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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 which
is served by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and while
doing 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. No
inexorable route is insisted upon, but no suggestion is stinted which
may help the tourist to enjoy fully the beautiful country he passes
through--and a beautiful country it truly is, be it approached from
Athlone, 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 ocean
leans against the mountains, and the storm-swept peak of Skellig Michael
makes the most westerly citadel of Christ in the Old World! Everywhere
within its broad borders, swift-rushing rivers, mirror-like lakes, and
mountains tiaraed in the skies, delight the vision and gladden the
heart.
The Gaelic names of places are usually word pictures reflecting with
fidelity the physical features of each place, or "tell sad stories of
the death of kings." Where possible, the equivalents have been given in
English.
With these forewords, nothing further remains but to offer an Irish
welcome--
FAILTÈ.
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.
Since "The Sunny Side of Ireland" was issued the Royal Assent has been
given to an Act of Parliament which makes the Great Southern and Western
Railway foremost in every sense amongst Irish Railways. The two
Provinces of Munster and Connaught are now knit together by a huge
network of railway lines comprised in their amalgamated system.
The several counties thus included are dealt with in this Second
Edition. The volume is further enhanced by more particular information
as to the sports and pastimes of the country, and by a valuable chapter
on the Natural History of the South and West of Ireland, by writers of
authority 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 a
precarious and inconvenient diversion. Those who had to do so regretted
the necessity, and those who had not, praised Providence. Many "persons
of quality," to use Dr. Johnson's phrase, have written narratives of
their adventures and experiences in "the most damnable country." No man
of position, even early in the nineteenth century, would dream of
travelling threescore miles from his residence without having signed and
sealed his last will and testament. The highways were beset by
"Gentlemen of the Road," such as that fascinating felon, "Brennan on the
Moor," 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 everything
but the scenery unpleasant. The interior and west of the country were
connected with Dublin by canals cut in the time of the Irish
Parliament, which followed the enterprise of the Dutch. They were looked
upon at the time as feats of engineering skill, somewhat in the light
that 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 as
little remembered in Ireland as the military-road cutter in Scotland, of
whom, 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 as
a print-seller, was the first, in the days of Waterloo, in the south of
Ireland, to begin really that healthy competition with the mail-coaches
which 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 the
Irish heart, was identified with the construction of the line.
Year after year the Company prospered and increased, gradually absorbing
the smaller lines adjoining it until the year 1901, when it amalgamated
the only two other systems of broad gauge lines in their district which
had remained independent. Practically the two provinces of Munster and
Connaught are now knit together by the great network of railway lines
which comprise the Great Southern and Western System. The total length
is about 1,100 miles. The main line stretches from Dublin, through Cork,
to Queenstown, forming the route for the American Mails and the great
transatlantic passenger traffic. Branches extend to Waterford, Limerick,
Killarney, and Kerry, and every place of importance in the South of
Ireland, while in the west the line extends from Tralee, through
Limerick, to Sligo. The carriages which the Company provide are of the
very latest design; vestibule corridor trains, with dining and breakfast
cars, are run daily, and the speed of the trains will bear comparison
with any. The journey, Dublin to Cork (165 miles) is performed in four
hours; to Killarney (189 miles) in about fifteen minutes more, and all
the important tourist centres can be reached within a very short time.
The comfort of passengers is well arranged for; refreshment rooms are
provided at the principal stations, and breakfast, luncheon, and tea
baskets can always be had, as well as pillows, rugs, and all the modern
conveniences of travel. Besides all this, the enterprise of the Company
has provided at Killarney, Parknasilla, Kenmare, Caragh Lake, and
Waterville, hotels, which for appearance and luxury, tempered by
economy, 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 a
comparatively small compass her scenic beauties include mountains,
lakes, and seas, and it is the good fortune of the Great Southern and
Western Company to have within its borders the finest scenery in the
country. The "Skies of Erin" have been paid tribute to by artists again
and again. Turner said the sun never seemed to set so beautifully
anywhere as in Ireland, and Lady Butler, the well-known painter, has
expressed the opinion that nowhere, except in the valley of the Nile,
does the firmament put forth such varied changes of beauty as in
Ireland. To the Gulf Stream, which strikes the south-western coast,
scientists attribute the mildness of the climate. From Queenstown to
Leenane the coast-line contains countless health resorts, where invalids
may be recommended winter quarters as salubrious as many of the
continental districts.
The sportsman has always found himself at home here. The fine hunting
counties of Kildare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, and Waterford are familiar to
every son of Nimrod. Shooting and fishing, although the preserves are
not so many or so well kept as in Scotland, may be called the staple
sports of Ireland. Golf has come to stay, and within recent years links
have been laid in the vicinity of most of the tourist districts.
One word for Irish industries will not be out of place. Ireland has no
industries in the sense in which England has. With the exception of
Belfast, there is no place in the country which approaches to a factory
town in the sense in which that phrase is understood across the channel.
Agriculture, of course, is the backbone of Ireland, and in connection
with it the creamery system of the south may be mentioned. Anyone
anxious to find a line of industry in Ireland which has beaten the Dane
in his own market should visit Cleeves' famous factory at Limerick. The
woollen industry in the country has withstood destructive legislature,
and a typical example of modern success is the great tweed factory of
Morroghs, at Douglas, County Cork. The Blarney tweeds have become a
household word, but Douglas is shouldering them in the keen competition
for public recognition. The great bacon-curing houses of Denny, at
Waterford, are well worth seeing, as is also the thriving wholesome
Co-operative Factory at Tralee. In Dublin the mammoth brewery of
Guinness and Sons can be viewed under the conductorship of a servant of
the firm employed for the sole purpose of showing visitors through the
great concern. But it is the lesser industries in Ireland which are
really attractive. The law of the survival of the fittest stands to
these--the homespuns woven in the cottages, the beautiful Dublin poplin,
the delicate lace of Youghal and Limerick, the exquisite pottery of
Belleek, 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 with
but a superficial knowledge of the attractions of the city. It will well
repay a stay, and if the visitor happens to come at Horse Show week he
can easily believe himself sojourning in the capital of one of the
wealthiest countries in Europe. During that short carnival each autumn
the tears are brushed aside, and Erin is all smiles and welcomes for her
guests. The hotels are good, the lodging-houses are clean, and moderate
in price. The restaurants have much improved within recent years.
Readers of Lord Mayo's encouraging articles to would-be Irish tourists
will do well to test his tribute to "The Dolphin" in Essex-street. If
anyone wants to see the ladies of fashion at their tea, Mitchell's in
Grafton-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 the
requirements of moderate purses.
To attempt to mention more than a few of the more important places worth
seeing in this city would be beyond the intention of these pages.
Stretched beneath the beautiful Dublin Mountains the city scatters
itself about the sides of the River Liffey. To get from one place to
another in Dublin is simplicity itself. The electric-tram system is
equal 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 to
the suburbs. A good view of the city may be had from the top of a tram
on a fine day. Those who wish to suit their own convenience, however,
will always avail themselves of the outside car. The jaunting car is to
Dublin what the gondola is to Venice--at least an imaginative Irish
Member of Parliament has said so, and that settles the matter. When
selecting an "outside" take care that you secure one equipped with a
pneumatic tyre. The Dublin driver is much maligned, he is generally
courteous, and not without humour. The municipal authorities supply him
with a list of fares and distances. He is bound to produce it should any
difficulty 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 eastern
seaboard of Ireland until 1014 when Brian Boru defeated them and broke
their power at the battle of Clontarf. Historic remains of the old
city--the Ford of the Hurdles the Irish call it--there are none. The
Danes, the Normans, the Elizabethan, the Cromwellian, the Jacobite, all
made history in Dublin in their day, but the city as it stands is
practically modern. Between the Rotunda, one of the finest maternity
hospitals in the world, and St. Stephen's Green, the beautiful park
presented to the citizens by Lord Ardilaun, the principal buildings in
the city lie. The College Green, however, forms a natural centre from
which to make a short tour. The magnificent portico of the Bank of
Ireland--formerly the Irish House of Parliament--is characterized by
surprising dignity of proportion. Visitors can witness the printing of
bank notes. The Irish House of Lords, which remains unaltered, is an
oblong room with recess for throne at one end. Within may be seen two
valuable Dutch tapestries, the one representing the famous Siege of
Derry, and the second the Battle of the Boyne. Immediately outside "The
Old House at Home," as the historic building is affectionately called by
Irishmen, is a noble statue of Henry Grattan. He was the people's
darling from 1782, when the Volunteers mustered in College-green, up to
1800, when the Act of Union was passed. Behind Grattan stands the old
leaden statue of William III., erected in 1701. This equestrian figure
of "King Billy," as the prince of glorious, pious, and immortal memory
is familiarly known, has been the centre of, in its time, much mischief
and merriment. Up to 1822 His Majesty was annually decorated with orange
ribbons to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. This
party demonstration was always resented by the populace, and King Billy
came in for no end of ill-treatment. However, he has braved the battle
and the breeze.
Turning from the Bank we face the University, in front of which stand
fine bronze statues of its distinguished sons, Edmund Burke and Oliver
Goldsmith. The University, unlike its sisters, Oxford and Cambridge,
contains but a single college--that of the Holy and Undivided
Trinity--founded by Adam Loftus in Elizabeth's reign. Visitors to the
College should be shown the chapel halls, museum, and library, and grand
quadrangles, including Lever's notorious "Botany Bay." While in the
library the world-famous "Book of Kells" may be inspected, and the
enduring qualities of its marvellous illuminations admired. The College
park is very beautiful, and during the College races at midsummer
presents quite a gala sight.
[Illustration: _Photo,, Lawrence, Dublin._ Dublin Castle.]
In Dame-street most of the Irish banks have their offices. At the end of
the street furthest from the College is the City Hall. The building was
originally the Royal Exchange, but in the middle of the nineteenth
century it was handed over to the Dublin Corporation. The Corinthian
columns which form the portico are very handsome. The entrance is
modern, the older structure having given way in "the troubled times,"
while a crowd of citizens were beguiling the time watching a public
whipping of a malefactor from the steps. The centre hall is crowned with
a decorated dome. The hall contains statues of O'Connell,
Under-Secretary Drummond, Grattan, and Dr. Lucas, a publicist in
eighteen-century Dublin. The Council Chamber is well furnished, and some
of the portraits of former Lords Mayor are very fine. Immediately behind
the City Hall is Dublin Castle, far from being the imposing structure
those familiar with its history may suppose. The Lower Castle Yard is
entered from Palace-street. It contains the Birmingham Tower, a modern
structure replacing the fortress, some of the walls of which still
stand, from which the fiery Red Hugh O'Donel, Prince of Tyrone, escaped.
The Castle Chapel is beside the Tower, and permission to visit it is
easily obtained. Among the things of interest in the chapel are the
emblazoned arms of all the Irish viceroys. The wood work throughout is
Irish oak, and there are ninety heads in marble to represent the
sovereigns of England. St. Patrick's Hall, the Throne-room, and the Long
Drawing-room are the most important of the State apartments. While in
the vicinity of the Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral should be visited.
Founded so long ago as 1190, this cathedral, dedicated to the Apostle of
Ireland, has had a chequered history. Mostly Early English in
architecture, modern styles have been grafted on the building without
consistency or unity of ideal. The monuments are many. Dean Swift's
bears an inscription written by himself and breathing the hatred of
oppression 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 for
ever associated with that of Swift--"Stella." Ten minutes' walk through
Patrick-street will bring one from St. Patrick's to the most interesting
ecclesiastical structure in Dublin--Christ Church Cathedral. An old
Danish foundation, fire and time laid hands upon the original
building. Its restoration is a triumph of architectural genius in the
reproduction of thirteenth-century English Gothic. Strongbow's tomb is
the famous monument of the place. The Crypt contains, besides other
antiquities, the old City stocks, which is some three centuries old.
Other places worth seeing in the city are the Four Courts, the Custom
House, the Pro-Cathedral, Marlborough-street, St. Michan's Church and
Churchyard, and the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Gardiner-street. The
general architecture in the streets is incongruous, and the modern
"improvements" not always desirable. In the back streets here and there
the quaint gables as old as Queen Anne still survive, but the Dutch
houses 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 Dublin
still calls it, contains, among other attractions, the National Gallery,
Museum, and Public Library. These are store houses of treasure. The
catalogue of the Gallery reveals a valuable collection of paintings, and
the Museum contains an unique exhibition of gold, silver, and bronze
ornaments, collars, brooches, shields, clasps, and spears, which were
found from time to time throughout Ireland, and are evidence of her
former civilization. The Royal Irish Academy, in Dawson-street,
possesses a rich collection of ancient Irish manuscript.
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ National Library, Dublin. Four
Courts, Dublin.]
The cemeteries of Dublin are small, except Glasnevin. A drive through
the Phoenix Park will bring one by the embanked river or through the
northern side of the city. An inquisitive tourist asked an Irish driver
why the Park was so called, when there was no such bird ever in the
world. "Sure that's the reason," said the driver. "Sure there's no such
Park in the world either." Lord Chesterfield put up a column with a
Phoenix in the Park, but of old its name was Parc-na-Fionniake (the
field of the clear water). It lies on the northern bank of the river
celebrated 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, and
the 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 halls
in Europe. The lands have been built over at Inchicore, and on the other
side of the river formed into the Phoenix Park, containing close on
two thousand acres, and bounded by a circumference of seven miles. The
Park contains the lodges of the Viceroy and the Chief Secretary for
Ireland, and the monuments to Lord Gough, Lord Carlisle, and the
"overgrown milestone," as the obelisk to the Duke of Wellington has been
called. The People's Gardens have been laid out with great taste, but
they cannot compare with the natural beauty of the Furze Glen with its
deep shade and silent lake. Visitors in the summer time should not fail
to drive from Knockmaroon gate, beside the Liffey, to "The Strawberry
Beds." Here, in the season, delicious fruit, fresh from the gardens, and
rich cream, can be had in most of the cottages beside the road.
DUBLIN DISTRICT.
[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin._ Round Tower and Church at
Clondalkin.]
The country in the immediate vicinity of Dublin contains much that is
picturesque. The scenery along the coast has in general been already
referred to. But Killiney, Bray, and Howth, if time permits, should be
visited. The train and tram facilities are sufficient. Wicklow County
has been called the Garden of Erin, and on no account should a visit to
Glendalough or "The Meeting of the Waters" in the Vale of Avoca be
deferred. But those who wish to speed on to the south or west will do so
from the Kingsbridge Terminus. From here we pass through Inchicore, the
busy thriving hive of industry, where the Great Southern and Western
Railway have their engineering works. The first station we come to is
that of ~Clondalkin~. The old village sits snuggled up at the foot of
its round tower, which is one of the best specimens of that early
architecture 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 opinion
is that they are of early Christian origin. Father Matt Horgan, a famous
Munster antiquary, humorously started the theory that they were built to
puzzle posterity, which they have very successfully done. ~Lucan~ is a
health resort, possessing a sulphur spa, and situated in a well-wooded
country above the Liffey. The Hydropathic stands well sheltered and
commanding a splendid view. The drives in the district are many, and the
antiquarian will find much of interest. In Lord Annaly's demesne are the
remains of an early Norman castle, and in the vicinity is an ancient
Rath and souterraine. The drive to the Salmon Leap, at Leixlip, should
not be missed. Near by is ~Castletown~, the palatial mansion of the
Connolly family, and a grotesque structure known as "Connolly's Folly,"
which was built in the time of the famine of "Black '47" to give
employment. Here, too, the great Dean of St. Patrick's beguiled his time
at "The Abbey," the home of Esther Vanhomrigh, the "Vanessa" of his
strange life. From Lucan Maynooth may be reached. Here is St. Patrick's
National College for the education of priests for the Catholic Church,
originally founded on a Government grant. "Carton House," in the
vicinity, is the residence of the Dukes of Leinster. It is surrounded by
beautiful parks, well planted, among the trees the royal oaks, for which
Kildare was celebrated, being conspicuous. ~Straffan~ may be called a
"hunting village," as the meets of the famous "Killing Kildares" most
usually take place in its neighbourhood. Here, too, are the seats of
Lords Cloncurry and Mayo. The thriving market town of ~Naas~ is two
miles from Sallins, and is the railway station for Punchestown, the
great steeplechase meeting of the Kildare Hunt. Long centuries ago it
was an historic spot--"Naas of the Kings." From the station may be seen
the Hill of Allen, rising like a sentinel on the mearings of the "Great
Plain of Ireland." ~Harristown~, the second station on a branch line, is
about three miles from Poulaphouca Waterfall. The road to the Falls
leads through the picturesque village of Ballymore-Eustace, situated on
a bank at a bend in the river Liffey. The view from the river below the
Falls is very impressive. Tullow is the terminus of this branch of the
line. It is a good business town, and the river Slaney affords excellent
trout fishing. Within half-an-hour's walk from Sallins is Bodenstown
Churchyard, where Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founder of the United Irish
Organisation of 1798, is buried. He was the most desperate man who ever
crossed the path of the English Government in Ireland. "The most
extraordinary man I ever met," is the verdict of the Duke of Wellington.
"He went to France with but one hundred guineas in his pocket, and
induced Bonaparte, by his single unaided efforts, to send three
armaments to Ireland." Six and twenty miles from Dublin, the town of
~Newbridge~ exists as a kind of aide-de-camp to the Commissariat
Department of the ~Curragh Camp~. The Curragh, a great plain over twelve
miles square, was once a common, the property of the Geraldine tenants,
but the Crown quietly seized upon it, and "their right there is none to
dispute." It has been made a camp of instruction, and can accommodate,
under more or less permanent cover, ten thousand men. It is in a good
fox-hunting, sporting country, "the country of the short grass," and
several times a year is the scene of race meetings. It is the Newmarket
of Ireland, for here are the training stables for Punchestown,
Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Baldoyle, and all the lesser meetings in the
Green Isle, and many of the greater ones across the water. The Curragh
was 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 of
Ninety-eight as an ideal mustering point. The Curragh District Golf Club
has been formed by the military stationed there. ~Kildare~, some thirty
miles 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 partly
rebuilt, and in the south transept is the vault of the Earls of Kildare,
progenitors of the Leinster line. These Geraldines were the most famous
of 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 feet
high, is perfect, except that the original cap has been replaced with a
battlement, out of character with the rest. The old castle stood by, to
guard the church and tower, and what remains of it has been turned to
use as a tenement. The Earls of Kildare were often warring with the
Kings of England. The Archbishop of Cashel one time protested to the
King against the Earl burning down his cathedral, and the Earl, when
reprimanded, explained to the King in person that he would not have done
so had he not thought that the Archbishop was inside the church at the
time. This was the same Earl of whom the Parliament complained that "all
Ireland could not govern the Earl of Kildare." "Then," said the King,
"let the Earl of Kildare govern all Ireland," and he was appointed Lord
Deputy, and made an excellent one. From Kildare, Carlow, twenty-six
miles distant, and Kilkenny, fifty-one, are the principal stations on
the line which terminates at Waterford. ~Carlow~ is an old town which
belonged to the hereditary enemies of the Fitzgeralds, the Butlers of
Ormonde. It is beautifully situated, surrounded by fine trees, and built
on 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 within
its walls and enjoy fully the attractions of the river Nore. Long ago it
was a keep of "Dermott of the Foreigners," "who had grown hoarse from
many shoutings in the battle," and was given by him as a dowry with
his beautiful daughter Eva to Strongbow. Afterwards it passed, by
purchase, into the possession of the Butlers, Lords of Ormonde. Here a
Parliament was held in 1367, which endeavoured by law to prevent the
absorption of the newcomers by the old Irish race. It tainted the blood
of all who gave their children into fosterage with Irish women, and
penalised the usage of Irish dress and customs. It made it a capital
offence for any of English blood to marry an Irish woman, which was
humorous enough when we remember that Strongbow, "the first of the
foreigners," did so. But the statute was of no avail, and the Butlers in
time became as big rebels as the Geraldines. Here, in 1642, the
Confederate Catholics held their Parliament. Among other things they
drafted a scheme of local government for the country, and set up the
first printing press in Ireland. ~St. Canice's Cathedral~, the Round
Tower, one hundred feet high, the Black Abbey, and Franciscan Friary,
are the principal ecclesiastical objects of interest. The Round Tower is
at the southern side of the Cathedral. This latter building, which is of
an Early Pointed Style, was founded in the twelfth or thirteenth
century. The pavement is of the famous Kilkenny marble. The principal
object of interest in the building is St. Kieran's Chair, against the
wall 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 ~Black
Abbey~, a thirteenth century foundation, has come back into the
possession of the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans, who have restored
it. The small parish church near the northern transept of St. Canice's
contains a window commemorative of Lieutenant Hamilton, V.C., of
Inistioge, who was killed in the massacre of the Cavagnari Expedition by
the Afghans in 1879. From the market place, Kilkenny Castle, the noble
seat of the Butlers, may be entered. In the absence of the family of
the Marquis of Ormonde, the public are allowed to visit the castle. It
is a practically modern residence, built into the ancient walls; and
three of the imposing watch towers of bygone years survive. The hall of
the castle is decorated with beautiful Spanish leather work, and the
rich 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--the
picture gallery is exceptionally attractive. Among its treasures are
Murillo's "St. John," Corregio's "Marriage of St. Catherine," and
Giordano'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 a
pleasant pathway under the castle wall, along the river side from the
bridge. From Kilkenny many interesting excursions may be made. To
~Kells~, twelve statute miles, where there are the ruins of an important
twelfth century priory. Two miles from Kells is Kilree, where are
situate a ruined church, Round Tower, and Celtic cross, and a remarkable
tomb slab in the church, on which is an ancient symbolic sculpture of a
cock-in-a-pot crowing. Three miles from Kilree is Aghavillar, with
ruined church, attached castellated house, and Round Tower. About seven
miles from the city is the Cave of Dunmore, a stalactite cavern worth
seeing. ~Thomastown~, on the line to Waterford, was formerly a walled
town. It is less than two miles from Jerpoint Abbey, the ruins of which
are interesting. It was founded by Donough Tiernach, Chief of Ossory, in
1180. The style is Early Norman, but the turrets and battlements are
fifteenth century work.
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Picture Gallery, Kilkenny
Castle.]
Cromwell, who is discredited with destroying places in Ireland where he
never was, is said to have passed by Jerpoint without molesting it, but
when the peal of bells rang out in thanksgiving, he took it for a
challenge, and returned and sacked the place. In Cork he melted down the
chapel bells, saying that "as it was a priest that invented gunpowder,
the best thing that could be done with chapel bells was to make them
into cannons," which he did.
If, instead of branching off the main line at Kildare, we continue along
it in the south-western direction.
~Monasterevan~, which was an old ecclesiastical place of importance, now
insignificant except for its malting houses and distillery. The Marquis
of Drogheda's demesne and residence, Moore Abbey, stands in the centre
of the well-wooded lands, which were formerly monastic property.
~Portarlington~, a small town on the Barrow, has the seat of the Earl of
Portarlington. The river divides the town, and is the boundary here
between Kildare and the Queen's County. The Irish name of this place is
Coltody; but in the time of the "Merrie Monarch" it was given to a court
favourite, Lord Arlington, who here built a little harbour on the
Barrow, whence its name. In the townland of Deer Park, near the town,
there is still a colony of pure Huguenot descent. Portarlington is the
junction of the branch line running to Athlone.
~Maryborough~ is pleasantly situated on the river side. From the Rock of
Dunamaise, an old fort of "Dermot of the Foreigners" in an almost
impregnable position, there is a splendid view of the Slieve Bloom
mountain ranges. At Ballybrophy is the junction for the Parsonstown and
Roscrea 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 the
ruins of interest to the antiquary are the remains of Augustinian and
Franciscan foundations, and a Round Tower, about the foot of which St.
Cronan had one of the early schools in Ireland in the sixth century. A
square tower of the Butlers and a tower of Prince John's Castle will
repay attention. ~Birr Castle~, the seat of the Earl of Rosse at
Parsonstown, is surrounded by a fine park. It is remarkable for its
mammoth telescopes, one of which is fifty-two feet long, with a speculum
six feet in diameter. Nenagh, at the foot of the Silvermines and Keeper
mountains (2,278 feet), is a stirring market town, and possesses a
Norman keep in fair preservation. Birdhill brings us to the Shannon, the
attractions of which are dealt with in another chapter.
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Birr Castle.]
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Lord Rosse's Telescopes at
Birr.]
[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin._ The Bridge, Athlone.]
The branch line which runs from Portarlington to Athlone, runs right
through the Bog of Allen. It is available for through passengers for
Connemara. For miles, the undulating bog land, green and brown. The
~King's County~ still remains out of the primeval forests, and its great
peat fields are the only source of wealth to the surrounding peasantry.
~Athlone~, some two miles below Lough Ree, on the Shannon, is the
military key to the Province of Connaught. The keep of the old Castle,
dating from King John's reign, remains, but the bridge and salmon weir
are of more interest. In 1691 Ginckle besieged the town on the eastern
bank, but a handful of Irish troops held the Connaught side, desiring to
keep the position until St. Ruth arrived. The defence of the bridge is
one of the most gallant exploits in Irish history. Colonel Richard
Grace, who held the position for the Jacobites, was offered security in
his estates and military honours, if he surrendered, by the Duke of
Schomberg. At night, when the offer reached the Jacobite general, he was
in his quarters, playing the familiar Irish card game of spoil-five with
his officers. The six-of-hearts happened to be the "deckhead." Grace
took it from the pack and wrote on the back, "It ill becomes a gentleman
to betray his trust," and gave it to the Williamite messenger. The
"six-of-hearts" is still known as "The Grace's Card," especially in
Kilkenny, where the general's estates were. From Athlone excursions may
be made to Auburn, eight miles; Clonmacnoise, ten Irish miles; and to
Lough Ree. Lissoy, where Goldsmith spent his childhood, there can be
little doubt, was the original of--
"Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain."
It is a pleasant drive, the road from Ballykeeran skirting Lough
Killinure. Lough Ree, three miles from Athlone, is low-lying, some ten
miles long, and in parts prettily wooded. There is a small archipelago
in the northern end, of which pretty "Hare Island" is the residence of
Lord Castlemaine. The Seven Churches of Clonmacnoise formed the old city
of St. Kieran, whose feast day is the 9th September. There are two Round
Towers, O'Rourke's and M'Carthy's; a Holy Well, the Cairn of Three
Crosses, Relich Calliagh, founded by Devorgilla, who bewitched Dermot of
the Foreigners. Teampul-Kieran is a small cell. Teampul-Connor has an
interesting tenth century doorway, and in Teampul-Fineen the chancel
arch still remains, and the piscina can be traced. Teampul-Ree has two
round-headed lights and a lancet window, twelfth century work. The
~Great Cross of the Scriptures~ is inscribed with Gaelic, "a prayer for
Flan, son of Malseclyn," and "a prayer for Colman, who made this cross
for St. Flan," referring to the ninth century monarch of Meath, and to
Colman, Abbot, early in the tenth century, of Clonmacnoise. The cross is
fifteen feet high, and its panels were sculptured with Scriptural
scenes, 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 few
places of interest. The country side is very rich, and is the centre of
the Creamery Co-operative system. At Boher is Glenstal, the residence of
Sir Charles Barrington. The demesne contains the Ilchester Oaks, with
which the country people associate a romance. The story is told in
detail in Lefanu's "Seventy Years of Irish Life." At Caghercullen, which
is now part of Glenstal Demesne, early in the last century lived Squire
O'Grady, an old _grandee_ of Limerick; he was a fox-hunting widower, and
his beautiful and only daughter was the cynosure of all eyes. When she
came out at a Limerick hunt ball the little beauty captivated Lord
Stourdale--eldest son to Lord Ilchester who was then with his regiment
at Limerick. O'Grady's keen eye soon discerned that the young people
were falling in love with each other. Proud of his family as the
Irishman was, he feared his position was such that an English lord may
not look on an alliance with favour. He wrote a friendly letter to Lord
Ilchester--in order to prevent trouble--saying that, as an elder man, he
perceived that his son was about getting into a scrape, and it would be
well to have him brought home or sent on active service. Stourdale
disappeared; and Lord Ilchester wrote thanking the squire, and notifying
that an old military friend--a Colonel Prendergast--would call and thank
him personally. The colonel came in good time, and partook of O'Grady's
hospitality. As he was leaving, he mentioned to the squire that he
thought 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 the
romance. Colonel Prendergast discovered himself as Lord Ilchester, and
expressed his gratification at the possibility of having such a wife for
his son. There was the usual happy marriage; and the present Earl of
Ilchester and the present Earl of Lansdowne, can claim descent from
Maureen O'Grady.
~Limerick~.--Like most of the Munster seaboard towns, it was built by
the Danes; and it was the cock-pit of the fights between the Ostmen and
the warlike clans who followed O'Brien's banner in the early centuries.
It made history in Cromwell's days, and until recently the old house
occupied by Ireton stood within its streets. Ireton sentenced many men
of eminence to death during the short triumph of Cromwell. Among the
most noble of the cavaliers who died at Limerick was Geoffrey Barron of
Clonmel, a young Irish lawyer who acted as civil secretary to the
Confederates. With exquisite cruelty he was sentenced to be executed
upon the morning which had previously been fixed for his wedding. He
asked, as a favour, that he should be permitted to wear his bridegroom
attire 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 its
country's history, when it stoutly withstood the valour and prowess of
the great soldier-king, William of Orange. Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan, the
beloved 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 forlorn
hope. Originally, one of the "Gentlemen of the Guard" under the Merrie
Monarch, his defence of Limerick was a military achievement worthy of
the ambition of any general; nor were his Williamite opponents slow to
cordially 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 of
the Broken Treaty. William of Nassau, having routed King James in
August, 1690, invested the city with 35,000 men. Tyrconnel and Lauzun,
Commander of the French allies, had cleared out, considering that the
place could not be defended. Sarsfield, although not in command, with
other kindred spirits, decided to defend the position. The heavy
ordnance of the Williamites, while on the way to the scene of siege, was
surprised at night at Ballyneety by Sarsfield and a hero called
"Galloping O'Hogan," and the guns spiked and the ammunition mined and
fired. Auxiliary artillery was, however, brought into camp, and the
assault delivered. The guns breached the walls, the outworks were
carried, but before the garrison could pour in, the townspeople--men and
women--the latter, vieing in valour, flowed out and swept away all
opposition. The siege was raised. But a year later, Ginckle again
invested the place by land and sea. After three months' defence,
Sarsfield agreed to capitulate, the chief conditions of the treaty
being, that Catholics should be admitted to practice their religion
without hindrance, and that the Jacobite garrison should march out with
the honours of war. The latter condition was kept, but when Sarsfield
and his regiments had gone beyond the seas, the former was shamefully
violated. By the Thomond may be seen the Treaty Stone, on which the
capitulation papers were signed, October 3rd, 1691. In the Cathedral
place is the modern monument to Sarsfield. The castle, which was built
by King John--now a store--is an excellent example of the military
architecture introduced into Ireland by the Normans. The Shannon, the
largest river in Ireland, flows through the city. Limerick lace is
valued wherever people of taste are. The industry still thrives; but the
former greatness of the glove manufacturers has departed. Bacon curing
is the great industry of the city to-day, and the names of Denny,
Matterson, and Shaw--the principal manufacturers--have become household
words. The greatest factory in Limerick, however, is belonging to the
famous Condensed Milk Company, organized through the enterprise of Sir
Thomas Cleeve. The milk of some 15,000 cows contributes to the huge
output of this great concern.
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Sarsfield Statue, Limerick.]
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ At Castleconnell, near
Limerick.]
LIMERICK DISTRICT.
From Limerick tours may be made into North Kerry by rail, or by combined
steamer and coach service along the Shannon lakes and shores. The
amalgamation of the railway services in the south and west of Ireland
has contributed greatly to the many facilities which, with an improved
railway accommodation, now await the tourist.
[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Falls of Doonass-River
Shannon.]