Vol. V.J

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

wooden-bridge and the river Liffey, form a moft delightful valley.

The town of Lucan is fmall, very neat, and clean, and, in the fummer, much inhabited by perfons reforting there for the benefit of the fpa, and for whofe accommodation there has been an excellent hotel erected within these three years, in addition to the many lodging-houfes already in the town.

About a mile weftward of Lucan is another neat and beautiful village, called Leixlip, principally inhabited by an humble fet of people, who, in addition to their induftry in husbandry, let lodgings in the fummer feason, to fuch perfons as refort there for the benefit of the Lucan Spa, and thus obtain a decent livelihood; there is, in this town, a good inn or tavern, for travellers, and a poft-office.

The caftle of Leixlip is an old plain brick building, partly gothic, formerly the 'feat of General Sandford, now moftly occupied as a barrack. The grounds being diverfified by feveral hills are extremely, beautiful, and the entrance to them from the town of Leixlip exceedingly fo; in a part of this demefne is a molt beautiful and remarkable fpot, called the Salmon Leap, to which you approach from the caftle, by a walk at the fide of the river, richly fhadowed by old oak, beech, and afh trees. This falmon leap is a waterfall, or rather cataract, occafioned by a rock which in that place runs across the channel of the river Liffey, about eighteen feet high; the top of this ridge of rocks is paffable when the water is low, and with the affiftance of a ruined arch, a communication is formed with the oppofite fide of the river, the feat of Charles Croker, Efq. the breadth of the whole is about one hundred and eighty feet. In floods which fall from the mountains, this cataract's height is fometimes encreafed to thirty feet. The falmon generally begin to run in March or April, and to return in Auguft and September, when many perfons frequent this place to fee them leap. Soon as they arrive at the bortom of the fall, they rife juft above the water for near half a minute, as if to obferve the height and distance, then finking, they prefently dart ftraight up from the furface, fhaking their fins and tails with a quick motion, and often clear the leap at the first spring; but frequent ly the force of the falling water throws them back upon the shelving rocks, from whence they leap back agam, and wait fome time before they make a fecond attempt. The writer of these fheets, upon

549

the twenty-fifth day of Auguft, 1797, faw upwards of one hundred falmon leap this fall in the space of two hours. Thefe fith are taken in great abundanse near Dublin, by Sir William Worthington, proprietor of a falmon-fishery there, from whence the citizens of Dublin are mostly at all times fupplied with live falmon, of nearly whatever fize they fend for, at fixpence per pound, the more efpecially if fuch is befpoke in the preceding evening of the day they are wanted.

Upon that fide of the river Liffey, oppofite to this cataract, is the feat of Charles Croker, Efq. highly decorated, and laid out to the beft advantage. Upon the file of a richly planted hill, almost immediately oppofite the fall, is erected a very handfome gothic temple, which commands a full view of the falmon leap, and adds much to the beauty of this charming fcene; here is alfo a rural cottage, to which many companies refort, and bring refreshments. Fishing nets are placed in this cottage, fo as to form window-curtains in feftoons; the utmost liberality is granted to ladies and gentlemen, to ride or drive through thefe grounds.

At the diftance of about half a mile from this place is the celebrated mantion of the Right Hon. Thomas Conolly, at Caftletown, nine miles weft from Dublin. Permiffion is given to all decent perfons to drive through this demeine, which extends above three miles in different directions, the one is towards the town of Maynooth, the other towards the town of Celbridge; but the only time at which the public is permitted to view the boufe is upon Sundays, between the hours of eleven and three o'clock; but permiffion is given at any time to ladies or gentlemen who make application for that pur pofe. The houfe is a moft fplendid manfion, large and fpacious, the stair-cafe exceedingly magnificent, the great faloon very fuperb, and containing many fine paintings, with fome excellent fculpture; at each fide of the houfe the out-offices are connected by a femicircular colonade; the afcent to the hall door is by grand ftone steps, about twenty in number, fifty feet wide, and a balustrade at each fide, projecting boldly from the houfe into the lawn; upon each fide of the hall door, when you afcend these steps, is a green garden chair, each capable of affording reft to fix perfons. The architect to this building was Cafells, who fome years fince erected many of the best buildings in Dublin, and its vicinity. Within thefe few years, Lady Louifa Conolly,

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Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

wife to the prefent proprietor, and fifter to the prefent Duke of Richmond, has erected a moft fpacious piggery, adjoining to the houfe, planned with the greateft neatnefs and convenience for the breed of that fpecies of animal, containing feveral hundreds of beautifully-mottled and ftriped fwine, of very curious colours.

Mr. Conolly, the prefent proprietor, was twenty-two years a member of the British Parliament; and, fome years fince, was fo attached to horfe-racing, and the breed of that noble animal, as to be nick-named, as is the phrafe in Ireland, Tom Turf. Mr. Conolly has always borne a moft amiable character, as the friend of his country, and of the poor in general, but more particularly the poor in his neighbourhood; yet, ftrange to tell, a plot was lately difcovered, of an intention being formed to affaffinate this good man, in confequence of which, a corporals' guard have, for many months paft, and to this hour do duty every night in this houfe, for his protection.

Near this manfion is the town of Celbridge, which I have before mentioned, a neat village, and though hitherto very unufual, it is like most places now in Ireland, fprinkled with the military. At the extremity of this village is the country feat of Doctor Marlay, now Bishop of Waterford; and as it is with the greateft civility permitted to be feen, is extremely well worth the attention of perfons vifiting the environs of Dublin. The outfide of the houfe is gothic, executed in a ftile of peculiar neatnefs; the rooms are fmail, very handfomely furnished, and the Bishop has, in his collection, feveral very excellent pictures, fome of which are antique. The grounds are planted with infinite variety, and through their centre runs a bold body of the river Liffey, over which is a rural bridge, built in imitation of a ruin, and has a very picturefque effect; the whole of the lawns, gravel walks, &c. are kept in the neatcft manner.

From this you can proceed in another direction, through Caftletown demefne, and about one mile beyond which, you turn off the great road into a part of the Duke of Leinster's extenfive demefne, in the county of Kildare, called Carton, through which all genteel perfons have liberty to ride and drive. This demefne is upwards of five miles in length, and nearly the fame in breadth, well watered, and richly planted; there are, in different parts of it, fome handfome ftone bridges, neatly executed, with baluftrades and other ornaments. The house is large,

[Sup

roomy, and convenient, which appe
have been more attended to in this build-
ing than ornament. The different no-
blemen and gentlemen, in the neighbour-
hood of Carton, have keys to open all the
gates in the private parts of thefe grounds;
and at all thofe parts where the public
have permiffion to drive, perfons attend,
in porter's lodges, at every gate, for their
accommodation.

At the western part of this extenfive demefne, an avenue of about one mile long and about two hundred feet wide, planted on either fide by oak and elm trees, conducts you into the town of Maynooth, moftly inhabited by the Duke of Leinfter's tenantry. Here is a manufactory for garters; a few gentlemen's country feats, and, now erecting, upon a piece of ground, prefented for that pur pofe by his grace, a college, for the education of the Roman Catholic youths of Ireland, agreeable to a charter lately obtained from the Irish Parliament.

Through this town a paffage-boat daily paffes from Kilcock to Dublin, upon the Royal Canal, which carries you through a very delightful country, and forms, together with thofe places I have just defcribed, a most beautiful circuitous tour of the western part of the country round Dublin.

Before I quit this Royal Canal, I must acquaint my readers of a curious and ludicrous circumftance which this Canal occafioned in the year 1794.-The company of undertakers of this work, in forming an aqueduct near Leixlip, which is indeed a very mafterly production, difcovered a mineral fpa, for fome months much followed and ufed by many, who conceived they felt more benefit from it, in fcrophulous and fuch-like diforders, than they had from the long-established Lucan fpa; many of the faculty gave it a very excellent report, and it was rifing daily into high repute. A very eminent phyfician (Doctor Purcell), now living in Dublin, and practising in the fummit of his profeffion, had ordered a jar of this water to be fent to him, that he might analize it; accordingly a jar of this spa was given to a man, to take to the doctor, but the fellow, on his way to Dublin, drank too much whiskey, and broke the jar before he arrived at the doctor's; and fearful of much blame, he, and a few of his companions, procured another, and filled it with pure fpring water, faying, "By Jafus, it's all fudge, man, it's all conceit of thefe grandees, one water is as good as another." This being agreed

upon,

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Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

upon, the pure fpring water was left at the doctor's, and he having attempted to analize it, declared that, in his opinion, it poffeffed nothing more than a simplespring. This report fpread abroad, the faculty were uproarious, an examination enfued, and Paddy, who feared he should be hanged, confeffed the whole affair; thus this new fpa, where a pump was erected, and which was daily reforted to by hundreds, for fome months, is only to be, heard of now in confequence of this fine pump prefenting itself to view, like a fo.. litary gibbet.

Having given an account of the environs of the western part of Dublin, for a diftance of ten or eleven miles, I fhall now proceed to defcribe thofe of the north-eaft.

The first and principal place in that direction, is the feat of Lord Charlemont, at Marino, about two miles diftant from Dublin, the once-beautiful Marino, which about twenty years ago was in its meridian of decoration, the pride of its noble proprietor, and the delight of every fpectator, at once pleafed with the peculiar beauty of fituation, as well as the uncommon talte difplayed in the variety of the plantations.

Part of the lawn, or rather meadow ground, begins at the fide of the road, rifing immediately from the fea-fhore, in a gradual afcent, for near a mile. Near the road is the dwelling-houfe, which is plain, and very indifferent, merely a country-lodge, built of brick, and plaistered with common lime and fand; but about half a mile farther, upon a rifing ground, is a piece of architecture, which may juftly be deemed a chef d'ouvre in that fcience; it is built of Portland-ftone, in the Doric order, highly decorated as that order will permit, almost every moulding is richly carved; it has four grand fronts, all differing a little from each other, yet preferving a chafte connection. There are infulated columns in each front, in the proportion of three feet diameter; the attic ftory, in which no windows are to be feen from the lawn, is enlivened, partly by well-difpofed balustrades, and partly by a broad projecting ornamented cornice, with pediments on the eaft and weft fronts, and by ornamefited tablets, in the

north and fouth fronts.

On each fide of these tablets is placed a ftatue, as large as life; in the north front are the ftatues of Bacchus and Ceres, and in the fouth those of Apollo and Venut; above these, and over the tablets, fand the two principal chimnies of the

551

building, which are richly fculptured vafes, about four feet high, having an uncommonly light and beautiful appearance. The area round the building, between thofe places where you afcend by steps, is alfo enlivened by a baluftrade, elevated upon a plinth and bafe, about twelve inches from the lawn.

The infide of this edifice, which, upon the principal floor, contains a veftibule, faloon, a ftudy, and a boidore, feems to have been commenced with all the magnificence of eaftern fplendor: the floors are all inlaid woods of various colours, forming geometrical figures, the doors, which are all folding, are compofed of cedar on the one fide and mahogany on the other, both empannelled, and the mouldings round the pannels richly carv ed: the boidore is decorated with fome compartments of looking-glafs placed in the wall, round which is fome light and elegant ftucco work of various fruits and flowers, branching a little upon the furface of the glafs, and all, as I was informed, were intended to be painted fo as to reprefent nature there is in this room a moft exquifite marble chimney-piece, of a small fize, but highly fculptured with correfponding fruits, flowers, and shells.

a

The ceiling of the library, or ftudy, is formed by a sky-coloured dome, in frieze, round the bottom of which is reprefented the twelve figns of the zodiac, in plaifter-of-paris, basso-relievo.

Five miles beyond Marino, and fix from Dublin, to which there is an excellent road with fome pleasant villas at either fide, is the ancient caitle of Malahide, now and long inhabited by the Talbot family. This cattle was formerly a place of great ftrength and fortified, it is fituated in a very pleasant country, rich in verdure, and has a fine view of the sea and the adjacent lands; there is in the castle a very antique room with many antient ornaments, as alfo a very large faloon wainscotted and floored with old Irish oak.

The family of the Talbots enjoy many grants and prerogatives, fuch as importing coals and other merchandize duty free into Malahide, where there is a small harbour. The father of the prefent proprietor, about fifteen years fince, pleaded his patent in exemption of ferving the office of high-sheriff of the county of Dublin, which was allowed; the prefent Mr. Talbot nevertheless ferved that ofyears fince. fice a few

About two miles beyond Malahide, and eight from Dublin, is that grand pro

montory

Tour in the Vicinity of Dublin.

Remarkable Perfons deccafed, with Biographical Memoirs, contained in

this Volume.

So Mawby, Sir J. 232 Methold, Mrs.

388 Pinnell

396 Pochin

388 Poland, King of 200

230 Powell

70 Prichard

The VIEW of the INDIA-HOUSE fhould face the Title.

Communications to the Monthly Magazine, addreffed to Mr. PHILLIPS, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-yard, are thankfully received.