22 NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 



Having had my leg mended by a regular practitioner at 

 Limerick, I determined to rest it another day, and so got on 

 board a steamer bound for Kilrush. It was a glorious day, 

 and the steamer ploughed the sea in gallant style. I call it 

 sea, for though in courtesy called ' the Shannon,' it is in fact 

 all sea below Limerick. There is much to amuse the tourist 

 in this picturesque estuary, but I panted for the mountains, 

 and was tired of steam-boats. On approaching KiliTish, we 

 obtain a view of Scattery Island, with its numerous ruins and 

 lofty round tower. I did not go to the island, but was told 

 that this round tower is perfectly solid — a compact mass of 

 stonework from the base to the summit. If so, it differs abun- 

 dantly from all other round towers, for they invariably have 

 an internal cavity, apparently to allow of ascent within. 



The island is sacred to St. Senanus, who flourished here 

 long before St. Patrick came into fame. The crabbed old 

 saint indignantly refused to permit any woman to set foot in 

 his territory. I believe it was Cannera, a saintess, conveyed 

 thither on a raft by an angel, whose disappointment Moore 

 deplores to the tune of ' The Brown Thorn^ taking care, ra- 

 ther wickedly, to add, how 



" legends hint that had the maid 



" Till morning's light delayed, 

 " And giv'n the Saint one rosy smile, 

 " She ne'er had left his lonely isle." 



Oh rare Tom Moore ! I heartily wished I could conjure up 

 old Senanus from his long rest, not to enquire about Canne- 

 ra, but simply to ask what the Scientific Associations, and 

 sapient literati of hi^ day, said about the round towers. It 

 would be amusing to know at what conclusions they arrived, 

 and to whom was then assigned the premium on round-tow- 

 er-speculation. It is very obvious that in the earliest days of 

 Christianity, when it is to be presumed the Irish were pos- 

 sessed of more zeal than architectural skill, these towers were 

 frequently built into their churches, and performed the office 

 of heaven-pointing spires : but of so superior a structure were 

 these spires, that even now, when the early churches have 

 mended the roads, or are reduced to a confused and scattered 

 heap of ruins, the towers stand triumphant and alone in their 

 glory, sneering sarcastically at the feeble efforts of time. 



When I landed at Kilrush, I found all the steam-boat peo- 

 ple were going to Kilkee, and T did the same, without any 

 definite object. There were from thirty to fifty cars on the 

 quay where we landed, and twelve of these were soon freight- 

 ed with live lumber for Kilkee. We were a formidable body 



