The town of Killarney consists of two principal streets, called the Old and New streets; it was first brought into notice, as a place of trade, by the iron works in its vicinity; and the improvements effected by the encreased expenditure, while the mines were worked, are still obvious in the comfortable appearance of the town in general.
There are three tolerable inns, two in the main street, nearly opposite the church, and the Kenmare Arms in New-street. Of these one is agreeably situated, immediately opposite to the church. Near this inn is a public reading room, to which strangers are politely invited, by a singular advertisement upon the door, stating, that ‘None but Members, or Strangers, are admitted.’ The church contains a few handsome monuments, has a pretty specimen of stained glass in the eastern window, and is in excellent repair. The exterior has been so much altered from the original elevation, that it is a continued succession of contradictions to all the laws of architecture.
The Roman Catholic chapel stands in Newstreet, and beside it is the residence of the titular bishop. Shaded by a screen of arbutus, laurels, and jessamines, trained against the chapel wall, is a very attractive inscription, upon a beautifully designed, and well executed monument. A marble urn, partly concealed by a funeral pall, rests upon a sarcophagus, on the pannel of which is a beautiful and pathetic epitaph, on a Roman Catholic bishop of Kerry, written by a clergyman of the Established Church. There is a nunnery also in this street, and a very numerous school of poor children in that by which the Cork mail enters.
The hall of Kenmare house is flagged with very beautiful marble, raised on the lands of Cahernane, and at either end are busts of his Grace the Duke of Wellington, and Field Marshal Blucher. The ball room is the largest apartment in the house; the walls are hung with tapestry of rather inferior merit to that at Kilkenny castle, or Tyrone house, in Dublin; in this room is a table made of a single plank of yew, more than three feet broad. Over the chimney piece is an admirable painting of Apollo crowning Handel. On the principal staircase stands an admirable bust of the late Henry Grattan, by Turnerelli, and another of George II. In the attic story is a private chapel for the celebration of divine service, according
The gardens, which are separated from the lawn by the Mucruss road, are new, and in excellent order, but derive no advantage from their vicinity to the enchanting scenery of Lough Lein.
The first thing to be resolved upon, on arriving at the inn, is the route that is to be adopted for the following day. If it be the gap of Dunloe, horses are to be provided, which are to be had here on much more reasonable terms than in Westmoreland; but if the intention be to visit the Lake, the cockswain who steers the boat, the bugle-man, gunner, &c., are to be sent for, and directed to be in readiness. And here, certainly, the most disgraceful circumstance connected with a visit to the Lakes of Killarney is discovered: the hire of a boat is a very extravagant sum in the first instance, but this the cockswain or boatmen cannot interfere with, the boats being the property of Lord Kenmare, from one of whose stewards they are procured; but, in addition, the boatmen and cockswain (five persons at least) are to be paid two shillings each for their labour, a bottle of whiskey a man, with dinner for the entire party, including a bugleman and fisherman. How different from the modest charges of Derwent and Windermere! The boats are large,
The greatest inconvenience, however, chargeable upon Killarney, is the distance of the town from the Lake. It was not possible to have fixed, in all the neighbourhood, upon a worse situation for the site of a village; the backs of the houses are turned towards the Lake, the view of which is totally excluded by Lord Kenmare's woods, and but for the supply yielded by a few wells, there would not be any fresh water in the village, although there are rivers at a short distance on every side. It is very unpleasant to have a mile of uninteresting road to pass every morning before reaching Ross bay; but this is actual pleasure compared with the annoyance of having the same road to return at night, after the fatigue of ten or twelve hours exercise, and, probably, drenched by the breakers, if the weather should be stormy. Here, again, the English lakes have the advantage in accommodation for travellers, which he who has visited Coniston Head, the Ferry House, or Lowood upon Windermere, will acknowledge.