William Whittaker Barry completed a walking tour of Ireland in 1865. His journey was later published in book format titled A Walking Tour Round Ireland in 1865 and published by R. Bentley in 1867. I am transcribing a short excerpt here of his trip from Waterford to the Passage East Ferry, to give a sense of the area at the time.

A contemporary scene of Ballyhack with a paddle steamer heading down the harbour accessed from https://roaringwaterjournal.com/2017/11/26/george-victor-du-noyer-at-the-crawford-gallery
/ballyhack-and-arthurstown-du-noyer/

“…On to Passage, a small town where there is a ferry across the river Suir. All along from Waterford to here there are pretty views of the river and its banks, and gentlemen’s residences. On arriving at Passage, my presence there evidently excited the suspicions of the police. One of the constabulary was standing at the door of the barrack. He went in immediately and fetched out a brother constable, and both together they came down the quay. One of them addressed me on the weather, or some topic, and my dialect evidently seemed to remove their suspicions. After some conversation, I asked the same constable whether there were any Fenians about. He replied, looking up towards the sky, ‘No, there ain’t any Fenian anwhere about in this neighbourhood.’ ‘Then why, thought I, ‘do you come down to have a look at a stranger?’

I now cross the ferry, in the company of a family party who had just came up. The charge for each person is three-halfpence. On the other side is Ballyhack, a village where there is a ruin of an old castle. The river Suir divides the counties of Waterford and Wexford. I here leave the province of Munster, the southern division of Ireland, which consists of six counties…On from Ballyhack to Arthurstown, with a view of Duncannon, farther up to the right, on the banks of the river Suir. About a mile out of Arturstown I perceive a constable coming quickly up, evidently bent on a fenian expedition. When he reaches me, though a fine young man, I fancy I detect signs of fear. He looks pale and slightly agitated. No wonder, for if his suspicions were true, in this wild, lonely and deserted road a revolver would make his strength an available as that of a child. “

Following some conversation and directional information, the constable pretended to walk on, but looking back Barry percieved the man retracing his steps and returning, a possibly relieved man, towards Arthurstown.  Mr Barry continued along the road to Wellington Bridge. The exceprt above is contained between pages 314 to  316.

Barry, William Whittaker. A Walking Tour Round Ireland in 1865. R. Bentley, 1867.

You can read the book here for yourself.

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