Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Pococke's Tour in Ireland in 1752 (Author: Richard Pococke)

entry 75

On the 7th I set forward and in a mile saw Balinatra to the left Mr. Esmonds's and farther on Castletown to the right, Mr. Masterson's, and in four miles from Gory came to a good village called Coolgrany, and coming into the County of Wicklow, in three more came to Arklow Charter School for twenty boys and twenty girls on Lady Allen's Estate,56 which I visited and went on a quarter of a mile to Arklow, a poor fishing town, without a Custom house, pleasantly situated near the mouth of the river. They formerly had much fish in the river, but the Coperas of the mines has corrupted the waters, so as that most of the fish are destroyed. They have a good hard marle here, which lasts A a considerable time. There is a foot Barrack in this place, and there was a convent here of Friars preachers founded by Tibald Butler in 1264, it is said his statue is in the church of it, where he is buried. up the river is Mr. Howard's, son of the late Bishop of Elphin,57 Ballyarklow Mr. Sims; on the southern branch of the river is Agherim, that to the north rises near Ballinderry on the next and the principal is Rathdrum which rises in two Branches, one coming from Glandelough the other from Lough Tee which falls into Lough Dan and so both of them from this river, and the eastern branch comes from Glanely: and all this country is very finely improved and adorned with wood and even timber in some parts, all the way as far as Rathdrum and along Glanely. This country abounds very


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much in copper mines and they have found a sort of Oker which produces lead, out of which they get silver with much gold in it, that is worth ten shillings an ounce: They have also a water which comes from the mines so strongly impregnated with copper that finding an old carr and some tools that were of iron precipitated into copper, they now lay bars of iron in it, and in twelve weeks they are turned to copper, which I was told sometimes weighs heavier than the iron they put in. I crossed over Redcross Hill and in five miles came to a village called Redcross in a fine vale, which is divided from another by some low hills, in which vale stands Dunganstown, an old ruined castle belonging to Mr. Hoy, who began to build a large house near it: This is about two miles from the sea, and farther south of Ardaery (The eastern height.) A high tower of this castle and part of the main building is still standing, it having been destroyed in the wars of 1641 by order of the Council of Kilkenny, the Lord Deputy having given offence to them. About two miles from Redcross are some of the chief of the mines and on or near the river of Arklow, they have a smelting house for the Lead ore. I went to Dr. Wynne's at Dunganstown, who lives there during the minority of his Nephew; I staid there on the 8th.