CHAPTER V. 



GORT — COUNTY OF CLARE — ENNIS — RIVER FERGUS — " CORCASE LANDS " 



DROMOLAND CASTLE SIR LUCIUS O'BRIEN'S FARMS BUNRATTY 



COURSE OF CROPPING AND AVERAGE PRODUCE — FALL IN RENTS — 



KILTANON COMPLAINTS OF NORTH COUNTRY FARMERS PRESSURE OF 



RATES DRIVING TENANTS OF CAPITAL OUT OF THE COUNTRY — TULLA 



RELIEF ROADS — SCARIFF LOUGH DERG KILLALOE — THE SHANNON 



MILTOWN MALBAY— -COROFIN KILRUSH. 



Proceeding southwards from Galway, after passing 

 Oranmore, the land continues for many miles of the 

 same character, dry light land on a limestone rock or 

 gravel. In some places the rock covers the ground to 

 a very injurious extent. Within a few miles of Gort, 

 the country improves, and some very good sheep-pas- 

 tures and corn-lands are found here. Gort is a clean, 

 well-built town. Soon after leaving it the fields become 

 more bleak, until crossing into the county of Clare, 

 where good grass-lands are passed through. The 

 cultivated land along the road is everywhere badly 

 managed. A tract of uninteresting, stony, limestone 

 country is then traversed ; the fields becoming more 

 open again as we approach Ennis, the chief town of the 

 county. This town is of considerable extent, and is 

 prettily situated on the river Fergus, which is navigable 

 to this point, by large boats, from the Shannon. The 

 streets seemed narrow and old-fashioned, but there are 



