Picturesque Ireland : a literary and artistic delineation of the natural scenery, remarkable places, historical antiquities, public buildings, ancient abbeys, towers, castles, and other romantic and attractive features of Ireland . nomena,is a place of high interest. There are,says Wilde, three descriptions of caves inthis locality : natural, artificial, and first is magnificently represented bythe great chasm in the limestone rock,about a mile to the west of Cong, and to the south-west of Aughalard Castle ;and which, from the number of pigeons and woodquests that used to flock into
Picturesque Ireland : a literary and artistic delineation of the natural scenery, remarkable places, historical antiquities, public buildings, ancient abbeys, towers, castles, and other romantic and attractive features of Ireland . nomena,is a place of high interest. There are,says Wilde, three descriptions of caves inthis locality : natural, artificial, and first is magnificently represented bythe great chasm in the limestone rock,about a mile to the west of Cong, and to the south-west of Aughalard Castle ;and which, from the number of pigeons and woodquests that used to flock into it,is popularly known as the Pigeon Hole. This has been alluded to more fully (p- 234)- Cong is usually visited on the Lough Corrib route by the Connemara tourist,but as it is not in Galway, we deferred noticing its historical interest until wetook up the County of Mayo. Its name is derived from cunga, a neck, indicat-ing its situation upon the isthmus between the loughs alluded to. It is anisland, formed by a number of surrounding streams ; for, as Wilde says, there iswater everywhere: gliding by in the broad river ; gushing from the surroundingrocks ; boiling up in vast pools that supply several mills ; oozing through the. Tke Pigeon Hole. 384 PICTURESQUE IRELAND. crevices of stones ; rising in the interior of caverns ; appearing and disappearingwherever its wayward nature wills ; passing in and out everywhere except whereman tried to turn it into the monster dry canal. The historical village occupiesa small hill, and is approached by four bridges. Cong is of ancient interest. It does not appear from history or traditionthat St. Patrick visited Cong; but it is said that St. Fechin of Fore was here,the first abbot of an abbey founded by an Irish king, in 624. Cong wasoriginally a bishopric, one of the five sees of Connaught, regulated by synod in loio. Early in the twelfth century thefamous abbey of Cong was erected forcanons regular of the Augustinians ; inwhose keeping
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidpicturesquei, bookyear1885
