At a little after 12 on the 11th I took leave of my hospitable entertainers and began my walk thru the barony of Burrin. Who has [p. 121] not heard of the Barony of Burrin where there is not water enough to drown a man, wood to hang him or earth to bury him142 and really this is nearer the truth in a tract of country about 14 miles long and 11 broad (Irish measure) than will readily be conceived by a person who has not seen it or some similar country. It is moreover added to enhance the wonder that the stone walls are transparent — it is the custom of the country to build these walls with stones that shall touch if possible only by the angles and this is said to be done under the notion that the wind passing thro the intervals will not blow them down. Every field is encumbered by stones which in many almost cover the surface so that it certainly is not from any want of materials.
[p. 123] I only observed one Cromlech in the way and that not very large, but there are several of the circular ramparts some of a great size. In one of the largest & most perfect the external walls are about 7 feet thick. A cross wall passes thru the centre and one half is again subdivided. I thought that in all of them a similar arrangement might be traced; in many it is very distinct.
A little before reaching Corcomroe is a small ruin143 rather picturesquely situated on the banks [of] [p. 124] what was when I saw it a small lake. It must be remembered however that there is neither tree or bush in the neighbourhood and not very frequent vegetation. The abbey of Corcomroe144 is in the same valley but in a still more desolate part. It appears large and I should like to have visited it but I was tired, it was growing late & I was uncertain where I could meet with any sort of accommodation.
Even the valley here is rock with scarcely any covering but straggling patches of the Dryas octopetala145 — called here the Burrin rose & I think it might almost be called the Burrin grass, it constitutes so large a proportion of the whole vegetation. A variety of Saxifraga hypnoides or rather perhaps a distinct species,146 is abundant thro most of the district. Yet Mr. Lysaght assured me that great part of the Land of the Burrin lets for £2 per acre — its
[p. 125] After breakfasting at Kilvara (being still Englishman enough to prefer bread to potatoes when I could get it) I proceeded on my walk. The Northern and Eastern shores of the Bay of Galway are neither bold nor woody but they are rocky and very much varied & indented which with the expanse of water produces rather a pleasing effect. On the south the hills of Burrin rise almost immediately from it and their pale grey colour perhaps increases their apparent magnitude — yet it certainly is not favourable to the impression of the sublime. Several castles [p. 126] are seen near the coast all of them consisting of a tower, square or nearly so with a gabled roof at the top leaving a gutter allround and a little projection at the Battlement in the middle of each side. The view of that [at] Kilvara147 may serve for all of them except that few of them are so perfect & very any lower buildings at the base. Indeed, I doubt if these are coeval with the castle. One at Oranmore148 is much larger, the principal Tower is not square and it has two smaller ones appended to it. The windows are mere loopholes — a modern house has been built against its base.
[Note, p.178.] The Habitations of the poorer class in the County of Galway have I think more appearance of comfort than in most parts of Ireland. They are more collected into villages & the villages have generally a few trees about them, both pleasing circumstances to any Englishman as they remind him of his native country.
[p. 126, contd.] The City of Galway is approached like other Irish towns thro long avenues of mud-walled cottages. It is large, with narrow streets and some uncommonly fine old houses. I had letters to two gentlemen in this city — one was at Cheltenham, the other gave me a most friendly reception and invited me to accompany him to Ross which would be in my way towards [p. 127] Connemara.