The beauties of the Boyne, and its tributary, the Blackwater

Front matter

Class h°\^Q

Book-^.

Kl\l. a.

Preface

The materials for this book were collected during excursions, made from time to time, to theBoyne, for health, amusement, or instruction. With a desire to illustrate some of the scenery and antiquities of our native land, fragments of the original rough sketches were published in the Dublin University Magazine, among the series of "Irish Rivers," now appearing in that periodical. Although the space allotted to such subjects in a serial did not permit of lengthened descriptions of any of the places of note which fringe this river's banks, the interest which had been awakened by those rapid sketches of the Beauties of the Boyne, was such as to induce the Publisher to request that I would again visit the great river of Meath, make further observations, collect additional information, include the Blackwater, and publish the materials thus obtained, in the form of an illustrated Hand-book for these charming but hitherto neglected streams.

It may be regarded as a boast, but it is nevertheless incontrovertibly true, that the greatest amount of authentic Celtic history in the world, at present, is to be found in Ireland ; nay more, we believe it cannot be gainsaid that no country in Europe, except the early kingdoms of Greece and Rome, possesses so much ancient written history as Ireland. It is, however, generally speaking, unknown ; heretofore it has neither been appreciated nor understood ; until very lately the

VI PREFACE.

great mass of Irish historic manuscripts was scattered and inaccessible. Many of these have, within the last few years, been collected together, and several have been translated and published ; others are in course of publication, but in forms which (though no doubt the very best) are not within reach of the general reader, neither would they be always understood or valued by such. To popularize these — to render my countrymen familiar with facts and names in Irish history — has been one of the objects I have had in view in the historic portion of this work. Materials for books of this description are now so abundant that the chief difficulty is in selection.

Throughout the following pages I have alluded to the want of a correct Irish history, and the neglect of such histories of our country as we possess. I would here again (because I do not think it can be done too often) revert to this subject. The Board of National Education, — with whose scheme of instruction, so far as it goes, I agree, and many of whose books I very much admire, — while they teach the history of Kamtschatka, and the geography of the Andes, never once allude, in their system of education, to the national history of the people they are employed to teach. Nor need this be wondered at, when I mention the fact that an eminent publisher of my acquaintance having, some few years ago, in the issue of a popular, and, to my mind, a very unprejudiced abridgment of Irish history, written a circular to the different schoolmasters in Ireland, calling their attention to this little work, was answered by some of those who deigned to honour him with a reply, that the time devoted by their pupils to the study of history of any kind was barely sufficient for those of Greece, Eome, and England ! How long will parents and guardians submit to this ? That Irish history is looked upon as a fable by many ignorant persons is not surprising ; but that the ordinarily educated —

PREFACE. Vll

and, above all, that the learned of any country — should be unacquainted with the materials of our Irish history, is a lamentable fact, and shows either want of knowledge, or utter indifference to the subject.

I was forcibly reminded of this a short time ago, in casting my eyes over that very beautiful book, Macaulay's "Lays of Ancient Rome," in the preface to which, when speaking of the early literature and metrical romances on which the history of most nations is founded, the great modern historian very justly says : "A man who can invent or embellish an interesting story, and put it into a form which others may easily retain in their recollection, will always be highly esteemed by a people eager for amusement and information, but destitute of libraries. Such is the origin of ballad poetry, — a species of composition which scarcely ever fails to spring up and flourish in every society, at a certain point in the progress towards refinement. Tacitus informs us that songs were the only memorials of the past which the ancient Germans possessed." And so the author passes in review the early " poetic literature" and " ancient lays" of the various nations of the earth ; the Gauls, the primitive Teutonic and Celtic races of the European continent, the Danes and Anglo-Saxons, the Welsh and Scottish Highlanders, the Servians and Peruvians, the people of Persia and Turkomania, the Sandwich Islanders, the Etruscans and Castilians, the ancient Greeks, and even the inhabitants of Central Africa, whose bards have sung, and whose traditions have perpetuated the story of their early history ; — all, except that of the neighbouring island, Ireland, are deemed worthy of a place in the preface of the English statesman and historian.

But worse than this, the last historian who has attempted to compile and arrange the annals of our country knew little

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or nothing of those rich sources of knowledge in the ancient Gaelic manuscripts from which alone our history can be obtained. Thus remarks Mr. O'Donovan, in his preface to The Battle of Magh-Eath, which, with the name of the monarch who fought it, is not even once alluded to in Moore's History of Ireland: " Mr. Moore is confessedly unacquainted with the Irish language; and the remains of our ancient literature were, therefore, of course inaccessible to him. That great ignorance of these unexplored sources of Irish history should be found in his pages is, therefore, not surprising ; but he ought to have been more conscious of his deficiencies in this respect than to have so boldly hazarded the unqualified assertion that there exist in the Irish annals no materials for the civil history of the country."

The scientific as well as the literary and archaeological character of our country has not stood still of late years ; our University and our schools of medicine have borne an honourable part in the advance of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. Three new colleges have been lately established. The greatest telescope, the most scientific magnetic observatory, and the first atmospheric railway, were constructed in Ireland. A survey, the most accurate in its details, and the most extensive in its objects, that any country in Europe has yet been submitted to, has just been completed; and the last enumeration of the people has been, with justice, pronounced by the London Statistical Society, " a model for a Census." Unfortunately for the country, either from the indifference of ministers, the unjust economy which the English Exchequer has ever pursued towards Ireland, or from mismanagement at home,

perhaps from a little of each or all, — the memoirs of the

Irish Ordnance Survey have— I would hope only for the present—been abandoned. I would go further, and say, that

PREFACE. IX

as the materials which have been collected for them are the property of the country, and are a necessary portion of her history, they must some day, sooner or later, meet the light ; and yet — can it be believed ? — an endeavour was made not long since to remove these records to Southampton ! I need only refer to the memoir on Templemore, as a specimen of what these county histories would be.

The Board of Works has of late done good service, particularly to the inland navigation of the country ; and our agricultural and industrial resources have also, within the last few years, received an impulse which we would ardently anticipate may be both permanent and extensive.

In the last ten or fifteen years much has been done to develope the literary resources of this country. The Eoyal Irish Academy, the old chartered patron of Irish literature and antiquities, has awoke from the apathetic slumber in which it remained during the early part of this century, when papers and communications were admitted into its Transactions, of which, some were not founded on fact, and others, by the crude and fanciful theories of their authors, brought upon us the ridicule of other European nations ; while, at the same time, it permitted some of our oldest and best records, and most valuable antiquities, to pass into another country. Of late, however, a zeal and an enthusiasm, and, we would hope, a nationality, unparalleled in the history of any other Irish institution, has been infused amongst its members and its council, and it has amply redeemed its past indifference, by creating a museum of Celtic and early Christian antiquities, unexampled in the British isles, and only surpassed (if it be surpassed) by that of Copenhagen, which is, however, inferior to our's in this respect, that the same historic references do not exist there with regard either to the Pagan

X PREFACE.

or Christian antiquities, but particularly the latter, which are also less numerous and interesting. And although the Pagan antiquities at Copenhagen are much more numerous than our's, it does not appear that the types of form or structure are much more diversified than those which the museum of the Irish Academy possesses. Why has the catalogue of this, our national collection, been so long delayed ? Why is not each new specimen of interest figured in the Proceedings of the Academy, and its description thus widely distributed among the public ? We know that many valuable acquisitions have been gained by visiters calling accidentally at the museum ; many more would, we feel convinced, find their way into this collection, if some general and popular means existed of giving an account of those which are there already. The miserable pittance which is doled out to this noble institution by Parliament may be urged as a reason against this project; but, while we acknowledge the full effect of all this, we would suggest that wood-engraving, which is quite applicable to all purposes of antiquarian delineation, and is now remarkably cheap, should be extensively employed ; and as most of the antiquities have already been drawn at the expense of the Academy, even fifty pounds a year would do much towards illustrating them. By Dr. Petrie's great work upon the Ecclesiastical Architecture and Eound Towers of Ireland, the Academy has widely extended its fame, and the first great impetus has been given to the true eclectic investigation of Irish history and antiquities. But not by deep archaeological research alone, but by his popular sketches in the Penny Journals, has Dr. Petrie generated a taste, and created a school of Irish Archaeology. He should have written this book ; his profound knowledge of Irish history and antiquities, — his intimate acquaintance with the subject on which it treats, — his graphic powers of descrip-

PREFACE. XI

tion, and his surpassing abilities as an artist, all combine to render him better suited for the task than any other man living. Because he has not done so I have ventured, sed longo intervallo, to describe the scenery presented along the Boyne and the Blackwater, to direct public attention to their antiquarian remains, and to popularize their annals and history.

We have lately had a proof of the growing interest which is taken in the antiquarian department of our Academy, not only by our own, but by other nations. The Danish government sent over a gentleman of distinguished merit, great shrewdness of observation, and most captivating manners, to investigate and report upon our collection, With a becoming spirit of liberality, the Academy presented to the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, through Mr. Worsaae, to whom I have just alluded, a splendid series of drawings, illustrative of our finest antiquities, and also several specimens of the antiquities themselves, of which duplicates existed. In return, that learned body have lately presented a collection of Danish antiquities to the Academy. This is, I believe, the first instance of good feeling between the Irish and the Danes which our annalists have as yet been able to record.

In the historic department, the Irish Archasological Society has done more to elucidate the annals and records of our country than had been effected for the century previous. Private individuals and enterprising publishers are likewise engaged in this good work. The publication of the Annals of the Four Masters by Messrs. Hodges and Smith, is the greatest acquisition ever made to Irish history. The Celtic Society also promises well in this department of research. We are, moreover, happy to find that this body does not consider itself a mere transcriber, translator, and commentator on the written labours of the past ; but has also constituted itself a conservator of those monuments and architectural remains which the Van-

Xll PREFACE.

dalism of modern commissioners — some of whom possess little knowledge of, and less taste and interest in, those relics that teach the antiquary, mark the historic era, or adorn the landscapes of our native land — would destroy.

The nonsensical fancies of Vallancey and his school of imaginary antiquaries have long since been dispelled by the labours ofPetrie, O'Donovan, Hardiman, Todd, Eugene Curry, Reeves, Graves, and other modern investigators.

Strangers even who lately visited our soil have become infected by the general feeling of enthusiasm which has pervaded all classes and parties, and have ably and generously devoted the pages of their periodicals to Irish history and antiquities.*

Her Majesty Queen Victoria, with her illustrious consort, has just visited this portion of her dominions, and by their coming amongst us, have done more to put down disaffection, and elicit the loyal feelings and affections of the Irish people, than armies thousands strong, fierce general officers, trading politicians, newspaper writers, and suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, &c. &c. Let us hope that her welcome visit will be soon repeated.

I have now but to express my obligations to those kind friends who have assisted me in the compilation of the historic and antiquarian portion of this work. First, to my excellent friend, John O'Donovan, — whose labours in the cause of Irish Archeology are already so well known to the learned in Great Britain, and which are so frequently referred to in this book, that it seems scarcely necessary to allude to them here ; — who has assisted me largely, and devoted much time and attention in the revision of proofs, and in pointing out the sources

* See the Historical Tableaux, in numbers 160 and 162 of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal for 1847.

PREFACE. Xlll

from which I might gain illustrative materials. I know no man possessing the same amount of knowledge, gleaned with the same labour and research, who is more liberal of it than Mr. O'Donovan, and to this every one who has been engaged, either in strict archaeological research, or, like myself, in popularizing our history, must bear testimony.

The Very Eeverend Eichard Butler, Dean of Clonmacnoise, has also placed me, as regards this work, under many obligations. His long residence at Trim, of which he has become the historian, and his intimate acquaintance with the ancient history of the county of Meath, render him better fitted for the task of a critic upon a book treating of the Boyne, than any other living antiquary; and in the same generous manner as Mr. O'Donovan, he has always assisted those who require the aid of his matured judgment and extensive reading.

I have to express my obligations to my friend George Smith, the enterprising publisher of so many works connected with the history of Ireland, for permission to examine and extract from the early portion of that part of the Annals of the Four Masters now in course of translation by Mr. O'Donovan. In the most" generous manner he placed (with the Editor's permission) the unpublished sheets of that great work at my disposal.

In writing the original sketches of the Boyne, which appeared in the Dublin University Magazine, I derived many valuable hints from my learned friend, Mr. Eugene Curry.

Indeed, without the assistance of so many generous as well as learned friends, I could not have produced this work in its present form. I do not profess to be an antiquary or an historian ; other avocations of a professional nature occupy more of my time than the acquirement of strict and exact archaeological knowledge would permit ; but I have endeavoured,

XIV PREFACE.

with the assistance of my friends, and by means of such sources of information as were readily at hand, while I popularized our history and sketched our scenery (chiefly as a source of healthful relaxation from more fatiguing pursuits) to present nothing to the reader that was not strictly true. Had more time been devoted to the subject, this might, perhaps, have been made a better book, but we doubt whether it would be more suitable for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the exception of the illustration upon the first page and the woodcut at page 67, which were drawn by Mr. Grey, and the drawings by Mr. Connolly, engraved at pages 38, 40, and 195, all the illustrations of this work have been sketched, and afterwards drawn on wood by Mr. Wakeman, who is already so favourably known, both as an artist and an antiquary, by his useful Handbook of Irish Antiquities, and who combines great artistic skill with a peculiar knowledge of the salient points of the antiquities or ruins he may be engaged in illustrating. I am likewise indebted to Mr. Wakeman for much local information, which his residence on the bank of the Boyne for the last two years enabled him to collect.

Mr. Hanlon, the wood-engraver, has also borne no inconsiderable part in the illustrations of the Beauties of the Boyne ; and I cannot but congratulate Mr. Gill upon the admirable manner in which the work has been printed, — printed, moreover, within the short space of one month.

And last, though not least, whatever pleasure or profit the fireside reader or the tourist may derive from the perusal of this little book, is chiefly due to the enterprise of its spirited publisher, Mr. McGlashan.

21, Westland-Row, August, 1849.

CONTENTS,

Page, Itinerary, xxi

Chapter I. The River's Source And History

Introduction — The Beaiities of the Boyne ; its Scenery and Historic Interest ; its Archaeological Remains — Description of the ancient Kingdom of Meath ; its History and Topography — The Plains of Breghia — The English Conquest — Dearvorgail, the Helen of the Irish Iliad — The Pale — Geographical Description of the River — The Source, Origin, and Derivation of the Boyne — Trinity Well ; its Legends and Antiquities— The Stoiy of Boan and Dabella, 1

Chapter II. From Carbury To Clonard

Carbury ; its ancient History, Hill, and Castle — Genealogy of the Duke of Wellington — The Boyne's Progress through the King's County — Edenderry — Ruins of Monasteroris — The Berminghams — Alteration of English into Irish Names — Return to Kildare — Kinnafad Castle — A Battle-field ; the Men vrho fought there, and their Weapons — Grange —The Hill of Carrick; its Church, Well, and Castle— View of the Plains of Leinster — Toberaulin — Lady Well — Irish Holy Wells — Bally bogan ; its Church and Priory, 27

XVI CONTENTS.

Chapter III. Clonard, And The Boyne To Trim

' Page.

Clonard — Descriptions of Csesar Otway — The Battle of 1798 — Ancient Seat of Learning — History of St. Finian — The Abbey, Monastery, and Round Tower — Disasters and Desecrations, ancient and modern — Antique Font and Lavatory — Recovery of an Ecclesiastical Stoup — The Pagan Remains at Clonard — The Moat and Fort ; Speculations on their Origin and Uses— The Battle-field of Rathcore— The Battle of Bolg- Boinne — Ticroghan — Donore Castle — The Boyne to Trim — Trimblestown, 55

Chapter IV

Trim ; First Impressions ; History, ancient and modern ; Accommodation ; Origin and Foundation — St. Mary's Abbey and Yellow Tower — Geoffrey De Geneville — Military Buildings — The Early Irish Castles — The Saxon, who ? — Death of Hugh De Lacy — The present Castle of Trim ; its Chapel and Mint — Talbot's Castle — The early Residence of the Duke of Wellington — Laracor, Swift, and Stella — Newtown ; its Abbey, Tombs, and Ruins. — Monastic Castle and Priory of St. John, ... 79

Chapter V. From Trim To Navan

Scurlogstown ; its Tumulus, Church, and Castle— Trubly— Bective Abbey—Interment of Hugh De Lacy— Clady ; its Subterranean Chambers, Church, and ancient Foot-Bridge— The House of Cletty— Riverstown Castle — Tara ; its History and Associations ; its Topography — Raths— The Lia-Fail— Skreen— Hymn of St. Patrick— Ardsallagh —St. Bridget's Well— Kilcarn Font— Athlumney Castle ; its last Occupant— Navan ; recent Discoveries there, 103

CONTENTS. xvii

Chapter VI. The Black Water

Page.

General View of the Blackwater of Meath ; Origin of its Name — St. Patrick's Curse — The River's Source at Lough Ramor — Virginia — St. Kieran's Well, Church, and Crosses — Square Forts — Hill of Lloyd — Kells ; its Early History — House of St. Columbkill — Round Tower — The Cross — Annals of Kells— Headford — Tailtean, one of the ancient Seats of Monarchy ; its early History ; its Games, Battles, Fairs, and Marriages — The present Appearance of Teltown ; its Hill, Raths, and Legends — St. Patrick and King Loeghaire — Donaghpatrick ; its History ; the Moat and Churchyard — The Church and Castle of Liscarton — Rathaldron; its Castle — Monumental Cross of Nevinstown, . 136

Chapter VII. The Boyne From Navan To Slane

Donaghmore Round Tower — Blackcastle — Babes' Bridge — Ardmulchan — Dunmoe — Stackallan Bridge — Castle Dexter — Beauparc — Fennor — Slane Castle— The Hermitage of St. Ere— View from the Hill of Slane — The arrival of St. Patrick — Name and Origin of Slane — Ferta- Fear-Feig — The Monastic and Ecclesiastical Ruins — An ancient Tomb, 159

Chapter VIII. The Royal Cemetery Of Brugh-na-boinne

The Senchas-na-Relic — Brugh-na-Boinne — The Interment of King Cormac — Ros-na-Righ — Kncwth — The Tumulus of New Grange ; its Entrance, Passage, and Chamber — Crypts in the Interior — Antique Carvings — Ancient History of this Mound — Dowth — Recent Examination of its Interior — Description of its Chambers and Passages —

-Cloghlea— Netterville, 184

b

XV111 CONTENTS.

Chapter IX. The Ethnology Of The Ancient Irish

Page.

Modes and Means of studying Ethnology — Who are the Irish? — Historic Eeferences — What Remains of the original Stock exist —The Celts — The Firbolgs — TheTuatha De Danaan — Early Irish Forms of Burial — Tumuli, and their Contents — Cromlechs — Kistvaens — Sepulchral Urns — Incineration — Scandinavian Researches — Crania of the ancient Irish — Battle-fields — Advice to Tomb-Openers, . 212

Chapter X. The Battle-field Of Oldbridge Drogheda

The Boyne in Louth — The Campaign of 1690 — Description of the Battle-field of Oldbridge — Position of the Irish Army — The Hill of Donore — Position of the English Army — The King's Glen — Plan of the Battle of the First of July—Wounding of King William— The Battle of Rossnaree — Turning of the left Wing of the Irish Army — The Passage of the Boyne — Death of Schomberg — The Fight upon Donore — The Retreat to Duleek — What Effects have followed — New Ballad of the Boyne Water — Drogheda ; its early History ; its Antiquities ; its Walls — St. Laurence's and the West Gate — St. Mary's Church — The Magdalen Steeple — The Mouth of the Boyne — Colpe — The Maiden Tower, 241

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

1. Bird's-eye View of the River Boyne, 1

2. Carbury Castle, 27

3. The Ruins of Monasteroris, 35

4. Kinnafad Castle, 37

5. Antiquities found in the Boyne at the Pass of Kinnafad, 38

6. Skulls found in the same Locality, 40

7. The Church and Castle of Carrick-Oris, 43

8. Ballybogan Priory Church, 51

9. The ancient Font of Clonard, 64

10. Antique Vessel found at Clonard, 67

11. The Mound of Clonard, 68

12. The Castle of Donore, 77

13. The Yellow Steeple and Sheep-Gate of Trim, 84

14. The Castle of Trim, 94

15. Monastic Ruins at Newtown Trim, . 99

16. The Dillon Monument at Newtown, 100

17. Scurlogstown Castle, 104

18. Bective Abbey, 108

19. The Cloisters at Bective, Ill

20. The ancient Bridge and Church of Clady, 113

21. The Lia Fail, or Stone of Destiny at Tara, 124

22. Cannistown Church — Choir Arch, 129

23. Ancient Font at Kilcarn, 130

24. Sculptures on Kilcarn Font, 131

25. Ditto, ditto, ib.

26. Athlumney Castle, 132

27. St. Kieran's Cross at Castle Kieran, 139

28. St. Kieran's Well and Tree, 141

29. St. Columbkill's House at Kells, 144

30. Window in ditto, 145

31. The Round Tower of Kells, 146

32. The Great Cross of Kells, 148

33. Liscarton Castle, 156

34. Donaghmore Church and Tower, 160

35. Sculpture over Door of Donaghmore Round Tower, 162

36. Sculptured Stone at Ardmulchan Church, 165

XX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

37. Dunmoe Castle, with the Boyne and Mill, &c 167

38. Castle Dexter, 173

39. Slane Castle, 174

40. The Hermitage of St. Ere, at Slane, 175

41. Eemains of sculptured Tomb at ditto, ib.

42. The Ecclesiastical Ruins at Slane, 178

43. Ancient gable-shaped Tomb at Slane, 182

44. The Mound of New Grange, 189

45. Pillar-stones in the Circle of New Grange, 190

46. The Entrance of New Grange, with its sculptured Stones, . . . . 192

47. Sculptured Stone at Mouth of New Grange Cave, 193

48. One of the upright Groove Stones in the Passage of New Grange, . 194

49. The eastern Recess in the Chamber of New Grange, 195

50. Illustrations of the spiral Carvings at New Grange, 197

51. the lozenge-shaped Carvings at New Grange, . . 198

52. the oval and semicircular Carvings at New Grange, . ib.

53. the zig-zag Carvings at New Grange, 199

54. the supposed Writing at New Grange, ib.

55. the Fern-shaped Carving at New Grange, .... 200

56. The double Basin, or shallow Stone Sarcophagus, 201

57. The single Basin in the Western Crypt, ib.

58. The Mound of Dowth prior to the recent Excavation, 204

59. The Entrance to the Passage at Dowth, 206

60. Carvings on the Stones at Dowth, . 207

61. One of the Pillar- Stones at Brugh-na-Boinne, 210

62. Remains of a Stone Circle at Cloghlea, 211

63. Globular Scandinavian Skull, 226

64. Elongated ditto, 227

65. Skull of the long-headed Irish Race, 229

66. Skull of the round-headed Irish Race, 232

67. Skull of St. Donatus, 236

68. The Obelisk on the Battle-field of the Boyne, 241

69. St. Lawrence's Gate, Drogheda, 259

70. The West Gate, Drogheda, 260

71. Ruins of St. Mary's Church, Drogheda, 260

72. The Magdalen Steeple, Drogheda, 262

73. The Maiden Tower and Finger, 263

TO THE BINDER.

74. Plan of the Battle of the Boyne, To face page 248

75. Map of the Boyne and Blackwater, At the end.

ITINERARY.

The folio-wing directions with respect to the best mode of seeing the beauties of the Blackwater and Boyne will be found useful to the tourist.

The River Boyne may be visited, and its various objects of interest examined, comfortably, in three days. The Blackwater will require a fourth ; and a distinct route from Navan to Virginia, along its banks, is given at p. xxiii of this Itinerary. As railways now approach the river at three different points, — at Enfield, Navan, and Drogheda, — tourists can return to Dublin, if they wish, each night, or, proceeding continuously down the river, they can divide the journey into three portions, sleeping the first night at Trim, the second at Slane, and the third at Dublin, as neither Navan nor Drogheda as yet present the very best accommodation.

The most ready mode of access to the Boyne's source, at Carbery, in the county of Kildare, is to proceed from the Broadstone, Dublin, in one of the early morning trains which starts by the Midland Great Western Railway, to Enfield, which can be reached in about an hour and a half. Here outside jaunting-cars can be hired at the rate of sixpence per mile for two persons, or one can be hired for the day, or by the job. From seven shillings and sixpence to ten shillings per day, with a douceur to the driver, will generally satisfy, but in every instance a special bargain should be made with the carman before starting. The tourist should first proceed to Carbery, distant about six miles, where the hill and Castle of Carbery should be visited, and afterwards the source of the Boyne, at Trinity Well, in the adjoining demesne of Newbery. About a mile and a half from Enfield, the Edenderry road through Carbery crosses the Blackwater rivulet, one of the tributaries of the Boyne ; then the neat little village of Johnstown, and between that and Carbery we pass Mylerstown church and castle, about a mile to the right of the road. This latter

XX11 ITINERARY.

may be visited by those who have time to spare, and who had left Dublin by the early morning train.

From Carbery to Edenderry is not quite four English miles. Except the old castle, which is difficult of access, there is very little to delay the tourist in this town. Two roads — one direct to the Hill of Carrick, the other the most circuitous, by Monasteroris, Kinnafad, and Grange — lead downward, to Ballybogan. The former is the shorter, the latter by far the most interesting. From Edenderry to Monasteroris is not quite two miles ; from thence to Kinnafad a mile, and by the Castle of Grange to the Hill of Carrick, two and a half miles more. The next point of interest is Ballybogan, four miles distant from Carrick, and eight from Edenderry. Here two roads, one on each side of the Boyne, lead to Clonard. If the tourist intends to return to Dublin the same night, the northern road upon the left bank of the river, by which the ruins of Ticroghan castle and chapel may be visited, will be found not only the most interesting, but the shortest. From Ballybogan Bridge to Clonard is two miles- Having visited the moat and the site of the ecclesiastical ruins adjoining, the tourist can either continue on to Trim, which is about twelve English* miles distant, by crossing to the right bank of the river, at the Boyne Aqueduct, or he can return by the Great Western road, over Leinster Bridge, to the railway station at Moyvalley, which is about four miles distant ; and, taking the evening up- train from Mullingar, return to Dublin the same night. If the latter course is pursued, the tourist should proceed by railway to Moyvalley the second day ; then visit Clonard ; from thence proceed down the river by Trim to Navan, where a branch of the Drogheda railway will take him up to Dublin in something more than two hours.