Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland: Being a Tourist's Guide to Its Most Beautiful Scenery & an Archæologist's Manual for Its Most Interesting RuinsRussell, Thomas O'Neill
History
Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland: Being a Tourist's Guide to Its Most Beautiful Scenery & an Archæologist's Manual for Its Most Interesting Ruins
Russell, Thomas O'Neill
Ireland -- Antiquities; Ireland -- Description and travel
From the cliffs of Moher to the Killaries, or Killary Bay, or Harbour, for
it is known by all these names, there are many scenes of very great
beauty; but to take even passing notice of all of them would be entirely
beyond the scope of a work of the size of this. The coasts of Connemara,
if not remarkable for very striking cliff scenery, are wild, sea-indented,
strange, and interesting in a very high degree. But Killary Bay is one of
the glories of the wild west coast. It has more the character of a
Norwegian fiord than any other sea loch in Ireland. It divides the
counties of Galway and Mayo. Some put it before the famed Clew Bay, and
Inglis said, over half a century ago, that if the shores of the Killaries
were as well wooded as Killarney, the latter might tremble for the
supremacy it enjoys of being the fairest lake either of fresh or salt
water in Ireland. The Killaries run some ten or fifteen miles inland,
between some of the highest hills in the province of Connacht, with
Maolrea, the king of Connacht mountains, on its northern side. This fiord,
or narrow sea loch, is one of the most splendid harbours, not only in
Ireland, but in the world, with not only complete shelter from winds from
all points, but with depth of water enough to float the biggest ship that
ever has been or ever will be built. But, unfortunately, there is little
to attract commerce to these desolate shores, where there are no large
towns, and only a sparse population. It has been said by some who have
seen almost all the fiords of Norway, that there are few of them superior
to the Killaries in everything that constitutes beauty, sublimity, and
wildness. That this sea loch is, in a certain degree, dark and gloomy has
to be admitted, because the mountains come so close to it that they seem
in some places to rise almost perpendicularly out of the water. But
Killary harbour is a glorious place on a clear, sunny mid-day, when its
sombre mountains cast but little shade on its ever calm waters; for no
matter how rough the sea may be outside, this mountain fiord is ever calm,
as it is sheltered on all sides by towering heights. As an enchanting bay
it is the only one on all the Irish coasts of which Clew Bay or Dublin
Bay, were they living things and tormented with human passions, could
possibly feel jealous.
We now approach the queen, not alone of Irish bays, but of all bays in
these islands, and, according to its most ardent admirers, of all bays in
Europe. This is the glorious sheet of salt water, presided over by the
most symmetrical and beautiful of Irish mountains, Croagh Patrick, and
guarded from the stormy Atlantic by the rocky shores of Clare Island. This
is Clew Bay, the radiant beauty, the "matchless wonder of a bay," that not
one in a hundred of those in search of the beautiful know anything about.
It is indeed strange that this gem of sea lochs is not better known, now
that a railway brings one to its very shores.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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