Aubry de la Mottraye

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1.

I'll add only few Remarks on Irland whereby i'll finish this Vol. I might go thither from hence in short Time it being near at hand, but I did not till 1729, from Rotterdam, & imbark'd in the Beginning of August for Corke, where I had promised long before James Jeffreys Esquire, who is Governour thereof, to go and pay him here one Day a visite.

2.

The Ship wherein I imbark'd sail'd the 6th. of August, old Style, from Rotterdam to Helvoetsluys where we staid till the 10th. for a fair wind, it then blew so but small, we got however in 4 Days as 7 or 8 Miles beyond Dover and a Calm forced us to anchor towards the Evening in Folton-Bay, we staid there till the 15th. when it began to blow easterly tho weakly & carry'd us under the Island of Wight (the Vectis of the Ancients) where we were becalm'd againe till the 16th. when it blow the fame a new and we got on the 17th. before Noon Licard-Point, their Ocrinum Promentorium, it strenghting we went  p.465  Caps du Lezard et de Cornouaille, Cork, &c. towards night as far as Cap. Cornwall or Land's End (the Bolearium Prom. of of the Ancients,) avoiding (as much the South West it blew then permitted), the Stags which we were not above a Muskett-Shot from, those Rocks so fatal to the Lord Belhaven ¹ who was lost here against some Years agoe with all the Men in the Ship which was carrying him to Jamaica, we held the midle betwen other Rocks much distant from them Westward call'd Silly-Islands (their Cassiterides) where Admiral Shovel had met before with the like fate) ² and the Wolf a blind Rock which lies some what under Land's End, with Bresun (their Lisia higher up, there is not much above 50 Miles from hence to Tyntagel. Westerly Wind which blew harder and harder & kept us off from Silli-Rocks might carry us with that from the South against others Rocks call'd the Bishop and his Clarks which are not less dangerous, had it not turn'd some what from South to East as the Night was become dark and the Wind very strong, we lessened our Sails; the next Day morning the weather having cleared up we saw Land on both sides of the Irish Sea viz. those Rocks or rather Saint Davids Head in Wales and the Irish Coast, we got towards the Evening into Cork's Channel were the River Lea, (al. Luvius) discharges in the Irish Sea or rather this seems to go and meet it 6 or 7 Miles higer up. This Channel is broad and long, we pass'd first by the Bullock and Calf (2 small Islands which we left on our right hand) so going on we did some considerable Remains of old Castles which are call'd commonly King John's Castles & thought to have been built by him; there is none now even in Cork kept in a Condition of Defence since the last Reduction of Irland; we came to an Anchor betwen 9 and 10 a'Clock before Cow (a small market Town about 7 Miles below Cork).

3.

We went up the next morning to Passage, a good Village 2 Miles higher above which, the Water being Shallow or not deep enough for ships of some what large size, they stop, unload and load here, leaving that wherewith I was come I went by Land to Cork, almost all along the River side, the Banks of this River are very pleasant by the Avantage of several Seats with Gardens which lie here and there, specially on the northern Bank, that of Mr. La Vitt a French Refugée is one of the first of the City on that side and very well built as are also several Magazines which it is accompany'd with. This City al. Capital of a Kingdom when Irland was Pentarchy or divided in 5 Kingdoms, is very advantageously seated partly in a Valley partly on Hills & the most trading Place in Irland; it's Trade consists Chiefly of Salt Beef and Tallow the greatest part whereof is exported to the West Indies, Mr. La Vitt and Mr. Carré (another French Refugée) grew thereby prodigiously rich, I was assur'd by Merchants & other credible Persons that they are kill'd Yearly no less than 80000 Oxen; it is large and populous, has many good well built Houses among great many more which are not so; the Custome-House is the handsomest of the publick Edifices & built after the Italian Manner, the Southern and Northen Gates have been rebuilt very magnificently, there is a fine Stone Bridge on the R. Lea by the later, the Exchange and the County House (as they call this & where they keep the Assizes and do other publick Affairs) are small but pretty & neat; the Barracks to lodge Officers and Soldiers are more commodious than fine; the Churches are ordinary Buildings (except Christ-Church and Saint Mary Shanon wholly rebuilt after the modern fashion,) the former lies below the Southern Gate and the later about 600 Paces beyond the  p.467 Northern one, this Church was not as yet quite finish'd, Divine Service was perfom'd all the while in a Chapel of Ease for the Parish of that Name which is of a prodigious Extent. This Chapel is large and stands about 80 Paces beyond North Gate, the said Parish-Church lies above 400 further to the North it has been destroy'd by Cannon-shots from the Shandon Castle when some of King James II's Troops were possess'd thereof & it was attackt by those of ³ & taken by King William 3d. from a Hill whereon stands that Church over against it; The Cathedral is a long low and ugly Gothick Building the Foundation whereof is adscrib'd to Saint Finbar the first Bishop of Cork, there are no Rings of Bells in this City ever since Cromwell converted all the great Bells into Cannons, there are 3 or 4 pretty neat meeting houses for Dissenters; the French Refugees do meet in a little Church belonging formerly to a Monastery of Nuns, which is all that remains thereof, I have been assur'd that were here no less than 15 Religious Houses of both sexs, before the Reformation; that where they now refine the Suggar was one and a good part of the Church with it's Tower are to be seen to this Day; there was an other at the later end & at a some Distance of the Suburb on that side (viz. Westward call'd Red Abbey of Cistertian Order in a Place call'd the Friar's Walk; there remaine only few Ruines of it, it's best Materials have been taken away from building or adorning some Houses, the Situation is very Advantageous and affords one of the largest and richest prospect into Valleys between small Hills in the midle whereof runs the Lea, a great variety of Villages and Country-seats stand by or front the Banks of this River; the finest thereof is that of the Bishop of Corke.

4.

I enquir'd after Mr. Jeffreys on my Arrival at this City,  p.468 and hear'd he constantly liv'd at Blarney 2 good Irish Miles from it ⁴ Westward where to that rich prospect does extend and further; Capt. Taylor his Brother in Law who lives in Cork procur'd me very oblidingly a Guid with Horses to carry me thither, I went out by North Gate and left Dublin-Road over against the Portico of the said Chapel of Ease, I cross'd in my Way to Blarney the worse built part of all the Suburbs and inhabited by the poorest Peoples whose Houses are no better than Hutes, but then I got on a Chain of Hills and Dales with Villages, Fields, Pastures, &c.; (The Hills shew'd me now the River Lea with some of the Objects I have nam'd, then the Vallies hiding from me, these Objects shew'd me those that they do enclose; however desirous I was to see Mr. Jeffreys, I found the Road too short; I could not expect a more Kind Wellcome than that which he gave me, he wouldn't have me lodge at any other House but his, during my whole Stay in these parts, he offerr'd me his Horses to go about and satisfy my curiousity, he is one of the best Nature Gentlemen I have seen, generally esteem'd and beloved & has rendred great many considerable services to the Swedes both in Bender and Demotica; Blarnay is a Castle built after the ancient Manner & consists of a high & strong Tower, of a good House the Apartments whereof are neat, the Lodgings for Servants, stables for Horses and Cattle well disposed and commodious, it is situated on a raising Ground, at the West thereof runs in a small Valley a River of the same Name, ⁵ a  p.469 spacious green Yard, a park with a good Quantity of Timber and a Garden with Fruit-Trees, Pulses, &c.; do surround and adorne it, some arable Fields, Pastures with Villages or Hamlets belonging thereto inrich it, Among other Priviledges annex'd to this Castle or Rights belonging to the Lord of the Mannour is that of an Yearly Fair which is kept in the Valley just now mention'd where is a good Stone Bridge with a pav'd Way leading to some few good Houses; this Fair is held (I think) in the beginning of October, I was still there & saw it, there is a Cudgeling of Country-men (the Prize whereof is a Hat for the Conquerour) and besides a Footrunning of Country-girls; that who runs the best from the Castle or from a certain Distance mark'd and arrived the first of all by 2 or 3 Times to the Scope gets the prize which is a fine new smoak, the Scope is a Kind of May-pole, planted beyond that Bridge, these Prizes are tied up to the Pole with Ribbons and are Gifts of the Lord of the Mannour. That Castle belong'd heterofore to the Lord Clancarty whom I have mention'd in the Beginning of the 2d. Chapter and was a part of his Estate confiscated and devolv'd to the Crown for his taking part with King James II. against King William III. The deceased Sir James Jeffreys purchas'd it; Mylord's Brother defended it very obstinately whilst his Lordship  p.470 was fighting at Limerick for King James; it could not be carry'd off but by the Help of some Field-Pieces, there remaine still some Marks of the Bullets on the Tower.

5.

After a Stay of 5 Weeks in Blarnay where Mr. Jeffreys procur'd me a great Deal of Pleasure I set out for Dublin in Company with 3 Students who were going back to the University. I saw Nothing more remarkable betwen Cork and that Metropolis of Irland than Killkenny with a Country very fertile in Grains, pastures and such Richs of Nature & Art as the above mention'd but with all this the greatest poverty imaginable among the Countrypeople (mostly R. Catholicks); they are almost naked lodge in Hutes made of Earth worse than the Habitations of the Laplanders, and lie on straw, they are (I heard) as great Slaves to the Irish Lords as the Russian Païsants to their Boïars, they live on Potatos and Butter-melk, I did hardly met with one even a Woman but walk'd barefoot either in Winter or Summer; I was assur'd by my Fellow-travellers, (and I had heard already at Cork and Blarney) that there are few or none who eat Bread twice a Year, those who have two Cows and a Field of Potatos of their own reckon themselves happy, however they are strong, healty and handsome Peoples, they breed as Rabbits, nothing more common than to see 5 or 6 Children and more in one Hute, however their Lords and Masters say that they are the most leazy Peoples in the World, one must not conclude from what I have said of the Beauty and Fertility of the Country, that they are general, there are in this as in others many Heaths & barren Lands, where almost nothing grows but Brambles and sweet Brooms: there are several Marshs as dangerous as those of Ingria mention'd in the 2d. & 3d. Chapt. which they call Bogs,  p.471 especially North West I heard so, I have not seen them, the Wood and forrest, are almost as scarce now in Irland as they were formerly plentifull before the Conquest of this Kingdom by Henry II. They have been cut down to sell or (as they say for Reason) to reduce the Rebels and Tories (as are call'd here High-way-men) who retir'd therein, I have nam'd only Killkenny as the most remarkable of the Towns from Cork to Dublin, I might add, which has preserv'd most of it's ancient Luster or Magnificence, the others v. g. as Rathnioc, Formoy, Clonmel, Kels, Gowran, Catherlagh, Blessingtown &c.; are not or little considerable but for their Situation and the Priviledge of sending Deputies to Parliament; Rathnioc ⁶ is 13 or 14 Miles above Cork, seated in the midle of a vast & fertile Plain where I saw more Green & Trees together than any where else on the Road, with arable Fields, Meadows, Pastures, Villages, Seats &c.; Colonel Barry a Member for this Borough has a noble Country House which is not much distant from it, Formoy stands 5 Miles higher on the River call'd Black Water; it's Waters are not blacker than those of the Black Sea, but very clear and fishy, the Parish Church al. Collegiate and serv'd by regular Canons of Saint Austin is a good Gothick Building, we cross'd here that River on a good Stone Bridge: Clonmel 15 Miles beyong it is upon the R. Share ⁷ and much larger, it has two Churches the best whereof was that of Shung-Abbey, ⁸ there is a 3d. one which did also belong to a Religious House but 'tis an ordinary Building & out of Use, the Town-House which was rebuilding for most part with Marble is small but very neat. Kills is about 13 Miles above it, there is a good Church also formerly that of a Monastery which is all worth seeing, but there is here about from this Place to  p.472 Gowran and 7 or 8 Miles further as rich Variety of fertile Fields, of Meadows, Pastures, Country-Seats, Farm-Houses, &c.; as can be seen, my Fellow-travellers told me that all that with Gowran & Killkenny belong'd to the Duke of Ormond before his Retreat and had he remain'd in Possession thereof and this Estate was well administrated or honnestly manag'd might bring him a Yearly income of 60000 L. Sterl. Mylord Arran his Brother has redeem'd it for a small matter from the Crown who confiscated it upon his Grace's Retreat & lets the Pallaces & Country-Seats fall into Ruin: I observed a little before we came to Gowran in the middle of a small green Plain an artificial Mount such as those which I have mention'd in my 2d. Vol.; they are almost as common in Irland as in Sweden and Dannemark, &c. they are adscrib'd here to the Danes, such Monuments are not wanting in England especially in Cornwal, Devon & Wiltshire, I only mention this because it is one of the most regular and finest I have seen in Irland. Gowran is about 7 Miles beyond Kills, this Town appears to have been large, fair & strong by the considerable Remains of it's Walls, Gates and Forts or Castles, as they call them and say there were formerly 7 of them. Killkenny is still a pretty large City, one of the most magnificently built on account on the Marble Quarries not far from it, the Streets are mostly pav'd therewith, it's Churches are all old Gothick Buildings, the Cathedral is the fairest and seated on a raising Ground; there stands near it a high Tower like No. 6 in the Print IX, but without Point or cover; there are several such ones in this Kingdom; they are reckon'd of a great antiquity & the Work of the Danes; I saw none in England tho' the Danes did also invade it, they don't agree on the Use of these Towers,  p.473 some thinke they were Watch-Towers, others, Steeples for Bells because they stand generally near some old Churches; I was told that some are above 100 foot high, but with only 10 or 12 in Diameter, the Wall is not above 3 foot thick; there are no steps or stairs to ascend to the Top, nor even to the Entrance, which is a small square opening no less than 10 or 12 foot above Ground. That of Clundalkin (4 Miles from Dublin which I have seen is very like this, 84 foot high and about 200 Paces from the Church; That of Swords (6 Miles from that City) has a point like No. 6 and is 72 foot high. There are almost over against the Cathedral of Killkenny (about 100 Paces from it,) considerable Remains of an old Monastery which has been converted into Barracks and it's Church into a Stable; the Tower thereof is still pretty entire. This City is said to be one of those which had the greatest Number of Monasteries, and according to the Records there is no Kingdom who had so many of them as Irland in proportion to it's Extent, the most numerous of the Religions Orders was that of regular Canons of Saint Austin, they alone had more Houses than all those of other Orders together & the Chapters of the Cathedrales & Collegiate Churches were generally made up of these Canons as were those of Corke, Killkenny, Catherlagh, Dublin &c.; this Order had besides this noble Prerogative of having 2 Abbots & 8 Priors that were Spiritual Peers of the Kingdom and sat in Parliament; The Cross-Market in Kilkenny so called from a Cross still standing in the midle is properly a broad spacious Street form'd by good regular Houses and the Town-House which is small but a Stately Building, the Cross is very high on a round Pedestal of 6 steps, the Arms thereof are broken but there remaine on the Top Good imboss'd  p.474 figures well preserv'd, the Chief Ornament of that Town is the Duke of Ormond's Pallace, t'was a strong built Castle of his Ancesters which he caused to be demolish'd & magnificently rebuilt after the modern fashion some Time before his Retreat, but not quite finish'd especially within, there is no Appereance it ever will be so; it is so much neglected that it rains therein thro' the Roofs which have not been supply'd since with Slates when wanted (tho' a thing so common all over the Country;) it is only inhabited, I think, by a Gardner with his Family who does hardly take care but of his Lodging, and not much better of the Gardens, nay these Gardens are so far neglected that he keeps only the Usefull in most of them, I mean Fruit-trees, Pulses and the like, he lets wild Grass for Cattle grow in the rest; the Situation of that Pallace it advantegous and pleasant on a Hill at the foot whereof runs the Neura washing it's park from North South West on one side and the Town on the other, the Waters of this River are so fair and clear for running upon Sand & Gravel that they are one of the 3 things wherein 'tis commonly said Kilkenny excells, viz. Water without Mud, Air without Fogs, and Fire without Smoak, the Air indeed is reckon'd the purest and the best in the Kingdom, ⁹ the Coal which  p.475 is taken out of some Neighbouring Pits has those peculiar qualifications that it does never smoak, burns without trouble and even extinguish by being blown.

6.

Catherlagh is the Chief Town of the County of this Name in the same Province about 14 Miles above Kilkenny but much more neglected & less populous, it appears to have been stronger by considerable Remains of it's Walls, the River Barrow upon which it is seated, some fertile Fields and Pastures with Trees and Gardens wherewith it is surrounded are it's greatest Ornements, I can't say Nothing more Advantegeous of Blessington which stands on the R. Liffy, about 18 Miles higher up. Dublin the Metropolis of the Kindgdom 13 Miles further upon the same River is one of the largest & of the finest Cities in Europe, it is dayly aggrandized and beautify'd by the same Means as London and Paris, it's ancient Churches are not of so good Gothick as theirs but the new ones, the other Edifices & Houses built since the Reign of Charles II. do please very much, it's Streets are (for most part) broad and well paved; Christ-Church is reckon'd one of the oldest, it was at first Cathedal with a Chapter of regular Canons of Saint Austin, 'tis now Parish and Collegiate one. Saint Patrick's (n) Pl. IX. which was only then a Parish one, small and very old, demolish'd towards the Year 1190, rebuilt enlarg'd, has been made Collegiate and  p.476 erected into Metropolitan in the beginning of 1273. It's Chapter was secularised with the Reformation or some Time before by Henry VIII, the Reverend and learn'd Doctor Swift is the present Dean thereof, this Church is larger than the first but not of a better Gothick, they have converted one of it's Chapels on the South of the Choir into a small Parish Church and an other Eastward and behind the Choir into an other for French Refugées who have conform'd to the Church of England ¹⁰ there was found in this when puting in the condition it is now in a flat tomb-stone for Archbishop Michael Trigury whereon he is represented in his Pontificalibus accompany'd with an Angel, and giving his Blessing, the whole imboss'd work and well preserv'd his nose excepted, he was a Cornish Gentilman had succeeded Richard Talbot who dy'd Anno 1449, this Tomb of same stone (viz. white Kilkenny-Marble) lies in the Choir with his Effigy, likely dress'd but inlaid work of Brass not by a great Deal so well preserv'd; the Epitaphs here under (*), (✗) are still legible but bad Latin, there are two other Monuments less ancient but incomparably more somptuous and in the Choir, one is against the Wall near the Altar on the Epistle side erected for the Earls of Corke (Burlington of Family) and the other for that of Ranclade on the Gospel side but below the Rails which separate the Sanctuary or Altar's stairs from the Choir; they consist of several Figures of white Marble well carv'd most of them as large as Nature and other  p.477 Ornaments, among the finest Churches of modern Architecture are Saint Ann's, Saint Warberg's, Saint Miakens i. e. St. Michan's, Saint Mary's & a new Presbiterian Meeting. Among the publick Edifices the most Somptuous and Stately ones are the new Buildings in the Castle (H.) those in Trinity Colledge or University, especially the Library and Theatrum Anatomicum, the Royal Hospital mark'd (t) in the Plan for disabl'd Soldiers (at Kilmainham al. the Chief House of the Templars, who sat in Parliament as Peers of the Kingdom, the new House which was building for the Parliament who sat in the Mean while in the Hospital of the Blue Boys; the Corn-Markett, the Barracks (l) for 4 or 5 Regiments the finest largest and the most Somptuous Edifices of this kind that ever were erected; the Linnen Hall (I) or general Magazin for Linnen Manufactures; among private Houses that of the Earl of Kildare, those of Counsellour Suift, of the Lord Mayor, E. that of Dr. Suift with Saint Patrick's Library & that of Dr. Molyneux (b), That of the late Speaker in the House of Commons Mr. Conolly and that of the Primate &c.; the new Keys as well as the new Streets are graced therewith. The old Keys extend from West to East beginning at Bloody-Bridge No. 5., are continu'd by Arran-Bridge No. 4, Old-Bridge No. 3, Ormond-Bridge No. 2 and Essex-Bridge (d) No. 1 and go by the same Names; They are call'd from the late Bridge South East City Key and Aston Key, The new Keys are North East the North Key which extends to F. and South East George Key & Rogerson Key; the Ith. begins at (d) where ends Aston Key & it extends to D. where the later (viz. Rogerson Key) begins and continues as far as Ringsend (a fine Village above 2 Miles below Essex Bridge, seated at the Bottom of the Bay of that Name) there was few Years agoe nothing but Water and Marshs where are the  p.478 2 later and the North-Key, now adorn'd with several magnificent Houses and Gardens the Number whereof is dayly increasing they have drain'd thoses places by causeys with Slusses and reduced or convey'd the Water of the River into the great Channel (F); they have already by Means of such Causeys and Slusses diverted the Waters both of the River and the Sea which were filling up the Space (a) so that Grass begins to grow therein; they are taking the like Measures to render such the Space betwen A. & C. a great part thereof is already drain'd out and they got Northward Ground to build at B. where is the new Street call'd Strand. So that Dublin has a Port from Ringsend to the Custome-House which stands immediately under Essex-Bridge for this City had none before, small Vessels of 25 to 30 Tuns could hardly go up thither (and this only with Spring Tide) the others were forc'd to lie in the Ringsend-Road which is bad enough, but now those of 200 Tuns & above can go up to the said Bridge. That City is so considerably increas'd both on this side and North West & South West that the most magnificent Royal Hospital (t) at Kilmainam, which was above a quarter of a Mile from it, it is now close thereto, the pleasant situation of this Hospital answears perfectly well the Magnificence of it's Buildings, 'tis on a raising Ground which affords a vast prospect on the City & divers rich objects the Chief and nearest whereof North East are Saint Steven's Hospital (p), the Infirmanes (s), the Barracks (l), the Royal Park West of them; and East of said Bararracks, at K. Outmantown-Green's ¹¹ Buildings with the Blue Boys-Hospital, &c.; where 'tis said was al. an Abbey of Benedictine Monks; the less remote Objects South East of the Royal Hospital are the Poor-House (r), and no far off the City-Bason (q), which supplies most part thereof with Water, this admirable Bason is  p.479 above 590 paces long and about 30 broad, there is one of the most pleasant Walkings round about it, (o) the Cloth-Manufactures which are worth seeing. The City has been increas'd and imbellish'd proportionably more South East at Steeven-Green (h) it is one of the largest and most pleasant Squares I have seen, I say the pleasantest, for the perpetual Green which it is cover'd with, the broad Walk and the noble Buildings about it. The Bishopricks Liberties at (m) where they have built pretty much of late, I have seen in the neighbouring parts of Dublin several beautifull Houses, the neighest v.g. North East of Ringsend's Bay on the Way to Clantarf (al. a House of the Templars) that of Mylord Roscommon & beyond Clantarf that of Mylord Hoath; S. F. and about 2 Miles beyond Ringsend, that of Mylord Mylord Allen with his Park at Stilorgan remarkable for the Obelisk (8) 107 feet high from the ground lately erected there on a noble Grotto, the Grotto is finely vaulted within and can well contain 20 persons, there are 4 double pairs of Stairs from 11 to 13 Steps up to that Obelisk which can hold 4 or 5 Persons. There is aboundance of Game and Deers in the Park as also is that of Mylord Merian which is not far off, I have seen South West & North West of the City the Phenix and other finer House at Island Bridge so call'd from a good Stone bridge which I cross'd when going to Clundalkin where nothing offers worth observing but the Tower already mention'd, the Chief Seats on the Way I saw North Ost going to Castletown 9 Miles from Dublin are, 1. the Royal House at Chapel Bridge, 2. at some Distance from the River that of Col. Lutterel with a spacious Park and fine Gardens, 3. Palmtown ¹² by the River whereupon are several Paper-mills and Tan-Houses, 4. that of Mr. White, 5. that of and Mylord Moncashel, ¹³ &c.; at last at Castletown that of Mr. Conolli ¹⁴ before mention'd, he had spent  p.480 already 1500 L. to render equally magnificent and pleasant when Death took him away on the end of Oct. 1729.

7.

I left Dublin the 9th of November and imbark'd on the Evening for Bristow at Rogerson Key.

@book{E730003-001,
  title 	 = {Voyages en anglois et en françois d'A. de la Motraye en diverses provinces ... ; avec des remarques géographiques, topographiques, historiques \& politiques sur ... païs par lesquels l'auteur a passé \& repassé comme l'Irlande tirées non seulement de ses observations mais encore des mémoires qui lui ont été communiquez ... },
  author 	 = {Aubry de la Mottraye},
  edition 	 = {1},
  note 	 = {1 volume},
  publisher 	 = {Grierson \& Bradley},
  address 	 = {Dublin },
  date 	 = {1732}
}
 E730003-001.bib