1895-96.] 2 77 



technical account of this excursion. A special feature of 

 Galway is the beautiful old fourteenth-century Collegiate 

 Church of S. Nicholas, which has been carefully conserved, 

 and affords many features of deep interest. It is doubtful if 

 such another fine parish church exists in Ireland. The electric 

 lights along the dark aisles and in the groined porch were 

 certainly an innovation not expected. On the other side of 

 the water from the town stands the Claddagh (Cladach sea- 

 shore), where the women still wear the red petticoat and the 

 blue swinging mantle, and the " blessing of the sea " takes 

 place at the commencement of each year's fishing. The 

 Claddagh has been a fishing station since the sixth century, 

 and the curious boats probably embody many relics of 

 ancient shipbuilding. After passing the afternoon in such 

 a manner, the party reassembled to dinner at 7.30, and after- 

 wards the clubs had the honour of receiving Dr. Moffat, 

 president of Queen's College, Galway, and his colleagues, the 

 High Sheriff, Hon. R. E. Dillon, Lieutenant-Colonel O'Hara, 

 Marcus Lynch, D.L., and many other local gentlemen. The 

 evening passed off very pleasantly indeed. Some of the gayer 

 members indulged in an impromptu dance to the strains of a 

 capital local string band that had been stationed on the balcony. 

 Next morning (Friday, 12 July) breakfast was served at 8.15, 

 the party setting out by special train at 9.10 to Recess, in the 

 midst of the lake country, at the base of the twelve Bens of 

 Connamara It was in this immediate district that Frank 

 Mathews lays the scene of his celebrated story of a Connacht 

 faction fight, " Their Last Race." The party split into two 

 sections, one of which went on the five miles' walk to Ben 

 Lettery (1,904), one of the twelve Bens, the other going by 

 way of the famous " marble" quarries to the top of a lower 

 eminence at a distance of a couple of miles. The scenery of 

 this district is most picturesque, the mountains being composed 

 of sharply jointed white quartzite, whose hardness gives an 

 exceedingly bold outline to the hills. The foot of the mountain 

 chain is surrounded by bogs, dotted over with lakelets of all 



