CHAP. V. WE left Cachel (Cashel) and breakfasted at Solohoye 44 ( ) eight miles on our way, having remained six days at Cachel, owing to the Rev. Father Ryan, who took us, with the two Spanish Doctors to visit at many of his friends' houses about the town. From Solohoye, we arrived at Limmerick, the strongest fortress in Ireland.45 It has a castle, and a harbour, where large vessels can anchor; the quay is very fine. The river is called Joues.46 There is a house of Jesuits, and convents of Dominicans 47 44 Can this be Sulchoid? mentioned in Seward's Hibernian Gazetteer, but which I have vainly hunted for on various maps of Ireland. "From Sulchath, or the place of battle," says Seward, "situated not far from Limerick, being a plain nearly surrounded by mountains, and frequently mentioned in different periods of Irish history as a noted part for the encampment of armies."-C. 45 The correctness of our traveller's estimate of the military importance of Limerick was proved in less than fifty years afterwards, during the struggle between James II. and William III. for the crown of England.-C. 46 Joues, must mean the Shannon. The printer has probably converted the manuscript Sones, into Joues.-C. 47 A monastery for the Dominicans was founded at Limerick in 1227, by Donogh Carbrac O'Brien, Prince of Thomond. "The Abbey and its possessions were granted at the suppression to James, Earl of Desmond; and on the attainder of that family, to the Corporation of Limerick. In 1644, while the city was in the and Soccolantes.48 In this city there are great numbers of profligate women; which I could not have believed, on account of the climate.49 hands of the Roman Catholics, Pope Innocent X. erected this house into a University. It was soon, however, converted to other purposes. In 1679, Government took a lease of part of its site for one hundred years, on which a barrack was built capable of containing eight hundred men." No vestige of either building now remains. In 1780, the Dominicans opened a small chapel in Fish Lane; and in 1815 a more considerable structure, of which a view is given in Fitzgerald's and M'Gregor's Limerick, ii. 542. Further particulars respecting the Dominican Order in Limerick may be found in the same volume, pp. 570-573.-C. 48 A house for the Franciscans was founded in Limerick by William de Burgo in the thirteenth century. It was situated on the east side of the city, outside of the walls, and on the suppression was granted to Edmund Sexton. "But the Friars continued to rent the church; and in 1687 they repossessed themselves of the Abbey, from which they were again ejected after the Revolution, and the old County Court House and County Hospital were built on its site in the last century."-Fitzgerald's and M'Gregor's Limerick, ii. 573, 574.-C. 49 The beauty of the Limerick lasses has long been celebrated; but the general and serious charge made in the text, is, it is to be hoped, as inaccurate as our traveller's mode of rendering Irish local names. Appearances are often deceptive; though certainly a satirical poet has exclaimed, in an ironical tone, "O! what a dainty fine charming town Limerick is, Where neither sly nor slippery slim trick is!" And again, "Our wives behind counters not saucy nor slatterns are, For meekness, politeness, and goodness they patterns are, It would do your heart good on the Mall, where they walk at eve, See Anthologia Hibernica, vol. i. p. 142.-C. D Tam Neuel [Tom Neville] with whom I had joined in company at Doublin to perform this journey, was caught by the artifice of these damsels, who robbed him one night of his money. In the morning he came to throw himself at my feet, saying, "O my good French gentleman, until now I have not made myself known to you; I implore you to credit what I assert, and not to abandon me. Know then that I am a native of Korq [Cork], that by travelling in France, Spain, and England, for the last ten or twelve years I had been enabled to accumulate sufficient from my industry in trade, to make an honourable 50 retreat from business; when unfortunately I embarked again in the same pursuits, and having taken ship for England, fell into the hands of the Parliamentarians, who took from me all I had. With difficulty was I able to save some rings, by the sale of which I have got as far as this City, and as misfortune never comes alone, I have again been robbed last night of the little remaining to me; so that I have no hope except in your kindness, and though I am distant but three days journey 51 from 50 "Honneste."-T. In Latin honestus, from which is derived our English word honest; but among us the term "honesty" has a somewhat different import from its kindred French expression, which refers rather to what is becoming and well bred, than to what is simply honest in the matter-of-fact sense. Malhonnete means impolite, and has no reference at all to pounds, shillings, and pence. The term honi, indicates a feeling of shame rather than any consciousness of unfair dealing. "Honi soit qui," &c.-M. 51 Now commonly performed between breakfast and dinner time; my native place, I find myself in a state of destitution. For the remainder, fear not to trust me, as my father is one of the richest merchants in Korq; his dwelling resembles rather a palace than a private house. If you pass that way, you would see how he would receive you; he, and all my relations. You must have seen by my conduct since I have had the honour of being in your company that I am no sharper." I told him that he should want nothing to enable him to return to his native place. "While I have any money you shall share it with me; we must look on the misfortunes we are visited by from above, as sent for our correction. You ought to have made this reflection, and your first misfortune would have shielded you from your subsequent calamity." We left Limmerik, and came to breakfast at Chamdelesse [ ] eight miles off. Half a league from this castle is the birth place of Mr. Dulée [Daly ?]52 Doctor of Sorbonne, and Professor in the University of Paris. Many worthy persons made enquiry after him. Then we dined at Malagué [Kilmallock] 53 and slept in a castle; distant sixteen miles from Limmerik. and when the much-talked-of railroad is completed, it will be done in what an Irishman would call "less than no time."-C. 52 Can this be the celebrated Dominican Daniel Daly born in 1595, and who died in 1662? See Note IX. in Appendix.-C. 53 Termed "the Balbec of Ireland." Castle is the phrase used for a stone house, in which sense Kilmallock may have been justly described as a town of castles.-C. The next day we slept at Castlemagner,54 thirteen miles, a small town, whence we went to dine at Mala [Mallow] a considerable fortress,55 and having performed thirteen miles slept at Korq [Cork] that evening. Having arrived here, Tam Neuel [Tom Neville] of whom I have before spoken, led me to his father's house. He knocked at the door, when a well looking man appeared, and demanded what we wanted. Tam Neuel desired to know whether John Neuel was at home. The man replied, that he knew no such person. Neuel insisting that the house belonged to the person for whom he had asked, was told, that it belonged to an English captain, who had it on the seclusion of the Catholics from the town.56 He was surprised to find events so deplorable had occurred to his family. I sympathised with him, and observed "since things were thus, we must seek a lodging, as the night was coming on." "O Mister Frenchman," he said, "you cannot 54 In the county of Cork; and at the period of our traveller's visit, its castle was the seat of Richard Magner, agent for the Irish inhabitants of Orrery and Kilmore; who is still popularly remembered from his having outwitted Cromwell. See Note X. in Appendix.-C. 55 Although the castle of Mallow, which commanded the bridge across the Blackwater, may have appeared an important post in the warfare of the period, it never was, neither was the town "a considerable fortress" at any time.-C. 56 This is one of the many obscure transactions in Irish history. See Note XI. in Appendix.-C. |