James Glassford, Notes of Three Tours in Ireland in 1824 and 1826, Bristol 1832.
James Glassford (1771-1845) was a Scottish legal
writer and traveller.
Proceeded to Kilmacthomas and Stradbally, to
Dungarvan, and thence by Cappoquin to Lismore…Kilmacthomas…one of the rudest
and most unpleasing districts yet passed; met here a party of the mounted
constabulary employed in searching suspected quarters for arms, but had found
none to-day; usual to make trial for this purpose in the corn and peat stacks,
said to be a common repository; but were also proceeding over the fields and
enclosures, the scenery of this stage bare and scowling, without appearance of
culture.
October 19 Lismore
Visit from Col. Currey; the intelligent and active
manager, and moral agent of the Duke of Devonshire on his great estates in this
part of Ireland. A peculiarity of Irish
Post Office, which it had reached two days before; informed an inquiry that
letter received in the country offices of Ireland, are not carried out, or
delivered by the postmaster: so that unless called for, they remain sine die…
It has been observed that the older priests are more
easily managed and more temperate in their opposition to the Education
Societies, than those recently appointed; the greatest violence and most
strenuous opposition come from the young men educated at Maynooth…In private
classical and boarding schools, intermixture of Protestant and Roman Catholic
seems to create little animosity…The Roman Catholic clergy do not interfere with
these; perhaps from a knowledge that, with the upper classes of the laity, it
would be ineffectual…
Visited with Col. C., the Cork Hibernian Society’s
Free School, built in 1821 by the Duke of Devonshire, for boys and girls. Large and excellent establishment, as to
accommodation; with the singular exception of the entrance being in an
unfinished and even dangerous state, from want of any fence to the outer stair,
which is high…Houses for the master and mistress. Teacher trained in
Kildare-Street Model School. Present, today, 135 boys, 121 girls, all Roman
Catholic, with exception of 8 boys and 2 girls.
To be continued…
