They say that when the Celts became Christians, their old gods and goddesses changed themselves into fairies and went into hiding in the green hills that dot the Irish landscape.
Steeped in folklore, so green is Ireland—forty shades of green according to country singer Johnny Cash—that it is called the “Emerald Isle”, the first mention of which was in a poem by William Drennan (1754 – 1820).
When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood,
God bless’d the green island and saw it was good;
The em’rald of Europe, it sparkled and shone,
In the ring of the world the most precious stone.
In her sun, in her soil, in her station thrice blest,
With her back towards Britain, her face to the West,
Erin stands proudly insular, on her steep shore,
And strikes her high harp ‘mid the ocean’s deep roar. William Drennan
Shaped by the rain, the wind, and the lashing of the ocean, the spectacular landscape of Ireland is celebrated the world over in song and story.
One day in the 1720s, Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift was out boating on Lough Ennell, when he turned to look back at the shore where Lilliput House stood. He noticed how small people appeared at that great distance and was inspired to write his most famous work—Gulliver’s Travels.
With sweeping vistas, rugged mountains, striking coastline, tranquil lakes and rivers, and quaint country villages, these images of the Emerald Isle and its people will transport you to a magical time and place.
Eccles Hotel, Glengariff. County Cork, Ireland
Cliffs at Moher. County Clare, Ireland
Blarney Castle. County Cork, Ireland
Killary Bay, Connemara. County Galway, Ireland
Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Ireland
Lover’s Leap, Dargle. County Wicklow, Ireland
Serpent Lake, Gap of Dunloe, Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland
Rope Bridge, Carrick-a-Rede. County Antrim, Ireland
Quays Waterford, Ireland
Tunnel near Glengariff. County Cork, Ireland
Achill Head. County Mayo, Ireland
Glenoe Village. County Antrim, Ireland
Innisfallen, Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland
Glenariff, County Antrim, Ireland
Rustic Bridge in Glenariff. County Antrim, Ireland
Garron Tower Hotel. County Antrim, Ireland
Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Sugar Loaf Mountain, from Powerscourt. County Wicklow, Ireland
Dunmore, III. County Waterford, Ireland
Waterford. County Waterford, Ireland
Old Weir Bridge. Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland
Garinish Island, Parknasilla. County Kerry, Ireland
The Macgillicuddy Reeks, Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland
Ross Castle, II, Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland
Irish spinner and spinning wheel. County Galway, Ireland
The Harbor, Kingstown. County Dublin, Ireland
The Harbor, Kingstown. County Dublin, Ireland
Phoenix Park, Dublin. County Dublin, Ireland
St. Stephen’s Green Park, Dublin. County Dublin, Ireland
Sackville Street and O’Connell Bridge, Dublin. County Dublin, Ireland
Bundoran. County Donegal, Ireland
Killybegs. County Donegal, Ireland
Donegal Castle. County Donegal, Ireland
St. Finbar’s Cathedral. County Cork, Ireland
From Roches Royal Hotel, Glengariff Harbor. County Cork, Ireland
Devon is a county of England in the south-west corner of the British Isles.
The name Devon comes from a Celtic tribe called Dumnonii, meaning “deep valley dwellers”, that inhabited the area at about the time of the Roman invasion of Britain (AD 43).
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In around AD 1000, the Anglo-Saxons partly absorbed Devon into one of their Kingdoms, called Wessex. At this time, Devon became a “shire”. Although not in common use today, the term “Devonshire” is often used for the light meal known as “Devonshire Cream Tea”.
Oddly enough, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire is held in Derbyshire at Chatsworth House and has no connection to the county of Devon.
The arrival of the railways in the 19th century secured Devon’s position as one of Britain’s favourite seaside resort destinations. The “English Riviera” spans several towns on the southern coast of Devon, which benefit from a mild climate, sandy beaches, and plenty of leisure attractions.
Join us as we tour the towns of late-19th-century Devon.
Town and hotels from Capstone, Ilfracombe
Capstone, from the arcade, Ilfracombe
Capstone steps, Ilfracombe
Shaldon Bridge in Teignmouth
Tavistock
HMS Impregnable, Devonport Dockyard
High Street, Exeter
The Tower, Newton Abbot
Abbey bridge, Tavistock
View from Torquay Road, Teignmouth
View from the Ness, Teignmouth
View from E. Cliff, Teignmouth, Devon
The Ness, Teignmouth
The den, Teignmouth
The den, Teignmouth
The beach, Teignmouth
Taddiport from Castle Hill, Torrington, Devon
Rothern Bridge, Torrington
High Street, Clovelly
Princess Gardens, Torquay
Natural Arch, Torquay
Landing place, Totnes, Devon
Guildhall Square, Tavistock
General view, Totnes
From Waldren Hill, Torquay
From the hill, Torquay
From Rock Walk, Torquay
Fore Street, Totnes
Cockington Village, Torquay
Cockington Church, Torquay
Castle Hill, Torrington
Babbacombe Beach, Torquay
Babbacombe Beach, Torquay
Approach to Babbacombe Beach, Torquay
Anstey’s Cove, Torquay
Lee
Brentor, Dartmoor
Glen Lyn, falls and upper bridge, Lynton and Lynmouth, Devon
Saltash Bridge, Plymouth
Swiss cottage, Lee
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