In the island of Omey the men and women have separate burial places; probably originating when there were several religious residing in the island, many of whom would not permit a woman to come into their presence. In the parish of Moycullen there is, or was in 1812, great emulation amongst the parishioners who shall give most to their priest at a funeral or wedding; they often say, that at such and such people's funeral or wedding, so much was given; zounds, why should not we give more? surely we can afford it better: by this emulation the parish priest realised a good sum of money, which he lent out interest free to his parishioners in distress, but they were obliged to be punctual in the repayment at the stipulated period, or they received no future assistance; this was so well known, and so strictly observed, that they made every exertion to be punctual. Those who attend funerals in Galway wear crape in their hats for several days; if the deceased died unmarried, the crape is edged with white. Several villages pay the pound-keeper by the year, and the fences are so bad in general they are constant customers; sometimes they pay in money, but more frequently in grazing, or some other produce of the land. Village tenants do not like tradesmen amongst them, as they do not assist in the labours of the field. Tomb stones are frequently called slates. Women almost always ride to Galway market from the west, but the men seldom do. The general improvidence of Roman Catholics on fast days is very remarkable, even in the houses of those of large fortune it is nothing uncommon, if the fishman has disappointed them, that their dinner consists of dry ling, potatoes and butter, eggs, or buttered greens. A little forethought would never

leave them without

And many other things to be found in every cookery book. I cannot conceive why the table of a man of large fortune should ever be without some or most of those things on fast days; they are to be had easily in Dublin. As to cream cheese it is a rare thing except on gala days. It seems your very clever house keepers say it cuts too deep in the butter crock. Most Catholics either have, or work themselves up to have, an aversion to fish. They will, I hope, pardon me when I say that much of this proceeds from the expressions of disgust with which they always speak of fish before their children and servants. I have more than once or twice heard children not above six years old say, "oh mama that nasty fish."-There is also a deplorable want of winter fruit at the tables of most wealthy families; nuts and unripe apples generally constitute the desert. I am at a loss to conceive why every day in winter and spring, until the first fruit comes in, their tables should be without figs, raisins, almonds, chestnuts, wallnuts, oranges, French plums, &c. &c. which are easily got in Dublin, and would contribute materially to their health; they should consider them articles so necessary for their table as not to be in

troduced merely for parade. To Catholics on fast days they would be particularly grateful and wholesome, and might be well exchanged for the unwholesome second course, that grand source of bilious complaints. As for those delicious fruits, winter pears, I have scarcely ever seen them at any table in this county. Indeed, for some years past, they have been much neglected all through Ireland. Until within a few years the gardners of this county were generally of that rank that totally prevented any knowledge of their proper management ;-they were too fond of the knife.

A few years ago I was walking in a garden with the owner in the month of September. He went to several fine winter pears, Beaure, Chaumentelle, Crasare, Bergamotte, Colmar, &c. which had been brought into Ireland from France; after biting one of each, and of course finding them hard and ill tasted, like all unripe pears, he called to his gardener, equally ignorant as himself, and desired him instantly to throw all them damned pears out of the garden; and if I had not been there to explain the matter, several very fine trees, just coming into bearing, would have been consigned to the faggot yard. If gardeners could be prevailed on to plant winter pears grafted on quince stocks, as those from France generally are, they would have them in bearing immediately, and they would ripen much better in wet cold seasons than those on free stocks, which, though they furnish the wall much sooner, yet they are frequently many years before they bear, and run so much to wood that none but the most intelligent gardener can manage them. I am aware that it will be said that the fruit of pears grafted on quince stocks are apt to be gritly. In some cases this may occur, but it is better to have plenty of ripe gritly pears than none, or a few badly ripened from those on free stocks. The quince

stock throws out roots near the surface; the free stock is generally badly furnished with long forky roots running down perpendicularly like an oak, and soon reach the clay.

SECTION XXIX.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

I CANNOT Conclude my survey without bringing to the reader's knowledge, that almost perfect freedom from religious animosity that has disgraced some other parts of Ireland. That there are some sour bigots to be occasionally met with cannot be denied, but I regret to say, they are not confined to Roman Catholics; but a rapid and happy change for the better is taking place every day. Although we may have heard that some of this baneful ingredient was mixed up in the late ribbon business, and in some instances it was the case, yet from every thing I could learn it was by no means a general feeling, for no sort of distinction was made between Protestant and Catholic in the nocturnal depredations of this banditti; and I am well assured by Catholic gentlemen that the exhortations of the Catholic clergy were unceasing, but the irresistible torrent of turbulence carried those along that would otherwise have remained quietly at home. In the intermarriages of the better ranks, there is seldom any religious distinction made, and they unite as love or interest dictate. There is no difference made in the hiring of servants, for I have frequently seen Protestant servants in Catholic houses, and vice versa. to the majority of the servants being Catholics, this must be the case in a county where the lower ranks

As

are so decidedly of that persuasion. In the houses of Protestant clergymen the servants are mostly Catholics. I have been well informed that on a Christmas day, the Protestant rector of a parish, on asking where the clerk was, was informed that he had not come from the chapel yet. The hospitality for which this county has long been celebrated, still maintains its place; but that mistaken idea of constraining a person to act against the dictates of reason or his health, has been abandoned in most houses of any respectability; at the same time the bottle is pushed about as fast, indeed faster than ever, as long sitting has been most happily changed for an early visit to the drawingroom; and in most genteel houses music or dancing fill up the space between tea and the hour of repose, for suppers have been very generally abandoned, and scarce any house is without a piano forte and a good performer: our Irish ladies are all musical. The music of the lower ranks (the national music) is particularly sweet, but very plaintive. I have frequently listened for an hour with a delight mixed with subdued feelings to a young countryman whistling a plaintive Irish air, whilst leading a horse and car, that taught me to comprehend the feelings of the Swiss at hearing one of their national airs played in another country-the Kureiholan, or Ranz des Vaches. It also taught me to appreciate what Mr. Walker says of our national music. "The Irish music is in some degree distinguished from "the music of every other nation, by an insinuating "sweetness, which forces its way irresistably to the "heart, and there diffuses an extatic delight that thrills "through every fibre of the frame, awakens sensibility, "and agitates or tranquillizes the soul. Whatever passion it may be intended to excite, it never fails to "effect its purpose; it is the voice of nature, and will