Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Travels of Joseph Woods, Architect and Botanist, in 1809 (Author: Joseph Woods)
entry 26
On the 7th the morning was wet. Miltown is a long Irish mile from the shore to which after Breakfast I walked down. It is bordered by sand hills consisting in great measure of broken shells. In one part they are traversed by some old foundations which [are] very slight, but not easily accounted for in such a situation126. [p. 108] There is a great deal of the brownstone which is used in the rougher parts of some new buildings but it does not bear the tool so well as the Limestone — which is either brought by sea from the isles of Arran or (as the landing is very bad so that nothing can approach the shore in rough weather) by land from Kilfenora. Mr. Morony127 is here building or rather has built a large Hotel
p.35
with excellent baths and there are many lodging houses scattered about. The look of the lodgings is not very tempting but the Hotel is well contrived. I confess however that the best accommodations seem to me but poor inducement to spend the Summer in so dreary a situation as Miltown Malbay. Mr. Morony has taken a great deal of pains to make trees grow. He plants them under the shelter of a wall but as soon as they reach the top they are [p. 109] cut off by the north west winds — all except the Tamrisk128 which flourishes in spite of them but its branches are very brittle. The winds are exceedingly violent and nothing will grow exposed to them, not even Currants and gooseberries. Vegetables thrive well — Mr. Morony showed me some sea kale129 which he had got from Mutton Island130 where it grows wild but it is not found in any other place. Large trees are frequently dug up in the bogs here and the timber as before observed seems very little altered — it is the principal, I believe I might say almost the only, timber to be procured, and is used not only in the cottages but in the hotel above mentioned. Pieces of fir generally squared and not very large are sometimes driven on the shore and now and then a stick of mahogany of considerable value is found. A still better prize is a hogshead of Claret — such a one once fell to Mr. Morony's lot sound and [p. 110] full. It seems to be determined by custom that these drifts belong to the gentleman whose land they first touch and this sometimes is the source of very warm disputes.