sculptured with Scriptural
scenes, interlined with Celtic tracery.

[Illustration: _Photo, Roche, Dublin._ The Shannon at Athlone.]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ At Clonmacnoise.]

"In a quiet, watered land, a land of roses,
Stands St. Kieran's city fair;
And the warriors of Erin in their famous generations
Slumber there.

"There, beneath the dewy hillside, sleep the noblest
Of the Clan of Conn;
Each below his stone with name in branching Ogham,
And the sacred knot thereon."

For information as to Sport to be had in the Dublin District, see
end of this volume, where particulars are given as to Golf, Fishing,
Shooting, &c.

[Illustration]

Limerick and District

[Illustration]

LIMERICK.

Leaving ~Limerick Junction~, between it and Limerick City, there are few
places of interest. The country side is very rich, and is the centre of
the Creamery Co-operative system. At Boher is Glenstal, the residence of
Sir Charles Barrington. The demesne contains the Ilchester Oaks, with
which the country people associate a romance. The story is told in
detail in Lefanu's "Seventy Years of Irish Life." At Caghercullen, which
is now part of Glenstal Demesne, early in the last century lived Squire
O'Grady, an old _grandee_ of Limerick; he was a fox-hunting widower, and
his beautiful and only daughter was the cynosure of all eyes. When she
came out at a Limerick hunt ball the little beauty captivated Lord
Stourdale--eldest son to Lord Ilchester who was then with his regiment
at Limerick. O'Grady's keen eye soon discerned that the young people
were falling in love with each other. Proud of his family as the
Irishman was, he feared his position was such that an English lord may
not look on an alliance with favour. He wrote a friendly letter to Lord
Ilchester--in order to prevent trouble--saying that, as an elder man, he
perceived that his son was about getting into a scrape, and it would be
well to have him brought home or sent on active service. Stourdale
disappeared; and Lord Ilchester wrote thanking the squire, and notifying
that an old military friend--a Colonel Prendergast--would call and thank
him personally. The colonel came in good time, and partook of O'Grady's
hospitality. As he was leaving, he mentioned to the squire that he
thought his beautiful daughter was falling into bad health. O'Grady,
with brusque confidence, said that she had been fooling about Stourd