The men are very hardy ...... their women inclined to " … corpulency ....
The County of Kildare is bounded on the east with the County of Dublin, on the south with the Counties of Wicklow and Catherlough, on the west with the Queen's County, and on the north with the King's County and County of Meath. It is from north to south about thirty miles in length and from east to west not above nineteen
The soil generally is a level and plain arable and there are very fertile, plentifully yielding all sorts of grain. There are no mountains or wasteland, but where there are found any hills, they are on all sides covered with sheep of the largest size. The lowlands are crowded with horses and black cattle. Their tillage they perform with little horses or Garrans, in harness; consequently they can set up and plough with less than a third of the effort they employ in England…….. their furrow cast as straight and turn their ridges as well any anywhere else
Near the centre of the County is the Curragh, " a large spatious plaine and common to all the adjacent neighbourhood.." It is rich with healthy pasture, especially for sheep, with the sweetest of all in the Kingdom and thronged with flocks all year round. Together with the adjoining grounds it is reckoned to be " .. one of the most pleasant sytes these Kingdoms any where cann shew… a place naturally addapted to pleasure… "
The men are very hardy, laborious and industrious ... their diet is very mean, consisting of milk, roots and unsavoury bread. They are of good sense and easily give way to reason, if plainly demonstrated. Their most ingenious youth are yearly drawn out to seminaries abroad. On their return they go back to the same state as before "……..a natural tendency …… to sloth & idlenes……..." In the open and plain Countries they are content to live on their labour and industry
Their women differ not much in habbit from those of other counties, generally inclined to " … corpulency and thick leggs … beinge good nurses, but bad housewives not being used to any sort of manuall laboure…. ". They are great admirers of music, yet their own songs are generally doleful lamentations as those of a conquered people
In spite of attempts at civilising they still retain some barbarous and superstitious ways such as ploughing horses by the tail and burning corn in the straw. At their first seeing of a child they will spit in the face of it as a token of good will and to protect from the "Evell Eye " . They are much given to credit charms, spells, and attribute all diseases not very common amongst them to witchcraft. They hang old iron about their children's' necks. Holy water is carried home in little pitchers to sprinkle on their horses and they worship the new moon at its appearance. The women are mostly inclined and observed to practice these things; and many such like, a more curious Eye might discover amongst them