Arrival in Dublin.
The Irish Sketch Book of 1842. By W. M. Thackeray A Summer Day in Dublin, or there and thereabouts. The coach that brings the pas...
Thackeray
From Glengariff to Killarney.
Chapter X. From Glengariff to Killarney The Irish car seems accommodated for any number of persons: it appeared to be full when we...
Killarney, stag-hunting on the Lake.
Chapter XI. Killarney - Stag-hunting on the Lake. Mrs. Macgillicuddy's house is at the corner of the two principal streets of Kill...
Tralee, Listowle, Tarbert.
Chapter XIII Tralee - Listowel - Tarbert. I made the journey to Tralee next day, upon one of the famous Bianconi cars - very comf...
Killarney, the Races, Muckross.
Chapter XII. Killarney - The Races - Muckross. The races were as gay as races could be, in spite of one or two un...
Limerick.
Chapter XIV. Limerick. A capital steamer, which on this day was thronged with people, carried us for about four hours down the noble s...
Galway, an evening with Captain Kenny.
Chapter XV. Galway - "Kilroy's Hotel - Galway Nights' Entertainments - First Night: An evening with Captain Kenny. When it is stated t...
Rainy Galway, a walk, entertainment.
Chapter XVI. More rain in Galway - A walk there - and the second Galway Night's Entertainment. "Seven hills has Rome, seven mouths has...
A country-house in Kildare. Sketches of an Irish family and farm.
Chapter II. A Country-house in Kildare - sketches of an Irish family and farm. It had been settled among my friends, I don't know for ...
Clifden to Westport.
Chapter XIX. Clifden to Westport. Ox leaving Ballinahinch (with sincere regret, as any lonely tourist may imagine, who is called upon ...
From Galway to Ballinahinch.
Chapter XVII. From Galway to Ballinahinch. The Clifden car, which carries the Dublin letters into the heart of Connemara, conducts th...
Roundstone Petty Sessions.
Chapter XVIII. Roundstone Petty Sessions. "The temple of august Themis," as a Frenchman would call the sessions-room at Roundston...
Westport.
Chapter XX. Westport. Nature has done much for this pretty town of Westport; and after Nature, the traveller ought to be thankful to L...
From Westport to Ballinasloe.
Chapter XXII From Westport to Ballinasloe The mail-coach took us next day by Castlebar and Tuam to Ballinasloe, a journey of near eigh...
Two Days in Wicklow.
Chapter XXIV. Two Days in Wicklow. The little tour we have just been taking has been performed, not only by myriads of the "car-dr...
The Pattern at Croaghpatrick.
Chapter XXI. The Pattern at Croaghpatrick. On the Pattern day, however, the washerwomen and children had all disappeared-nay, the stre...
Ballinasloe to Dublin.
Chapter XXIII. Ballinasloe to Dublin. During the cattle-fair the celebrated town of Ballinasloe is thronged with farmers from all part...
Country Meetings in Kildare, Meath, Drogheda.
Chapter XXV. Country Meetings in Kildare - Meath - Drogheda. An agricultural show was to be held at the town of Naas, and I was glad, a...
Dundalk.
Chapter XXVI Dundalk. The stranger can't fail to be struck with the look of Dundalk, as he has been with the villages and country lead...
Belfast to the Causeway.
Chapter XXVIII Belfast to the Causeway. The Lough of Belfast has a reputation for beauty almost as great as that of the Bay of Dublin;...
Newry, Armagh, Belfast - Dundalk to Newry.
Chapter XXVII Newry, Armagh, Belfast - from Dundalk to Newry. My kind host gave orders to the small ragged boy that drove the car to ta...
The Giant's Causeway, Coleraine, Portrush.
Chapter XXIX. The Giant's Causeway - Coleraine - Portrush. The traveller no sooner issues from the inn by a back door, which he is info...
From Carlow to Waterford.
Chapter III. From Carlow to Waterford The next morning being fixed for the commencement of our journey towards Waterfo...
Templemoyle - Derry.
Chapter XXXI. Templemoyle - Derry From Newtown Limavaddy to Derry the traveller has many wild and noble prospects of Lough Foyle and t...
Dublin at last.
Chapter XXXII. Dublin At Last A wedding-party that went across Derry Bridge to the sound of bell and cannon, had to flounder through...
From Waterford to Cork.
Chapter IV. From Waterford to Cork The view of the town from the bridge and the heights above is very imposing; as is the river both w...
Peg of Limavaddy.
Chapter XXX. Peg of Limavaddy. Between Coleraine and Derry there is a daily car (besides one or two occasional queer-looking coaches),...
Cork, the Agricultural Show, Fr. Mathew.
Chapter V. Cork - the Agricultural Show - Father Mathew A man has no need to be an agriculturist in order to take a warm interes...
Cork, the Ursuline Convent.
Chapter VI Cork - The Ursuline Convent. There is a large Ursuline convent at Blackrock, near Cork, and a lady who had been educate...
Index to The Irish Sketch Book (1842.)
William Makepeace Thackeray enjoyed a leisurely visit to Ireland in 1842. He had a fine time and left a very readable account. He's highly opinionated and almost completely detached from everything he sees, but there is the ring of truth about the descriptions - he simply didn't care enough in most instances ("Catholicity", maybe, excepted) to make up a lie. Dublin only features as a "top and tail" but I think it paints a fairly accurate picture of Ireland at the time (as seen by a slightly cynical Cockney!) KF, Oct. 2001.
Cork to Bantry, Skibbereen.
Chapter VIII From Cork to Bantry; with an account of the city of Skibbereen. That light four-inside, four-horse coach, the "Skibbereen...
Rainy days at Glengariff.
Chapter IX. Rainy Days at Glengariff. A smart two-horse car takes the traveller thrice a week from Bantry to Killarney, by way of Glen...
Cork.
Chapter VII. Cork. Amidst the bustle and gayeties of the Agricultural meeting, the working-day aspect of the city was not to be judged...