[Illustration: THE OLD CLOCK TOWER, YOUGHAL] MUNSTER Described by Stephen Gwynn Pictured by Alexander Williams [Illustration] BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY 1912 Beautiful Ireland LEINSTER ULSTER MUNSTER CONNAUGHT _Uniform with this Series_ Beautiful England OXFORD THE ENGLISH LAKES CANTERBURY SHAKESPEARE-LAND THE THAMES WINDSOR CASTLE CAMBRIDGE NORWICH AND THE BROADS THE HEART OF WESSEX THE PEAK DISTRICT THE CORNISH RIVIERA DICKENS-LAND WINCHESTER THE ISLE OF WIGHT CHESTER AND THE DEE YORK LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page The Old Clock Tower, Youghal _Frontispiece_ The Blackwater at Dromana 8 Blarney Castle 16 Ferrybank, Waterford 20 Shandon Steeple from the River Lee 26 Entrance to Cork Harbour 32 Kenmare Bay from Templenoe 38 Macgillicuddy's Reeks 42 The Gap of Dunloe, Killarney 46 Muckross Lake, Killarney 50 Brickeen Bridge, Lower Lake, Killarney 54 Holy Island, Lough Derg 58 [Illustration: MUNSTER] I The best way to get to Munster nowadays is undoubtedly by the new route from Fishguard to Rosslare, in which the Great Western Railway has reopened what was for ancient times the natural and easy way from England to Ireland. The Normans, as everyone knows, came across here, an advance party landing on the coast of Wexford; but the main force under Strongbow sailed straight up the river to Waterford. Many another invader before the Normans took the same route: and there is little doubt but that the peaceful invasion of Christianity had begun in this region, or that south-eastern Ireland was already baptized, before Patrick set out on his mission. Earlier again, the Milesians (according to modern theory) came from Britain, a race of warriors trained to fight on foot in the Roman fashion with sword and javelin, and drove before them the chariot-fighting people who then held the wide plain watered by the three great rivers which meet in Waterford harbour.