Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-09-02
Ancient Domain Of the Desi Family
Is Now Home Of the
Beresfords.
Lismore Castle and Mount MeIIeray
Abbey Among Show
Places.
SCENERY IS QUITE DIVERSIFIED

Waterford is one of the most
southern counties in ireland. The
Atlantic ocean stretches along its
entire southern boundary. To the
north is Kilkenny and Tipperary,
while on the west is Cork and to the
east is Wexford. The county is fifty
miles long and twenty-five miles
broad and has an area of 721 square
miles. The population is in the
neighborhood of $4,000. A broad
district, extending east and west.
from near Portlaw to Macollop, is al
most uninterruptedly mountainous:
In the middle this mountain chain
stretches across almost the entire
county from Clonmel to Dungarvan.
That large part of the county lying
south and east of this highland tract
is mixture of gentle hills and dales.
For the most part the coast line OF
Waterford is rocky, inhospitable and
dangerous. Several sandy bays and
stretches of sandy coast interrupt the
rocky margin; but the coast is, on
the whole, not much indented by
bays and harbors. Waterford harbor
separates Waterford from. Wexford.
Off this is Dunmore Bay, with cliffs
pierced by numerous caves. Water
ford is well watered by rivers and
streams. Among them are the
Blackwater, the Tourig, the Owbeg,
the Bride, the Glenmore, the Owen
nashad and the Glenshelane rivers.
Bally Tough, about half a mile long,
lies between Waterford harbor and
UNro -
many lakes in the county. Coum-
shingaum, one of the .grandest lakes
in Ireland, lies in a chasm on the
side of the highest part of the
Comeragh mountains. On one side
of the lake is a wall of rock 1 900
feet high. The two Comeragh
Loughs and Crotty's Tough are quite
close at hand.
Waterford is rich in minerals and
the copper mines of Knockmahon, at
the mouth of Mahon, were worked
long and successfully. They were
very productive, but English laws
long ago forced the abandonment of
work on the mines. When Ireland
gets home rule there is no doubt that
the mines will be reopened.
Waterford, from which the county
takes its name, is the largest town,
and is noted for it's beautiful quay.
1t has a population of 10000. Other
thriving little towns in the county
are Dunmore, Carrickbeg, Passage
East, Cappoquin, Tallow, Lismore,
Dungaryan, Kilmacthomas and Ira
more. Lismore is situated in the
midst of splendid and beautiful
scenery, with Lismore Castle beside
1t, on the top of a cliff over the
Blackwater. 1t has population of
1900. The town dates it's origin
from a monastery founded there in
the sixth century by st. Carthach,
and ii became one of Ireland's most
important religious centers. On the
slope of the mountains over Cap
poquin is the famous abbey of the
Trappists, Mount Melleray.
Waterford formed a part of the
ancient sub-kingdom of Ormond. The
country of the southern Desi
anciently included nearly the whole
county of Waterford, as it extended
from Lismore to Credan Head, and
from the SUR southwark to the sea.
It's name Is now preserved by the
two baronies of Decies. Only short
time ago Lord Decies, an Irish Peer,
married a daughter Of the Gould fam
lily in New York.
One of the splendid show places
of Ireland is the magnificent demesne
of Curraghmore. IL covers nearly
5000 acres of ground and is the seat
of the Peers, or Beresfords, the Mar
quises of Waterford. The mansion on
the demesne was erected in the year
100 on the site OF an ancient castle
of the Ormonds.
Lismore, which in English means
the great fort" was one of the
most noted seats OF learning in Ire
land when that island was the great
school for all Europe. II was there
that Alfred the Great, King of Eng
land, was educated. The principal
feature of the place today is the cas-
tie, which stands on the site OF a
famous university. The old castle
still stands on the bank OF the Black
water, and is at present owned by the
Duke of Deyonshire.