The Castle of Macroom.

Crookstown.

355

This place came into the Crook family in 1641. It previously belonged to the Clancartys, who, however, forfeited it in the rebellion. It is a pretty place, and is adorned with several country seats. Among those, and undoubtedly the finest, is Warren's Court. This demesne possesses a miniature Killarney, well stocked with wild fowl. It is occasionally open to visitors in summer time. Just outside the Station is an old castle, used as a shooting lodge by the Earl of Bandon. It was built by Diarmid Oge M'Carthy. Near it, but on the other side, is Lissarda Castle, an ivy-covered ruin, formerly the residence of the Baldwins.

Dooniskey.

Here the tourist crosses the Lee for the first time. The view of Coolgower Bridge is very charming. A little beyond this the rivers Lany and Sullane unite and fall into the Lee. Soon we enter Macroom, first crossing the Sullane and the Lany, and passing Mashera Mountain, opposite the station.

Macroom,

prettily situated in the basin of the Sullane, is not very remarkable except as a centre for race-meetings and sportsmen. The Castle is said to have been built by the Carews, in King John's reign. It afterwards belonged to the M'Carthys. It held out stubbornly against Elizabeth's soldiers, under Sir Charles Wilmot, but was obliged to yield, owing to an accidental conflagration, and the Lord of Muskery, its castellan, "falling down upon his knees he humbly (and indeed more passionately than I have seene any) besought her Majestie's mercie.” He was restored to favour. All this happened in 1602. The castle was again burned in 1641. Only the square keep now remains. It, however, is very picturesque, being completely covered with ivy. This castle is supposed to have been the birthplace of Admiral Sir William Penn, father of the founder of Pennsylvania.

The railway does not go further than Macroom. The traveller pursues his journey by car. There are two roads to choose from, but the scenery of the north road is the most picturesque and romantic. The

first remarkable spot we pass is the ruined Castle of Carrig-a-Phcoka (Demon Rock). This is a solitary tower, perched on the brow of an almost inaccessible rock. Like many other strongholds in the neighbourhood, it belonged to the M'Carthys, but was lost in the rebellion of 1641.

Soon we reach the Garra Valley, through which runs the river Toon. This delightful little river forms a number of small wooded islets, well stocked with game.

"Above in the wind was the swallow,

Chasing itself at its own wild will,

And far through the marish green and still

The tangled water-courses slept,

Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow."

Towards

"Tangled water-courses" well describes the Toon. In this part of its course it forms a perfect network of small streamlets. the north rises the Grianan-a long ridge of rocks.

We now pass the Castle of Dundarierke—another M'Carthy fortress-just above the confluence of the Toon and the Lee, and the ruins of Carrig-na-curra (or Wier Rock).

Inchigeela.

The tourist is advised, if he be an angler, to make this his headquarters for a few days, as lakes in the neighbourhood are well stocked with fish.

Ballingeary.

Here may be seen the ruins of a very primitive church-that of Agha-ruis; also a circular stone fort, with subterranean crypt and passages.

Nearer Gougane Barra are two dallan stones, one of which has been overthrown, while the other is still upright. "How long have these lonely sentinels kept watch on the mountain side? How many strange vicissitudes have they seen? How many secrets known?"

Gougane Barra.

This wildly beautiful spot, surrounded by lofty and precipitous mountains, is the source of the river Lee.

The hollow in which the lake lies is apparently of volcanic origin.

The Lonely Lake and Lonely Isle of Gougane Barra. 357 The little island in the centre of the lake is covered with ruins of various buildings. In ancient days this was one of the holy places of Ierne (itself the holy). For centuries throngs of pilgrims visited it yearly, and still they crowd there on the day of its patron saint, Finn Barr (June 12th). It was he who, in the sixth century, founded the convent and oratory. The holy well of St. Finn Barr is celebrated for its cures, the water being said to possess very miraculous qualities of healing.

The buildings on the island consist of a chapel and oratory, with an eight-celled covered cloister for the reception of pilgrims. They are in a very ruinous condition. The grave of Father O'Mahony, who resided for many years on the island, keeping order among its sometimes rather unruly visitors, may be seen on the mainland, near the causeway which connects the island with the shore. He lived here for twenty-eight years, from 1700 till his death in 1728.

It is almost impossible to conceive a scene more wildly magnificent than the surroundings of the holy isle of Gougane Barra, as it stands lone and desolate, embosomed in the lake, and scattered over with grey lichen-clad heaps of masonry, telling their own tale and bringing back the memories of the holy anchorite who loved to seclude himself from the world, in order that he might more fully devote himself to the labour of love which the early Christian missionary felt bound to undertake; and surely there could not be a scene more fitting. Shut out as if from mortal ken, encompassed on three sides by an amphitheatre of giant hills, down which pour numerous streams, in summer silver threads, in winter foaming cataracts-the tributary offerings to the lake, whence the river Lee derives its source.

South of Gougane Barra is the mountain of Dereen (little oakwood). Next to it, and more to the west, comes Moelagh, and beyond it Coomruadh (red glen). The next peak is Nad-an-uillar (the Eagle's Nest), and then Faoilte-na-Gougane (cliffs of Gougane), with its precipitous sides and echoing recesses. These mountains are from 1700 to 1800 feet high. Although difficult of ascent, the scaler will be amply rewarded for his pains by the splendid view he will enjoy on reaching the top. Dereen is the easiest of access.

Keim-an-eigh (The Pass of Deer).

The pass of Keim-an-eigh, or Path of the Deer, about two miles in length, is a deep cleft, as if a mountain had been split from base to summit by some convulsion of nature, and is, without exception, the

most sternly grand defile in Ireland, but a scene of utter loneliness where no song of bird or hum of bee breaks the monotonous stillness— save where the ripple of numerous sparkling rills course down the side of the acclivities, and uniting their pigmy forces, they form themselves into a rugged channel, the first tributary offering to the river Lee. Immense masses of rock seemingly poised in air, almost perpendicularly on either side, clothed with stunted arbutus, rowan tree, yew, and holly, while huge projecting cliffs ever and anon seem threatening to bar the visitor's progress; and as you proceed, each succeeding step appears to increase the difficulties of the path; sometimes as you look upwar ds the lordly eagle may be discerned winging his way homeward to his eyrie in solitary grandeur. From the narrow roadway through the defile, amongst the mossy and lichen-clad hollows, the blue flowers of the wild violet occasionally peep forth, and the wood sorrel is seen nestling its bright leaves and pale blossoms, while festoons of ivy cling from rock to rock, intervening with sprays of honeysuckle, and tufts of London pride in great luxurance do not fail to attract attention. Here it was the outlawed O'Sullivans and O'Learys kept watch and ward, defying for years the power of the Saxon invader; later on the curling smoke of the illicit still could be discerned rising at early morn from deep clefts among the rocks, far from the power of the myrmidons of the law. In the year 1822 a strong party of adherents to Captain Rock held possession for a considerable time of the pass. At length Lord Bantry with his brother, Captain White, and a contingent of military, undertook the task of dislodging them, and after an unsuccessful search, while returning, it was found the Rockite party had, in the meantime, with infinite labour, loosened one of the large overhanging boulders, with the intention of blocking up the pass and preventing the retreat of his lordship and party; but fortunately it did not fall until after they had passed through; thus their destruction was most happily prevented.

Killarney,

in Irish Cill-airneadh, the Church of the Sloes, is a town consisting of four principal streets, and a number of lanes inhabited by people of the poorer class, who, as a rule, make a living by the manufacture and sale of fancy work in bog oak and arbutus wood.

The place itself contains no building of any interest or importance, if we except the magnificent Roman Catholic cathedral for the diocese of Kerry, which is said to be one of the happiest designs of the late Mr