Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Pococke's Tour in Ireland in 1752 (Author: Richard Pococke)
entry 24
On the 18th I set out for that country by a different way,
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going towards Tully in a road about half a mile distant from Lough Swilly and passed by a fort of the same kind as the other called Lis Ballyart, the walls of which are twelve feet thick, the diameter within twenty two paces, the fossee fourteen and the rampart is eight broad; I observed that the houses are built with sods, supported within by a wooden frame, which the poor people sometimes leave with their effects, when the collector of the hearth money approaches: The roofs indeed of all their cabins are built with stone and clay, are fixt on wooden posts within the wall, which is not strong enough to support the roof. I came to Tully consisting only of a few poor scatter'd houses and an Iron work, there being Iron mines at Lismonokan, about a mile west of Letterkenny, and at Pluck two miles from it. We had seen Rathmellan a mile to the East a small town at the south west corner of the bay, on which Rathmellan stands opposite to Fawn where Dr. Ledwich lives. I was informed that there are remains of an old Convent here called Kilodonogh which is probably the Convent of Franciscans called by Ware Kilodonel. We went on and crossed the river Gannon which runs through Kilmacrenan, and between the same beautiful rocks and trees, which are seen all over the country, especially about Mr. Grove's at Balymoyle to the south, with an agreeable variety of corn fields. Over this seat is a fort of the same kind as the others called Lis Brunhal, and in the country below are four small Loughs. A little beyond Tully to the west is Lough Ferne above a mile long, and winding round the north end of it there are at that end two or three small Islands in it. In two or three miles from Tully we came to a village call'd Berenenalagah: From this place for three miles to Cranford the seat of Mrs. Cunningham the road was most pleasant, being in the sight of a wood and by the edge of it. We
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descended towards it and came to Brinian Bay, a strand, which winds round from the great strand to the west of Clandevadoge, and is formed by the inlet of the sea between Rosguill and Fanad: we crossed the river which falls into it at the west end, and went along this Strand at the edge of a wood which covers the hill, and from this place between woods and rocks and other strands two computed miles to Cranford Mrs. Cunningham's, a most exceeding pleasant ride: Afterwards we rode by the great Strand, the bay appearing like a large Lake and saw Rosurkils and near it the Church of Clandevadoge, the country to the west being rough; we passed by several little strands, saw some ruined salt pans and works for boiling the salt, and came near the Church of Carrigart, which is the parish in the division of Rosapenna or Rosguill; and passing the end of the strand on which Rosapenna house stands, I dined on the west side of it: Here I observed a long sort of sea weed, much like a rush peeled for lights and pretty long, the call it Raff, I found it five or six yards long and growing to a stone: They say, it is sometimes twenty yards long and that it twines round people in the water to such a degree, that it often occasions drowning: We went on mostly through sands banks, which are rabbit warrens and came near the strand, which from the opening to the west of Rosguill forms a bay, that extends first to the south and then to the west beyond the Castle of Doe. We came opposite to Ards Mr. Wray's seat a fine plantation and afterwards to the Castle of Doe, to which we might have crossed, if the tide had been out; but were obliged to go above a mile farther, and came into the new road from Letterkenny and Salt Hill and turned to the north. I here observed a stone, which appear'd like a slaty grey marble, but they told me that it is not a lime stone, it is formed
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like the slate at Fawn in the form of several members of Architecture. We passed a river on a bridge which rises from Lough Vah, a Lake in a very Romantick vale, called Glysivah which is to the south of the mountain called Muckish judged to be one of the highest in Ireland. Coming near the west end of the Strand, on which the Castle of Doe is built, I saw a beautiful fall of water which descends from Lough Meur; and going northward I passed by a chapel of ease to Clonharkurky church, and a little beyond it a remarkable fort on a high rocky hill, of the same kind as the other walled forts, which is called Lismore (the great fort) and passing over a bridge observed a rivlet falling in beautiful Maeanders into the sea. Half a mile farther we came to the new Church which is now building for this Parish, with rustick Quoin stones of grey marble, which they have near Dunfanahy, and the upper members of a basement round the church, the design is a Venetian window at the end, and four windows on the south side, the frames of, which are to be of the same marble: It is a very fine situation, and the ornamental part is very much to the honour of the Gentleman who is to be at the expense of it, Dr. Obins, late fellow of Trinity College, the minister of this place. We descended down to Jeshiah Lough, about two miles in circumference with a small Island in the middle, but it is one of the finest Lakes I ever beheld; the beauty of it chiefly consists in the hills, that are to the south side of it which rise gently from the middle of one side of the Lake and are covered with wood, on each side of which the ground is bolder and affords a most agreeable variety of rock and wood. We then soon came on the strand and turning westward, arrived in less than a mile at a very poor small town called Dunfanahy on a small creek in this great Bay,
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which is made by an inlet of the sea to the East of Horn Head; I found I could get no sort of accommodation here, and so sent a note to Mr. Stewart at the west end of the bay, who returned a Welcome in answer; I went and took up my quarters at his house. As soon as I was set down to supper a messenger came to me from Mr. Wray six miles with a letter in which he informed me, that hearing I had passed and knowing there was no accommodation at the place, he desired me to come the next day to his house and that on Monday he would ride with me and show me the curiosities of the Country.