Through Connemara in a governess cart

In Short

This travelogue documents a journey through Connemara undertaken by two Irish cousins in a rented governess cart. Seeking to escape the gloom of London, the pair travels across western Ireland, navigating unpredictable weather, rustic accommodations, and the constant mischief of their jennet, Sibbie. The book has endured as a charming, witty snapshot of late 19th-century Irish life, distinguished by the authors’ sharp eye for local character and their self-deprecating humor regarding the perils of amateur road-tripping. It is less a conventional guidebook than a record of two spirited women finding joy in the inconveniences of the road.

The Story

The journey begins in frustration. Two cousins, weary of a rainy London, decide to return home to Ireland for a holiday. Their plan is simple: they will hire a small, carriage-like governess cart and drive themselves through the wilds of Connemara. After securing a jennet named Sibbie—a creature of immense, unpredictable personality—they set out from Galway. Their departure is marked by the raucous presence of local beggarwomen, but they soon leave the city behind for the rugged, mist-shrouded roads of the west.

The narrative follows the pair as they navigate the landscape, often at the mercy of their stubborn mount. Sibbie is no passive beast; she frequently attempts to turn back or bolt toward gates that pique her interest, forcing her drivers into undignified scrambles. Their route takes them past dark, rushing rivers, through mountain passes, and along the shores of lonely, beautiful lakes. Along the way, they encounter a cast of local figures: hotel staff, suspicious stable boys, and an old woman at a fair who delivers a scathing, comical biographical tirade against them.

As they move through regions like Oughterard, Recess, and Renvyle, the cousins find themselves constantly under-prepared for the realities of the road. They attempt to cook meals on a temperamental spirit-lamp, often ending up "grimy" and hungry, yet they embrace these mishaps with laughter. They stay in a variety of lodgings, ranging from a widow’s simple cottage—where they share the house with a large family—to more established hotels where they observe the eccentricities of fellow travelers, including a pathologically shy Englishman and a curious American woman.

The expedition reaches a thematic peak in the desolate, beautiful Pass of Kylemore and the lush, sheltered woods of Ballinahinch. As the journey progresses, the weather remains as moody as the mule, swinging from clear, sun-drenched moments to suffocating, midge-ridden grayness. They observe the "fishing maniacs" on the lakes—who never seem to catch anything—and eventually find themselves at Leenane, where they observe the boisterous behavior of curates at a table d’hôte.

The end of the trip arrives naturally when the cousins lose a cherished hat in a gust of wind, a minor catastrophe that signals the dissolution of their adventure. Their final days are marked by a transition from the freedom of the road back to the constraints of civilization. They pay their final hotel bill with a sense of genuine regret, disposing of their remaining supplies in a final, joyless "obligatory debauch" of food. The journey concludes not with a grand climax, but with the quiet, bittersweet acceptance that their time as nomadic travelers has come to a close.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The cousins depart London in search of sun, only to find themselves in Galway struggling to procure a vehicle. They reject a traditional horse in favor of a governess cart and a jennet, ignoring the warnings of locals who doubt their ability to manage the animal.

The struggle for control Sibbie immediately asserts her dominance, attempting to dart into forbidden gates and forcing the cousins to use unseemly force. They begin their journey through the countryside, quickly learning that they are at the mercy of their mount's whims and the unpredictable weather.

The social landscape The pair navigates encounters with a wide array of locals, from a feisty woman at a fair to the hospitable family of a widow. These interactions highlight the stark differences between the travelers and those they meet, often resulting in moments of mutual confusion or comedic drama.

The wilderness experience As they traverse the Twelve Pins and the lonely roads, the physical beauty of Connemara begins to overshadow their earlier mishaps. They find moments of peace in the quiet landscape, even as they remain plagued by midges and the failure of their spirit-lamp.

The final farewell The journey winds down as the cousins reach the end of their route, characterized by the loss of a hat and the depletion of their supplies. They experience a reflective, slightly melancholic conclusion, acknowledging the fleeting nature of their time on the road.

The People

The two cousins serve as the central observers of the journey. They are witty, self-aware, and frequently prone to "violent turkey-cock scarlet" embarrassment when their plans go awry. They are united by their desire for independence and their refusal to let bad weather or bad luck defeat their spirits; they emerge from the journey as seasoned travelers who have learned to laugh at their own inadequacy.

Sibbie, the jennet, is the third protagonist. She is portrayed as a cunning, "swollen sausage" of a creature with a "fine-ladyish" sensibility regarding where she will and will not go. She represents the chaos of the natural world and the unpredictability of the Irish landscape; she remains largely unchanged by the trip, though her health improves with regular oats, leaving the cousins to manage her "devilish" behavior until the very end.

Supporting figures, such as the "seventy-year-old nightmare" of a beggarwoman, the shy Englishman at the hotel, and the aggressive woman at the fair, provide a vibrant, often humorous backdrop. These figures challenge the cousins' expectations, forcing them to engage with the reality of Irish life rather than observing it from a distance.

In Its Own Voice

"My second cousin and I came to London for ten days in the middle of last June, and we stayed there for three weeks, waiting for a fine day."

This opening sets the tone for the pair's initial frustration with the weather, which serves as the primary catalyst for their decision to leave for Ireland.

"The regret with which we paid our hotel bill was not wholly mercenary, but was blended with the finer pathos of farewell."

This reflection captures the emotional weight of their journey as they conclude their travels and prepare to return to their normal lives.

What It's Really About

The book explores the tension between the romantic ideal of a journey and the messy, physical reality of travel. It examines the nature of freedom and the humility required to navigate a landscape that refuses to behave as the guidebooks promise. Beneath the humor, there is a subtle inquiry into the cultural divide between the travelers—who possess a certain degree of social mobility—and the local population, whose lives are anchored by land, trade, and the struggles of the Irish economy. It ultimately argues that the most valuable part of any journey is not the destination, but the endurance of one’s own resolve in the face of trivial, constant adversity.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a dry, observational wit and the slow, rhythmic pace of a bygone travel era will find this a rewarding companion. The prose is elegant and precise, avoiding the sentimentality often found in Victorian travelogues. It provides a unique, intimate look at the Connemara region, stripped of the glossy veneer of modern tourism.

However, the reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes of the authors, who occasionally view the local population through the lens of their own social standing. The dialect can also be challenging, as it reflects the specific, often rhythmic speech of 19th-century rural Ireland. Despite these hurdles, the warmth of the writing and the genuine, self-deprecating affection the cousins feel for their stubborn mule create a lasting charm. It is a book that stays with you, not for its historical significance, but for its quiet, persistent ability to transform the frustrations of travel into a source of enduring, shared laughter.