the river Fergus, and is a clean town, doing a
thriving business with the country. The principal monument in the
town is to Daniel O'Connell, who was returned for Clare in the famous
election of 1828. The ashes of the controversy that raged around
O'Connell in his lifetime are long since dead, and if one wanted proof
of this it is in the recent biography of the great agitator which
appears in the "Heroes of the Nation" series. In that, the famous Clare
election is treated with true historic discrimination by the writer, who
compares the bravery of the Clare peasants at Ennis to the gallant
Covenanters standing up against Claverhouse's Dragoons at Bothwell
Bridge. From Ennis, by car and light railway, Ennistymon, Lehinch,
Lisdoonvarna, and Ballyvaughan may be reached. At Ennistymon there is a
splendid cascade on the Innagh river. ~Lisdoonvarna~ possesses the
best known Spa in Ireland. It is come-at-able from Milltown-Malbay or
Ennistymon. Its friends have called it "The Cheltenham of Ireland." It
cannot be pretended that the immediate scenery is attractive, but there
are many interesting drives in the vicinity. The hotels and lodgings are
good. The sixth century Church of Saint Cronan, pleasantly placed in an
ash-grove, will give those of an antiquarian taste opportunity of
beguiling their time during a stay at the beneficial chalybeate and
sulphurous springs. The drives from Lisdoonvarna may include tours to
Ballyvaughan and the Cliffs of Moher. The drive by Black Head, the
north-eastern promontory of county Clare, gives one a fine view as far
north as the Arran; then we approach Ballyvaughan, in Galway Bay, an
out-of-the-way old world village. Its approach is by a spiral hill, over
two miles in length, called "The Corkscrew-road." The sides of the stony
hills are interspersed with the most delicate maiden-hair fern, growing
wild. There are two small but neat hotels in Ballyvaughan. From this
little town Galway might be visited by steamer and the Arran Isles by
hooker. ~Kilkee~ is admittedly the best bathing-place in these islands.
It is dashed into with the full force of the Atlantic, but with the
countless nooks fitted into the rocky coast-line, there are numbers of
sandy strands suitable for bathing. Here, situated in the very outpost
of the West of Ireland, it is as up-to-date and as go-a-head as some of
its more fashionable rivals, while in natural advantages it excels them
all. It is easy of access by land and sea.