Remarkably early Harvest in Ireland. 77 



rural comfort and neighbourhood seldom to be 

 met with in Ireland. Carlow is a neat town, of 

 considerable extent, and charmingly situated, 

 forming a conspicuous feature in the landscape. 



In the course of our drive, we met a number 

 of people returning from harvest work in the 

 Queen's County and Kildare. So early a har- 

 vest is scarcely to be remembered. In the Lo- 

 thians last year I saw barley uncut on the 14th 

 October, and at Long Town several days later. 

 Close to Carlow, on either side of the turnpike 

 road, are two spacious gentlemen's seats oppo- 

 site to each other. Here the country assumes a 

 perfectly new character, and becomes a flat unin- 

 teresting plain of considerable extent, with a soil 

 that justifies the inference of its being reclaimed 

 bog. The loveliness of the country from Leighlin 

 bridge to Carlow is a complete contrast to the 

 dreary surface which continues for five miles to 

 Castle Dermot ; a place that in former times 

 was a station of great importance, and the 

 residence of the Dermot family, who held a 

 rank among the petty sovereigns of Ireland. 

 The ruins of monasteries, and of other religious 

 edifices, indicate its former population and con- 

 sequence ; besides which, it was considered as a 

 place of considerable military strength ; but, in 



