Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Pococke's Tour in Ireland in 1752 (Author: Richard Pococke)
entry 42
On the 6th we set forward the Gratefull Host accompanying us above a mile to show us the way through a bog to a large Lough to the north west called Curraghmore Leterahery out of which the river Munry rises, which we crossed: The Lake does not appear very large in this situation, but seeing it from higher, I observed two large bays extending to the east and west, there is a small Island near the side we pass'd the ground to the south being on a declivity, I observed that the bog hung over at this part of the Lake, and in some places hung down for two or three yards, kept together by the heath, tho' the hard ground did not appear to have been lately worn away, but was greenish and some plants grew out of it, and I was informed that especially in wet seasons water runs between the bog and the hard ground which made me inclined to think that where bogs are on a declivity and the lower part of them as here is broken away, that they do actually move by their gravity; as the Ice in the Glacieres of Savoy certainly does, and falls down into the valley, and they
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affirm, that the ice when it moves is attended with a great noise: We had a boggy way for a mile, and passing by two houses soon came to a Vale, in which there runs a rivlet, and there are two or three natural mounts in it, one of which has been fortified; here I stop'd and took some refreshment, and crossing over the foot of a hill, came to a strand which is made by the blacksod harbour to the south and stretches along the south east side of the country within the Mullet; a very beautiful Peninsula stretches out into the bay, joined to the eastern land by a long narrow Isthmus. They have a bed of small oysters here, which at spring tides is left by the sea, and the people go and pick 'em up, pickle 'em and send them to Dublin: They sell them here for a penny a hundred, and on the bank they will load a horse for fourpence. We continued winding round the strand to avoid the bog above, on which the sea has gained in some places, insomuch that there is in some parts, bog on the strand, and one cannot ride on the sea weed, there are also several stumps of trees on the strand. From this strand in my return I went up to the height to see the bay which is formed by Broadhaven to the north, and with this bay forms that neck of land which is called the Mullet, and joins that long strip of land to the mainland which is called Erris within the Mullet: on the south side of this neck of land Sir Arthur Shane's, whose estate it was began to build a little town, and actually cut a communication across the Isthmus large enough for a small boat to pass, which is now choaked up: They laid out also much money on roads into this country, made along the sides of the hills, by cutting away the bog, but this was found to be a bad way, for it makes a course for the water, and rain washing away the earth, leaves it a very
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stony rough road, and when this is done in a flat country, it has not only this effect, but the bog fills up the trench again: for the true way of mending their roads is by raising a Causeway of gravel, and where it is very soft, by laying a little heath under it. All the half barony of Erris consists of two parishes, Kilcommon taking in all without the Mullet; and Kilmore all that is within the Mullet; and they have some time ago obtained an Act of Parliament to build a church on the Mullet for the united parishes. We came within Mullet to that fine peninsula which is about twelve miles long from north to south and about a mile broad one place with another; the north end is chiefly high heathy ground, from which I saw the stags, as they call 'em, off Broadhaven: the rest of the land is partly in small hills, and partly consists of long rising ground, of good land and some sandy banks and loughs; being altogether a most delightful spot in summer. In these sand banks they find a great variety of shells, and lately they found some very curious vertebrae of fish, of which I produced a specimen: They have also discovered some tombs, which they call the tombs of Lugnadumme they say they are of an extraordinary size, but now they were all covered over again by the sand. I went to the house of Mr. Anthony Odonnel to whom I was recommended by Mr. Odonnel of Newport; I met his Nephew on the road, who very politely showed me the way, and among other questions asked me if I had any acquaintance there, which was on purpose to have invited me to his house, tho' he had the good sense not to say it; I dined at Mr. Odonnel's, took a walk and saw the old walls of the church of Tarman Carra buried in sand, which they say was the church of a Nunnery. I took a ride in the
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evening along the sea shore to the north east, which consists of little bays, made by the low rocky cliffs, and the waves rolling in on these rocks in calm weather, has one of the most beautiful effects I ever saw. I observed a small detach'd rock, which had some fortification on it, and going further saw a little head, which was defended by a modern fortification, made across the neck of it in Queen Elizabeth's time, as they say, in order to deposite goods that were shipwreck'd, that they might not be plundered by the country: They had also built two barracks, one at Carne on the Mullet, the other at Learne on the east side of this Land within, in order to prevent the landing of privateers, but Queen Anne's peace prevented the turning them to that use. I went on further and returned seeing a little to the westward a passage under ground from the sea, where the tide goes in about fifty yards and is seen from a large hole over it.