Part 6 of Voyages en anglois et en françois d'A. de la Motraye en diverses provinces

Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Voyages en anglois et en françois d'A. de la Motraye en diverses provinces (Author: Aubry de la Mottraye)

Entry 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

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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 England¹⁰ 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 (*), ([ballot]) 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

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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

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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's¹¹ 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

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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. Palmtown¹² 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. Conolli¹⁴ before mention'd, he had spent

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already 1500 L. to render equally magnificent and pleasant when Death took him away on the end of Oct. 1729.