The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-21 00:00:00

D. VIII

A. VISIT TO KILKEE

The forenoon of the day of our arrival at Kilrush was
ith occasional rain, and a brisk and rather chilly
breeze from the southward and westward. The party, how-
ever, with whom I was associated on board the " Erin-go
bragh," several of whom were like myself strangers in the
country, were anxious to avail themselves of their

proximity

Kilkee, about thirteen miles distant, to -pay it avisit, and
after awaiting for some hours a favourable change, the day
becoming rather brighter, though still cloudy and menacing,
it was ruled by the ladies—who on this occasion exhibited a
more adventurous spirit than their ruder companions—that
we should proceed in a car, taking our chance of the weather.
A machine, of the class peculiar to the country, of very hum-
ble pretensions to elegance, and, from long tear and wear,
almost guiltless of paint or decorative trappings, was accord-

ingly procured, in which we contrived to pack ourselves, in
such numbers as would have subjected the owner of a similar
vehicle in England to a heavy fine for imposing so ponderous
a weight on a single horse. The animal, moreover, was com-
paratively small, rough and shaggy, apparently in but sorry
travelling condition, and giving no promise to an English eye
It power to accomplish a third of the journey. In

Ireland, however, they manage these matters without being
scrupulous to a shade; and there is a vivacity and stamina
both in man and beast, peculiar to their clime, which enable
them to overcome difficulties in the attainment of a desired
object, which we, in our refinment (if I may so term it) would
scarcely venture to encounter. _ _ .

To our regret, our worthy and entertaining friend Captain
Kennedy, being officially engaged on board, against his re-
turn voyage on the following day. could not accompany us.
How he could have disposed of himself, had it been
otherwise, puzzles conjecture,—for, though the regular
complement was but five, we mustered seven in number,—
namely, Mrs. Kennedy, Mr. Sibthorpe, (one of the agents of
the steam company at Limerick,) and Mrs. S., Captain and
Mrs. Christie, my redoubtable self, and the " jarvey." On
one of the lateral seats of the car sat the two gentlemen
named; on the other the three ladies, or rather, I should in
justice and becoming gallantry say, the " three graces,"—for
a lovelier constellation either in mind or feature could scarcely
be conceived. Your humble servant contrived to stow him-
self in the little cock-pit behind, between the rails at the back
of the seats, and with his feet, extended, through a small
hatchway in the hold, in a somewhat comical but not un-
comfortable position, facing the horse, or rather the back of
the driver (who was perched on a little dickey over our
Rozinante's tail), but with the advantage over my companions
of seeing the country on both sides, without every moment
turning my head to the rigbtabout. One of the lively dames
in front, playfully bestowed upon me the not inapt cognomen
of "jack in the box." Our driver, with a face betokening
the greatest good-nature, and muffled up in a drab great coat
copiously patched, had some difficulty, by inclining his body
forward, in keeping the machine, with our accumulated pon-
derosity behind, from lifting his nag from the ground, and
" kicking" us in a heap into the highway ; but no such acci-
dent took place, nor would its occurrence have been very
disastrous, our feet being at a very humble elevation from the
ground. When we were all "on board," and the driver got
the reins in hand, his countenance assumed a comical aspect
of surprise but not dismay, when Mr. Sibthorpe, who was
waggishly inclined, told him, with imperturbable gravity, not
be hurrying himself, as there were three or four more pas-
sengers to be accommodated. Off we, however, started with-
out waiting for such poetical accession to our numbers, drove
to and partly through Kilrush, and diverged from the market
square westward on the Kilkee road. Our pace was at first
very moderate, and after passing a handsome new School-
house, and the new Workhouse, and encountering the ac-
clivity of Broom-hill, it gradually slackened until we were
almost at a standstill. My friends began to apprehend that
we should have a tedious journey ; and, for myself, I had no
hope of our accomplishing a league of the road, my estimate
of the hardiness and endurance of an Irish horse being un-

justifiably low. We all, however, enjoyed that
spirits which, I verily believe, is inhaled with the very air of
the sister kingdom, and cared so little for the result, that our
delay only furnished new food for joke and merriment.
" Don't be afther running off with us at this railway
rate," said Mr. Sibtborpe, " only consider the ladies. Sure
and he's a fine handsome horse that of years, and I
shouldn't wonder but ye'll be selling him to the lord
lieutenant before long, for his own private use." Paddy,
however, took all this, and much more badinage, in good
part, and remarked, " If the gintlemen'll only walk up the
hill, ye'll see how he'll go when he warrums a bit." We ac-
cordingly alighted, and walked leisurely to the top, enjoying
the fine view of the wide estuary of the Shannon, with its
islands, headlands, and indentures, and the diversified coun-
try for many miles on its banks. And, sure enough, Paddy
was right; for, after resuming our seats, the " eratur" began
to " warrum," and trotted along with his unconscionable load
at a brisk pace all the way, with the exception of a momen-
tary abatement at the top of an occasional brow, his master,
after allowing him a short breathing space, again effectually
urging him on by a kindly and familiar " Get along wid ye."
The road between Kilrush and Kilkee is for the most part
through uninteresting tracts of bog, which, though cultivated
to a considerable extent, and sprinkled with small cottages,
and an occasional erection claiming the distinction of a farm-
house, in the more elevated and productive spots, has, during
the greater part of the year, a bleak and comfortless appear-
ance. The route is, moreover, circuitous, in order to avoid
a deep indenture of the Shannon on the left, properly a minor
arm of the sea, at the top of which a considerable brook or
small river disembogues itself. Here, close to the bridge
which we crossed, there is a small dingy hamlet, called Scagh,
rendered the more gloomy by its being a depot for turf col-

buoyancy c

lected in the vicinity, which is piled on each side the high-
way, and amongst the cottages, in huge black stacks, in rea-
diness for the turf boats plying to Limerick, many of which
He in the bay, and indeed in numerous little creeks along the
whole low shores of the estuary to the westward, as far as
Loop Head.
The boats pay from £5 to £lO each, according to their ton-
nage, for a load of turt, which is sold at the city by what is
called a kish, being the contents of a large oblong square bas-
ket, 5 feet 2 inches in length, 2 feet 11 in width, and 3 feet 6
in depth. This measure will contain from 6to 10 cwt., ac-
cording to the dryness and compactness of the article, the
heaviest, if dry, being esteemed the best. The price varies,
as the season may be propitious for cutting and drying this
cutting this national fuel, from 3s. to 55., and in the previous
year (though it is an unusual occurrence) it rose to 9s.
The cabins here are generally of the usual small dimensions,
built of clay, and rudely thatched—domiciles of slight pre-
tensions to neatness or comfort—the smoke ascending by a
hole in the roof, also thatched and wattled round with bands
of straw, in humble outward resemblance to a chimney. Most
of them have a small low door, and .a minute square window
in front, frequently out of plim, and, as it were, squinting
upon the passer by. Some few cannot even boast of the
luxury of a single window. We observed many of them
partly denuded of their thatch, the effect of the violence of
the gale that bad nearly proved disastrous to our vessel on
our voyage from Liverpool, and what remained stayed down
with straw ropes, tied to stakes in the ground, and forming
a rude net work, particularly over the more exposed and
rounded ends of the roof, giving them somewhat the appear-
ance of tents. The broken panes of those windows origi-
nally glazed were supplied with wisps of straw or rags, the
glazier being but little in requisition. On others large stones
and pieces of wood lent their friendly aid to the same object.
Here and there, however, a modern taste for improvement
was manifested, in better materials and construction, white-
washed walls, decorative enclosed .flower plots in front, and,
in one or two instances, green painted doors and window
sashes.

The soil being almost wholly reclaimed from the moss, is
for the most part sterile, but a few fields have been so far
improved and enclosed as to produce oats and barley.
Potatoes is the general produce, and both men, women, and
children were busily employed in turning up the soil in nar-
row buts, with the long narrow spade or mattock generally
in use amongst the peasantry, and otherwise preparing it to
receive the seed. Here, as well as in other parts of the
neighbourhood of Kilrush, a species of large sea weed is suc-
cessfully used for manuring potato ground. This marine
plant is gathered in summer from the rocks—an often peri-
lous vocation. It has several large flat leaves growing from
the root, sometimes of from two to three yards in length. It
is laid on the top of the soil for a time, and in its decay loses
its dark colour, and, becoming of a light hue, resembles large
wet shavings of deal timber from a joiner's shop. The
traveller will also remark throughout this boggy district,
many roots of trees, and sometimes stems, that have been
dug up and thrown on the surface, where they are frequently
left for years. They are chiefly the remains of fir trees, that
once, no doubt, formed a stately natural forest, and are used
for firewood, rude fencing, &c.

KILKEE

Is a neat clean village of considerable extent, and is rising
rapidly in importance, as a remarkably salubrious, cheap,
and popular bathing place. It contains apparently about 200
houses. The adjoining coast, facing the mighty and ever
restless Atlantic, is peculiarly wild and romantic in its cha-
racter, and presents many objects interesting to the natural-
ist and the geologist. The entrance to the village is by a
straight line of street, called " Pan-mug-Hanover-street (!)
and from which, near its top, another diverges to the right.
On arriving near the top of the former, atter a somewhat
dreary and monotonous ride from Kilrush, the visitor, all at
once, obtains a view of a fine bay, opening into the far-ex-
tended deep ' • and if it be the first time he beheld the ocean,
callous indeed must be his feelings if he do not confess the
delightful and impressive effect of the sudden burst upon his
vision of a rare combination of the sublime and the beauti-
ful, in shore and marine seenery. Some miles to the north-
east entrance is a large outward indenture of the coast, called
" Mal-Bay;" and if the appellation be derived from the
Latin, it is felicitously chosen, inasmuch as it is scarcely
possible to conceive in the science of " world making," a
locality more replete with danger, in steep and lofty walls,
shoals, cliffs, treacherous embayments, and is land of ob-
durate rock—" bad" enough, in every respect for the
mariner, to whom it must, in becoming a lee shore in
the frequent storms that beiet, it, become almost inevi-
tably fatal. The small interior bay of which the travel-
ler obtains a full and instantaneous view is called Moore-bay.
It faces the north, and is protected considerably from the
open sea by a rocky point or—prortrofitory; forming its western
boundary. It is in the regular form of an elongated horse-
shoe, and has a fine white and smooth sandy beach, gently
sloping, and admirably adapted for bathing. Round the
south curve of this bay, and forming a complete semicircle
or crescent near the water's edge, stands what may be called
the " court" part of the village " Marine Parade," consisting
principally of neat two-story cottages, mostly whitewashed,°
and of a homely, but neat and lively appearance. A number
of these are the favourite lodging-houses during the summer
months, and are let to families or individuals at astonishingly

low rents. The sea during gales is throw❑ into the bay in
huge and foaming sheets ; and in moderate weather (as when
I beheld it) breaks round its whole extent in one simultane-
ous and continuous semicircular wave, with a gentle and
soothing noise—gratifying and refreshing at once to the eye
and the ear.

We alighted at "the Post-office,

" (which is also a small

nn,) on the west aide of the bay, and without waiting for

any refreshment, strolled round the protecting promontory
just noticed, along the bold and remarkable shore on its out-
ward side, to view, as far as our limited time would permit,
the natural and striking wonders of Kilkee—at first by a car-
riage-road round the point, afterwards alternately by the stony
beach and the immense irregular ledges of rock above it, as
we found requisite for a'drier and safer footing, and finally
along the brink of precipitous indented and naked rocks or
cliffs, covered to their edges with a close springy sward, and
increasing in height and fantastic formation as we advanced
to the southward. At every step new objects of curiosity
and wonder presented themselves to our astonished view.
The breeze had considerably moderated; and though the
atmosphere was but moderately clear, an immense expanse
of ocean was extended before us, in sombre majesty, un-
whitened by a sail. The steady gaze upon the wide expanse,
terminating in the impenetrable haze which blended sea and
sky, and to which fancy, for the moment, lent additional
and immeasurable distance, was as the futile and presump-
tions attempt of mortal ken to penetrate into "eternity's
dread space." But the proximate objects and appearances
in this strange locality claimed even a deeper and more en-
during attention. The water is here of a light blue tint,
with a tinge approaching to that of bright green of the
emerald, and so beautifully clear that the bottom may be dis-
tinctly seen to a considerable depth when the surface is qui-
escent, or rises only in unbroken swells. At one point the
rocks of Duganna, a dangerous reaf, partly uncovered when
the tide is down, stretch out to the westward, in treacherous
irregularity,
th e
surge. their tops,jia.ghgeewdaves
rolled n ow
carelesslyseen , ait
ad
,au
an
ionns
twt hh eeltned
beneath rug-
ged and diversified shore, breaking alternately at various points,
now climbing the stony or shelving. beach, and now buffetting
the walling rocks, their rushing din prolonged amidst the bays
and cavernous recesses along their precipitous sides; and this