The Twelve Pin Mountains and Ballynahinch Lake

Artist(s): Thomas Colville Scott (Draughtsman)

View of the Twelve Bens or Pins, across Ballynahinch Lake. A little way off, on the left-hand side of the image, two figures are standing near the water, with a third closer to the viewer, near a road or track. On the right-hand side, the shape of a hut or cabin is barely suggested. <br/>Tim Robinson notes that the image is 'copied from an illustration of "Twelve Bens Mountains and lake of Kylemore, from the Road to Clifden", in the <em>Handbook to Galway, Connemara, and the Irish Highlands</em>, ill. Jas. Mahony (London and Dublin, 1854)’. <br>Source: <em> Connemara after the Famine: Journal of a Survey of the Martin Estate, 1853</em> by Thomas Colville Scott. Edited & Introduced by Tim Robinson (Dublin: Lilliput Press, 1995), p. 96.

Inscribed in Image

  • Caption outside of boundaries of image – The Twelve Pin Mountains & Ballynahinch Lake

Image Details

Genre Landscape
Technique Pencil works
Subject(s) Nature
Geographical Location
  • Ballynahinch Lake – Lake
  • Connaught – Province
  • Galway – County
Keyword(s) Buildings, Lakes & ponds, Mountains, People
Colour Monochrome
Dimensions 11 cm x 17.5 cm
Published / created 1853

Bibliographical Details

Travel Account Ireland: Journal of a visit to Connemara
Contributor(s)
Note Thomas Colville Scott
Print or manuscript Manuscript
Location of image in copy p. 15
Source copy National Library of Ireland MS 49525
Permalink https://ttce.universityofgalway.ie/irelandillustrated/view/image/ii_image_1360246863
Rights Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Related text from travel account

The singular phenomenon of these Lots, is the sight of 140 lakes from the top of the mountain of ‘Cregg’. The guide who accompanied us, with genuine Irish exultation, claimed 356 lakes, – or one for each day of the year, – which he said made it ‘ the finest view in the whole world entirely’, but on an experienced settler in the district, who was with us, hinting that Pat would consider a stray sheep within his territory, a much finer view, and he had eaten more stolen ‘muttons’, than the said number of days, our credulity in the marvels related by Pat was considerably diminished. We, however, counted upwards of one hundred lakes, apparently under our feet, and on which the sun was glistening with fine effect: the ocean was within eye shot in the distance, and the whole constituted a view which has no parallel. [p. 13]
Back to top