CHAPTER I. 



MULLINGAR — BOGS — ATHLONE — BALLINASLOE — GREAT ANNUAL FAIR — 



GARBALLY AUGHRIM TO LOUGHEEA BALLINASLOE TO AHASCRAG 



MOUNT BELLEW TUAM PEASANTRY WINTER FOOD FOR STOCK MR 



BIANCONI. 



In the latter end of September, I left Scotland and 

 proceeded through Belfast to the Irish metropolis, 

 whence I at once set out for the western counties of Ire- 

 land. Leaving Dublin on 4th October, I proceeded by 

 railway to Mullingar, (50 miles,) thence by car to 

 Athlone and Ballinasloe, (48 miles,) passing through an 

 immense extent of good land, the greater proportion of 

 which is in old grass. The pasture lands are held by 

 extensive graziers, who, as I was informed, are the only 

 class of large farmers in Ireland, occupying under a land- 

 lord, and really possessed of capital. There are many ex- 

 tensive tillage farmers, as I afterwards found, in the west 

 and south of Ireland ; but they occupy their own lands, 

 and are of course in a different position from the tenant 

 farmers of England and Scotland. 



The line of railway, after passing through the county 

 of Dublin, runs along the borders of Kildare and 

 Meath, and into the centre of West Meath at Mullin- 

 gar. The line is here unfinished, but the works are 

 going on ; and the whole length, from Mullingar to 

 Galway, is expected to be completed in little more than a 



