First 4 pages: Brief account of journey Cork-Dublin-Liverpool-London-Southampton-Le Havre-Paris-Chalons-Lyons-Avignon-Marseilles-Civita Vecchia-Rome, October 29 - November 24, 1842. Some sight-seeing and details. Meets Dr Cullen, (presumably Paul Cullen, later Cardinal, head of Irish College) in Dublin.

Last 16 pages: Detailed account of return home via Civita Vecchia-French man-of-war to Leghorn-Pisa-Florence-Appenines-Bologna-Modena-Parma-Lodi-Milan-Como-Lugano-Ticino-St Gotthard pass-Altorf-Lucerne-Basle; brief account Basle-Strassbourg-Mainz-Coblentz-Cologne-Ostend. Sightseeing in London. Bristol-Adelaide Terrace, Cork. June 8-July 1, 1846. A good amount of sightseeing, architectural, travel (e.g. passports, modes of transportation, tourism arrangements) details.

Body of text: Largely very detailed accounts of public ceremonies, both religious and secular, in Rome, including the Carnival and chariot races in the Villa Borghese. Some detailed accounts of architecture and contents of Roman public buildings. Very detailed accounts of Gregory XVI's visit to Tivoli, and of his funeral.

Little mention of studies: he became an ecclesiastic on June 1, 1844 and received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy on September 4, 1844. Little mention of personal or religious feelings: during the vacation of 1844 in Tivoli "we received an account of the liberation of O'Connell from Richmond Penitentiary and we had fireworks ... to testify our joy..."

Description of the countryside during the summer of 1845 when the doctor ordered him to go to the vineyard (Tivoli?) for his health, and of his idyllic life there. His Bishop, Dr. Murphy, ordered him to return to Ireland in October 1845, but he persuaded him to let him stay in Rome another winter. Describes service in Roman synagogue.