-136 THE IRISH PEOPLE. 



143. In 1862, Coulter in his West of Ireland, 

 wrote: "A writer lately tells of three emaciated 

 creatures who ran after his car on the road 

 from Oughterard to Clifden. The people seem 

 steeped to the lips in poverty, but the children 

 who ran barefooted, and not warmly clad, after 

 Bianconi's car, were plump, rosy-cheeked, bright- 

 eyed, and in perfect health. And this is the case 

 with the inhabitants of all Connemara. I have 

 seen them in their houses, in their fields, on the 

 roads ; and, with the exception of their dress, I 

 believe they may challenge comparison with the 

 peasantry of any other county in Ireland as regards 

 personal comeliness. 



" The men are, for the most part, tall, broad- 

 shouldered, well-made fellows ; the young women 

 good-looking, and often very handsome ; the 

 children merry, active, intelligent little creatures. 

 The middle-aged women do not retain their good- 

 looks as long as in other parts of the country, 

 probably from severe hard work and constant 

 exposure to weather. The people are uncivilised, 

 yet exceedingly quick, acute and penetrating, more 

 eo perhaps than other Irishmen." 

 . H4. In 1872, Sir William Wilde, in his account 

 6f " Lough Corrib," wrote : " When we see the 

 miserable sheep and cows, that eke out an existence 



