38 ASHFORD ON LOUGH COREIB. 



ship, both within and without. The windows, of stained 

 glass, are in the highest style of the art ; and the wood- 

 work and roof, which is open to the ridge, are of carved 

 oak. This little church is quite a gem, and will well 

 repay the time occupied in deviating from the main 

 road to obtain a view of it. 



We next proceeded to the estate of Ashford on 

 Lough Corrib. It comprises 1100 acres, very stony, 

 but deep dry land, suitable for grazing or crops. The 

 situation of the old mansion-house, at the entrance of 

 the river into Lough Corrib, is very beautiful. The 

 grounds are undulating, and, in the demesne, plentifully 

 interspersed with wood, much of which is old, and highly 

 ornamental. This estate is for sale, and would make a 

 most desirable investment for a man of moderate capital. 

 Bounded, as it is on two sides, by the river and lake, 

 it is very conveniently situated for water carriage ; and 

 in clearing the ground of stones, (which would be the 

 heaviest outlay in improving the property,) thousands of 

 loads could be tumbled into the lake, where they would 

 be entirely got rid of. The best of it, comprising the 

 demesne and deer park, between 200 and 300 acres, 

 could be kept in hand by a resident proprietor \ and 

 the rest, which is all arable, could be either subdivided 

 into well-arranged small farms — for its very stony 

 character forbids extensive tillage-farming — or laid 

 down to grass, and let for grazing. It is immediately 

 opposite to the old abbey and town of Cong, where the 

 last O'Connor, king of Connaught, was buried. There 

 are several singular caverns in the limestone rock on 

 this estate ; and one in particular, where, after descending 



