tO 



THE SHANNON. 



Castleconnell is not only famous for its enormous sal- 

 mon and its splendid fishing, but it also boasts tlie posses- 

 sion of the champion fly-caster of the world. This mighty 

 little w-ielder of the salmon rod — Mr. J. Enright — is the 

 son of the hostess of the only hotel which this picturesque 

 and delightfully situated village possesses. A very com- 

 fortable little hostelry we found it, during the month which 

 we spent beneath its roof, and Hostess Eniight treated us 

 to generous fare. Albeit the hotel charges were propor- 

 tionately high, and I should scarcely recommend the Shan- 

 non fishing to a man of limited means. In spite of its great 

 natural beauties, and all the advantages with which nature 

 has endowed it, every thing about the place bears traces 

 of poverty and decay. The village is placed ^apon the 

 Limerick side of the river Shannon, which is here about 

 two hundred yards wide ; a rushing turbulent water, boil- 

 ing over huge boulders and rocks which seek to impede its 

 course. For a distance of about ten miles westward gentle 

 hills, richly timbered, slope up on either side of the river's 

 banks, and these hills are dotted at intervals with stately 

 mansions once occupied by aristocratic families who have 

 gone to ruin since the bad times came, and their 

 tenants ceased to pay their rack rent. There are 

 half a dozen such desolate palatial residences in sight, 

 all shut up and going to decay. The tales told 

 of their former tenants are pretty much the same in 

 every case : fast living, open houses, and prodigal waste, 

 so long as money could be got by hook or by crook. It is 

 said that the last of these Irish aristocrats, who was " sold 

 up " about three months ago, kept for her private use a 

 stud of 20 horses, and she is credited with having wasted 

 £30 000 within the past two years. In fact, to quote the 



