Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net +------------------------------------------------------------+ |Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent spelling of place names | |are left as in the original. | +------------------------------------------------------------+ THE SUNNY SIDE OF IRELAND. [Illustration] Second Edition. Re-written and Enlarged. THE SUNNY SIDE OF IRELAND. HOW TO SEE IT BY THE GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN RAILWAY. BY JOHN O'MAHONY. With Seven Maps and over 160 Illustrations. AND A CHAPTER ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AND WEST OF IRELAND, BY R. LLOYD PRAEGER, B.A., B.E., &c. ALEX. THOM & CO. (LIMITED), 87, 88, & 89, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN. PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. These pages attempt to make better known the large part of Ireland which is served by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and while doing so to realise Shakespeare's words: "An honest tale speeds best being plainly told." If they succeed in these endeavours, they will satisfy the compiler. No inexorable route is insisted upon, but no suggestion is stinted which may help the tourist to enjoy fully the beautiful country he passes through--and a beautiful country it truly is, be it approached from Athlone, its north-western gate, by the Shannon, where, "In the quiet watered land, the land of roses, Stands Saint Kieran's city fair," or from its south-western side, in the kingdom of Kerry, where the ocean leans against the mountains, and the storm-swept peak of Skellig Michael makes the most westerly citadel of Christ in the Old World! Everywhere within its broad borders, swift-rushing rivers, mirror-like lakes, and mountains tiaraed in the skies, delight the vision and gladden the heart. The Gaelic names of places are usually word pictures reflecting with fidelity the physical features of each place, or "tell sad stories of the death of kings." Where possible, the equivalents have been given in English. With these forewords, nothing further remains but to offer an Irish welcome-- FAILTE. PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. Since "The Sunny Side of Ireland" was issued the Royal Assent has been given to an Act of Parliament which makes the Great Southern and Western Railway foremost in every sense amongst Irish Railways. The two Provinces of Munster and Connaught are now knit together by a huge network of railway lines comprised in their amalgamated system. The several counties thus included are dealt with in this Second Edition. The volume is further enhanced by more particular information as to the sports and pastimes of the country, and by a valuable chapter on the Natural History of the South and West of Ireland, by writers of authority on such subjects. LIST OF MAPS.