Current Literature
IRELAND IN TEN DAYS By Stephen Gwynn Mr. Stephen Gwynn, by a series of scholarly, spirited, and sympathetic books, has shown himself the most experienced, most knowledgable, and most reliable guide to Ireland now alive. In the present volume (Harrap, 5s.) he is addressing himself not to the leisured traveller who can permit himself a detailed exploration of the country, but to the tourist who has only a beggarly ten days at his disposal. It is an extremely useful book, because ten days is precisely the period which the majority of tourists are reported to spend in Ireland today, and it is certainly impossible for the uninformed traveller to get a coherent impression of the country in that time without expert assistance. The book is primarily written for the guidance of those who must rely on public means of transport, but with small adjustments it is also well suited for those who can provide their own methods of locomotion. The outline of Mr. Gwynn's route is this : he starts his tour in Dublin, devoting a day to exploring the city or to excur- sions, and spending the second day going through Meath, Louth, and Down to Belfast. On the third day his way runs along the Antrim coast to Londonderry, stopping at the Giant's Causeway and Portrush. The fourth day brings him down to Bundoran, visiting either Lough Swilly or Rosapenna, and the fifth to Mallaranny passing through Sligo and Mayo. From Mallaranny he goes through Connemara to Galway, and on the seventh day he proceeds through Limerick to Killarney. The eighth day is spent in excursions about Killarney- -which, time being so limited, the present reviewer must con- fess to feeling a day not spent to the best advantage. The next day the traveller goes to Glengarriff and then to Cork, and the tenth day brings him back to Dublin. With the exception of the day in Killarney, whose scenery in the opinions of many people lacks the distinction of many other parts of Ireland which here, of necessity, are perfunctorily traversed, it is difficult to think of a better programme : for the day in Killarney one would wish to substitute a more extensive exploration of the East coast than would, under his direction, be possible. But this is a minor point. And there are of course those who, more fanatical than Mr. Gwynn, hold that Killarney is worth all the rest of Ireland. What is certain is that those who abandon themselves to Mr. Gwynn's advice, whether absolutely or with small adjustments, if they have the wisdom to take his book with them, will have everywhere the benefit of an unrivalled knowledge and a line preception of essential characteristics and beauty which will allow them to see more of Ireland in their ten days than less well directed travellers would in a month.
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