PARKNASILLA,
An ideal residence, hidden from the summer sun by a variegated veil of the rocky garden foliage; sheltered from the winter's blast by the Askeve Mountains and the kind shores that button themselves around its inlet sea, of which Mr. A. P. Graves has written:
"Ocean before, the summer sky above
Who could pourtray the mountains' purple smiles—
And all the opal hues of earth and heaven,
Foam fringing forests, heather-tufted Isles;
The roseate dawn—purpureal pomps of even—
And young Atlantic's petulant, shifting wiles?
Who could do aught but mar the true expression
Where all is change? Then why a record shape
Of scenes whose nature glories in succession
From wood to wave—from wave to distant cape—
Like the young poet's dream, fair beyond all possession."
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.
At Parknasilla.
Here in the demesne lands of a Bishop's Old Palace, the Southern Hotel new palace has been built. The green turf of its lawn extends down to the water's edge. It is a land of arbutus and myrtle, of glades laden with the pink and white blossoms of oleander and rhododendron, and thick with bells of fuschias, the fair daffodils of Shakespeare and Herrick, that fade away too soon:
"Daffodils that come
Before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty."
Derreen, away in the lap of the landscape, found favour of Froude, and at Kilmackilloge he found material for his novel. The beautiful Garinish Island is like a little paradise, lost in a land where all is lovely. Around the shores, and in the sandy caves, the beautiful seals cluster, and at times are so tame as to answer the shrill whistle of the boatman, and show their lovely forms on the water's surface near at hand. We live in sceptical times, when
"The powder, the beauty, and the majesty,
That had their haunts in dale, or piney mountain,
Or forests by slow stream, or pebbly spring,
Or chasms and watery depths—all these have vanished.
They live no longer in the faith of reason."
But still here, along the old-world shores, where daylight dies, the superstitions and traditions of the pagan past still linger among them, and there is none more interesting than that which teaches the fishermen to regard these beautiful-eyed, plaintive-voiced creatures with tenderness. The souls of the dead, drowned at sea, who die out of friendship with God, go into the bodies of the seals, and there through the ages await the Trump of the Archangel to call them before the Great White Throne.
Southern Hotel, Parknasilla.
"Parknasilla is situated on the northern shore of Kenmare Bay, a bay rich in beauty, and with singularly-indented coast lines. Its well-sheltered position amidst a number of islets, thickly wooded down to the water's edge, has endowed it with unique advantages. This protective area gives to Parknasilla claims of a special character, and prevents the access to it of all winds except those coming from the warmer points, viz., south and south-west; these winds, before reaching the southern coast of Ireland, having travelled over the Gulf Stream, and being thus subjected to its moderating and balmy influence. We all recognise what elevation of the land will do for any place, particularly if it shelters that place from winds blowing from the cold quarters. Thus, mountain protection is of supreme importance in the choice of a health resort, more especially in the winter and spring seasons of the year. In this regard Parknasilla is exceptionally favoured, a mountainous range closely guarding and protecting it from the northerly and easterly winds. The combination of mountain, wood, and water gives a special charm to this locality; and a convincing evidence of the mildness of the winter and early spring here is the forward character of the vegetation, the early budding of the trees, shrubs, and flowers—all bearing testimony to the mildness of the climate. Temperature rapidly tells its tale on the vegetable world, and there can be no more reassuring proof of the equable and balmy character of the climate of a district than the early growth of flowering shrubs, plants, and table produce. The position of this favoured and sheltered sea inlet upon the isothermal map shows it to have a mean annual temperature of 52 degrees, being similar in this regard to its neighbour, Glengarriff, and registering a higher mean annual temperature than Ventnor or Torquay. The mildness of the climate in the earlier spring months is of such a character that exercise can be freely partaken of in the open air daily, without risk of chill; and this to the invalid is of paramount importance. No record has, as yet, been regularly taken of the daily sunshine, or of the rainfall, but so far as could be ascertained, the rainfall does not appear to be excessive. To sufferers from chronic or recurrent affections of the respiratory organs, Parknasilla, in the winter and early spring months, would appear to be indicated as a most desirable place of residence. I have had the advantage of two recent visits to this district, and feel convinced that, when it becomes better known, Parknasilla will prove a veritable haven of health and rest to the chronic invalid and the convalescent, as well as a delightful retreat to the busy man of the 'world's mart,' who may need a temporary repose from the worries and cares of daily life. Parknasilla is about a two hours' drive or thereabouts from Kenmare, the drive being one of exceptional beauty and interest."—Dublin Journal of Medical Science, May, 1896.
Photo—Lawrence, Dublin.