Sunrise on the Kerry Mountains

The morning was beautiful, the light and shade upon the picturesque mountain which I must cross were of a new and varied kind. To give an idea of them I can only say, cross the Kerry mountains in a clear morning before sunrise, and if there is a soul within you capable of being roused, that soul will be stirred. I soon found myself in something like a vast amphitheatre, with mountains piled on mountains, "Alps on Alps;" covered with heath, without a tree, the sun-rays streaming athwart from behind me to the top of the mountains before, leaving me in a dusky pleasant solitude which was entirely new.

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.