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

entry 16

Sunday July 30th
{MS page 91} We were called at 1/2 past 3 & at four set off in a Chaise for Clonmel. The Country thro' which we passed was far more interesting than any we had seen since we left Killarney, & at the Bridge of Ardvinnane [Ardfinnan] we admired the Ruins of a Castle situated on the top of a Rock which seemed to be marble.96 When we had gone about 8 Miles we drove by the side of Lord Donoughmore's Grounds97 & from thence to Clonmel the Country is truly beautiful. It was scarcely 1/2 past 6 when we reached Clonmel where Mr. Leach meant to have taken a place in the Dublin Mail but he changed his Mind & determined on accompanying me to Swansea. We therefore secured places in the Waterford Mail which starts at 9 in the morning, & having Breakfasted we strolled about the Town which is I think the largest & the best of any we have seen since we left Cork. The Assizes for the County of Tipperary were to be held here next day & we saw the Sherriff set out in state to meet the Judges. The Javelin Men cut an odd figure being all wrapped up in large great coats tho' the weather was very hot & dressed in large Livery Cocked Hats turn'd to one side al la {MS page 92} militaire. In consequence of the disordered state of the Country we heard that the Jail is crowded with Felons belonging principally to two hostile Factions called Caravets & Shanavelts [sic] into which the Peasantry are unhappily split, & of these the former wear a large Neckcloth & the latter a ragged Waistcoat as their distinguishing Badges.98 When an Irishman for his recreation attends a Fair he always carries a Cudgel with which to break as many heads as possible is his greatest delight; & it was in Clonmel Fair that this Feud which has now spread so wide is said to have originated. They frequently murder those who attempt to oppose them as well as one another, & almost every Night they break open some House in search of Arms but whether they collect them for the purpose of attacking each other, or to subvert the Government has not yet, I believe, been clearly ascertained.99

I saw almost everywhere so many articles of French Manufacture that I am inclined to fear there is too much communication between this

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Country & France, & I particularly remarked that an Almanack printed at Marseilles for the present Year was nothing at all extraordinary. It appeared to me from their looks that many of the miserable Wretches who we saw prostrate in Killarney Cathedral100 at the same {MS page 93} time that they were receiving remission of Sins for the past week were planning others for the next, & that many of them would with less hesitation rob or even commit Murder than omit one superstitious Rite at Mass. Of this I had here some proof, for having given the Clogheen Driver a Guinea from which he was to bring me some change, the Rascal set off & kept out of the way till the Mail, in which he knew I had taken my place, was gone. I sent after him, & he was discovered busy with his Beads at Mass, but tho' the Messenger told him I was just going, he refused to move from his Devotions or restore his Plunder. To their Religion in my opinion at least half the Robberies in Ireland may be attributed for the Rogues with a small part of their Plunder purchase absolution & then keep the remainder without any fear of endangering their Souls hereafter.

The Mail Coach in which we set off for Waterford had two Guards & the Coachman told us that he has still three Slugs in his Body which he received from the Blunderbuss of a Robber. Mr. Leach preferred riding in the Box & I was stowed in the Inside with the following fellow Passengers — 1st. a Mr. Wilder101 the son of a Revd. Doctor who was travelling for his pleasure & I found {MS page 94} him an extremely pleasant Companion. The second was an American who had served in the English Army in Ireland, but has now settled in Limerick County, & he proved to be well informed & very good humoured. The third was a holy Father with a bloated countenance & scarlet Gills, but who both in loyalty & liberality seemed rather above the common run of his Tribe. Recently committed Atrocities form a general subject for conversation in these parts, & I heard of so many Murders that I began to believe what a Gentleman told me at Cork was literally true. On looking over an Irish Paper I had happened to remark what a great number of Atrocities it recorded when he told me that even Murder is so frequent that it is rarely noticed unless the sufferer was a Gentleman, or the perpetration attended with some interesting particulars.

The Road from Clonmel to Carrick passes thro' a mountainous, well wooded & delightfully diversified country, which is ornamented with numerous handsome Villas. I think it well worth a Traveller's while to go several Miles round rather than miss seeing the beautiful Scenery which this Road every where commands. We stopped to change Horses at Carrick which is a large and {MS page 95} straggling but tolerably good Town. It contains an immensely large square plot of bare earth regularly surrounded on all sides with the most wretched Hovels as if intended to burlesque this fashionable mode of erecting Houses. There is also the remains of an old Castle which formerly belonged to the Duke of Ormond, & is now occupied by one of the Family named Butler.102

The Country between Carrick & Waterford is very beautiful, & the Road commands some fine Views of the River Suire but I do not think these at all equal to those of the last Stage. We passed by the House & fine Park of Lord Besborough103 & on the opposite side of the River we saw part of the magnificent Demesnes of Curraghmore the Seat of the Marquis of Waterford.104

We reached Waterford at a little after three & the Priest pointed out to us the Ruins of 61 Hovels which formed a Street near the Hall where the Assizes are held. They had been burnt on Friday & the Fire obliged the Judges who were then trying some Caravats to quit the Court, but suspecting that it was purposely made to facilitate the Escape of the Prisoners they gave orders for securing them which proved effectual. We were told that

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Seven were yesterday condemned & that 40 {MS page 96} more of the deluded Wretches remain in the Jail to be tried by a Special Commission!105 Mr. Wilder whom I have before mentioned being on his way to Wales requested to make Party with us, & we together enjoyed an excellent Dinner at the Commercial Hotel which is almost the best Inn I ever met with. One of the Mail Guards who I was fool enough to think honest because at Clonmel he had been active in endeavouring to recover my change from the Clogheen Driver here played me a nearly similar trick & set off with four tenpennies which I could not recover! Whilst we were at Dinner a Waterman came in & begged us to let him have the Honor of conveying us in his Boat to Cheek Point as he assured us that a Packet would positively sail at 7 O'Clock. We agreed to give him half a Guinea which was what he demanded, on his promising that neither he or his Men should ask for anything more, & then suffered ourselves to be hurried away & were rowed down the River, the Banks & windings of which are very beautiful. About 7 we reached Cheek Point & then to our great surprize found there was no Packet in the River! The Boatmen {MS page 97} pretended they had been deceived in Waterford, but the fact was that they wanted a Job & neither knew nor cared any thing about the Packet & the People at Cheek Point told us it is their common Trick. We hesitated whether we should pay them, & they certainly should not have had a stiver from me, but my Companions yielding to their importunity at length gave them the half guinea accompanied with a good deal of richly merited abuse. The more however that we abused them the more civil the Rascals were, & as soon as they had got the half guinea they exerted all their rhetorick to induce us to give them still more — ‘Just a drop o' something to drink your Honors health’ — till finding us inexorable they suddenly took to their Boat & rowed off. It was no pleasant thing to spend the Night at the vile dirty Inn at Cheek Point, but as it began to rain hard we thought it preferable to returning to Waterford & therefore making the best of our bad Bargain we ordered some Tea & retired early to Bed.