Awful Night

The straw was spread upon the floor for my bed, and without any covering I placed myself on it. The cock at the door soon told me it was day, and though the rain was still pouring I said good morning to the suffering woman, and went out. My feet were so blistered, the road was so clayey, and the rain poured so profusely, that the four miles to Killarney were long and sad ones.

Ireland’s Welome to the Stranger is one of the best accounts of Irish social conditions, customs, quirks and habits that you could wish for. The author, Mrs Asenath Nicholson, was an American widow who travelled extensively in Ireland on the eve of the Great Famine and meticulously observed the Irish peasantry at work and play, as well as noting their living conditions and diet. The book is also available from Kindle.