78 TProc. B.N.F.C, 



the place, and at its conclusion the members came away with 

 the feeling that they had only begun to know the wealth of 

 beauty and interest that the district contains. 



On the morning of the 11th the Belfast members 

 assembled at the Great Northern Terminus in time to take 

 the 9-40 train. At Clones the Dublin Field Club joined 

 us, and the combined party proceeded to Newtownbutler. 

 Alighting here, cars were taken for Crom Castle. The Earl 

 of Erne extended the greatest courtesy to the party in grant- 

 ing permission to visit the grounds and in arranging with his 

 chaplain. Rev. J. H. Steele, to conduct the party. Mr. Steele 

 proved a most capable guide, lucidly expounding the history 

 and architecture of the Castle. The ancient Castle, which 

 was one of the plantation Castles of Ulster, was commenced 

 in 1611 by Michael Balfour, Laird of Mountwhany, in Fife- 

 shire, patentee of the Manor of Crom. In 1616 he granted 

 the premises to Stephen Butler, who does not appear to have 

 ever resided here. In 1624 the place was leased to Dr. James 

 Spottiswood, who was consecrated Bishop of Clogher in 1621. 

 This Bishop's third daughter, Mary, married Colonel Abraham 

 Crichton, an ancestor of the present Lord Erne. The Castle 

 successfully withstood a siege in 1689 by the followers of King 

 James. It is now a picturesque ruin, having been destroyed 

 by fire in 1764. The party spent some time botanising in the 

 neighbourhood. Orchids were found in great -vaiietj— Orchis 

 pyramidalis and 0. hifolia, Hahenaria viridis, Listera ovata. 

 The great yew tree at Crom came in for attention from the 

 photographers. This great yew resembles an enormous mush- 

 room in outline, and has evidently been a trained tree, its 

 horizontal branches being supported on pergola-like supports 

 of timber, upheld by 60 stout props. Though its total height 

 is only 25 feet, the umbrage or circumference of outspread 

 branches is 250 feet, and spread of branches from north to 

 south 78 ft. The girth of stem is 12 ft., and height from 

 ground to branches 6 ft. There is no authentic record of its 

 age, but tradition has it that an O'Neill, attainted in Queen 

 Elizabeth's reign, took leave of his ladylove under the " old 



