362 First Turnpikes between Gort and Ennis. 



fluence to government, the appointments about 

 it may have utility to them, but it would be 

 difficult to discover any other. 



The recent act against illicit distillation, im- 

 posing fines on the parishes where private 

 stills are discovered, has created much dis- 

 content. The people cannot be reconciled to 

 sugar whiskey potcheene is their darling li- 

 quor* We offered some whiskey to a fruit 

 woman, which she refused ; exclaiming f< The 

 country was in danger of being poisoned by the 

 abominable parliament combustible stuff" 

 but as soon as she understood it to be real 

 honest potcheene, she received it with great 

 courtesy. On the whole the comparative com- 

 fort which pervades all classes here makes Ennis 

 one of the most interesting little places we have 

 yet seen. 



The first turnpikes we have met with are 

 between this town and Gort ; and I must say, 

 at the same time, that in the three hundred 

 miles we have travelled, this is among the 

 worst specimens of road we have encountered. 

 A serious evil attends the rearing of cabins 

 close to the high roads. The children make 

 them their play-ground, and heap on them 

 numbers of stones in various directions, so as 



