20 S7\iaK-C0.lCfr A.YD MAIL /.V /)./);v OF VORR 



sail — some carry in, i;" lire and sword across St. 

 Coor^'c's C'liainicl, and later ones takini;- h]ni;'Iisli 

 coloiiisls to occupy and cultivate tlic lands j'roni 

 Avluch the shirtless Irish had i)een di-iven. Hut it 

 was not until live closc^ of h'di/alx'th's reii;ii, wlien 

 Ireland was suhjui^ated, that tin's I'oad l)ei;;in to h(5 

 constantly travelled. 



Under James I. the Irish chiel'tains came to 

 these shoi'cs to swear I'calty, and in the \\il(l and 

 whirl inji,' series of events that 111 led the years 

 IVom Kill to \(\\yi with horroi', a. continual llu\ 

 and rellux of militai'y trav(dlers and trend)lini^- 

 rerui»'e(\s came and went aloni»' these storied mihvs. 



Already, in the year Ix'l'ore the announc(Mn(Mit 

 of ])ost-horses on the Chester Ivoail, the lii'st sta^'c- 

 coach ol' which we have any ])articulars had hceii 

 estahlished on litis \ (M-y route. It did m)t 

 continue to Jlolylu^ad, lor the individually 

 suiiicient reasons that no ])i-act icahle i-oad to that 

 2)()rt existed for anytiiini»' i^'oini;- on wheels, and 

 tliat Clu^st(M' itseir, and Parki^atc, a lew miles 

 down the estuai'y of th(> l)(>e, were the most con- 

 venient ])oi'ts ol" (Muharkat ion loi* lindand. No 

 direct road to Holyhead existed until 1 T'^-^ when 

 coaches hci^an to run to Ihat i)ort. HcM'ore that 

 time, those who wished to cross IVom Holyhead 

 i;'enerally rode horsehack. h'ew Ncntured across 

 country hy Llani^'ollen ami Melt ws-y-C'oed ; most, 

 lik(^Swirt, leavini;' ci\ilisation Ix^hind at Chester, 

 took hors(» and i^uide. and i^oini;' hy Ivhuddlan and 

 Conway, darcnl the i)r<H'ii)itous h(Mi;hts ol" that 

 great headland called Penmaenmaw i', or, even 



