Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Pococke's Tour in Ireland in 1752 (Author: Richard Pococke)
entry 43
On the 7th I set out with Mr. Odonnel's son and newphew to ride to the south of this land: To the south of this part is a strip of land called Annah joined only by a small neck; and the strand east of it, as well as that to the north is called the strand of Annah; this in the map is made an Island, and called Emlokrash, the reason of which is this, it was in one farm with the land to the east of Tarmon Carrah, which goes by this name. We then came to an open strand called Baludurish, in which there are several rocks under the water which render'd it terrible to the sight, even in a calm when the tide was coming in; but when we return'd and the tide way going out, it was very beautiful: on the point to the south of it, are the remains of a Convent called the Convent of the cross and near it is a church of the same name, which the Protestants had begun to repair, for Sir Arthur Shane
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planted about twenty Protestant families here, on leases for ever of small farms, mostly under a hundred acres: This Gentleman left two daughters, one married to Mr. Bingham of Newbrook, the other first to Mr. Wynne, and now to Mr. Carter second son of the Master of the Rolls, these ladies hold the estate in Co-partnership.42 Opposite to this is the Isle of Ennis Clory, which is a great burial place, of this Island they say no rat or mouse will live in it, and go so far as to affirm, that if they bring the earth and shake it in a reck of corn, none of these Vermin will touch it. To the south of this is Enniskerah and south of that Enniskeah, where if I mistake not, is a mineral water, and to this land people frequently go to pass some time for their diversion. The people in this Country are very hospitable, if you cannot stay to have a sheep killed they offer Ale a dram, Eggs and butter, and the woman of the house sits at the table and serves you: They have an odd way in some parts in the north, I did not see it here, when they would preserve meat, they put it into meal to preserve it from the flies, as I suppose, but it becomes musty and very disagreeable. We came to Lough Cross, a beautiful lake about two miles in circumference, here are wild Ducks, which as we rode within a few yards of them did not move into the water, and when I rode towards 'em, only walked gently in like tame ducks, and there is a little Island in it, in which I suppose they breed. An
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extraordinary thing happened in relation to this lake a few years ago; there was a rivlet run from it, to the sea, with a mill on it, in a great flood, it carried away the mill, and the passage was stop'd up, on which the lake retired near a hundred yards from its western bank, so that probably there is some communication under ground from the sea. We came soon after to the Lough of Leame near which is the building designed for a barrack; riding on we came to Castle Tarah, the ruin of a large old building: Towards the south point of the land we ascended Mount Tarman, a round hill not long ago covered with herbage, but the rabbits, burrowing in the land, the wind blew it away, and has left a more curious top all cover' d with beautiful large flat stones of grey granite: From this hill is a fine view of the Island of Achill, which is very mountainous and about 2 leagues distant: There are in it 25,000 acres of land, and it lets for £300 a year; the inhabitants have a kind of sheep here, with a coarse wool fit for yarn stockins, which they spin and knit and sell the stockins for about ten pence a pair; and with this produce they pay their rent; they have oats and potatoes sufficient for their own use; this is part of Mr. Medlicote's estate. There is a great knowledge gained by experience, as to feeding their cattle on all these mountains, they find that for six months or some certain time they thrive on the same spot and then fall off, so that they move 'em to other parts; some parts are fit for cattle of different ages, and some at different seasons of the year. We came down from this hill to Mr. Gamble's house, and took some refreshment there which was very civilly offer'd us: and returning we went to the east side and near Mr. Markham's the pleasantest situation in the place which commands a view of the
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Lough, of the sea and Islands and of Blacksod Harbour, of Mullet and Erris to the east, as well as the Isle of Achill; that Island is represented as divided in the middle by a channel; there is water goes almost through, but not so as to divide it into the greater and lesser as re-presented in the Map; but little Achill as I was informed, is only that very small Island at the south point, which is placed in the Map without name. They have a custom of raising heaps of stones called here Iaktch, in other parts cairns, to the memory of the dead, mostly in the shape of sugar loaves, which are kept up as long as their friends remain, and are raised commonly not far from the church, in the way to and from the house; some are built with mortar and have inscriptions on them. We came to the Mullet and when we were out of it, we took some refreshment; I parted with my friends and the cattle they had mounted me on, and set forward the same way I had come with Mr. O'Donnel the gentleman I had met at my entrance into it, who was going to the Fair of Ballyhean.43 The way I was coming into this Country by Broadhaven is round by that bay very difficult and boggy and is two days journey from Killalla.44 Going along the bog I saw an Eagle and crows about a carcase, for these birds never take notice of their brethren the carniverous race; It was of the large kind, and he seemed
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to attempt to raise himself, but remained very near us, and when we went towards him, he flew low to a turf stack at a little distance, for in a calm they sometimes find it difficult to raise themselves from the ground: About half an hour after we saw him fly over us to the north east to the sea. We took up our lodging about a mile to the north of the river at Mr. Nashe's farm house where we had a fine view of the lake; here is an old Square Castle in ruins called Clonatekilly; a little below it are two caverns, about six feet wide and high and ten long, covered with stones laid across, within one of them was a narrow hole about three feet square like a drein; these seem to be places to hide in upon any danger. They have a way in this country of burying children in some little plat near the house, when they are at a distance from the church, and such a burial place I saw.