Banks of the Shannon

Asenath Nicholson

Ireland's Welcome to the Stranger

1847

Chapter XXII (18) | Start of Chapter

A walk around the bay gave a beautiful view of this ancient place. The promontory on which the light-house stands, with a few tasty buildings, was a fairy spot. I was shown the remains of old forts, which a gentleman standing by said were built by the Danes, who once figured here to great advantage, till driven out by the spirited Irish. Sending my baggage to the steamboat, I walked three miles on the borders of the Shannon, to see the beauties of the country, and the Knight of Kerry's demesne, which, like all the demesnes in Ireland, is more proud than humble.

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.

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An American widow’s account of her travels in Ireland in 1844–45 on the eve of the Great Famine:

Ireland’s Welcome to the Stranger

Sailing from New York, she set out to determine the condition of the Irish poor and discover why so many were emigrating to her home country.

Mrs Nicholson’s recollections of her tour among the peasantry are still revealing and gripping today.

The author returned to Ireland in 1847–49 to help with famine relief and recorded those experiences in the rather harrowing: Annals of the Famine in Ireland.

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