The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-30 00:00:00

'RITIES,

TILE LASES OF EILLI.E.NEY.

Although actually one and the same body of water;
one lake in a great measure supplying the others,
still they are divided into parts—Lough Leane, or
the Lower Lake ; Muckross, Tore, or the Middle
Lake—and the Upper Lake—with a river called
the Long Range, two and a half miles in length,
running from the Upper to the Middle Lake. The
Lower Lake is five miles long by three miles broad;
the Middle two miles by one broad ; and the
Upper Lake, two and a half miles by three-
quarters of a mile in breadth,. Besides a num-
ber of smaller cascades, there are four parti-
cularly worthy of notice :—The Tore Cascade,
about four miles from Killarney town, said
to be the finest of the Lake Waterfalls; Berri-
cunnihy Cascade, eight and three-quarter miles dis-
tant; Esknatnucky, six and a-half miles distant ;
and O'Sullivan's Cascade, four and a half miles ;
the last mentioned visited from Ross Island, by
boat; the other three may be visited by road from
Killarney. The bosom of the Lower Lake is dotted
with islands of various size and form, some of them
connected with the surrouuding shores and with
each other by bridges constructed so as to appear
in keeping with the surrounding scenery. On the
Lower Lake there are 30 islands, on the Middle
four, and on the Upper six ; but none of the last
are of a large size. It is said the circumference of
the entire is about 30 miles. The Upper Lake is in
its level five feet higher than the Middle or Lower
Lakes, which are only separated from each other by
a narrow strip of land projecting from Muckross
island; the Upper Lake is two miles distant from
the nearest point of the Middle Lake.
From the immediate vicinity of the town, a chain
of mountains fully 40 miles in length is distinctly
visible ; those in the immediate vicinity of the lakes
are very imposing in their appearance, varying
as they do from 1,100 to 3,400 feet in height above
the level of the sea. The principal of these are
MiGillycuddy's Reek, upwards of 3,400 feet ; Man -
gerton, 2,700 Purple Mountain the same height ;
Tomies, 2,400 ; the Devil's Punch B3wl, 2,200 ;
Tore, 1,750; and the Eagle's Nest, 1,100.
As Ross Castle is likely to become a point of
great interest, from the fact of its having been the
Queen's point of embarkation on her first visit to
the Lakes, the following details respecting it may
prove interesting :
Ross is more properly a peninsula than an island,
being separated from the mainland only by a
narrow cut through a morass, which it is more
than probable was a work of art, with a view to
strengthen the fortifications of the castle. The
island, for so it must be termed, is the largest island
of the Lake. It contains about 80 plantation acres,
richly and luxuriously cultivated; a portion of it is
converted into a graceful and carefully kept flower-
garden, where seats are placed so as to command
the more striking and picturesque views; and in
every part nature has been so judiciously trained
and guided, that the whole scene is one of surpassing
beauty. The castle is a fine remain; much less in-
jured by time than the majority of its co-mates in
Kerry county. It is a tall, square, embattled build-
ing, based upon a limestone rock, sustained at the
land side by a plain massive buttress; from the
north-east and north-west angles project two
machicolated defences. It contains a spiral stair-
case of cut stone. It was erected by one of the
earlier chieftains of the O'Donoghnes. Of course
the several legends connected with the name of
the O'Donoghue have their source in thi4, his
castle of Ross. The peasantry will point out the
window from which he leaped into the lake when
he exchanged his sovereignty on earth for that of
the waters under it. He was endowed, they say,
with the gift of transforming himself into any
shape, and his wife requested him to exhibit some
of his transformations before her. He warned her
that if he did so, and she displayed any symptoms
of fear, they would be separated for ever. She still
persisted in the spirit of female curiosity, and in
perfect confidence that she could look on unmoved.
On his assuming, however, some very terrible
shape, she shrieked with terror. He immediately
sprang from the window to the lake below, and
remains there an en3hanted spirit, his enchantment
to continue until, by his brief annual ride, his
silver shoes are worn out by the attrition of the
surface of the water.

Ross Castle forms a conspicuous feature in the
landscape from every part of the Lower Lake.
During the war tl e outbuildings were fitted up as
a barrack. The castle is famous in Irish history as
being the last in Munster to hold out against the
Parliamentary army. In 1652, Ludlow, the succes-
sor of Ireton, assisted by Sir Hardress Waller, laid
siege to it. It was defended by Lord Muskerry
with a sufficiency of troops, and an amply supply of
provisions ; yet the castle, so well prepared for de-
fence, surrendered upon articles, without striking a
vigorous blow. The circumstance is attributable to
the terror that seized upon the garrison when they
beheld war-ships floating on the lake, in fulfilment of
an ancient prophecy, which foretold the castle
could be taken only when an event occurred—
almost as improbable as that " Birnam Forest"
should come to c' Dunsinane." Although it is very
unlikely that Ludlow had beard of this tradition, or
would have heeded it if he had, it is certain that,
having considered it wisest to attack the castle by
water, he had constructed boats for the purpose ;
" and," as he says, " when we had received our
boats, each of which was capable of containing 120
men, I ordered one of them to be rowed about, in
order to find out the most convenient place for land-
ing upon the enemy, which they perceiving, thought
fit, by timely submission, to prevent the danger that
threatened them."