Ireland/Irish > Lakes of Killarney

10 PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AND REMARKS.
or ignorance, or both. It is therefore advisedly that
we make the assertion, that, upon the whole, the long
neglected Lakes of Killarney are superior, in many
points, to those of England, and to the far-famed
Trosachs of Scotland. And we do not give this forth
as our own opinion; we claim the reader’s reception
of the fact, until he has had an opportunity of judging
for himself, upon the ground that such is the opinion
not only of hundreds and thousands of those who have
already visited the Irish lakes, but of several men of
note who are universally ajlowed to be competent
judges. Among these were Sir Walter Scott, Words¬
worth, and Sir David Wilkie. Wordsworth, whose
prejudices, if he had any, must naturally have been in
favour of the lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland,
pronounced the region of Killarney to'be, “in point
of scenery, the finest portion of the British Islands.”
Sir Walter, whose visit was so short—only one day
—that he saw but a few of the chief beauties and
attractions of this lovely spot, excepted Loch Lomond,
in his otherwise unqualified praise of the Upper Lake,
when he said it was “ the grandest sight he had ever
seen.” The great painter’s praise was unqualified.
Sir David Wilkie wrote of these lakes, that, for beauty
and grandeur, he had never seen them surpassed-
Such praise from such men is high testimony, but
not higher than is merited by this charming spot—
this focus of beauty in the green and lovely Isle of
Erin.
Besides their beauty the Lakes of Killarney are of
great interest on account of the Druidical remains
found around them, and the ruins of their celebrated
monasteries of Innisfallen, Muckross, and Aghadoe