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KILLARNEY KILMALLOCK. 



of Kerry, 167 miles S.W. from Dublin, OH the pre- 

 sent mail-coach road to Cork, from which city, it 

 is distant forty-five miles. It consists of two main 

 streets, off which branch several lanes and alleys. 

 There is little business carried on in the town 

 beyond the retail trade. A variety of ornamental 

 articles are made from the arbutus tree, and sold 

 to strangers visiting the lakes. During the autumn 

 and summer months, the place presents an animated 

 appearance from the influx of strangers. The 

 mansion of lord Kenmare, with its parks and 

 grounds, adjoins the town. Population in 1841, 

 7127 ; of parish of Killarney, 10,476. 



The Lakes of Killarney, so celebrated for their 

 romantic scenery, are situated about a mile and a 

 half from the town, on the confines of a chain of 

 lofty mountains. The space included between 

 this chain and the ocean on the west, containing 

 upwards of thirty square miles, is entirely occu- 

 pied by other mountains of still greater magnitude, 

 amongst which are those called Macgillicuddy's 

 Reeks, the most elevated in Ireland. In general, 

 the disposition of these mountains is very irregular ; 

 but as they approach the sea, they form short 

 ridges, terminating on the coast in bold and rugged 

 headlands. This mountainous region abounds 

 with lakes. They are mostly found in the depths 

 of the valleys, but some are situated in the sides 

 of the mountains, at a great elevation, in cavities, 

 resembling the craters of volcanoes. In the vicin- 

 ity of Killarney, on the summit of the mountain 

 called Mangerton, there is one of these lakes many 

 hundred feet above the level of the sea, the 

 natives style it the Pit of Hell, but it is familiarly 

 known by the name of the Devil's Punch-Bowl. 

 After heavy rains, it discharges a large stream, 

 which precipitates itself down the mountain in a 

 succession of cataracts, distinguishable by their 

 white foam at the distance of many miles. Of all 

 the lakes of Kerry, however, the largest and the 

 most remarkable are those of Killarney. They 

 may be considered, indeed, as Mr Weld observes, 

 as an immense reservoir for the waters of the sur- 

 rounding country, supplied by the overflowings of 

 other lakes, by rills from the adjoining mountains, 

 and by rivers which fall into them, after having 

 been augmented during a long course by countless 

 tributary streams. The only outlet to this exten- 

 sive basin is the clear and rapid river Laune, which 

 conveys the surplus water into the Atlantic ocean, 

 through the bay of Dingle. 



The Lakes of Killarney are three in number, 

 that is to say, there are three distinct bodies of 

 water ; each of them, however, communicates with 

 the other two. We have said that these lakes are 

 upon the confines of a range of mountains. One 

 of them is, indeed, on the mountains completely 

 embosomed within lofty heights ; the others lie at 

 the foot of the mountains. These two lower lakes 

 are bounded on one side only by mountains ; in the 

 opposite direction they are open to a cultivated 

 country, whose surface is diversified by innumera- 

 ble hills. They are nearly upon the same level, 

 and lie contiguous to each other, being separated 

 merely by a narrow peninsula and some small 

 islands, between which there are channels passa- 

 ble for boats. The Upper Lake lies on the moun- 

 tains above, at the distance of three miles from 

 the Lower Lakes ; a navigable stream, however, 

 descends from it, and communicates with each of 

 them, by dividing into two branches. This lake 

 on the mountains is called, from its situation, the 



" Upper Lake ;" of the others below, the larger 

 one is called the " Lower Lake," and the smaller, 

 " Turk Lake," from an adjacent mountain bearing 

 the name of " Turk." 



The Upper Lake is about two miles and a half 

 in length, and, from its numerous indentations, of 

 very irregular breadth. It is thickly studded with 

 islands, and surrounded with mountains. 



The Lower Lake is five miles and a quarter long, 

 its greater breadth is two miles and a half, and its 

 mean breadth one mile and a half. The water of 

 the lake is in many parts very deep, and tolerably 

 clear. Smith says that "the common people 

 hereabouts have a strange romantic notion of their 

 seeing, in fair weather, what they call a carbuncle 

 at the bottom of this lake, in a particular part of 

 it, which they say is more than sixty fathoms 

 deep." This is not, however, the only "romantic 

 notion " entertained by the common people con- 

 cerning Lough Lein, as the lake was anciently 

 called. The " Legend of O Donoghue and his 

 White Horse " surpasses it vastly, in point of in- 

 terest and extravagance, as indeed it surpasses 

 most of the legends current in that stronghold of 

 tradition, the south of Ireland. 



Ross Island is the largest of those contained in 

 the Lower Lake. It is sometimes called a penin- 

 sula, for its separation from the main land is but 

 partial. A morass occupies the intervening space, 

 and is reduced to a narrow isthmus by inlets on 

 each side. A small canal through this isthmus, just 

 admitting the passage of a single boat, is the only 

 separation between the island and the main land dur- 

 ing the summer, and even this sometimes disappears. 

 In winter the whole isthmus is overflowed, and Ross 

 becomes then perfectly insulated. The shape of 

 this island is very irregular. It stretches out for 

 some distance from the eastern shore towards the 

 middle of the lake, and then throws forward a pro- 

 jection to the northward. Thus there is formed 

 between the island anJ the main land a bay, the 

 head of which is bounded by the isthmus connect- 

 ing them, and the mouth of which opens to the 

 northward ; this is called Ross Bay. The common 

 place of embarkation for strangers at Killarney is 

 at the head of Ross Bay, at a quay under the walls 

 of the castle ; this being the nearest part of the 

 lake to which there is a communication from the 

 town by a carriage-road. From the town Ross 

 castle is about a mile and a half distant. Ross 

 castle is said to have been built by a powerful sept, 

 or tribe, of O'Donoghoes; the name of O'Dono- 

 ghoe-Ross was given to this family to distinguish 

 it from that of O'Donoghoe-More. It was a place 

 of strength in the time of Cromwell, and is cele- 

 brated for the obstinate resistance which it made 

 to the attacks of the parliamentary army under 

 general Ludlow, in the year 1652. 



Next to Ross Island in size, is that of Innis- 

 fallen, the most beautiful, fertile, and interest- 

 ing of all in the lower lake. It is in extent 

 about eighteen acres, and contains a small ban- 

 quetting house, and the ruins of an abbey founded 

 in 600. 



Turk Lake is about two miles in length, and one 

 in breadth. The island of Dials on this lake is 

 richly wooded, and contains a cottage for the re- 

 freshment of visitors. The peninsula of Muck- 

 ross forms the northern boundary of the lake. 



KILMALLOCK; an ancient town in Ireland, 

 situated sixteen miles from Limerick, on the road 

 leading to Cork. It is principally remarkable for 



