drawing-room, reflects 'a ray of brightness on this laqdr
scape,) is seen to advantage, and with these objects,
two or three neat houses conspire to render the view
from Castlewood one of the best in that neighbourhood.
This villa is seen from the bridge of Durrow, but to
much- more advantage within a short distance of the
town, from a road which opens a communication
with it, and with the deep wood of Dunmore, in its
vicinity.
Here, one morning in the month of June, I took
up The Evening Post, and read with a degree of
enthusiasm the speech of 2l protestant orator, purporting
to have been delivered at the previous aggregate meeting
of the Catholics, at their assembly-room in the city of
Dublin. 1 say, I read this speech with enthusiasm, so
long as it pleaded only for ///;fr(y,, but on arriving at
the following sentence, the speaker's profession of
•prokstant principles rushing strongly upon my recolr
lection, produced a horrible revolution in my feelings-:—
The Irish lourist, 45/
Here follows the sentence as I copied it from The
Evening Post :
*' Oh do not for any temporal boon, betray the great
principles which are to purchase you an eternity
Here, from your sanctuary — Here, from the endangered
altars of your faith — in the name of that God, for the
freedom of whose worship we are so nobly struggling,
Ipt no unholy hand profane the sacred ark of your
religion. For my part I approach your church — the
ancient church of Ireland — with the mingled emotions
of a patriot and a christian. Whilst it awfully fore-
warns me of a better world, it proudly reminds me of a
better day, and rises on my vision like some majestic
monument amid the desart of zxtUqxihy , just fii its pro^
portions, sublime in its associations, and only the more
magnificent from the ruins by which it is surrounded I ! !'*
. We might- offer strong reflections on this compli-
mentary language of a protestant (if such this gen-
tleman be) to the just proportiojis and sublime associa^
tions of the catholic religion, the poetry of which though
fextremely fine, cannot but provoke a sarcastic smile at
its inconsistency, for could we possibly suppose the
speaker to have been as sincere as he was ardent, w»
should then stumble upon another inconsistency, namely,
that of his not having, long since, set us the example of
publicy embracing that church to whose just proportions
iand sublime associations he has paid so many handsome
compliments 1
From Durrow I drove to Ballinakill, a town in the
P,ueef^'s County, which has been already noticed— it
stands on an estate of Earl Stanhope (a nobleman who
though resident in England, appears to have carried
458 The Irish Touinst,
with him the blessings a thriving and grateful tenantry.)
While here I visited a respectable Roman catholic aca-
deray, conducted by a Mr, Keelan, a clergyman of the
Roman caihoiie religion, who formerly resided at the
academy of that community in Drogheda. This house,
which appeaVs spacious and well accommodated, is si-
tuate on a beautiful elevation, in the centre of a large
demesne, within a mile of Ballinakill — it commands the
view of an improved country, and in reference to its
healthful situation and the plentiful country around it,
appears well calculated for a public seminary— The pro-
prietor of the place is a Mr. Jeremiah Brenan, in con-
junction with whom Mr. Keelan conducts this establish-
pjent.
Brom Ballinakill I returned to the northern district of
Kilkenny, being particularly anxious to visit Castlecomer
and the coal-mines in its vicinity, before my final de-
parture from this county.
CASCLECOMER. ' . • . . >
The village of Caslecomer' is situate about ten miles
north of the city of Kilkenny, ten S.W, of Carlow, and
twelve miles south of Athy— it stands on the Wandesford
estate, in a vajlcy remote from the principal public
roads, in the centre of a hilly country, and within
about two miles of that part of the colliery hills which
forms a valuable feature in the estate we have just no-
ticed, now in tlie possession of the Countess Dowager of
Ormondj a descendant of the Wandesford family —
Those hills form, in the topography of that district, a
bold and striking feature, but what is of still more im-
portance than the beauty of scenery, the trading inte-
The Irish Tourist. 459.
j fests of Ireland, for many miles beyond the verge of
' ibis count}', are promoted by those valuable and ex-
I tensive mines, the products of which, to my own know-
{ ledge, are transported to the banks of the Shannon, on
' the eastern margin of- Gonnaught, and by the traders in
Jcelp are conveyed, as I have heard, to the western and
, southern coasts, for the purpose of malting j" the stone
coal produced from these mines being well adapted
to that use, as being free from bitumen, and conse-
• queritlybuVn without flame or smoke.
i The respect'and aftection with which the people -of
jtbis village speak of their common patroness and pro-
: lector, the Countess of Ormond, afforded me sincere
\ pleasure — This lady whp has remained near twenty years
[ ^ widow, and whose constant residence in the country
and attention to her tenantry, bespeak' her patriotism
and benevolence, resides, the greater part of her time
[ in an elegant modern edifice on the ancient demesne of
the Wandesford family, which is an appendage of great
beauty to this village.
Beside the trade of the Castlecomer collieries, on
vvbich pear two thousand persons are dependent for sup-
port, Lady O.rmond has establiiihed .several useful insti-
tutions in the village, for their benefit — Of these, a dis-
pensary which administers advice and medicine to the
poor, gratLsj and.two.Lancasterian schools for the educa-
tion of their children,, are -the pjincipal* — ^The town
* On the article of school education, it uow occurs to us to
make a general observation, viz. — Whether part of the time de-
voted to the instruction of females in writing, would not be better
devottd to their improvement in reading ? — This question has
arisen from the evident progress of females in several Irish
460 The Irish Tourist.
also, uuderheriliberal patronage, is gradually increasing.
Originally, it was composed of a few scattered cabins,
but since the latr rebellion, it has assumed a new aspect.
A certain number of the houses which were then con-
sumed by the violence of civil war, have been since ~re-
•built in tolerably good stile, and several of those which
compose the main. street, are now very respectable edi-
iices — Of these latter, the new built house of Mr. Kane,,
h'er ladyship's late agent, is a building, both .as to its
situation and architecture highly ornamental to that street
-and to tbe town in general — ^^Lady Ormond's seat is in
full view of this street, the lower extremity of which has
been embellished with lime-tree by her improving finger.
Here, a bridge.of very .neat architecturecrosses the waters
«f theDeen, .a river which constitutes an appendage, not
only of convenience, but of considerable beauty to the
town. Ther£ is also a neat market house of mode/n archi-
.tecture in this place, and a stationary barrack for two
.companies — from the hill on which the latter has been
.scliools, in every branch of literature proper for them, but
that of reading — Some of these who can read writing fluently,
cannot read with correctness a single page of print, though' it is
certainly obvious, that the latter is, for them, by much the
jnost useful attainment — The remedy for this is, of course, an
increase of application to the practice of reading j and to
render this application effectual, they should read but little at
a time, that little loud, so as to be heard at a distance, slow,
so as to be understood j every word which they mispronounce,
Ihey should be made to spell, nor should they be permitted to
pass on to a second paragraph, until both the reader and her
hearers were in perfect possession of the first — This mode is
equally applicable to the instruction of boys, and we will ven-
ture to assert, is the best which can bo adopted for rendering;
ihe pupil master of this useful art.
â– The Irish Tourist, 461
erected, there is^ a very pleasing view of the town, and
of Lady Ormond's house and plantations beyond it.
I do not know that I have felt in the course of my
travels, a sensation more gratifying,, than that which re-
sulted (on the third day of my visit to thisneighborhood)^
from an inspection of the numerous pits which^bave been
opened on the Wandesford estate — Fortunately for ray
nerves, which have not been very grossly constructed,.
I was not under the absolute necessity of descending into-
those dark and unknown regions, in order to obtain the
gratification which I sought — Mr. Aher, her ladyship's
engineer, a man of science and good information, had the
politeness to accompany me to this place — The earth, in
several places having been previously excavated, and
. coal found within two fathoms'of the surface, I had the
pleasure of perceiving several beds of this valuable
stratum, and the stiir greater pleasure of seeing a vast
number of ray poor fellow-creatures all busily employed,
whose want of judgment to render their earnings more
effective in the promotion of their comfort, (as I painfully
heard) xx\zy be considered as the principal draw back to
the enjoyment of the philanthropic spectator of this scene.
Even the observation of those roads which open a com-
munication from Kilkenny, Carlow, Athy, Leighlin-
bridge, and other places, to those coUeries (as furnishing
one prospect of Irish improvement and prosperity) will
afford sensible gratification to the patriotic heart — The
numerous cottages on those various roads, as exhibiting
a specimen of the increase of our population, will also
prove a gratifying spectacle ; so that I may truly say, in
this neighborhood (shut out as it is, in a considerable
measure, from fashionable intercourse) I felt; mojje plea-
462 The Irish Tourists
sure, and met with more true politeness and hospital ity^.
than iu Kilkenny^ arid many other towns which boast, oi,
stjpenor wealth and population. . •
In your progress from Castlecomer to the Collerie3,.by
a road which takes its course in a line nearly parallel
with the river Deen, you have a very pleasing view of:
Lady Orraond's demesne — The grounds, which beau-
tifully elevate themselves beyond the water, on the tra^;
veller's right hand, are enriched with ornamental planta-*
tions,' extending for a considerable distance in that di-
rection,' in full view of the spectator — On this elevated-
chain, a turret in the castle stile has been erected, which
is an object of great beauty and distinction in that scene,
the whole of which may be surveyed to great advantage
from the neat villa of Mr.. Brenan, a Roman catholic
clergyman, whose residence on the left, at a moderate
distance from the road, surrounded by some beautiful
dertiesne grounds, will be contemplated by the lover of
scenery as no mean improvement to that landscape.
From Castlecomer I returned to Kilkenny, through
Ballyragget, a village, which, with some surrounding'
seats and plantations, and a castle, which sheds an in-
fluence of antiquity on the valley, are seen to tolerable
advantage from a lofty position on the road within half a
mile of the village— rit is situate on an estate of Thomas
Cavanagh, esq. (son-in-law to the Countess Dowager of
Ormond) whose attention to the interests of his tenantry
may be presumed^ from the large portion of his time
which he spends amongst them — After a slight observation
of this poor village, I proceeded towards Kilkcn/iy, •
where I arrived about eight o'clock on Friday evening,
The Irish Tomnst. 463-
the 24th of June, 1814, after an absence of about ten
da3's.
FIRST VISIT TO WATERFORD.
On Tuesday the 2Sth instant, I crossed the' country
from Kilkenny to Waterford, by Knocktopher— This-
iittle rural village composed of two or three slated house*
and a very limited range of thatched cabins, returned^
previous to our union with England, two memoers to'
the Irish parliament, as a borough. It is situate on an
estate of Sir Robert Langrishe, one of the commissioners
of excise, who has a house in that neighborhood, but
seldom resides there. Near this is Flood-hall, the seat
of John Flood Esq. k place of considerable distinction in
the County of Kilkenny, but which, when a large ad-
dition to the mansion-house (then erecting) is completed,
u'ill become still more eminent— The view from this seat'
to the hills of Brandon and Coppenagh, and to Mount
Leinster, (the lord of those lofty objects) is" truly mag-'
nificent and sublime — The elevated points of Lord
Carrick's plantations, are seen to great advantage from
I hence, as also those of Mr. Power, which we have al-
i ready noticed with approbation, as being hf'ghly. orna-
I mental to the lands which decline from Goppenagh to
the valley of Kilfane — Before my departure from Flood,
hall, I visited an extremely neat school-house, for fe-
males, on this demesne— the' proofs of industry, piety,
and improvement, there exhibited, afiforded me high
gratification^— the selection of a sensible and judicious-
woman to the management cf this neat rural establish-
ment, reflects as much credit on Mrs. Flood's judgment,
as her attention to the comforts of this person, and pro-
464 The Irish Tourist.
vision for the improvement of her pupils, do honor to
the goodness of her heart — Here, I saw the largest quan-
tity of clover, in the summer of 1814, that had attracted
my attention on any one estate that season. The steward's
house on this concern, within view of the traveller,
going to and returning from Knocktopher to Kilkenny,
is a neat object, and in point of aspect and accommo-
dation, deserves to be noticed, as a very respectable
model for. that species of appendage to a gentleman's
demesne..
Between this seat and the city of Waterford, you
travel (over rough roads and a country wild and moun-
tainous) through several shabby villages, 'till you arrive
at that city — Knocktopher, the famous corporation . we
have noticed, is the most respectable of these, and is
the only post town between Kilkenny and Waterford ;""
but the whole of these villages put together, would not
make one good street, and of course the population of
the country, between those cities, a distance of about
twenty-five miles in length, is wholly dependent on those
cities for mercantile accommodation.*
* I had some opportunity of noticing the seats of two or
three inhabitants of this wild region who appear to have paid
some attention to its improvement — Of these seats I took more
particular notice of Dr. Dillon's and Mr. Perceval's, a gentleman
farmer — The former of these gentlemen has, however, chosen
a very bad site for his new house there — Independent of its low
position, the soil is reputed swampy and unwholesome — In both
these respects Mr. Percival's eeat has much (he advantage of
the other, the soil being dry, and the house adequately elevated
above the surrounding country — To render this latter a good
local object in that wild region, an approach from the {)ublic
road^somewhat superior to that which may be supposed to open
a passage through a desert j and the growth of plantations.
The Irish Tourist. 465
A cjirious instance of the effects of light on certain
portions of matter, or its influence, if you please, in
the production of colours, kappening to occur in the
progress of my journey to Waterford, I shall, for the
mere purpose of entertainment, give it a place in these
rnemoirs.
Having alightied to walk up a hill within six or eight
miles of the city, I turned round to contemplate the
country towards Kilkeiiny, which I was leaving behind
me — The lands, so far as I could extend my sight
towards the hoiizon, looked extremely blue — I looked,
and relobked, to assure rhyself that I was not mistaken,
but the straining of my eye-balls was to no purpose,
for blue cdritinued to be the colour of the county — the
blue coats' aiid cloaks ilow began to rush ujjon my riie-
mory and imagination, and coniiecting this habit of the
country with the influence of the sun upon the distant
lands, I ventured, for the first time in my life, to give
to a whole county,- a new name, and accordingly pro-
nounced that of Kilkenny— the blue county. I had
scarcely determined this point, when directing my at-
tention to the road, I found the dust looked red or of a
adapted to the wild aspect of the country, are alone wanting — -
These gentlennen, a Mr. Belcher and Mr. Walsh, are going for-
ward improving the mountains, and we wish them all possible
success in their meritorious proceedings — VVe record with plea-
sure, a patriotk; feabtp given by Dr. Dillon to his tenantry and
neighbours (the annual practice of vvhich we beg leave lo re-
commend to the adoption of every man of rank and fortune in
Ireland) as noticed with all due particulars in the Waterford
Chronicle — This system of social' intercourse is niucii wanting
to harmonize the affections' of the peo])lc, and render easy of
operation, the plans adopted for tbeir imp.rovement.
G -
4^66 The Irish Teumst.
brick colour, and advancing a few stops forward, six:
pigs wliich had rolled themselves in a stagnant pool,
were lying across the road, basking in the sun, and. were
actually green — These objects of various colour, though-
casiij' accounted for, had nevertheless, the virtue of im-
parting to the mind and imagination of jt solitary tra-
veller, not occupied, with- better subjects, a momentary
entertainment — The jeader who smiles at the publica-
tion of so simple a talc (and we wish to promote his good
humour) is complirnentcd for the masculine stability of
his understanding, which has never once stooped from the
dignity of its character, to become the tool of his hu^^
mour or his fancy !.
Within four miles of; Waterford,. in this diroction,. •
there is a little river called the Kilmacow river,* which
drops into the Suir, within a mile of the city, and turns<
several mills in its progress; and. what in. that neigh-
borhood is still more remarkable, sustains two respect-
able bleacb-yards on its banks — L visited Mr. Smith and
Mr. Shearman, the proprietors of. those interesting \m-
provcments, and felt much.plcasiue in the observation-,
of their useful industry,, in that department, to which. '
I myself had been brought up, in early life — -The neatr'
houses and other impro\eraents aitached to those con^
cerns, and the picturesque grounds on which they arc
situate, contribute not a litik to the improvement of this -
â– ]â– Tlie tide comes up tl.is river, the latter of which, though,
at the bridge of Kilmacow, (in the sunnncr season) it has llic
, aspect only of a stream, is nevertheless of suilicicnt depth to
carry boats of small burthen with lime stone from thence to
Walcrford and lloss — Tlie manure of W'aierfojd, is sometimes
conveyed to this neighborhocd thiough ll.c £au,e channel.
The Irish Tourist. 467
neighborhood — Mr. Carr, the parish minister, resides ia
this Htlle village, of which, his church and modest resi-
dence, are the only decent objects — To this rural pastor,
Mr. Marum, the Roman catholic clergyman, and one or
two of tiieir parishioners, I was indebted for obh'ging
condnct in my passage through this neighborhood.
From Kilmacow I proceeded to Waierford, and visited
in my progress, the extensive flour-mill of Mr. Fayle —
it stands on the bank of a small river which communi-
cates with the Suir, within two miles of the city, and ia
addition to the large quantity of wheat which is here ma-
tured, and sold, principally at the market of Waterford,
Oiere is aiSo an extensive starch and blue manufactory at-
tached to this concern — The produce of these establish-
ments, can be conveyed, if necessary, to the DubUn,
Liverpool, and other markets,, by water, from the stores
on the bank of this river. â–
. From the concern last mentioned, I proceeded to
Waterford, and arrived at the bridge-hotel, (a house
deserving of encouragement) ou the County Kilkenny
side of that city, late on the evening of the thirtieth of
June, 1814 — I had, however, sufficient light as I pro-
ceeded along the bank of the Suir (or conflux of the
Barrow, Nore and Suir) to see and admire the appearance
of that splendid river, the wooden bridge of Waterford,
(built by Cox the celebrated American architect, and which
.opens a communication with liiiscity, to the inhabitants
of the County of Kilkenny,) the curious mountain rock,
just opposite the bridge Iiotel ; and lastly, the spacious
quay of Waterford, which may be considered as the pride
and beauty of that town — These various objects being
.sunk in the shades of the evening, and surveyed under
G cr 2
468 The Irish Tourist-
the influence of asky; peculiarly serene^ presented the eye
and imagination with a scene as picturesque as it was si-
lent and sublime— On the following morning, however,
when Phoebus had arisen and dispelled the darkness of
night, though I surveyed the same scene with pleasure,
the appearance of the city disappointed me — From the well
known trade of this place (one of the most extensive in
our island for the export of provisions) 1 had formed large
ideas of its magnitude, and of the beauty and proportion
of its streets, but on entering the city found myself
njucli disappointed— I expected to see, in miniature, a few
such objects as Sackville-street, Dame-strcet, or College-
green in the metropolis, but the quay excepted, I
looked in vain for any such splendid figures.
This latter and better part of the city, extends between
one and twoEnglish miles, from the bridge to St. Catharine^s
Pill,* and with a tolerably genteel street, which they
call the Mall, constitute the principal beauty of the town.
The export trade of the city, amounting annually, for
some years past, to upwards of two millions, is that
which gives it consequence in the annals of- the country,
although in the vicinity of the city there are many neat
villas which may be considered as appendages of consi-
derable beauty to that port jf but in the compactness of
its form, as a town or city, and even in the splefidor of
its seats, it falls considerably, in my view, beneath
the standard of Kilkenny, its sister, city. With the
exception of the splendid seat of the Marquis of
Waterford, a seat universally spoken of in terms of high
* A rivulet whicli drops into the Suir,
t See a clesc>iption of tlio.'p villas, in a 5ubsec|iicnt pait o(
this work.
The Irish Tourist, 469
panegyric, there is nothing in the immediate vicinity
of Waterford, comparable to Mount Juliet, the seat of
the Earl of Carrick, nor has art done as much for any-
single object as for that of Castle Blunden, the seat of
Sir John Blunden, Bart.*
ROADS.
The roads about Mullinavat, the village of Kilmacow,
and several other spots between Knocktopher and Water-
ford, were completely discreditable to the country.
Heaps of stones, as in the neighborhood of Graigue-ne-
managh, instead of being immediately applied to the
laudable purpose of inxprovement, were permitted to
impede the traveller's progress, and render the passage
of carriages, not only inconvenient but even dangerous.
â– If our laws did not provide for the necessary accom-
* On this ray first visit to Waterfoi'd, a survey of the
Count\; of Kilkenny (which extends to the bridge of that
ciy; being my object, I put off to a future and more con-
venient period, my proposed inspection of the trade and public
buildings of Waterford, as also of the seats beyond the river, and
the country between Waterford and Clonmell, with a descrip-
tion of which, I proposed wuiding up the first volume of my
travels. In the execution of this plan -I had proceeded so far
(on my second visit,) as to take notes of the principal beauties
of the country, and was entering upon a description of the
streets, public buildings and charitable institutions of Water-
ford, with its principal manufactories, (intending afterwards to
proceed towards Carrick on Suir) when the arrival of winter,
combining with ill health and other painful perplexities, obliged
me to abandon my project, and reserve for a future and more
favorable season, the completion of this task. The splendid
seat of Curraghmore and other objects in the vicinity of Carrick