and Tobin, thedramatist, are buried. The panorama from Spy Hill embraces theenchanting river and the wide harbour, which is capable of holding allthe ships in the British Navy within the line drawn from the two forts, Camden and Carlisle, which guard the entrance. Of Queenstown, the_Dublin Health Record_ says:--"The climate is remarkably mild andequable, and, at the same time, fairly dry and tonic, and is especiallysuitable as a winter and spring residence for persons with delicatechests, to sufferers from chronic catarrhal throat affections, and toconvalescents from acute diseases. It is particularly appropriate as aseaside resort to persons requiring a soothing and sedative atmosphere. From the position of Queenstown, winds from the colder points are verylittle felt, and it is completely protected from the north, north-east, and north-west winds. The mean temperatures of the seasons are exactlysimilar to those at Torquay, the noted winter health resort in the southof England, and higher than those of Bournemouth, Hastings, and Ventnor. As a winter health resort, Queenstown possesses all the best natural andclimatic advantages. "

The beach presents the most varied and motley sights to be seen anywherein northern Europe. Merchant seamen from every port of the worldcongregate here; military and man-of-war sailors are ever present, pleasure-seeking yachtsmen, pilots and fishers mix with the melancholygroups of emigrants, or the irrepressible vendors of impossible wares. Beyond in the blue waters, His Majesty's flagship rides at anchor, oneor more of the "ocean greyhounds, " with dead slow engines, are steamingout between the forts; tenders, whale-boats, small steamers, tugs, andevery craft that sails the sea, down to the familiar Munster "hooker, "are hurrying to ports far and near, or lying "idle as painted ships upona painted ocean. " Most of the Atlantic liners have offices here. Tendersconvey the mails from the deep-water quays at the Great Southern andWestern terminus out to the steamers, which usually ride in the fair wayby the harbour's mouth. Queenstown is the principal port through whichthe emigrants leave Ireland. Young and old, when the "emigration fever"is rife, the tides of people may be seen flowing oceanwards. Sometimesthey have a little money, and are going to better themselves; but mostusually they are going out penniless to relatives abroad, or "justtrusting in God. " Not an unfrequent sight is to see bare-footed peasantchildren waiting for their turn to cross the gangway which leads to theNew World. Perhaps they have nothing with them but "a pot of shamrock, "or a little mountain thrush or orange-billed blackbird, in a wickercage, to make friends with "beyant the herring-pond. " It is verycurious, but very Irish, that they do not at all seem to want thesympathy that is lavished upon them by the onlookers. When they areleaving their native place, the "neighbours" hold an "American wake, "and in the morning, with heartrending embraces and wild caioning, givethem the last "Bannact Dea Leat"--"God's blessing be on your way"; butwhen they come to Cove, the sorrow is smothered; they are buoyed up bythat trusting faith in the future which is the first fibre in the Irishnature. They may look melancholy to us, but they themselves make merry, and before the "big ship" is but on the "Old Sea, " as the Atlantic iscalled, the girls and young men are slipping through rollicking reels toimprovised music "to show their heart's deep sorrow they are scorning. "Perhaps, as the Gaelic proverb expresses it, "'Tis the heavy heart thathas the lightest foot. " But a truce to trouble. They tell a story of anemigrant and a grand trunk merchant at Queenstown which shows alike thehapless condition and happy-go-lucky heart of the Irishman. "Pat, " saidthe merchant, "you're going to travel; will you buy a trunk?" "A trunk, "answered Pat, "an' for what, yerra?" "To put your clothes in, ofcourse. " "And meself go naked, is it? Och! lave off your gladiatoring;sure it's took up I'd be if I did that!"

~Crosshaven~ and ~Aghada~, two watering places inside the harbour, arewithin easy reach of Cove by steamer, which calls at Currabinny Pier. The Owenabwee[3] river runs between Currabinny and Crosshaven; it is abeautiful, well-wooded stream which has been celebrated in aplaintive-aired Jacobite ballad, the "Lament of the Irish Maiden. "

 "On Carrigdhoun the heath is brown, The clouds are dark on Ardnalee, And many a stream comes rushing down To swell the angry Owenabwee. The moaning blast is whistling fast Through many a leafless tree, But I'm alone, for he is gone, My hawk is flown, ochone machree. "

A few hundred yards from Crosshaven river there is a fiord of theOwenabwee, known as Drake's Pool. Here the great soldier-sailor, SirFrancis Drake, with his five little sloops, hid in 1587 from aformidable Spanish fleet. The Spaniards entered the harbour, but failingto find their quarry, put to sea again in high dudgeon. 

Near ~Aghada~, at the other side of the harbour, is Rostellan Castle, formerly the residence of the Lords of Thomond. ~Cloyne~ is only fourmiles' drive "on the long car" through a rich countryside, and on theway may be seen a Druidical cromlech, at Castlemartyr, in a very fairstate of preservation. Cloyne Round Tower "points its long fingers tothe sky" above the ancient church wherein there is a fine alabasterstatue of the metaphysician, Dr. Berkeley, who was Bishop of Cloyne. ~Ballycotton~ is seven miles from Cloyne. The cliffs here are high andwild, and Youghal, shining white in the sun in summer weather, can beeasily seen at the mouth of the far-famed Blackwater. There are modernhotels and moderate lodgings at Ballycotton. In the season splendiddeep-sea fishing can be had in the vicinity, and the opportunities ofsea-bathing are enticing. 

[Illustration: Ballycotton Harbour]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Ballycotton. ]

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Cork District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing, Shooting, Cycling, &c. 

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The River Blackwater, Youghal, Etc. 

Edmund Spenser spent most of his time in Cork County, at KilcolemanCastle in the vicinity of Buttevant. The place was well chosen as thehouse of a poet. The surrounding country is very beautiful, and everymountain and glen has its story. 

The town of ~Buttevant~ took its name from the battle-cry of theBarrymores--"Boutez-en-avant, " "push forward. " The ruins of thebeautiful Abbey remain. At the time of the supervision of monasteries itwas described as "a nest of abbots. " Buttevant is the railway stationfor Doneraile, and hard by is Cahirmee, where the greatest horse fair inthe British Isles is annually held. The fair lasts for two days. It isheld about midsummer, and attracts buyers not only from all parts ofthese countries, but from as far away as Vienna and Stockholm. Spenserpays tribute to the beautiful Blackwater which flows through Mallow toYoughal--

 "Swift Annsduff, which of the English is called Blackwater. "

Far away in the highland country between Cork and Kerry the streamrises, and comes floating and pushing down from the haunt of thefairies and the outlaw, through the wild country of Meelin. Here is aremarkable cave, the hiding place of Donald O'Keeffe, last of the oldchiefs of the land of Duhallow, who was outlawed after the fall of theJacobites. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ In the Woods at Buttevant. ]

The river flows through Newmarket, the birthplace of Curran, andKanturk, the birthplace of Barry Yelverton, to ~Mallow~ which is thecentre of the lines of railway radiating into Kerry, Fermoy, andLismore, as well as to Cork city. The town is very beautifully situated. In the distance are the Kilworth mountains, which seem afar off to jointhe ample deer-park at Mallow Castle. It was once one of the liveliestand most fashionable resorts in Ireland, but its famous spas, to whichgentlewomen and gallants came in the last century, are now unfrequentedand almost forgotten. When abductions, duelling, and such pastimes werein vogue, "The Rakes of Mallow" were in their heyday. As Lysaght sang:--

 "Beauing, belleing, dancing, drinking, Breaking windows, damning, sinking, Ever raking, never thinking, Live the rakes of Mallow. 

 Spending faster than it comes, Beating waiters, bailiffs, duns, Bacchus' true-begotten sons, Live the rakes of Mallow. 

 Living short, but merry lives. Going where the devil drives: Having sweethearts, but no wives, Live the rakes of Mallow. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Mallow Castle. ]

~The Blackwater~ flows past Mallow through a rich country surrounded bysoft-breasted hills and well-planted lawns, to Fermoy, a garrison townof importance, from which Mitchelstown, eleven miles away, may bereached by a light railway. The caves at Mitchelstown are describedelsewhere (Waterford section). We will part the branch line here andreturn, _via_ Cork, to Youghal, the point from which to become familiarwith the Blackwater at its best. 

~Youghal~, except in summer-time, when the visitors to its splendidstrand enliven its appearance, is a sombre old place with an air ofretired respectability. It is full of memories of other days, for herethe Dane and the Christian came together; the Norman made it a walledtown, and the Spaniards came into its harbour. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ View on the Blackwater Youghal. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Clock Tower, Youghal. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Sir Walter Raleigh's House atYoughal. ]

From here Sir Walter Raleigh, its Mayor, went forth to foundVirginia--and to the scaffold. It was a chartered city, and grew inwealth and importance from 1183 to 1579, when it was sacked by Gerald, sixteenth Earl of Desmond, then out "upon his keeping. " Ormonde drovethe Geraldines out of the town, and hanged the then Mayor outside hisown door for aiding them. He rebuilt its walls, and placed here astrong garrison. In 1641 it was again besieged, but held out for sixweeks until relieved. In 1645, Castlehaven attacked it, but was repulsedby Broghill, fifth son of the Earl of Cork. Here, during the war withthe Confederates, money was struck. On the execution of Charles I. , Ormonde proclaimed his son King, but the Puritans in the town revoltedto Cromwell, who wintered here in 1649. In 1660, the Cavaliers andbroken followers of the Geraldines captured the town, and ten daysbefore his actual succession proclaimed Charles II. King. With varyingfortunes of war, the town passed into the hands of the Jacobites andWilliamites. The objects of interest, besides the picturesqueattractions of the strand and beautiful bay, are very many. The ClockTower remains where the old South Gate to the town stood. Tynte's Castlewas built by Norman settlers in the fifteenth century. St. Mary'sCathedral is cruciform, consisting of nave, aisle, transepts, choir, andmassive tower. In the chantry of Our Blessed Saviour, or south transept, besides the memorial to the founder and his countess, is the grotesquemausoleum, in florid, glaring Italian style, to the Earl of Cork and hisfamily. At Boyle's feet is the kneeling figure of his first wife, Joan;at his head is that of his second, Catherine. Over the arch is hismother, Joan, and along the margin of the plinth are nine diminutiveeffigies--his children. The tower was evidently constructed rather as adefence than simply for a belfry. The churchyard, where there are manyancient gravestones, is the chief centre of local superstition, and hereall local ghostly visitations are alleged to take place. ~Myrtle Grove~, whilom the residence of the ill-fated Elizabethan soldier, Raleigh, isan unpretentious, ancient gabled dwelling. The interior is remarkablefor its beautiful oak wainscoting. 

During his sojourn in Munster, "Captain Sir Walter Raleigh" performedmany deeds of dering-do, albeit some of them were far from being likeBayard's, without reproach. He was Mayor of Youghal, 1588-9; and, withSpenser, was granted the greater part of the forfeited estates of theEarl of Desmond. Raleigh's grant comprised property at Youghal and alongthe Blackwater to Affane, already mentioned. In the garden attached toMyrtle Grove he is supposed to have planted the potato, the firstplanted in Ireland. 

The strand at Youghal is very fine, and sea-bathers are afforded everyopportunity of enjoying themselves. In summer time the watering-place ismuch patronized, and every year is becoming more attractive. There aregood hotels, and plenty of residences and lodgings to accommodatevisitors during the season. In the morning the whole fore-shore is givenover to the bathers, and in the evenings it is mostly "Oh, listen to theband" along the Promenade and in the Green Park. The inroads of the seaat Claycastle are at length being successfully encountered by the Casegroining system, which has been found so efficient elsewhere. 

The coast-line from Youghal to Cork is indented with splendid seacliffs, fiords, and strands. Garryvoe lies between Youghal andBallycotton. The sea for miles along this district has been eating intothe clay cliffs, and threatens to fulfil a Gaelic prophecy that it willyet reach Killeagh, a town six miles inland. Near Killeagh is a verybeautiful scene of sylvan splendour, Glenbower. 

The railway line runs direct from Youghal to Cork, passing the thrivingmarket town of Midleton, the granary of Cork County, and Carrigtwohill, where there are the ruins of a Norman Castle. 

A ferry from Youghal brings the passenger into Waterford County. Theroad above Whiting Bay leads to the fishing village of ~Ardmore~. It wasperhaps, the first place in Ireland where the light of Christianityshone, as St. Declan is generally agreed to have been a precursor of theNational apostle. In the country districts surrounding, as in thefishing village itself, the language most in use is Gaelic. The roundtower, said to be of later date than any other in Ireland, is unique inmany respects. The Cathedral, with its exquisite chancel arch andelaborate exterior arcading, will delight the antiquary and architect. Other interesting objects are the Ogham stones in its chancel, and thenarrow lintelled "Bed" of St. Declan. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Strancally Castle, Co. Waterford. ]

The service of steamers from Youghal to Cappoquin up the ~RiverBlackwater~ depends at present mainly on the state of the tide. Butdespite this and other things, the scenery on the river side will wellrepay inconvenience. Having left the ferry behind, the first place ofinterest is Rhincrew (The Bloody Point), and on the wooded hill theruins of a preceptory of the Knights Templars still remain. Higher up onthe western bank of the Glendine tributary stands Temple Michael, anold fortalice of the Geraldines, which Cromwell battered down for "direinsolence. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Blackwater River. ]

There is a legend which tells that the last of the Geraldines was buriedat Ardmore, far from his young bride, who lost her life during the siegeby the regicides. The story says, after his burial, at night his voicecould be heard clearly, calling across the river, to bring him back andbury him by his own. For seven years the awe-struck peasants heard theplaintive voice calling, in the tender tongue of the Gael, "Garault, come to me, "--"Gerald, a ferry!" At last, some young men of his clanwent to Ardmore and brought his dead body to Temple Michael, where hiswife was buried, and henceforth his spirit no longer troubled the silentvigils of the fishermen at night. 

The bend in the waterway brings one into sight of rich pastures and finedemesnes. Ballintray, "The Town of the Strand" has in its vicinityMolana Abbey, where the warrior, Raymond Le Gros, lies buried. At thebroads of Clashmore, the highest water-mark to which the inflowing tidecomes, one can easily imagine themselves upon an inland lake. Beyond isStrancally Castle, beetling over the river, set firmly in a foundationof crags. The local tradition carriers will gladly point out "TheMurdering Hole, " a natural fissure in the rocks, and here they will tellyou that the departed Desmonds destroyed their guests after robbingthem! Above the confluence of the Bride with the Blackwater, Villierstown and Camphire villages are passed, then the Awbeg joins itslittle flood, and beyond the island Dromana Ford is reached. Near isDromana Castle, where "the old Countess of Desmond" was born. In thetable-book of Robert Sydney, second Earl of Leyicester, written whenAmbassador at Paris, about 1640, there is the following reference toher:--

 "The old Countess of Desmond was a marryed woman in Edward IV. Time of England, and lived till towards the end of Queen Elizabeth, so as she must needes be neare one hundred and forty years old. She had a new sett of teeth not long afore her death, and might have lived much longer had she not mett with a kind of violent death, for she would needes climbe a nut-tree to gather nuts, so falling down she hurt her thigh, which brought a fever, and that fever brought death. This my cousin, Walter Fitzwilliam, told me. This old lady, Mr. Haniot told me, came to petition the Queen, and, landing at Bristoll, she came on foot to London, being then so old that her daughter was decrepit, and not able to come with her. "

Dromana House, on the eastern branch of the river, is situated on abeautiful height, which commands the reaches of the river from Cappoquinto Youghal. At more than one point on the river there were opportunitiesof seeing in the distance the cloisters of ~Mount Melleray~--"the littletown of God, " lonely above the mists and shadows of the hills. As wewalk or drive, the hillside behind the river winds its way throughcliffs and well-wooded lands in front, the mountains unfold themselvesrange behind range. No one who has ever visited Mount Melleray willforget it or the generous Brothers. The Trappists, expelled from Francein 1830, first settled on the borders of Kerry, but subsequentlycolonised this barren hillside, and already they have transformed itinto a fine farm, containing rich pastures and thriving plantations. Themonastery may be visited by gentlemen visitors, and cannot fail to proveof extraordinary interest. There are two guest houses, one for gentlemenand the other for ladies. No charge is made for their bed or board, andall creeds, classes, and nationalities are received with a _caed millefailté_. Every week a sermon in Irish is preached to the mountaineers. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Mount Melleray--View from South. ]

Either from Melleray or Cappoquin, ~Lismore~ may be reached by car ortrain. It was the home of learning of old, and to-day, not only itsbeautiful position but historic Castle command attention. It is thebirthplace of Boyle, the philosopher. Ptolemy is asserted veryconfidently by some authorities to have mentioned this place and itsriver. It is certain, however, that the place was long in existence in631, when St. Carthage, of Rahan, fled thither. Nothing could beprettier than the appearance of the town, and it is a comfortable, well-to-do place, monopolising the trade of a large countryside. St. Machuda's Cathedral will repay inspection. The Castle is the Irish seatof the Duke of Devonshire. It was an ancient fortress, dating back tothe reign of King John. It stands in a pre-eminently commandingposition, over the Blackwater, and was the scene of many a hard-foughtfight, especially in the wars of the Commonwealth, when Castlehavencaptured it from the Roundheads. A magnificent view of the surroundingcountry may be had from its higher-storied windows. The public arefreely admitted. From one of the high windows, it is said, when JamesII. Was asked to look, he accused the maker of the suggestion ofdesiring to throw him from the dizzy height. 

From the Railway Station at Lismore, the most interesting object in viewis the new Roman Catholic Cathedral, dedicated to St. Carthage, thefounder of the See, and believed to occupy the site of his cell. Thicklysurrounded by beautiful lime trees, the warm red sandstones of thewalling, with the limestone dressing of the windows and doorways, formsa brilliant picture. The interior is richly furnished, and altogetherthe church is well worthy of a visit. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ The Guest House, Mount Melleray. ]

[Illustration]

Waterford and District. 

Waterford is the port of call for most of the shipping from the West andSouth of England and Wales. The projected system by which steamers willrun direct from Fishguard to Rosslare Harbour, whatever effect it mayhave upon Waterford as a port, will bring it by many hours nearer to theEnglish markets. It is only a question of a few years until this routewill be at the disposal of tourists and travellers from across theChannel. Under the Amalgamation of Railways Act of 1900, Waterford hasthe additional advantage of becoming a terminus of the system. With itas centre, railway services are supplied to Cork County and Lismore, toLimerick _via_ Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel, and to Kilkenny _via_Kilmacow and Thomastown. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ Waterford. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Waterford, from North Side ofRiver. ]

"The Star of the Suir"--the City of ~Waterford~--derived its name fromthe Danish words, Vedr-fiord, given to it by its original founders, thehardy Norsemen. From whatever side we approach the old town, whetherland or sea, the sight is equally delightful. From without, approachingby the broad waterway, the city stretches forth to meet us, with thequaint wooden bridge spanning the noble river, and the hills forming azone behind. Surely the Danes had an eye for beauty, as for maritimeadvantage, in selecting this happy spot for their fortress. In the ninthcentury, when the ploughers of the sea seized on the mouth of the Suir, they fortified a little delta some twenty acres in size, having thepresent Quay as its long side. From this little triangle the town grew, and in the last century was one of the first seaport towns in Ireland. Here, in 1171, Strongbow landed, defeated the Danes and Irish, who hadconfederated to repel him, and sacked the town. It is a strangehistorical coincidence that the Feast of St. Bartholomew was the day onwhich Strongbow landed and countenanced the massacre of the inhabitants. Under Raymond Le Gros the carnage was carried out, and in St. LawrenceO'Toole's address to the Irish princes at peace with the invader, whichhas been versified by Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, it is referred to in thelines:--

 "Tell me not of leagues and treaties, Treaties sealed in faith as true As Black Raymond's, on the bloody Feast of St. Bartholomew. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ The Quays, Waterford. ]

King John landed here, and the town was walled in and fortified againstthe Irish, who hung like wolves around a fold in the outlying country. In the Revolution the town adhered to the King. It was the port mostused by the Confederates, and here many of their proclamations wereprinted. It was the one place in Ireland which successfully resisted theall-conquering Cromwell, and hence received the name from the Cavaliersof _Urbs intacta_. An object of historic interest which has beenrestored within the present century is Reginald's Tower. It was builtoriginally by Reginald the Dane, son of Sitrius, the great Danish Kingof Dublin and Fingal (The Fair Strangers), whom Brian Boru defeated atClontarf. Here, it is said, DeClair married Eva, whose fair face inducedhim to join his forces to her father's fallen fortunes. Maclise, in hiswonderful historical picture "Bartered Away, "[4] represents the nuptialsas taking place on the battlefield, dyed with the blood of thevanquished Irish. There could not have been much love in the match afterall. Strongbow was scarcely dead when his young widow wrote to RaymondLe Gros that "a great tooth had fallen out, " which he understood to meanthat the time had arrived for him to come and make her his own, which hedid. The patron saints of the diocese of Waterford and Lismore are SaintCartach and Saint Otteran, the latter being a Dane who embracedChristianity. The Cathedral (Episcopalian) occupies the site of the oldDanish Cathedral, the existence of which, together with that of ChristChurch in Dublin, bears testimony to the zeal with which the Danesembraced Christianity. The Quay is the most characteristic bit ofWaterford. Across the bridge, from Mount Misery or Cromwell's Rock, twopoints of vantage, excellent views of the surroundings can be had. TheSuir, shining silvery, steals in and out among the hills and by the oldtown into the sea. The most interesting of the ancient monuments inWaterford is what is commonly called the "French Church, " which, morecorrectly, is entitled "The Holy Ghost Friary. " Authorities agree inassigning the date of its foundation to 1240, but its history has neverbeen written. After the Edict of Nantes, the fugitive Huguenots formed alittle colony in Waterford. The Corporation granted a salary to theirminister, and they were provided with a place of worship in the choir ofthe old church. All that remain of this once gorgeous pile ofbuildings are the ruins of the tower, Lady Chapel, chancel, and nave. The style is Early English, and the most attractive feature is thegraceful three-lighted east window. The Catholic Cathedral is worth avisit. Within easy reach of the Quay is Ballybricken, the heart of thebacon industry, and the home of the best known body of pig-buyers inIreland. These men are almost a community to themselves. They have theirown traditions, and are more like an organisation which would havesprung up from a church guild centuries ago than in any way a moderntrades union. Formerly Waterford was remarkable for the manufacture ofbeautiful cut glass, but the industry has died away. The housekeeper whopossesses specimens of the art considers herself lucky indeed in herpossession, as collectors are continually on the alert to procure them. In the immediate vicinity of Waterford itself there are many beautyspots and places of interest. In the suburb of Newtown stands thepaternal home of Lord Roberts of Waterford and Candahar, besides whom onits roll of famous children Waterford includes the names of CharlesKeane and Vincent Wallace. Portlaw, four and a half miles away, on thesouth bank of the Suir, was once the centre of a thriving cottonindustry. Here an order may be had at the estate office to visitCurraghmore, the residence of the Marquis of Waterford. The magnificentdemesne includes over four thousand acres, and Curraghmore is possessedof the best-blooded stud of hunters in Ireland. 

[Illustration: Imperial Hotel, Waterford. ]

[Illustration: Curraghmore. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ Tramore. ]

~Tramore~, seven miles away, is reached by train in fifteen minutes. Itis one of the most popular watering places in the South of Ireland, andin the height of the season it is estimated that about four thousandvisitors augment the normal population of two thousand. Many of theWaterford merchants live there, and their villas and the houses of thetown, rising one street above another on the side of the hill, make apretty picture when viewed from the strand. The hotels are numerous, the Grand Hotel can be recommended as being specially comfortable, whilethere are three or four other hotels where very good accommodation canbe had. The lodging-house accommodation is equal to that to be obtainedat any Irish seaside resort. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ Evening at Tramore. ]

In addition to capital sea and trout fishing, the visitor can enjoy thepleasures of golf and lawn-tennis, and during the summer months racesare frequently held at the Tramore Flying Course, which is situatedwithin view of the town. The views of this pleasantly situated holidayreunion will recall to many minds happy days spent by the Sounding Sea. 

The Rabbit Burrow, a little further on, is a mile in length, and helpsto divide the Back Strand from the spacious bay. Just before reachingthis Burrow, the visitor will see a tombstone erected to the memory ofthose who were lost in the "Sea Horse" transport, in January, 1816, whenreturning from the Peninsular Campaign. No less than 362 lost theirlives in this terrible disaster. At the western side of Tramore thereare many places along the rock-bound coast well worth a visit. Passingalong in the Newtown direction we come in view of the Ladies' Cove;here, years ago, a fishing pier was built by the Board of Works. It wasswept right away one stormy night over two decades ago, and has not beenreplaced since. Along the Cliff Road we catch views of Gun's Cove, andthe Gillameen Cove, where excellent bathing facilities, free of charge, can be availed of by the visitor. 

On the western shore, twelve miles by road from Waterford, is the prettywatering place of ~Dunmore~. It is situated at the mouth of the riverSuir in a valley gently sloping to the sea, and is protected from thenorth winds by a wood which, in the hot summer days, is a mostdelightful resort for visitors. There is also a public park and tennisground, and the facilities for bathing, particularly for gentlemen, leave nothing to be desired. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ Dunmore. ]

In the early part of the last century the place was a mail packetstation for the mails to and from England. The harbour was built by theGovernment at a cost of about £100, 000, and is at present under thecontrol of the Board of Works. Here, in the fishing season, are boatsfrom all parts of the Kingdom fishing for herring and mackerel, andspecial steamers are constantly running to and from Milford with theharvest of the sea. 

There are some particularly good villas and houses which can be rentedin the season, and there is a good hotel just over the harbour, whilerooms are to be had on reasonable terms at many houses in the town. Forpersons who desire a select quiet place to spend a holiday in, it can berecommended strongly, while for those who are fond of sea-fishing oryachting no better place in Ireland can be had. Although there is norailway connection with Waterford cars run daily, the fare being only_1s. _ for the twelve miles. 

Above the confluence of the Barrow and Suir, six and a half miles fromthe city, from the top of the hill over Cheekpoint (Side a fairy)--where"the river Rosse meets the river of Waterford"--a grand panoramapresents itself. In the distance the mountains shoulder one another forprominence; the Comeraghs, the many peaked Galtees, and

 "Sweet Slievenamon, the darling and pride, With soft flowing bosom and brow like a bride. "

This beautiful mountain owes its name, "The Hill of the Women, " to aFinnian legend, which tells that Finn M'Cool promised to make his wifeof whichever of the fair women of Ireland could reach its summit first, when all were started from the foot. Grainne Oge, the Gaelic Helen, ofcourse was heroine of the day, and Finn's taking her was the origin ofone of the most enthralling of the Celtic romances. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Croker, Waterford. _ Dunmore Harbour. ]

Among the more interesting objects at Dunbrody are St. Catherine'sChurch, an old time dependency of the Abbey, and the splendid remainsof the Cistercian Monastery, rising above the meadows by which theCampile Stream flows. The monastic church in general style is EarlyEnglish, and is fairly preserved. It dates from the twelfth century, andwas founded by Henri de Montmorenzi, Marshal to Henry II. --the same whowas killed at the Curragh. 

There is a severe simplicity about its lines which gives an impressionof great dignity. The crenelated Tower springs from the nave andtransept. The Abbots of Dunbrody sat as Lords in Parliament, andexercised civil jurisdiction. Above Dunbrody, on the river opposite "TheLittle Island, " where was an ancient hermitage, in a straight line isBallinakill House, where James II. Spent his last night in Ireland, onthe day before that celebrated in the ballad, which tells:--

 "Righ Shemus he has gone to France, And left his crown behind, Ill luck be their's, both day and night, Put running in his mind. "

~Passage East~ (seven miles), now a fishing village, with spider-leggedspit light, was reduced by Cromwell in 1649. The old mole still stands. At Ballyhack, across the ferry, a strong, square castle is wellpreserved. "New Geneva, " in the vicinity, was garrisoned with Hessiansduring the Rebellion of '98. It is mentioned in the well-known Irishsong, "The Croppy Boy. " The place received its name in 1786, when acolony of Genoese exiles were established there. On the Waterford coast, from the city to where the Blackwater kisses the sea, beside a range ofnoble cliffs, there are many points of interest. The Tower of Hook, standing one hundred feet high, on the promontory of the same name onthe Wexford side, is attributed amongst others to Reginald the Dane, Ross MacRume, the founder of New Ross, and Florence de la Hague (1172). Its circular walls are of great thickness and strength. When Strongbowheard of this Tower of Hook, with Crook (Norse, Krok a nook) on thewestern side, he is alleged to have said "He would take Waterford byHook or Crook, " and thus originated a common saying which has come downto our own days. The Saltees, two islands off the Wexford coast, werethe refuge to which Colclough and Bagnall Harvey hastened in vain afterthe suppression of the Rebellion in '98. Helvick Head, the name of whichalso betrays its Danish origin, marks the entrance to Dungarvan Bay. Theline running from Waterford to Limerick Junction contains many places ofinterest, from which short tours may be made. As we come near to~Carrick-on-Suir~ the castle comes into view. The present building wasmainly erected by the former Earl of Ormonde, "Black Tom, " as he isknown in history. He was one of the many Irish gallants who found favourin the eyes of Queen Elizabeth. From Carrick, a drive of eight milesbrings us to Lough Coumshinawn, a lonely tarn lying high among theComeragh mountains, on one side of which the cliff rises perpendicularlyto a height of seven hundred feet. The railway from Carrick runs throughthe beautiful valley of the Suir to Kilsheelan, and then passes to theleft of the Knockmealdown mountains to ~Clonmel~, the capital of the"premier county. " The town is pleasantly placed in a thriving centre oflocal trade. It figured largely in the fights between Cromwellian andConfederate, and some of the old battlements still stand witness to itsstrength in bygone times. The peasantry have a tradition that a cloudwill ever hang above the town since Father Sheehy's death in the lastcentury. The tradition is hinted at in the beautiful emigrant ballad"Shameen Dhu, " by Katherine Tynan:--

 "Now, God watch over you, Shameen, An' His blessed Mother Mary! 'Twas you that had the lightest heart In all sweet Tipperary--

 'Twas you could sing the blackbird's song, In dry or rainy weather: Avic, the long-road wasn't long Whin we thravelled it together. 

 Sure, scores of times in the mornin' bright You sung this very road, You med the mare's heart bate so light She never felt her load; 'Twas you could lilt wid the thrush's trill, Ah, well, avic machree! God grant you may be singin' still In that lonely far counthrie!"

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Holy Cross Abbey at Thurles. ]

The name of Laurence Sterne, author of "Tristram Shandy, " and of thegorgeous Countess of Blessington, are both associated with Clonmel astheir birthplace. Through a mountain cut, appropriately called "TheWilderness, " the railway line runs aside to Thurles. The little churchof Rathronan, standing high on the hill, was the scene of thesensational Arbuthnot abduction in the last century. Those who wish fordetails of that unhappy love affair will find the story told in faithfulwords elsewhere. The demesne lands between Clonmel and Fethard are many. ~Fethard~ was an old walled town, it defied the Cromwellians, andsurrendered with all the honours of war. After treaty and terms wereagreed on, the Roundheads found that what they had mistaken as gapingmouths of cannon on the fortress were nothing more dangerous thaninnocent churns placed in positions of pretence, not defence. Thebogland from Fethard to Thurles is uninteresting; the intermediatestations are Farranalleen, Laffan's Bridge, and Horse and Jockey, atwhich collieries are still being worked. At Thurles we meet the mainline of the Great Southern and Western. ~Thurles~, originally a Danishtown and the scene of the battle between the Norsemen and Irish, afterwards became a fortalice of the Knights Templars. Here, by thebridge across the Suir, the remains of the old settlement are still tobe seen. Four miles distant, standing by the banks of the river, surrounded by tall trees, are the remains of the once great Cistercian~Holy Cross Abbey~. It was built in 1168-69 to house the relic of theTrue Cross sent by the Pope to Brian Boru's grandson, Donald, King ofThomond. This interesting relic, after centuries of vicissitudes, is nowenshrined at the Convent of the Ursulines, in Blackrock, Cork. On thefeasts of the Finding of the True Cross (May 3rd), and of the Exaltationof the Holy Cross (September 14th), and on every Friday in Lent, it ispresented for public veneration. Thurles is the seat of Episcopalresidence of the Archdiocese of Cashel. On the main line higher thanThurles is Templemore, founded by the Knights Templars. Between Thurlesand the Limerick Junction is Goold's Cross station, six miles fromCashel. The noblest evidence of the early civilization of Ireland is tobe found in ~Cashel Of the Kings~. Generally the buildings date from theearly twelfth century, the Round Tower being much earlier and theCathedral later. Cormac's Chapel was consecrated in 1134, being built bythe Saint King of Munster. It is rich Norman work, comprising nave, chancel, and towers at the transepts. The doorways and chancel arch areelaborate. The Round Tower is unique when compared with the otherbuildings, as it is of sandstone. It is connected with the transept ofthe Cathedral. The pointed windows, choir, transepts, and tower are verybeautiful. In the burial-ground outside is the famous Cross of Cashel, with a sculptured effigy of St. Patrick. The whole group gatheredtogether on the massive Rock of Cashel, whose firmness is a proverb inIreland, presents an imposing array. This Cathedral was the one burnt bythe Earl of Kildare in 1495, when his excuse was that he thought theArchbishop was within. Here, in 1647, a bloody tragedy fell out. Murragh-an-Theathaun, "Murrough of the Burnings, " as the peasantry stillcall Lord Inchiquin, massacred a number of women and children, whosought sanctuary here when Cashel had fallen before his siege train. Atthe foot of the rock are the cruciform remains of the Abbey of theCistercians. If, instead of diverging from Clonmel to Thurles, wecontinue to the Limerick Junction, we pass Cahir, a military stationwith an ancient Castle in excellent repair. From Cahir, tourists candrive to Cashel, to Ardfinane, or to ~Mitchelstown~ _via_ Clogheen. TheCaves at Mitchelstown may be visited from Fermoy, Lismore, or Clogheen, and if the visitor is sojourning at any of these places he should findhis way to these wonderful formations. Besides the caves, Mitchelstowncontains Caherderinny Castle, Kilbehiny, and Mitchelstown Castle, theresidence of the Kingston family. Leaving the village of Kilbehiny wecross to Skereenarinka, "the height for dancing, " and follow a narrowhilly road on the Galtee side which leads to the caves, in the townlandof Coolagarranroe. The different chambers of the larger caves, of whichthe Kingston gallery is most beautiful, have been named: "the House ofLords, " "the House of Commons, " "the Cross of the Four Roads, " "theScotchman's, " "O'Leary's, " and "O'Callaghan's" caves, "the Altar, " "theCloset, " "the Cellar, " and "the Garret. " The smaller objects of interestwithin have been called: "Lot's Wife, " "Mary Queen of Scots, " "the Bedof Honour, " "the Cat and Kittens, " "the Flitch of Bacon, " &c. FromClogheen to Tipperary we cross the Suir, and follow the foot of theGaltees. The surrounding country is picturesque and contains some of thefinest pasture land in Ireland, being part of what is known in Munsteras the "Golden Vale. " Four miles away by a beautiful road, through therising-grounds, the Glen of Aherlow can be reached. The glen is richlywooded, and from Newbridge over the Aherlow river, Galteemore (3, 015feet), the highest peak of the range may be reached. Tipperary town is agood market place, and is pleasantly situated beneath Slievenamon. Theonly relic of its former grandeur is that of the Augustinian Friary, afoundation of Henry the Third's reign. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin. _ Rock of Cashel. ]

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Waterford District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing, Shooting, Cycling, &c. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Dungarvan. ]

[Illustration]

Killarney and Glengarriff. 

Killarney. --From Limerick Junction to Mallow, where the branch line runsinto Kerry, the tourist to Killarney runs by many places of interest. ~Emly~, now a dwindled village, was once a diocesan city. During thewars of the Commonwealth, Terence Albertus O'Brien, Bishop of Emly, wasexecuted in Limerick by Ireton. His stole and pectoral cross are stillin the possession of representatives of the family to which he belongedat Mitchelstown. 

In the rich plain under the Ballyhoura hills, "the land flowing withmilk, " is the ancient town of ~Kilmallock~. It was the citadel of theEarls of Desmond when they held high their crests, and every stone inthe place is historical. 

Two of its four gates still remain, and among the ruins, which havesecured it the name of the "Baalbec of Ireland, " are those of the oldDominican Priory and Abbey Church. In the former is the mutilated graveof the White Knight, a name still loathsome in the peasant's ear, and onwhom the bards have let fall their choicest curses. 

Lough Gur is of interest to the antiquary. It is ten miles to the north, and was the centre of the Desmond country. Here of old, the Kings ofCashel kept their Grenan or "Sunny Place" for feasting. The cyclopeanstructure in the vicinity points to the place as being of importance inpre-historic times. From Charleville, a thriving town, runs a line ofrailway direct to Limerick. Buttevant and Mallow are particularlyreferred to elsewhere. Millstreet is the border town on the mearings ofCork and Kerry. 

Beyond the bogland country outside Millstreet is the village of Cullen, where tradition says no smith has been known to thrive. Saint Lateerin, a virgin of early Christian days, near here made her recluse, and everyday she walked across the bog, and took "living fire" in her kirtle fromthe forge to her home. The smith once remarking the prettiness of herwhite feet, she momentarily forgot her vow of chastity, and the fireburnt through the homespun and blistered her feet. She went back to hercell, and prayed that no smith should ever thrive in Cullen, and nonehas ever tried to do so!

~Rathmore~ is on the high road to Gneeveguillia mountain, and to thenorth of the station, and at Christmas time, 1896, occurred the fearful_débâcle_ of the bog, which struck terror into the simple inhabitants, and, not unnaturally, was attributed by them to super-natural causes. Two hundred acres of Bogach-na-Mine formed a landslip and rolled in ahuge mass southwards, sweeping away several little farmsteads andsuffocating the inhabitants and cattle. At ~Headford~, the junction forKenmare, the scenery is very wild, and all around

 "Kerry is pushing her high headlands out To give us the kindly greeting. "

At last, after about a four hours' run, if we came by the specialtourist train from Dublin, we have completed our one hundred andeighty-six miles, and are in sight of

KILLARNEY, the home of lakes, which has well been called "the Gem of the WesternWorld": its magnificent mountain peaks, its green swards and gushingcascades, all surrounded with an atmosphere of romance and tradition. Outside the railway station, we are face to face with the finest hotelin the south of Ireland. Well placed, well managed, it combines all thecomforts of a home with the convenience of a well-appointed hostelry. Itis within easy reach of the principal points of interest. 

[Illustration: Boating at Killarney]

[Illustration: Great Southern Hotel--Killarney. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Guy & Co. , Cork. _ Lakes of Killarney. ]

The grounds adjoin Lord Kenmare's beautiful demesne and Deer Park, whichskirts the lake shores, and contain the splendid Golf Links. 

Killarney, or "the Church of the Sloetrees, " lies on a flat plateau, within a mile from the shores of the far-famed Lough Lene, as the threelakes, popularly known as the Lakes of Killarney, are called in Irish. The town possesses an Episcopal Palace, a cathedral and churches ofinterest, besides a monastery and School of Arts and Crafts. Otherwiseit deserves little attention; but on fair days, when the peasantry fromthe neighbouring parishes crowd in, it presents a lively and varyingaspect. If the town is insignificant, not so its surroundings, fornowhere else in the wide world is there such a combination of charms andvariety of beauty, in mountain and lake scenery, thrown together. 

 "For how could river, lake, and sea In softer sister hues agree? Or hills of passionate purple glow Far and near more proudly flow? And when will summer kiss awake Lovelier flowers by lawn or brake? Or brighter berries blush between Foliage of a fresher green?"

There is a story of a tourist who, lingering long in the Holy Land, waspained at the irreverent hurry of an American, who arrived there oneafternoon, scurried over the sacred places, and prepared to departbetimes on the morrow. He timidly inquired of the swift-foot why he, whohad come so far, rushed away so quickly. "Sir, " said the American, "I amtimed to do Europe in a fortnight. I have thrown in the Holy Land, butif I stay here longer than one night I cannot see Killarney, which takesthree days. " He was a wise man in his generation. Although enterprisingpeople have attempted to do the tour of the Lakes in a day, they havealways gone away more than satisfied with what they saw, but with heartshungry to return at a future date, and behold the beauties they hadleft unseen. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ On the Upper Lake, Killarney. ]

The ~Lakes Of Killarney~ are three in number, connected by aswift-flowing stream, the Long Range, and emptying their waters throughthe river Laune into Castle Haven, on the Kerry coast. The entirejourney can be performed by boat, but in the suggested tours given, bothcar, and boat, and ponies are pressed into our service. 

The divisions of the Lough Lene are:--The Upper Lake (extreme length, two-and-a-half miles; extreme breadth, half-a-mile); the Torc, or MiddleLake (extreme length, two miles; extreme breadth, seven-eighths of amile); and the Lower Lake (extreme length, five and one-eighth miles;extreme breadth, three miles). The first glimpse caught of the lakes, lying like broad mirrors beneath the high mountains, is a vision of fairdelight. Like tall clansmen, Mangerton, Carnthoul, and the gatheringCruacha dhu M'Gillicuddy--the black reeks of the McGillicuddy--musteraround, as it were, to re-tell us

 "The tale of the spell-stricken band, All entranced, with their bridles and broad swords in hand, Who await but the word to give Erin her own"--

that old legend of the sleeping warriors garrisoned within themountain's sides, which is met with in more than one Irish county. TheUpper Lake is characterised by an untamed, peerless outline, and so nearto the mountains does it lie, that the fissures in their rugged sidesare almost countable, and the fingers of fancy almost touch the gorse ontheir slopes. Gliding over its waters, we readily see in them aland-locked sea. A ridge of the Glena mountains shuts it out from thenorth, the many-peaked reeks guard the passes to the west, and to thesouth stands up Derrycunnihy--"The Oak Wood of the Rabbits"--betweenwhich and Torc is the fair bend of a Glen Coumagloun. Between the lipsof the Lakes and the feet of the hills there appears no distance

 "Save just a trace of silver sand Marks where the water meets the land. "

Muffling the boatmen's oars for a moment, we can realise thatindescribable solemnity with which silent nature hushes everything. Eventhe countless streams that have lost their way across the highlands, intheir hurry to join the Lakes, seem to cease from babbling. Butfollowing the sinuous Long Range when we reach the still water beneaththe Eagle's Nest, Nadanullar, is the psychological moment to awaken theechoes that eternally haunt the frowning eyry. A bugle-call sounded hereis taken up by the barricades of rock, and is repeated even ten timesover. Small wonder that the fairy hosts are credited with passing italong their lines! The mountains take up their dying tones of sweetsounds, and answer it one to the other until the ear can no longerfollow it through space. The ferns and rich foliage of the mountain sidetrail their long fingers in the water, and cluster and quicken among thecrevices of the rocks. Recently the Laureate visited Ireland for thefirst time; hitherto this land of poetry had been to him but "thedamnable country" of the politician. He came, he saw, but Killarneyconquered; and he, like all others who have gazed upon its beauty, renders tribute where it rightly belongs. "Damnable" is not theadjective to apply to a heavenly land, of which he truly says:--

"Such varied and vigorous vegetation I have seen no otherwhere; and whenone has said that, one has gone far towards awarding the prize fornatural beauty. But vegetation, at once robust and graceful, is but thefringe and decoration of that enchanting district. The tender grace ofwood and water is set in a frame-work of hills--now stern, now ineffablygentle, now dimpling with smiles; now frowning and rugged with impendingstorm; now muffled and mysterious with mist, only to gaze out on youagain with clear and candid sunshine. Here the trout leaps; there theeagle soars; and there beyond the wild deer dash through the arbutuscoverts, through which they have come to the margin of the lake todrink, and, scared by your footstep or your oar, are away back tocrosiered bracken or heather covered moorland. But the first, the final, the deepest and most enduring impression of Killarney is that of beautyunspeakably tender, which puts on at times a garb of grandeur and a lookof awe, only in order to heighten by passing contrast the sense of softinsinuating loveliness. How the missel thrushes sing, as well they may!How the streams and runnels gurgle, and leap, and laugh! For the soundof journeying water is never out of your ears; the feeling of the moist, the fresh, the vernal, is never out of your heart. My companion agreedwith me, that there is nothing in England or Scotland as beautiful asKillarney--meaning by Killarney its lakes, its streams, its hills, itsvegetation; and if mountain, wood, and water--harmoniouslyblent--constitute the most perfect and adequate loveliness that naturepresents, it surely must be owned that it has all the world over nosuperior. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Shooting the Rapids. ]

Leaving the ~Upper Lake~ behind, and bidding adieu to the green islandsthat stud its breast with arbutus and the cedars of Lebanon, the OldWeir Bridge meets the eye. 'Neath its arch the waters come down withfoam and force, the oars are shipped, and we shoot straight through theeye of the rapid, thanks to the strong arm and sure nerve of theoarsmen. The beautiful reach here is the bosom "where the bright watersmeet. " Amid exquisite combination of colour, a Vallambrosa strewed withferns, lichens, mosses, rich green hollies and arbutus with manycoloured berries, we tread our way by a passage of beauty round DinisIsland into the ~Middle~ or ~Torc Lake~, sheltered by the broad breastof the mountain from which it takes its name. Like "Muckross, " the"Pleasant Point of Wild Swine, " the name Torc is called after the wildboars, which in former years went "gerasening" over its slopes. Risingabruptly, the mountain stands clear between Mangerton and Glena, thelower sides well wooded. ~Innis Dinish~, the island at the "beginning ofthe waters, " is the port for boats. The Cottage may be visited. TheWhirlpool, between the waters of the lake and river, has been calledO'Sullivan's Punch Bowl. Drohid-na-Brickeen, "The Bridge of LittleTrout, " or Brickeen Bridge, and Doolah, where the disused marblequarries and copper mines are still pointed out, are within a shortdistance. At the estuary of the Devil's Stream, which flows through theravines on the mountain side, is the Devil's Island--almostinaccessible--on which a few stunted trees manage to secure a precariousexistence. Within the little bay of Dundag is Goose Island. The rocksand caves along the lake shores are shrouded with traditions ofO'Donoghue, Chieftain of the Glens. A long cave is called "The WineCellar"; at the end is "O'Donoghue's Arm Chair"; his Butler, a solitarycrag, is called "Jackybwee. " The most interesting of the fissures madeby the waters in the rock side are what the enterprising boatmen haveagreed to call "Colleen Bawn Rock. " By the beautiful Glena Bay, we enterthe Lower Lake, which is the largest and most charming of the group. Itsleeps beneath the guardian heights of the Toomies Hills, and a visionof more loveliness is nowhere to be found. Low-lying shores, to the eastand north, are jungled with the fronds of the hill ferns. 

 "Oh, the Fern! the fresh hill Fern! That girds our blue lakes from Lough Ine to Lough Erne; That waves on the crags, like the plume of a King, And bends like a nun, over clear well and spring; The fairy's tall palm-tree, the heath birds fresh nest, And the couch the red deer deems the sweetest and best; With the free winds to fan it, and dew-drops to gem, Oh, what can ye match with its beautiful stem!"

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Eagle's Nest Mountain, Killarney. ]

The highest mountain in Ireland, ~Carrantual~, [4] at one side lifts itslofty brow, "crowned with tiaras fashioned in the sky. " On its summit anoutlaw, known in Munster as the "Shon" or Hawk, after many sleeplessnights, footsore and weary, slept here with a prayer, "Thank God, atlast I am above all my enemies. " The peasantry pronounce the name"Carntwohill, " which translated means, the left-handed or invertedsickle. The expansiveness of the Lower Lake appears at first to minimiseits beauty, when compared with its smaller companions. But the more itsloveliness is explored, the greater the revelation of the harmony andluxuriance of the landscape. No less than thirty-five islands, likebeauty spots of a fairy "drop scene, " bedeck the silver sheen of itssurface. The largest of these, ~Innisfallen~, almost midway between theeastern and western shores, is some thirty acres in extent, and isengirdled by leafy bowers of green trees. Shaggy sheep are couched inrepose, or are busy with its verdant lawn. In the early morning, ortender gloaming which closes the Munster day, the holy place is

 "Quiet as a nun, Breathless with adoration. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ The Turnpike Cap of Dunloe. ]

Shafts of the dawning or waning sun, as the hour may be, illumine thefair pageant. The wavering outlines of the hills make the turret-topsto the dark green of the woods and the emerald of the meadows. Therichest of colours from hill, tree, and rock accumulate on the surfaceof the Lake, burnished like silver. To-day the natural scenery is thesame as of old, and few will wonder that here a saint found delights toprepare him in some degree for the pleasures stored in eternity. Of St. Finian Labra we know little beyond that he was a native of ElyO'Carroll, then a part of Munster, and was a disciple of St. Brendan. But his spirit loiters around Innisfallen, and the most casual oftravellers will tread lightly on the ground hallowed by his footsteps. The monastic remains are many, but by the enthusiastic antiquary alonecan their fragments and chief features be traced. "_The Annals ofInnisfallen_, " which form one of the chief sources of Irish history, were written here 600 years ago. Leaving the "Holy Island, " we cross thelake and land at the foot of the Toomies Mountains, famous inpre-historic myths, to visit the O'Sullivan Cascade. The legend, whichis too often wasted on sceptical ears, tells that O'Sullivan, a captainof his people, renowned amongst them for fleetness of foot and prowessas a hunter, on one occasion went to hunt the red deer. The faint yellowrays of morning were lighting up the eastern sky as he went forth. Gailythe deep-mouthed dogs obeyed, sniffing the fresh breeze across themountain purpled with heather. Scarce had he left home when amagnificent stag bounded across his path. Swift as the lightning flashthe dogs sprung upon the track--away across the moors and down theglens, on the scent they went. Throughout that livelong day O'Sullivanfollowed the chase, weary, tired, and thirsty, but still determined tomake the prize his own. At length night, and darkness with it, came; thestag could be seen no more, the dogs, too, were at fault, and the scentwas lost. Disappointed, and spent with the labour of the chase, thehuntsman blew a shrill blast on his horn to call the dogs to him, andfaced for home across the hills. But there was a voice that, loud andclear, called upon him--"O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan, turn back!" Brave andfearless, like his race, he turned round, to behold before him thecentre of so many cycles of romance--Finn MacCool. "Why do you darechase my stag?" asked Finn. "Because it was the finest that man eversaw, " answered O'Sullivan. The answer pleased Finn MacCool. "O'Sullivan, " said he, "you are a valiant man, and have been wasted inthe long chase. You thirst, and I will give you to drink. " So saying, hestamped his huge heel upon the hard rock, and forth burst the waters, seething and dashing as they do to this day. O'Sullivan quenched histhirst and sped on his way. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Meeting of the Waters, Killarney. ]

From the innermost recess of the glen the water flows down, in one ofthe most fascinating spots to be found within all the delicious realm ofKerry. The ivy hangs in dense draperies from the rocks, a sweet disorderof arbutus, evergreens, and all the flowers that grow in a radiant land, daringly lean across the canyon, and vainly try to trip the rushingstream, which, in cascade after cascade, flings itself with passionateenergy, and a ceaseless murmur, over the rocks. The placidness of thehuge lake is in strange contrast to the noisy stream which so excitedlyhastens to meet it, and, as if awed by its dignity, as it comes nearerand nearer the mountain stream, sinks its voice, until in a subdued sighit falls into the breast of the lake. Underneath the projecting rock, and overhung with luxuriant herbs, O'Sullivan's Grotto offers a quietretreat. Following the wooded shores of Glena Bay, we pass Stags, Burnt, and other islands, and come to Glena Cottage, hiding in the foliage ofleafy trees. Glena means "the valley of good fortune, " and a name moresuggestive of happier thoughts than weird Glownamorra across thelake--"the glen of the dead. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Muckross Abbey, Killarney. ]

A mile's drive through the pleasant demesne lands of Muckross brings usto the water's edge at Castlelough Bay, in the middle lake, on apromontry of which the ruins of ~Muckross Abbey~ are to be seen. Here, in the fifteenth century, Donald M'Carthy founded an Abbey forFranciscan friars. The quiet cloisters in the northwest transept, withtheir varying pointed and rounded arches, are unique. The recesseddoorway by which we enter is very beautiful. The towers and east windoware in fair preservation. The monuments within the ruined pile tell usthat it

 "contains In death's embrace M'Carthy More's remains, "

and also reminds us that

 "If Erin's chiefs deserve a generous tear, Heir of their worth, O'Donoghue lies here. "

In the centre of the cloisters there grows a great yew tree, spreadingits many branches and shade over them, and above the side walls, forminga dark cowl, which overshadows the old house of the monks. In ancientErin the yew tree was regarded as sacred, and in its shade the Druidsperformed their mystic rites. With the early Christians, as anevergreen, it was a symbol of Life Eternal. 

The peasants still inherit some of the awe with which the sacred treewas held in former days, and they are loth to hurt it with the loss of asingle leaf. All impressive is the desolate majesty of Muckross, whatever time it is visited!

 "But the gay beams of lightsome day Gild but to flout the ruins grey. "

At night, when the pale ghost of the moon looks across the lake, whenthe mountains are shrouded in shadows, when the waters are lulling theslumbering land, "And the owlet hoots o'er the dead man's grave, "

the solemnity of the scene surpasses even that of fair Melrose, by thedistant Tweed, of which Sir Walter Scott tells. 

Driving past the modern mansion in the demesne, along ~Torc Lake~, bythe groves of Dinis, and through the arches of the Old Weir Bridge, theriver glistens and sparkles in the sun, while the distant calmer waterlies deep in sleepy shadows. Beyond the peculiar rock known as theWhite Deer we pass through the Tunnel cut under the huge slope of themountains. Here is a point of view which fascinates all visitors, andfrom which an ample picture of the surroundings may be secured. A milefurther we cross the Galway river, rushing down a well-worn channelthrough Cournaglown, the valley sides of which are covered with oaktrees. Already the ceaseless chorus of Derrycunnihy Cascade fills ourears. With tumult and cries of havoc, the water springs from an altitudeon the mountain side, dividing its force into many minor cataracts, asit forces the passage barricaded by rocks and boulders, to unite themagain in a deep pool, and after a second's rest, it musters its fullstrength, and falls in a torrent towards the Middle Lake. Colman's Leap, across the stream beneath the Eagle's Nest, is shown here, and of it alegend similar to others in many parts of Ireland is told. A mileeastward, along the Kenmare road, we come to ~Torc Waterfall~, lovely asa capricious _colleen_, whose modes are all the more "deludering" fortheir uncertainty--Torc, whether tripping gently or rushing angrily, "toone thing constant never, " makes its bed in a fairy realm, a leafygarden of ever-changing beauty. Larch and alder, arbutus, oak, and hazelthickly curtain the Fall from the passing glance. But a sylvan patho'erstrewn with leaves, and bordered with many fronded ferns, discoversthe fountain in full bearing. White with foam, and angry for its longdelay in the grip of Mangerton, and the hollow of the Devil's PunchBowl, the flood breaks through the wall of rocks seventy feet high, andspits a shower of spray on every futile thing which attempts to stem itscourse or stay its purpose. The panorama spread out beneath the rocks ofTorc comprehends, in all their glory of colour and contrast, the Middleand Lower Lakes beneath the mountains. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Torc Waterfall, Killarney. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Ross Castle, Killarney. ]

Two and a-half miles northwards by the King's Bridge, or about one miledirect from Killarney, within sight of the ~Lower Lake~ and the PurpleMountains, are the ruins of Aghadoe, the "Church of the two Yew Trees, "founded under the blessing of Saint Finian. The remains of the RoundTower and Abbot's Castle can still be seen, but these and the eighthcentury doorway of the old church are all that have weathered the windof centuries. The summit of the old tower is a vantage point for avista. Dr. Todhunter has written a beautiful ballad, in imitation of thepassionate Irish laments, for an outlaw who was buried there. 

 AGHADOE. 

 There's a glade in Aghadoe, Aghadoe, Aghadoe, There's a green and silent glade in Aghadoe, Where we met, my love and I, love's fair planet in the sky, O'er that sweet and silent glade in Aghadoe. 

 There's a glen in Aghadoe, Aghadoe, Aghadoe, There's a deep and secret glen in Aghadoe, Where I hid him from the eyes of the redcoats and their spies That year the trouble came to Aghadoe. 

 Oh! my curse on one black heart in Aghadoe, Aghadoe; On Shaun Dhuv, my mother's son, in Aghadoe! When your throat fries in hell's drouth, salt the flame be in your mouth, For the treachery you did in Aghadoe!

 For they tracked me to that glen in Aghadoe, Aghadoe, When the price was on his head in Aghadoe; O'er the mountain, through the wood, as I stole to him with food, Where in hiding lone he lay in Aghadoe. 

 But they never took him living in Aghadoe, Aghadoe; With the bullets in his heart in Aghadoe, There he lay, the head--my breast keeps the warmth where once 'twould rest-- Gone, to win the traitor's gold, from Aghadoe!

 Oh! to creep into that cairn in Aghadoe, Aghadoe, There to rest upon his breast in Aghadoe! Sure your dog for you could die with no truer heart than I, Your own love, cold on your cairn in Aghadoe. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ The Gap of Dunloe. ]

The nearest boat place for Innisfallen is at ~Ross Castle~. We approachit from the high road across the moat, where once the drawbridge was letup and down. The old keep, wearing a cotamore of ivy, still guards thewater's edge. By a spiral stone staircase we reach the battlements andlook out across the lake. 

The Castle held out for Charles the First, but was dismantled by Ludlow. It was originally a fort of "The O'Donoghue, " the chief who centres inthe many traditions which the boatmen weave around every object ofinterest in Killarney. He lies enchanted beneath the lake, with a cityfull of his people. But at times he has come across the water on hisfiery steed, or danced to the Rincead-fadda on the shores. Whoever seeshim is fortunate, because he gives "good luck, which is better thanmoney, " to all whose eyes meet his. 

The ~Gap of Dunloe~ is a gloomy mountain pass cut through the roughrocky slope in the hills between the Toomies and the Macgillicuddy'sReeks. It is a magnificent defile, four miles long. The roughbridle-path running through it, at times almost on the edge ofprecipices, beneath which the wild goats flock. It is approached by awinding road, embroidered on one side by a shady little grove of fir, larch, stunted oaks, and mountain ash. Through the little windowsbetween the trees, when the sun shines, the reflection of the river Loeis caught, as it creeps humbly on its way to the lakes. On the otherside, the mountains throw up a huge wall. Bidding good-bye to the littlegrove, vegetation seems to fear to enter the desolate, sterile places inthe throat of the Gap. Where the river widens, at Cushvalley Lough, theindustrious echo-makers most usually greet the visitor. One has scarcelyrecovered from the warmth of their courteous welcome, when somesuggestive volunteer, aborigine to the place, with a "Mr. Bugler, Godspare you your wind, " secures their services; although you do not callthe tune, you are expected to pay the musicians. But the trifle spenton the gunpowder for their cannons, or the breath from their lungs, iswell repaid by the mighty mass of air they start into waves of music. Here, too, the "auxiliary forces, " or pony boys, besiege us with theirsure-footed, shaggy "coppaleens. " They have come galloping down the passat break-neck speed to lend us the assistance of their light cavalry. Wonderful creatures they are, these horses and riders. The peasant boysare for all the world the modern prototypes of those "rake-helly horseboys" of Queen Elizabeth's reign, who filled so many pages of the Statepapers. Sinew and muscle knit their loose limbs together, and, in theireyes, mild and calm as those of the quiet cattle in the field, but likethe surface of their native lakes, covering unfathomed depths, theyconceal souls swept by deep thoughts, and minds clouded by manymemories. The long unrenewed, but still to be distinguished, Spanishstrain is shown in many of their olive-tinted faces and dark features. But guides safe, and true, and courteous are they, who know every perchof the dark Pass, where at times the craggy cliffs shut out the canopyof the sky, and attempt to precipitate themselves across the track. Thepoint where the path is narrowest, the peasants have called the "Pike. "From it onward the mountains begin to recede, and the Pass is more openuntil, crossing a shoulder of the ~Purple Mountain~ past the three greatexpansions of the Commeen Thomeen Lakes, into which St. Patrick is saidto have driven the last serpent, we suddenly come on a surprisingspectacle of magnificent scenery. Here, from the head of the Gap, we seethe Upper Lake spread beneath, to the west, Coomeenduff, or the BlackValley, dark as the valley of the shadow of death, in charming contrastwith the stern grandeur of the mountains. Their melancholy seems toreign supreme; the long valley is steeped with shadows in which severallakes are set, the light upon which only heightens the sublime darknessof the surroundings. The longest of these lakes is called LoughNabricderg, or the "Pool of the Red Trout. " Far and wide beneath us lieswhat, in the old times, was MacCarthy More's country, and into which sooften the Fiery Cross was sped, when the chief of the great clan wentinto action. 

Ruskin's ideals of mountains as the great cathedrals of the earth, withtheir gates of rock, pavements of cloud, choirs of stream and stone, altars of snow, and vaults of purple, traversed by the continual stars, can nowhere be realized more readily than in Killarney. Here themysterious summits, warm with the morning tints or evening's glow, willdelight and refresh again and again, and reflect to us imperishablememories. Crossing the Flesk, if ~Mangerton~ be the desired point, sevengood miles are to be traversed. From the Muckross, a short detour will, if desired, lead to Flesk Castle, standing on a finely wooded hill abovethe wide sweeping river. Eastward, along the Kenmare road, and southwardfor a mile, the mountain path is met. From here, either on foot or on apony, the ascent of Mangerton may be made. The first important objectthat comes in view is Lough Kittane, at the eastern base of themountain. It is nearly five miles in circumference, and its waterscontain four islands. The ravine behind the lake, with Mangerton on thewest and Crohane mountain on the east, is the "mustering place of thewinds, " Coomnageeha. In this ravine the Blackwater flows. There are twosmall lakes, Loughnabraude and "the Lake of Beech-crowned Rock, " LoughCarrigaveha. Away in the bed of the mountains is Keimva Lochlin--thepass of the Danes--reminding the historian of "Stern Lochlin's sons ofroving war, " and Dereenanawlar, or "the little oakwood of eagles. "Moving still higher, eastward the mountains melt into the distantcounties of Cork and Limerick, and beneath, the smaller highlands recallthe Psalmist's description of

 "The hills like the lambs of the flock. "

[Illustration: McCarthy More's Castle--Lake Hotel Landing Stage. ]

To the left, Glown-a-Coppal, the "Horse's Glen, " invites the adventurousto fathom its depths. The dark lakes lying in its shadows are shoreless, but for the gloomy rocks which overhang the water's edge. Where theground becomes more broken and rugged, suddenly a less inaccessible patharises, and leads to the Devil's Punch Bowl, a dark tarn, beset withstrange echoes that strike a death-song on the heart-strings of thesuperstitious. The view from the summit is very wonderful; in theforeground of the huge picture, the forest of mountain tops, whilewestward in the distance is the fabled and saint-blessed MareBrendanicum of the old writers, where the fiords embroider the coastline. 

Descents from Mangerton may be made due south from the eastern anglealong the Oubeg to Kilgarvan, five miles east from Kenmare; by the"Horse's Glen, " from Lough Garagary, across the moor to the commencementof the bridle-path. Neither way is recommended in the afternoon orwithout a guide. The best route to Carntuol is from the entrance to theGap of Dunloe. There is a beaten track by the side of the waterway ofthe mountain stream, called "Giddagh, " the bed of which is filled withglacial moraines, leading into a romantic valley, the Hag's Glen, whichis shut in by the Reeks and Knocknabinaneen. The dark tarn in the Glen, as well as every object of prominence, has been seized upon by theimaginative peasants, and associated in some wise with the witch whohere had her local habitation and left it its name. The track across theheather leads to the junction of two rivulets from Lough Gonvogh on theright, and Lough Callee on the left. The beginning of the summit isreached by the rough moraine pavement, and with a little perseverancethe "parkeen, " or "little pasture, " on top is reached. Here on thewind-swept height it is interesting to find the _London Pride_, or _St. Patrick's Cabbage_, and the common _Thrift_ flourishing The view isindescribable. Like the jaws of some huge monster, the teeth of theReeks close in everywhere, each with its own blue lake behind. OfKillarney we see little; but seawards "everything between this end ofthe world and America, " descent may be made, either following the flankof the hill, and half way between the two largest lakes beneath, striking for the Gap of Dunloe road, or through Coomduff to the shoresof the Upper Lake. 

When the tourist's time is limited, the following excursions, extendingover three days, will enable him to see a good many of the points ofinterest:--

 TOUR NO. 1. FARE, _8s. _ ESTATE TOLLS, _1s. _

 Well-appointed coaches, or other conveyances, leave the Hotel (weather permitting) at about 9. 30 a. M. , for a visit to the celebrated Gap of Dunloe and the grand tour of the Lakes. The route lies along the northern side of the Lower Lake for about six miles, when the exquisite mountain scenery comes in full view, rapidly assuming more interesting features until "Arbutus" Cottage is reached. Here the party must alight, and proceed on ponies, or on foot, at discretion, through the Pass to Lord Brandon's Cottage, at the head of the Upper Lake, where the boats will be in readiness. Arrangements can be made with the Manager of the Hotel, before starting, to provide ponies for _3s. _ each to this point. Some wonderful echoes are produced in various parts of the Pass. Luncheon will be served, before entering the boat, on one of the adjoining islands, after which the party will proceed by the Upper Lake and Long Range to the Eagle's Nest Mountain. The boat will then shoot the Rapids under the rustic Old Weir Bridge; stop a short time at the "Meeting of the Waters"; pass through the Middle Lake, and across the Lower Lake to "Sweet Innisfallen Island, " to enable the party to view the ruins of the old Abbey, Abbot's Grave, and Bed of Honour; thence to Ross Castle, where the party will resume their drive to the Hotel, which is usually reached about 5. 30 p. M. 

 TOUR NO. 2. FARE, _4s. 6d. _ ESTATE TOLLS, _2s. _

 The conveyances leave the Hotel about 10 a. M. For the drive through Mr. H. A. Herbert's beautiful demesne. The ancient ruins of Muckross Abbey are soon reached, and, after a short delay to inspect them, the party proceed by the shore of the Middle Lake, over Brickeen Bridge, pass the Colleen Bawn Rocks for Dinis Island; thence, passing the Torc Mountain, to the Cottage and Waterfall of Derrycunihy (Queen's Cottage), the property of the Earl of Kenmare, where luncheon is usually served. Returning, the party will pass under the tunnel on the Kenmare Road, and through fine scenery by road, mountain, and lake to Torc Cascade, where, by an easy footpath, fine views can be obtained of the Waterfall and Lakes; thence to the Hotel, which is usually reached about 3 p. M. 

 TOUR No. 3. FARE, _4s. 6d. _ ESTATE TOLLS, _1s. _

 The conveyances leave the Hotel at about 9. 30 a. M. , passing through the Earl of Kenmare's Deer Park to the Heights of Aghadoe, obtaining grand views of the Lower Lake, Macgillicuddy's Reeks, and Carran Tual (the highest mountain in Ireland), as also the ruins of the round tower of Aghadoe Church, thence through the Earl of Kenmare's beautiful West and Home Parks, which skirt the north-eastern shores of the Lower Lake, round Ross Island, and to the Hotel, which is usually reached about 2. 30 p. M. 

KENMARE AND GLENGARRIFF. 

The coach drive from Killarney to Kenmare is over a fine broad mountainroad, and from Mulgrove Barrack, about half way, a splendid view of thelake country can be obtained. Kenmare, as its name signifies in Irish, is at the head of the sea or beautiful bay to which it gives its name onthe Roughty river. Sir William Pettie, in the seventeenth century, founded the town on lands confiscated from the O'Sullivan More. It is amarket place of importance, and the Convent of the Poor Clares is famousthe world over for the beautiful lace made here. The town stands on thehighway between Killarney and Glengarriff, known as "The Prince ofWales' route. " The coach drives through the town past the LansdowneArms' Hotel and into the beautiful spot which has been selected for thenew hotel belonging to the Southern Hotels Company. Already young grovesand plantations teem about the mansion, which is built on a naturalterrace overlooking the bay, and facing the high hills of Glenaroughty, behind which the Red River rises, and the bare mountain slopes ofMucksna. 

No visitor should fail, if time permits, to visit the Convent of thePoor Clares, and see the lace-makers at work. From Kenmare the train orcoach may be taken to Killarney. 

DRIVING EXCURSIONS IN THE VICINITY OF KENMARE. 

 No. 1. --Car to Goulane on old road to Killarney, walk to summit of mountain, from which a magnificent view is obtained, returning by Inchamore Cross Roads, Roughty Falls, and Suspension Bridge. _6s. _

 No. 2. --Car to Kilgarvan, thence to the Bird Mountain, on the Borlin Road, returning by Lounihan and Letter. Grand panoramic views of the Mangerton Mountains and Roughty Valley. _10s. _

 No. 3. --Car to Windy Gap on the Killarney Road, view of Gap of Dunloe and M'Gillicuddy Reeks, thence by Dirreenfeenlahid Lake and Bouchill Mountain, returning by Slieveaduff and Templemore Road. _10s. _

 No. 4. --Car to Blackwater Bridge and Waterfall, thence by Old Dromore and Valley of the Blackwater, returning by old road over Coomnakilla; magnificent sea and mountain scenery. _12s. _

 No. 5. --Car to Clonee Lakes and Glen of Inchiquin, thence to cascade at head of glen; beautiful drive along the southern shore of Kenmare Bay, affording splendid views of mountain, lake, and river. _15s. _

 No. 6. --Car to Derreen by the Lansdowne Road, along the shore of Kenmare Bay and Kilmackillogue Harbour, thence to Glanmore Lake by road skirting Lord Lansdowne's demesne, returning by Furniss (ancient smelting works) and Carriganine Road. _20s. _

 It is particularly requested that visitors requiring cars will give not less than an hour's notice at the office. 

SOUTHERN HOTEL, KENMARE. 

HIRE FOR FIXED DISTANCES (Driver's fee included)

 Two-horse carriage. One-horse car. 

From Kenmare to Parknasilla, _20s. _ _10s. _

 " " Killarney, _28s. _ _14s. _

 " " Glengarriff, _28s. _ _14s. _

 " " Caragh Lake, -- _25s. _

 " " Waterville, _50s. _ _2s. _

Fifty per cent. Additional for return journey. 

To Glengarriff the coach runs by very beautiful scenery, terminating inthe lovely creek of the bay at ~Eccles' Hotel~ and by the fair heightwhere ~Roche's Hotel~ commands the view. From Glengarriff the coach maybe continued to Bantry, and the train then taken direct to Cork, alongthe East Bandon line; or the road may be taken through the beautifulPass of Keimaneigh--the "Pass of the Deer"--and by the lovely lake ofGougane Barra to Macroom. Here the Cork and Macroom Railway brings thetourist back into the City of the Lee. 

The road from Kenmare leads high out of the valley up the hill sides. Wecommand a good view of Kenmare Sound, and having passed under a numberof tunnels through the rock we cross the mearings into county Cork. 

GLENGARRIFF

[Illustration: At Glengarriff. ]

[Illustration: Otter Island, Glengarriff. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Glengarriff. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Glengarriff. ]

[Illustration: Glengarriff Harbour]

[Illustration: Otter Rock Glengarriff]

[Illustration: Gougane Barra. Co Cork]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Gougane Barra. ]

In a fair spot above the blue waters of the Bay of Bantry, ~Glengarriff~, as a health resort, vies with its charming young rival, Parknasilla. Its climate, too, is softened by the nearness of the GulfStream, and yew and arbutus, as well as tropical cryptogamia and Alpineplants, overgrow every available spot along the sides of the roughdefile. It is come-at-able from Cork by train to Bantry and then coach, or by coach from Killarney or Kenmare. Apart from the beauty of thesituation and the mildness of its climate, Glengarriff possessessplendid facilities for sea bathing and boating. There is excellenthotel accommodation both at Eccles', on the shore of the bay, and atRoche's, in the midst of beautiful grounds, through which the Owvane, or"fair river, " flows, making on its way a wild cascade. The drive fromGlengarriff to Gougane Barra, through the Pass of Keimaneigh, "the pathof the deer, " is one of the great excursions to be made. ~GouganeBarra~, the shrine of Saint Finbarr, is in the midst of a lonely lakenear the source of the Lee. It is still the scene of "patrons" on SaintFinbarr's day, and Mass is celebrated in the open air in the middle ofthe lake. There is good trout fishing in the Allua and other streams inthe Desmond Valley. Callaghan, the poet, has sung of it--

 "There is a green island in lone Gougane Barra, Where Allua of songs rushes forth as an arrow; In deep-valleyed Desmond--a thousand wild fountains Come down to that lake, from their home in the mountains; There grows the wild ash, and a time-stricken willow Looks chidingly down on the mirth of the billow; As, like some gay child, that sad monitor scorning, It lightly laughs back to the laugh of the morning. 

 And its zone of dark hills--oh! to see them all bright'ning; When the tempest flings out its red banner of lightning; And the waters rush down, mid the thunders deep rattle, Like clans from their hills at the voice of the battle; And brightly the fire-crested billows are gleaming, And wildly from Mullagh the eagles are screaming. ". .. 

The "green island" is a little over half an acre in extent. In itscentre is a quadrangle, with walls at parts fourteen feet thick, inwhich are eight cells or cloisters rudely arched over. Within, on araised platform, is a large cross with five steps ascending to it. Thereis a large flagstone here with an inscription, giving directions how"the rounds" are to be performed on the vigil and forenoon of the feastdays of St. Finbarr and St. John the Baptist, to whom there is aspecial cultos all over Munster. The road from Gougane runs throughInchigeela and Ballingeary by a wild stretch of river inches, called theGearagh, to Macroom, where the old Castle and Convent are worthvisiting. In the latter the kindergarten system has been introduced withgreat success. It is also here that the Gaelic Feis or Festival is heldfor the locality, which contains a large percentage of Irish-speakingpeople, including numbers of children. From Macroom train runs direct toCork. In the visitors' book at Inchigeela Hotel some vagabond rhymesterpenned the following farewell:--

 Sweet Inchigeela, fare thee well, to-morrow we depart On Mrs. Brophy's outside car, for Gougane B. We start; I add my mite of doggerel to all I have read here, And put my X to all that's writ of this hotel's good cheer. 

 O charming Inchigeela, were mine the poet's pen, How I would do the Longfellow, in praising rock and glen; Among thy mountains, hills, and lakes, six happy days we passed, And sigh to think the day draws near that's doomed to be the last. 

 We've climbed the rocky mountains, we've plodded o'er the plain, We've bid a wild defiance to the drizzling, drenching rain; And yielding to the influence of your coquettish weather, We've grilled beneath the sunshine on thy "tick" infected heather. 

 O lovely Inchigeela! O cosy Lake Hotel! O Hannah! best of waiting-maids, and civilest as well; O were I not so sleepy, a great deal more I'd say, But I must grasp my pilgrim's staff and wend my onward way. 

From ~Cromwell's Bridge~, at Glengarriff, the road runs to Berehaven, where there is an old Castle of the O'Sullivan's and some splendidcaves. Cromwell's Bridge, of which one arch only now remains intact, issaid to have been built here to facilitate the march of the Protector onhis return from Dunboy Castle, he having threatened, if the bridge wasnot erected on his return, he would hang a man for every hour he wasdelayed. ~Bantry~, or the White Strand, is a thriving town, a pleasantdrive from Glengarriff. Here the French fleet, with Wolfe Tone on board, purported landing in the winter of 1797; but, like the Armada, werescattered by a hurricane. Bantry House, the residence of theWhite-Hedges family, is beautifully situated on the side of the bay. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Cromwell's Bridge, Glengarriff. ]

The Cork and Bandon Railway from Bantry is connected with most of thetowns on the Cork coast. From Skibberreen, the famous fishing village of~Baltimore~ may be visited. The Piscatorial School is doing good work, and is an enduring monument to the philanthropy of the BaronessBurdett-Coutts. Innisherin Island, in Baltimore Harbour, was an oldfortress of the O'Driscolls--and in particular of "Finnen O'Driscoll, the Rover"--of whom it is told:--

 "The men of Clan-London brought over Their strong ships to make him a slave; He met them by Mizen's wild headlands, And the sharks gnaw their bones 'neath the wave. "

Baltimore was sacked in the early seventeenth century by Algerinepirates, and all the able-bodied inhabitants sold into slavery. Thesepirates were finally put down by the intrepidity of the Commonwealthseamen. Kinsale, also on the coast, is a remarkable old town; thereJames II. Landed on his ill-fated visit to Ireland. Bandon, beautifullysituated on the broad river of that name, was long the Derry of theSouth. The memory of these "good old times" only now remains, and Bandonis the centre of many successful industries. 

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Killarney District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Cycling, Fishing, &c. 

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Coaching in Kerry]

[Illustration]

The Lakes and Fiords of Kerry. 

The Grand Atlantic Tour--Caragh, Cahirciveen, Valencia, Waterville, Parknasilla, Kenmare, &c. 

The beauty of Killarney is not without a rival, and that even "nextdoor" to it in its very own kingdom of Kerry. Leaving behind thesoft-swelling hills, deep-eyed lakes and dark mountains, we speedsouthward and westward to other lakes and mountains kindred to what wehave already seen. It is for these lovely lands that the Gulf Streamcrosses the Atlantic to kiss, that we are making over the wide-armedrailway which clasps the most picturesque scenery in the country withinits embrace. Starting from Killarney for Valencia, we leave the train tocontinue its journey northwards to Tralee, at Farranfore Junction. Whilechanging into the carriages for the south-west coast, where

 "The mountains kiss high heaven, And the waves clasp one another, "

one look round reveals the amphitheatre of hills. Westward, whither weare going, the hills above Glenbeigh point our road to where theAtlantic meets the shore. To the eastward, where the morn, in russetmantle clad, walks o'er the dew, the line of far-piercing spears, Mangerton, Torc, Glena, Toomies, and the Reeks extend. At Killorglin(twenty-four miles rail), with a wide-spanning viaduct, we cross theLaune, wending its way from the Lakes to Dingle Bay. Here the ruins ofan old Knights Templar Castle remain to remind us of the historic past. For five-and-twenty miles from this place onward, the route runs overthe southern shore-line of Dingle Bay. Some five miles from Killorglin, in a secluded nest of old trees beneath the mountains, lies ~CaraghLake~. 

 "Long, long ago, beyond the space Of twice ten hundred years; In Erin old there lived a race Taller than Roman spears. "

[Illustration: Fishing in Caragh River]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Caragh River and Lake. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Southern Hotel, Caragh Lake. ]

And in their romances and love-songs, Caragh was tenderly mentioned, forwas it not here that Dermot sheltered Grania in the bowers of thequicken-trees? All who have read the fine old Finnian romance, "ThePursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne, " which tells the iliad of their flightacross ancient Erin, will remember that here on the shores of Kerry hemet his enemies and discomfited them. In the mists westward from thelake is the hill-summit, Seefin, where the disconsolate son of MacCoolsat. For long this little paradise has remained forgotten byscenery-seeking men, but now that it is re-discovered, it will enthralall comers. The lake, sheltered under the cloak of the hills, is sixmiles long, and all around its coasts are things of beauty, green velvetmosses, dark broom and heather-clad hills, with rowan trees interspersedthroughout. The grisly mountains are glistening with silverthreads--small streams that hasten to see themselves reflected in thelake. Far from the busy haunts of men, in a sleepy hollow only fiveminutes' walk from the railway station, the ~Southern Hotel~ Companyhas secured a delightful site for their fine hotel. If nature has donegreat things for Caragh, "filthy lucre, " too, has done much, and here iseverything to help the invalid, the sportsman, or "the common or garden"tourist to take advantage of the charming pleasure and health resort. For the fisherman there are almost endless opportunities. There isexcellent salmon and trout fishing in the Caragh Lake, and also in theCaragh, Carahbeg, Ougarriv, and Meelagh Rivers, while within easy reachare Lakes Acoose, Cloon, Coomlonkir, Oulagh, Loughnakirkna, Corravoula, and Nabrackdarrig, all of which would gladden the heart of old IzaacWalton. Over twenty-five thousand acres of the best shooting in Kerry isreserved for the use of guests. It comprises principally grouse, woodcock, snipe, duck, wild goose, and plover. Both banks of the CaraghRiver, which is carefully preserved, have also been secured. ~Dooks~, inthe vicinity, has been selected for an excellent nine-hole golf course, of which guests, as honorary members, are entitled to take advantage. Aflag-station on the railway brings the links within easy walkingdistance. The grand strand along the shore gives every opportunity ofbathing. Across the beautiful Dingle Bay rises Mount Brandon (3, 127feet), and Dunmore Head, out at the edge of the ocean, has the BlasketIslands scattered around its coast, the treacherous rocks of which wereso fatal to the Spanish Armada. By car from the hotel to BlackstonesBridge, returning by boat through the lake, is a short tour of manyattractions. Beneath, at one side, lie the bright waters of the bay; onthe other the dark waters of the lake. The Killorglin road is reachedabout a mile from Acoose Lake, and then following the declivity by amountain stream, we get a good view of Gort-na-gloran Mountain, on theeast of the lake, and see in the distance the fishing hamlet of Glencar, with the Glencar Hotel high up on pasture ground, surrounded by a cordonof green fir trees. Except in the Swiss valleys and parts of Norway, there is no scenery in Europe to compare with an inland route fromCaragh to Parknasilla. It lies across the mountains

 "Where the wandering water gushes In the hills above Glencar; In pools among the rushes, That scarce could bathe a star, "

through wild scenery between the gorges of the mountains, and intoBallaghbeama Pass. Beneath, in a winding valley, lies Lough Brin, turning from which we come into the valley of the Eskdhu, or Blackwater, and follow it amid the beeches until it falls into the sea. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Pass of Ballaghbeama. ]

Leaving Caragh Lake, the railway line follows the flow of the river, thenext station being ~Glenbeigh~, where there is a growing watering-place. The strand is particularly fine, extending over two miles. There is agood hotel, with golf links, beside plenty of fishing and boating. ~Coomasaharn~--the wonderful lake in the vicinity--it has been correctlysaid is surrounded by precipices more awful than anything to be foundnearer home than the Alps or Pyrenees--clinging to the mountain side, ata height of several hundred feet above the sea, with here a cutting orembankment, and there a mountain gorge, in which a lovely waterfall isalmost lost to sight in a labyrinth of foliage. 

~Mountain Stage~ and ~Kells~ are passed, and the train glides down anincline to Cahirciveen and Valentia Harbour. ~Cahirciveen~, thebirthplace of Daniel O'Connell, is the most westerly town in the threekingdoms. It lies with its back up against the Iveragh Mountains, andfacing the blue waters of Dingle Bay. Only since the road was cut acrossthe hills to Valentia in later years has it come to be of importance. In1803 there were only fifteen houses here, and the beginning of itsuprise in the world was when O'Connell got it made a market town. But inlegends of the past it is a place of fame, and received its name fromSive, one of the beautiful daughters of the great monarch, Owen More. ~Carhan House~, where the Liberator spent his childhood (but was notactually born, as alleged), the ruins of which now only remain, may beseen a short distance outside the town. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ On the Coast near Glenbeigh. ]

Two charming fishing harbours under Knocktubber Mountain are worthseeing, Councroum, "the Haven's Bend, " and Coonana, which is calledafter the woman who bore the great Finn. Here, the mighty fighter of theold days, "Conn of the Hundred Battles, " fought no less than thirteen ofhis fields, and three pre-historic forts remain to bear testimony to thepast--Cahir-na-cahal, Cahirgal, and Castlequinn. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Glenbeigh. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lake Coomasaharn. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Cahirciveen. ]

Ballycarbery's ruined castle, too, deserves attention. In ancient timesit was the fortress of Carbery O'Shea, whose tide-swept tomb is still tobe seen. Then it passed into the hands of Owen More's descendants, andfrom them to the O'Connells. When the Spaniards sent their "ale" over toErin, and the Kerry women borrowed one another's cloaks to go to Spainto sell eggs and dulisc, Ballycarbery, commanding the harbour's mouth, was a place frequented by mariners and merchantmen from many a Spanishport. There is a story of Morgan of the Wine and a Spanish Captain worthre-telling. Two O'Connells lived in Ballycarbery together, one brother, Shawn, occupying the lower portion, and the other, Morgan, living in theupper apartments. Both at the same moment invited a Spanish captain, whohad come into the port, to dine with them. The foreigner, embarrassed bytheir hospitality, and not wishing to show an undue preference--asneither brother would give way--agreed to give his company to whichevergentleman had his repast cooked first. The brothers repaired with speedto the castle, and Morgan was chagrined when he had mounted to hisrooms, to find that Shawn had barricaded the entrance behind him, toprevent his servants from drawing water to cook the dinner. But hewas not to be foiled, for, broaching a cask of wine, he cooked in itwhat he wanted, and as his dinner was first prepared, the Spaniard andhis brother Shawn were his guests! In the wars of the Commonwealth thecastle was reduced. ~Derriana Lake~, in the bed of the mountains--withwisps of mist on its further shores--is like a dream picture. The fairisle floating in its centre is freighted down with oak and arbutus treesstanding out in relief against the mountain, and reflected in themirror-faced waters. The coloured setting of the surroundings isexquisite. The cliffs bristle crest high with rigid firs, the young oakcopse is entangled with an undergrowth of guelder rose, and in thesedges near the heron-frequented reeds, white water lilies open theirwonderful eyes. Close by, ~Cloonaghlin Lake~, when it is dark withmountain shadows and frowning clouds, is sufficiently desolate to awethe least susceptible, but when auspiciously the sky is brightened, wefeel--

 "Truly the light is sweet, and A pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the sun. "

The shadows recede into the depths of the water or the hollows of thehills, the many colours of the trees show themselves; and song-birdsbegin anew their music, as though a great hawk had been near, and hadpassed them by scathless. 

VALENCIA ISLAND

May truly be termed the "Next parish to America, " and should be visitedfor its noble cliffs, wild headlands, and wonderful jungle of fuschiatrees. From Valencia Harbour a ferry, manned for upwards of a century bythe O'Neills, brings passengers and mails across to Knightstown, theprincipal village, and a busy port of industry during the fishingseason. Glenleam, the Knight of Kerry's residence--about one mileinland--is surrounded by beautiful gardens, where, besides arbutus andmyrtle, many tropical exotics thrive. The fuschias form a thick glade, and the trunks of several of them almost defy the ordinary axe or saw. There are on the island, besides holy wells, a number of soutterains andcairns, that

 "Sit upon the ground To tell sad stories of the death of kings. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Valencia. ]

[Illustration: _Photos, Cuthbert, Valencia. _ Valencia Harbour. FishingFleet. Entrance to Valencia Harbour. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Cliffs at Valencia. ]

Irish is freely spoken on the island, and if properly introduced, thevisitor may be able to hear many old stories of Finn and his companions, the Gabawn Saior, and other heroes of the peasants' heart. Thick asmists at morn legends hover about the island, and beyond the great Slatequarries may be seen many caves of great interest. There is a traditionon the island that St. Vincent Ferrar landed there. The harbour offers adeep and sheltered anchorage, and was formerly much frequented bysmugglers, whose cave is still shown. Paul Jones often put in here, andon one occasion pressed into his service a number of fishermen, whom hetook from the neighbouring fishing grounds. None of them returned exceptone, who had long been imprisoned in France, but he came home "with astocking full of doubloons, " and his children's children are still knownas "The Paul Jones's. "

At ~Brayhead~, "Where the broad ocean leans against the land, "

there is a splendid view from nearly eight hundred feet above the sea. The rocks around the coast, encircled with white foam, make a beautifulcontrast to the grey and emerald and gold of the sandy coves and greenhills. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Cliffs at Valencia. ]

Dolus and Bolus Heads reach far into the ocean. The ~Skelligs~, "themost western of Christ's fortresses in the ancient world, " raise theirheads to the south, while northwards the Great Blasket, a mountainousisland, and its eleven brothers, with Innisvic Killane, may be seen. Onthe 10th September, 1588, the Armada ship, _Our Lady of the Rosary_, of1, 000 tons, was wrecked in the Blasket Sound; among the many whoperished was the Prince of Askule, natural son to King Philip of Spain. Around the coast line there have been many wrecks, and not a few are thepathetic stories still told of them on the island. 

The last wreck of importance gave another opportunity for the intrepidislanders to show what stern stuff they were made of. Under thecaptaincy of Mr. Alexander O'Driscoll, the volunteers put off to thewreck, and despite of a sea running high, and the buffeting of a greatstorm, saved the lives of the crew, and rendered full salvage. While onthe island, a visit should be paid to the Anglo-American Cable Company'sStation, care being taken beforehand to go through the formality ofapplying to the Managing Director (26, Old Bond-street, London, E. C. )for an order. Every facility is extended by the courteous localofficials. 

THE SKELLIGS--ST. MICHAEL'S ROCK. 

From Valencia, or from across the channel at Portmagee, where there is athriving fish-curing industry, the Skelligs can be reached in favourableweather. Standing high above the green billows that encircle them withcollars of white foam, they repay every trouble taken to inspect them. The ~Little Skellig~, a fantastic rock, with a great arch like a flyingbuttress under which for centuries the seas have churned deep, is almostinaccessible. It is a great breeding ground for gannet, with which, during the breeding season, its sides are white as the waves below. 

[Illustration: GE Skellig. ]

So unused are these magnificent birds to being disturbed by intrudersthat even when within oar's length of them, they remain passive andunscared. The ~Great Skellig~ swings high its cliffs seven hundred feetabove the water. Clinging to the ridge of its impressive rocks "likeswallows' nests" are the round roofs of the beehive cells which of oldformed a citadel of Christianity. To Saint Michael the Archangel, guardian against all the powers of darkness, the isle is dedicated. Itshistory is of old date, for here Milesius buried the beloved son, Ir, that the thieving waters robbed of his soul. Here "the slanting, full-sailing ships" of Daire, on their way to the great battle of VentryHarbour, paused in their march along the deep. Here, too, in recordingtimes, was the great hero-king of the Norse, Olaf Iryggveson, baptized. 

A little cove, deep in the recess of a cavern, makes a landing stage, only to be attempted at favourable times. An easy path leads halfwayround the island; then, mounting a flight of steps, the visitor beholds, spread before him, a green valley, the one patch of richness on thedesolate rock. This is Christ's Saddle, from which, with reverenthearts, the "Way of the Cross" may be traversed, ending in the heart ofSkellig-Michael. Each of the fourteen Stations have descriptive Gaelicnames, such as "The Stone of Pain, " where our Saviour falls the firsttime; "The Rock of the Woman's Piercing Caoine, " where His Mother andthe Holy Women have met. Lonely and deserted, none should enter thesehallowed places but with feelings of reverence. 

WATERVILLE. 

The morning stillness, broken by the clear blast of the postillion'shorn, reminds the visitor lingering lovingly over the shores atCahirciveen that the coach for the coast tour is ready. With a crack ofthe whip that would do credit to Will Goldfinch, in the coaching daysof old, the driver urges on his team, and the blooded four-in-hand cuttheir way clear of the town. The tour along the Atlantic betweenCahirciveen and Kenmare is nearly fifty miles, and passes through themost diversified country. The eleven miles as far as Waterville is firstinland, passing through dreary stretches of moorland, where the smallblack Kerry cattle manage to thrive, until Ballinskelligs Bay suddenlycomes in sight. Bolus Head reaches out its great arm into the sea, toshelter the Bay from the winds. At one side may be seen the little townof Ballinskelligs, with its white Cable Station; and in at the head ofthe waters, beyond where the Inny river joins the sea, Watervillespreads itself out around the long shore. Here it lies on the littlestreak of land which protects Lough Currane from the embrace of theocean. Coming down the hill, out of the town, the delusion is that thisgreat fresh-water lake is but itself a bay, the mouth of which isconcealed from view, but not so, for its waters run clear and fresh, andas fishful as the Erne. It is the best free fishing lake in Ireland. Just outside Waterville the Commercial Cable Company (Mackay-Bennettsystem) have their extensive offices. 

[Illustration: _Photos, Cuthbert, Valencia. _ Gannets on Little Skelligs. ]

[Illustration: Southern Hotel, Waterville. ]

The road leads across the Inny, and we enter the little town by thepleasantly-situated Butler Arms Hotel. On going further, fronting theshore line, we pass the Bay View Hotel, and, following a bend in thehill, come suddenly in view of the beautiful Lough Currane, besidewhich, in the midst of plantations, more like a home than awell-equipped hostelry, which it is, the ~Southern Hotel~ is built. Lough Currane is eight miles in circumference, and its shores arefretted with thousands of inlets. Through the windows of the Hotel, acharming view is had of the mountains which encircle the lake. On oneside green slopes and pleasantly wooded heights meet the eye, and on theother, old familiar grey-faced mountains, with their heads raised onhigh among the clouds, shining, changing, and fading in the silvermists. The surface of the lake, calm-faced and deep-welled, here andthere lifts up to be admired beautiful islands. Here a saint made histemporal home, and in Church Island is the beehive cell where St. Finianprayed, "in whose orisons were all our sins remembered. " The ruins ofthe sixth century church deserve the attention of the antiquary. Away atthe head of Lough Currane is Coppal, where sea trout and small browntrout abound. It, too, has charms all its own, in parts wild anduntamed, but again, calm as the race of a sleeping child. Fullinformation as to the flies suitable for the lake, and the places wellto troll, may be had from the best known angler in Kerry, TeigueM'Carthy. Like Sir Roger de Coverley's friend, Will Wimble, he can tiea fly "to a miracle, " and he is an enthusiastic devotee of the "gentleart. " Besides the attractions for fishermen, there are thousands ofacres of shooting in the vicinity. There is plenty of opportunity andaccommodation for bathing by the bay, and a new Golf Links, laid outunder the best professional advice, affords a further source ofhealthful amusement. Over the hills from Waterville the pre-historicremains of Staigue Fort may be visited. It is the best example ofcyclopean stone forts that remains in Ireland, and by authoritativeantiquaries is said to be at least 2, 000 years old. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Cuthbert, Valencia. _ Lake Currane. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Cuthbert, Valencia. _ Raheen, Lake Currane. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Cuthbert, Valencia. _ Arbutus Rock, Lake Currane. ]

EXCURSIONS IN THE VICINITY OF WATERVILLE. 

TOUR 1. --The conveyance will leave the Hotel at 11 a. M. For adrive to Derrynane, the historic home of the Liberator, On reachingCoomakista Pass--the highest point of the road--a gradual descent bringsthe party to Derrynane House, and further on to Derrynane Hotel, closeto the remains of the old Abbey. Those who wish to walk can get off thecar at Coomakista, and walk one and-a-half miles to Lord Dunraven'scottage, where they can meet the cars. The path winds along the shore ofDerrynane Bay, and well repays those who follow it on their way to theAbbey, The party can lunch at Derrynane Hotel, and may return by thepath, and meet the car at Coomakista, or drive the whole way back toWaterville. Fare for four persons, _12s. _

TOUR 2. --The conveyance will leave the Hotel at 11 a. M. , anddrive along the northern shore of Lough Currane. Crossing the Coomeraghby the Ivy Bridge, the road leads us as far as Isknamaclery Lake. Atthis point a unique view is obtained of Isknamaclery Lake and LoughNabrackderrag on the right, and Loughs Namona and Cloonaghlin on theleft. The party can have the option of proceeding on foot to DerrianaLake, or returning and driving along the Coomeragh to Derriana Lodge, and from thence returning to Waterville, or they can cross the DromadHills, and return by the river Inny. Fare for four persons, _12s. _

TOUR 3. --The conveyance leaves the Hotel at 11 a. M. For SaintFinan's Glen. Before entering the Glen, a fine view is obtained of theIveragh Mountains, and even the M'Gillicuddy Reeks, and later, the LemonRock and the Skelligs. After luncheon in the Glen, the party will returnby Bolus Head, visiting the old Abbey of Saint Michael's andBallinskellias Castle, and (with the permission of the Superintendent)the Atlantic Cable Station. For sea and mountain combined this viewcannot be surpassed. Fare for four persons, _16s. _

TOUR No. 4. --The conveyance will leave the Hotel at about 11a. M. , for the remarkable fort of Staigue-an-or. The route lies along thesouthern shore of Lough Currane for about six miles, (passing theWaterfall) as far as Isknagahenny (Coppal) Lake, and good views areobtained of both lakes. At Isknagahenny Lake the party alights, andproceeds on foot for about four miles to the fort. When the highestpoint of the ascent is reached, a magnificent view is obtained ofKenmare river and the islands off the coast of Beara Peninsula. Thedescent to the foot is easy. After luncheon the party may return eitherby West Cove and Derrynane to Waterville, or again ascend the mountainand return by Lake Road. Fare for four persons, _16s. _

Shorter excursions can be arranged. 

HIRE OF BOATS

Boat and one man, _1s. _ per hour, _5s. _ per day. Boat and two men, _2s. _per hour, _10s. _ per day. 

In no case will the charge be for less than two hours. 

POSTING ARRANGEMENTS. 

Hire by Time (Driver's Fee included). 

 Two-horse carriage. One-horse car. 

For the first hour, _7s. 0d. _ _3s. 6d. _

For two hours, _14s. 0d. _ _7s. 0d. _

For each additional hour or fraction of an hour _3s. 6d. _ _2s. 0d. _

Hire for Fixed Distances (Driver's Fee included). 

Two-horse One-horse car. Carriage. 

Waterville to Caragh Lake, -- _25s. 0d. _

 " " Caherciveen, _15s. 0d. _ _8s. 0d. _

 " " Valentia, _15s. 0d. _ _8s. 0d. _

 " " Portmagee, _18s. 0d. _ _10s. 0d. _

 " " Derrynane, _15s. 0d. _ _8s. 0d. _

 " " Parknasilla, _30s. 0d. _ _16s. 0d. _

Fifty per cent. Additional for return journey. 

[Illustration: Coomakisteen Hill. ]

The coach road from Waterville, following the outskirts ofBallinskelligs Bay, insinuates itself up a dizzy height. Lookingbackwards, Waterville, "standing with reluctant feet" between the seaand the lake, seems to wonder which is more bewitching. Forging aheadthrough the mountain gaps, we pass under ~Coomakiska~, 1, 500 feet, and~Beenarourke~, 1, 000 feet above the sea level. Clearing the gates of themountains, we come into the open highlands above ~Derrynane~, watchingout from its post over the sea. Truly the home for a chief. HereO'Connell spent his happiest days, within the roar of the Atlanticbillows, but far from the turmoil and stress of the great agitation inwhich his figure looms large as a giant form. Here his hospitable doorflew open wide to the passing stranger, and across the hills, with thefleet-footed hound, he enjoyed the most delightful of sports, coursing!Several interesting relics of the Liberator are shown at the house ofhis descendant, the present proprietor. The ruins of ~Derrynane Abbey~, in the vicinity of O'Connell's home, stand on a small peninsula, at someseasons transformed into an island by the divorcing rush of the hightides. It was a foundation of the monks of St. Finbarr, calledAghermore, such a place as that described in the life of St. Brendan, who, first of the old-world mariners, discovered the great Land of theWest. 

 I grew to manhood by the western wave, Among the mighty mountains on the shore; My bed, the rock within some natural cave, My food, whate'er the sea or seasons bore. 

 And there I saw the mighty sea expand, Like Time's unmeasured and unfathomed waves; One with its tide-marks on the ridgy strand, The other with its line of weedy graves. 

 And, as beyond the outstretched waves of Time, The eye of Faith a brighter land may meet; So did I dream of some more sunny clime, Beyond the waste of waters at my feet. 

From Cahirdaniel village, the site of a Danish fort, the route extendsdirectly along the Kenmare Fiord, under the foot of Crohan Mountain. TheSlieve Misk and Cahar Mountains separate themselves out to win ouradmiration the better. They recall Lady Dufferin's words, addressedto other sweet mountains, where

 "The sunlight sleeping On your green banks is a picture rare, You crowd around me like young girls peeping, And puzzling me to say which is most fair; As though you'd see your own sweet faces Reflected in that smooth and silver sea O! my blessing on those lovely places, Though no one cares how dear they are to me. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Sneem. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Sneem. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Sneem. ]

On the road beneath Crohan, a mile north from Coad Church is St. Kiernan's Cell, eaten into the face of the sheer rock. In this districtformerly the mines were worked and copper smelted. As the road windsalong we can see Staigue-an-or, with its cyclopean mounds, lying low anddwarfed on the hillside. By the high mountains, where the coach-hornsounds sweet and awakens echoes, the road comes down into the lowlands, and from the bridge is seen beautiful landscape, with ~Sneem~ spread outin the foreground. Under lovely beechen boughs, and through a glade ofoak and first we are ushered into

PARKNASILLA, An ideal residence, hidden from the summer sun by a variegated veil ofthe rocky garden foliage; sheltered from the winter's blast by theAskeve Mountains and the kind shores that button themselves around itsinlet sea, of which Mr. A. P. Graves has written:

 "Ocean before, the summer sky above Who could pourtray the mountains' purple smiles-- And all the opal hues of earth and heaven, Foam fringing forests, heather-tufted Isles; The roseate dawn--purpureal pomps of even-- And young Atlantic's petulant, shifting wiles? Who could do aught but mar the true expression Where all is change? Then why a record shape Of scenes whose nature glories in succession From wood to wave--from wave to distant cape-- Like the young poet's dream, fair beyond all possession. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Parknasilla. ]

Here in the demesne lands of a Bishop's Old Palace, the ~Southern Hotel~new palace has been built. The green turf of its lawn extends down tothe water's edge. It is a land of arbutus and myrtle, of glades ladenwith the pink and white blossoms of oleander and rhododendron, and thickwith bells of fuschias, the fair daffodils of Shakespeare and Herrick, that fade away too soon:

 "Daffodils that come Before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty. "

Derreen, away in the lap of the landscape, found favour of Froude, andat Kilmackilloge he found material for his novel. The beautiful~Garinish~ Island is like a little paradise, lost in a land where all islovely. Around the shores, and in the sandy caves, the beautiful sealscluster, and at times are so tame as to answer the shrill whistle of theboatman, and show their lovely forms on the water's surface near athand. We live in sceptical times, when

 "The powder, the beauty, and the majesty, That had their haunts in dale, or piney mountain, Or forests by slow stream, or pebbly spring, Or chasms and watery depths--all these have vanished. They live no longer in the faith of reason. "

But still here, along the old-world shores, where daylight dies, thesuperstitions and traditions of the pagan past still linger among them, and there is none more interesting than that which teaches the fishermento regard these beautiful-eyed, plaintive-voiced creatures withtenderness. The souls of the dead, drowned at sea, who die out offriendship with God, go into the bodies of the seals, and there throughthe ages await the Trump of the Archangel to call them before the GreatWhite Throne. 

[Illustration: Southern Hotel, Parknasilla. ]

"Parknasilla is situated on the northern shore of Kenmare Bay, a bayrich in beauty, and with singularly-indented coast lines. Itswell-sheltered position amidst a number of islets, thickly wooded downto the water's edge, has endowed it with unique advantages. Thisprotective area gives to Parknasilla claims of a special character, andprevents the access to it of all winds except those coming from thewarmer points, viz. , south and south-west; these winds, before reachingthe southern coast of Ireland, having travelled over the Gulf Stream, and being thus subjected to its moderating and balmy influence. We allrecognise what elevation of the land will do for any place, particularlyif it shelters that place from winds blowing from the cold quarters. Thus, mountain protection is of supreme importance in the choice of ahealth resort, more especially in the winter and spring seasons of theyear. In this regard Parknasilla is exceptionally favoured, amountainous range closely guarding and protecting it from the northerlyand easterly winds. The combination of mountain, wood, and water gives aspecial charm to this locality; and a convincing evidence of themildness of the winter and early spring here is the forward character ofthe vegetation, the early budding of the trees, shrubs, and flowers--allbearing testimony to the mildness of the climate. Temperature rapidlytells its tale on the vegetable world, and there can be no morereassuring proof of the equable and balmy character of the climate of adistrict than the early growth of flowering shrubs, plants, and tableproduce. The position of this favoured and sheltered sea inlet upon theisothermal map shows it to have a mean annual temperature of 52 degrees, being similar in this regard to its neighbour, Glengarriff, andregistering a higher mean annual temperature than Ventnor or Torquay. The mildness of the climate in the earlier spring months is of such acharacter that exercise can be freely partaken of in the open air daily, without risk of chill; and this to the invalid is of paramountimportance. No record has, as yet, been regularly taken of the dailysunshine, or of the rainfall, but so far as could be ascertained, therainfall does not appear to be excessive. To sufferers from chronic orrecurrent affections of the respiratory organs, Parknasilla, in thewinter and early spring months, would appear to be indicated as a mostdesirable place of residence. I have had the advantage of two recentvisits to this district, and feel convinced that, when it becomes betterknown, Parknasilla will prove a veritable haven of health and rest tothe chronic invalid and the convalescent, as well as a delightfulretreat to the busy man of the 'world's mart, ' who may need a temporaryrepose from the worries and cares of daily life. Parknasilla is about atwo hours' drive or thereabouts from Kenmare, the drive being one ofexceptional beauty and interest. "--_Dublin Journal of Medical Science_, May, 1896. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Garinish Island, Parknasilla. ]

DRIVING AND BOATING EXCURSIONS IN THE VICINITY OF PARKNASILLA. 

 No. 1--Car to Sneem, and by Killarney Road to Letterfinish; thence to Tahilla Chapel, and return by Dunquilla (ancient fort), or direct. _8s. _

 No. 2. --Car to Sneem and Letterfinish; on to Geragh Bridge, and by Blackwater Valley and Coast Road to Tahilla, returning by Dunquilla, or direct, _12s. _

 No. 3. --Car to Sneem and Coomyauna Bridge, pony (cost _5s. _, to top and back not included), or walk to summit of Beoun Mountain, view of Glencar and M'Gillicuddy Reeks, Cloon, Lakes, and Coomlumina Glen with Dingle Bay in the distance. Return same way. _12s. _

 No. 4. --Car to Sneem and Glorah, pony (cost _5s. _, to top and back not included), or walk to summit of Finnavagough, view of Foylenagearough, Cloonaghlin, Derriana, and Waterville Lakes. Return same way. _12s. _

 No. 5. --Car to Staigue Fort and back. This ancient round stone Fort, in a wonderful state of preservation, is well worth a visit. _16s. _

 No. 6. --Car to Blackwater Bridge and Waterfall; along the Blackwater Valley to Lough Erin, view of Ballaghbeama Pass, returning by Geragh Bridge, Sneem Road, and Tahilla. _16s. _

 No. 7. --By boat to Reenkilla, car to Glanmore Lake, and by Furniss to Killmakillogue, skirting Derreen, Lord Lansdowne's demesne (fare _5s. _, not included). Return by boat (four-oared). _20s. _

 No. 8. --By boat to Ormonde's Island; car along shore of Clonea Lake to Inchiquin, Glen and Cascade, thence by Derreen or coast road. (Fare, _10s. _, not included. ) Return by boat (four-oared). _20s. _

 No. 9. --By boat to the Caves, and into Ardgroom Harbour; car by Eyeries to Castletown-Bere, Dunboy Castle, and back (fare _10s. _, not included). Return by boat (four-oared). _20s. _

 Excursions by Steam Launch will also be organised to the Caves, Ardgroom, Derrynane, and other places of interest on the Kenmare River. 

[Illustration: Cycling at Parknasilla. ]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Blackwater at Kenmare. ]

The demesne around the hotel comprises one hundred acres of beautifulland, where tropical flora flourish all the year round. The meadowstrim, with daisies pied, there are on every mossy bank the dewy lips of

_"Violets dim, But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes, Or Cytherea'sbreath. "_

The road to Kenmare lies high above the sea. Ardgroom is hiding underthe Caha mountains, with Glenbeg Lake behind, in the little valley. Beneath Derrenamackan the lashing seas wage perpetual warfare againstthe rocks. By the Eskdhu, or Blackwater Bridge, amid the dense foliageof the trees, a waterfall bleats from the thicket with plaintive murmur. Then it breaks itself free, and amid rocks, and briars, and tangledunderwood, rushes wildly towards the sea. Between us and the ocean isDromore Castle, the residence of one of the heads of a sept of theO'Mahony clan. In the demesne are the ruins of Cappacross, a strongholdof the O'Sullivans. Dunkerron Castle, on the shore, gives its name tothe islands in the bay. 

[Illustration]

County Clare. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Dromoland Castle. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Ennistymon. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lisdoonvarna Spa. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Kilkee. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Amphitheatre at Kilkee. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Look-out Cliff, Kilkee. ]

[Illustration: Golfing at Lahinch]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Golfing, Lahinch. ]

Clare County possesses the finest cliff scenery in Ireland. FromLimerick or Galway the county may be explored. On the journey by railfrom Limerick, beyond Long Pavement, we come on a fine view of Cratloewoods. An ancient saint referred to Cratloe as "a pleasant seclusionfrom sin"; but in later times it became a haunt of rapparees, and itsthick foliage provided what Spenser would call "a meet house forrebels. " In later times Freney, a noted highwayman, whose exploitsdelighted the Irish peasant, here found a refuge. Bunratty Castle was astrong place in feudal times. Here Rinuccini, the Papal Legate toIreland in 1641, sojourned, and his papers contain many references tothe picturesqueness of the surrounding country, and its herds of wilddeer. Between Newmarket and Ardsollus is Dromoland, the seat of LordInchiquin, and the birthplace of William Smith O'Brien, the aristocraticleader of the revolutionists of 1848. Crossing the Ardsollus river, weare near Quin Abbey, an old Franciscan Priory, and Clare Castle, whichtook its name from an old watch tower in the river Fergus. ~Ennis~ isthe chief town in the County Clare. It is more quaint than important. Itis pleasantly placed on the river Fergus, and is a clean town, doing athriving business with the country. The principal monument in thetown is to Daniel O'Connell, who was returned for Clare in the famouselection of 1828. The ashes of the controversy that raged aroundO'Connell in his lifetime are long since dead, and if one wanted proofof this it is in the recent biography of the great agitator whichappears in the "Heroes of the Nation" series. In that, the famous Clareelection is treated with true historic discrimination by the writer, whocompares the bravery of the Clare peasants at Ennis to the gallantCovenanters standing up against Claverhouse's Dragoons at BothwellBridge. From Ennis, by car and light railway, Ennistymon, Lehinch, Lisdoonvarna, and Ballyvaughan may be reached. At Ennistymon there is asplendid cascade on the Innagh river. ~Lisdoonvarna~ possesses thebest known Spa in Ireland. It is come-at-able from Milltown-Malbay orEnnistymon. Its friends have called it "The Cheltenham of Ireland. " Itcannot be pretended that the immediate scenery is attractive, but thereare many interesting drives in the vicinity. The hotels and lodgings aregood. The sixth century Church of Saint Cronan, pleasantly placed in anash-grove, will give those of an antiquarian taste opportunity ofbeguiling their time during a stay at the beneficial chalybeate andsulphurous springs. The drives from Lisdoonvarna may include tours toBallyvaughan and the Cliffs of Moher. The drive by Black Head, thenorth-eastern promontory of county Clare, gives one a fine view as farnorth as the Arran; then we approach Ballyvaughan, in Galway Bay, anout-of-the-way old world village. Its approach is by a spiral hill, overtwo miles in length, called "The Corkscrew-road. " The sides of the stonyhills are interspersed with the most delicate maiden-hair fern, growingwild. There are two small but neat hotels in Ballyvaughan. From thislittle town Galway might be visited by steamer and the Arran Isles byhooker. ~Kilkee~ is admittedly the best bathing-place in these islands. It is dashed into with the full force of the Atlantic, but with thecountless nooks fitted into the rocky coast-line, there are numbers ofsandy strands suitable for bathing. Here, situated in the very outpostof the West of Ireland, it is as up-to-date and as go-a-head as some ofits more fashionable rivals, while in natural advantages it excels themall. It is easy of access by land and sea. The town is protected by along reef of rock, called "Duggerna. " The cliff scenery is verybeautiful. The spots to visit are The Puffing Hole, Saint Senanus' HolyWell, Bishop's Island, with its beehive cells and Green Rock. A tour toLoophead will bring one in sight of a long line of cliff scenery. ~Lehinch~ and Liscanor Bay promise to become the best patronised golflinks in Ireland. Right in front of the little town is a splendidstrand, and local enterprise has been auxiliary to nature in making thespot attractive. ~Spanish Point~ also possesses splendid strands, wheresea-bathing may be enjoyed with safety. Two miles away is~Milltown-Malbay~. The town is business-like, and the coast-line in thevicinity is associated with weird tales of wreckers; there some of theunfortunate Spaniards came to grief in 1588. The ~Cliffs of Moher~ maybe visited from Milltown, Lehinch, or Lisdoonvarna. Going up the roadfrom Lehinch to ~Liscanor~ we pass a Holy Well dedicated to SaintBrigid. The only cliff scenery in the British Isles to compare with thatof Moher is at the Orkney islands. They make a magnificent embroideryinto the red sandstone along the coast-line for four miles, rising inheights varying from 440 to 700 feet. From their height on a clear daythe distant Isles of Arran may be seen, and the whole surroundings makeas gorgeous a seascape as is to be found anywhere in the world. Anobserver will readily recognise that the quaint craft which thefishermen still use in the vicinity of Moher, as indeed elsewhere inClare, is the ancient coracle. ~Kilrush~, on the Lower Shannon, ischiefly of interest to the antiquary. It can be reached from Limerick, by the Shannon, as pointed out already, and from Kilkee by Rail. By aferry from a slip at the foot of the little town, the holy island, Scattery, the shrine of Saint Senanus, may be reached. The Round Toweris in good preservation, and the remains of the Seven Churches canstill be traced. Saint Senanus' bed is still pointed out. No peasantwoman who wishes to be a mother will ever enter this hallowed spot. Thelegend of Saint Senanus is similar to that of Saint Kevin. He washaunted by the love of a woman from whom he flew. Thomas Moore in versetells us the hard-heartedness of both the anchorites:--

 "Oh! haste, and leave this sacred isle, Unholy bark, e'er morning smile, For on thy deck, though dark it be, A female form I see. And I have sworn this sainted sod Shall ne'er by woman's feet be trod. "

 "Oh! Father, send not hence my bark, Through wintry winds and billows dark; I come with humble heart to share Thy morn and evening-prayer; Nor mine the feet, oh! holy Saint, The brightness of thy sod to taint. "

 The lady's prayer Senanus spurned, The wind blew fresh, the bark returned; But legends hint that had the maid Till morning's light delay'd, And given the Saint one rosy smile, She ne'er had left his lonely isle. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Cliffs of Moher. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Kilrush. ]

[Illustration: Country Car. ]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Galway and District. 

Leaving the County Clare by rail we cross into Galway, between Crusheenand Tubber. Beyond the marshy country on the right, away in thewoodlands, nestles Loughcootra Castle. The great lake from which theplace takes its name covers eight square miles. The hundreds of isletshere scattered about its surface are the homes of thousands of herons. The country people have a belief that this bird is a messenger of goodomen, and never interfere with it or its young. There is a beautifullegend in Irish of a heron which visited St. Columba, at Iona, atraveller from his own country. This story is recorded in theinteresting life of the saint written in the seventh century by Adamnan, one of his successors; a beautiful version in English tells of the saintrising at dawn of day after a dream of the coming of the bird:--

 "He looked out over the dreary moor, Over the hill so bleak and hoar-- 'A bird from the land I revisit no more Has come to visit me, Dear Innisfail from thy fragrant shore-- Land of my own I shall see no more-- Across the driving sea. '

 Then he left his prayer, and 'Brother, ' he said, 'Take to thee corn, and oil, and bread, A bird has alit--half frozen, half dead-- Upon our southern strand. Then warm him and feed him with gentle care, And chafe his wing's and anoint him there, He comes from my own loved land-- From my own loved land, ' and the old Saint wept; But the Monk arose, while the others slept, And warmed the heron, and fed and kept The bird for a day and night. So Columb feeling, though far away, For Ireland's soil--like the Gael to-day-- One favour in heaven's sight. "

The magnificent residence was designed and erected similarly to EastComer Castle (by Nash, who remodelled Windsor) for Lord Gort, the headof the Vereker family, at a cost of £70, 000. The black hand of thefamine of 1847 fed on this property, like many another in Ireland, andit passed from its owners under the Encumbered Estates Act. Cove Park, the residence of Lady Gregory, is just outside Gort. Her Ladyship hasfound a way to the hearts of the country people by her sympathy with theIrish language movement. Her volume, "Mr. Gregory's Letter Box, " is avaluable contribution to the history of Ireland in the first threedecades of the nineteenth century. Sir William Gregory's Memoirs it isthat contain the circumstantial version of the Cabinet scandal, in whichthe name of the Hon. Mrs. Norton (George Meredith's "Diana of theCrossways") figures. The story of the leakage of the State secret is asfollows:--

 "When Sir Robert Peel determined to repeal the Corn Laws he consulted a portion of his Cabinet. They were Sidney Herbert, Lord Lincoln, Sir Jas. Graham, and Lord Aberdeen, all of whom determined that the repeal of the Corn Laws should be kept a profound secret until the whole of the Cabinet had assembled. That same evening Sidney Herbert dined _tête-à-tête_ with Mrs. Norton, the well-known object of his attachment, and with whom he was infatuated. Before dinner was over she wormed out of him the secret of the Cabinet. After dinner she pretended to go to see a sick friend for a short time, and returned in half-an-hour. In the meantime she had taken a cab and driven down to the _Times_ Office, and saw Barnes, the Editor, and told him the Government were going to repeal the Corn Laws. Barnes said to her, "If you have no proof I shall not detain you, but if you have you shall have £500. " She gave him the chapter and verse, and returned to poor Sidney Herbert with the cheque in her pocket. The next day the announcement was made in the _Times_ which astounded all England. This was on the 5th December, 1845. The other papers disbelieved it. Lord Derby and the Duke of Richmond left the Government. "

In the heart of a stony country beset with high fences and rough copplestones, stands the little town of ~Gort~, The military stationed therenow add to its importance. Kilmacduagh, at the base of the Burren Hills, contains a church (seventh century) of St. Colman, the Blue-eyed, and aRound Tower leaning out of the perpendicular. In pre-historic times allthis country side at the foot of Burren, from Gort to Loughrea, and formiles apart, is said to have been the favourite hunting-ground of QueenMaev. ~Kinvara~, away on an inlet of Galway Bay, is a fishing village, and the locality is celebrated for the "succulent oysters"--which in theseason are to be found in every restaurant in Dublin. The antiquary willfind his way easily to Corcomroe Abbey--the church is still in a goodstate of preservation. Donald More O'Brien, King of Limerick, iscommonly believed to have built it in the twelfth century. Itsubsequently became subject to Furness, in Lancashire. Donough O'Brien, King of Thomond--killed in battle in 1267--is buried here; his monumentdiscloses the rude magnificence of his attire. The effigy is looked uponby scientists as an example of the attire of an Irish King of thethirteenth century. 

~Athenry~, as its name, the "Ford of the Kings, " signifies, and itsruins testify, was of old a place of renown. The tower is entered by asmall gate tower; before it stands the quaint market cross, on one sideis the Virgin and Child, on the other the figure of the Crucified. Thebase is relieved with deer and wolf hounds, and at the corner an angelholds a scroll, the legend of which is defaced. The Franciscan Priory(1464), despite the attempt to modernise it, has still two thirteenthcentury windows, and the south transept has the remains of a verybeautiful window. The Dominican Priory is said to have been erected atthe personal request of St. Dominick in 1241. So late as 1644 it was theseat of a university acknowledged by Rome. 

~Tuam~ is now of little importance. It is to ecclesiastics, however, ofinterest, as the centre of an Archiepiscopal See. The statue to JohnMacHale is worth seeing. He was well known in the first part of thenineteenth century as "John of Tuam. " An uncompromising Ultramontane, hetranslated Homer into Gaelic, and O'Connell in one of his speechescalled this great patriot bishop "The Lion of the Fold of Judah. " Theancient cross in the square is a good specimen of the Irish stonecrosses. 

~Galway~ still possesses the evidence of its former greatness. To-day itis simply an old world city in the midst of a sporting county. Of old itwas a strong-walled town, ever on the alert against alarm and foray, with its harbour crowded with the warships of Spain and the merchantmenof many a foreign port. There is a famous map of the city, dating backto 1651, when the then Lord Deputy Clanricarde pledged the town to theDuke of Lorraine. It shows a walled-in town with fourteen gates, eachguarded by a watch-tower. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ At Galway. ]

In the twelfth century, when De Burgo conquered O'Connor, he made Galwaythe citadel of his western possessions. During the next century theregathered into the prosperous town from far and near adventurers andmerchants--the Blakes and the Bodkins, the Lynches, the Morrises, theMartins, the Joyces, &c. ; founders of the great families, whose nameshave since been inseparable from Galway. In after times the clanship andattachment of these families to their members and each other, drew fromthe Scripture-loving Puritans the scornful appellation--"The Tribes ofGalway"; but the expression was afterwards adopted by the Galway men asan honourable mark of distinction between themselves and their crueloppressors. In old times the merchant princes of the place were renownedfor their hospitality, which they carried to such an excess that thecivil authorities interfered with it, in 1518, with a law to the effectthat

 "No man of this town shall oste or receive into their houses at Christmas, Easter, nor no feaste elles, any of the Burkes, MacWilliams, the Kellies, nor no cepte elles without license of the Mayor and Councill, on payn to forfeit £5; that neither O nor Mac shall strutte nor swaggere through the street of Gallway. "

Indeed, the O's and Mac's seem to have made their history by more thanenjoying the hospitality of their neighbours, and what was not giventhem willingly they at times took by the strength of their right hands. Over the western gate of the city was the following meaningfulinscription:--

 "From the fury of the O'Flaherties, good Lord, deliver us. "

The trade with Spain was for centuries a source of great prosperity tothe town, and those familiar with the characteristics of Spanisharchitecture will see much in Galway to remind them of it. The sympathyof the townspeople seems always to have been with the leaders of forlornhopes in Irish history. It was almost destroyed by Ludlow for itsfidelity to the King in 1652, and having been rebuilt, it again fellbefore the siege trains of the victorious Ginckle in 1691 after thebattle of Aughrim, the Culloden of Ireland. With the fall of theJacobite standard in that battle, the hopes of the western Irishdeclined. The surviving sons of most of the old families sought serviceabroad in the armies of France, Spain, and Austria. There are many lovesongs of the time in Irish, which have been translated, such as--

AFTER AUGHRIM. 

 Do you remember long-ago, Kathaleen! When your lover whispered low-- "Shall I stay or shall I go, Kathaleen?" And you answered proudly, "Go, And join King James and strike a blow For the Green. "

 Mavrone! your hair is white as snow, Kathaleen, Your heart is sad and full of woe-- Do you repent you bade him go, Kathaleen? But still you answer proudly, "No, Far better die with Sarsfield so, Than live a slave without a blow For the Green. "

Many of the old houses remain. Far and away the most interesting isLynch's mansion at the corner of Abbey Gate-street. On the walls are thearms of the Lynches and their crest, a lynx, which it is said was giventhem for the watchfulness with which they guarded a besieged Austriantown in the middle ages. Behind Saint Nicholas' Church, inMarket-street, is the Lynch stone, inscribed with a skull andcrossbones, and "Vanity of vanity, and all is but vanity, " above whichis an inscription:--

 "This memorial of the stern and unbending justice of the Chief Magistrate of this city, James Lynch Fitzstephen, elected Mayor, A. D. 1493, who condemned and executed his own guilty son, Walter, on this spot, has been restored to its ancient site A. D. 1854, with the approval of the Town Commissioners, by their Chairman, Very Rev. Peter Daly, P. P. , and Vicar of Saint Nicholas. "

The stern and unbending justice relates to the Mayor's execution of hisown son. The story tells how a young Spaniard, who was the Mayor'sguest, crossed in love the Mayor's son. One night, heated with wine andinflamed with jealousy, young Lynch drove a stiletto through the heartof his rival. His father tried and condemned him for the crime. Hismother roused the sympathy of the townspeople to such an extent thatnone could be found to act as executioner, but the old Mayor waseven-handed with them, and hanged the unfortunate culprit with his ownhands. 

No visitor to Galway will fail to find out the Claddagh. It is the mostconservative community in Ireland, and with them neither old times arechanged nor old manners gone. The colony inhabit a number oflow-thatched cottages apart from the town. They live mostly by fishing. The Claddagh women dress in blue cloaks and red petticoats, and theirrings, which visitors procure as keepsakes, represent two hands holdinga harp. Hardman, in his "Rare History of Galway, " wrote of them asfollows:--

 "The colony, from time immemorial, has been ruled by one of their own body, periodically elected, who is dignified with the title of Mayor, regulates the community according to their own peculiar laws and customs, and settles all their fishery disputes. His decisions are so decisive and so much respected that the parties are seldom known to carry their differences before a legal tribunal or to trouble the civil magistrates. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Arran Island. Claddagh. ]

Salthill, to the west of the town, is a well-sheltered bathing-place, with pleasant villas for visitors. The Queen's College will repay avisit. At the bridge in the town excellent salmon fishing is to be had. When the fish are making up the river for Corrib or Lough Mask thesight is very interesting. From Galway the old Franciscan Monastery atClaregalway may be driven to, or an excursion made down the bay to theArran Islands. They are twenty-seven miles from the harbour. There arethree principal islands, Innismore, Innismaan, and Innisheen, andseveral small isles. Two centuries ago they were described as paved overwith stones, with wide openings between them for cattle to break theirlegs, and the modern description by Hon. Emily Lawless does not fardiffer. 

The dress of the people is mostly white, homespun flannel "bawneens, "and sandals of cowhide, fastened across the instep, which they call"pampooties. "

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Queen's College, Galway. ]

[Illustration]

Connemara and Sligo. 

The Great Southern and Western Railway line runs northward from Tuam toSligo. To the westward lies Iar Connaught and Connemara, the capital ofwhich is Clifden, standing high above Ardhear Bay. If we go direct fromGalway to Clifden we pass Oughterard and the ruins of Aughnanure Castle, formerly the stronghold of "The furious O'Flahertys. " From its Tower wecan get a view of Lough Corrib, with its famous Caislean-no-Circe, longthe lair of Grace O'Malley, of whom the western peasant may say she

 "Fought, and sailed, and ruled, And loved, and made our world. "

Oughterard nowadays is given over to fishermen instead of the fightingfollowers of the western chieftains. The Connaught Glendalough differsmuch from its Leinster namesake, but the Maamturk Mountains and the Glenof Innagh have a panorama of scenes difficult, indeed, to rival. Clifdenis an excellent centre from which to make excursions. Wherever we lookthe Twelve Bens of Bumabeola spring up like uplifted lances. Thecoast-line is beautiful, and from the promontories we see distant SlyneHead and the Isles of the West. Mountain climbers will find on thesummit of Urrisbeg a curious plateau. The district is a good one forlake and sea fishing. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Achill Head Mayo. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Diamond Mountain, Letterfrack. ]

The coast drive to Leenane should not be missed. Leenane itself is onthe outer flank of "Joyce's County, " as a fiord of Killery Bay. Letterfrack is but ten miles from Clifden. The mountain scenery in theimmediate vicinity of the town is delightful. Within easy reach isLittle Killery Bay and the beautiful valley, The Pass of Kylemore, nearwhich is Kylemore Castle, where Mitchell Henry started his model farm in1864. The mountain pass of Lehinch cuts through the hills to the sea. Ajourney by Ballinakill brings the adventuresome to Renvyle Bay, wherethere is a comfortable hotel. Leenane is the best starting ground for anexpedition up the Twelve Bens; from it also a tour may be made to Cong. 

About eight miles beyond Leenane is Errig Bridge, from which the bestview of Croagh Patrick Mountain may be had. But an ascent of themountain is best made from Murrisk Abbey, six miles outside Westport. From the mountain side the expansive country from island-set Clew Bay toNephin and Slievemore, in Achill, spreads out to best advantage. Thefamous coach road from Clifden cuts into Westport from the south. TheQuay and Mall and the Marquis of Sligo's demesne are the "sights" of thetown. It is a convenient centre from which to visit Achill Island. Thedrive through Newport, Mallaranny, and Achill Sound to Dingort, althoughacross an exposed country, on a fine day will more than repay thetourist. 

The views of Clew Bay are like the changing scenes in a panorama. Newport will clamour for the attention of fishermen; and lavish on themopportunities for sport. The Glens on the way to Mallaranny will temptexcursions, and beyond Burrishoole Bridge the antiquary will deviateto Carrighooley Castle, and lend his ears to the peasant tales of GraceO'Malley and her husband, the MacWilliam. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Glendalough. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lough Corrib. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Killery Bay. ]

Mallaranny is a home of rest. It hides beside a promontory in the bay, and its splendid strand faces the south. The direct way to Achill isthrough Dingort. For scenery and sport few places in the west surpassthe island. The mountain cliff scenery is superb. The seals breed in thecliffs, and the rocks are the homes of countless seabirds. At Meenawn, the eagles on the island mostly nest. The great horned wild goats offergood sport to the marksman, and the deep-sea fisher will delight in theshoals and "schools" of herring and mackerel which in the seasons strikethe coast and into the bays of the island. Did Izaac Walton but live inour days he would be sure to find his way to Ballina, because of the MoyRiver and the salmon which "most do congregate there. " Loughs Conn andCullin are open free fishing, and on the preserves the terms are mostliberal. Foxford, beside Lough Conn, will gladden the hearts of thoseinterested in philanthropic schemes for the benefit of "the very poor"in rural Ireland. Within a few years, enterprises well directed, hastransformed the district from being a "most distressful country" into athriving, self-respecting, self-advancing locality. Killala, six milesfrom Ballina, is of interest as the point at which General Humbert and1, 100 Frenchmen invaded Ireland in 1798. Sligo is the most thriving townin the west of Ireland. Its public buildings, its commerce, and itspicturesque position, are one and all notable. Sligo Abbey, a structureof the thirteenth century, is a very remarkable pile of ruins. LoughGill contains most beautiful sylvan and sea pictures. There is sea, lake, and river fishing _galore_, and mostly free. The point from whichto see Lough Gill in all its glory is Dooine Rock. Excursions may bemade to Hazelwood, Glencar, and even to Bundoran, the most deservedlypatronised watering-place in the north-west of Ireland. Those whodesire an exquisite souvenir of a visit to Ireland, should not fail toprocure a piece of Belleek ware, remarkable for its elegance anddelicacy; and if in the vicinity of Belleek village, permission may beobtained to visit the interesting pottery. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Kylemore. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin. _ Lough Gill. ]

 For information as to Sport to be had in the Sligo District, see end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing, Shooting, Cycling, &c. 

[Illustration]

Summer and Winter Resorts

The health resorts of Ireland are so many, their attractions andadvantages so varied, that one wonders why it is that they arecomparatively so little patronised. The explanation is not far to seek. Hitherto they have been but little known, one cause and another havehelped to keep Ireland a _terra incognita_. The "faculty, " however, hasbeen for long acquainted with the benefits which the Green Islepossesses, and many an insular invalid, consumed with the desire tovisit some continental resort, has taken the common sense advice of thefamily physician and learned to appreciate the advantages Providence hasbestowed nearer home. 

Winter quarters we have a good store, and beauty spots abound on thecoast, where summer delights can be enjoyed _galore_, to use an Irishexpression. 

Most of the places referred to beneath have already been described inthe foregoing pages, but it will, perhaps, be convenient for those insearch of particular information as to health resorts and seasidewatering places, to have them collected in one chapter and listedalphabetically--

 ~ARDMORE. ~--Fishing village, five miles from Youghal, growing as a watering place. Beautifully situated on southern shore of Bay. Splendid strand, good opportunities for bathing. Deep-sea fishing, mackerel, and herring "schools, " plenty of lobsters. Cliff scenery in vicinity; the bay is frequented by seals. Gaelic-speaking peasantry. Round tower and ancient church. Good cottage accommodation. 

 ~ARRAN ISLANDS. ~--Three in number--Innismore, Innismaan, Innisheer--standing out in the Atlantic, a sort of long harbour bar to Galway Bay. Scenery cannot pretend to be attractive. Bathing and deep-sea fishing. Splendid views of cliff scenery on Clare Coast. Steam trip up Galway Bay delightful. An enjoyable inn at Kilronan. 

 BALLYBUNION. --Good watering place, splendid strand, fine cliff scenery, sheer on Atlantic Ocean, plenty bathing accommodation. Castle Hotel is comfortable, lodgings clean and cheap. Eight miles from Listowel. 

 BLARNEY. --Hydro, at St. Ann's Hill, on the side of pleasant uplands overlooking old castle. Nicely wooded, with lake and trout stream. Cottage homes, within grounds which are between six and seven hundred acres in extent. Sandy soil and pine forests. The residences well sheltered. Six miles from City Cork and Muskerry tram; two miles G. S. W. Railway. Terms and particulars of treatment, &c. , to be had from the medical officer, Dr. Altdorfer. 

 CAHIRCIVEEN. --An inlet of Valencia Harbour, well sheltered, mild winters. Coach drives through mountain scenery or along coast to Waterville. Valencia three miles. 

 CASTLECONNELL. --Fishing village on the Shannon, outside Limerick, six miles. Possesses chalybeate spring. Beautiful river scenery, and splendid fishing. The Shannon Hotel can be recommended. 

 DUNMORE EAST. --Pleasant, quiet, and select seaside resort, eleven miles from Waterford, at the mouth of the River Suir. Good strand, well sheltered. Splendid sea fishing and exceptionally good harbour for yachting or boating. Plenty of villa and lodging-accommodation, demand for same on increase in season. Good bathing; good hotel. 

 GLENGARRIFF. --Coach from Kenmare or Bantry. Beautiful scenery. Inlet of Bantry Bay. Well wooded, mild climate, winter resort beyond compare. Gulf Stream strikes coast in vicinity. Excellent hotel accommodation. Good cottage accommodation. Plenty coaching and boating facilities in summer; splendid sea bathing. Arbutus grows wild. 

 KENMARE. --One of the starting-points for the Grand Atlantic Coast Drive. Thriving pleasant town at the head of the fiord. Macgillicuddy Reeks stand out behind the town. Mountain climbers will make ascent best from point beyond Sohaleen Bridge. Both the Cork and Kerry sides of the bay are very beautiful and worthy of investigation. The Southern Hotels Company has one of its branches outside the railway station. The Lansdowne Arms is an old coaching inn, famed for its mountain mutton and good claret. 

 ~KILKEE. ~--The best bathing-resort in the three kingdoms. Splendid facilities. The cliff scenery and coast walks attractive. Good villa and cottage accommodation. Modern hotels on esplanade. 

 ~KILLARNEY~, see page 136. 

 ~LEHINCH. ~--Bracing air from Atlantic. Good bathing. Bold coast line. New hotel, fine golf links. Promises to be the most up-to-date watering place in Clare. 

 ~LEENANE. ~--The pleasant place on Killary Harbour. It has the Mweelrea mountains behind it and the sea in front. The bay is remarkable for sea fishing, while the salmon and trout angler will have his heart's desire in Errif Lake. The Leenane Hotel stands close to the shore, and the Aasleagh Hotel, high above the Errif, is surrounded by demesne lands. The mountain scenery is remarkable. 

 ~LISDOONVARNA. ~--Inland watering place. An old favourite health resort now more easy of access than hitherto. The spas are sulphurous and chalybeate. The hotel accommodation is unusually good, but still insufficient for the summer and early autumn visitors. The driving tours in the locality take in the most delightful scenery in county Clare. 

 ~LUCAN. ~--A very old spa. Beautiful sylvan retreat within nine miles of Dublin. Scenery on upper Liffey and drives in vicinity through charming country. The Hydro, equipped with every modern advantage. 

 ~PARKNASILLA. ~--THE PREMIER WINTER RESORT OF IRELAND. Hotel well sheltered on fiord of Kenmare Bay. The grounds around beautifully wooded and planted with luxuriant shrubs. Absolutely free from winter cold. This country side the pride of Kerry. The seascape and islands in vicinity delightful. Admirable arrangements for boating, fishing, and coaching. 

 ~POULAPHOUCA. ~--Approached from Harristown on the Tullow branch. The upper Liffey winds here through a beautiful glen with a splendid fall beyond Poulaphouca bridge. Splendid facilities for shooting and fishing are afforded in the surrounding mountain country. Convenient centre for pedestrian and cycle tours. Hotel immediately above the Fall, also good hotel at Blessington: and four miles higher up in the Wicklow Highlands, at Lacken, excellent hotel. 

 ~QUEENSTOWN. ~--"The Paradise of Pensioners. " The port of Cork Harbour. Centre of American tourist traffic. Well sheltered. Long the winter quarters of invalids. Every facility for visitors. Within easy reach of Cork city. Excellent train service. In summer steamer trips on beautiful river. Several good hotels; splendid villa accommodation. A bright cheerful town, full of life and change of colour. A well known specialist (Dr. A. Thomson), in his "Physician's Note Book, " puts the query--"Where should a consumptive patient pass the winter months if he can't go abroad?" and answers himself, "There is no place within Great Britain and Ireland so well adapted for the residence of a consumptive patient as Queenstown. "

 ~RECESS. ~--Midway between Clifden and Kylemore, on the edge of the western Glendalough, guarded behind by mountain scenery, secluded, but all the more attractive to those weary of the busy haunts of men. The lake and mountain scenery exceptionally wild. It is an ideal resort for sportsmen. 

 ~TRAMORE. ~--One of the most attractive watering places in Ireland. Its name in English signifies "the great strand, " and it is no misnomer. The bathing facilities are the best on southern coast, and are not, indeed, surpassed on any other coast. Splendid new hotel up-to-date in every respect, and other hotels to suit all classes, with fine race-course, plenty of lodgings and houses to be had in the season. Twenty minutes run from Waterford by train. Military bands in the summer. Exceptionally good place for families. Tramore is a delightful seaside resort, built on a gradual incline, with a southerly aspect, on the shores of the broad Atlantic. The air is almost proverbial for its restorative qualities, not only in popular but also in scientific opinion. It is beyond all doubt that Tramore has as many hours of sunshine, less rainfall, and more even temperature than any other seaside town in the United Kingdom. 

 ~VALENCIA. ~--The next parish to America, the home of Atlantic cable stations. The island remarkable for the number of tropical plants which grow in the open. Climate unusually mild. Boating, sailing, and bathing in the season. Deep-sea fishing with islanders. Good hotel, comfortable, clean, and cheap. Other accommodation difficult to obtain. 

 ~WATERFORD~, see page 112. 

 ~WATERVILLE. ~--Principal posting place on Atlantic coast tour. Splendid watering place, beautifully situated on strip of land dividing mountain lake from sea. Fine strand. Sea and lake fishing. The station for Mackey Bennet cable system. Three good hotels, M'Elligott's and Galvin's, on the coast, and the Southern Hotel on the shore of the picturesque Lough Currane, within a stone's throw of the sea. Very good cottage accommodation in summer season. 

[Illustration]

Natural History of the South and West of Ireland. 

By R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B. A. , B. E. , &c. 

The Natural History of the South and West of Ireland possesses a specialand peculiar interest in the occurrence in this region of a number ofplants and animals which are rare in or absent from Great Britain andthe adjoining portions of Europe. Let us first consider the generalgeographical features of this area, and the geological characters whichhave produced those features. Ireland has often been likened to asaucer, consisting as it does of a great central plain, fringed withmountain groups disposed around the coast. The plain has a slightlyundulating floor of Carboniferous limestone; the groups of hills aremostly formed of older rocks, which break through the level limestones. On our journey from Dublin to Athlone, or from Dublin to Mallow, we passacross typical portions of the central plain; and the brown ridges ofSlieve Bloom and Devil's Bit, and the greener heights of the Galtees, furnish good examples of the masses of older rocks that rise out of theplain. 

In considering the features and natural history of this wide area, itwill be convenient to divide it into districts, which we shall treat ofin the following order:--

 1. Wicklow and Wexford. 

 2. Waterford and East Cork. 

 3. West Cork and Kerry. 

 4. Clare and East Galway. 

 5. West Galway and West Mayo. 

 6. Sligo. 

 7. The Central Plain and River Shannon. 

1. ~WICKLOW AND WEXFORD. ~--Here we are on the East Coast, looking acrossSt. George's Channel towards the shores of Wales. The lovely county ofWicklow is the most mountainous in Ireland, having 180 square miles over1, 000 feet elevation, and 25 square miles over 2, 000. Wexford is lowerand more fertile. The coasts of both counties are in great measure flatand sandy, and are the home of many rare plants. A number of species oflight soils and of gravelly shores have here their Irish headquarters, such as the Round-headed Trefoil (_Trifolium glomeratum_) the Sea-Stock(_Matthiola sinuata_), the rare Sea-Cudweed (_Diotis candidissima_), andthe Wild Asparagus (_A. Officinalis_). The Murrough, a great gravelbeach backed by salt marshes which extends from Greystones to Wicklow, and the marshes of the River Slaney, may be specially recommended to thenaturalist. These coasts are the only Irish locality for the handsomeground-beetle, _Nebria complanata_, a typical South European animal. TheWicklow mountains, which reach in Lugnaquilla a height of 3, 039 feet, are the main portion of the Leinster highlands, formed by a great massof granite which stretches from Dublin into county Kilkenny. Consideringtheir elevation this range is singularly devoid of alpine plants andanimals, but many interesting species inhabit the lower grounds, famouson account of the beauty of the scenery. 

Among the Lepidoptera several rare species are characteristic of thedistrict, such as the "Bath White" butterfly (_Pontia daplidice_), andthe "Four-spotted Footman" moth (_OEnistis quadra_). 

2. ~WATERFORD AND EAST CORK. ~--This is a picturesque district, formedlargely of slates and sandstones of Old Red Sandstone age. The coastis mostly of very bold character, with towering cliff ranges. Thecountry is generally undulating and fertile, with occasional mountainranges, of which the Comeraghs are rendered especially interesting andpicturesque by the deep "cooms, " embosoming tarns, which give them theirname. The Comeraghs and the lovely valley of the Blackwater furnishparticularly attractive ground for the naturalist. The flora and faunaof this area are intermediate in character between that of the districtlast considered and of the surpassingly interesting country that lies tothe westward, and which will next claim attention. Thus, the coastsyield several of the rare plants mentioned in the last paragraph--forinstance, _Diotis_ and _Asparagus_ grow at Tramore; while at the sametime we first meet in this area with some of the most famous plants ofthe south-west--London Pride (_Saxifraga umbrosa_), Kidney-leavedSaxifrage (_S. Geum_), Great Butterwort (_Pinguicula grandiflora_), Irish Spurge (_Euphorbia hiberna_). Two rare butterflies of thisdistrict are _Dianthæcia cæsia_ and _D. Luteago_ var. _Barrettii_; andthe largest of the British leaf-beetles, _Timarcha lævigata_, has beentaken near Waterford, and at Tipperary. 

[Illustration: _Drawing, J. St. J. Phillips. _ Geological Section fromBantry Bay to Killarney. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Welch, Belfast. _ A Kerry ditchbank showingPennywort two feet in height. ]

3. ~WEST CORK AND KERRY. ~--This is one of the most beautiful andinteresting districts in the British Isles, and indeed in Europe. Theancient Devonian rocks which prevail have been folded into a grandseries of simple arches and troughs, the axes running north-east andsouth-west. The arches form noble mountain ranges, which on the coastproject far into the Atlantic in a series of grand promontories, andinland form picturesque highlands, of which Macgillicuddy's Reeks, whichrise to 3, 404, constitute the highest land in Ireland. The valleys intheir lower portions are occupied by the sea, in the form of longisland-studded fiords; their upper parts are often filled withCarboniferous limestone, and offer a pleasant contrast of tillage andgreen pasture between the gaunt brown mountain-ribs. Here we stand onthe most western outpost of the European Continent, with the Atlantic onthree sides. The effect of the encompassing ocean, and the western windswhich constantly blow in from it, is to produce here and along the wholewestern coast the most uniform annual temperature to be found in Europe. Frosts are almost unknown, and great heat and drought likewise. Thesepeculiar climatic conditions have resulted in the acquisition andpreservation of a fauna and flora which spread here from more southernlatitudes at some time now long gone by, and which in these favouredspots still remain to remind us of a period when a state of thingsprevailed very different from what obtains at present. For naturaliststell us that there can be no doubt that these southern plants andanimals migrated to Ireland over land-surfaces now destroyed, havingspread along the old-time coast line which long ago extended from thePyrenean highlands to Ireland; and as a relic of their march, we findsome of the species still surviving in the south-west of England, whileall of them are absent from the rest of England and from the adjoiningparts of continental Europe. 

An enumeration of a few of the most remarkable of the plants, with adefinition of their range, will make clearer this peculiar feature ofthe natural history of the West of Ireland:--

[Illustration: Saxifraga umbrosa. ]

London Pride (_Saxifraga umbrosa_). In Ireland along the west and southcoasts. Absent from England. On the Continent it is found only in thesouth. 

Kidney-leaved Saxifrage (_S. Geum_). In Ireland in the south-west. Unknown in England. On the Continent confined to the Pyrenean district

Strawberry-tree (_Arbutus unedo_). In Ireland in the south-west. Unknownin England. On the Continent it grows all along the Mediterranean. 

Great Butter wort (_Pinguicula grandiflora_). In Ireland in thesouth-west. Unknown in England. On the Continent it grows on the Alpsand in the south-west. 

Irish Spurge (_Euphorbia hiberna_). In Ireland along the south and westcoasts. In England it is confined to Devonshire. On the Continent itoccurs only in the south-west. 

[Illustration: _Photo, J. St. J. Phillips. _ Among the Arbutus, ClooneeLakes. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Welch, Belfast. _ Arbutus Islands, Killarney. ]

Going for a moment further north, we find in Connemara, and there only, a group of three kinds of Heath with the same peculiar distribution:--

[Illustration: _Photo, Welch, Belfast. _ The Irish Spurge. ]

 St. Dabeoc's Heath (_Dabeocia polifolia_). In Ireland in Connemara. Unknown in England. On the Continent confined to the south-west. 

 Mediterranean Heath (_Erica mediterranea_). In Ireland in Connemara. Unknown in England. On the Continent confined to the south-west. 

 Mackay's Heath (_E. Mackaiana_). In Ireland in Connemara. Unknown in England. On the Continent in Spain only. 

Nor is it the plants alone that exhibit the peculiar relation existingbetween the Natural History of Ireland and of the Pyrenean region. Among the animals the same features may be observed, the most strikinginstance being the peculiar Kerry Slug (_Geomalacus maculosus_), whichis abundant in many parts of the extreme south-west of Ireland, and iselsewhere found only in Portugal. 

[Illustration: _Drawing, Dr. R. F. Scharff. _ The Kerry Slug. ]

Mixed with these southern forms in the West of Ireland we find anothergroup of still stranger affinities. In pools and lakes from Kerry toDonegal grows the curious Pipe-wort (_Eriocaulon septangulare_). It maybe also found in the Island of Skye, in the West of Scotland, butnowhere else in Europe; to see it again we must go to the northernregions of North America, where it flourishes under conditions much morerigorous than those which obtain in its mild Irish home. The deliciouslyfragrant orchid, _Spiranthes Romanzoviana_, grows in the counties ofCork, Armagh, Antrim, and Londonderry; elsewhere only in sub-arcticAmerica and the portion of Asia which most nearly approaches the Alaskanshores. The "Blue-eyed Grass" of Canada (_Sisyrinchium angustifolium_)is likewise confined to the West of Ireland and to North America; andfurther instances might be quoted. In the animal kingdom, too, parallelcases have been noted, the most interesting being the discovery of noless than three American species of fresh-water sponge, which areunknown in the rest of Europe. 

To account for the presence of this American group naturalists aredriven, as in the case of the southern species, to the conclusion thatthese represent one of the very oldest components of our existing faunaand flora, and point to a period when the edge of Europe was prolongedfar to the north-west, forming a continuous land area, presumably by wayof Iceland and Greenland, to America. And here on the wild western coastof Ireland these last inhabitants of the lost lands of Europe stillsurvive. 

[Illustration: The Kerry Slug, showing the manner in which itscoloration mimics clusters of lichen among which it lives. ]

[Illustration: _Photo, Welch, Belfast. _ Nest of Wood Ant at Killarney]

4. ~CLARE AND EAST GALWAY. ~--Our last district--West Cork and Kerry--wascharacterised by great ribs of slate and sandstone, and by an absence oflimestone and the numerous plants which follow in its train. The presentdistrict forms a marked contrast, being largely composed ofCarboniferous limestone. And the remarkable thing about these limestonesis that they are over many miles totally devoid of any covering of soilor clay; the grey gnarled rock, fantastically carved and crevassed bythe action of rain and weather, lies naked and bare. But in the crevicesof the rock a wonderful variety of rare and beautiful plants abound. Oneor two of these have their home in the far south, like the plants wehave lately considered, notably the little Close-flowered Orchid, _Neotinea intacta_, whose nearest station is about Nice. But themajority of the interesting species of these limestones are alpineplants, usually found at high elevations on mountains, which here formsheets of verdure down to the very edge of the sea. The Mountain Dryas(_D. Octopetala_), the Bearberry (_Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi_), the lovelySpring Gentian (_G. Verna_), and the Blue Moor-grass (_Sesleriacærulea_) are good examples, all of them growing in great abundance fromthe hill-tops down to the shore. It is this strange mingling of plantsfrom the far south, from the far north, and from the mountains, whichrenders the West of Ireland so fascinating a field for the botanist. Inthe barren district of Clare, and in the adjoining Isles of Arran andsouth-west portion of county Galway, this peculiar flora may be seen inits greatest perfection. Some very rare insects have been taken ineastern Galway, including the Lepidoptera _Nallia ancilla_ and _Lycænaartexerus_. 

[Illustration: _Photo, Welch, Belfast. _ Wolf Spider (_Pisauramirabilis_) spinning nest for young. ]

5. ~WEST GALWAY AND WEST MAYO~. --In this district we have again acomplete change of geology and of scenery. The grey limestones with richgrass and rare flowers filling every crevice are gone, and we are in awild region of ancient metamorphic rocks--schists, quartzites, gneisses, and granites--which form wide moorlands, dotted with innumerablelakelets, with noble mountain groups rising over the wild boggylowlands. To the student of metamorphism the geology of this area is ofvery high interest. The botanist finds himself once again, as in Kerry, in a focus of the southern flora already discussed. As stated above, Connemara contributes to the list of Pyrenean plants three Heaths, ofwhich St. Dabeoc's Heath is the loveliest of the British representativesof the order. Here we may also meet again our old Kerry friends theLondon Pride, and on Inisbofin the Irish Spurge--plants which strictlyavoid the limestone, as do the Heaths. The American element isrepresented by the Pipe-wort, which is common, and the little waterplant, _Naias flexilis_, which grows near Roundstone. Of the threefamous Heaths, St. Dabeoc's is abundant throughout Connemara, becomingrarer in Mayo. The Mediterranean Heath grows near Roundstone, and inimmense abundance on the north side of Clew Bay, and again near thenorth-west corner of Mayo, extending inland as far as Lough Conn. Mackay's Heath is the rarest, being confined to the neighbourhood ofRoundstone. As regards its fauna, Connemara and West Mayo yield fewerpeculiar species than the south-west; but much remains to be done beforeit can be said that the zoology of this area is thoroughly known, and itoffers a most promising field for the explorer. 

6. ~SLIGO. ~--The visitor who makes Sligo his headquarters finds himselfin a district of much variety and interest. This is a district thatcannot be too highly recommended to the naturalist. To the geologist thefossiliferous limestones and the metamorphic rocks are alike ofinterest. The botanist naturally turns to the Ben Bulben Mountains, which harbour the richest group of alpine plants to be found in Ireland, including the pretty _Arenaria ciliata_, which does not grow elsewherein the British Isles. To the zoologist a rich field lies waiting. Arecent exploration of the limestone glens by a party of English andIrish conchologists has shown that in variety of land mollusca thisdistrict surpasses almost any other in these islands; and good resultsmay be confidently expected in other invertebrate groups. 

7. ~THE CENTRE. ~--The area comprised in the field of operations of theGreat Southern and Western Railway Company include the southern half ofthe great Central Plain of Ireland and the lower course of the Shannon, the largest river in the British Isles. Towards the east the counties ofCarlow and Kilkenny include much picturesque ground, especially alongthe courses of the rivers Nore and Barrow; and as picturesque groundimplies the existence of hill and valley, wood and rock, the naturalistwill find himself at home here. The flora is rich, though without anyvery marked features; the Nettle-leaved Bell-flower (_CampanulaTrachelium_) being the most characteristic species. Regarding the faunamuch has still to be learned. In Tipperary, Queen's County, and King'sCounty we are in typical central plain country--great tracts of slightlyundulating drift-covered Carboniferous limestone, the surface includingwide pastures, cultivated ridges, and large areas of peat bog and marsh. The bogs, which form so peculiar a feature of the surface of Ireland, may be studied here over many miles of country. The noble Shannon, whichwinds slowly southward across the plain, widens at intervals into greatlake-like expanses, of which Lough Derg is the largest, a place of muchinterest to the student of natural history. One plant which grows here, the Willow-leaved Inula (_I. Salicina_), is found nowhere else in theBritish Isles; other characteristic Shannon plants are the WaterGermander (_Teucrium Scordium_) and the rare Stone wort _Charatomentosa_. Further west, in Limerick, a more varied surface prevails. Like Waterford and Cork, Limerick is a great centre for animals of the"Southern" distributional type, such as the Wood White Butterfly(_Leptidia sinapis_) the Brimstone Butterfly (_Gonapteryx rhamm_), andthe Purple Hair-streak (_Thecla quercus_). The small but handsomeGround-beetle, _Panogæus crux-major_, is known in Ireland only fromFinlough. This species has a typically "germanic" distribution in GreatBritain. The Water-beetle _Pelobius Hermanni_, a very rare species, andthe only British member of its family, occurs near Limerick and Cork. Cratloe Wood, by the Shannon near Limerick, may be specially recommendedas a hunting-ground. 

[Illustration]

SPORT. 

For sportsmen Ireland is a happy land, ready to supply their every want. Royal Meath, Kildare, Waterford, Tipperary, and Cork County are huntedby several good packs during-each season, and "the meets" are dulypublished in the local newspapers. 

In the large tracts of bog, moorland, river reaches, and mountain landsthere is splendid shooting; in Kerry especially, where poaching is putdown with a heavy hand, there are plenty of opportunities for sport. 

In most cases the hosts of the hotels have secured the shooting of manythousands of acres in their vicinity. 

When the weather is "hard, " excellent sport can be had along thesouthern districts. 

The gentry most usually preserve their estates with great vigilance, butthey are generous in giving permission to bona-fide sportsmen. 

[Illustration: CYCLING]

GENERAL HINTS

(FROM MECREDY'S ROAD BOOK OF IRELAND. )

June and September are the driest months in Ireland. Tourists will findthe Royal Irish Constabulary the best source of information, and theycannot do better than inquire at the various police barracks on the wayfor advice as to places of interest to be visited, and the condition ofthe roads. In unfrequented country districts the footpaths as a rule maybe taken with impunity, but it is never absolutely safe to do so. It isalways well to enquire of other cyclists met _en route_. The roads arevery variable, some being grand and others very bad. Intercourse withthe peasantry will be found interesting and amusing. Nothing can exceedtheir civility and courtesy; and for those who are not too particular itwill be found an excellent plan to lunch in their cottages, excellenttea, home-made bread, butter and eggs being procurable for 1/-per head. There is little use questioning them as to distances, however. They arenearly always wrong, and in any case they calculate in Irish miles--11Irish equal 14 English. The police, however, are reliable, and give thedistances in statute miles. Repairers are few and far between, but thelocal blacksmiths are often clever and handy men. The by-roads aregenerally better than the main roads, and the surface is better at theedge than in the middle. The mountain roads are as a rule very good, andnot nearly so hilly as one would expect. The country people are ratherstupid about getting out of one's way, and live stock on the road are afrequent source of danger, especially pigs, sheep, donkeys, and Kerrycows. Mountain passes should be negotiated carefully, as mountaintorrents sometimes sweep away short stretches of otherwise excellentroads, and one comes on these spots unexpectedly. The corners, too, areexcessively sharp, and steep pitches occur unexpectedly. 

In most small Provincial towns the Hotels are not good, but in tourists'districts, such as Kerry, they are really excellent and the charges arereasonable. Where lodgings are required it is a good plan to ask thelocal Head Constable for advice. 

~CORK DISTRICT. ~

Cork is an excellent centre for cycling. The roads are in fair order andthe inclines moderate. There is abundance of fine scenery, and notablyin the extreme south and south-west where there are some entrancingtit-bits. Magnificent tracts of inland mountain scenery are to be found, and many important historical and archæological ruins. There are hotelsnearly everywhere within easy reach, many of them very good, and in mostcases affording fair accommodation at reasonable cost. 

~One Day Tours from Cork. ~

No. 1. --To Queenstown, road 14 miles or rail 12 miles. Thence to EastFerry, 5 miles, cross the Ballinacurragh River by ferry. Thence by roadto Midleton, 4 miles, back to Cork, road or rail, 12 miles. Fine viewsof the River Lee, Lough Mahon, the lovely Harbour of Queenstown, Ballinacurragh River, &c. 

No. 2. --To Youghal, road or rail, 27 miles. Thence by road to Ardmore, 6miles--a watering place with a ruined chapel where there are somecurious carvings in stone, and a fine and perfect specimen of the oldIrish round tower, Return same road. 

No. 3. --To Midleton, 12 miles, road or rail. Thence to Cloyne, 6 miles, where there is an ancient Cathedral still in use. Thence to Ballycotton, 6 miles, a small watering place. Back by Cloyne and Aghada, onQueenstown Harbour, 12 miles. Thence by steamer to Queenstown, or acrossthe East Ferry by road to Queenstown, 6 miles. Back by road or rail, 12miles. 

Hotels at Midleton, Cloyne, and Ballycotton. 

No. 4. --To Queenstown, road or rail, then by steamer, 20 minutes acrossthe harbour to Crosshaven. Thence by road, 2 miles, to Church Bay. Fineview of mouth of the harbour and open Atlantic. Thence by Carrigalineand Douglas, back to Cork, 12 miles. 

Good hotels at Crosshaven and Church Bay. 

No. 5. --Cork to Blarney, by the Valley of the Lee and Carrigrohane, 9miles. Famous Castle of Blarney with the "Kissing Stone. " The Groves ofBlarney round the Castle may be seen, also St. Ann's Hydropathicestablishment. Return by Rathpeacon and Blackpool to Cork, 6 miles. 

No. 6. --Cork to Dunkettle, 3 miles, road or rail, thence along theGlanmire River to Glanmire, 2 miles. Thence by Sallybrook and Kilcully, back to Cork, 6 miles. 

~Two Day Tours from Cork. ~

No. 1. --Cork to Macroom, road or rail, 25 miles. Thence to Inchigeela, 10 miles, and Gougane Barra, 10 miles. Beautiful lake scenery, and thehermitage at Gougane Barra; a chapel on the Holy Lake is well worthseeing. The Pass of Keimaneigh is 3 miles further. From this point thetraveller can return to sleep at Inchigeela or Macroom, where, at bothplaces, there are good hotels; or may continue his journey toGlengarriff, Kenmare, or Killarney. If returning to Cork from Macroom, the journey may be made by Coachford and Dripsey, distance about 25miles. 

No. 2. --Cork to Bandon, 20 miles by rail or road. Thence toCourtmacsherry and the Old Head of Kinsale, each about 7 miles by road. The tourist can sleep at either place, and return to Cork by Kinsale andInnishannon, or continue his journey to Bantry, 37-1/2 miles by road orrail. Thence to Glengarriff, Killarney, &c. 

~Tours for Three or more Days from Cork. ~

No. 1. --Cork to Youghal, 28 miles by road or rail. Thence to TempleMichael, 3 miles along left bank of the River Blackwater, throughDromana to Cappoquin, 11 miles. From Cappoquin the Trappist Monastery ofMount Melleray, 3-1/2 miles, can be visited. Returning to Cappoquin thetourist can take either bank of the Blackwater, along a beautiful andlevel road to Lismore, 3-1/2 miles. The distance from Lismore to Fermoyis 16 miles by road or rail; the road along the Valley of the Blackwaterbeing very fine throughout, and most picturesque. At Lismore thebeautiful castle belonging to the Duke of Devonshire can be seen. Thetourist can return from Fermoy to Mallow 16 miles, and thence to Cork, 21 miles. Good hotels at Youghal, Lismore, Fermoy, and Mallow. 

No. 2. --Two day tour, No. 1, can be extended to three or more days, byproceeding from Inchigeela to Glengarriff, 23 miles, and Killarney, 39miles. Good hotels at Inchigeela, Glengarriff, Kenmare, and Killarney. 

Two day tour, No. 2, can be similarly extended to three or more days, bycontinuing the journey from Bandon to Bantry, 37-1/2 miles. Thence 10miles by road to Glengarriff, thence to Killarney, 39 miles. Good hotelsat Bantry, Glengarriff, Kenmare, and Killarney. Or from Kenmare, 20miles, or from Glengarriff the tourist can ride to Parknasilla, 16 milesfrom Kenmare, where there is an excellent modern hotel and some of theloveliest scenery in Ireland. 

~LIMERICK DISTRICT. ~

To the cyclist on tour, Limerick and the surrounding districts offermany scenic attractions in wood, lake, and river. The roads are not goodas a rule, owing in a great measure, to the fact that the city is thecentre of a large agricultural district. The hotels in the city aregood, and in the surrounding towns and villages the tourist will findgood accommodation in hotels and otherwise. 

~One Day Tours from Limerick. ~

No. 1. --Perhaps the easiest one day tour which the cyclist can enjoyfrom Limerick, as his head quarters, is to Doonass Falls _via_ Clonlara. Five miles thence by O'Brien's Bridge, 7 miles, to Killaloe, where anexcellent lunch can be had. The return home can be made byCastleconnell, the popular resort of the devotees of "Izaak Walton, "where an excellent tea can be had at the Shannon Hotel. 

No. 2. --Castleconnell and Clare Glens, and lengthened visit toCastleconnell to view the waterfalls, "The World's End"--a remarkablyfine reach of the River Shannon. There is much to interest the visitorin the gigantic eel fishery, and here also is the renowned Enright, whose fishing rods are used all over the world. The Clare Glen, situatedby the way in Limerick county, is not far from Castleconnell; and ifliberty is obtained beforehand, the Glenstal Demesne, seat of theBarrington family, can be visited. Sir Charles Barrington, the presentbaronet, has never yet refused permission to the cycling tourist to viewthe charming scenery surrounding the Glenstal Castle. 

No. 3. --Askeaton, 16-1/2 miles, splendid road, one of the best fromLimerick; famous old abbey to be visited, with excellent fishing on theDeel, granted that the tourist has obtained the requisite permission. 

No. 4. --Adare, 9 miles; roads pretty good. Mr. P. Fitzgerald, J. P. , Agent to Lord Dunraven, should be written to beforehand for a permit tovisit the demesne, where some fine old ruins are in an excellent stateof preservation. The Manor House is a magnificent building, butvisitors are only allowed to enter when the family are away. This iswell known as the district which inspired Gerald Griffin to write one ofhis famous poems. Lunch can be had at very moderate terms at theDunraven Arms Hotel. The demesne wall turns eastward to Croom. The nameof this village is derived from the old war cry of the Geraldines, "Munster Branch "--_Crom-a-boo_. To Limerick, from Croom, _via_Patrick's Well, there is a pretty good road, 10 miles. 

~Two Days Tours from Limerick. ~

Ballybunion. Good roads generally, but slightly up-hill when the Kingdomis reached. This charming seaside resort is rapidly coming to rivalKilkee. It has splendid bathing accommodation, and the coast scenery andcaves equal to those of any other watering place in Ireland. The visitorfor the first time makes his acquaintance with the Lartique, or "SingleLine, " Railway--the only one in the United Kingdom--from Listowel toBallybunion, a distance of 8 miles. 

Returning to Limerick, a digression can be made to Shanid Castle, nearShanagolden. This towering mass of masonry, perched high on ahill--three sides of which are precipitous--is almost ignored bytourists. It was one of the strongholds of the Desmonds. The other spotson the Shannon--homeward bound--are Glinn, where the hereditary Knightof Glin has his seat, and where Gerald Griffin resided in his youngdays, near the pretty little village of Loughill. Foynes and FoynesIsland, seat of Sir Aubrey de Vere, will repay a visit. Hotels are goodon this line, also roads. 

No. 2. --Waterford and Tramore. Decent roads and accommodation, as goodas can be got once outside Limerick county, border at the LimerickJunction, a distance of 20 miles from the Treaty Stone. Splendid viewsof the Galtee ranges can be had, and on towards Clonmel the woodedslopes of the minor ranges and hills are a delightful picture. If timeaffords, the tourist can digress from the main road and visit the famousGlen of Aherlow. Back to Tipperary for lunch, good hotels, and splendidroads. Visit the Kickham monument, and then on to Clonmel. Excellentaccommodation to be had at Clonmel. Next day Waterford and Tramore, andback. 

~Tours for Three or more Days from Limerick. ~

Ballybunion, Tarbert, Kilrush, Kilkee, Lisdoonvarna, from Ballybunion. See "No. 1 Day Tours. " Tarbert is only a few miles from Ballybunion. There is a steamboat service across the Shannon estuary to Kilrush. Thence to Kilkee by road, where first night out can be had. Next day toSpanish Point, Milltownmalbay, Lisdoonvarna, to the famous "Spa"; home_via_ Ennis, splendid roads. 

No. 2. --Killaloe, Scariff, Portumna, and Upper Shannon. A most enjoyabletrip can be had from Killaloe. See "No. 1 Day Tour. " There is a constantsteamboat service on Lough Derg, which will take a cyclist and hismachine, and land him at Scariff--on the Clare side--or Portumna, "Galway. " From either of these towns a tourist can have his chance ofthe most diversified lake and river scenery to be had in the kingdom. Without doubt the praises of Lough Derg and the Upper Shannon have notbeen sung sufficiently. From Portumna to Dromineer, on the Tipperaryshore, by lake steamer, thence to Nenagh on bike; splendid roads home toLimerick, 27 miles. 

~KILLARNEY DISTRICT. ~

Killarney is an ideal centre for the cyclist. Good roads proceed inevery direction, and mounted on his favourite machine the wheelman willbe able to discover and investigate scenic treasures unknown to theordinary tourist. 

~One Day Tours from Killarney. ~

No. 1. --Killarney to Gap of Dunloe, 10 miles; Owenreagh Glen, 18 miles;Windy Gap, 30 miles. Killarney, total, 36 miles. Care should be taken tokeep on the proper road through the Glen; there are many crossings. Anyof the local folk will point out the road. 

No. 2. --Killarney to Torc Waterfall, 3 miles; return to Muckross Hotel, 4 miles; enter demesne at Dinis, 10 miles; on to Kenmare road and hometo Killarney, 17 miles. The road through Muckross Demesne is in someplaces dangerous owing to its steep and winding character. 

No. 3. --Killarney to Ross Castle, 1-1/2 miles; through demesne toLibrary Point, 2-1/2 miles. Back through Ross Island and demesne toMahony's Point, 9-1/2 miles; Killarney, 12-1/2 miles. This road isperfectly safe and good, except two descents in Ross Island. Returningfrom Mahony's Point to Killarney by Aghadoe, about 15 miles, splendidview of Lower Lake and mountains can be had from the old ruins ofAghadoe. 

No. 4. --Killarney to Glenflesk _via_ Lough Guittane. Visit Robbers' Den, 9 miles, home _via_ Headford and Barraduff, 26 miles. Roads good, scenery wild and romantic. There are many short and beautiful tripswhich can be made in and about the neighbourhood. 

~Two Day Tours from Killarney. ~

No. 1. --Killarney to Windy Gap, 16 miles; thence to Parknasilla acrossmountain. Total, 30 miles. Remain for night at Southern Hotel, Parknasilla. Parknasilla to Kenmare, 14 miles, and back to Killarney_via_ Kilgarvan. Total, 35 miles. Roads fairly good, but in places verysteep, so that riders must keep a careful watch. 

No. 2. --Killarney to Beaufort, 6 miles; thence to Glencar, 19 miles, andon to Caragh Lake Hotel, 27 miles. Remain at Caragh Lake Hotel for thenight. Return to Killarney _via_ Windy Gap and Gerah Cross. There aresome sharp turns and steep descents requiring care. 

~Tours for Three or more Days from Killarney. ~

No. 1. --Killarney to Kenmare, 20 miles. Thence by Glengarriff, 40 miles, to Macroom, _via_ Inchigeela, Pass of Keimaneigh to Millstreet, and backto Killarney. Hotels at Kenmare (Southern Hotel), Glengarriff, Inchigeela, Macroom, and Millstreet. 

No. 2. --Killarney to Killorglin. Caragh Lake, Cahirciveen, visitValentia, Waterville, Parknasilla, Kenmare, and back to Killarney byeither rail or road. 

~WATERFORD DISTRICT. ~

Waterford can be recommended as a cycling centre, as the scenery in manydistricts of the South-east of Ireland is beautiful in the extreme, andcan compare favourably with any in the country, and the roads are firstrate. The hotels, too, are generally very good, and have been improvedwonderfully of late, and the tariffs have been so arranged by theSouth-eastern Branch of the Irish Cyclist Association, that allrequirements of the most slender purse can be satisfactorily arranged. 

Below we sketch out a few very enjoyable Tours which can be made, takingWaterford as the starting point:--

~First Tour from Waterford. ~

Leaving-Waterford by the Newtown-road, we pass the house in which LordRoberts spent his early days, and where his father and mother lived formany years. This is actually in the Borough and, from the groundssurrounding it, a capital view of the river and part of the City can behad. After passing by Newtown we keep along to the left until Parkswoodis reached, when we run under a bridge and up a hill to Checkpoint, andhere a magnificent view can be obtained. From the hill overlooking thispretty little village seven counties can be seen. Dunbrody Abbey, one ofthe most famous ecclesiastical ruins in Ireland, is situated immediatelyopposite on the other side of the river. Duncannon Fort, a shortdistance from here, comes into view, and we are enabled to see thejoining of the three rivers--Suir, Nore, and Barrow. We pass fromCheckpoint, and we reach Passage, a famous fishing station since theherring industry has become so prosperous in this part of Ireland. Alittle further on is Woodstown, and right opposite on the far side ofthe river can be seen Duncannon Fort, a fortified place in the days ofold. Turning to the right by Ballyglan, we mount a steep incline, and wethen come in view of Hook Tower, a beacon light which is said to be theoldest in the kingdom. Dunmore, about five miles from Woodstown, is oneof the most picturesque, beautiful, and delightful resorts in the wholeof Ireland. Here there is a magnificent pier, and boating and fishingcan be enjoyed to one's heart's content. Wheeling back in the Waterforddirection we make for Tramore, ten miles away. It is beautifullysituated, and the visitor here can spend several hours in viewing themost attractive scenery. Close to the town are the Golf Links and theRace Course. 

From Tramore to Waterford the run is over a splendid level road, and thedistance seven miles. 

The full distance of this run is 33 miles, and at all the principalpoints capital hotel accommodation can be had. 

~Tour Two, from Waterford. ~

The first part of this run is to Passage. At the Half-way House take theturn over the bridge, up the hill and down a steep decline to Passage. At the latter place the ordinary ferryboat can be taken to Ballyhack, which is directly opposite. The run from Ballyhack to Duncannon is overa fairly surfaced road. At the latter place M'Gonnigal's hotel is wellappointed. From Duncannon the run to the famous Hook Tower is aboutseven miles, and the surface of the road generally is very good. Alongthis run a splendid view of the Harbour can be obtained, and on the waythere are several places of interest--Loftus Hall, the Irish seat of theMarquis of Ely, stands on the edge of the river unprotected by a singletree. It was modernised within the last 25 years, and is now asplendidly appointed mansion. Bag-an-Bun, a little distance off, willwell repay a visit--the coast line at this point being the principalattraction. From Hook we run to Fethard, 6 miles to the left, and herea very pleasant hour can be spent. Tintern Abbey is the next point to bevisited. This is one of the most famous Abbeys in the country. FromTintern to Dunbrody the distance is 8 miles, and here we can spend aconsiderable time in viewing the great historical ruin, said to be oneof the finest in the whole of Ireland. Leaving Dunbrody we come to theferry of Ballinlaw, and crossing here ride by Snow-hill and Bellviewinto Waterford. The full distance of this ride is 41 miles. 

~Tour Three from Waterford. ~

Proceeding up the Cork road we ride up Ballyaneeshagh Hill, and on theleft see Butlerstown Castle, an ancient building: which, in the days ofCromwell, held out for sometime against his forces. At the Sweep we turnround to the right and run to the bottom of the hill. A little way fromthe end of the hill the right turn is to be taken again to Kilmeaden, 8miles. The ride then is to Portlaw four miles away. Some fifty years agothis town was the seat of a great cotton industry. It has since falleninto decay, and the place looks like Goldsmith's "Deserted Village. "Just outside the town is the magnificent demesne of Curraghmore, said tobe the finest in the three kingdoms. The variety of scenery here isalmost unsurpassed. Curraghmore is the property of the Marquis ofWaterford. It is one of the great points of vantage to tourists andpic-nic parties. Passing through the demesne we come to the houseitself, a modern and rather unpretentious structure. The court-yard is, however, very large, and is said to be capable of accommodating closeupon 100 horses. Clonegam Church, where Lord William Beresford, uncle tothe present Marquis of Waterford, was laid to rest, can be seen on theright glistening in the trees on the hill side. Through Curraghmore weride to Clonea, about 5 miles further on, and then to the foot of theComeragh Mountains, which occupy a centre of the county, and which areto be seen from all parts, as well as from a considerable portion ofTipperary. The greatest natural curiosity in this range is theappearance and site of an almost circular lake, by name Coomshinawin. From Coomshinawin to Kilmacthomas the distance is about 8 miles. Kilmacthomas Woollen Factory may be visited, and a good hotelaccommodation can be had at Walsh's. From Kilmacthomas to Waterford is16-1/2 miles over a good road, the full distance being 45 miles. 

~Tour Four, from Waterford. ~

Our next tour will be from Waterford, _via_ the Sweep, to Knockaderry, 9miles away. At the latter place there is a very fine lake which amplysupplies the City. Leaving Knockaderry we reach Dunhill, close to whichplace is the Castle of Donile, still distinguished for its peculiar andromantic situation, and in ancient times the property of De-La-Poer, from whom the present Marquis is descended. The village of Annestown, distant about one mile, is on the sea coast, and from it a magnificentview of rock and ocean scenery can be had. The run from Annestown toTramore is over a beautiful road, and many pretty views of the coast canbe seen. The spin to Waterford completes this tour, which is one ofnearly thirty miles. 

~Two Day Tours from Waterford. No. 1. ~

Waterford, Dunmore, Annestown, Bonmahon, Stradbally, and Dungarvan. 

FIRST DAY. 

This is rather a long run of 47 miles, but as the roads are generallygood and the scenery delightful it should be most enjoyable to theCyclist who may feel in good form. We have already spoken of Annestown. From Annestown to Bonmahon the distance is over 5 miles. The road isvery hilly, but the surface is splendid. At Bonmahon the once famousKnockmahon Mines are situated. These mines were the most valuable in thecountry about fifty years ago, but when the value of the metal (copper)fell operations were discontinued. Stradbally, 4 miles further on, is adelightful little village, said to be the most health-restoring place onthe south-eastern coast. Here Whelan's Hotel is recommended. Dungarvanis 8 miles further on, and the road by the sea is well surfaced and verypicturesque. At Dungarvan Lawlor's Hotel will be found very comfortable. 

SECOND DAY. 

A good run can be taken through Ardmore, Youghal, Lismore, andCappoquin, part of which tour embraces the delightful Valley of theBlackwater. This complete run will tot about 50 miles. 

At Ardmore a very comfortable hotel is kept by Miss Prendergast. AtYoughal, the Greenpark Hotel is a capital one. In Lismore, theDevonshire Arms and Blackwater Vale Hotels are recommended; and Kenny'sat Cappoquin is also a good one. 

~Two Day Tours from Waterford. No. 2. ~

FIRST DAY. 

Piltown to Curraghmore, round by Coomshinawin. This complete run will beabout 40 miles. The roads generally are capital, and the scenery as fineas can be seen in this part of the country. 

SECOND DAY. 

From Dungarvan, round by Ballymacarbery, Newcastle, Ardfinan, Clogheen, Melleray Abbey, to Dungarvan. This ride runs close upon 60 miles, andto undertake it the tourist must have been in cycling form for aconsiderable time. The roads, however, are generally very good. Ballymacarbery is 15 miles from Dungarvan; Ardfinan, about 26; then fromArdfinan to Clogheen the ride is 6 miles, and from that to Mellerayabout 13. At Melleray, from the Abbey, a grand view can be had of someof the most beautiful scenery in the whole of the county. 

The following are the best places of refreshment _enroute_:--Ballymacarbery (Miss Power's), Newcastle, and Ardfinan. Twogood licensed houses. Clogheen--The Hotel. Melleray--The traveller willalways be hospitably received here. 

~Three or more Day Tours from Waterford. No. 1. ~

Waterford, Dunmore, 11; Tramore, 22; Dunhill, 27; Annestown, 28;Bonmahon, 34; Stradbally, 38; and Dungarvan, 47 miles. 

SECOND AND THIRD DAYS

To Dungarvan--have been previously referred to. 

Instead of returning to Waterford by rail, the tourist on thefourth day may enjoy a most entertaining tour, _via_ the Pike, Coomshinawin--previously referred to--Curraghmore, Piltown, andWaterford. This run measures something like 40 miles. 

~Three or more Day Tours from Waterford, No. 2. ~

Waterford, Mullinavat, 8; Ballyhack, 16; Stoneyford, 21; Danesfort, 25;Kilkenny, 30; Thomastown, 40; and Inistioge, 47-1/2 miles. 

SECOND DAY. 

New Ross, 10; Waterford, 33; and Rosslare, 42 miles. 

THIRD DAY. 

Lady's Island, 4; Kilmore, 11; Fethard, 20; Hooktower, 26; Duncannon, 35; and Waterford, 46 miles. 

This latter tour embraces some of the finest scenery on thesouth-eastern coast, and the inland scenery at Inistioge is equal to anyto be seen in any part of Ireland. 

_IMPORTANT NOTE. _

The tariffs for Members of the Irish Cyclists' Association and Cyclists'Touring-Club are at most of the hotels in the south-eastern districts:--

Breakfast. --Tea, coffee, or cocoa, with bread and butter, toast andpreserve, ham and eggs, chops, steaks, cold meat, or fish, _2s. _Substantial Luncheon, _1s. 6d. _ Table d'Hote Dinner, 2_s. _ 6_d. _ Bed, _2s. 6d. _

[Illustration: CYCLING]

~SLIGO DISTRICT. ~

(FROM MECREDY'S ROAD BOOK). 

~One Day Tour from Sligo. No. 1. ~

Sligo, Dromahaire, 12; Ballysadare, 24; Knockanree Glen, 28; Sligo, 33. 

Keeping along the north shore of the lake, Hazlewood Park, 2 miles fromSligo, is well worth visiting. The public are admitted, and the touristshould ride right down to the shore, which is here very beautiful. Theroad now winds over the hills, and is undulating with fairly good butrather loose surface, and it is some miles until the lake is reachedagain. The scene here is indescribably beautiful, and reminds oneforcibly of Killarney. The lake is studded with islands, and the shoresare densely wooded, whilst northwards extends one of the mostfascinating districts we have ever toured in. It consists of a regularjumble of mountains, densely wooded, and often most precipitous. Thegapes of the hills are extremely picturesque, and the scene can berevisited time and again without its palling. Those who would like tothoroughly explore this lovely neighbourhood should stop at Dromahaire, where they will find a most excellent hotel, remarkable alike formoderate charges and a cuisine which could not be surpassed. There isalso an ancient abbey here, well worthy of inspection. Dromahaire issome little distance from the lake, and on leaving it the road, nowexcellent, winds round a mountain, and a few miles farther, after takinga sharp turn to the right, reaches the lake shore again at itssouthern-most point. Farther on it branches inland again, and at a point2 miles from Sligo a sharp turn to the left has to be taken forBallysadare, and if time permits the tourist might proceed on throughCollooney to Mackree Castle (3 miles), which will mean an addition of 6miles to the day's ride. At Ballysadare there are some really beautifulwaterfalls. Retracing your steps towards Sligo for a short distance, proceed along the north shore of Ballysadare Bay. The road is good. Presently it begins to ascend a spur of Knockanree Hill, and a narrowlane and gate to the right admit to the Glen of the same name. It shouldon no account be missed. It is one of the most extraordinary naturalphenomenon we have ever seen, and is exceedingly beautiful besides. Itis very narrow, densely wooded, and the sides are quite precipitous. Thepath wanders through a wealth of undergrowth, and in most places wefancy the Glen is not forty feet wide, while here and there it is muchnarrower. In some of these spots the foliage actually meets overhead, and we noticed in one place a fallen tree had made a natural bridgeacross. Just at the beginning of the Glen there is a little glade wherea house once stood. 

Keeping-round Knockanree Hill the road comes out on the shore of SligoBay. The surface is excellent, and the scenery pretty right into Sligo. 

~One Day Tour from Sligo. No. 2. ~

Sligo, Drumcliff, 5; Carney, 7; Lissadill House, 9; Carney, 11;Drumcliff, 13; Rathcormack Chapel, 14; Glencar, 18-1/2; Manorhamilton, 27, Sligo, 41. 

The road is indifferent for some miles, but gradually improves. AtDrumcliff there is an interesting round tower. Lissadill House isdelightfully situated on the seashore. The grounds are open to thepublic, and it is a very pleasant ride through on the well-kept avenues. 

Retracing your steps to the main road, after passing Rathcormack Chapel, turn off to the left for Glencar, along a fairly level by-road, withfast, but stony, surface. After 2 miles turn to the left again. In duecourse Glencar is reached. Keeping along the north shore of the lake anextraordinary waterfall will be seen on the left. A thin sheet of waterfalls from the top of the cliff, and when the wind is from a particularquarter it catches the falling water every few minutes, and scatteringit in minute particles makes it have the appearance of being suddenlycut off. Then all of a sudden it comes with a rush again, and apparentlywith renewed vigour. It is a very strange phenomenon, and fascinatingwithal. 

Wheeling along the shores of the lake we come to a larger waterfall atthe extreme extremity, to which our measurement of 18-1/2 miles istaken. There is a fine volume of water here, and the neighbourhood beingwell wooded, gives a pretty effect. A cup of tea can be had at Mr. Siberry's, hard by. 

From this on to Manorhamilton the road, though good, is uninteresting, but if time presses the cyclist can ride direct back to Sligo, roundGlencar Lake. By adopting this route, however, some beautiful scenerywill be missed, and we should strongly advise following what is known asthe old road from Manorhamilton to Sligo (14). Unless a meal is requiredit is better not to go as far as Manorhamilton, but to turn to theright, 1-1/2 miles out. This will reduce the day's journey by 3 miles. From this turn there is a stiff climb of 2 miles, but the surface isgood the entire way. At the top of this incline a grand prospect burstson the view. A confusion of miniature mountains, densely wooded, extendin every direction, while, as we descend, the waters of Lough Gill comeinto view beneath. 

A short distance from the summit the road forks. To the right leads toSligo, while the turn to the left runs direct to the lake's shores, andthen joins the other road some miles farther on. Both routes leadthrough beautiful scenery. The first is the shortest, but the second theprettiest. 

[Illustration: GOLFING]

~DUBLIN DISTRICT. ~

There are a number of splendid Golf Courses round Dublin, but on theDublin District lines of the Great Southern and Western Railway the onlycourses open to visitors are the following:--

~Tullamore. ~

The course is of the inland description, and the period of play is fromOctober to June. The hazards consist of hedges, ditches, and whins, &c. , which are well distributed. Visitors, _5s. _ per month. 

~Athlone. ~

Visitors, _2s. 6d. _ per week, _5s. _ per month, 9 holes; Par score, 74. 

The length of the course is about 1-1/2 miles, and the grass is neverlong. The greens are not large, and the lies are somewhat heavy. Straight play is necessary to avoid heavy punishment. The course isbeautifully situated and commands fine views of the Shannon and LoughRee. 

~Banagher. ~

The course is situated 1/2 a mile out of the Town, and commands fineviews of the distant hills. The distance round is about 1 mile. Thegrass is short, and the hazards consist of ruins, walls, and fences. Number of holes, 9. 

~Birr. ~

Visitors, _2s. 6d. _ per week. Number of holes, 9. 

The course is situated 2-1/2 miles from Birr. The holes are of a verysporting character, the hazards being numerous and varied, consisting ofrocks, hedges, walls, and running water. The grass is short and wiry, and good lies are obtained. 

~LIMERICK DISTRICT. ~

~Lehinch. ~

Visitors, _5s. _ per week, or _1s. 6d. _ per day. Number of holes 18. Parscore, 81. 

The course is laid over fine natural Golfing country. The lies are good, as the soil is sandy with very short sea grass. The hazards consist ofnatural sand bunkers and sandhills with bent, and are ideal. The greensare excellent, and there probably is not in the United Kingdom a finernatural Golf Links. 

Accommodation at Lehinch Golf Links Hotel and Aberdeen Arms. There aresome lodges to be had, capable of accommodating small families. Golfers'cheap tickets are issued to Members and Visitors at Kingsbridge, Dublin, Limerick, and other stations. 

~Adare Manor Club. ~

Play on this course is confined to Members. Members can introduce aVisitor for a few days, but the Links are not open to paying Visitors. Number of holes, 9. 

This is a very nice course, laid out in the demesne at Adare; the liesare perfect, and the greens small and well kept. 

~Killaloe. ~

Number of holes, 9. 

Accommodation, the Lakeside Hotel. The Links are situated about 1 milefrom the Lakeside Hotel, and comprise a very nice sporting course. Thehazards are varied, and the lies excellent. 

~WATERFORD DISTRICT. ~

Tramore. 

Visitors, _2s. 6d. _ per week. Number of holes, 18. 

The course is a seaside one, and commands magnificent views of the bay. The grass is crisp and short, and the soil sandy. 

Accommodation at Grand Hotel and Hibernian Hotel. 

~Lismore. ~

Visitors, _2s. 6d. _ per week; _5s. _ per month. Number of holes, 9. 

High pastures interspersed with natural bunkers consisting of quarries, gorse, ridges, and roads. The greens are moderate, but the play throughthe course is very sporting. 

Accommodation at Devonshire Arms Hotel and Blackwater Vale Hotel. 

~CORK DISTRICT. ~

~Littleisland (on G. S. & W. R. , 4-3/4 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors, _1s. _ per day; or _5s. _ per week, on application to Secretary. Par score, 74 for 18 holes. 

Fine grass of a down nature. Hazards, banks, roads, etc. , requiringskilled play. Greens in first-rate order. Beautiful scenery. Handsomepavilion, with every accommodation. Professional attendant. 

~Youghal (on G. S. & W R. , 27 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors, easy Terms by week or month. 

Number of holes, 6 at present. 

Seaside course. Good turf. Hazards, water, land, peat banks. Owing toinroads of the sea, ground has been greatly limited; but will beextended, when works now in progress are completed. 

~Mallow (on G. S, & W. R. , 21 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors staying with Members free for one week; _2s. 6d. _ weeklyafterwards. Living at hotels, _5s. _ first week; _2s. 6d. _ afterwards. 

Number of holes, 9; Par score, 36. 

Pasture land, limestone bed. Hazards: fences, ditches, roads, a largequarry, grass grown. Greens in first-rate order. Good pavilion. Teathree times a week free. Grass grows too long for summer play. 

~Bandon (on C. B. And S. C. R. , 20 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors free, if introduced by a Member. 

Number of holes, 9. 

The turf is composed of short grass. The distance between the holesvaries from 120 to 360 yards, and the hazards are stone walls, etc. 

~Clonakilty (on C. B. And S. C. R. , 29-1/4 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors, _2s. 6d. _ per month; or _10s. _ per annum. 

Number of holes, 9. 

Finely situated; commanding extensive views of surrounding: landscape. The course is all grass; rather long-for summer play, but first-ratefrom October to May. The hazards are stone walls and ditches. 

~Rushbrooke (on G. S. & W. R. , 10-1/2 miles from Cork). ~

Visitors residing with Members free for fourteen days. Committee canelect temporary Members for a month, on payment of _5s. _ Number ofholes, 9. 

Grass on hill, fine view, good pavilion. Greens in good order. Longhazards. 

~SLIGO DISTRICT. ~

~Bundoran. ~

Station--Bundoran, on G. N. R. 

Hotels--The Great Northern Railway, Sweeney's, Hamilton's, etc. 

Visitors--_10s. _ per month, _5s. _ per week. Ladies half price. 

Number of holes--9. Par score--75. 

The course is partly sandy, and partly inland in character. It is finelysituated, and commands views of the Atlantic and the mountain ranges. The distance round is about 1-1/2 miles, and the holes vary in lengthfrom 100 to 250 yards. The hazards consist of a cliff, sandbanks, pits, stone walls, and water. 

~Sligo. ~

Station--Sligo, thence by car or steamer. During the season public carsand a steamer run four times daily between Sligo and the course; fare, _6d. _ each way. 

Hotels--In Sligo there are good hotels, and good accommodation atRoss's. 

Visitors--_1s. _ per day, _2s. 6d. _ per week (if introduced); notintroduced _5s. _ per week, _15s. _ per month. 

Number of holes, 9. Amateur record, 84. 

The air and scenery at the Links are splendid. The grass is ideal turf. The distance round is 1-1/2 miles. The hazards are natural sand bunkers, broken ground, bent, walls, etc. The lies are good. 

~GALWAY~

~Galway. ~

Visitors, _5s. _ per week. Number of holes, 9. 

Accommodation at the Railway, Mack's, and Leane's Hotels. 

The Salt Hill tram brings the golfer within a mile of the Links, whichare situated on a hill running out into the sea. 

[Illustration: FISHING]

DUBLIN DISTRICT. 

River. --Liffey. Station. --Lucan, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 6-3/4 miles from Dublin. Accommodation at Spa Hotel. Salmon and troutfree. 

River. --Liffey. Station. --Hazelhatch, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 10 miles from Dublin. Hotel accommodation good. Salmon andtrout free. 

River. --Liffey. Station. --Sallins, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 18 miles from Dublin. Accommodation at Healy's Hotel. Splendidtrout fishing free. 

River. --Liffey. Station. --Harristown, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 25-1/2 miles from Dublin. Hotel accommodation at BallymoreEustace and Poulaphouca. Splendid trout fishing at Kilcullen: atBallymore Eustace by permission of Mr. John Royce, Stonebrooke House. 

River. --Slaney. Station. --Rathvilly, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 47 miles from Dublin. Hotel accommodation moderate. Troutfishing free. 

River. --Barrow. Station. --Bagnalstown, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 66 miles from Dublin. Accommodation at Ward's Hotel. Salmon andtrout free. 

River. --Slaney. Station. --Baltinglass, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 42 miles from Dublin. Accommodation good. Trout fishing free. 

River. --Shannon. Station. --Banagher, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 84 miles from Dublin. Accommodation good. Splendid salmon andtrout fishing free. 

River. --Barrow. Station. --Monasterevan, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 37 miles from Dublin. Trout, perch, and pike free. 

River. --Shannon. Station--Athlone on Great Southern and Western Railway, 80 miles from Dublin. Hotel accommodation good. Salmon, trout, pike, andperch free. 

~LIMERICK DISTRICT. ~

River. --Maigue. Station. --Croom, on Great Southern and Western Railway. Accommodation at Croom Hotel and Maigue View Hotel. Salmon, trout, andpike fishing by permission of the owners. 

River. --Mulcair. Station. --Dromkeen, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 11 miles from Limerick. Accommodation good. Salmon and trout inabundance, free. 

Rivers. --Shannon, Maigue, Camoge. Station. --Patrickswell, on the GreatSouthern and Western Railway, 6 miles from the Shannon, 1-1/2 miles fromthe Maigue, and 4 miles from the Camoge. Accommodation. --Good lodgingsand small hotel. Salmon and trout in the Maigue, and in Shannon andCamoge very fine trout. There are small tributaries which afford verygood trout fishing free. 

River. --Shannon. Station. --Killaloe, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 15 miles from Limerick. Accommodation at Lakeside Hotel, RoyalHotel, Shannon View Hotel, Grace's Hotel, Lough Derg Hotel, and Hurley'sHotel. Salmon and trout. The fishing is excellent. During the past fewseasons salmon varying from 20 to 40 lbs. Have been taken by anglers. About 400 yards below and 20 yards above the bridge is a free stretch ofsalmon and trout water, where the catches compare favourably with thoseon preserved waters. Fishings may be hired for a month or longer. 

River. --Shannon. Station. --Castleconnell, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 9 miles from Limerick. Accommodation good. Castleconnell has ahigh reputation as an angling centre. Salmon fishing may be rented bythe month, fortnight, week, or day, and the district is noted for theheavy fish taken. Trout, pike, and perch fishing is free. 

River. --Deel. Station. --Rathkeale, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 19 miles from Limerick. Accommodation at Pigott Arms, EagleHotel, and Hibernian Hotel. Good brown trout fishing, particularly inearly months of the season--April, May, and June. Also salmon fishingby payment of ordinary licence. 

River. --Maigue. Station--Adare, on Great Southern and Western Railway. Accommodation at Dunraven Arms Hotel. Trout and salmon, permission fromMr. P. Fitzgerald, Agent, Adare. 

Rivers. --Brosna and Shannon. Station. --Birr, on Great Southern andWestern Railway. Accommodation at Dooley's and Mathew's Hotels. Otherprivate lodgings to be had in the town. Trout and salmon free. 

River. --Shannon. Station. --Nenagh, on the Great Southern and WesternRailway. Good hotels at Dromineer and Nenagh. Splendid salmon and troutfishing. 

River. --Mulcair. Station. --Boher, on the Great Southern and WesternRailway. Good salmon and trout fishing free. 

~CORK DISTRICT. ~

Salmon fishing is as a rule strictly preserved. 

Trout fishing is everywhere plentiful, and as a rule free. 

Rivers. --Lee, Sullane, Bride, &c. Station. --Macroom, on Cork and MacroomRailway, 25 miles from Cork. Accommodation at four or five small hotels;moderate. Salmon and trout. 

River. --Blackwater. Station. --Mallow, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 21 miles from Cork. Hotel accommodation good at the RoyalHotel, Central Hotel, and others. Salmon and trout. 

River. --Bandon. Station. --Bandon, on Cork, Bandon, and South CoastRailway, 20 miles from Cork. Accommodation. --Moderate; Angel Hotel, Railway Hotel, and Devonshire Arms. Good salmon and trout. 

River. --Dripsey. Station. --Dripsey, on Muskerry Railway, 10 miles fromCork. Accommodation. --None nearer than St. Ann's Hydropathic, Blarney, or Cork. Salmon and trout. 

River. --Bandon. Upton, on Cork, Bandon, and South Coast Railway, 15-1/2miles from Cork. Accommodation. --None nearer than Bandon. Good salmonand trout. 

River. --Ballylechy. Station. --Bantry, on Cork, Bandon, and South CoastRailway, 57-3/4 miles from Cork. Good accommodation at Vickery's, Railway, and Terminus Hotels. Salmon and trout. 

~WATERFORD DISTRICT. ~

River. --Blackwater. Station. --Kilmacow, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 4-1/2 miles from Waterford. Accommodation at Farmell's Hotel. Trout fishing free. 

River. --Blackwater. Station. --Mullinavat, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 7-3/4 miles from Waterford. Accommodation at M'Donald's andHealy's Hotels. Trout free. 

Rivers. --Nore, Arigilla, Jerpoint Brook. Station--Thomastown, on GreatSouthern and Western Railway, 20 miles from Waterford. Accommodation atGlobe Hotel, Commercial Hotel, Hibernian Hotel. Small portion of Norefree. Arigilla River and Jerpoint Brook free. 

River. --Nore. Station. --Bennettsbridge on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 25 miles from Waterford. Accommodation. --None nearer thanKilkenny or Thomastown. Salmon and trout; partly free. 

River--Blackwater. Station. --Lismore, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 43 miles from Waterford. Accommodation at Devonshire Arms Hoteland Blackwater View Hotel. Salmon and trout. Charges for salmon rodfishing. --For season, _£2_; for one week, _15s. _; for one day, _5s. _

River. --Blackwater. Station--Cappoquin, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 39 miles from Waterford. Accommodation at three hotels, alsoprivate accommodation. Salmon and trout. 

River. --Mahon. Station. --Kilmacthomas, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 15 miles from Waterford. Accommodation at E. J. Walsh's and P. Cullinan's. Salmon and trout, free. 

~KILLARNEY DISTRICT. ~

River. --Flesk. Station. --Killarney. Accommodation at Killarney. Troutand salmon free by permission of Lord Kenmare. 

River. --Eirk. Station. --Killarney; thence by car 7 miles. Accommodationat Killarney. Brown trout free. 

River. --Erhagh. Station. --Killarney; thence by car 6-1/2 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout; permission required. 

~SLIGO DISTRICT. ~

River. --Ballysadare. Station. --Ballysadare, on Midland Great WesternRailway. Hotels at Sligo and Ballysadare. Salmon and sea troutpreserved, also brown trout, for which permission can be had. 

[Illustration: LAKE FISHING]

~DUBLIN DISTRICT. ~

Lake. --Lough Ree, Station. --Athlone, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 80 miles from Dublin. Hotel accommodation good. Salmon, trout, pike, and perch free. 

~LIMERICK DISTRICT. ~

Lake. --Lough Derg. Station. --Nenagh, on the Great Southern and WesternRailway. Accommodation at Lough Derg Hotel, Miss Mill's Private Hotel, O'Meara's Hotel, Nenagh, and Hibernian Hotels. Some good trout andsalmon fishing; some by permission, and some fishings may be hired. 

Lake. --Inchiquin Lake. Station. --Corofin, on West Clare Railway, 33miles from Limerick. Accommodation at Lake Hotel. Famous for troutfishing. 

Station. --Croom, on Great Southern and Western Railway. Lakes. --TonyHill Lake, 1-1/2 miles from Croom, and Loughgor Lake, 7 miles fromCroom. Accommodation at Croom Hotel and Maigue View Hotel. Pike free bypermission of owners. 

Lake. --Lough Derg. Station. --Killaloe, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 15 miles from Limerick. Hotel accommodation excellent. LoughDerg is one of the prettiest pieces of water in Ireland, it is withinten minutes row of Killaloe, and the trout fishing is about the best inthe United Kingdom. In favourable weather large baskets of trout aretaken, and the fish weigh from 1 lb. To 7 lbs. Pike and perch alsoabound in the lake, the former grows very large. 

~CORK DISTRICT. ~

There is a chain of lakes near Inchigeela (Lake Allan and Gougane Barra)where some salmon and pike fishing may be had. There is also a smalllake near Bruff (Loch Ghur) where trout, pike, etc. , may be killed; alsothere are small lakes near Bantry well stocked with trout, &c. 

Lake. --Inchigeela. Station. --Macroom, on Cork and Macroom Railway, 25miles from Cork. Good hotel, provided with boats, fishermen, etc. Pikeand trout free. 

Lake. --Loch Ghur. Station. --Kilmallock, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, 42 miles from Cork. Good accommodation at O'Sullivan's Hotel. Pike and trout free. 

~KILLARNEY DISTRICT. ~

Killarney for the Angler is a paradise. He can fish a different streamor lake every day for a month or longer. The best fishing season isMarch, April, May, and September. Close season, November to February. 

Lakes. --Lakes of Killarney, Lough Leane, Muckross Lake, the Long Range, Upper Lake. Station. --Killarney, thence by car. Accommodation atKillarney. Trout and salmon. Licence required for salmon, cost 20s. 

Lake. --Guitane. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 5 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown and red trout free. 

Lake. --Looscannagh. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 10-1/2 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout, etc. , free. 

Lake. --Glas Lake. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 5 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout, etc. , free. 

Lake. --Gourggh. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 9 miles, walk twomore. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout free. 

Lake. --Cushvalley. Station. --Killarney, thence by car about 8 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout free. 

Lake. --Garagarry. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 6 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout free. 

Lake. --Cummeenduff. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 13 miles throughGap of Dunloe. Accommodation at Killarney. Amply stocked with troutfree. 

Lake. --Curraghmore. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 15 miles. Accommodation at Killarney. Brown trout free. 

Lake. --Augur. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 9 miles. Brown troutfree. 

Lake. --Callee. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 8 miles. Accommodationat Killarney. Fine stock of trout free. 

Lake. --Managh. Station. --Killarney, thence by car 6 miles. Accommodationat Killarney. Brown trout free. 

~SLIGO DISTRICT. ~

Lake. --Lough Gill. Station. --Sligo, on Great Southern and WesternRailway, thence by car 3 miles. Good hotel accommodation at Sligo. Salmon, white and brown trout and pike free, by permission, which may beobtained without difficulty. 

[Illustration: SHOOTING]

~DUBLIN DISTRICT. ~

Station. --Lucan, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 6-3/4 miles fromDublin. Accommodation at Spa hotel. Rough shooting by permission ofowners. 

Station. --Athlone, on Great Southern and Western Railway. 80 miles fromDublin. Good hotels. Wild fowl shooting on River Shannon and Lough Reefree. 

Station. --Monasterevan, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 37 milesfrom Dublin. Good hotels. Rough shooting free along the River Barrow. 

Station. --Banagher, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 84 miles fromDublin. Good hotel. Wild fowl very plentiful along Rivers Shannon andBrosna, free. 

Station. --Dunlavin, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 32 miles fromDublin. Good hotel. Rough shooting free. 

Station. --Rathvilly, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 47 milesfrom Dublin. Good hotel. Snipe and duck fairly abundant, free. 

~LIMERICK DISTRICT. ~

Station. --Croom, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 11 English milesfrom Limerick. Accommodation at Croom Hotel and Murgue View Hotel. Rabbits, plover, snipe, duck, at Tory Hill, by permission of owner ofland. 

Station. --Dromkeen, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 11 miles fromLimerick. Accommodation good. Snipe, duck, plover; free. 

Station. --Castleconnell, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 9 milesfrom Limerick. Accommodation good. Wild fowl; shooting on the river. 

Station. --Patrickswell, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 7 milesfrom Limerick. Accommodation at Patrickswell Hotel or Dunraven Arms, Adare. Geese, duck, widgeon, teal, snipe, and cock; by permission of Mr. Peter Fitzgerald, J. P. , Mondela House. 

Station. --Rathkeale, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 19 milesfrom Limerick. Accommodation at Pigott Arms and Eagle Hotel. Good duckshooting; free. 

Station. --- Killaloe, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 15 milesfrom Limerick. Accommodation excellent. In winter Lough Derg is visitedby large quantities of wild fowl, which afford capital sport; and thebogs and marshes around Killaloe hold snipe in fair numbers. 

~CORK DISTRICT. ~

There is excellent wild fowl shooting all along the sea coasts, andalong the rivers for a few miles from the sea. The Youghal coast, theLower Lee, Blackwater, and Bandon Rivers, afford excellent sport of thiskind; also the deeply indented coasts of Kinsale, Courtmacsherry, Skibbereen, and Baltimore. 

Station. --Bandon, 20 miles from Cork, on South Coast Railway. Accommodation fair at the Angel and Devonshire Arms. Snipe, wild fowl, and plover; free. 

Station. --Blarney, 5 miles from Cork, on Great Southern and WesternRailway. Accommodation excellent at St. Ann's Hydropathic Establishment. Snipe and plover fairly abundant; free. 

Station. --Clonakilty, 33 miles from Cork, on Cork, Bandon, and SouthCoast Railway. Accommodation fairly good at Imperial or Shannon Arms. Snipe and plover; free. 

Station. --Mitchelstown, miles from Cork, on Great Southern and WesternRailway. Accommodation fair at Ahearn's or Fitzgerald's. Snipe andplover may be had on the slopes of Kilworth Hills, by permission ofOfficer Commanding Kilworth Camp. 

Station. --Kinsale, 24 miles from Cork, on Cork, Bandon, and South CoastRailway. Accommodation good at Kinsale Arms or Sea View Hotels. Wildfowl mostly preserved, but permission may be had. 

Station. --Skibbereen, 53-3/4 miles from Cork, on Cork, Bandon, and SouthCoast Railway. Accommodation fair at Commercial, Eldon, and Ilen ValleyHotels. Duck, teal, widgeon, snipe, and plover; free. 

Station. --Youghal, 26-3/4 miles from Cork, on Great Southern and WesternRailway. Accommodation good at Adelphi, Devonshire Arms, Green Park, Imperial, and Strand Hotels. Wild fowl very plentiful along the seacoast and at mouth of Blackwater; free. 

~WATERFORD DISTRICT. ~

Station. --Horse and Jockey, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 48miles from Waterford. Accommodation at Thurles, about 4 miles distant. Grouse, hares, duck, &c. , &c. , in Liskeveen Bogs, by permission of D. J. Mansergh, Esq. , Grallagh Castle, Thurles. 

Station. --Ballyhale, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 15 milesfrom Waterford. Accommodation at Mrs. Hayes, Knocktopher Hotel, Thomastown. Rough shooting to be had at Courisk and Castlecasker Bogs, about 1 mile from the station, in the direction of Innistiogue, but gamenot plenty, being a common; this would be free. A preserve atKnocktopher. For permission apply to Captain Langrishe. A preserve atCastlemorris. For permission apply to Rev. Wm. D'Montmorency, Castlemorris. Applications as to payment and otherwise should be made toabove-mentioned gentlemen. 

Station. --Attanagh, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 45 miles fromWaterford. Accommodation at Griffith's Hotel, Durrow. About 1, 000 acres, almost adjoining station; duck, rabbit, snipe, woodcock; free, if withpermission of occupiers (tenant farmers). 

Station. --Kilmacthomas, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 15 milesfrom Waterford. Accommodation at E. J. Walsh's Hotel. There is nopreserved ground in this vicinity, on which permission is given toshoot; snipe are fairly plentiful on surrounding bogs, and this is aboutall the shooting there is. By permission of Charles Mansfield, Kilmacthomas, and P. Power, Faithlegg, Waterford. 

Station. --Durrow, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 22 miles fromWaterford. Accommodation at Whelan's and Riley's Hotels. Waterfowl;grey and green plover; also duck and snipe, rabbits, &c. , by permissionof farmers. 

Station. --Lismore, on Great Southern and Western Railway. Accommodationat Devonshire Arms Hotel and Blackwater Vale Hotel. Partridge, grouse, woodcock. Permission to be obtained from James Penrose, Esq. , LismoreCastle. 

Station. --Carrick, on Great Southern and Western Railway. Accommodationat Bessborough Arms and Kirwan's Hotels. Duck, rabbits, rooks. Free, andby permission. 

Station. --Mullinavat, on Great Southern and Western Railway, 7-3/4 milesfrom Waterford. Accommodation at M'Donald's Hotel and Hely's Hotel. Duck, widgeon, teal, and snipe; shooting free on Bishop's Mountain andMoenrin. By permission. 

~SLIGO DISTRICT. ~

Station. --Sligo, on Great Southern and Western Railway, thence by car. Place, Rosse's Point. Accommodation--Hotels good. Shooting--free belowhigh water mark. 

[Illustration]

INDEX. 

 Achill Head, 246. 

 Adare, 59. 

 Adare Abbey, 60. 

 Adare Manor, 61. 

 Adare Manor Golf Links, 292. 

 Aghada, 95. 

 Aghadoe, 156. 

 Among the Arbutus, 266. 

 Arbutus Island, Killarney, 267. 

 Arbutus Rock, Lake Currane, 202. 

 Ardfert, 62. 

 Ardmore, 105, 256. 

 Arran Islands, 243, 256. 

 Athenry, 237. 

 Athlone, 39. 

 Athlone Golf Links, 291. 

 Ballincollig, 89. 

 Ballingrane, 62. 

 Ballybunion, 62, 65, 257. 

 Ballycotton, 96. 

 Baltimore, 172. 

 Banagher Golf Links, 291. 

 Bandon Golf Links, 293. 

 Bank of Ireland, 17. 

 Bantry, 172. 

 Beenarourke, 204. 

 Birr Castle, 39. 

 Birr Golf Links, 292. 

 Black Abbey, 36. 

 Blackrock, 89. 

 Blackrock Castle, Cork, 89. 

 Blackwater River, 101, 107. 

 Blackwater River, Youghal, &c. , 98. 

 Blackwater at Kenmare, 219. 

 Blarney, 77, 257. 

 Blarney Castle, 86. 

 Boating at Killarney, 135. 

 Boher, 46. 

 Brayhead, 192. 

 Bundoran Golf Links, 294. 

 Bunratty Castle, 221. 

 Buttevant, 98. 

 Cahirciveen, 182, 187, 257. 

 Caragh Lake, 178. 

 Caragh Lake, Southern Hotel, 178. 

 Carlow, 33. 

 Carrantual, Killarney, 146. 

 Carrick-on-Suir, 127. 

 Carton House, Maynooth, 28. 

 Cashel, 130. 

 Castleconnell, 53, 257. 

 Castletown, 27. 

 Castletown House, 27. 

 Caves of Mitchelstown, 131. 

 Charleville, 134. 

 Christ Church Cathedral, 20. 

 Claddagh, 243. 

 Clare and East Galway Natural History, 272. 

 Clew Bay, 248. 

 Clifden, 245. 

 Cliffs of Moher, 231. 

 Cliffs at Valencia, 191. 

 Clock Tower, Youghal, 102. 

 Clonakilty Golf Links, 293. 

 Clondalkin, 26. 

 Clonmacnoise, 44. 

 Clonmel, 127. 

 Cloonaghlin Lake, 188. 

 Cloyne, 95. 

 Connemara and Sligo, 245. 

 Coomakista, 204. 

 Coomakisteen Hill, 205. 

 Coomasaharn, 182. 

 Cork, 73. 

 Cork District, 85. 

 Cork District-- Cycling, 279. Fishing, 297, 300. Shooting, 303. 

 Cork Exhibition, 84. 

 County Clare, 221. 

 Cratloe Woods, 221. 

 Cromwell's Bridge, 171. 

 Crosshaven, 95. 

 Curragh Camp, 31, 32. 

 Curraghmore Ho. , 118. 

 Custom Ho. , Dublin, 21. 

 Cycling, 278. 

 Dame St. , Dublin, 18. 

 Derriana Lake, 188. 

 Derrynane, 206. 

 Derrynane Abbey, 206. 

 Diamond Mountain, 247. 

 Dinish Island, Killarney, 144. 

 Dooks, 180. 

 Dromod, 67. 

 Dromoland Castle, 222. 

 Dublin Castle, 19. 

 Dublin and District, 15. 

 Dublin District-- Fishing, 295, 299. Golfing, 291. Shooting, 302. 

 Duke of York Route, 67. 

 Dungarvan, 132. 

 Dunmore, 122. 

 Dunmore East, 257. 

 Eagle's Nest, Killarney, 145. 

 Eccles' Hotel, Glengarriff, 166. 

 Emly, 133. 

 Ennis, 221. 

 Ennistymon, 223. 

 Falls of Doonass, 54. 

 Fenit, 66. 

 Fethard, 128. 

 Fishing, 295. 

 Four Courts, Dublin, 23. 

 Foynes, 62. 

 Galteemore, 132. 

 Galway, 238. 

 Galway and Dist. , 235. 

 Galway Golf Links, 294. 

 Galway, Queen's College, 244. 

 Gannets on Little Skellig, 197. 

 Gap of Dunloe, 157. 

 Garinish Island, 212, 215. 

 Geological Section, Bantry to Killarney, 263. 

 Glenbeigh, 182. 

 Glenbrook, 92. 

 Glendalough, 249. 

 Glengarriff, 166, 257. 

 Golfing, 291. 

 Golfing at Lehinch, 229. 

 Gort, 237. 

 Gougane Barra, 169. 

 Grattan, 17. 

 Great Cross of the Scriptures, 45. 

 Guest House, Mount Melleray, 111. 

 Harristown, 29. 

 Headford, 134. 

 Holy Cross Abbey, 129. 

 Imperial Hotel, Waterford, 117. 

 Inchigeela, 171. 

 Innisfallen, Killarney, 146. 

 Irish Spurge, 268. 

 Kells, 38, 182. 

 Kenmare, 257. 

 Kenmare and Glengarriff, 164. 

 Kenmare, Southern Hotel, 166, 218. 

 Kerry Ditchbank, 264. 

 Kerry Slug, 269. 

 Kildare, 31. 

 Kilkee, 225, 228, 258. 

 Kilkenny, 33, 34. 

 Kilkenny Castle, 35. 

 Killaloe, 58, 67. 

 Killaloe Golf Links, 292. 

 Killery Bay, 251. 

 Killarney, 136, 258. 

 Killarney, Arbutus Island, 267. 

 Killarney, Carrantual, 146. 

 Killarney, Dinish, 144. 

 Killarney, Eagle's Nest, 145. 

 Killarney, Gap of Dunloe, 157. 

 Killarney, Innisfallen, 146. 

 Killarney, Meeting of the Waters, 149. 

 Killarney, Muckross Abbey, 151. 

 Killarney, Shooting the Rapids, 143. 

 Killarney, Torc, 153. 

 Killarney, Up. Lake, 139. 

 Killarney District, Cycling, 283. 

 Killarney District, Fishing, 298, 300. 

 Killarney and Glengarriff, 133. 

 Killarney, Southern Hotel, 136. 

 Killorglin, 178. 

 Kilmallock, 133. 

 Kilrush, 232. 

 Kincora, 69. 

 Kinvara, 237. 

 Kylemore, 253. 

 Lake Coomasaharn, 186. 

 Lake Currane, 200. 

 Lakes and Fjords of Kerry, 175. 

 Lartigue Railway, 63. 

 Leenane, 248, 258. 

 Lehinch, 258. 

 Lehinch Golf Links, 292. 

 Letterfrack, 248. 

 Limerick, 47. 

 Limerick District, Cycling, 281. 

 Limerick District, Fishing, 296, 299. 

 Limerick District, Golf Links, 292. 

 Limerick District, Shooting, 303. 

 Limerick Junction, 46. 

 Liscanor, 232. 

 Lisdoonvarna, 224, 258. 

 Lismore, 110. 

 Lismore Golf Links, 293. 

 Littleisland Golf Links, 293. 

 Look-out Cliff, Kilkee, 227. 

 Lough Corrib, 245, 250. 

 Lough Gill, 252, 254. 

 Lough Gur, 134. 

 Lough Ree, 71. 

 Lucan, 26, 258. 

 Mallaranny, 252. 

 Mallow, 99. 

 Mallow Castle, 100. 

 Mallow Golf Links, 293. 

 Mangerton, 160. 

 Marina, Cork, 75. 

 Maryborough, 39. 

 Meeting of the Waters, Killarney, 149. 

 Midleton, 105. 

 Milltown Malbay, 232. 

 Mitchelstown, 131. 

 Monasterevan, 38. 

 Monkstown, 92. 

 Mount Melleray, 109. 

 Mount Melleray, Guest House, 111. 

 Mountain Stage, 182. 

 Muckross Abbey, 151. 

 Myrtle Grove, 104. 

 Naas, 28. 

 National Library, Dublin, 23. 

 Natural History, 260. 

 Nest of Wood Ant, 271. 

 Newcastle, 62. 

 Newbridge, 31. 

 Newport, 248. 

 North Kerry, 59. 

 Oughterard, 245. 

 Oratory of Gallerius, 66. 

 Parknasilla, 210, 258. 

 Parknasilla, Southern Hotel, 212, 213. 

 Passage (East), 126. 

 Passage (West), 90. 

 Pass of Ballaghbeama, 181. 

 Patrick Street, Cork, 74. 

 Pennywort, 264. 

 Portarlington, 38. 

 Portumna, 67. 

 Poulaphouca, 258. 

 Poulaphouca Waterfall, 30. 

 Purple Mountain, Killarney, 159. 

 Queen's College, Cork, 79. 

 Queen's College, Galway, 244. 

 Queenstown, 92, 258. 

 Queenst'n Harbour, 91. 

 Raheen Lake, Currane, 201. 

 Rathkeale, 62. 

 Rathmore, 134. 

 Recess, 259. 

 Roche's Hotel, Glengarriff, 166. 

 Roscrea, 39. 

 Ross Castle, Killarney, 155, 158. 

 Round Tower, Clondalkin, 25. 

 Rushbrook Golf Links, 294. 

 Salmon Leap, Lucan, 26. 

 Salthill, Galway, 242. 

 Sarsfield Statue, Limerick, 50. 

 Saxifraga umbrosa, 265. 

 Scariff, 67. 

 Shandon Church, Cork, 82. 

 Shannon Development Company, 67. 

 Shannon Steamer, 70. 

 Shooting, 302. 

 Shooting the Rapids, Killarney, 143. 

 Sir Walter Raleigh's House, 103. 

 Skelligs, 194. 

 Slea Head, 66. 

 Sligo District-- Cycling, 289. Fishing, 298, 301. Shooting, 305. 

 Sligo Golf Links, 294. 

 Sligo, Nat. History, 274. 

 Smerwick, 66. 

 Southern Hotel, Caragh Lake, 178. 

 Southern Hotel, Kenmare, 166, 218. 

 Southern Hotel, Killarney, 136. 

 Southern Hotel, Parknasilla, 212, 213. 

 Southern Hotel, Waterville, 198. 

 Spa, 66. 

 Spanish Point, 232. 

 Spike Island, 92. 

 Sport, 277. 

 Staigue Fort, 202. 

 St. Canice's Cathedral, 36. 

 St. Finbarr's Cathedral, 80. 

 St. Michael's Rock, 194. 

 St. Patrick's Cathedral, 20. 

 Straffan, 28. 

 Strancally Castle, 106. 

 St. Stephen's Green, 17. 

 Sneem, 207. 

 Suir, 116. 

 Summer and Winter Resort, 256. 

 Thomastown, 38. 

 Three Sisters, 66. 

 Thurles, 128. 

 Torc, 153. 

 Tralee, 66. 

 Tramore, 119, 259. 

 Tramore Golf Links, 292. 

 Treaty Stone, Lim'k. 48. 

 Trinity College, 18. 

 Tuam, 238. 

 Tullamore Golf Links, 291. 

 Tullow, 29. 

 Twelve Bens, 245. 

 Upper Lake, Killarney, 139. 

 Valencia, 259. 

 Valencia Harbour, 190. 

 Valencia Island, 188. 

 Waterford, 112, 259. 

 Waterford and District, 112. 

 Waterford District-- Cycling, 284. Fishing, 297. Golf Links, 292. Shooting, 304. 

 Waterford and East Cork, Natural History, 262. 

 Waterford, The Quays, 115. 

 Waterville, 196, 259. 

 Waterville, Southern Hotel, 199. 

 West Cork, &c. , Natural History, 262. 

 West Galway and West Mayo, Natural History, 272. 

 Westport, 248. 

 Wicklow and Wexford, Natural History, 261. 

 Wolf Spider, 273. 

 Youghal, 101. 

 Youghal Golf Links, 293. 

 * * * * *

Advertisements. 

~Gresham Hotel, DUBLIN. ~

[Illustration]

This Old Established and First Class Hotel is situate inSackville-street, one of the finest thoroughfares in the world. Manyimprovements have of late been made--Electric Light, &c. Visitors toDublin will find their Requirements catered for at the Gresham in amanner unsurpassed by any Hotel in the City. No efforts are spared toensure in every possible way the comfort of its Patrons. 

~120 BEDROOMS. ~

~Spacious Saloons and Ball Room on Ground Floor. ~

~FIRST CLASS CUISINE. ~ ~MODERATE CHARGES. ~

~JAMES FARRELLY, Manager. ~

 * * * * *

~DUBLIN SHELBOURNE HOTEL~

Charmingly situated facing the beautiful St. Stephen's Green Park. 

FIRST CLASS

WITH

MODERATE CHARGES

CHOICEST WINES

AND

FRENCH CUISINE. 

HYDRAULIC LIFT, ELECTRIC LIGHT, TELEPHONE NO. 150. 

EVERY MODERN CONVENIENCE. 

 * * * * *

~The "Hammam" Hotel~ AND ~Turkish Baths~, SACKVILLE ST. DUBLIN, [Illustration]

"Three Days' Guide to Dublin" free on application. 

Daily Terms from 8/6. 

 * * * * *

_By Special Permission of Her late Most Gracious Majesty QueenVictoria. _

~The ROYAL VICTORIA Hotel, ~

PATRONISED BY _His Majesty King Edward VII. , H. R. H. The Duke ofConnaught, the Royal Families of France and Belgium, the Nobility andGentry of Great Britain and Ireland, and leading American Families. _

[Illustration]

MAGNIFICENTLY situated on Lower Lake, facing Innisfallen. Highlyrecommended for its superior comfort. The only Hotel in Killarney atwhich King Edward VII. Stayed when Prince of Wales. 

JOHN O'LEARY, PROPRIETOR. 

 * * * * *

~LAKE HOTEL, KILLARNEY LAKES. ~

_Patronised by HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE KING. _

~Under New Management. Standing in its own Grounds upwards of 60 acreson the Shore of the Lower Lake. ~

Unrivalled in situation, concentrating in one view all that ispicturesque and sublime in the scenery. 

[Illustration]

NEWLY FURNISHED; Electric Light throughout (Bedrooms included). Boating, Fishing, and Shooting. Conveyances Daily for Local Tours at fixed ratesfor each Person, also for Private Hiring. Billiards, Tennis. 

THE ONLY HOTEL IN THE DISTRICT DIRECTLY ON THE LAKE SHORE. 

Hotel Omnibus meets all Trains. The Glengarriff Coach stops at EntranceGates to take up and set down Passengers. 

The Railway Company allow only the Porters of their own Hotel on theArrival Platform. The Lake Hotel Porters will be found at the StationEntrance. 

~Address THE MANAGER. ~

 * * * * *

~WEST END HOTEL, KILKEE. ~

~First-Class Accommodation. ~

Beautifully Situated. Overlooking Bay. Magnificent Coast Scenery. 

Nearest Bathing Resorts. 

Recently Furnished. Board per Week or per Day. 

'Bus and Porter await arrival of all Trains. 

Coupons of The Irish Railway Companies Tourist Office, 2, Charing Cross, London. 

 * * * * *

~KILKEE, CO. CLARE. ~

~Royal Marine Hotel. ~

Extensive additions have been made for the coming season. It is the mostcentral Hotel in Kilkee, commanding full view of Bay and Cliffs. Iswithin two minutes' walk of Railway Station, principal Bathing Resorts, Post Office, and places of Worship. This Hotel contains all facilitiesand convenience of a First-Class Hotel, with the quiet and comforts ofhome. Tourists and Visitors will find it to their advantage to patronisethe above Hotel. 

~Arrangements made for Private Families. ~

_The Hotel Omnibus attends the trains. _

OWN DAIRY. 

~Address: PROPRIETOR. ~

 * * * * *

~Castleconnell, CO. LIMERICK. ~

"One of Ireland's beauty spots. " Seven miles from Limerick. 

[Illustration]

~SHANNON HOTEL. ~

(Mrs. K. Enright, Proprietress. )

_ANGLERS' AND TOURIST RESORT. _

Head-Quarters C. T. C. 

Five miles walk along the banks of the Shannon. MAGNIFICENT RIVERSCENERY, Including "FAR-FAMED RAPIDS OF DOONASS. "

~Cycling. ~ ~Boating. ~ ~Driving. ~ ~Pretty Walks. ~

~Castleconnell~ can be reached from

 London in 13-1/2 hours. Liverpool under 11 " Leeds 13 " Manchester 11-1/4 " Birmingham 12 " York 14 hours, 20 mins. Bristol 15 hours. Dublin 3 " Cork 2 hours, 55 mins. Killarney under 4 hours. Waterford 3 hours, 20 mins. Killaloe -- 20 minutes. 

N. B. --Salmon Fishing by arrangement; Trout Fishing FREE; alsogood Pike, Perch, and Roach Fishing FREE. 

Telephone 502, Limerick. 

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[Illustration]

ROYAL HOTEL, VALENCIA ISLAND, CO. KERRY. 

This Hotel has been patronised by H. M. The KING And TheirRoyal Highnesses The PRINCE and PRINCESS OF WALES. 

~It is now considered the Most Comfortable and Up-to-Date Hotel inIreland. ~

~HOT AND COLD SEA WATER BATHS. ~

CHARGES FIXED AND MODERATE. 

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CUNARD LINE, INAUGURATED JULY 4th, 1840. 

NOTICE. --The Steamers of this Line come alongside the Prince's Stage, Liverpool, to land or embark Passengers without the intervention ofTenders, and London Passengers depart from or arrive at the RiversideRailway Station on the Quay adjoining. 

[Illustration]

FLEET. 

 CAMPANIA. LUCANIA. ETRURIA. UMBRIA. AURANIA. IVERNIA. SAXONIA. ULTONIA. SYLVANIA. VERIA. CYPRIA. PAVIA. TYRIA. SAMARIA. SARAGOSSA. ALEPPO. CHERBOURG. CARPATHIA, Building

~Sailings to and from New York and Boston on Saturdays and Tuesdays. ~

~FASTEST SHIPS BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND NEW YORK. ~

~LARGEST SHIPS BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND BOSTON. ~

~Fitted with Marconi's System of Wireless Telegraphy. ~

The Twin-Screw Ships "IVERNIA" and "SAXONIA, " which sail betweenLiverpool and Boston, are among the largest Ships afloat, and theirremarkable steadiness makes sea-sickness practically impossible. 

UNSURPASSED ACCOMMODATION AT MODERATE FARES FOR ALL CLASSES AND FOR ALLSTEAMERS. 

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~MEDITERRANEAN SERVICE. ~

FREQUENT FREIGHT SAILINGS FROM LIVERPOOL

~For Syria, Smyrna, Constantinople, Malta, Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, Brindisi, Trieste, Venice, Fiume, Bari, Ancona, Palermo, Messina, Catania, Patras, and Corfu. ~

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HAVRE SERVICE. 

~Freight Steamers from Liverpool and Havre weekly. ~

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* * * For full particulars apply at the Company's Offices: in New York, at29, Broadway; in Boston, at 99, State-street; in Havre, at 28, Quaid'Orleans; in Paris, at 2, bis Rue Scribe; in London, at 32, Cockspur-street, S. W. , and 93, Bishopsgate-street, E. C. ; in Manchester, at 18, Brazennose-street; in Glasgow, at 30, Jamaica-street; in Leith, at Exchange Buildings; in Belfast, at 49, Queen's-square; in Queenstown, at Cunard Wharf; or to

~THE CUNARD STEAM SHIP COMPANY, LIMITED~, 8, WATER-STREET, LIVERPOOL. 

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Great Western Railway of England. 

 SHORTEST ROUTE BETWEEN ~ENGLAND~ AND THE SOUTH AND WEST OF IRELAND. 

 FAST AND COMFORTABLE NEW STEAMERS SAIL REGULARLY BETWEEN ~WATERFORD AND CORK~ AND ~NEW MILFORD~. 

 ~OPEN SEA PASSAGE~ BETWEEN Waterford and New Milford. Under 5 Hours. 

 ~THE BOAT TRAINS~ RUNNING BETWEEN NEW MILFORD AND PADDINGTON In connection with the Steamers are provided with

 ~Central Corridors. ~ ~Lighted by Electricity. ~ ~Lavatory Accommodation. ~

 _Direct Communication with Guard. _

REFRESHMENTS may be obtained in the trains by First, Second, and ThirdClass Passengers. 

For further information as to train service, fares, &c. , see theCompany's time tables. 

Full particulars will be supplied on application to Mr. H. J. NICHOLLS, Great Western Railway Company's Offices, Waterford; Mr. A. W. PERKS, Adelphi Wharf, Waterford; Mr. E. FOGG, Railway Chambers, King Street, Cork; Mr. ALFRED DODD, Great Western Agent, Limerick Terminus; Messrs. COOK & SON, Main Street, Killarney; or to Mr. T. I. ALLEN, Superintendent of the Line, Paddington Station, London. 

~J. L. WILKINSON, General Manager. ~

_July, 1902. _

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~WATERFORD. ~

~_IMPERIAL HOTEL. _~

~FIRST CLASS HOTEL, ~

Patronised by the Aristocracy, Tourists and Commercial Gentlemen. 

 ~Spacious Drawing, Coffee, Commercial, Billiard and Bath Rooms. Smoking, Stock, and Rent Rooms. ~

Sanitation Certified. The Hotel has been recently enlarged, re-furnished, and decorated. 

~TARIFF MODERATE. ~

~_COMMERCIAL ROOM DINNER_~ from 1. 45 to 3. 30 daily. 

~Table d'Hote at 7. 30 daily. ~

_Omnibus meets all Trains and Steamers. _

Telephone, No. 22. Telegrams--"IMPERIAL, " Waterford. 

~W. A. MURRAY, Proprietor. ~

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FOOTNOTES:

[1] Permission to visit Adare Manor may be obtained (on application)from the Head Steward, Adare. 

[2] The other places of worship in Cork are as follows:--_RomanCatholic:_ St. Mary's Cathedral, Clarence-street; SS. Peter and Paul's, Patrick-street (designed by Pugin); St. Patrick's, King-street (MilitaryMass); St. Finbarr's, Dunbar-street (here Hogan's masterpiece, "The DeadChrist, " may be seen under High Altar); St. Joseph's, Mayfield; St. Finbarr's, West, Lough-road; St. Augustine's Priory (Augustinians), Great George-street; St. Mary's (Dominicans), Pope's-quay; St. Francis'(Franciscans), Liberty-street; Holy Trinity (Friars Minors Capuchins), Charlotte-quay; St. Vincent's (Congregation of the Mission), Sunday'sWell; and Chapel of Convent of St. Mary's of the Isle, Fitton-street. _Church of Ireland:_ Christ Church, South Main-street; St. Ann's, Church-street; St. Luke's, Summer Hill; St. Mary's, Shanakiel-road; St. Nicholas', Cove-street; St. Paul's, Paul-street; St. Peter's, NorthMain-street; Cork Episcopal Free Church, Langford-row; St. Michael's, Blackrock; and Frankfield Church. _Other Denominations:_ Baptist Church, King-street; Congregational Church, George-street; Patrick-streetMethodist Chapel; Society of Friends, Grattan-street; Presbyterian, Summer Hill; Plymouth Brethren, Prince's-street; and Cork Hebrews, 10, South Terrace. 

[3] "Amber water. " It recently passed from the representatives of thelate Sir John Pope Hennessy into the possession of Sir Henry Blake. Permission to visit the house may be obtained on application to Mr. French, Land Agent, South Mall, Cork. 

[4] To be seen in the National Gallery, Dublin. 

[5] Heights of the Principal Mountains, According to the OrdnanceSurvey. 

 Carrantual, 3, 414 feet. Mangerton, 2, 756 " Purple Mount, 2, 739 " Toomies, 2, 413 " Torc, 1, 764 " Eagle's Nest, 1, 103 "

 Elevation of Loughs above the Sea. 

 Devil's Punch Bowl, 2, 206 feet. Gum-Meem-Na-Copasta 2, 156 " Gouragh, 1, 226 " Callee, 1, 096 " Black Lough, 587 " Cush Valley, 337 " Kittane, 256 " Coom-a-Dhuv, 197 " Upper Lake, 70 " Lower Lake, 66 "

 PRINTED BY ALEX. THOM & CO. , LIMITED, 87, 88, & 89, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN.