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15 August 1887 — Coole Park, Gort, County Galway | |
Monday. 15th [August 1887]. We breakfasted at 9 & at 9.30 left for the station. Happeng to go to my room before starting I found the servants had left one of my boxes behind. Luckily Sir Wm could have it put on the car which took the servants. Altho’ the cart with our luggage had preceded us, as we drove to the station we passed it about ½ way there. As we drove up to the station the train came in & we discovered that the Coole clocks were ½ hour slow. It appeared that Sir Wm had sent his coachman yesterday while we were at lunch to get the exact time– The station master was absent and the clock locked up so the porter told him what he thought was the time! The coachman set his watch & Sir Wm had all the clocks at Coole put back in order to have the right time!! In order to rectify as far as he could the error, the station master kept the train for us 10 minutes by which time our luggage arrived & the train was allowed to proceed. We had to change trains at Athenry & got to Galway about 12. Miss Persse met us. We went to the Station Hotel at the end of the platform & got very good rooms & then drove off in Mrs Persse’s brougham to Spiddal Henry & I inside & Sir Wm on the box in order that he might smoke. Miss Persse & Augusta went in a car. We drove 11 miles along the bay of Galway first past nice gentleman’s houses & then along a solitary road till we seemed coming to the end of all things & found a village called Spiddal. On the opposite side of the bay we could see the cliffs of Moher & the stony country we had driven through. We drove to Chief Justice Morris’ a small house a 100 yards from the village & found Lady Morris & the children preparing for a school feast which they were giving that afternoon to the school children. Coming thro’ the village we had seen the children sitting about in groups waiting for the moment to come & we were told they had been there since 8 in the morning since they came out of church– Today is a great R.C. fête being the Assumption of the Virgin. We found Lady Fielding staying with the Morris—a handsome young woman with dark hair & fair complexion—but with too large a nose & a rather hard expression. The Chief Justice is a fine looking big man with a bright kind eye & speaks with a tremendous brogue & full of fun & wit. He is an R.C. & all his family excepting his wife. She is a kind, smiling, fat, nice looking woman with a lot of children of all ages. The girls seemed devoted to her & they were almost like sisters together, the little boys were full of fun & frolic & they seemed a thoroughly happy family wh it was a pleasure to see. After lunch we all helped to prepare the school tea & about 4 the children were admitted & sat in a long row under the trees in front of boards supported by barrels & they were regaled with cake & apples to their hearts content. All the girls had neat frocks—but hardly any had shoes & stockings. About 4 we left the lively scene & drove back to Galway—stopped to look over the bridge there at the fish—the water was very low & we saw a fish caught in very shallow water—& had to dress for dinner as soon as we got there & at 7.30 went to dine with Lady Gregory’s mother Mrs Persse at Mount Vernon. Found a large party assembled amongst whom I knew Col. O’Hara & Mr John & Miss Shaw Taylor. Sir Valentine Blake took me in to dinner & I had Col. O’Hara on my left. Sir Valentine is the senior Bart of Ireland a little red nosed man who had at one time been given to drink. He had not much conversation & said that he had never been out of the United Kingdom. Towards dessert time the door opened & enters two tall sad looking men in black. It appears they are 2 curates whom our hostess had invited to tea in the evening & the servants by mistake showed them into the dining room. Mrs Persse at once got up & took them to the drawing room & there was a general laugh specially as Sir Wm Gregory declared he thought they were undertakers come to take his “measure.” In the course of the evening there was “music.” Mrs Cayhill an officers wife sang & was followed by a fussy Mrs Andrews & a plain Miss Blake. The singing was better than the average drawing room after dinner singing but the shy looking little Miss Blake sang boldly about “her love” in such a way as she would have been far too shy to speak! We got back to the Hotel abt 11. | |
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