LOOKER ON [R. McCULLAM] Sketches of the Highlands of Cavan, and of Shirley Castle, in Farney, taken during the Irish Famine. By a Looker-On.

Belfast: J. Reed, Bookseller, 97, Victoria Street, 1856. Foolscap octavo. pp. 316. Publisher’s blind-stamped cloth, title in gilt on spine. A very good copy. Exceedingly rare. [L3]

COPAC with 5 locations only.
The leaders of the ‘48 revolt get their share of abuse in this work from Randall McCollam who stated: “An incurable
obstinacy and dogged selfishness seemed, like a demon, to have taken possession of these Young Islanders; and with all
his address, O’Connell could not keep within the bounds of the law these patriots, who were set on self-immolation. It
was a pity that Mitchel was deprived the honour of a traitor’s end. But the humanity of a Christian people interposed;
and an act of mercy shown to those infatuated men has told for good on Smith O’Brien, who will, we trust, be soon
restored to his quiet home, a wiser and a better man. For Mitchel there is no hope. His maladies are incurable, and he is
unfit for liberty, it is unsafe to have him at large. The Americans should look after him, and secure him in some asylum,
ere he raise an insurrection among the slaves ... another evil that these leaders have left behind, is the widespread
disaffection that prevails among the Roman Catholic peasantry. It is notorious that, during the exciting news that was
coming from the Crimea, in the course of the late war, every new difficulty and reverse that took place among the
British forces, was caught up with avidity, and circulating among the peasantry, who made secret of their delight at
hearing of the disasters of the British Army.”