Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Travels of Joseph Woods, Architect and Botanist, in 1809 (Author: Joseph Woods)

entry 5

[p. 27] The 13th was occupied on my part in calling on several friends of my Mother's family48 in Cork and I endeavoured to learn among them the particulars of the road we proposed pursuing thro' Clonikilty & Skibbereen to Bantry and Killarney. The roads we had heard were bad but I was gratified by being told they were certainly passable by a Carriage. A place called Googan Barra was also pointed out to me as an object worth notice. It is a lake at the head of the River Lea surrounded by high naked mountains. In the lake is an island covered with wood connected by a causeway to the mainland and containing the ruins of a Cathedral dedicated to St. Finbar49.

[p. 28] A fine spring of water close to the lake is a principal object in one of the most

p.25

singular festivals in the Island. At Mid-summer eve the people of the country throng here in vast numbers and as there is no town in the neighbourhood they pitch their tents on the borders of the lake. The first part of the ceremony is to bathe in the well which is done by both sexes, the men naked, the women in flannel dresses. The number is so great that a constant succession of bathers is said to be preserved day and night for four or five days. After bathing in the well they are to bathe again in the Lake. They then pace round the ruins of the Cathedral and visit each Shrine and chapel a certain number of times. At night the ruins, the island, the well and the Shore are illuminated [p. 29] by torches and the concourse of people in this wild and savage Spot is seen in its most striking point of view50. Two Sketches by an Irish artist of no small talents of the name of Grogan51 gave me a very favourable impression of the bold and romantic character of the scenery.

On leaving Cork, we were unanimously of opinion that the charges at the Inn (McDowells Hotel) were the most exorbitant of any we had any of us met with52. It is but justice to say that the accommodations were good, but I had to complain bitterly of the bugs which I almost always escape in England. They are large and numerous in all the inns we had Slept at but I think we saw no more of them after leaving Cork53.