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In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll nd others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Support@FrommerMedia.com
FROMMER'S STAR RATINGS SYSTEM
Every hotel, restaurant and attraction listed in this guide has been ranked for quality and value. Here's what the stars mean:
Recommended
Highly Recommended A must! Don't miss!
AN IMPORTANT NOTE
The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and buses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months
after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about these hotels, restaurants, museums, and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-todate, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suffered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide
LIST OF MAPS
1 THE BEST OF IRELAND
2
SUGGESTED IRELAND ITINERARIES
The Regions in Brief
The Best of Ireland in 1 Week
The Best of Ireland in 2 Weeks
Ireland for Free or Dirt Cheap
The Best of Ireland for Families
Exploring Ancient Ireland
Ireland Off the Beaten Path
The Best of Ireland for Golfers
3 IRELAND IN CONTEXT
Ireland Today
The Making of Ireland
Ireland in Culture
Eating & Drinking in Ireland
Tips on Accommodations
When to Go
Ireland Calendar of Events
4 DUBLIN
Essentials
Getting Around
Fast Facts: Dublin
Exploring Dublin
Where to Stay in Dublin
Where to Eat in Dublin
Shopping
Sports & Outdoor Pursuits
Spectator Sports
Dublin After Dark
5 DAY TRIPS FROM DUBLIN
Essentials
North of Dublin: Counties Meath & Louth
West of Dublin: County Kildare
South of Dublin: Counties Wicklow & Carlow
6 THE SOUTHEAST
Essentials
County Waterford
County Wexford
County Kilkenny
7 COUNTY CORK
Essentials
Cork City
Day Trips to East Cork Kinsale
West Cork
8 COUNTY KERRY
Essentials
The Ring of Kerry Tralee
The Dingle Peninsula
9 THE BURREN & BEYOND: CLARE, LIMERICK & TIPPERARY
Essentials
County Clare
County Limerick
County Tipperary
10 COUNTY GALWAY & CONNEMARA
Essentials
Galway City
Connemara
11 THE MIDLANDS
Essentials
Exploring the Midlands
Where to Stay in the Midlands
Where to Eat in the Midlands
12 MAYO, SLIGO & THE NORTH SHANNON VALLEY
Essentials
County Mayo
County Sligo
13 DONEGAL & THE ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
Essentials
Donegal Town & Donegal Bay
The Atlantic Highlands
The Inishowen Peninsula 14 BELFAST
Essentials
Fast Facts: Belfast
Exploring Belfast
Where to Stay in Belfast
Where to Eat in Belfast
Shopping
Belfast After Dark
15 DAY TRIPS FROM BELFAST
Essentials
The Antrim Coast
The Ards Peninsula & Mourne Mountains
County Armagh
16 DERRY & THE LAKELANDS
Essentials
Derry City
Day Trips to the Sperrin Mountains
The Fermanagh Mountains
17 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO IRELAND
Getting There
Trips & Tours
Getting Around
Fast Facts: Ireland
INDEX
Ireland
The Best of Ireland Itineraries
Ireland For Free or Dirt Cheap
The Best of Ireland for Families
Ancient Ireland
Ireland Off the Beaten Path
The Best of Ireland for Golfers
Dublin Orientation
Dublin Attractions
Trinity College
Where to Stay in Central Dublin
Where to Stay in Ballsbridge and the Southern Suburbs
Where to Dine in Dublin
Temple Bar
Day Trips from Dublin
Kilkenny, Wexford & Waterford
Waterford City
Wexford Town
The Ring of Hook
Kilkenny City
Cork City
County Cork
County Kerry
Killarney
Killarney National Park
The Ring of Kerry
The Dingle Peninsula
Counties Clare, Limerick & Tipperary
County Clare
County Tipperary
Galway City
County Galway
The Midlands
County Mayo
Sligo Town
County Sligo
Donegal Town
County Donegal
Belfast Attractions
Where to Stay & Eat in Belfast
Day Trips from Belfast
Derry City
Derry & Fermanagh
Irish Rail Routes
Major Irish Bus Routes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Jewers has been writing about Ireland for Frommer’s since 2006. Born and raised in England, he loved listening to his great-aunt’s tales about life in Dublin during the civil war. Jack proposed to his IrishAmerican wife at a spa on the Ring of Kerry. It gets a great review in this book
ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES
For most of the past 50 years, Frommer’s has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why
Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspec- tion, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history, and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.
We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, critical—both pro and con—in their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called “practically worthless” (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs we’ve condemned
And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com
I have high hopes for the future of Frommer’s. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to re ect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a costconscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace
Arthur Frommer
Cycling is a great way to explore the rugged Aran Islands, off the Galway coast.
Tiny, and with ever-changing scenery, Ireland is an addictive place to explore. Within a few miles you can travel from plunging cliffs and at pastureland to towering mountains and gloomy peat bogs. You can spend the night in ancient castles or state-of-the-art spa hotels, dine on ne Irish cuisine or snack on crispy sh and chips served in a paper bag. The sheer number of sights, little villages, charming pubs, and adorable restaurants and shops is overwhelming you always feel that you might be missing something. So it’s nice to have somebody to help you focus, and that’s why we ’ ve put together this list of some of our favorite places and things to do in Ireland We hope that while you ’ re exploring this magical country, you’ll nd a few favorites of your own.
THE best AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
Seeing a traditional music session at a proper Irish pub: While there are plenty of shows for the tourist crowd, nothing beats the energy, atmosphere, and authenticity of a genuine small-town traditional music session. The instructions for getting the most out of a session are simple: Buy a pint, grab a seat (preferably one near a smoldering peat fire), and wait for the action to begin. We’ve listed some of the best places in this book, including pubs such as the Long Valley in Cork (see p. 255) or Gus O’Connor’s and McGann’s in little Doolin, County Clare (see p. 342).
Getting lost down the back roads of County Kerry: It’s Ireland’s most visited county by far, and if you stick to the beaten path, in summer it’s thronged with tourists Instead, veer off onto the winding back roads and allow yourself to get gloriously, hopelessly lost. There are
always new discoveries to be made down its breathtaking byways. See p. 281.
Touching the bullet holes in the walls of the General Post Of ce (Dublin, County Dublin): It’s hard to overstate what a potent national symbol the G.P.O. is. Yes, it’s still a working post office, but Patrick Pearse read his independence proclamation from its front steps in 1916 (the original document is displayed inside) and in 1922 it was the scene of fierce civil war fighting. Bullet scars still pock the facade. Touch them and you touch history. See p. 112.
Walking down the long stone passage at Newgrange (County Meath):
Sacred to the ancients, this passage tomb is more than 5,000 years old that’s older than the Egyptian pyramids or Stonehenge. Wander down the atmospheric central tunnel and try to visualize how many generations have passed since it was built it’s a mind-blowing exercise. See p. 178.
Enjoying a music session in a Galway pub.
Browsing the Old English Market in Cork (County Cork): Cork is a county made for foodies. In addition to Kinsale (see p. 262), a coastal village that’s become a hub for top restaurants, the eponymous main city is home to one of the country’s finest (and oldest) food markets. A walk through here is a feast for the senses. See p. 247.
Driving through the Burren (County Clare): Ireland is full of memorable landscapes, but this is the most unique. For miles, this exposed coastal countryside has a haunting, alien feel, although it’s strikingly beautiful too. Try to be here as the sun goes down, when the craggy limestone planes turn an evening shade of red. See p. 337.
Hiking the path down to the Giant’s Causeway (County Antrim): It’s like passing through a fantasy landscape to take the half-mile walk down to this extraordinary natural wonder 37,000 columns of basalt sitting at the base of cliffs along the Antrim Coast. Geologists claim these rocks were formed millions of years ago by cooling volcanoes. But don’t you prefer to believe they were really made by giants, as the ancients thought? See p. 514.
THE best PICTURE-POSTCARD
TOWNS
Adare (County Limerick): Literally a picture-postcard town its image has been reproduced alongside a hundred thousand “Wish You Were Heres” Adare is hardly a secret, but if you manage to visit when the roads aren’t clogged with tour buses, you’ll leave with a memory card full of photos. See p. 349.
Athlone (County Westmeath): Sitting at the edge of the River Shannon, its streets curving around a fortresslike castle, Athlone is a charmer with a real spirit of fun. Houses are painted in bright hues, and streets are lined with funky boutiques, good restaurants, and lively pubs. See 404.
Dalkey (County Dublin): The cutest of a string of upscale seaside towns unfurling south from Dublin, Dalkey is both a short drive and a million miles away from the busy city. With a castle, lovely beaches, and some fine restaurants, it tempts you into its affluent embrace. See p. 123.
Kinsale (County Cork): Kinsale’s narrow streets all lead to the sea, dropping steeply from the hills around the harbor. The walk from Kinsale through Scilly to Charles Fort and Frower Point is breathtaking. Bonus: It’s a gourmet hotspot, full of good restaurants. See p. 262.
Kenmare (County Kerry): It’s easy to fall in love with Kenmare, with its stone cottages, colorful gardens, and flowers overflowing from window boxes Home to several elegant hotels, it makes an enchanting base when exploring the Ring of Kerry. See p. 299.
Dingle (An Daingean) (County Kerry): In this charming hilltop medieval town, stone buildings ramble up and down hills, and the small population is relaxed about visitors. You’ll find lots of little diners and picturesque pubs, plus a lovely historic church. See p. 319.
Ardara (County Donegal): On the southwest coast of Donegal, tiny Ardara looks as if it were carved out of a solid block of granite. Its hilly streets are lined with boutiques and charming arts shops, many selling clothes made of the famed Donegal wool. See p. 465.
THE best NATURAL WONDERS
Brightly colored housefronts in charming Athlone, County Westmeath.
The Burren (County Clare): We can guarantee this: The Burren is one of the strangest landscapes you ’ re likely to see anywhere in the world. Its stark limestone grassland is spread with a quilt of wildflowers from as far afield as the Alps, and its inhabitants include nearly every species of butterfly found in Ireland. See p. 337.
Mizen Head (County Cork): While most travelers flock to the betterknown Cliffs of Moher (p. 340), you won’t find crowds at these majestic sea cliffs at Ireland’s southwest tip. Watch the waves crash against the 210m-high (689-foot) cliffs from the excellent visitor center. See p. 276.
Malin Head (County Donegal): From one extreme to the other literally! The Malin Head promontory, in the remotest part of Ireland’s remotest country, looks out over a seemingly unending sea. Next stop: New York. See p. 474.
The Twelve Bens (County Galway): Amid Connemara’s central mountains, bogs, and lakes, the rugged Twelve Bens range crowns a spectacular landscape. The loftiest, Benbaun in Connemara National Park, reaches a height of 729m (2,392 feet). See p. 390.
Slieve League (County Donegal): As the Slieve League peninsula stretches for 48km (30 miles) into the Atlantic, its pigmented bluffs rise to startlingly high sea cliffs. They can also be walked along, if you dare. See p. 460.
MacGillycuddy’s Reeks (County Kerry): Cresting grandly over the Iveragh Peninsula, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks not only has the best name of any mountain range in Ireland, it also has the highest peak on the island, Carrantuohill (1,041m/3,414 feet). See p. 291.
Giant’s Causeway (County Antrim): At the foot of a cliff by the sea, this mysterious mass of tightly packed, naturally occurring hexagonal basalt columns is nothing short of astonishing. This volcanic wonder, formed 60 million years ago, looks even better when negotiated (cautiously) on foot. See p. 514.
THE best DRIVING TOURS
The Ring of Kerry (County Kerry): It’s by far the most well-traveled of Ireland’s great routes, but there’s no denying the Ring of Kerry’s appeal it’s a seductive combination of stunning countryside, charming villages, and inspiring historical sites. The road gets quite busy in summer, but come in the spring or autumn and it’s a much more peaceful experience. See p. 284.
Slea Head Drive (County Kerry): This drive, starting from Dingle Town and heading down the Ventry road, follows the sparkling sea past a series of ancient sites such as the Dunbeg Fort and the beehive-shaped Gallarus Oratory. At Dunquin, you can embark on boats to the mysterious abandoned Blasket Islands. See p. 319.
Horn Head (County Donegal): Drive pretty much anywhere in County Donegal and before long you’ll be in beautiful, wild, unspoiled
Rock climbing at Malin Head, the tip of the Inishowen Peninsula.
countryside that’s one reason why we never mind getting lost around here. One of the best drives is around Horn Head, near Dunfanaghy, where quartzite sea cliffs glisten as if made of glass when the sun hits them just right. See p. 467.
Inishowen Peninsula (County Donegal): This far-flung promontory in Ireland’s northern end stretches out from Lough Foyle to the east and Lough Swilly to the west toward Malin Head, its farthest point. Driving its perimeter, you’ll pass ancient sites, pretty villages, and fine sandy beaches in fierce rocky coves. If you are looking to get lost, this is a great place to do it. See p. 472.
Antrim Coast (County Antrim): Sweeping views of midnight-blue sea against gray unforgiving cliffs and deep-green hillsides make this 97km-long (60-mile) coastal route unforgettable. Start in gorgeous Glenarm with its castle walls and barbican gate, then head north along the coast past Bushmills and the Giant’s Causeway to Portrush. Best of all, you often have the road quite to yourself. See p. 510.
THE best CASTLES & STATELY HOMES
Powerscourt Estate (County Wicklow): Restored at last to its former glory (at least on the outside) after decades of misfortune and neglect, the magnificent Palladian house at the heart of the Powerscourt estate is surrounded by some of the most exquisite gardens in Ireland. See p. 195.
Castletown House (County Kildare): This grand, whitewashed mansion was built in the early 18th century and soon became one of Ireland’s most imitated buildings. The grounds house the most delightfully named barn in Ireland. See p. 184.
Charleville Castle (County Offaly): Sometimes the castles that leave the biggest impression aren’t those in the most impressive states of repair. Not only is Charleville one of the most atmospheric castles in Ireland, it is also reputed to be among its most haunted. See p. 407.
Children on the Giant’s Causeway, a highlight of the Antrim Coast drive.
Kilkenny Castle.
Bunratty Castle & Folk Park (County Clare): This grand old castle has been well restored and filled with a curious assortment of medieval furnishings, offering a glimpse into the life of its past inhabitants This is the first stop for many arrivals from Shannon, so expect crowds. See p. 339.
Kilkenny Castle (County Kilkenny): Although parts of this stout towered castle date from the 13th century, the existing structure looks more like a 19th-century palace. Exquisitely restored, it also has extensive gardens; the old stables now hold art galleries and shops. See p. 232.
Carrickfergus Castle (County Antrim): This huge Norman fortress on the bank of Belfast Lough is surprisingly intact and well-preserved, complete with an imposing tower house and a high wall punctuated by corner towers. See p. 494.
Dunluce Castle (County Antrim): Set atop a razor-sharp promontory jutting into the sea, these castle ruins are picturesque and evocative.
Unlike many other castles, it wasn’t demolished by human enemies, but had to be abandoned after a large section collapsed and fell into the breakers below. See p. 513.
THE best PREHISTORIC
SITES
Hill of Tara (County Meath): Of ritual significance from the Stone Age to the early Christian period, Tara has seen it all and kept it a secret. This mostly unexcavated site was the traditional center and seat of Ireland’s high kings; it’s a place to be walked slowly. Although the hill is only 154m (512 feet) above sea level, on a clear day you can see each of Ireland’s four Celtic provinces from here. See p. 176.
Newgrange (County Meath): One of the archaeological wonders of Western Europe, Newgrange is the centerpiece of a megalithic cemetery dating back 5,000 years. Its massive mound and passage tomb are amazing feats of engineering. But the question remains: What was it all for? See p. 178.
Knowth (County Meath): Another great passage tomb, Knowth’s awesome presence is matched only by its inscrutability. Hundreds of prehistoric carvings were discovered here when the site was first excavated in the 1960s. And yet, nobody seems to quite understand it to this day. See p. 177.
Dún Aengus (County Galway): The eminent archaeologist George Petrie called Dún Aengus “the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe.” No one knows who built this massive stone fort or what year it was constructed. Facing the sea, where its three stone rings meet steep 90m (295-feet) cliffs, Dún Aengus still stands guard today over the southern coast of Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. See p. 370.
Carrowmore and Carrowkeel (County Sligo): These two megalithic cities of the dead (Europe’s largest) may have once contained more than 200 passage tombs. The two together one in the valley and the other atop a nearby mountain convey an unequaled sense of the ancient peoples’ reverence for the departed. Carrowmore is well
presented and interpreted, while Carrowkeel quietly awaits those who seek it out. See p. 437.
Corlea Trackway (County Longford): The amazing thing about this simple wooden trackway in a remote bog is just how unbelievably old it is people were walking its well-preserved planks well over 2,000 years ago. See p. 409.
THE best EARLY CHRISTIAN RUINS
Glendalough (County Wicklow): Nestled in “the glen of the two lakes,” this remote monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. Today its atmospheric ruins preside over an endlessly scenic setting with lakes and forests surrounding it. It’s quite simply one of the loveliest spots in Ireland. See p. 192.
Jerpoint Abbey (County Kilkenny): Jerpoint is the finest of many Cistercian abbeys whose ruins dot the Irish landscape. Somehow,
The Hill of Tara, ancient seat of Irish kings, offers amazing views on a clear day.
hundreds of years of rain and wind have failed to completely wipe away its medieval carvings, leaving us a rare chance to glimpse how magnificent these abbeys once were. Don’t miss the splendid, richly carved cloister. See p. 234.
Skellig Michael (County Kerry): Thirteen kilometers (8 miles) offshore of the Iveragh Peninsula, early Irish monks built this hermitage dedicated to the archangel Michael on a remote, rocky crag rising sharply 214m (702 ft.) out of the Atlantic. The journey to Skellig across choppy seas and the arduous climb to its summit are both challenging and equally unforgettable. See p. 310.
The Rock of Cashel (County Tipperary): In name and appearance, “the Rock” suggests a citadel, a place designed more for power than prayer. In fact, Cashel (or Caiseal) means “fortress.” The rock is a huge outcropping or an upcropping of limestone topped with beautiful ruins, including what was once Ireland’s finest Romanesque chapel. The seat of clerics and kings, it was a power center to rival
Group hike at Glendalough.
the Hill of Tara; now the two sites vie for the attention of tourists. See p. 359.
Clonmacnoise (County Offaly): The old Irish high kings came to this place to find spiritual solace, and it’s still a profound and thoughtprovoking place to visit. Don’t leave without checking out the ancient monumental slabs, inscribed with personal messages in ancient Celtic script. See p. 408.
Inishmurray (County Sligo): This uninhabited island off the Sligo coast holds another striking monastic ruin, this one surrounded by what appears to be the walls of an even more ancient stone fort. Vikings sought out this remote outpost of peace-seeking monks and destroyed it in .. 807. Today its circular walls and the surrounding sea create a stunning view, well worth the effort required to reach it. See p. 444.
THE best MUSEUMS
Chester Beatty Library (Dublin, County Dublin): Not just a library, this is one of Ireland’s best museums, with a wealth of books, illuminated texts, and small art objects. Its collection of rare religious manuscripts is among the most unique in the world. See p. 93.
National Museum of Ireland: Archaeology (Dublin, County Dublin): Ireland’s National Museum is split into four separate sites, of which this is far and away the best. The collection dates back to the earliest settlers, but it’s the relics from the Viking invasion and the early Christian period that dazzle the most. See p. 100.
Irish National Famine Museum (Strokestown Park, County Roscommon): This reflective museum, part of a grand historic estate, does a brilliant job of making the darkest period in Irish history seem immediate and real, including a collection of heartbreaking letters from destitute tenants to their callous landlords. See p. 412.
Titanic Belfast (Belfast, County Antrim): Belfast is incredibly proud of having built the most famous ocean liner in history, despite its ultimate fate though, as they’re fond of saying, “She was alright
when she left here.” This gleaming, high-tech museum is the best of several Titanic-related attractions in Belfast. See p. 488.
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (Cultra, County Antrim): Ireland has several so-called “living history” museums, where stories of people and times past are told through reconstructions of everyday life. This one, just outside Belfast, is one of the liveliest and most engaging. See p. 495.
THE best FOR LOVERS OF LITERATURE
Dublin Writers Museum (Dublin, County Dublin): Filled with letters, manuscripts, personal possessions, and other eclectic ephemera, this great museum in Dublin is a mecca for lovers of Irish literature. Naturally it also has a good bookshop See p 97
Titanic Belfast.
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THE IGNITION SYSTEM
The ignition system is the name applied to the batteries, coils, commutator and spark plug which, acting as a whole, produce an electric spark hot enough and at the right time to fire the charge in the cylinder There are three ways in which an electric current may be obtained which have been found to be of practical use in automobile construction. First, by a dry battery; second, by a storage battery; and third, by magneto or dynamo. You can look up the construction of these things in any good book on electricity, so that I will not explain them further here. As the object of the whole system is to produce a sufficiently hot spark to fire the mixture at the right time, it is sometimes necessary to raise the pressure of the electric current. When either a dry battery or storage battery or a certain type of magneto is used, it is necessary to put it through what is known as an induction coil in order to raise the pressure so it will be high enough to jump across the two points in the cylinder.
An induction coil consists merely of a bundle of soft wires around which is wound two separate coils of wire. The first, known as the primary winding, is of coarse wire, and the second, known as the secondary winding, is of fine wire. When the current flowing through the primary coil is rapidly made and broken, another current of very high voltage is created in the secondary circuit.
Fig. 23—Wiring Diagram, showing electric circuit for one cylinder. The sketch is only diagrammatic—not a reproduction of any actual wiring system.
When the current starts to flow through the primary winding, the bundle of wires immediately becomes a magnet and attracts the vibrator. As soon as this occurs, however, the flow of the current is interrupted and the vibrator resumes its former position and the action is repeated. Thus you can see that the coil automatically makes and breaks its own circuit. The rapidity with which this is done may be changed at will by adjusting the vibrator screw.
Fig. 24—The Four-cylinder, Four-cycle Diagram, showing the order in which the various cylinders do their work.
Having thus obtained an electric current of sufficient strength to fire the mixture it is necessary to supply a device which will automatically open and close the electric circuit at the proper time. Such a device is called a commutator and consists of two parts; one a rotating part, actuated by the engine, which makes a metallic contact with one or more points on a stationary part, the points being so located that contact occurs at the proper time for igniting the charge in any particular cylinder.
Fig. 25—Four-cylinder Wiring Diagram.
In the four-cylinder wiring diagram (Fig. 25) various parts of an ignition system may be easily seen. The electric current is furnished either by a set of dry cells or by a storage battery Four individual coils and a four point commutator are used. The commutator is driven by means of bevel gears from the engine itself. A single switch controls the whole circuit, it being provided with two points, making it possible for either battery to be used at will.
Fig. 26—Types of Spark Plugs.
Fig. 27—A Single Cylinder Commutator. Diagrammatic sketch.
Fig. 28—A Two-point Switch.
Fig. 29—A Four-cylinder Commutator.
Fig. 30—A Two-cylinder Commutator.
THE COOLING SYSTEM
In order to prevent the walls of the cylinder from becoming red hot, it is necessary to cool them by some means, and this is done by surrounding the cylinder with a water jacket through which the cooling water is circulated.
Fig. 31—A Diagram showing piping and direction of circulation in a One-cylinder Water-cooled Motor.
In order to prevent the water from boiling and evaporating, thus making the constant addition of water necessary, a radiator is introduced into the system. This radiator is made up of very thin
tubes which give up their heat rapidly, thereby keeping the temperature of the water below the boiling point. A fan is also used sometimes to draw the air through between the tubes, thereby making the process of cooling take place more rapidly. The system is so arranged that the water is drawn from the lower part of the radiator where the water is coldest by means of a pump and forced up through the water jackets and back into the radiator again. Several different styles of pumps are used, but a very common one is the gear pump shown in Fig. 32. As you will see by the drawing, it consists of two gears en mesh with each other which revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow. The water entering through the inlet pipe is drawn around the outside and forced out through the outlet at the top.
Fig. 32—A Gear Water Pump.
Fig. 33—Front End of Motor, showing radiator, fan and cam shaft gears.
Fig. 34—A typical Radiator.
Fig. 35—Valve side of a Four-cylinder Motor.
Fig. 36—Opposite side of same Motor showing Carburetor and Inlet Pipe.
Fig. 37—Bottom view of same Motor with oil pan removed showing Crank Shaft, and Connecting Rods.
Fig. 38—Top view of same Motor showing Valve Caps and Holes for Spark Plugs.
NOTE—Both views show motor mounted in ring frames used for assembling in factory.
THE TWO-CYCLE MOTOR.
Although the four-stroke cycle type of motor is used by most of the automobile manufacturers, yet there is another type which has given such good results that it is destined to become one of the important forms to be used in gas engine vehicle manufacture.
Fig. 39.
It therefore merits a brief description. It has the advantage of being very simple in construction and operation, and for this reason it has become very popular among the marine engine builders, although with a few exceptions it has not as yet been accepted by motor car engineers. It is called a Two-stroke Cycle Motor, so named because it combines in two strokes the series of changes ordinarily accomplished in four in the four-stroke cycle type. Its operation may be seen by referring to the accompanying diagrams. It is first assumed that the engine is being turned over by hand in the direction indicated by the arrow. You will note that as the piston
moves up it will uncover a port (H), allowing the gasoline vapor from the mixing chamber to enter the crank case. As soon as the piston moves down again, a port (J) will be opened, allowing the mixture which has just been compressed to rush through a “by-pass” (F), into the “combustion chamber,” or upper part of the cylinder. Now, as the piston moves up again on the next stroke, this charge is compressed still more, then as the piston reaches its uppermost position the charge is ignited and the engine begins to work under its own power. The gases continue to act on the piston until nearly the end of the stroke is reached, when you will notice, by referring to the drawing, the exhaust port (G) is passed. At this point the burned gases rush out into the air. You will also notice that in order to aid the discharge and fill the cylinder again, as the piston travels a little farther down, the inlet port will be again uncovered, and the next charge, which has meanwhile been taken into the crank case and compressed, will enter the cylinder, forcing the exhaust gases out.
Fig. 40.
In order to prevent the vapor which has just entered the cylinder from traveling straight across and out through the exhaust port, thus wasting a portion of the fuel, a “baffle plate” (K) is cast on top of the piston which deflects the gases toward the top of the combustion chamber, producing a sort of whirling action which tends to scavenge the cylinder most thoroughly. In order to prevent the burning gases from traveling back into the crank case and igniting the gas there, thus producing a “back explosion,” a wire gauze (S) is placed in the “by-pass.” You will note that this type of motor has no valves, no cams and no cam shaft, in fact, its simplicity is such that it practically cannot get out of adjustment. It therefore is a form of gas engine
which as soon as engineers are able to educate the public to its peculiarities bids fair to become as popular and practical as the fourstroke cycle.
