Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Lewis Dillwyn's Visit to Waterford, Cork and Tipperary in 1809 (Author: Lewis Weston Dillwyn)

entry 15

Saturday July 29th
Mallow is noted for its hot & cold Spa & Mineral Springs & may be considered as the Cheltenham of Ireland.83 The People at our Inn told us that the town is full of Visitors & of

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this there is every appearance for in a rather long walk which we took before Breakfast we found the Roads in the neighbourhood thronged with Chaises, Jaunting Cars & Equestrians. We stopt & drank a Glass or two both of the mineral water & of the Spa the former of which Mr. Leach thinks is impregnated with Sulphate & the latter with {MS page 86} carbonate of Iron. After Breakfast we rambled in & about the Town for two hours & visited the Ruins of its Castle84 which are very handsome & beautifully situated at the Entrance to the Grounds of Denham Jephson,85 Esq. We walked into the Park which is small but pretty & close to the old Castle. I saw a House which from its shabby appearance I mistook for that of his Steward86 but on enquiry found that it is the Mansion of Mr. Jephson himself who appears to be as unpopular as is possible in this his native Country. If report says true he is a sort of Tom Morgan87 who delights to dine with others but very rarely gives a Dinner himself, & I wonder how he got into Parliament for he seems too stingy to purchase & too disliked to obtain a Seat in any other manner. In the neighbourhood of Mallow I found no rare Plant besides Sedum rupestre88 which grows plentifully about the old Castle.

At 12 we set out for Mitchelstown in a Chaise which of all that I had ever seen was the very worst — the Panels were broken — the Lining was {MS page 87} torn to pieces & covered with filth & there were but three instead of four Glasses to the Windows, & only one Door would open. When we had gone a short distance I complained to our Driver & told him that his whole Apparatus would scarcely sell in London for three half pence. An Irishman, especially when he expects to get something by you will never contradict anything, & he therefore said it was likely enough but added ‘and yet wasn't the Carriage all the morning at the Coachmakers to make it aisie for your Honour’. It is true enough that when we complained at Mallow of the Chaise not being ready we were told it was repairing but what on Earth the Coachmaker could possibly have done to it I am at a Loss to imagine.

Immediately on leaving Mallow the Gualtee Mountains [Galtee Mountains]89 appear in the Distance, but the Country thro' which we passed was not at all particularly interesting. When we had travelled about eight or nine Miles we passed thro' a small Town or Village called Kildorery where we were grieved to see the still smoking Ruins of a long Row of {MS page 88} Houses which had been burnt the preceding Night. The entrance into Mitchelstown thro' the extensive & well wooded Demesne of Lady Kingston90 is very handsome, & the Mansion91 which stands on a declivity with the River below commands a fine view of the surrounding Park & of the Gualtee Mountains. Whilst our Dinner was preparing we strolled about the Town, which consists principally of one wide Street lined with tolerably good Houses, but I was most pleased with the appearance of a row of rather handsome Tenements at the edge of the Park in the centre of which is a Chapel. They were built by the first Earl of Kingston for the support of 12 decayed gentlemen & as many decayed Ladies each of whom received £ 40 per Annum & a Chaplain also receives a hundred a year for the performance of daily service in the Chapel.92 I thought I never saw a place that appeared more comfortable, or so far as I could judge a set of Inhabitants who appeared more content & happy.93 Till we arrived here there has been no established charge for posting by the Mile but the Landlord makes {MS page 89} as good a Bargain as he can by the Job. From Mill Street to Mallow which is 17 Miles we were charged £ 1. 14.1/2 & £1.8.2 from thence to this place, of which the distance is 14 Miles. For this last Stage I gave the Driver 4 ten pennies which I was informed is 10 more than he usually receives & for which he thanked me most humbly & wished ‘long life to my Honor’, but added ‘indeed its less than I ever received

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before’. I was angry & calling him a Rascal told him he wished to impose on me to which the fellow cooly answered ‘Heaven bless your Honor I'm perfectly satisfied but all you English Travellers are so liberal that I thought to be sure I should have got six shillings’. This is constantly the case with every Irishman & they at every turn try to cheat you but mostly in this civil way, & two Drivers following used almost exactly the same words.

It was our intention to have stopped & ascended the Gualty Mountain from this Town, but my Cold was so troublesome & we heard so much of Murders & robbery in the neighbourhood94 that we determined on proceeding without delay to Clogheen. Our Chaise {MS page 90} from Mitchelstown was still worse than the last & I never before saw such a mass of rags & tatters in the shape of a Carriage. Neither of the Glasses had any String by which they could be pulled up, nor did they at all fit the Windows so that I feared they would fall out, & one of them had scarcely any Frame. Yet tho' there is no Post Horse Duty in Ireland we were charged for this miserable vehicle 16 pence a Mile, & if there had been three of us the charge would have been 19 1/2d.

We passed thro' a small Town called Ballyporeen, & saw many handsome Seats by the road side of which that of Lord Lismore has the most extensive Grounds.95 When we left Mitchelstown the Gualty Mountains were near us on the left, & those of Kilworth soon appeared at a short distance on the Right, together forming a fine mountainous tract. We arrived at Clogheen at 1/2 past seven & were driven to a comfortable & commodious Inn. It is a small but tolerably neat Town, about which we walked till our Tea was ready, & afterwards when we had finished our Journals retired to Bed at 1/2 past 11.