De Montmorency, Bart. Jenkinstown, the spacious residence of George Bryan, Esq. distant five miles from Kilkenny. This estate, which formerly belonged to the family of Roth, is situated in a fine and highly-cultivated tract of country, bordering on the river Nore, and is adorned with much noble woodland. Kilfane, the residence of John Power, Esq. a handsome building, newly fronted, and greatly improved in recent years.

CastleDurrow, a neat post and fair town, thirteen and a half miles from Kilkenny, towards the north-west, is built in the form of an oblong square, and contains many respectable slated houses, occupied by genteel private families. This town is situated in a thickly-populated country, enriched with many handsome seats; and from its proximity to Kilkenny, Maryborough, Portarlington, Balyspellan Spa, and other places, of some importance and fashion, often wears an air of agreeable animation. The district of Castledurrow formerly belonged to the lordship of Ossory, in the Queen's county, and was a part of the great territory wrested, with force of arms, by Pierce Butler, Earl of Ormonde, and his adherents, in the reign of Henry VIII. from the sept of the Fitzpatricks. Castledurrow gives the title of Baron to HenryJeffry Flower, Viscount Ashbrook, whose mansion is the principal seat in the vicinity of the town.*

*The following account of some remains of antiquity in this neighbourhood, is presented nearly in the words of Mr. Tighe. At Ballynasliegh, near Durrow, was a great stone, called in Irish Cloghan-carneen. It was about fifteen feet in length, by nearly eight feet in width, and twenty inches thick. It was supported on six or eight large stones, which stood in the side of a cavity, and raised it three feet above the ground. Beneath was a place, hollowed out, and floored with stones. This fabric was entirely destroyed (the hollow only now remaining) by a neighbouring clergyman, who, it is said, dreamed there was money underneath! In one angle of the hollow, when the stone was broken, was found a heap of bones, with teeth like those of pigs. At no great distance is a square enclosure, with four large upright stones, and two others forming a roof. Three or four side stones have been taken away, to make gate posts. On digging within, human bones are said to have been found. The earth round it is raised, and the entrance is at an angle. On the hill above is an elliptical enclosure, forty yards by thirty-four, surrounded by a bank of small stones.

Between Durrow and Ballyragget, on the road to Kilkenny, and on the banks of the river Nore, is BALYCONDRA, the antient seat of the Viscounts Mountgarrett, whose descendants now enjoy the earldom of Kilkenny; and on the opposite side of the river is a seat termed the MoAT LODGE, likewise belonging to this noble family.-Richard Butler, first Viscount Mountgarrett, so created by Edward VI. in 1550, was second son to Pierce, Earl of Ormonde and Ossory, and brother to James, called the lame, ninth Earl of Ormonde, whose representative at the present day, in case of failure of male issue in the existing line of peers, is next in remainder to the earldom of Ormonde and Ossory.

BALYRAGGET, distant nine miles and a half from the city of Kilkenny, towards the north-west, is a small post and fair town. King James I. in the year 1619, constituted this place a manor, with a grant of two annual fairs, in favour of Richard third Viscount Mountgarrett, the proprietor of the estate. In the year 1600, at which time the sons of the Viscount were in rebellion against the crown, and concerned with O'More in the scheme to arrest the Earl of Ormonde, and those English generals who accompanied his lordship, Sir George Carew, (afterwards Earl of Totness,) governor of Munster, placed a strong garrison in Lord Mountgarrett's castle of Balyragget. This castle was converted, some years back, into a barrack, for the use of the military stationed here to repress the frequent insurrections of the plebeian faction called." WHITE-BOYS." It was once a favourite residence of the celebrated Lady Margaret Fitz Gerald, commonly styled "Mornia Gheroda," Countess of Ormonde, mother to the first Viscount. From this place, indulging in the lawless habits too common at the age in which she flourished, Lady Margaret is said

To the north and east of this are marks of small enclosures and foundation walls, shewing the site of an inconsiderable town. Among these enclosures are seven or eight circular pits, mostly filled up, about twelve feet wide at top, narrower below, and the sides formed of stones. Between this hill and the river, a great many human bones have been found; and, among others, a skeleton enclosed between flags, accompanied by a horn. Abridged from Tighe's Survey of the County of Kilkenny, p.p. 625-6-7.

to have frequently issued, at the head of her armed retainers, and committed ravages on the cattle, and other possessions, of many of the neighbouring families who were not so fortunate as to be deemed her friends.

In the immediate vicinity of the above town is the noble seat of the "Butlers of Balyragget," which branch of the house of Mountgarrett has lately ceased in the male line, in the persons of the late Dr. James Butler, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cashell, and George Butler, Esq. his brother. This estate and residence are now the property of Thomas Kavanagh, Esq. of Borris, in the county of Carlow, who acquired the property by descent from the Butler family.

CASTLECOMER, a small town, near the northern borders of the county, is chiefly entitled to remark from the extensive collieries in its vicinity, which have already been noticed. The mansion of the dowager Countess of Ormonde, which adjoins the town, has been recently erected at a considerable expense, and contains some valuable family pictures. The grounds are adorned with extensive and thriving plantations. This town gave the title of baron to the noble family of Wandesford, who possessed 17,000 acres of land in the immediate neighbourhood; which, together with other considerable estates, devolved upon the Countess of Ormonde, as only child and sole heir of the last Earl of Wandesford.

The SPA OF Balyspellan, which yields the mineral water most celebrated in this county, is situated in the parish of Fartagh. "The spring," observes the author of the Statistical Survey, "rises out of a rock of brittle slate, consisting of ferruginous argillite; the hill immediately above is formed of the same materials, accompanied to the north as usual by siliceous shistus; but the hills of Cloghmanta and Killishulan, which immediately adjoin to the south-east, are composed of limestone, and they are the highest limestone hills in the neighbourhood. The water collected first on these calcareous heights, and filtrating through their upper beds, passes afterwards into the ferruginous slate, at the farther end of which it forms the spa of Ballyspellan. From

the limestone it receives its carbonic acid gas, or fixed air, which enables it to dissolve a small portion of iron in its and passage; hence we find it exhibits evident signs of these two substances, and very little of any other."

In its effects it is said to resemble the waters of Pyrmont, and the Groisbeck spring, at Spaw. Several medical writers have descanted on its virtues, in disorders proceeding from obstruction or relaxation, and it is said to have been used with great success in cases of recent dropsy.* The company visiting the Spa generally reside at the village of Johnstown, distant from the spring about one mile. The accommodations, although lately improved, are still of a humble character; but considerable gaiety prevails here in the most genial season for drinking the waters, and for enjoying the pleasures of a country excursion.

It is noticed by Mr. Tighe, that, "on the lands of Ballyspellin, not very far from the Spa, is a very large stone, which

*The principal publications on the properties of this mineral water are a tract, called "The Irish Spaw," by Dr. Taafe, 1724; and an "Essay on the Waters and Air of Ballyspellin," by Dr. John Burgess, 1725. Dr. Rutty notices this Spa, at some length, in his work “ On Mineral Waters;" and a judicious analysis of all that has been said is given by Mr. Tighe, in his "Statistical Survey" of this county. Dr. Sheridan accompanied to this Spa a lady who received benefit from the waters, and he wrote some verses on the subject, of which the following are specimens:

"All you that would refine your blood,

As pure as famed Llewellyn,
By waters clear, come every year

To drink at Ballyspellin.

"If lady's cheek be green as leek,
When she comes from her dwelling,
The kindling rose within it grows,
When she's at Ballyspellin.

"Though dropsy fills you to the gills,

From chin to toe though swelling,.
Pour in, pour out, you cannot doubt
A cure at Ballyspellin."

was formerly supported on smaller ones; it is called by the country people Clogh-bannagh, stone of blessing. Not far from it is a conical stone, lying on its side.”

One mile to the right of Johnstown is FowкSCOURT, or FowasBATH, the very fine seat of the family of Hely, which family acquired possession of this estate in the time of Sir John Hely, knight, chief justice of the court of common pleas, who died in 1701. Here are the extensive ruins of a castle, formerly the residence of the Purcell family, the antient lords of this manor; and a handsome obelisk, erected by their successors in the demesne.

FRESHFORD, a small but neat town,* distant from Dublin sixty-four and a half miles, towards the south-west, is entitled to notice on account of its church, which formerly appertained to an abbey, founded here by St. Lactan, in the early part of the seventh century. This church is evidently of considerable antiquity. Over the door is a curious inscription, in antient Irish, which is thus translated by Mr. Beauford, in Seward's Topographia Hibernica. "The priest M'Roen and chief, gave to this church the glebe of arable land; and over the door placed this stone, as a true token; and with this favour, the land, slaves, and tribute." This inscription is engraven on several stones, but is without date. It is not known that any historical particulars have been preserved concerning the abbey, to which this church belonged.

The town of Freshford is the estate of Sir William De Montmorency, bart. who has an elegant seat, termed Upperwood Lodge, in the vicinity of the town. Near this place also is the seat of Mr. Warren. In the same neighbourhood is a ruined mansion, belonging to the Ryves family; near which forsaken abode, stands Baly Castle, an antient oblong fortress, formerly a seat of the

It may be observed that a custom prevails in this town, and also in several other parts of Ireland, but perhaps more peculiarly in the county of Kilkenny, of dashing with white mortar the roofs as well as the walls of houses. This practice is, undoubtedly, favourable to the preservation of the buildings, but the unalleviated glare of white thus produced is extremely unpleasing to the eye.