Nunnery at Thurles

Nunnery at Thurles—Monks' School—Dialogues on the Road—Grateful Reflections—Nocturnal Alarm—Affecting Incident—A Gay Consumptive—Parting from True Friends—A Jolly Company—Lamentation on Lying—Walk to Roscrea—A Weariful Woman—A Centennarian—Charity Sermon—A Christian Sister—A Poor House—Visit to a Great Brewer—A Funeral—Father Mathew—Remarkable Vivacity of the Irish—Self Denial—Short Commons—A Snug Protestant Farmer's Household—Cool Reception

At eight o'clock in the evening, I was again by the table of Mr. B, in Thurles; and next morning entered a nunnery, and was shown all the apartments, the chapel, and the beautiful garden, which, as one said, "is all the world to us; here we live, and here we are as happy as we can be in this life." "I hope you will yet be a Catholic," said one kindly to me, as we passed out; "it is the only true church."

They appeared to be well informed on American affairs, and very intelligent. They have a school of girls, and many of them Protestants.

"What," I asked, "do you do about their religion?"

"Oh, we don't interfere with that."

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.