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

SKEI

OF TEII

A. VISIT TO KILICEE

forenoon
,of the day of our arrival at Kilrush was

loud with occasional rain

nd a brisk and rather chilly

.Iver, with whom I was associated .qn-, board the
several of whom were like myself strangers in tht
were anxious to avail themselves of their proximity
'arkable and highly interesting bathing-place of
about thirteen ”":'
r awaiting

trin-go

les dist,

.y it a visit, and

for some hours a favourable change, the day
3ecorning rather brighter, though still cloudy and menacing,
t 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 ourchance 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

of sufficien
Ireland,

and giving no promise to an Engiisn eve
ocver to accomplish a third of the journey. In
they manage these matters without being

ho Fever,

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 be 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 SE

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 rightabout. 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
eround. 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
he 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
If the hardiness and endurance of an I, - being un-

sn hors.
justifiably low. We all, however, enjoyed that buoyancy of
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. Sibthorpe, " 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
bill, 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 " cratur" 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 Scegh,
rendered the more gloomy by its being a depot for turf col-
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
lle 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 turf, 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 had 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, Scc.