Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish (1698)
Encyclopedia
Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish (1698) is a book by John Dunton
describing his travels in Ireland in 1698.
In the course of the text Dunton describes death-bed confessions; wakes; funeral sermons, bread-making in Connamara; a deer-hunt with the O'Flaherty and his wolf-hounds; a dinner at an inn near Malahide.
, Dublin, in 2003
John Dunton
John Dunton was an English bookseller and author. In 1691, he founded an Athenian Society to publish The Athenian Mercury, the first major popular periodical and first miscellaneous periodical in England.-Early life:...
describing his travels in Ireland in 1698.
The text
Teague Land consists of seven letters to a fictional lady friend of Dunton, in which he describes his experiences while travelling around Ireland. The letters describe the journeys to the following places:- First letter – MaynoothMaynoothMaynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, ClonardClonardClonard may refer to:* Clonard, County Meath, a village in County Meath, Ireland* Clonard Abbey, an early medieval monastic site located near the modern village* Clonard monastery, founded in the late 19th century in Belfast...
, MullingarMullingarMullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, Athlone, GalwayGalwayGalway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the... - Second letter – Iar ConnachtIar ConnachtIar Chonnachta , was a region covering all of County Galway west of the river Corrib and Lough Corrib; Maigh Seola; and part of the barony of Ross in County Mayo.-Description:The area of Co...
- Third letter – On the road from ConnemaraConnemaraConnemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...
to Dublin - Letter four – NaasNaasNaas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, NewbridgeNewbridge, County KildareThe earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
, KildareKildare-External links:*******...
, The Curragh - Letter five – from Dublin to MalahideMalahideMalahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...
and back; to DroghedaDroghedaDrogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea.... - Letter six – Dublin and its surroundings (I)
- Letter seven – Dublin and its surroundings (II)
In the course of the text Dunton describes death-bed confessions; wakes; funeral sermons, bread-making in Connamara; a deer-hunt with the O'Flaherty and his wolf-hounds; a dinner at an inn near Malahide.
Relevance
The 'letters' are of especial interest because of the period and place. They relate to a time for which relatively few folklore-related accounts exist. Dunton's 'letters' elucidate many facets of traditional life that had not been presented in any detail elsewhere, though it must be noted that they cannot be read uncritically, as Dunton looked down upon the Irish. Nevertheless they contain valuable information on religious and secular ceremonies, vernacular architecture, traditional food patterns and diet, Irish language words and terms, along with local sayings.2003 edition
The book was transcribed, edited and given an introduction by Andrew Carpenter, along with an essay on John Dunton and Irish folklore by Ríonach uí Ógáin. It was published by Four Courts PressFour Courts Press
Four Courts Press is an Irish academic publishing house.It was founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, a managing director at the Irish Academic Press and a member of Opus Dei. Its early publications were primarily theological, notably the English translation of the Navarre Bible...
, Dublin, in 2003