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Sketches of some of the southern counties of Ireland
Sketches of some of the southern counties of Ireland Author:George Holmes Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LETTER II. Cashel, Aug. 12. Dear Sir, J. HIS morning, after an early breakfast, we ascended the rock, not without several pauses to admire this stupendous ... more »ruin, whose awful towers and projecting buttresses seemed to overhang us in our approach. The surface of the summit is very irregular, producing several pretty swells, and covered with a rich soil. A wall of some strength encircles it, which, by following the slopes and indentations of the rock, discovers the base of the ruin in many places, rising from its green and tufted bed. We entered by a lofty gate in the great western tower, originallynally a part of the regal palace, from which we passed to the north cross, containing the chapel of the apostles, and some private chapels. I observed a few tombs richly sculptured, but no inscription legible. In the. centre of the chapel is a deep excavation like a well, which, we were informed, was the commencement of a subterraneous passage leading to Hore Abbey, which lies in the vale about a quarter of a mile from the rock. It is exceedingly deep, and appears well built: the steeple rises from four finely proportioned arches: the floors are all destroyed; owing, it is said, to the great bell having fallen while taking down to be removed; it broke through all the floors, and sunk itself considerably in the ground floor. The western tower is spacious, and formerly contained many magnificent rooms, befitting the splendour of their ancient possessors: the ornaments round the windows and in the seats are curious, and rich in their style. From these apartments, the coun- c 4 trytry is overlooked for many miles round, gratifying the eye with a prospect of as rich a tract as can be met with, stretching through the most fertile vales of the county of Tippe- rary. The choir and nave are...« less