Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-29


| An Interesting Letter.
Cork, Ireland. Oct. 15.-Editol
ARGUS: Leaving Dublin by rail we
passed along the famous Bog of Allen
and very near to Pallas, once a vii
lage. now a mere collection of huts
] the birthplace of Oliver Goldsmith
and the Deserted Village of hi:
| famous poem.
| With the exception of the mountain
ranges along the sea coast. the greater
part of central and southern ireland
is fiat; with here and there "A hill
crowned with picturesque old ruin
Grain-raising has been almost en-
tirely abandoned in the great central
plain, and the fields that Stretched
out on both sides of us rs far as we
could see, were dotted with grazing
cattle and flocks of sheep. We passed
great tracts of bog land. where the
people were cutting the turf, which
was in many places from D to 8 feet
thick. The cabins along the way
were very pretty as well as odd, with
their matched roofs, clean, white
washed walls. and vines draping
every window and doorway. The
grass in ireland is a green that 1
have never seen anywhere else,
bright and beautiful, well worthy to
be distinctive national color.
We stopped at Limerick. at the
mouth of the Shannon, and after a
hurried look at the old town, with it's
castle and famous treaty stone, we
went on to Groom, typical Irish viii
laoe, a few miles south. Here we
visited the ruins of Farnstone castle,
and the fine estate of Sir David Roach.
Groom has also one of the best pre-
served of the numerous round towers
that are found throughout Ireland,
relics of the old heather days when
the sun and the moon were wor-
shipped. 1t is strange to stand and
look at this old tower. and to think
that it is older than any church in
Great Britain, even older than chris
tianity itself.
After leaving Groom we crossed
the track of the famous moving bog.
which has recently travelled several
miles, and is now bearing down on
the village of Baltimore. Soon the
rounded and graceful mountains be-
gan to increase in number, and before
long Killarney, the gem of south Ire
land. was reached.
The lake region of Killarney, in
County Kerry, is the most beautiful
spot in Ireland. and indeed some
travellers say in the British Isles.
Here we find grouped together in one
days ride, every possible variety of
the wild, the majestic and the beau
tiful. Nothing can be more beautiful
than Sweet Innisfallen," the island
in the lower lake, which is a perfect
paradise of groves, glades and bowers.
Nothing can be wilder than the Gap
of Dunloe, or surpass in soft lovliness
the beauty of the lakes. Ross castle,
ut the head of the lower lake, is fine
ruin, and from its tower one has a
splendid view of the lake with its
80 islands. On the south shore of the
lake are the ruins of Muckross abbey,
which was founded in 1440 by Donald
Mccarthy. prince of Desmond. 1t is
a beautiful ruin, oyerrun with ivy
and lowering shrubs. 1t had n fine
chapel, chancel and cloister which are
still well preserved. The chapel is
full of tombs dating back 500 years,
but the roof is gone and the rain of
many years has beat upon them. In
the midst of the cloister grows n
huge view tree, which dsrkens the
whole place, and speaks silently of
the changes that time brings. The
vegetation of this entire region is rich
and varied; the arbutus attains to
great size here. and the bright hedges
of fuchsia grow with tropical luxur-
lance.
On 10 Bantry.
Leaving Killarney we had before us
a 50-mile drive by coach to Bantry.
1t would be futile To describe the beau
ties of the country through which we
passed. The scenery of Switzerland
NAV be grander, but we have seen
nothing that compares with the quiet
beauty of the lakes and fords of Kerry.
We skirted the lake and obtained
fine view of the whole region from a
hill near the end of the upper lake
At bend in the road 10 miles out we
caught our last view of Killarney,
which was revealed in n picture indie
scribably beautiful. Kenmare is soon
reached, and from there the road
winds down hills and through cut
tinos, with lovely views of the valley,
until Is miles further on it dips down
into the fairv-like nook of Glengarriff.
From here the road winds around the
indented shore at the head of Bantry
Bay. with the sugar-loaf and the Caha
ruoursains visible across its blue wa
fers TO the west.
We found Cork at the mouth of the
River Lee. to be pretty as well as
busy city; with its great mills dis
..t1-. .nI S.,iD- buildiun vards