[^August, 1858.] 513 



GLEANINGS IN WEST GALWAY. 

 By the Rev. W. M. Hind. 



It is now about two years since I had the pleasure of spending 

 a week in Clifden^ Counemara. I had been induced to direct 

 my steps in that direction, as much with a view of paying a quiet 

 visit to some of the schools of the Irish Church Mission in that 

 neighbourhood, as of enriching my herbarium. I must confess 

 that I was as fully rewarded in the former as in the latter case ; 

 and, were this the proper means for so doing, should feel happy 

 in bearing my favourable testimony to the mission work carried 

 on in the far west. Though it is now an old story, and I can- 

 not claim to have made any discoveries in the district to which 

 my paper refers, still a notice of some of the rarer plants of our 

 native Flora, which I observed, may not be unacceptable to your 

 readers. I reached Galway late at night, July 5th, 1856, having 

 proceeded from Limerick to Killaloe by car, and thence by 

 the steamer up the Shannon, with its splendid lakes, to Athlone, 

 and thence by railway to Galway. The Midland Hotel I found 

 everything that attention, excellent accommodation, and good 

 management should render an hotel ; though it had one great 

 want, namely, visitors, — but here the public, and not the mana- 

 gers, are in fault. 



Next morning I paid a visit to the Claddagh, a portion of the 

 town of Galway inhabited by fishermen, said to be of Spanish 

 descent, and having certain peculiarities of dress, customs, and 

 appearance. Certainly I found the district more interesting than 

 pleasing ; as certain odours of stale fish, and the not over-clean 

 look of the people and their hovels, proved rather a hindrance 

 to the enjoyment of the scene. I therefore soon turned my steps 

 in a different direction ; and after rambling about the town to 

 inspect some of its notabilities, strolled past the magnificent Col- 

 lege, and along the western bank of the river. Here I observed 

 Samolus Valerandi, L., Menyanthes trifollata, L. (in fruit), 8alix 

 pentandra, L., Potamogeton perfoliatus, L., Carex ampullacea, 

 Good., Alopecurus genicidatus, L., and Equisetum Ihnosuni, L. So 

 far I had seen nothing worthy of remark ; and had I been able 

 to leave Galway, as I intended, by the mid-day car for Clifden, 

 should have gone away with the. impression, that the City of the 



N. S. VOL. II, ■ 3 XJ . 



