Carrick-on-Shannon, or Carrick Drumrusk, 78 m. from Dublin, is the largest and shire town of the county.—See the New Prison. Hall observes that many of the tombstones in the Ch.-yard are of a musical nature; for if struck with the knuckles, they ring like a dull metal.
Fenaught, 8 m. N.E. of Carrick, is a wild open district, presenting little worth notice except the venerable ruins of what was once a celebrated Divinity School of the Culdees. It is picturesquely overrun with ivy. The E. window is considered as a specimen of very curious workmanship; and the tourist must not fail to notice a line drawn across the middle of the eastern gable, with a figure on the N. side, about 12 feet from the ground, said to represent an evil spirit who was very troublesome to St. Cullin, the founder, during the period of its erection, this black gentleman acting the part of Penelope towards her suitors, and pulling down in the night what the Saint and his holy comrades had set up during the day. To check the troublesome intruder, the Saint blessed some ropes and drew them one night along the top of the building, when the Spirit, like a fly in a spider's nest, got entangled in the ropes, and being unable to extricate himself, was caught by the monks in the morning, who gave him some sound correction for his offence, but set him loose again upon the public, as is too often done by our modern police, and pretty much, perhaps, for similar purposes. ½ m. dist. two Druidical Altars.
Jamestown, 2 m. S.E. of Carrick, a small town with ruins of a Castle.—Visit Carrigallan and Clongorrin Castles, about 12 m. E. Lough Bofin lies to the S. About 1 m. from Rusky, is a view which Mr. Hall considers one of the finest in Ireland, looking into Roscommon across Lough Bofin or Achary.
Leitrim, 3 m. N. of Carrick, is a small town, or village, but gives name to the county.—Visit Lough Allen, encompassed by high mountains and more than 30 m. in circuit, presenting a most picturesque landscape. It is the first depository for the river Shannon, which rises a few miles distant on Quilca hill in Fermanagh, and tumbles down the mountains in tremendous cascades. On Inse Island see ruins of a Ch., a place of high religious estimation as a cemetery.
Manor Hamilton, 22 m. N.W. of Carrick, deserves notice from its romantic situation among mountains; a small neat village forming a good station to visit the western district. Here is a Castle built in the reign of Elizabeth. 3 m. N.W. a grotesque Castle of the O'Rourkes. Dromahaire is a small town seated on the river Boonid, worth visiting on account of its Abbey, (1508) which presents a pleasing specimen of Gothic ruins. Visit the romantic and picturesque Lough Gill; also Lough Melve, ornamented with wooded islands and venerable ruins. At Lurganbuy, the beautiful residence of Mr. Wynne.
