SIR,—Much has happened within the last twelve months to enhance
Ireland's attractions as a tourist resort. •
In the first place, the London and North-Western Railway have considerably accelerated their trains to and from the North of Ireland via Holyhead and Greenore. The traveller may now leave Euston an hour later—at half-past seven in the eve and yet reach Greenore, Belfast, Enniskillen, and Londonderry at practically the same time as when he started at half-past six. The four hundred and four miles from London to Belfast can thus be covered in less than twelve hours, notwithstanding the long stretch of four hours' sea which separates Greenore from Holyhead. The comfort of this trip has also been very much increased by the presence of dining-cars between London and Holyhead and between Belfast and Greenore, whilst a breakfast-car is attached to the train running from Belfast to Greenore every morning. The North Wall day service between Dublin and Euston has also been so accelerated as to allow passengers to accomplish the journey between London and Galway, Cork and Belfast within the limits of the same day. The Midland Railway, who purchased the Belfast and Northern Counties line last year, have already initiated several cheap tours vi4 Morecambe and Dublin, Barrow and Belfast, and Larne and Stranraer. Tickets „are furthermore issued to particular stations on their new Irish line, whose owners can secure at either Portstewart, Portrtuth, or Larne an eight days' contract ticket entitling them to a week's free travel over the whole of what was once the Northern Counties system. The new harbour at Heysham. in Lancashire, has been finished, and will be fully utilised in the course of a few weeks. It will have a minimum depth of 17 ft., and enclose an area of about 140 acres, with an entrance 300 ft. wide. Steamers 300 ft. long and 12 ft. broad, able to carry 180 first and 80 third class passengers, with a cargo of 300 tons dead weight, will run from Heysham to Belfast, and thus bring the North of Ireland into close touch with every station on the Midland Railway. In Ireland itself vast improve- ments have been effected within the last twelve months. Thanks to the much-needed extension of the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wex- ford Railway from New Ross to Waterford, on which a break- fast-car runs by the morning mail, there is now an alternative route from Dublin to the South, and the tourist can travel to Cork and Killarney by Waterford, Lismore, and the Valley of the Black-water, so well known as "The Irish Rhine," returning to Dublin by Thurles and Kildare. The Midland Great Western Railway have enlarged their hotels at Recess, in Connemara, and at Mallaranny, within easy reach of the Island of Achill. The introduction of these new hotels has led to a marked rise of the general standard throughout the West of Ireland, which is especially noticeable at Clifden and at Athlone. In the former the Railway Hotel, Lyden's, and Macdonnell's have all improved their accommodation ; whilst in the latter the Victoria, so con- spicuous for its cleanliness, will have enlarged its premises in the course of a few weeks. The Great Northern Railway have extended their new service of coach and steam launches in the Valley of the Boyne, and a new hotel has been opened at Slane. They have also started a fast service of trains from Dublin to Belfast, Enniskillen, and Bundoran with July 1st. Much more might be said of accelerated trains and of improved hotels through- out the country, but the mere statement that in May the weather in Ireland was far finer than in England or elsewhere ought to furnish the British tourist with additional inducements to give the sister-isle a fair chance.
—I am, Sir, &c., V. HITSSEY WALSH.
Athenwurn Club, S.W.
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