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 (cost5s., 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 (cost5s., 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 (fare5s., 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 (fare10s., 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.
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 (cost5s., 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 (cost5s., 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 (fare5s., 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 (fare10s., 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.
Cycling at Parknasilla
G S Hotel, Kenmare
Blackwater at Kenmare
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
The demesne around the hotel comprises one hundred acres of beautiful land, where tropical flora flourish allthe year round. The meadows trim, 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's breath."
The road to Kenmare lies high above the sea. Ardgroom is hiding under the Caha mountains, with Glenbeg Lake behind, in the little valley. Beneath Derrenamackan the lashing seas wage perpetual warfare against the rocks. By the Eskdhu, or Blackwater Bridge, amid the dense foliage of the trees, a waterfall bleats from the thicket with plaintive murmur. Then it breaks itself free, and amid rocks, and briars, and tangled underwood, rushes wildly towards the sea. Between us and the ocean is Dromore Castle, the residence of one of the heads of a sept of the O'Mahony clan. In the demesne are the ruins of Cappacross, a stronghold of the O'Sullivans. Dunkerron Castle, on the shore, gives its name to the islands in the bay.
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Pictorial Map of Clare DistrictPictorial Map of Clare District.
Dromoland Castle
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Ennistymon
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Lisdoonvarna Spa
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Kilkee
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Kilkee
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Amphitheatre at Kilkee
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Look-out Cliff, Kilkee
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Golfing at Lahinch
Golfing, Lahinch
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Clare County possesses the finest cliff scenery in Ireland. From Limerick or Galway the county may be explored. On the journey by rail from Limerick, beyond Long Pavement, we come on a fine view of Cratloe woods. An ancient saint referred to Cratloe as "a pleasant seclusion from sin"; but in later times it became a haunt of rapparees, and its thick foliage provided what Spenser would call "a meet house for rebels." In later times Freney, a noted highwayman, whose exploits delighted the Irish peasant, here found a refuge. Bunratty Castle was a strong place in feudal times. Here Rinuccini, the Papal Legate to Ireland in 1641, sojourned, and his papers contain many references to the picturesqueness of the surrounding country, and its herds of wild deer. Between Newmarket and Ardsollus is Dromoland, the seat of Lord Inchiquin, and the birthplace of William Smith O'Brien, the aristocratic leader of the revolutionists of 1848. Crossing the Ardsollus river, we are near Quin Abbey, an old Franciscan Priory, and Clare Castle, which took its name from an old watch tower in the river Fergus.Ennisis the chief town in the County Clare. It is more quaint than important. It is pleasantly placed on the river Fergus, and is a clean town, doing a thriving business with thecountry. The principal monument in the town is to Daniel O'Connell, who was returned for Clare in the famous election of 1828. The ashes of the controversy that raged around O'Connell in his lifetime are long since dead, and if one wanted proof of this it is in the recent biography of the great agitator which appears in the "Heroes of the Nation" series. In that, the famous Clare election is treated with true historic discrimination by the writer, who compares the bravery of the Clare peasants at Ennis to the gallant Covenanters standing up against Claverhouse's Dragoons at Bothwell Bridge. From Ennis, by car and light railway, Ennistymon, Lehinch, Lisdoonvarna, and Ballyvaughan may be reached. At Ennistymon there is a splendid cascade on the Innagh river.Lisdoonvarnapossesses thebest known Spa in Ireland. It is come-at-able from Milltown-Malbay or Ennistymon. Its friends have called it "The Cheltenham of Ireland." It cannot be pretended that the immediate scenery is attractive, but there are many interesting drives in the vicinity. The hotels and lodgings are good. The sixth century Church of Saint Cronan, pleasantly placed in an ash-grove, will give those of an antiquarian taste opportunity of beguiling their time during a stay at the beneficial chalybeate and sulphurous springs. The drives from Lisdoonvarna may include tours to Ballyvaughan and the Cliffs of Moher. The drive by Black Head, the north-eastern promontory of county Clare, gives one a fine view as far north as the Arran; then we approach Ballyvaughan, in Galway Bay, an out-of-the-way old world village. Its approach is by a spiral hill, over two miles in length, called "The Corkscrew-road." The sides of the stony hills are interspersed with the most delicate maiden-hair fern, growing wild. There are two small but neat hotels in Ballyvaughan. From this little town Galway might be visited by steamer and the Arran Isles by hooker.Kilkeeis admittedly the best bathing-place in these islands. It is dashed into with the full force of the Atlantic, but with the countless nooks fitted into the rocky coast-line, there are numbers of sandy strands suitable for bathing. Here, situated in the very outpost of the West of Ireland, it is as up-to-date and as go-a-head as some of its more fashionable rivals, while in natural advantages it excels them all. It is easy of access by land and sea. The town is protected by a long reef of rock, called "Duggerna." The cliff scenery is very beautiful. The spots to visit are The Puffing Hole, Saint Senanus' Holy Well, Bishop's Island, with its beehive cells and Green Rock. A tour to Loophead will bring one in sight of a long line of cliff scenery.Lehinchand Liscanor Bay promise to become the best patronised golf links in Ireland. Right in frontof the little town is a splendid strand, and local enterprise has been auxiliary to nature in making the spot attractive.Spanish Pointalso possesses splendid strands, where sea-bathing may be enjoyed with safety. Two miles away isMilltown-Malbay. The town is business-like, and the coast-line in the vicinity is associated with weird tales of wreckers; there some of the unfortunate Spaniards came to grief in 1588. TheCliffs of Mohermay be visited from Milltown, Lehinch, or Lisdoonvarna. Going up the road from Lehinch toLiscanorwe pass a Holy Well dedicated to Saint Brigid. The only cliff scenery in the British Isles to compare with that of Moher is at the Orkney islands. They make a magnificent embroidery intothe red sandstone along the coast-line for four miles, rising in heights varying from 440 to 700 feet. From their height on a clear day the distant Isles of Arran may be seen, and the whole surroundings make as gorgeous a seascape as is to be found anywhere in the world. An observer will readily recognise that the quaint craft which the fishermen still use in the vicinity of Moher, as indeed elsewhere in Clare, is the ancient coracle.Kilrush, on the Lower Shannon, is chiefly of interest to the antiquary. It can be reached from Limerick, by the Shannon, as pointed out already, and from Kilkee by Rail. By a ferry from a slip at the foot of the little town, the holy island, Scattery, the shrine of Saint Senanus, may be reached. The Round Tower is in good preservation, and the remains of theSeven Churches can still be traced. Saint Senanus' bed is still pointed out. No peasant woman who wishes to be a mother will ever enter this hallowed spot. The legend of Saint Senanus is similar to that of Saint Kevin. He was haunted by the love of a woman from whom he flew. Thomas Moore in verse tells 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 sodShall 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 shareThy 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 maidTill morning's light delay'd,And given the Saint one rosy smile,She ne'er had left his lonely isle.
Cliffs of Moher
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Kilrush
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Country Car
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Leaving the County Clare by rail we cross into Galway, between Crusheen and Tubber. Beyond the marshy country on the right, away in the woodlands, nestles Loughcootra Castle. The great lake from which the place takes its name covers eight square miles. The hundreds of islets here scattered about its surface are the homes of thousands of herons. The country people have a belief that this bird is a messenger of good omen, and never interfere with it or its young. There is a beautiful legend in Irish of a heron which visited St. Columba, at Iona, a traveller from his own country. This story is recorded in the interesting life of the saint written in the seventh century by Adamnan, one of his successors; a beautiful version in English tells of the saint rising 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 moreHas 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 keptThe 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 East Comer Castle (by Nash, who remodelled Windsor) for Lord Gort, the head of the Vereker family, at a cost of £70,000. The black hand of the famine of 1847 fed on this property, like many another in Ireland, and it passed from its owners under the Encumbered Estates Act. Cove Park, the residence of Lady Gregory, is just outside Gort. Her Ladyship has found a way to the hearts of the country people by her sympathy with the Irish language movement. Her volume, "Mr. Gregory's Letter Box," is a valuable contribution to the history of Ireland in the first three decades of the nineteenth century. Sir William Gregory's Memoirs it is that contain the circumstantial version of the Cabinet scandal, in which the name of the Hon. Mrs. Norton (George Meredith's "Diana of the Crossways") figures. The story of the leakage of the State secret is as follows:—
"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 dinedtête-à-têtewith Mrs. Norton, the well-known object of his attachment, and with whom he was infatuated. Before dinner was over shewormed 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 theTimesOffice, 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 theTimeswhich 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."
"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 dinedtête-à-têtewith Mrs. Norton, the well-known object of his attachment, and with whom he was infatuated. Before dinner was over shewormed 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 theTimesOffice, 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 theTimeswhich 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 copple stones, stands the little town ofGort, The military stationed there now add to its importance. Kilmacduagh, at the base of the Burren Hills, contains a church (seventh century) of St. Colman, the Blue-eyed, and a Round Tower leaning out of the perpendicular. In pre-historic times all this country side at the foot of Burren, from Gort to Loughrea, and for miles apart, is said to have been the favourite hunting-ground of Queen Maev.Kinvara, away on an inlet of Galway Bay, is a fishing village, and the locality is celebrated for the "succulent oysters"—which in the season are to be found in every restaurant in Dublin. The antiquary will find his way easily to Corcomroe Abbey—the church is still in a good state of preservation. Donald More O'Brien, King of Limerick, is commonly believed to have built it in the twelfth century. It subsequently became subject to Furness, in Lancashire. Donough O'Brien, King of Thomond—killed in battle in 1267—is buried here; his monument discloses the rude magnificence of his attire. The effigy is looked upon by scientists as an example of the attire of an Irish King of the thirteenth century.
Athenry, as its name, the "Ford of the Kings," signifies, and its ruins testify, was of old a place ofrenown. The tower is entered by a small gate tower; before it stands the quaint market cross, on one side is the Virgin and Child, on the other the figure of the Crucified. The base is relieved with deer and wolf hounds, and at the corner an angel holds a scroll, the legend of which is defaced. The Franciscan Priory (1464), despite the attempt to modernise it, has still two thirteenth century windows, and the south transept has the remains of a very beautiful window. The Dominican Priory is said to have been erected at the personal request of St. Dominick in 1241. So late as 1644 it was the seat of a university acknowledged by Rome.
Tuamis now of little importance. It is to ecclesiastics, however, of interest, as the centre of an Archiepiscopal See. The statue to John MacHale is worth seeing. He was well known in the first part of the nineteenth century as "John of Tuam." An uncompromising Ultramontane, he translated Homer into Gaelic, and O'Connell in one of his speeches called this great patriot bishop "The Lion of the Fold of Judah." The ancient cross in the square is a good specimen of the Irish stone crosses.
Galwaystill possesses the evidence of its former greatness. To-day it is simply an old world city in the midst of a sporting county. Of old it was a strong-walled town, ever on the alert against alarm and foray, with its harbour crowded with the warships of Spain and the merchantmen of many a foreign port. There is a famous map of the city, dating back to 1651, when the then Lord Deputy Clanricarde pledged the town to the Duke of Lorraine. It shows a walled-in town with fourteen gates, each guarded by a watch-tower.
At Galway
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
In the twelfth century, when De Burgo conquered O'Connor, he made Galway the citadel of his western possessions. During the next century there gathered into the prosperous town from far and near adventurersand merchants—the Blakes and the Bodkins, the Lynches, the Morrises, the Martins, the Joyces, &c.; founders of the great families, whose names have since been inseparable from Galway. In after times the clanship and attachment of these families to their members and each other, drew from the Scripture-loving Puritans the scornful appellation—"The Tribes of Galway"; but the expression was afterwards adopted by the Galway men as an honourable mark of distinction between themselves and their cruel oppressors. In old times the merchant princes of the place were renowned for their hospitality, which they carried to such an excess that the civil authorities interfered with it, in 1518, with a law to the effect that
"No man of this town shall oste or receive into their houses atChristmas, Easter, nor no feaste elles, any of the Burkes,MacWilliams, the Kellies, nor no cepte elles without license ofthe Mayor and Councill, on payn to forfeit £5; that neither O norMac shall strutte nor swaggere through the street of Gallway."
Indeed, the O's and Mac's seem to have made their history by more than enjoying the hospitality of their neighbours, and what was not given them willingly they at times took by the strength of their right hands. Over the western gate of the city was the following meaningful inscription:—
"From the fury of the O'Flaherties, good Lord, deliver us."
The trade with Spain was for centuries a source of great prosperity to the town, and those familiar with the characteristics of Spanish architecture will see much in Galway to remind them of it. The sympathy of the townspeople seems always to have been with the leaders of forlorn hopes in Irish history. It was almost destroyed by Ludlow for its fidelity to the King in 1652, and having been rebuilt, it again fell before the siege trains of the victorious Ginckle in 1691 after the battleof Aughrim, the Culloden of Ireland. With the fall of the Jacobite standard in that battle, the hopes of the western Irish declined. The surviving sons of most of the old families sought service abroad in the armies of France, Spain, and Austria. There are many love songs of the time in Irish, which have been translated, such as—
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 blowFor 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 blowFor the Green."
Many of the old houses remain. Far and away the most interesting is Lynch's mansion at the corner of Abbey Gate-street. On the walls are the arms of the Lynches and their crest, a lynx, which it is said was given them for the watchfulness with which they guarded a besieged Austrian town in the middle ages. Behind Saint Nicholas' Church, in Market-street, is the Lynch stone, inscribed with a skull and crossbones, and "Vanity of vanity, and all is but vanity," above which is 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."
"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 his own son. The story tells how a young Spaniard, who was the Mayor's guest, crossed in love the Mayor's son. One night, heated with wine and inflamed with jealousy, young Lynch drove a stiletto through the heart of his rival. His father tried and condemned him for the crime. His mother roused the sympathy of the townspeople to such an extent that none could be found to act as executioner, but the old Mayor was even-handed with them, and hanged the unfortunate culprit with his own hands.
No visitor to Galway will fail to find out the Claddagh. It is the most conservative community in Ireland, and with them neither old times are changed nor old manners gone. The colony inhabit a number of low-thatched cottages apart from the town. They live mostly by fishing. The Claddagh women dress in blue cloaks and red petticoats, and their rings, which visitors procure as keepsakes, represent two hands holding a harp. Hardman, in his "Rare History of Galway," wrote of them as follows:—
"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."
"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."
Arran Island
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Salthill, to the west of the town, is a well-sheltered bathing-place, with pleasant villas for visitors. The Queen's College will repay a visit. At the bridge in the town excellent salmon fishing is to be had. Whenthe fish are making up the river for Corrib or Lough Mask the sight is very interesting. From Galway the old Franciscan Monastery at Claregalway may be driven to, or an excursion made down the bay to the Arran Islands. They are twenty-seven miles from the harbour. There are three principal islands, Innismore, Innismaan, and Innisheen, and several small isles. Two centuries ago they were described as paved over with stones, with wide openings between them for cattle to break their legs, and the modern description by Hon. Emily Lawless does not far differ.
The dress of the people is mostly white, homespun flannel "bawneens," and sandals of cowhide, fastened across the instep, which they call "pampooties."
Queen's College
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
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The Great Southern and Western Railway line runs northward from Tuam to Sligo. To the westward lies Iar Connaught and Connemara, the capital of which is Clifden, standing high above Ardhear Bay. If we go direct from Galway to Clifden we pass Oughterard and the ruins of Aughnanure Castle, formerly the stronghold of "The furious O'Flahertys." From its Tower we can get a view of Lough Corrib, with its famous Caislean-no-Circe, long the 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 fighting followers of the western chieftains. The Connaught Glendalough differs much from its Leinster namesake, but the Maamturk Mountains and the Glen of Innagh have a panorama of scenes difficult, indeed, to rival. Clifden is an excellent centre from which to make excursions. Wherever we look the Twelve Bens of Bumabeola spring up like upliftedlances. The coast-line is beautiful, and from the promontories we see distant Slyne Head and the Isles of the West. Mountain climbers will find on the summit of Urrisbeg a curious plateau. The district is a good one for lake and sea fishing.
Queen's College
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Achill Head
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Diamond Mountain
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
The coast drive to Leenane should not be missed. Leenane itself is on the outer flank of "Joyce's County," as a fiord of Killery Bay. Letterfrack is but ten miles from Clifden. The mountain scenery in the immediate vicinity of the town is delightful. Within easy reach is Little Killery Bay and the beautiful valley, The Pass of Kylemore, near which is Kylemore Castle, where Mitchell Henry started his model farm in 1864. The mountain pass of Lehinch cuts through the hills to the sea. A journey by Ballinakill brings the adventuresome to Renvyle Bay, where there is a comfortable hotel. Leenane is the best starting ground for an expedition 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 best view of Croagh Patrick Mountain may be had. But an ascent of the mountain is best made from Murrisk Abbey, six miles outside Westport. From the mountain side the expansive country from island-set Clew Bay to Nephin and Slievemore, in Achill, spreads out to best advantage. The famous coach road from Clifden cuts into Westport from the south. The Quay and Mall and the Marquis of Sligo's demesne are the "sights" of the town. It is a convenient centre from which to visit Achill Island. The drive through Newport, Mallaranny, and Achill Sound to Dingort, although across an exposed country, on a fine day will more than repay the tourist.
The views of Clew Bay are like the changing scenes in a panorama. Newport will clamour for the attention of fishermen; and lavish on them opportunities for sport. The Glens on the way to Mallaranny will tempt excursions, and beyond Burrishoole Bridge the antiquary willdeviate to Carrighooley Castle, and lend his ears to the peasant tales of Grace O'Malley and her husband, the MacWilliam.
Glendalough
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Lough Corrib
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Killery Bay
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
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 is through Dingort. For scenery and sport few places in the west surpass the island. The mountain cliff scenery is superb. The seals breed in the cliffs, and the rocks are the homes of countless seabirds. At Meenawn, the eagles on the island mostly nest. The great horned wild goats offer good sport to the marksman, and the deep-sea fisher will delight in the shoals and "schools" of herring and mackerel which in the seasons strike the coast and into the bays of the island. Did Izaac Walton but live in our days he would be sure to find his way to Ballina, because of the Moy River and the salmon which "most do congregate there." Loughs Conn and Cullin are open free fishing, and on the preserves the terms are most liberal. Foxford, beside Lough Conn, will gladden the hearts of those interested in philanthropic schemes for the benefit of "the very poor" in rural Ireland. Within a few years, enterprises well directed, has transformed the district from being a "most distressful country" into a thriving, self-respecting, self-advancing locality. Killala, six miles from Ballina, is of interest as the point at which General Humbert and 1,100 Frenchmen invaded Ireland in 1798. Sligo is the most thriving town in the west of Ireland. Its public buildings, its commerce, and its picturesque position, are one and all notable. Sligo Abbey, a structure of the thirteenth century, is a very remarkable pile of ruins. Lough Gill contains most beautiful sylvan and sea pictures. There is sea, lake, and river fishinggalore, and mostly free. The point from which to see Lough Gill in all its glory is Dooine Rock. Excursions may be made to Hazelwood, Glencar, and even to Bundoran, the most deservedly patronised watering-place inthe north-west of Ireland. Those who desire an exquisite souvenir of a visit to Ireland, should not fail to procure a piece of Belleek ware, remarkable for its elegance and delicacy; and if in the vicinity of Belleek village, permission may be obtained to visit the interesting pottery.
Kylemore
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
Lough Gill
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
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.
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The health resorts of Ireland are so many, their attractions and advantages so varied, that one wonders why it is that they are comparatively so little patronised. The explanation is not far to seek. Hitherto they have been but little known, one cause and another have helped to keep Ireland aterra incognita. The "faculty," however, has been for long acquainted with the benefits which the Green Isle possesses, and many an insular invalid, consumed with the desire to visit some continental resort, has taken the common sense advice of the family physician and learned to appreciate the advantages Providence has bestowed nearer home.
Winter quarters we have a good store, and beauty spots abound on the coast, where summer delights can be enjoyedgalore, to use an Irish expression.
Most of the places referred to beneath have already been described in the foregoing pages, but it will, perhaps, be convenient for those in search of particular information as to health resorts and seaside watering places, to have them collected in one chapter and listed alphabetically—
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 ofcliff 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 facilityfor 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.
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 ofcliff 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 facilityfor 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.