The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-09-07 00:00:00

SKETCHES OF THE RIVER SHANNON

A STRANGER IN IRELAND

No. IV.
(NOR THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.)

Limerick Schooner—the Garry Owen Steamer—Sail down
the Shannon, and Visit to Cahircon, Kilrush, ‘'i,cc.
The shipping of Limerick consists principally of schooners
and a few brigs. The former are first class vessels, of '
burthen, and are quite equal, if not superior in mode
equipment, to the smartest of our Liverpool craft of the
same rig, that run to the Mediterranean. Amongst them I
particularly noticed the Souvenir, the Eleanor, the Alarm,
the Belle, and the Idea, all beautiful vessels, tastefully
finished, well found, and calculated from their draught of
water, to hold their own on the bold and dangerous west
coast of Ireland. They trade chiefly to London, with corn,
pickled beef and pork, bacon, hams, and butter,—provisions
which are here of the best quality,—bringing return cargoes
of manufactured goods for home consumption.
Having, while forming one of a party at Captain Ken-
nedy's, been invited by John Bindon Scott, Esq., of the
county of Clare, (of which he was high sheriff last year,) to
spend a day or two at his seat " Cahircon," on the Lower
Shannon; and " The Erin-go-bragh" being still under re-
pair, I embarked on a beautiful morning on board of the
" Garry Owen," Captain Bingham, the other steamer, be-
longing to the same company, that runs between Limerick
and Kilrush.
The Garry Owen, also an iron vessel, was built by Mr.
John Laird, of North Birkenhead, and has run on the Shan-
non for upwards of six years, without requiring any repairs
in her hull, which is as sound as ever—thus affording a fur-
ther proof of the applicability of iron to ship-building. She
is 131 feet in length, 22 feet in beam, and 326 tons burthen
—carpenters' measurement. Her engines are by Messrs.
Fawcett and Preston of this town. She steams fast, gene-
rally making the passage to or from Kilrush in about four
hours. She has accomplished it, with a fair wind, in three
hours and twenty minutes. Her cabins are spacious and
handsomely fitted up, and though the " Erin" is much ad-
mired, the Garry-Owen is still a favourite vessel.
There was a considerable number of passengers on board,
and several of them, as well as Captain 8., politely pointed
out to me the most interesting ruins, seats, &c., that pre-
sented themselves on the respective banks of the river, and
I communicated such historical and traditionary information
1 as they possessed respecting them—for the whole valley of
the Shannon is full of interesting objects that speak of the
feuds and frays of successive belligerents, which have long
since been swept away in the vortex of time, and spots which
superstition still peoples with aeriel sprites, and which the
peasantry yet regard as enchanted ground.
The day was exceedingly fine, and the views from the
river, which now contracted and now widened out into a
lake-like expanse, with indented shores, breezy heights,
sheltered vales, and " emerald" isles, presented ever-vary-
ing combinations of the beautiful and picturesque. Peering
from venerable trees, or frowning from the isolated hill, the
broken castellated ruin darkly contrasted with the cheerful
modern abodes of elegance and ease, each with its park,
woods, fields, and elevated back ground, forming a picture of
itself. A brilliant sun imparted a brighter glow to the placid
landscape, that was as yet mantled in the delicate verdure of
the virgin spring, and gleamed in silvery flashes on the
waters that rippled around us, in obedience to the gentle
pressure of a soft and balmy breeze from the south. We
dashed along at good speed, and after a delightful run came
in sight of