A Rare and Lofty Larder

Asenath Nicholson
1847
Chapter XVII (5) | Start of Chapter

The "Eagle's Nest" was the last wonder, deriving its name from an eagle having made its nest in a fissure of the rock towards the top of the mountain. And you are told that a man named Sullivan supported a family of six, as he testified, by going to the nest daily, and taking the flesh of lambs, hares, and deer, which were left for the young ones. This tremendous mountain has a hideous, grand, and awful appearance, looking down upon these wretched abodes that are smoking beneath.

Ireland’s Welome to the Stranger is one of the best accounts of Irish social conditions, customs, quirks and habits that you could wish for. The author, Mrs Asenath Nicholson, was an American widow who travelled extensively in Ireland on the eve of the Great Famine and meticulously observed the Irish peasantry at work and play, as well as noting their living conditions and diet. The book is also available from Kindle.