Part 3 of Lewis Dillwyn's Visit to Kerry, 1809

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Lewis Dillwyn's Visit to Kerry, 1809 (Author: Lewis Weston Dillwyn)

entry 2

Wednesday, July 19th
We had taken up our Quarters at a comfortable Inn, which is kept

by a Mrs Sullivan & has been recently built by Lord Henry Petty who possesses a large property in this Neighbourhood.¹⁹ After Breakfast we strolled for about 1 ½ hours on the Banks of Kenmare Bay, which is a very fine winding Haven of the same kind as that at Bantry. It is, however, still larger, the length being about 30 and the breath from 3 to 9 miles but it's Banks are less mountainous & altogether the effect it produces is less striking & picturesque. Kenmare or Nedeen by which name it is most commonly known in this Country is a small & straggling Town. Close by the Inn a handsome Chapel has been built & is now nearly finished at the expence of Lord Henry Petty for the use of the Catholicks.²⁰ On the Banks of the Bay I collected Venus Paphia²¹ and several other Shells.

There are two Roads from Kenmare to Killarney, by one of which the distance is 12 & by the other 20 or 24 Miles.²² The former, however, is extremely mountainous & the latter is flat, & as we were told that it also passes thro' a far more beautiful country, we gave it the preference & set out accordingly at ½ past 10.

As near as it is possible to judge of distances where the Roads have never been measured & where they are reckoned differently by every Person you meet, the Country thro' which we passed for the first six Miles was not at all particularly picturesque. It then however became romantic & we soon afterwards entered a very extensive wood of Oak

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& Birch which is the first we had seen in Ireland except such as had been planted about the Seats of the Gentry. On the opposite side of the Valley the Mountains rose to a great height & were in some places almost perpendicular, but they derived their principal beauty from the numerous deep Gullies which were well wooded whilst the more prominent points were bare. Our Horses were baited²³ at a wretched Pot House & we availed ourselves of the opportunity it afforded to stroll among the neighbouring Woods, but without being able to make any botanical or entomological Discoveries Saxifraga umbrosa by the road sides in almost every situation was the commonest of weeds.

About a mile or two from this place our course suddenly changed from Northward to Westward & we then passed the much and deservedly admired Flesk Rocks which take their Name from the River that winds along their Feet. They are in many places nearly perpendicular, & notwithstanding their apparent want of Soil, are beautifully scattered over with Oak, Birch & Ash Trees many of which have attained a large size. My idea is that their height is not less than 600 feet. From thence as we approached Killarney, the view with the cloud capt Summits of Macgillycuddy's Reeks in our front, became more & more mountainous & more sublime.

The entrance into the Town thro' Lord Kenmare's Plantation is handsome but we have yet had no good view of the Lake, Killarney being near two English Miles from it's Banks. We drove to Coffees Hotel which tho' very large for a County Inn was so full that we were shoved about from one Room to another, & were obliged to sleep in different houses over the way, which, however, were provided with good Beds.