AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 19 



his fathers, with Moscow-like sacrifice, and went 

 to find a new one in Spain. 



You may bring your families or your friends 

 here assured of a welcome at the Arran Arms, 

 where a friend of mine was made very comfortable 

 last autumn ; and while they, if not fishers, interest 

 themselves in history and ruins at the Abbey, you 

 can sing, " For to-morrow will be Friday," and go 

 a-fishing. 



We quite enjoyed our three hours' travelling 

 through the beautifully varied scenes that encom- 

 pass the line to Killybegs. The early morning 

 air from the heather-clad hills was a most welcome 

 refresher after a long night journey, and the kindly 

 welcome and excellent breakfast served to us at 

 the hotel gave us zest to enjoy our first view of 

 the sea while standing on Irish soil. 



It is more than probable that many intending 

 visitors to this sport-giving country are exercised 

 in mind by much that has been said and written 

 in reference to food and cleanliness in Irish hotels. 

 Until the last few years I, too, had a prejudice 

 that took its first growth some twenty years since 

 at a hotel in Ballina, where, having complained 

 that my sleep was not so undisturbed as I could 

 have wished, the unsatisfactory and curiosity-pro- 

 voking excuse given me was that the chambermaid 

 had a most excellent motto ; and the tone of voice 

 in which this excuse was given implied that a maid 

 with such a motto must at least be forgiven. The 



c 2 



