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NOV  27  1918 


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A  BEIEF  ACCOUNT  ^^^^5*^- 


RISE  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CHANGE  IN  RELIGIOUS  OPINION 
NOW  TAKING   PLACE 

IN  DINGLE,  AND  THE  WEST  OF  THE 
COUNTY  OF  KERRY,  IRELAND. 


BY  MRS.  D.  P.  THOMPSON. 


SEELEY,    BURNSTDE    AND    SEELEY, 

FLEET   STREET,    LONDON. 

MDCCCXLV. 


L.   SEELEY  PRINTER,  THAMES  DITTON,  SURREY. 


TO  MR.  GEORGE  HITCHCOCK. 

LONDON. 


Sir, 

The  desire  you  have  so  strongly  expressed  to  have 
a  distinct  account  of  the  beginning  and  progress  of  the 
remarkable  change  of  opinion,  now  taking  place  in  this 
remote  corner  of  Ireland,  together  with  the  generous  and 
effective  interest  you  have  shown  in  this  work  of  reforma- 
tion, have  induced  me  to  prepare  for  publication  the 
following  narrative  of  what  has  occured  at  Dingle,  and  in 
the  neighbouring  parishes,  during  the  last  eight  or  nine 
years.  And  I  cannot  be  satisfied, — however  unwillingly 
yon  may  consent  to  it. — that  this  little  volume  should 
appear  without  being  inscribed  to  one  who  has  been  so 
especially  instrumental  in  its  production. 

To  men  involved  in  business  in  London,-  the  real  state 
of  Ireland  can  be  so  little  known,  that  mere  novelty  may 
invest  the  following  statement  with  a  higher  interest  than 
at  first  might  be  expected  :  that  interest  may  fearlessly  be 
yielded,  since  all  exaggeration,  all  high  colouring  have  been 
scrupulously  avoided  in  this  simple  relation  of  facts,  how- 
ever many  of  those  details  may  surprise  and  almost  seem 
doubtful  to  a  reader  unacquainted  with  the  character  and 


IV 

habits  of  mind  of  our  untutored,  but  enquiring  and  intel- 
ligent population. 

There  have  been  some  small  publications,  giving  slight 
accounts  of  the  religious  change  taking  place  at  Dingle, 
and  in  the  surrounding  country,  which  have  been  favora- 
bly received  ;  but  slight  accounts  of  that  sort,  or  collections 
of  anecdotes  of  the  converts,  however  in  themselves  inter- 
esting, can  never  give  the  public  full  satisfaction ;  they  are 
also  in  some  degree  hurtful,  by  sending  forth  exaggerated 
representations  which  touch  the  heart,  and  raise  undue 
expectations,  which  not  being  afterwards  fully  realized, 
cause  disappointment ;  and  that  disappointment  leads  to 
the  undervaluing  of  what  has  absolutely  been  effected. 

To  obviate  these  evils  I  have,  at  your  earnest  request, 
backed  by  that  of  many  friends,  consented  to  draw  up  a 
fuller  and  more  precise  statement  of  the  whole  work,  than 
has  yet  been  laid  before  the  public  ;  in  which  will  be  found 
original  documents, — ^letters  from  the  converts  themselves, 
and  a  few  remarkable  anecdotes,  all  well  known  to  the 
writer. 

Many  errors  in  the  style  of  writing  will  no  doubt  appear, 
but  as  an  inexperienced  writer  can  hardly  avoid  such,  I  do 
not  stop  to  apologise  for  them,  but  rather  come  forward 
in  honest  humility,  with  all  my  imperfection  on  my  head, 
confident  only  in  the  truth. 

D.  P.  T. 

Dingle, 

Feb.  10,  1845. 


A  BEIEF  ACCOUNT, 

8fC. 
CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

The  south-western  coast  of  Ireland  is  singularly 
indented  by  deep  bays  running  far  inland,  separated 
by  narrow  peninsular  tracts  of  wild  mountainous 
country.  Of  these  bays,  that  of  Castlemain,  or 
Dingle,  is  one  of  the  largest.  On  its  northern  side, 
a  very  narrow  passage,  between  two  bold  rocky 
head-lands,  opens  into  a  small  inner  harbour  sur- 
rounded by  hills,  bosomed  in  which  nestles  the 
little  town  of  Dingle,  which,  rising  up  the  southern 
slope,  enjoys  a  splendid  view  across  the  wide  bay  to 
the  mountain  range  of  the  rugged  Barony  of 
Iveragh.  In  this  place  there  is  now  going  on  a 
remarkable  work  of  Reformation, 

Forty  years  ago  the  Church  of  Dingle  had  fallen 
into  such  ruin  as  to  be  disused.  The  Protestant 
worshippers  met  for  divine  service  in  a   room  in  the 

B 


2  INTRODUCTORY. 

town — they  were  few  and  careless.  Yet  they  did 
not  pass  unmolested  by  popish  enmity,  but  were 
frequently  assailed  in  going  and  returning,  by 
cabbage-stalks  and  other  filth.  In  1804,  however, 
a  small  parish  Church  was  erected  on  a  former 
site  in  the  ancient  Church-yard,  and  more  regular 
ministrations  of  the  usual  services  afforded  to  those 
who  attended. 

Fifteen  years  since,  the  writer  of  these  pages  first 
visited  Dingle,  as  a  tourist ;  the  majestic  scenery  of 
this  neighbourhood  attracted  some  adventurous  spirits 
even  then,  to  explore  its  wilds.  The  roads  had  be- 
come nearly  impassable  for  any  conveyance  better 
than  a  car  or  Irish  dray. 

The  post  was  conveyed  by  foot-carriers ;  one  man 
starting  from  Tralee,  and  the  other  from  Dingle,  and 
trotting  at  a  pace  which  is  very  commonly  practised  by 
active  boys  in  Ireland,  of  between  four  and  five  English 
miles  an  hour ;  they  met  half  way,  by  a  pass  over  the 
mountain,  exchanged  bags,  and  each  trotted  back  to 
their  respective  towns,  having  accomplished  a  dis- 
tance of  fifteen  English  miles  forward,  and  the  same 
back ;  they  did  this  every  day,  winter  and  summer, 
for  which  they  received  the  pittance  of  seven  shillings 
per  week.  I  give  this  as  an  instance  of  the  extreme 
backwardness  of  this  spot,  so  lately  as  the  year  1830. 
In  this  year,  however,  improvement  commenced  ;  a 
good  road  was  carried  along  both  sides  of  the  range 
of  mountains, — as  may  be  seen  in  the  map, — that  on 
the  northern  side  passing  over  the  Conner,  and  open- 
ing   up   a  truly  romantic    and    beautiful    country. 


INTRODUCTORY.  3 

interesting     both     in    historical     and     antiquarian 
respects. 

In  the  troublous  times  of  the  Desmonds,  Spanish 
auxiliaries  had  landed  their  forces  in  this  part  of 
Kerry  :  and  here  the  gallant  Raleigh  won  golden 
glories  for  his  royal  mistress,  repulsing  these  foreign 
invaders,  and  driving  them  from  their  fortifications, 
the  ruins  of  which  still  crown  the  cliffs,  literally  into 
dark  graves  of  deep  ocean  ;  the  booming  surfs  of  the 
ocean  break  upon  the  base  of  Fort  Doloro,  (the  Fort 
of  Sighs),  so  called  because  of  the  number  driven 
headlong  from  it  into  the  sea.  The  castles  of  the 
insurgent  knights,  Fitzgerald,  Moor,  and  M'Carthy, 
rising  in  gaunt  desolation,  tell  tales  of  powerful  days 
and  past  times,  when  Dingle  was  the  chief  town  of 
the  country,  and  a  fortified  place,  as  its  name  (a 
corruption  of  Dangan  or  Dongon,  a  fortress  or 
strong-hold)  indicates  :  That  it  was  formerly  known 
as  a  place  of  trade,  is  proved  from  an  estimate  still 
extant,  made  during  Lord  Strafibrd's  government, 
relative  '  to  goods  that  might  be  purchased  in  this 
country/  '  goods  usually  transported  from  the 
port  of  Dingle  to  Spain  \'  insomuch  that  Queen 
Elizabeth  gave  money  to  repair  its  walls,  and 
grants  of  land  in  its  neighbourhood  to  her  faith- 
ful servants,  so  planting  a  protestant  population 
here,  with  a  view,  probably,  of  counteracting  all 
remains  of  Spanish  and  papal  influence.  These  ad- 
vantages it  continued  to  retain  for  above  a  century 
later,  as  entries  in  the  customs  so  late  as  1750  shew 
that  Dingle  exported  annually  above  £60,000  v^^orth 
B  2 


4  INTRODUCTORY. 

of  linen,  besides  large  quantities  of  butter,  eggs, 
hides,  and  cattle.  The  ruins  of  churches,  com- 
paratively modern,  declare  that  at  a  period  not  very 
far  back,  protestantism  had  extended  itself  through- 
out our  peninsula.  But  alas  !  what  a  mere  name  to 
live  by,  while  the  soul  was  fled,  did  Protestantism 
present  in  these  districts  during  the  seventeenth 
century ;  even  the  ordinances  of  the  Established 
Church  were  carelessly  administered,  and  as  for 
pastoral  care,  there  was  none. 

Smyth,  in  his  history  of  Kerry,  makes  mention  of 
fifty-four  Churches  at  one  time  in  this  county,  thirty- 
four  of  which  were  in  ruins  in  1756  ;  out  of  these 
thirty -four,  only  eleven  have  since  been  repaired.  An 
attempt  was  made  in  1795  to  rebuild  the  Church  in 
the  parish  of  Dunurlin,  but  the  contractor  having 
neglected  to  finish  it  according  to  specification,  it  re- 
mained unclaimed  by  the  Board  of  First  Fruits — no 
clergyman  was  on  the  spot  to  take  possession  of  it, 
and  the  Roman  Catholics  seeing  it  unprotected,  fell 
upon  it,  and  in  one  night  pulled  it  down,  and  carried 
off  the  whole  of  the  materials  to  the  mountains  with 
impunity.  What  wonder  that  (as  is  the  lamentable 
fact)  all  the  English  settlers  of  low  degree  lapsed  into 
popery,  or  that  in  measure,  as  its  people  departed 
from  the  truth  of  God,  the  country  around  Dingle 
sank  into  insignificance  and  poverty,  until  Dingle  was 
only  known  as  the  name  of  a  place  unknotvn  !  * 


*  "  I  wish  j'ou  were  at  Dingle-y- couch" — being  a  cant  phrase,  meaning 
totally  out  of  the  way. 


INTRODUCTORY.  5 

In  the  year  1831,  the  Rev.  J.  Jebb  became  rector 
of  Dunurlin,  the  most  western  of  our  parishes,  in- 
deed tlie  most  western  in  Europe,  and  fenced  from  the 
incursions  of  the  Atlantic  by  gigantic  chfTs,  many  of 
them  presenting  a  perpendicular  face  of  nine  hundred 
feet  to  the  ocean,  which  is  said  to  be  thirty  fathom 
deep  at  their  base  :  The  aspect  of  the  inland  portion 
of  this  tract  is  singularly  sublime,  long  flats  of 
drifted  sands  formed  by  the  encroaching  of  the  sea, 
where  in  the  small  coves  it  can  force  an  entrance, 
sparely  clothed  here  and  there  with  sea  bent-grass, 
and  bounded  only  by  distant  mountains,  present  to 
the  eye  of  those  who  love  nature  in  her  wildest 
aspect,  a  strangely  delightful  conception  of  the  sandy 
deserts  of  the  east.  Three  other  small  parishes  lie 
contiguous  to  Dunurlin,  those  of  Kilquane,  Keelma- 
kedar,  and  Dunquin,  in  not  any  of  which  was  there 
a  resident  minister,  a  church,  or  other  means  of 
grace ;  the  occasional  duties  having  been  gratuitously 
performed  by  the  Rev.  T.  Goodman,  curate  of  Dingle. 
Mr.  Jebb  was  nephew  to  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
and  with  praiseworthy  zeal  determined  to  remedy 
the  abuses  which  he  observed  in  the  district,  as  well 
as  to  supply  what  was  necessary  for  the  due  and  unin- 
terrupted administration  of  public  worship.  In  his 
own  parish  he  appointed  a  resident  curate  at  a  salary 
of  £100  per  annum,  and  determined  to  apply  all  the 
emoluments  of  the  living  to  the  maintenance  of 
schools,  and  the  establishment  of  religion  on  a  per- 
manent footing.  The  Bishop  also  required  the 
rectors  of  the  neighbouring  parishes  to  provide  for 


6  INTRODUCTORY. 

their  occasional  duties,  and  thus  ensure  a  new  and 
better  state  of  things. 

The  Rev.  George  Gubbins  was  eventually  ap- 
pointed the  curate  of  the  four  parishes,  Dunurlin, 
Keelmakedar,  Ventry,  and  Kilquane,  and  entered  on 
his  duty  with  all  the  zeal  of  an  ardent  mind,  willing 
to  fulfil  the  positive  stipulations  of  his  rector — 
'  that  he  should  live  in  one  of  the  four  parishes,  and 
visit  all  of  them  at  least  once  every  week,  summer  and 
winter,  for  which  purpose  he  was  required  to  keep  a 
horse  ;'  he  was  also  '  required  to  return  the  names  of 
every  lapsed  Protestant  throughout  them,  as  well  as 
of  the  coast-guards,  for  whom  more  specially  he  was 
to  minister :'  as  it  was  '  his  (Mr.  JehVs)  desire,  in 
every  way  in  his  poiver,  to  contribute  to  the  interests, 
and  render  if  possible  those  parishes  exemplary  to 
that  portion  of  the  diocese.'*  Rather  a  difficult 
matter  to  expect  in  a  district  where  there  was  no 
Church,  no  house,  no  school,  nor  any  thing  that  could 
lead  one  to  suppose  that  Protestant  Christianity  had 
ever  been  preached,  much  less  established,  in  Ireland. 

However,  no  way  appalled,  this  excellent  man 
determined  to  meet  the  difficulties  by  throwing  him- 
self into  them  ;  he  lived  in  a  cabin,  at  one  shilling  a 
week,  independent  of  circumstances,  and  deprived  of 
all  the  comforts  of  refined  life. 

Stated   services   were  performed  in    each   of  the 
parishes,  and  Sunday  Schools  established  for  the  fami- 
lies of  the  coast-guard  stations,  who  formed  a  nucleus 
for  a  Protestant  congregation  in  three  of  the  above- 
*  Rev.  J.  Jebb's  letter  to  the  Rev.  G.  Gubbins. 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

named  parishes ;  but  as  yet  he  had  discovered  none  of 
the  lapsed  families  of  native  Protestants  ;  he  com- 
menced however  a  close  search  after  them,  and  had  the 
happiness  in  1832,  of  restoring  five  families  to  the 
bosom  of  the  Protestant  Church. 

Still,  the  minister  of  God,  who  feels  that  every 
soul  in  his  cure  is  given  him  in  charge,  cannot  rest 
with  the  mere  preservation  of  professed  adherents,  or 
even  the  recovery  of  the  lapsed ;  he  must  go  forth 
into  the  highways  and  hedges,  preaching  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  persuading,  exhorting,  and  shewing 
Jesus  to  be  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our  salvation. 

At  first,  however,  the  obstacles  appeared  almost 
insurmountable,  and  he  could  only  pray  that  God 
would  open  a  way  of  access  between  him  and  his 
popish  parishioners  ;  while  for  the  present,  he  took  a 
leaf  out  of  the  '  Jesuits'  book,^  and  determined  to 
practice  medicine  in  such  a  simple  way  as  would 
bring  him  into  contact  with  them; — hoping,  by  mani- 
festing a  care  for  their  bodies,  ultimately  to  benefit 
their  souls. 

The  Lord  gave  a  fearful  opportunity  of  effecting 
his  purpose  in  this  respect.  Cholera,  in  its  most 
frightful  form,  visited  the  parishes  under  his  care. 
The  people,  maddened  with  dismay,  knew  not  whe- 
ther to  charge  God  or  man  as  the  author  of  this 
visitation.  The  Popish  priests,  terrified  by  the  idea 
of  contagion,  actually  fled  from  the  scene,  and  left 
to  the  minister  of  a  purer  faith,  the  privilege  of  ad- 
ministering medical  aid  and  kindness  to  the  sufferers, 
and  thus  afforded  an  opportunity  of  opening  truth  to 


8  INTRODUCTORY. 

many  perishing  sinners,  who,  under  other  circum- 
stances, would  have  closed  the  door  against  him. 
He  spared  himself  neither  day  nor  night,  ministering 
comfort  to  all  while  life  remained,  and  in  more  than 
one  case  personally  assisted  in  the  interment  of  the 
dead ;  from  henceforth  he  became  physician-general 
to  the  poor,  who,  ever  after,  while  he  remained  in 
the  parish,  sought  to  him  in  times  of  sickness,  and 
therefore  could  no  longer  regard  him  as  an  "  emissary 
of  the  evil  one." 

Being  unable  to  speak  Irish,  he  had  obtained 
an  interpreter,  and  one  fortunately  capable  of  reading 
the  Scriptures  in  the  Irish  language,  through  whom 
there  was  immediate  access  to  the  hearts  of  the 
people  ;  so  that  by  the  year  1833,  we  find  his  hands 
full  of  useful  labour  in  these  hitherto-neglected 
parishes. 

But,  much  as  their  state  was  thus  bettered  in  some 
respects,  improvement  was  not,  thank  God,  to  stop  at 
the  mere  restoration  of  outward  order.  This  cen- 
tury has  indeed  been  blest  beyond  former  ages  by 
the  spread  of  scriptural  light ;  evangelical  views  of 
religion,  too  much  lost  sight  of  hitherto,  were,  about 
the  period  of  which  I  speak,  rapidly  spreading  through 
Ireland — the  doctrines  of  Christ, — -justification  by 
faith,  repentance  from  dead  works,  and  the  need  of 
the  continually-renewing  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
These  great  doctrines  were  preached  by  numbers  of 
the  younger  clergy,  and  by  the  grace  of  God,  extended 
to  our  remote  peninsula. 

Lord  Ventry,  to  whom  the  rectorial  and  vicarial 


INTRODUCTORY.  9 

tithes  of  Dingle  belong,  considering  that  one  curate 
was  insufficient  for  its  spiritual  necessities,  appointed 
the  Rev.  Charles  Gayer,  in  1833,  as  his  private  chap- 
lain, and  assistant  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Goodman, 
who  had  been,  as  mentioned  above,  for  some  years 
gratuituously  performing  the  occasional  duties  of 
the  whole  district,  until  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Gubbins 
in  1831. 

These  gentlemen  were  not  among  those  who  con- 
sider the  Protestants  only  as  their  parishioners.  Such 
a  view  of  pastoral  responsibility  has  been  one  cause  of 
Popery's  standing  erect  and  unabashed  throughout 
the  land.  Almost  everywhere  the  people  have  been 
given  up  to  the  priests,  considered  outside  the  pale 
of  the  cure  of  souls  ;  and  because  it  was  difficult  to 
recover  these  wandering  sheep  to  the  fold,  while  they 
were  themselves  unwilling  to  return,  the  pastors  have 
left  them  to  wander  and  stumble  on  the  dark  moun- 
tains of  Popish  idolatry,  unheeded,  uncalled,  and  un- 
accounted of.  Yet  of  the  earth,  which  they  cul- 
tivated with  the  sweat  of  their  brow,  these  shepherds 
ate  the  fat  and  richness ! 

The  results  of  a  different  mental  view  of  the  sub- 
ject and  an  opposite  system  of  conduct,  prove  what 
might  have  been  done  throughout  Ireland  ere  now,  and 
done  with  all  good  feeling  on  the  part  of  both  pastor 
and  parishioner,  had  such  care  prevailed  to  any  extent. 
It  has  been  very  generally  believed,  that  the  signal 
success  that  has  attended  the  ministrations  of  the 
clergy  of  this  district,  in  bringing  many  hun- 
dreds into  the  fold  of  the  Established  Church,  is 
B  5 


10  INTRODUCTORY. 

owing  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  to  the  operations  of  the 
Irish  Society  in  their  parishes.  And  when  the  Refor- 
mation here  is  adduced  as  an  example  for  others  to 
follow,  and  as  a  source  of  encouragement  to  clergy- 
men in  other  Popish  districts,  the  reply  is  always, 
'  Oh  !  but  there  they  had  the  Irish  Society.^ 

Without  in  the  least  wishing  to  derogate  from  the 
blessing  which  the  Irish  Society  has  proved  itself  to 
be,  wherever  its  operations  are  carried  on ;  and  desir- 
ing as  I  do,  to  give  ample  proof  of  the  great  benefit  it 
has  been  among  ourselves,  (having  been  an  eye-witness 
from  the  commencement  of  its  operations,)I  wish  to 
correct  the  mistake  alluded  to  above,  both  because  I 
am  'jealous  for  the  truth,'  and  because  I  think  it  is 
calculated  not  only  to  give  false  impressions  respect- 
ing the  Society,  and  the  line  of  work  it  has  judici- 
ously marked  out  for  itself,  but  also  to  damp  the  ex- 
ertions of  parochial  ministers  in  the  remote  parts  of 
Ireland,  under  the  mistaken  idea,  that  nothing  can 
be  done  among  Roman  Catholics,  except  by  the 
agency  of  the  Irish  Society.  None  who  love  the 
truth  can  fail  to  bid  the  Irish  Society,  '  God  speed,' 
— to  honour  its  labours,  and  to  recognize  in  its  objects 
the  cause  of  that  God  who  has  declared  it  to  be  ac- 
cording to  his  mind,  that  men  should  hear,  each  in 
his  own  tongue,  the  wonderful  works  of  God. 

Yet  a  ministry  for  the  gathering  out  of  God's 
people,  is  the  ordained  means  of  God,  and  no  So- 
ciety, however  excellent,  can  take  that  place,  nor  re- 
ceive the  blessing  God  has  promised  to,  and  fails  not 
to  pour  out  upon,  the  faithful  preaching  of  his  word  by 


INTRODUCTORY.  11 

his  ministers.  And  I  do  firmly  believe,  that  sympathy 
with  the  Society  would  be  more  extended  if  it  were 
shewn  to  be, — that  which  indeed  it  is, — simply  the 
ready  handmaid  of  the  faithful  pastor.  The  clergy 
throughout  all  parts  of  Ireland,  would  be  more 
readily  induced  to  make  the  experiment  in  behalf  of 
their  Roman  Catholic  parishoners,  if  it  could  be 
made  apparent  to  them,  that  it  is  possible  to  effect 
the  conversion  of  Romanists,  by  giving  them  the 
Scriptures,  and  seeking  conversation,  as  well  where 
the  Irish  is  not  the  prevailing  language,  as  where  it  is. 
Moreover,  where  the  labours  of  the  Irish  Society 
are  not  followed  up  by  the  hearty  and  affectionate 
exertions  of  the  clergyman  of  the  parish,  the  fruit 
yielded,  comes  as  little  to  perfection,  as  do  the  labours 
of  a  minister,  on  the  other  hand,  who  cannot  come 
into  communion  with  the  people  in  the  language  they 
understand. 


1%  DINGLE. 


CHAPTER  II. 


DINGLE. 


In  proof  of  the  justice  of  the  opinions^  expressed 
at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  I  distinctly  state,  and 
request  that  it  may  be  particularly  observed,  that  reli- 
gious enquiry  here  first  began  in  the  town  of  Dingle, 
where  the  people  speak  English  ;  and  as  far  as  a  work 
of  the  Almighty's  can  be  attributed  to  human  instru- 
mentality, it  resulted  from  the  excitement  and  novelty 
of  evening  service  being  performed  in  the  Church, 
which  attracted  the  curious  and  intelligent  youths 
of  the  town,  to  go  and  hear  the  new  parson,* 
under  cover  of  the  dusk  of  evening.  Many  who 
would  not  risk  public  estimation,  in  order  to 
gratify  a  lawful  desire  of  information  as  to  what 
was  doing  and  saying  in  a  Church ;  and  who  first 
entered  the  Church  only  from  curiosity,  repeated  the 

*  The  want  of  a  residence  for  a  clergyman  in  Dingle,  which  has 
always  existed,  obliged  the  excellent  Mr.  Goodman  to  live  on  his  own 
property  ;  which  being  at  a  distance  of  four  miles  from  the  town,  together 
with  the  great  delicacy  of  his  health,  prevented  the  performance  of  evening 
service  hitherto. 


%    ,1 


„u. 


^kr    11^' 


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o 
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p 

:2; 
o 

H 
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DINGLE.  13 

visit  again  and  again,  won  by  the  glad  tidings  of  great 
joy  there  announced :  They  then  followed  up  these 
transgressions  against  priestly  authority,  by  coming 
to  Mr.  Gayer's  study  hy  night,  as  Nicodemus  did  to 
our  Lord,  to  ask  questions  concerning  the  Scriptures 
and  the  way  of  salvation. 

The  Priests,  it  is  true,  came  to  hear  these  things, 
and  denounced  the  offenders,  but  no  earthly  power 
can  stop  the  progress  of  the  Gospel.  These  denun- 
ciations seemed  only  to  increase  the  desire  for  in- 
struction, insomuch,  that  several  families  quitted  the 
Church  of  Rome  at  the  close  of  this  year,  1834, 
two  of  whom  were  gentlemen  of  considerable  fortune. 
Of  the  lower  classes,  some  were  induced  by  reason- 
able convictions  of  the  Romish  errors,  and  others  by 
a  contempt  for  the  avarice  and  tyranny  of  the  priests. 

In  the  year  1835,  the  conversions  increased,  so  that 
at  the  close  of  it  the  number  of  converts  in  the  town 
of  Dingle  amounted  to  about  seventy  individuals ; — • 
the  Irish  Society  not  having  been  as  yet  called  on 
to  aid,  for  Mr.  Gayer  did  not  then  know  of  the  ex- 
istence of  that  excellent  Society.  In  the  beginning 
of  1836,  tidings  of  the  conversions  from  Romanism 
in  Dingle  caused  a  visit  from  the  inspector  of  the 
Irish  School's  Society  of  the  county';  and  from  this 
poor  man  Mr.  Gayer  first  learned  what  an  effectual 
instrument  was  ready  to  assist  in  enlarging  his  la- 
bours, and  extending  them  into  the  country  around, 
of  which  he  immediately  prepared  to  avail  himself, 
by  entering  into  correspondence  with  its  excellent 
secretary. 


14  DINGLE. 

During  the  whole  of  this  period,  every  eifort  was 
made  by  weekly  curses  from  the  altars  of  the  Romish 
Chapels,  and  by  persecution  of  every  kind,  to  try 
and  stop  the  work  of  reformation,  but  these  efforts 
proved  unavailing,  and  seemed  soon  to  lose  their 
effect  on  the  minds  of  the  people ;  it  was  not  thought 
judicious  to  speak  of  these  conversions  at  the  time, 
lest  haply  they  might  come  short  in  the  day  of  trial, 
but  every  pains  was  taken  by  Mr.  Gayer  to  instruct 
the  enquirers.  An  excellent  Scripture  reader  was 
sent  amongst  them,  and  every  one  of  them  had  liberty 
at  all  hours,  even  late  at  night,  to  come  to  his  study 
to  read  with  him. 

Most  interesting  circumstances  arose — still  the 
converts  were  not  depended  upon  until  time  should 
prove  their  steadiness  and  sincerity  ;  and  had  not 
Mr.  Gayer's  faith  at  this  time  been  of  a  temperament 
"  to  hope  all  things  and  believe  all  things,'^  the 
present  pleasant  work  might  have  been  effectually 
hindered, — so  greatly  suspicious  were  all  persons,  and 
chiefly  the  other  Protestant  clergy  of  the  country,  of 
any  dejpendance  being  placed  on  converts  from  Ro- 
manism. 

Yet  the  Lord  sustained  the  faith  of  those  working 
for  him,  by  permitting  them  to  witness  the  stedfast- 
ness  of  more  than  one  of  those  despised  and  perse- 
cuted converts.  One  boy  often  years  old,  in  the  try- 
ing moment  of  death,  witnessed  a  good  confession, 
surrounded  by  papist  friends  who  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing a  Popish  priest  to  his  bedside.  He  could  not  be 
induced  by  entreaty  or  force  to  receive  any  supersti- 


DINGLE.  15 

tious  rite  from  him.  He  flung  himself,  in  his  dying 
agonies,  from  side  to  side  of  the  straw  pallet,  to  avoid 
the  priesVs  hand  ;  till  his  father,  compassionating  the 
sufferings  of  his  child,  begged  the  priest  to  go  awaj', 
and  mainly  by  force  cleared  the  room  of  the  crowds 
that  had  gathered  in  ;  and  such  was  the  dense  mass  of 
people  outside  the  house  in  the  street,  during  the 
enacting  of  this  dreadful  scene  within,  that  no  vehi- 
cle could  pass. 

Another  instance  may  be  given,  of  a  poor  Waterloo 
pensioner,  P — F — ,  who,  when  invited  by  two  ser- 
vants of  Mr.  Gayer  to  accompany  them  to  Church, 
replied,  '  he  might  do  worse  ;  '  he  went,  and  the 
word  of  God,  which  is  quick  and  powerful,  was  that 
night  blessed  to  him.  He  came  shortly  afterwards 
for  a  Bible,  which  Mr.  Gayer  gave  him,  and  by  the 
perusal  of  which  he  made  rapid  progress  in  divine 
truth,  and  soon  openly  renounced  popery.  Not 
long  after,  becoming  very  ill,  his  wife,  a  bigoted 
Romanist,  did  every  thing  in  her  power  to  induce 
him  to  return  to  Popery,  and  was  quite  in  despair 
when  she  could  not  succeed.  Their  little  girl 
attended  the  nunnery-school.  Her  father  insisted 
she  should  be  brought  up  in  the  protestant  faith, 
and  sent  to  the  protestant  school ;  but  the  mother 
continued  clandestinely  to  send  her  to  the  nun's 
school ;  which  when  the  poor  man  heard,  he  went 
himself,  though  scarcely  able  to  walk,  and  took  away 
his  child  by  force,  amidst  the  greatest  abuse  and 
opposition  from  every  one  belonging  to  the  nunnery. 
He  spent  his  evenings  instructing  his  children,  and 


16  DINGLE. 

daily  exhibited  increasing  holiness,  evincing  also  a 
tender  concern  for  his  ungodly  wife,  who  did  all  she 
could  to  bring  the  priest  to  him  whether  he  would 
or  not.  The  night  on  which  he  died,  when  she  was 
going  out  for  this  purpose,  the  poor  man  sprung  out 
of  bed  quite  excited,  and  solemnly  protested  that  if 
she  did,  he  would  'go  die  in  the  street.''  During  his 
illness  he  had  gone  in  debt  for  some  necessaries,  which 
he  intended  paying  for  when  his  pension  was  due  ; 
but  as  he  became  very  ill,  and  it  was  feared  he  would 
not  live  until  his  pension  became  due,  his  bed  and 
bedding  were  seized.  '  I  was  in  the  room,'  (says 
Mrs.  Gayer,)  'when  the  bailiffs  entered  for  this 
purpose  ;  on  expressing  my  fears  that  this  confusion 
would  hasten  his  departure,  he  calmly  said,  "  they 
may  take  what  they  please,  they  cannot  take  away 
my  peace.  I  feel  safe  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  have  no 
care  but  her," — pointing  to  his  wife  who  was  sitting 
on  the  floor  of  the  little  room  5  ''  if  I  could  see  her  a 
believer  in  Christ,  I  should  die  happy."  "  That  you 
will  never  see  !"  sh€  replied,  so  hard-hearted  had 
bigotry  rendered  this  woman,  for  whom,  nevertheless, 
the  Lord  had  better  things  in  store.  About  two 
years  after  her  husband's  death  she  was  converted, 
and  has  ever  since  been  a  very  consistent  Christian  ; 
thus  happily  and  satisfactorily  did  the  two  first 
deaths  testify  to  the  genuineness  of  the  change  which 
was  wrought  in  them.' 

Much  edification  resulted  to  others :  for  it  is  a 
general  beljef  with  Romanists,  that  no  convert  will 
meet  death  out  of  that<:ommunion  5  but  that  however 


DINGLE.  17 

men  may  from  the  desire  of  gain  or  other  beguilement 
be  induced  to  live  estranged  from  her  commmiion, 
death  will  restore  the  power  of  conscience,  and  terror 
and  conviction  drive  them  back  again.  The  priest 
also  saw  the  influence  such  instances  of  stedfastness 
were  calculated  to  have.  They  became  more  oppres- 
sive than  ever  in  their  exactions  of  obedience,  and  in 
their  restrictions  j  servants  residing  in  protestant 
families  were  tampered  with ;  and  if  it  could  be 
proved  they  attended  (though  in  pursuance  of  family 
regulations)  at  family  prayer,  they  were  refused 
confession  and  absolution,  and  denied  the  rites  of 
the  Church  even  in  the  hour  of  death,  notwithstand- 
ing, they  are  taught  to  believe  that  the  salvation  of 
their  souls  depends  on  the  due  reception  of  this  rite. 

A  man-servant  in  the  writer's  employment  being 
ill  of  pleurisy,  and  supposed  to  be  at  the  point  of 
death,  sent  for  his  priest,  who  refused  to  give  him 
the  '  last  rites '  till  he  should  bind  himself  by  an  oath, 
in  the  name  of  "  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost," 
that  he  would  *  never  listen  to  the  Bihle  again  /' 
The  man  resisted  and  the  priest  left  him.  But  on 
this  a  fellow-servant  rushed  in  to  the  dying  man, 
and  placed  the  horrors  of  damnation  so  vividly  before 
his  mind,  if  he  died  without  the  priest,  that  the  man 
permitted  him  to  be  recalled,  took  the  awful  oath, 
was  anointed,  and  had  some  Latin  prayers  mumbled 
over  him.  Contrary  to  all  expectation,  the  man 
recovered,  and  still  lives  with  this  vow  to  resist  all 
scripture  instruction  bound  on  his  soul.  I  asked  him 
afterward,  did  he  not  know  that  the  Bible  was  God's 


18  DINGLE. 

own  word,  against  which  he  had  sworn ;  he  said, 
*  he  did  ivell^  but  that  he  expected  a  speedy  death 
when  he  took  the  oath,  and  he  knew  he  could  expect 
nothing  better  than  the  burial  of  a  dog,  '  if  he  died 
without  the  priest's  blessing.' 

Parents  who  persisted  in  sending  their  children  to 
scriptural  schools,  though  not  themselves  suspected 
of  wavering  in  their  fidelity  to  the  Church  of  Rome, 
were  held  up  by  name  to  public  scorn  in  the  chapels, 
— *  called  in  chapel,'  as  is  the  phrase :  But  these 
biting  knots  in  the  slave-whip  not  effecting  the 
desired  object,  they  selected  a  poor  and  very  ignorant 
woman  as  a  fit  subject  on  whom  to  wreak  their  fury, 
and  strike  tei'ror,  by  making  an  example  of  her.  I 
wish  my  readers  particularly  to  take  notice  that  this 
woman  loas  not  a  convert,  though  subsequently 
driven  from  the  Church  of  Rome  by  harsh  treatment. 
She  had  persisted  in  sending  her  children  to  school, 
contrary  to  the  command  of  the  priest ;  this  was  the 
head  and  front  of  her  offence.  It  was  decided  she 
should  be  anathematized  and  excommunicated,  with 
all  the  forms  so  terrific  to  superstitious  persons ;  it 
is  called  by  them,  *  being  put  out  with  bell-book- 
and-candle-light ;'  which  means  that  the  priest  is  to 
commence  by  ringing  a  bell  to  summon  all  to  hear, 
then  close  the  book  of  life  on  the  refractory  indivi- 
duals, and  calling  their  name  aloud,  extinguish  the 
candles  on  the  altar,  by  which  is  meant  that  the 
light  of  heaven  is  extinguished  unto  them,  and  that 
they  are  given  over  unto  Satan  and  the  powers  of 
darkness. 


DINGLE.  19 

This  ceremony  is  sometimes  practised  towards  Pro- 
testants, which  proves  that  it  is  not  done  in  the 
exercise  of  internal  discipline.  In  the  particular 
case  to  which  I  refer,  the  statement,  here  given, 
was  taken  down  on  oath,  in  order  to  be  laid  before  the 
committee  of  the  House  of  Lords. 

*  Q.  Were  you  in  the  chapel  on  the  day  of  the 
cursing  ? 

'  A.  [  was. 

*  Q.  Did  you  hear  it  ? 

*  A.  I  did. 

*  Q.  What  did  the  priest  say  ? 

'  A.  ril  he  hound  he  cursed  her  loell ! 

*  Q.  What  did  he  say  ?  did  he  give  a  reason  for 
cursing  her  ? 

*  A.  He  said  it  was  for  going  "  here  and  there." 

*  Q.  What  did  he  mean  by  that  ? 

'  A.  Because,  he  said,  she  was  going  to-and-fro, 
sometimes  to  mass  and  sometimes  to  church. 

*  Q.  What  did  he  say  ? 

*  A.  Enough  I'll  be  bound. 

*  Q.  But  what  did  he  say  ? 

'  A.  He  cursed  every  inch  of  her  carcase  ! 

*  Q.  Did  he  bid  the  people  not  speak  to  her  ? 

*  A.  He  desired  them  not  to  speak  to  her,  or  deal 
with  her,  or  have  any  thing  to  do  with  her. 

'  Q.  Did  he  curse  her  child  ? 

*  A.  He  cursed  every  thing  that  would  spring 
from  her. 

'  Q.  Did  he  say  any  thing  of  the  child  she  was 


20  DINGLE. 

carrying  ?    did   he    curse   the   fruit   of  her   womb  ? 
(The  poor  creature  was  pregnant  at  the  time.) 

*  A.  I  did  not  hear  him  say  that  :  he  cursed 
every  thing  that  would  spring  from  her.* 

*  Q.  How  was  he  dressed  ? 

*  A.  He  threw  off  the  clothes  he  had  on,  and  put 
on  a  black  dress.  'Tis  the  way  the  clerk  quenched 
all  the  candles  but  one,  and  himself  put  out  that  one, 
and  said,  *  so  the  light  of  heaven  was  quenched  upon 
her  soul,'  and  he  shut  the  book  and  said,  '  the  gates 
of  heaven  were  shut  upon  her  that  day.' 

*  Q.  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  he  cursed  every 
inch  of  her  carcase  ? 

*  A.  He  cursed  her  eyes,  and  her  ears,  and  her 
legs,  and  so  on,  every  bit  of  her. 

*  Q..  What  did  you  think  of  such  doings  ? 

'  A.  I  wished  myself  at  Carminole.  (A  proverbial 
expression.) 

*  Q.  What  did  you  mean  by  that  ? 

*  A.  I  wished  myself  a  thousand  miles  off. 

'  Q.  Did  the  rest  of  the  people  in  the  chapel  seem 
to  like  it  ? 

'  A.  How  could  they  like  it^?  they  all  disliked  it, 
some  were  crying,  some  women  fainted. 

'  Q.  Did  any  one  speak  to  the  priest  about  it  ? 

*  A.  I'll  be  bound  they  did  not,  they  left  him  to 
himself,  they  would  be  in  dread  of  their  lives  to  stir.' 

*  Now,  sir,'said  the  man,  after  stating  these  circum- 

*  Another  witness  told  the  writer  he  cursed  the  fruit  of  her  womb,  and 
said  it  should  become  rottenness  in  her  bones, — that  it  should  be  the  un- 
timely fruit  that  should  never  see  ligU. 


DINGLE.  21 

stances,  '  I  would  go  up  to  my  neck  in  the  sea  to 
serve  the  gentleman  *  you  are  with.  I  would  do  any 
thing  short  of  my  life,  in  fact,  but  it  would  be  better 
for  me  to  be  dead  a  thousand  times  than  to  have  my 
name  brought  in  question  about  this  business.  Five 
hundred  could  tell  you  the  same  story  ;  but  what 
could  a  man  do  standing  alone  ?  For  God's  sake 
don't  expose  me.' 

The  whole  examination  is  too  long  to  give  ;  I  shall 
therefore  only  add,  that  the  neighbours  withdrew 
their  intercourse,  shopkeepers  refused  to  sell  her 
food, even  bread  ! — her  children  were  all  included 
in  the  curse,  except  one,  who  was  in  the  service  of  a 
Roman  Catholic  lady,  and  who  was  prohibited  from 
speaking  to  his  mother.  When  her  children  in  the 
thoughtlessness  of  infancy,  ran  into  a  neighbour's  door, 
they  were  driven  out  by  a  can  of  hot  water  being 
thrown  at  them  ;  the  woman  at  whose  house  they 
lodged  was  so  dealt  with,  that  she  was  obliged  to 
turn  them  into  the  street.  Her  husband,  a  shoe- 
maker, who  had  gone  to  a  distance  for  leather,  was 
on  his  way  home,  when  he  heard  of  the  circumstance  : 
he  turned  back  whence  he  came,  and  forsook  her. 
Thus  abandoned,  had  she  not  been  received  into  the 
house  of  a  protestant,  she  must  have  perished  in  the 
street:  when  her  confinement  approached,  no  one 
could  be  found  to  remain  with  her,  until  Mrs. 
Gayer  made  application  to  the  priest,  representing, 
that  if  the  infant  or  the  mother  died  he  should  be 

*  Mr.  D.  P.  Thompson. 


23  DINGLE. 

prosecuted  according  to  law  ; — when  lie  gave  permis- 
sion to  the  midwife  to  attend  her. 

The  woman  on  whom  this  outrage  was  practised, 
was  a  very  stubborn  character ;  she  became  exaspe- 
rated, not  intimidated.  She  was  neither  a  convert 
nor  a  christian.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  she  was 
quite  recovered,  and  had  proved  that  the  priest's 
curse  did  not  blight  her  infant,  or  injure  her  own 
health  or  person, — perhaps  influenced  by  the  latent 
desire  to  have  it  baptized  by  the  priest — she  sub- 
mitted herself  to  him,  took  her  children  from  school, 
and  consented  to  do  penance — upon  which  she  was 
pardoned,  publicly  received  again  into  the  Church— °- 
raade  much  of  by  the  Roman  Catholic  ladies  of  the 
convent,  the  'priest  himself  standing  sponsor  for  the 
infant.  Thus  was  peace  restored  for  the  mo- 
ment, and  the  woman  restored  to  society — her 
eyes  however  had  been  opened;  and  shortly  after  she 
notified  to  the  priest,  that  she  was  no  longer  one 
of  his  flock,  that  she  had  changed  her  creed,  and 
warned  him,  that  if  he  attempted  to  bring  her  name 
into  public  odium,  she  would  prosecute ;  when  he 
would  have  been  liable  to  a  fine  of  five  hundred 
pounds.  This  had  the  desired  efiect ;  she  was  per- 
mitted to  go  to  Church  quietly,  no  one  refusing  to 
deal  with  her.  But  such  has  been  the  horror  planted 
in  the  minds  of  the  people  by  the  whole  affair,  that 
they  believe  the  curse  then  '  put  by  the  priest  on  the 
land  she  walked  on,'  remains  untaken  away,  and 
many  would  cross  the  street  to  avoid  walking  in  the 
same   path  she  had  trod.     She  did  not  shew  herself 


THE  widow's  story.  23 

to  be  a  respectable  person,  and  has  left  Dingle,  hut 
continues  a  professed  Protestant. 

The  history  next  to  be  related,  I  have,  with  great 
difficulty,  and  after  much  entreaty,  obtained;  and  I 
have  been  permitted  to  write  it  from  the  relation  of 
the  lady  who  is  the  subject  of  it,  only  in  order  to 
exhibit  the  persecuting  nature  of  popery,  and  the 
manifest  design  of  the  priesthood  to  keep  their 
power  over  the  people,  by  withholding  from  them 
the  Scriptures  :  for  whilst  it  is  considered,  and  in 
some  instances  justified  by  Protestants,  that  the 
Bible  should  not  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  very 
lowest,  it  is  not  thought,  and  could  not  be  justified, 
that  the  better  orders  of  thinking  and  educated  per- 
sons should  be  equally  denied  the  use  of  it,  and  the 
exercise  of  their  own  judgment.  Here  we  have  the 
history  of  a  pious  and  zealous  Roman  Catholic 
family  of  remarkably  good  talents,  and  very  fair  edu- 
cation. We  shall  see  the  exertion  of  spiritual  do- 
mination over  them,  quite  as  violently  exhibited, 
as  in  any  other  case. 

'  The  Widow  and  her  Son.' 

'  You  desire  to  hear  my  story.  Madam ;  and  as  you 
think  it  is  calculated  to  be  of  use,  and  make  known 
the  difficulties  that  meet  and  distract  poor  Roman 
Catholics  who  struggle  out  of  Popery,  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  can  recollect.  I  was  my  father's  favourite, 
and  he  gave  me  a  very  good  portion,  £200  ;  it  was  a 
great  deal  of  money.  I  married  in  a  way  to  please 
him  ;  I  went  from  plenty  and  comfort,  into  plenty 


24  DINGLE. 

and  comfort ;  and  for  five  years  I  knew  nothing  of 
trouble.  I  had  four  boys,  finer  children  or  more 
graceful*  were  no  where  to  be  seen  ;  but  the  hour  of 
darkness  drew  near.  One  morning  I  got  this  letter 
from  my  husband,  who  had  gone,  as  I  thought,  to 
Limerick  on  business  for    a  few  days.'     Here  poor 

Mrs. put  into  my  hand  the  fragments  of  a  letter 

which  she  took  from  an  old-fashioned  pocket-book, 
wherein  I  read : 

*  July,  1818. 
'  Dear  Mary, 
'  It  is  time  to  undeceive  you,  as  you  are  not  to 
see  me  for  some  time,  I  am  sailing  by  this  evening's 
tide  for  New  York.  I  suppose  you,  as  well  as  many 
more,  will  deservedly  censure  my  conduct  on  this  oc- 
casion, but  I  think  it  is  better  to  do  this  than  to  be 
incarcerated  within  the  walls  of  a  dungeon,  or  to  be 
obliged  to  give  up  whatever  I  am  possessed  of,  and 
afterwards  walk  about  an  unconcerned  spectator  of 
the  world,  doomed  to  drudge  along-side  of  my  fa- 
ther's servants  ;  perhaps  be  subservient  to  them. 

'Dear  but  unfortunate  Mary,  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  as  soon  as  I  can  make  up  as  much  as  will 
bring  you  and  my  children  out,  I  will  send  for  you. 

*  Dear  and  unfortunate  wife,  censure  not  the  con- 
duct, but  pity  the  situation  of  your  miserable  hus- 
band driven  to  despair  by  adverse  fortune.  I  leave 
you  and  my  children  my  blessing,  and  the  blessing 
of  God.  I  shared  what  I  had  with  you,  but  now  as 
I  run  short,  it  is  better  to  fly. 

*  Used  in  the  sense  of  amiable — a  Kerryism. 


THE  widow's  story.  25 

'  I  crave  your  forgiveness  a  second  time — tliink  it 
not  unkind  that  1  took  no  leave  of  you  ;  believe  me 
it  cost  me  many  a  tear,  but  the  parting  would  have 
been  too  cruel  to  have  been  borne  ;  often  I  strained 
you  to  my  heart,  and  pressed  my  childrens'  lips  to 
mine—  departing  instantly  to  weep — yet  at  the  last  I 
could  not  say.  Farewell.' 

*  And  my  dear  madam,'  said  I,  as  I  handed  the 
letter  back,  *  what  caused  so  hasty  and  unexplained 
a  flight  ? — you  do  not  seem  to  have  known  of  your 
husband's  intention.* 

Mrs. replied,  '  that  her  husband  had  gone 

security  for  a  relation  who  failed,  and  he  had  lost 
every  thing  ;  I  and  my  children  were  obliged  to  go 
back  to  my  father's  house  and  live  on  his  bounty — the 
children  were  often  found  burthensome — I  could  not 
wonder  at  it,  and  my  father  was  very  angry  against 
my  husband,  and  I  dared  not  shew  that  I  loved  him, 
or  speak  his  name  to  the  little  boys,  and  indeed  the 
pillow  every  morning  was  wet  with  tears  that  I  dare 
not  shed  throughout  the  day.  The  rocks  and  the 
fields,  and  the  very  mountain's  top  could  tell  my  tears  : 
to  them  I  told  my  grief,  which  time  could  not  make 
lighter,  though  months  and  years  rolled  away.  My 
husband  wrote  seldom,  and  had  little  good  news  to 
tell.  At  last  I  got  an  account  that  he  was  making  a 
little  money,  and  hoped  to  send  for  me.  My  hopes 
rose,  and  I  began  to  get  all  in  readiness,  as  well  as 
I  could,  to  go  without  delay  when  the  money  should 
come.  In  about  two  months  I  heard  there  was  a 
letter  for  me  in   Tralee,  but  that  I   must  go  for   it 

c 


26  DINGLE. 

myself;  it  would  not  be  sent.  With  no  other  notion 
but  that  it  was  the  money-letter,  I  walked  into 
Tralee — the  way  was  long,  but  I  did  not  feel  it, 
and  cheering  my  little  boy,  I  reached  my  rela- 
tion's house  in  Tralee.'     Here  poor  Mrs. 's  lip 

trembled,  she  stopped — the  letter  was  from  a 
stranger — her  husband  was  dead  ! — a  minute  or  two 
was  all  the  widow  paused — in  patience  she  possessed 
her  soul,  and  calmly  taking  up  the  thread  of  her 
narrative,  she  told  how  the  letter  also  informed  her 
that  he  had  left  the  money  for  her  voyage,  £150, 
with ,  from  whom  she  was  to  get  it  on  applica- 
tion. She  administered,  and  went  to  many  expences 
for  the  recovery  of  this  money,  but  from  various 
causes,  unnecessary  to  detail,  she  never  received  but 
£10  of  it,  and  after  some  weeks  of  wretchedness  she 
returned  to  her  father's  house  more  sunk  and  de- 
pressed than"  ever.  There  she  continued  for  some 
years,  and  afterwards  an  uncle  of  hers  permitted  her 
to  repair  a  house  on  his  ground,  and  gave  her  a 
garden  rent-free.  *  I  laboured  to  support  myself  in 
various  ways,,  sowing  a  little  flax,  preparing  it  for 
spinning  myself;  manufacturing  it  into  linen,  of 
which  I  was  a  good  judge,  and  selling  it.  Wool,  in  the 
same  manner,  I  bought  in  the  coarse  state — prepared 
and  spun  it  myself — worked  it  up  into  home-made 
flannel  and  worsted  stockings.  My  father,  and  after 
his  death,  my  uncle,  seeing  my  struggles,  and  that  I 
did  not  spare  my  own  labour,  was  a  father  to  my 
growing  boys,  who  through  all  my  distresses  I  con- 
tinued to  send  to  schoolj  considering  that  if  I  could 


THE  widow's  story.  27 

educate  them  they  would  comfort  me  in  my  old  age  : 
they  paid  seven  and  sixpence  per  quarter,  and 
learned  reading,  writing,  and  book-keeping,  to  enable 
them  to  take  situations ;  constantly  and  fervently 
I  petitioned  the  Lord  to  look  upon  them  and  take 
them  to  his  grace,  and  to  enable  me  to  rear  them  in 
such  a  way  that  they  should  not  bring  shame  on 
their  father's  name.  I  remember  one  New  Year's  day 
— the  day  that  all  may  expect  a  gift — throwing  myself 
on  my  knees,  and  imploring  salvation  for  myself  and  my 
sons  through  Jesus  Christ.  I  think  that,  that  very 
day  was  a  beginning  of  days  to  me.  Yet  I  do  not 
think  I  had  true  faith  in  Christ  then,  as   I  know 

Him  now.    I  interrupted  Mrs. ,  '  Dear  Madam, 

why  do  you  say  you  knew  not  Christ  ? — what  do  you 
count  the  difference  between  the  faith  that  forced 
you  to  your  knees  that  day,  and  that  which  you  feel 
now  ?'  *  Oh  !  dear  Madam,  then  I  was  always  putting 
myself  in  the  place  of  Christ  ;  all  my  works  I  did  to 
save  myself/  Jesus'  name  I  knew  was  "  Saviour," 
but  I  knew  him  not  in  the  power  of  salvation — as  the 
prophet  expresses  it,  "  I  exacted  all  my  labours, 
and  in  my  fastings  took  a  pleasure."  I  used  to  say 
seven  paters  and  aves  and  a  creed  in  honor  of  the 
death  and  passion  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  ;  but 
strange  to  say,  I  this  day  got  a  foretaste  of  the  joy 
of  a  knowledge  of  Christ,  a  feel  came  over  my  mind 
that  I  never  would  die  till  I  should  know  I  was 
saved.  Oh !  my  religion  was  a  curious  thing,  and 
when  1  look  back  on  it,  it  does  seem  wonderful  how 
I  was  ever  brought  out  of  Popery.  I  used  to  say 
c  2 


28  DINGLE. 

thirty  day's  prayers  to  merit  being  heard  in  all  my 
lawful  requests ;  but  oh  !  how  dijBferently  did  He,  on 
whom  I  called,  answer  me  from  what  I  intended, 
but  surely  he  heard  me,  and  granted  "  all  my  peti- 
tion and  all  my  request,"  and  made  use  of  my  own 
child  for  whom  I  praj^ed  to  teach  me.  Well  I 
remember  the  first  Bible  that  reached  our  house. 
It  was  from  a  teacher  of  the  Irish  Society,  who  used 
to  go  about  teaching  to  read  Irish ;  a  sister  of  mine 
and  my  boys  learned  ;  they  were  delighted  to  see  an 
Irish  book,  and  as  they  spoke  it  always,  they  soon 
learned  to  read  it.  My  father  read  Irish  and  wrote 
it  of  old.  When  the  Bishop  found  out  we  received 
the  Scriptures  he  cursed  us,  and  commanded  us  to 
burn  the  books.  But  this  I  would  not  suffer  my 
boys  to  do,  but  sent  them  back  to  the  first  owner, 
and  in  a  little  while,  when  fear  subsided,  we  were 
at  the  Irish  reading  again.  When  I  say  we,  I 
mean  my  boys,  for  I  was  too  busy  with  one  job  or 
another  to  be  able  to  give  my  mind  to  any  book  but 
my  prayer-book ;  but  this  I  had  by  heart  from  cover 
to  cover,  being  as  great  a  voteen*  in  my  own  ignorant 
way  as  any  one  could  be.  I  took  great  delight  in 
preparing  young  girls  for  their  first  communion.  I 
used  to  advise  them  not  to  detract,f  to  take  care  of 
themselves,  to  be  sober  and  discreet :  I  read  pious 
books  to  them,  telling  them  the  dangers  and  pains  of 
hell,  and  the  pleasures  of  heaven. — "  Thomas  a 
Kempis," — *'  Moral  entertainment,"  and  such  books, 

*  Voteen,  devotee, 
t  Detraction  is  one  of  the  seven  deadly  sins  in  the  Roman  Church. 


THE  widow's  story.  29 

but  I  never  read  the  Scriptures.  When  my  eldest  boy 
was  fifteen  I  put  him  into  business. 

'  Here  again  I  trace  the  guiding  hand  and  restrain- 
ing grace  of  my  heavenly  Father.  A  relative  in 
Dingle  offered  to  take  him  if  my  second  son 
would  come  with  Mm.  I  was  glad  to  have  them  toge- 
ther, and  consented.     So  I  bound  my  second  son  as 

clerk  to    C.  F .     He  attended  in  the  shop,  and 

was  one  of  those  who  was  led  by  curiosity,  five  years 
afterwards,  to  go  to  the  Church,  thinking  to  con- 
trovert all  he  heard  there,  and  prove  his  own  religion 
true  ;  he  was  but  nineteen  years  of  age  at  that  time, 
the  year  1836.  With  this  intention  he  procured  a 
Bible ;  but  he  had  not  compared  its  doctrines  long 
with  those  he  heard  at  the  Church,  and  in  the 
Chapel,  before  he  was  taught  to  see  the  truth  was  in 
the  former  and  not  in  the  latter  ;  as  he  learned,  he 
confessed,  making  no  secret  of  his  doubts  as  they 
arose,  till  at  last  I  was  written  to,  to  come  into  town, 
but  I  was  mysteriously  warned  not  to  ask  to  see   my 

son   till   I   should  first  have  seen  Mr.  F ,  his 

employer. 

'  As  I  walked  in  I  was  met  by  two  men,  friends  of 
mine,  on  the  road.  .  They  asked  me  were  J  was  going. 
I  told  them  the  odd  message  I  got ; — "  Get  upon 
my  horse  behind  me,  my  good  woman,"  said  one  of 
them,  "and  go  no  farther,  it's  your  blackguard  of  a  son 
that's  going  to  turn  protestant,  and  it's  not  fit  you 
should  own  him  at  all."  I  felt  my  heart  rise  in  my 
throat  when  he  called  my  son  a  blackguard,  else  I 
think  I  should  have  fainted  at  the  tidings;  but  pride 


30  DINGLE. 

kept  my  spirit  up  ;  and  I  told  them  I  would  go  on^ 
that  I  was  sure  it  was  all  a  lie. 

*  When  I  reached  Dingle,  the  sad  news — as  I  then 
thought  it — was  confirmed :  all  my  friends  and  his 
were  making  a  perfect  Babel,  and  when  we  sat  down 
to  tea,  my  son  stood  a  general  attack,  we  were  all 
down  on  him,  abusing  and  arguing  all  at  once,  and 
not  hearkening  to  any  thing  he  could  say,  till  he  got 
up  and  left  the  table.  I  was  myself  so  bewildered, 
I  could  do  nothing  but  entreat  them  to  take  him 
quietly.  I  went  to  his  confessor  and  entreated  him 
to  do  the  same  ; — in  the  dead  of  the  night  I  went  to 
his  room,  when  I  knew  all  the  family  were  asleep — 
he  too  was  asleep,  I  seated  myself  by  his  bedside  in 
great  trouble,  he  was  starting  in  his  sleep,  tossing 
his  arms  about  and  sighing.  After  a  while  he 
wakened,  and  seeing  me,  started  up.  I  clasped  him 
in  my  arms  weeping  and  lamenting ;  he  prayed  and 
begged  me  not  to  weep ;  but  I  told  him  if  he  would 
not  give  up  his  wickedness  that  he  would  see  me  not 
only  iveep,  hut  go  distracted.  Yes,  said  I,  I'll  tear  off 
my  clothes  and  run  wild  about  the  town,  if  you  follow 
your  present  folly  !  It  was  not  boldness,  nor  anger, 
1  felt,  but  real  heartbreak  to  think  he  was  lost  to 
me  for  ever.  If  you,  said  I,  that  were  my  idol,  run  to 
destruction,  I  know  I  shall  go  mad. 

'  My  poor  boy  soothed  and  reasoned  with  me, 
bringing  the  word  of  God  to  prove  all  he  said ;  he 
told  me  how  he  had  been  reading  and  studying  it 
day  and  night  for  many  months,  that  he  had  carried 
his  Bible  to  his  priest,  and  begged  him  to  point  out 


THE   widow's  story.  81 

where  lie  could  shew  any  one  scripture  for  the 
Romish  doctrine  of  the  adoration  of  the  Virgin  ;  the 
priest  did  not  even  endeavour  to  do  so. — How  day 
after  day  he  beset  the  confessional,  and  at  last  when 
the  priest  was  wearied  by  his  perpetual  comings  and 
references  to  the  scriptures,  he  had  endeavoured  to 
possess  himself,  by  violence,  of  the  Bible,  suddenly 
wrenching  it  from  his  hand  at  an  unguarded  moment, 
thus  committing  an  actual  robbery.  *'  No,  mother," 
he  said,  "  if  my  faith  were  to  be  taught  by  men,  they 
must  be  men  able  '*  to  render  a  reason  of  the  hope 
that  is  in  them  with  meekness  and  fear,"  not  by  such  as 
Lord  it  over  God's  heritage,  and  abuse  their  "  over- 
sight thereof"  for  purposes  of  "  filthy  lucre."  Men 
capable  of  pointing  out  the  way, — not  blind  guides 
whose  ignorance  and  dishonesty  become  apparent 
even  to  a  child,  the  moment  a  ray  of  scriptural  light 
beams  on  the  soul.  But  as  for  me,  mother,"  he  con- 
tinued, becoming  every  moment  more  fervent,  "  my 
faith  I  will  learn  from  no  man  :  God  and  his  word 
alone  shall  guide  me  to  the  finding  of  the  true 
Church.  He  has  promised  the  light  of  his  Holy 
Spirit,  to  guide  the  humble  beginner  to  a  knowledge 
of  all  truth.  The  holy  and  compassionate  God  is 
more  merciful  than  man — to  Him  alone  must  I  look 
— if  you,  mother,  reject  and  renounce  me,  I  must 
only  remember  Him,  who  said,  "  He  who  loveth 
father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me, 
but  when  thy  father  and  mother  forsake  thee,  /  the 
Lord  will  take  thee  up."  Although  I  felt  heart- 
broken, and  very  angry  with  the  lad   too,  there  was 


32  DINGLE. 

something  in  the  words  he  spoke  and  the  look  he 
had,  that  while  they  told  me  I  need  not  think  to 
change  him,  calmed  my  mind,  and  struck  a  kind  of 
terror  into  my  heart.  The  morning  rose  upon  us  both 
— no  sleep  had  touched  our  eyes — it  was  the  sabbath, 
the  neighbours  were  all  preparing  for  early  mass.  I 
was  ashamed  to  show  my  face  outside  the  doors  to 
go  home ;  but  as  the  place  was  just  opposite  the 
Church-gate,  I  entreated  him  for  the  love  of  God, 
not  to  let  my  eyes  see  him  go  to  Church  that  day. 
"  You  shan't,  dear  mother,  you  shan't,"  said  he,  "  the 
Lord  is  not  confined  to  temples  made  with  hands  ; — 
I'll  stray  away  to  the  shore. '^ 

*  And  surely  he  did, — he  walked  off  to  Mr.  Gub- 
bins  that  day,  nine  miles,  and  attended  prayers  in 
the  Coast-Guard-room  at  Feriter's-Cove ;  for  myself 
I  told  my  cousin,  I  had  done  what  I  could,  and  that 
there  was  no  use  in  harsh  measures ;  I  begged  of  them 
to  bear  with  my  poor  boy  a  little  longer,  and  to  take 
him  easy  and  not  to  be  always  arguing  with  him,  for 
it  would  only  make  him  give  his  mind  to  his  evil 
thoughts  the  more,  but  to  let  him  mind  his  business, 
and  the  notion  might  die  away.  When  dusk  came, 
I  threw  my  cloak  about  me  and  took  my  sorrowful  road 
home.  Many  bitter  words  I  uttered  in  my  distraction, 
the  sorrows  of  my  youth  came  back  on  me — and  was 
it  for  this  I  reared  him,  I  said, — that  early  and  late  I 
laboured,  and  when  all  the  world  slept,  I  waked  and 
thought  no  hardship  hard,  if  out  of  it,  I  could  bring 
decent  bread  for  him,  my  darling  and  my  pride — and 
the  pride   of  his  poor  father  that  left  him,  because 


THE  widow's  story.  33 

lie  could  not  see  him  want.  Oh !  happy  father, 
whose  head  is  lying  low  in  a  land  far  away  beyond 
the  sea;  and  woe  to  the  mother  you  left  behind 
you  that  lives  to  see  this  day!  Shortly  after,  1 
was.  again  written  for  to  come  and  bring  home  my 
son  :  my  cousin  and  every  one  that  came  in  and  out, 
were  for  ever  asking  him  questions,  and  when  he  took 
out  Ms  hook  to  answer,  they  used  to  fly  into  a  rage, 
and  he  had  no  peace,  till  at  last  the  Priest  was  afraid 
to  let  him  stop  any  longer,  lest  heresy  should  spread, 
so  he  bid  my  cousin  "turn  him  out."  The  lad  had 
been  bound  for  seven  years — five  of  them  were 
served,  and  he  was  sent  away  ivithout  a  character. 

'  This,  Madam,  was  an  additional  blow  at  the  time, 
but  the  Lord  was  overruling  all  for  my  benefit  and 
that  of  my  child — had  he  not  been  treated  with  such 
injustice  and  cruelty,  and  sent  away  without  means 
of  support,  the  good  fortune  he  is  in  now  would  never 
have  opened  on  him :  we  looked  no  higher  than  a 
livelihood  by  some  small  business,  but  the  Lord 
meant  to  bring  him  to  honor.  O,  Lord,  I  daily 
beseech  thee,  keep  my  child,  let  not  his  heart  be 
lifted  up.' 

After  this  fervent  aspiration,  Mrs.  — -^ —  continued: 

*  Mr.  Gayer  received  him  into  his  own  house  ; 
where  he  remained  some  weeks,  and  then  came  to  me. 

*  The  very  first  day  of  his  return  home,  my  son 
introduced  family  prayer;  I  objected  to  it  and 
would  not  attend.  I  said,  "  he  should  not  interfere 
with  me,  and  I  would  not  with  him  ;"  he  answered, 
"  true,  mother,  but  you  will  not  object  to  those  who 

C  5 


34  DINGLE. 

wish  to  attend  doing  so  : — praying  to   God  can  do  no 
harm  to  any  one."     I  felt  obhged  to  assent,  and  my 
sister,   my  brother,   my  two  younger  sons,  and  two 
nephews  all    attended.     My  sister   was    in  earnest 
from  the  first.     She  was  a  most  devoted  Romanist, 
her  feet  would  be  benumbed  every  night  kneeling 
on  the  cold  flags  to  her  prayers  ;  she  loved  her  soul 
indeed,  and  the   Spirit   of  God  was  striving  so  with 
her,   it  was  easy  to  make   a  Saviour  lovely  in  her 
eyes.     Day  after  day,  my  son  catechised  them,  some- 
time  twice  a  day.     Every  one   that  came   back  or 
forward  he  gave  a  tract  to,   or   spoke  a  word.     Then 
I  attacked  him   again,  and  said  he  was   making  me 
hated  in   the  neighbourhood  ;  could  he  not  let  every 
man  go  his  own  gate* — but  he  said,  "  Oh  !  Mother, 
that  is  not  right,  we  must  not  let  every  one  go  his 
own    gate ;  we  must   put  the  only  gate   to    salva- 
tion before  them."       Though  his  outward  conduct 
was  quiet,  and  he  never  expressed  a  repining  thought, 
yet  he  felt  a  great  deal  at  being  cast  out  from   all 
means  of  supporting  himself,  and  thrown  a  burden 
on  me  just  as  he  was  rising  into  manhood.    This  agi- 
tation brought  on  a  heavy  fit  of  sickness.     I  watched 
him  anxiously  through  it,   as,  to  be  sure,   a  mother 
should,  and  then   I  learned  the  nature  and  power  of 
true  religion  ;  his  patience,  his  peace,   his  forbear- 
ance, his   thankfulness,  the  way   he  spoke  and   ex- 
plained the  Scriptures — he   brought  me  to  see  that  a 
religion  having  such  fruits  could  not   be  bad.     The 
E,ev.  Mr.   Thomas,  the   parish  minister,   visited  him 
*  Own  way — an  Trisliisra. 


THE  widow's  story.  35 

daily.  I  never  can  express  my  gratitude  to  that 
gentleman.  He  read  and  prayed  with  my  son,  and 
comforted  him  by  the  sweet  promises  of  the  Gospel, 
so  that  I  could  not  but  be  instructed  and  edified, 
and  my  heart  began  to  open  to  the  truth  in  such  a 
manner,  that  after  my  son's  recovery,  when  the  Priest 
rode  to  my  door  one  morning,  and  instead  of  coming 
in,  as  he  had  ever  done  before,  called  me  out  and  impe- 
riously demanded  why  I  brought  my  "  pestilential 
felloiv  of  a  son  into  his  parish,"  that  he  "should  not 
he  in  it"  and  commanded  me  to  turn  him  out, — I 
humbly  begged  his  pardon,  but  told  him  I  could  not 
turn  my  own  child  from  my  roof,  that  he  had  already 
been  sorely  persecuted,  that  I  was  his  mother, 
and  must  shelter  him  from  the  storm.  He  cursed 
me,  and  said,  "  I  must  turn  him  out,"  that  he  would 
not  allow  him  to  remain — that  he  was  "  a  plague- 
spot,"  spreading  the  "  leprosy  of  heresy,  by  his 
books  among  the  flock,  and  out  of  his  parish  he 
should  go : "  I  told  him  I  knew  nothing  of  his 
books — that  I  could  speak  for  him  as  a  son,  no 
mother  could  have  one  more  obedient  or  respectful, 
but  even  were  he  a  bad  boy,  it  was  my  duty  to 
shelter  him  from  the  scorn  of  the  world.  The  Priest 
abused  me  in  the  grossest  terms,  and  told  me  he 
would  expose  me  in  chapel.  "  If  you  do,  Sir,''  said  I, 
"  I  must  tell  you  that  I  do  not  dislike  his  religion  a 
bit — I  like  it  very  well,  and  may  betake  myself  to  it." 
"  Recollect,"  said  he,  in  a  threatening  manner,  "  that 
you  will  want  the  Sacraments  one  day  /"  "  If  I  do, 
Sir,"  said  I,    "  I  shall   not  apply  to  you  for  them." 


36  DINGLE. 

"  Woman/'  said  he,  "I  do  not  intend  to  stand  talking 
to  you,  remember  Sunday  1  "  and  with  these  words  he 
put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  galloped  away.  Between 
that  day  and  Sunday,  all  my  relations  and  neighbours 
came  to  me,  beseeching  me  to  reconcile  myself  to 
his  Reverence,  and  not  to  scandalize  all  belonging  to 
me  by  bringing  upon  me  his  wrath  which  I  well 
deserved  ;  1  dreaded  the  day  myself,  but  what  could 
I  do  ?  I  could  not  turn  out  my  child,  though  many 
harsh  words  I  spoke  to  him  for  bringing  such  shame 
upon  me,  grieving  his  heart.  On  the  morning  of 
the  day,  my  brother  came  and  asked  me,  would  I 
have  courage  to  go  to  chapel  ?  that  he  thought  it  was 
the  best  I  could  do,  if  I  could  bear  it,  as  that  it 
might  put  some  "  check  upon  the  Priest's  tongue.'" 
I  told  him,  "  I  was  prepared  to  go  in  the  strength 
of  the  Lord,"  that  what  *'  I  dare  do,  I  dare  own,^' 
so  accordingly  I  went,  and  he  came  with  me,  to  back 
me,  and  after  mass  was  over,  while  the  Priests  were 
yet  at  the  altar,  the  young  Priest  called  out,  and 
after  abusing  the  Bible-readers — the  Bible,  and  "  all 
lovers  of  novelty  :  "  he  said,  a  certain  gentlewoman's 
son  in  the  parish,  who  came  from  "  measuring  tapes 
and  yards  behind  a  counter,  strait  juynps  out  a  Doctor 
of  Divinity,"  "  du  Learn  se  maugh  na  ducture  dight 
cume," — more  in  the  same  strain  which  I  forget — 
then  the  old  Priest  spoke  to  them  a  parable,  saying, 
*' he  heard  tell  of  an  old  fox,  who  seeing  bait  laid 
for  the  young  brood,  cutely  warned  them  off;  he 
himself  was  this  old  fox,  the  brood  were  the  people 
and  the  Scriptures  the  bait." 


THE    WIDOW  ^S   STORY.  37 


Here  I  could  not  help  interrupting  Mrs. 


'  Was  it  usual,  I  asked,  for  the  Priests  to  descend 
to  such  low  personalities  while  at  the  altar  ?^  She  said 
quite  usual,  that  they  seldom  had  any  thing  of  a 
better  nature.* 

*  At  this  stage  of  his  harangue,  my  son  drew  near 
with  his  Bible  in  his  hand,  and  asked  the  priest  to 
prove  his  religion  from  it  ;  this  was  the  signal  for  all 
the  congregation  to  gather  round  them,  bustling  and 
calling  out  to  them  to  discuss  the  matter,  and  to 
answer  my  son.  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  terror  that 
I  left  the  chapel,  but  I  was  not  in  a  greater  fright 
than  the  priests  ;  they  came  down  from  the  altar, 
and  jostling  through  the  crowds,  they  actually  ran 
away — the  whole  flock  tumultuously  leaving  the 
chapel  after  them,  and  assembling  outside,  calling  on 
the  priests  to  give  satisfaction.  The  priests  took 
refuge  in  the  house  of  Mr.  E — —  ;  they  overtook 
me  on  their  way  to  it.  "  Woman,"  said  one  of  them, 
"  do  you  want  to  have  us  beaten,  do  you  want  to  have 
us  murdered?"  I  repHed,  "  No,  sir,  I  don't,  and  if  you 
will  come  into  this  gentleman's  house,  you  shall  find 

*  Read  tlie  following  as  a  sample  of  a  discourse,  given  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Carroll,  in  the  chapel  at  Anischall,  in  this  neighbourhood,  on  the 
Sunday  preceding  Shrove  Tuesday,  on  which  day  marriages  are  encouraged 
by  the  Priests  as  a  source  of  income—'  And  as  for  the  boys  of  this 
parish,  bad  luck  to  them,  for  a  set  of  poltroons — they  have  no  heart  to  the 
girls  at  all,  at  all. — Marry  !  I  tell  you,  marry,  and  bad  luck  to  you  if  you 
don't.  Look  at  me,  I'm  without  a  hat  to  my  head,  and  without  a  coat  to  my 
back,  and  my  horse  is  a  show  under  my  saddle— marry,  ye  rascals,  or  I'll 
put  my  hunger  and  thirst  on  ye,— I'll  curse  your  crops,  and  ruin  you 
entirely.'    The  whole  sermon  was  in  the  same  strain. 


38  DINGLE. 

I  only  want  to  tell  you  my  mind,  and  that  you  shall 
not  be  injured.'^  They  were  glad  to  come  in  ;  I 
threw  myself  at  their  feet,  and  upon  my  knees,  and 
clasping  my  hands,  I  cried,  **  I  want  to  tell  you  my 
doubts,  solve  them,  or  I  never  again  shall  belong  to 
you.  I  disbelieve  transubstantiation,  I  disbelieve  the 
invocation  of  saints." 

"  Woman,^'  said  he,  interrupting  me,  "  leave  me, 
I  know  you  not,  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  you." 

"  You  do  know  me,"  said  I,  "  my  father's  table  was 
the  first  you  ever  eat  bread  off  in  the  parish,  and  1 
call  upon  you  to  solve  my  doubts,  and  explain  tome 
transubstantiation  and  the  invocation  of  saints,  or 
I'll  never  more  belong  to  you." 

"  There  is  a  drift  in  tJiis,"  said  he. 

*  What  he  meant  by  this,  I  neither  then,  nor  ever 
since  have  understood,  but  these  were  the  only  words 
he  spoke.  I  could  obtain  no  other,  and  I  rose  from 
my  knees  unsatisfied.  My  brother  just  then  came 
in,  and  would  have  entered  into  controversy  with  the 
priest,  but  he  would  not,  and  calling  for  his  coat, 
which  my  brother  helped  him  to  put  on,  he  left  the 
house.  All  the  intelligent  neighbours  who  were 
present,  remarked  how  he  fled  from  discussion,  and 
one  of  them,  at  whose  house  he  dined  that  day,  had 
the  courage  to  ask  him  why  he  did  not  solve  my 
doubts  and  satisfy  the  people.  He  answered,  that  "  I 
was  a  rotten  branch,"  that  it  would  do  no  good, 
to  which  the  man  of  the  house  replied  that  there 
was  the  more  "  necessity  to  heal  and  convert  me." ' 

'  After  this,  two  priests  went  through   the  whole 


THE   widow's   story.  3^ 

country  round,  villifying  me  and  my  son  everywliere, 
telling  everyone  how  we  got  paid  for  becoming  Pro- 
testants, and  were  living  on  the  wages  of  spiritual 
prostitution ;  that  my  house  was  worse  than  the 
seven  deadly  plagues  of  hell,  and  to  avoid  it  as  they 
would  the  pest.  My  own  neighbours,  and  ray  own 
relations  began  to  shun  the  house,  and  my  son  who 
had  been  just  three  months  at  home,  seeing  how 
much  discomfort  his  living  with  me  caused,  returned 
again  to  .Dingle  to  Mr.  Gayer,  who  received  him 
with  christian  benevolence  ;  and  knowing  the  nature 
of  his  education  and  abilities,  kindly  commenced  to 
instruct  him  himself  in  Latin  and  Greek,  urging 
upon  him  the  devoting  himself  to  his  own  improve- 
ment. 

*  In  his  house  as  an  inmate  he  remained,  until  his 
removal  to  Dublin,  to  pursue  his  college  studies,  the 
expenses  of  which  were  borne  by  christian  friends  to 
whom  Mr.  Gayer  introduced  him  that  summer.  I 
have  brought  with  me  two  of  his  letters ;  I  am  hum- 
ble in  giving  them ;  for  my  son  was  but  a  youth  at 
the  time  he  wrote  them,  but  I  thought  you  would 
like  to  see  the  one  he  wrote  on  his  entrance  into 
college,  and  that  which  he  wrote  when  he  heard  of 
his  poor  mother's  coming  to  the  truth.' 

'  My  dear  Mother, 

^  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  on  the  5th 
of  November  instant,  I  stood  an  examination  in 
Trinity  College,  and  gained  an  entrance,  and  have 
also  got  credit    from  the  beginning  of  the  term,  that 


40  DINGLE. 

is  1st  October  last.  In  this,  as  in  all  other  things, 
you,  I  am  sure,  will  see,  and  I  hope  will  acknowledge 
the  hand  of  God ;  for  though  I  studied  perhaps  too 
hard,  yet  were  not  the  Lord's  hand  manifestly  in  it, 
how  could  I  effect  in  about  eight  months  and  ten 
days  the  work  of  three  years,  sometimes  four ; 
but  so  it  is,  1  now  wear  the  cap  and  gown  in  T.  C.  D. 
I  declined  writing  until  now,  that  I  might  be  able  to 
say  I  was  well :  as  either  the  anxiety  previous  to  my 
examination,  or  the  severe  studying,  brought  on  a 
nervous  attack,  and  I  was  unwell  for  two  or  three 
days,  but  am  quite  recovered  now,  thank  God,  and  can 
sleep  enough  in  future,  which  I  did  not  do  before. 
My  hour  of  going  to  bed  used  to  be  two  o'clock  at 
night,  and  up  as  soon  as  I  could  see  the  letters  in 
the  morning ;  in  future  I  have  only  to  meet  my 
quarterly  examinations,  and  that  is  no  more  than  a 
lazy  school-boy  might  do.  You  would  not  be  inter- 
ested about  the  examination  itself,  else  I  should  tell 
you  it  more  fully.  I  was  examined  by  nine  of  the 
fellows  of  the  college  in  nine  different  books,  and 
only  broke  down  in  one,  and  that  an  unimportant 
one,  Zenophon's  Cyropoedia, — they  did  not  take  it 
into  account  against  me. 

*  I  am,  dear  Mother, 

'  ever  yours  in  the  Lord.' 


THE   AVIDOW'S   STORY.  41 


On  hearing  of  his  mothers  leaving  Popery 
openly. 

1838. 
*  Dear  Mother, 

'  I  received  your  letter  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas, 
and  feel  glad  that  your  mind  is  at  last  at  rest.  I  feel 
confident  you  vi^ill  agree  with  me  when  I  say  it  is  the 
first  time,  and  Oh,  if  it  be,  it  is  a  blessed  change  to 
be  brought  from  darkness,  to  rest  «»  the  arms  of  a 
Saviour  s  everlasting  love  :  however,  I  would  say,  he 
satisfied  tvith  nothing  short  of  a  full  assurance  of 
salvation,  for  it  is  for  you  if  you  believe.  I  know  you 
have  much  to  contend  with,  (having  passed  through  the 
fire),  both  from  without,  and  from  the  inward  conflict, 
which  is  far  more  severe,  but  which  is  the  surest  evi- 
dence of  life  !  Yes,  spiritual  life  !  to  maintain  a 
conflict  with  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  and  like  a 
living  fish  go  against  the  current  of  an  ungodly  world  ; 
always  cautious  lest  the  pride  of  the  heart  might 
lead  us  to  feel  that  the  final  victory  is  to  be  attained, 
either  by  any  thing  we  can  do,  or  as  the  consequence 
of  any  obedience  on  our  part,  while  even  to  the 
end,  though  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  are  still 
as  much  dependent  upon  the  mercy  of  God,  as  when 
we  were  living  in  open  sin.  You  say,  "  If  I  can," 
surely  you  cannot,  but  the  Lord  can  for  you — the'world 
may  frown  and  smile  at  the  idea  of  our  assurance, 
but  we  know  it  is  not  an  imaginary  thing,  it  is  a 
reality,  a  certainty,  a  salvation :  and  all  the  powers 
of  earth  and  hell  cannot  separate  the  weakest  believ- 


43  DINGLE. 

ing  soul  from  the  love  of  our  God  reconciled  to  us  in 
Jesus.  Ah  !  none  hut  Jesus,  and  then  will  he  victory  ! 
Victory !  Victory !  Oh  that  men  would  be  wise 
and  consider  their  latter  end.  I  enjoy,  blessed  be 
God,  much  peace  in  the  Lord,  and  have  many 
opportunities  of  improving  myself  in  Christian  society 
here,  and  surely  I  am  a  standing  monument  of  the 
fulfilment  of  God's  promise,  Matt.  xix.  29 ;  and 
furthermore,  I  praise  his  name  that  I  have  learned 
of  him  to  be  thankful.  I  have  some  difficulty  and 
danger  at  present  to  encounter,  in  getting  into  the 
islands  of  our  coasts  ;  the  weather  at  this  season  of 
the  year  being  stormy,  but  what  is  the  difficulty 
when  compared  with  the  happiness  I  afterwards 
enjoy,  which  you  will  best  appreciate  by  fixing  your 
mind^s  eye  on  some  of  those  incidents  which  often 
bear  an  impression  to  my  heart.  Fancy  then,  a  little 
cabin,  with  few  accommodations  beyond  those  which 
are  absolutely  necessary  to  protect  the  inmates  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather :  enclosed  by  the 
stormy  billows  of  the  Atlantic,  and  observe  the  sur- 
rounding little  cabins  pour  forth  their  inhabitants  of 
all  ages,  who  bend  their  steps  to  this  little  heath- 
clad  cot ;  while  I  stand  with  the  Irish  Bible  in  my 
hand,  ready  as  an  instrument  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
unfold  its  treasures  to  the  humble  poor,  (and  may 
we  not  hope  that  its  pure  rays  will  more  and  more 
attract  poor  ignorant  wanderers  in  that  path  of  moral 
darkness  which  my  ill-fated  countrymen  have  long 
been  doomed  to  walk,  and  may  still  brighten  their 
minds  from  the  blindness  of  the  world  which  Popery 


THE  widow's  story.  43 

has  flung  arond  them  to  the  glorious  views  of  eternity, 
which  the  gospel  of  God's  grace  alone  unfolds,)  and 
you  will  have  some  idea  of  the  indescribable  pleasure 
which  I  sometimes  feel  in  speaking  and  reading  the 
message  of  love  to  these  neglected  people. 

'  Tell  Jane  from  me  to  be  cautious  of  the  Priest, 
and  to  avoid  him  as  she  would  a  fiend  ;  as  he  does 
not  care  a  farthing  for  her  soul,  farther  than  to  serve 
his  base  purposes  ;  and  the  subject  is  momentous, 
nothing  less  than  salvation  ;  tell  her  my  advice  to 
seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,  and  to  avoid 
soul-destroying  popery  and  the  idolatrous  Mass ;  and 
assure  her  that  I  speak  in  the  sincerity  of  my  heart 
when  I  say  so,  and  that  my  ardent  desire  and  prayer 
to  God  is,  that  she  and  all  my  friends  may  be  deli- 
vered from  that  awful  delusion,  and  translated  into 
the  kingdom  of  God^s  dear  Son. 

'  1  am,  dear  Mother, 

'  Your's  for  ever  in  the  Lord.' 

'^From  this  forth,  Madam,  you  know  my  son's  his- 
tory, how  through  the  pious  liberality  of  Christian 
people  he  is  now  a  Minister  of  your  church.' 

'  Well,  but,  my  dear  Madam,'  said  T,  '.  I  should  like 
to  know  how  you  proceeded  yourself,  until  you  found 
your  way  out  of  a  system  to  which  you  appear  to 
have  been  so  much  attached.  I  should  also  like  to 
know,  what  became  of  all  the  seven  persons  with 
whom  your  son  read  so  constantly  during  his  resi- 
dence at  home'. 

'They  all  left  popery;  I  was  myself  the  last. 


44  DINGLE. 

my  sister  became  a  devoted  Christian,  and  is  gone 
to  America,  finding  no  means  of  livelihood  at  home ; 
my  two  nephews,  unable  to  bear  the  persecution  of 
the  Priests,  have  found  employment  in  Manchester, 
where  they  are  doing  well ;  my  third  son  is  in  the 
east,  and  has  made  good  use  of  the  Irish  Bible 
there,  he  is  not  only  become  a  Protestant  himself, 
but  has  brought  several  young  men  of  his  regiment 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  my  fourth  son  is 
with  his  brother ;  my  own  brother  and  I  were  more 
difficult  to  unsettle  ;  we  were  grown  old  in  Popery, 
God  would  not  suffer  us  to  settle  on  our  lees. 
After  the  others  dispersed,  we  were  constantly  toge- 
ther reading  the  Bible  ;  his  wife  and  her  family  were 
greatly  opposed  to  him  ;  he  is  a  man  of  tender,  feel- 
ing mind  ;  great  was  his  anguish  and  the  struggles  of 
his  conscience.  So  he  spent  all  his  spare  time  with 
me  reading  and  praying,  he  was  a  good  scholar, 
though  but  a  poor  farming  man,  that  followed  his 
own  plough  ;  he  understood  Greek  and  Latin  from  his 
youth,  and  used  to  explain  every  thing  to  me.  He 
used  to  say,  "  Mary,  we  are  in  an  awful  state  ;  he  that 
denieth  Christ  before  men,  shall  be  denied  before 
the  angels  of  his  father  in  Heaven.^'  Long  we  lingered 
thus,  but  at  last,  partly  strengthened  by  my  son^s 
letters,  I  found  grace  to  emancipate  myself,  and  my 
dear  brother  did  not  remain  behind,  though  his  diffi- 
culties were  every  day  increasing  ;  and  the  Sunday  he 
first  went  to  church,  when  his  wife  found  it  out,  she 
rushed  up  the  aisle  screaming  and  calling  him  to 
come  away,  and  when  the  sexton  appeared  to  put  her 


THE   WIDOW^S   STORY.  45 

out  she  fell  into  strong  hysterics,  and  was  carried  out 
fainting,  while  my  poor  brother's  state  may  be  better 
imagined  than  I  can  describe  it.  The  Lord  however 
has  sustained  his  drooping  heart  and  borne  him  on 
eagle's  wings  ;  his  acquaintance  with  Greek  and  Latin, 
and  the  deep  theological  reading  he  applied  himself 
to  immediately,  (being  supplied  with  books  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Thomas,  Mr.  Gayer,  and  Mr.  Moriarty)  ren- 
dered him  a  suitable  person  for  the  Ministry,  now 
that  the  ability  to  preach  in  Irish  is  becoming  a 
recommendation. 

*  Several  gentlemen  introduced  him  to  the  Commit- 
tee of  the  Society  for  promoting  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth  in  the  Irish  Islands.  They  are  bearing 
his  expenses  through  Trinity  College,  and  he  will 
soon  be  ready  for  his  ordination,  which  we  hope  will 
take  place  in  October:  he  will  then  be  \\\e  fifth 
converted  Romanist  from  Dingle  now  in  the  minis- 
try of  the  Protestant  Church.' 

'Yes,'  said  I,  *it  is  indeed  a  remarkable  fact  that 
a  little  corner  like  Dingle  should  have  sent  forth 
into  the  ministry,  from  out  of  the  bondage  of  popery, 
such  a  host  of  faithful  witnesses  to  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus  !  ^ 

Although  the  circumstances  related  by  Mrs. 

in  the  course  of  her  remarkable  story  have  brought 
us  down  to  the  year  1838,  yet  the  current  of  our 
general  history,  I  must  remind  my  reader,  has  only 
reached  the  year  1836.  In  that  year,  the  spirit  of 
enquiry  awakened  among  the  people  was  so  strong. 


46  DINGLE. 

that  Mr.  Gayer,  feeling  the  great  advantage  of  having 
the  assistance  of  Irish  Teachers,  appKed  to  the  Irish 
Society.  He  was  in  consequence  appointed  Superin- 
tendant  of  the  West  Kerry  district,  which  under  his 
raanageiTtient,  was  to  embrace  every  parish  in  the 
peninsula.  In  the  course  of  this  first  year  (1836,)  a  staff 
of  tioenty  Irish  Teachers,  paid  by  the  Irish  Societ}-, 
and  under  Mr.  Gayer's  watchful  care,  were  distributed 
throughout  this  district.  And  before  the  year  closed, 
as  many  as  120  men  were  to  be  seen  in  the  School- 
house  in  Dingle,  reading  the  Irish  Bible.  These 
men  were  not  converts,  neither  were  they  all  able  to 
read  fluently,  but  they  were  willing  to  be  instructed 
to  do  so  ;  their  prejudices  against  Protestant  contact 
being  overcome  by  their  love  for  their  own  language, 
in  which  they  felt  competent  to  reason,  and  therefore 
not  liable  to  deception  .  Behold  them,  then,  assem- 
bled in  the  Protestant  scriptural  school-house  to 
receive  instruction  from  the  Protestant  clergymen, 
expressing  their  own  ideas  of  the  word  read  both  to 
and  hy  them. 

Thus  did  the  clergymen  of  their  respective  parishes 
become  acquainted  with  each  man  able  and  willing 
to  learn,  but  especially  their  superintendant,  Mr. 
Gayer,  to  whom  the  teachers  used  to  bring  those 
amongst  the  learners  who  expressed  a  desire  to  con- 
verse on  the  difference  of  the  religious  tenets  between 
the  two  Churches.  Early  in  1837,  four  teachers 
residing  at  Ventry,  (for  my  readers  should  be 
informed,  that  the  teachers  employed  by  the  Irish 
Society  are  not  necessarily  protestants),  who  by  read- 


DINGLET.  47 

ing  the  Bible,  and  receiving  instruction  from  Mr, 
Gayer,  had  become  convinced  of  the  errors  of  Popery, 
declared  their  intentionof  publicly  coming  to  Church 
in  Dingle  :  This  created  immense  excitement ;  that  an 
apostacy  growing  and  increasing  in  Dingle,  should 
now  commence  to  manifest  itself  in  the  country  parts, 
drew  down  a  fresh  flood  of  priestly  wrath  :  the  altars 
rang  with  curses  against  individuals  and  against 
schools,  the  priests  everywhere  declared  from  their 
altars  that  Mr.  Gayer  bribed  the  jj^ople,  that  he 
received  money  from  England  for  the  purpose.  This 
lie  soon  betrayed  itself :  for  some  unfortunate  crea- 
tures coming  many  miles  to  offer  themselves  as  con- 
verts for  pay,  and  being  sent  away  with  kind  instruc- 
tion, and  without  money,  soon  undeceived  others. 
The  strangest  reports  were  circulated  ;  nothing  was 
too  absurd  for  bigotry  or  credulity  to  swallow  :  it 
was  said  that  any  one  willing  to  become  '  A  man  of 
Mr.  Gayer 's,'  'a  souper,'  *  '  a  turncoat,'  the  various 
appellations  the  convert  bears,  was  immediately 
Bled  by  Mr.  Gayer,  and  Protestant  Blood 
infused  into  his  veins.  This  caused  a  panic  amongst 
the  relations  of  the  converts,  which  would  have  been 
ludicrous,  had  not  the  occasion  been  ,so  solemn  ; 
others  were  absolutely  believed  to  have  been  turned 
by  priestly  power,  as   a  punishment  for  their  heresy, 


*  This  tenn  of  reproach  grew  out  of  the  circumstance  of  a  soup-shop 
having  been  opened  by  a  benevolent  lady  of  the  town,  in  a  time  of  great 
scarcity  and  distress,  and  soup  offered  for  sale  to  the  poor.  The  Roman 
Catholics  might  have  purchased,  but  were  forbidden  by  the  Priest  \  all 
who  did  avail  themselves  of  it  were  henceforth  termed  '  soupers,'' 


48  DINGLE. 

into  geatSj  hares,  &c.,  that  by  these  reports  the 
timid  might  be  led  to  fly  intimacy  with  the  teachers, 
or  the  converts.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  light 
spread,  converts  in  the  country  parishes  began  to  be 
counted  by  tens,  not  units,  and  Mr.  Gubbins,  now 
become  rector  of  Dunurlin,  was  able  to  hold  meet- 
ings exclusively  for  Roman  Catholics  to  enquire  into 
the  subject  of  religion  ;  and  every  week  '  Ambulatory 
assemblies,'  as  he  called  them,  were  held  in  some 
retired  village,  for  the  purpose  of  conversing  without 
attracting  suspicion. 


VENTRY.  49 


CHAPTER  III. 


VENTRY. 


Ventry,  lying  in  the  centre  of  the  district,  became 
a  gathering-place,  and  many  converts  from  other 
parishes  collected  for  strength  and  mutual  support 
into  this  poor  village,  which  had  been  nearly  depopu- 
lated by  the  cholera :  even  in  this  wretchedly  poor 
part  of  the  country,  where  there  is  not  so  much  as 
one  resident  gentleman.  Ventry  was  superlatively 
wretched  and  squalid.  Misery  marked  every  counte- 
nance, the  untenanted  houses  were  falling  into  ruin, 
or  become  the  haunt  of  lawless  men,  the  place  had 
what  we  call  in  Ireland,  *  a  had  name ! '  It  is 
situate  at  the  head  of  a  stretch  of  shore,  called  there- 
fore^ cozm  tra,  '  the  head  of  the  strand.'-  Yet  here, 
in  this  despised  spot,  had  the  Lord  a  people  to 
bring  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of 
Satan  unto  God. 

The  four  Irish  readers,  who  had  been  placed  at 
Ventry  by  Mr.  Gayer,  and  who  had  been  convinced 
of  the  errors  of  Popery,  worked  indefatigably 
amongst   the  people.       The   word   grew  "  mightil}' 

D 


50  VENTRY. 

and  prevailed ; "  the  numbers  rapidly  increased,  for 
as  one  of  these  Irish  readers,  whose  words  I  quote, 
said,  in  recounting  these  facts  to  a  friend  of  mine, 
'  the  people  began  with  no  other  desire  than  to  hear 
the  Irish ;  but  by-and-by  the  word  of  God  rubbed 
off  the  scales,  and  they  saw  the  light,  at  first  dimly, 
then  more  clearly,  till  the  perfect  day  broke  in,  and 
they  went  on  their  way  leaping  for  joy.' 

'  Is  it  man's  devices  ?  '  said  Dolan,  the  Irish  school- 
inspector,  '  that  will  stop  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  from 
cutting  right  and  left,  when  once  it  is  drawn  out  of 
the  scabbard,  though  for  our  good  we  may  have  a 
trial  of  patience  now  and  then,  just  to  let  us  see  that 
the  "  work  is  the  Lord's  ;"  and  so  I  told  Mr.  Gayer 
it  would  be  at  Ventry,  where,  twelve  months  ago, 
there  was  not  one  avowed  convert.  I  knew  how 
many  spent  the  long  winter  evenings,  aye,  and  the 
hours  of  the  night  to  the  back  of  them,  over  the 
Irish  Bible, — and  have  not  my  words  come  to  pass  ? 
A  pleasanter  day  I  never  hope  to  spend  than  that  gone 
by  at  Ventry,  when  Mr.  Gayer,  with  myself  and  the 
Irish  readers,  and  as  many  boys  as  we  liked  to  call, 
set  about  throwing  two  cabi7is  into  one,  to  be  big 
enough  for  a  school.  Our  tools  were  none  of  the 
best,  but  we  did  great  execution.' 

'  Please  your  reverence,'  said  one  of  the  boys, 
'  how  long  was  the  battle  of  Ven try-harbour  in 
fighting.' 

*  A  year  and  a  day,  as  the  old  story  goes,'  said 
Mr.  Gayer. 

'  Aye,   but  the  battle   we're  now  engaged  in  will 


VENTRY.  51 

last  not  a  year  and  a  day  only,  but  all  our  lives 
through/  said  the  boy  ;  with  that  there  was  great 
applause  :  but  I  beg  your  pardon  for  taking  up  your 
time,  sure  it^s  yourself  knows  how  that  school-room 
grew.' 

The  writer  of  these  pages  also  knows  how  that 
school-house  grew,  and  how  it  was  then  filled  on 
each  sabbath  and  each  week-day  with  creatures 
who,  for  uncivilized  aspect  and  poverty  of  garb, 
might  bear  competition  with  the  most  savage  nations. 
The  women  squatted  on  the  floor  nursing  their  in- 
fants— elder  infants  were  supplied  with  a  potato  or 
perhaps  a  live  bird  to  keep  them  quiet — but  all 
thirsting  for  the  word  of  life,  now  first  brought  to 
their  ears ;  and  evincing  their  feelings,  sometimes  by 
smiling  and  nodding  approbation  at  each  other,  and 
sometimes  by  groaning  aloud  :  the  service  was  at  this 
time  conducted  by  Mr.  Gayer  in  English,  but  trans- 
lated, paragraph  by  paragraph,  into  Irish,  by  the 
readers. 

The  writer  has  also  been  present  at  meetings  for 
the  Irish  learners,  when  it  has  been  full  from  one 
end  to  the  other :  clergymen  standing  at  the  upper 
end,  teachers  at  the  lower,  the  ministers  giving  out 
the  questions  in  English,  the  teachers  rendering  the 
same  into  Irish,  and  giving  the  answers  in  English, 
as  replied  to  them  in  Irish  by  the  scholar.  Of  the 
fidelity  with  which  the  questions  and  answers  were 
repeated.  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman,  who  speaks  Irish 
fluently,  was  a  competent  judge  ;  and  it  was  delightful 
to  hear  even  in  that  first  year  of  their  instruction, 


53  VENTRY. 

the  scriptural  answers  of  these  poor  unlearned  men 
called  on  to  contend  for  the  faith. 

One  day,  a  poor  man  having  determined  to  bring 
his  infant  to  be  baptised,  the  first  child  of  a  convert 
received  by  this  rite  into  the  congregation,  the 
Priest,  a  very  brutal  man,  walked  up  and  down 
before  the  school-house  throughout  the  whole  cere- 
mony, brandishing  his  horse-whip  in  a  rage  :  (a 
weapon  it  is  not  uncommon  for  them  to  use  in  the 
open  streets  among  their  flocks — the  writer  has  twice 
seen  it  done,  and  has  seen  the  people  running  from 
them  like  frightened  sheep)  On  the  present  occasion, 
this  minister  '  of  another  gospel '  called  down  impre- 
cations on  any  man,  woman,  or  child,  who  should 
assist  at  the  ceremony  in  question  ;  doubtless  many 
believed  in  these  anathemas — they  knew  not  that 
the  '  curse  causeless  shall  not  come  ; '  but  when  time 
proved  that  the  infant  so  anathematized,  lived  and 
throve,  and  that  its  father  remained  unharmed, 
though  it  had  been  predicted  that  some  signal  judg- 
ment would  fall  on  him,  "  the  wrath  of  man  was 
made  to  praise  God'^  by  loosening  still  further  the 
bonds  of  superstition.  Indeed  it  was  marvellous  how 
the  word  of  God  prevailed,  to  do  the  work  that  it 
will  never  fail  to  do,  when  permitted  free  course  ; 
building  up  some  by  the  gradual  increase  of  know- 
ledge in  scliool-instruction,  and  by  calling  others  in- 
dividually and  suddenly,  as  occurred  in  the  following 
case. 

An  Irish  teacher  w^as  crossing  one  of  our  moun- 
tains ;  a  thick  fog  came  on  ;  meanwhile  he  overtook  a 


VENTRY.  53 

lad  who  shortly  before  had  commenced  learning  Irish, 
but  who,  as  regarded  religion,  was  in  gross  darkness, 
and  as  yet  without  the  desire  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ.  They  joined  company,  but  the  fog  being  very 
dense,  they  missed  their  way,  and  got  into  dangerous 
swamps.  Death  appeared  at  hand  :  the  Irish  teacher, 
an  elderly  man^  felt  much  for  the  lad,  who  appeared 
about  to  be  carried  into  the  presence  of  his  Judge 
in  company  with  himself,  yet  how  differently  pre- 
pared !  He  turned  to  him  and  said,  '  Dear  young 
man  !  how  sad  is  your  case ! '  *  Sir,^  replied  the 
other,  '  in  v/hat  am  I  worse  off  than  yourself?  We 
are  likely  to  suffer  the  same  fate.'  *  No,  young  man, 
my  death  would  be  no  loss  to  me,  for  heaven  is  pur- 
chased for  me  by  the  blood  of  Christ ; — but  for  you — 
my  poor  boy,  what  hope  have  you  V 

Out  of  this  remark  a  conversation  arose  which 
continued  for  some  hours,  while  they  sat  under  the 
shelter  of  a  bank  in  the  bog,  and  which  was  blessed 
to  the  conversion  of  the  lad,  who  shortly  after  wrote 
a  poem  in  Irish  and  dedicated  it  to  the  teacher, 
which  has  been  by  that  teacher  rendered  into  English, 
who,  however,  owns  he  has  '  no  taste  for  poetry  and 
could  do  it  no  justice,'  it  being  '  very  fine  in  the 
Irish.' 

REFLECTIONS     OF     A    YOUTH     ON    HIS    PRESENT    AND 
ETERNAL    STATE. 

Translated  from  tJie  Irish. 
'  0  pity  the  state  of  a  poor  Irish  j-outh, 
Whose  heart  has  been  touched  with  a  love  of  the  truth. 


54  VENTRY. 

By  father  and  mother  renounced  and  forgot ; 

Should  he  dare  to  be  that,  which  the  priest  bids  him  not, 

The  eyes  will  look  cold  that  smiled  on  him  before, 

And  the  hearts  that  have  lov'd  him  will  love  him  no  more. 

Should  he  open  the  Book  that  to  sinners  was  given 

And  try  to  make  out  the  right  way  to  Heaven.' 

He  then  describes  the  mountain-scene,  the  fog, 
the  conversation,  &c.,  which  we  will  not  trouble  our 
readers  with  ;  and  then  concludes  versifying  the  last 
words  of  the  teacher. 

'  By  Priest  or  by  father  or  mother  if  led. 
To  give  up  your  Bible — remember,  who  said, 
The  man  who  loves  parent  or  land  more  than  me, 
I  count  him  unworthy  my  servant  to  be. 

The  clouds  as  he  spake  seemed  to  clear  from  the  sky. 
Peace  came  to  my  bosom,  and  light  to  my  eye : 
I  said,  as  the  fog  is  departed  and  o'er. 
So  /  will  be  groping  in  darkness  no  more. 

No  more  like  the  thistle  .all  blasted  and  gone, 
When  the  blossom  falls  off  that  the  summer  puts  on. 
But  like  the  green  branch  of  the  true  Living  Vine, 
Let  the  world  do  its  worst,  if  my  Saviour  be  mine.' 

In  the  course  of  the  summer  of  1838,  the  converts 
at  Ventry  numbered  one  hundred  and  seventy 
persons,  kept  together  as  a  congregation,  by  having 
service  for  them  in  English  on  Sunday.  Mr.  Gayer 
and  Mr.  Goodman  officiating  alternately  in  the 
humble  cabin  rented  for  the  school.  Mr.  Goodman 
could  address  them  in  Irish,  and  the  discourses  of 
Mr.  Gayer  were  explained  to  them  in  Irish,  by  the 
few  who  understood  English.  Mr.  Gubbins  also 
made,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do,  a  weekly  visit  to 
the    parish    on    Monday.      Matters    went   on    thus, 


VENTRY.  55 

until  August  of  the  same  year,  when  it  was  found 
impossible  that  the  people,  now  become  so  many, 
could  continue  without  the  care  of  a  resident  clergy- 
man, who  could  minister  to  them  in  Irish.  Mr.  Gayer; 
therefore,  again  made  application  to  the  committee  of 
the  Irish  Society,  to  permit  their  Agent,  the  Rev.  T. 
Moriarty,  then  residing  at  Kingscourt,  who  was 
himself  a  native  of  Dingle,  and  a  convert  from 
Romanism,  to  come  and  take  charge  of  this  interest- 
ing flock.  Mr.  Gubbins  proposed  to  surrender  to 
him  the  salary  he  received  as  curate  of  Ventry,  ii 
the  society  would  permit  him  to  come.  Mr.  Gayer, 
at  the  same  time,  went  himself  to  England  to  endea- 
vour to  procure  subscriptions  for  building  a  Church, 
a  dwelling-house  for  a  clergyman,  and  a  school-house, 
that  in  use  being  very  inadequate.  On  his  return, 
the  Irish  Society  not  only  consented  to  Mr.  Moriarty 's 
removal,  but  undertook  to  maintain  the  mission  at 
Ventry  at  their  own  expense,  paying  the  salaries 
of  three  Irish  readers,  a  school-master  and  mistress, 
which  aid  has  been  ever  since  continued. 

Things  were  now  put  on  a  more  regular  footing, 
and  Mr.  Moriarty  entered  on  his  ministry  early  in 
1839,  the  congregation  consisting  of  about  170  con- 
verts, besides  the  Coast-guard,  who  were  also  be- 
come his  parishioners  by  Mr.  Gubbins's  surrender  of 
the  parish. 

The  work  henceforth  promised,  under  God^s 
blessing,  to  be  not  only  enduring  in  itself,  but  of  a 
character  to  exert  a  striking  influence  on  the  sur- 
rounding   population.       The    new    school-house,    a 


56  VENTRY. 

large  and  airy  room  sixty  feet  long,  was  rapidly 
completed ;  and  until  the  Church  was  built,  the 
congregation  assembled  in  it  every  Sunday  for 
service,  using  our  Liturgy  in  the  Irish  language, 
and  having  the  sacraments  administered,  and  sermons 
preached  to  them  in  the  same ;  almost  all,  young 
and  old,  committed  the  general  confession,  the 
responses,  and  the  Litany,  to  memory,  in  order  that 
they  might  audibly  join  in  the  service  ;  and  most 
striking  it  was  to  witness  the  earnestness  and  devotion 
with  which  their  united  prayers  and  praises  were 
offered  up  in  their  ovi^n  loved  tongue. 

Here,  as  in  Dingle,  the  adults  were  required  to 
attend  for  instruction  at  Sunday  School  before  ser- 
vice, and  during  the  week  the  children  were  taught 
to  read  both  the  Irish  and  English  languages,  and 
the  facility  with  which  they  acquired  the  latter  was 
truly  surprising.  Mr.  Moriarty  trained  them  to  refer, 
with  equal  ease,  to  either  version  of  the  scriptures, 
particularly  on  subjects  connected  with  the  Roman 
controversy,  for  which  they  needed  to  be  prepared 
at  any  moment.  Some  of  these  boys  are  since  gone 
forth  as  master-readers,  and  others  give  promise  of 
much  future  usefulness  to  the  mission ;  upwards  of 
a  hundred  children  are  now  on  the  roll. 


Denis  Dunlevy, 

Denis  Dunlevy  was  one  of  the  first  Roman 
Catholics  in  Ventry  who  was  led  to  embrace  the 
truth  ;  he  used  to  come  into  Dingle  to  receive  instruc- 


VENTRY.  57; 

tion  ;  he  was  a  man  of  naturally  ungovernable 
temper,  and  a  man  who  would  dare  any  thing;  his 
temper  was  such,  that  every  one  feared  him,  and  his 
companions  have  been  heard  to  say,  he  once  threw 
himself  out  of  a  boat  in  a  passion,  and  was  with  much 
difficulty  preserved  from  being  drowned  :  his  legs  and 
arms  were  often  obliged  to  be  tied  together,  to  prevent 
his  doing  injury  to  those  about  him,  when  in  those 
fits  of  passion ;  the  subjection  of  his  temper  was  one 
proof  of  many  that  he  gave,  that  not  his  opinions 
only  were  changed,  but  that  he  had  been  made  the 
subject  of  that  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  which 
we  become  new  creatures  ;  turned  indeed,  not  only 
from  Popery  to  Protestantism,  but  "  from  the  power 
of  Satan  unto  God." 

This  alteration  in  Dunlevy  was  remarked  by  all ; 
he  sent  his  children  to  school,  and  made  a  firm  stand 
on  the  Lord's  side  :  he  was  the  Captain  of  the  little 
missionary  boat,  given  by  some  Christian  friends  to 
Mr.  Gayer  for  the  use  of  the  mission,  and  the  night 
she  was  lost,  was  one  of  the  four  men  who  were 
so  providentially  preserved. — The  boat  had  anchored 
at  the  Maharee  islands,  at  the  entrance  of  Tralee 
bay,  but  broke  from  her  moorings,  and  was  driven 
out  to  sea.  When  poor  Denis  found  her  quite  un- 
manageable, he  said,  '  We  must  give  ourselves  up  to 
the  Lord  ;'  they  all  took  leave  of  each  other,  expecting 
death  every  moment :  the  boat  struck  against  the 
rocks  of  Bally  Haiguebay,  and  was  dashed  to  pieces: 
the  men  were  thrown  out  on  the  surf,  which  by  the 
mercy  of  God  washed  them   on    shore,  where  their 

D  5 


58-  VENTRY. 

first  act  was  to  kneel  and  thank  the  Lord  for  their 
wonderful  and  merciful  preservation. 

Great  anxiety  had  been  manifested  at  Dingle  for 
the  poor  sufferers,  and  Mrs.  Gayer,  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,    written    at    the    time,    says  : — '  When   they 
were    seen    driving   into    Dingle    on    a    car   in  the 
evening,  a  shout  of  joy  was  raised  from  every  one  : 
they  all  ran   up  to    our  house    to  make  known  the 
joyful  news,   that  the  poor  boatmen  were   saved — a 
most  touching  scene  took  place — the  wives,  mothers, 
sisters,  and  children,  all   crowded   together,  so  over- 
come by  their  feelings,   that  the  sight  was  truly   dis- 
ti'essing,  they  had  had  no  hope  of  ever  again  seeing 
their    dear   relatives,  and   were  all   waiting  in   Mr. 
Gayer's   house    to   receive   the   first  intelligence   of 
them,    when    they    so    unexpectedly    arrived.      Mr. 
Gayer  had  received  a  note  from  Denis  that  morning, 
written  from  the  Maharee  previous  to  their  leaving, 
in  which  he  says,  "  TFe  set  sail  three  times,  hut  we 
were  obliged  to  return  on  account  of  the  storm,  hut 
we  know  all  things  work   together  for  good  to   those 
who  love  God,  ivhether  at  sea  or  on  land."  ' 

Poor  Denis!  he  never  seemed  to  recover  his  spirits 
after  the  loss  of  the  boat ;  the  shock  and  anxiety  of 
the  night,  (he  being  the  responsible  person,)  lay  on 
him  perpetually.  The  last  week  in  December  he 
was  seized  by  influenza,  and  sunk  at  once.  When 
danger  was  apprehended,  every  effort  was  made  by 
his  popish  relatives  to  bring  the  priest  to  him,  but 
neither  entreaty  nor  threat  prevailed.  The  dying 
man  continually  expressed  firm  faith  in  his  Saviour, 


VENTRY.  59 

and  clung  to  him  "as  his  all"  "his  salvation;"  the 
dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  was  illumined  by 
His  presence,  who  had  watched  over  him  in  the 
perilous  deep.    '  No/  said  he,  in  answer  to  his  sister, 

*  /  ivant  no  priest,  I  have  Jesus  Christ  my  High 
Priest,  who  shed  his  precious  blood  on  the  cross  for 
me,  and  for  all  tvho  trust  in  him.'  He  requested  his 
sisters,  'for  God's  sake  not  to  disturb  his  dying 
moments.' 

Mr.  Moriarty  and  the  scripture-readers  were  with 
him  constantly,  and  he  was  much  comforted  and 
supported  by  their  visits ;  but  he  felt  a  strong  desire 
to  see  Mr.  Gayer,  (who,  at  this  time,  was  from 
home  ;)  he  sent  constantly  to  ask  if  he  had  returnedj 
and,  on  the  day  he  was  told  he  was  come,  was,  by 
his  own  request,  raised  up  to  watch  the  moment  of 
his  arrival,  when  his  countenance  assumed  an  ex- 
pression of  delight,  as  he  declared,  '  his  only  earthly 
wish  had  been  granted.^  Mr.  Gayer  had  much  com- 
fort and  satisfaction  in  this  visit,  he  administered  the 
Lord's  supper  to  him,  he  then  took  leave  of  him, 
until  he  shall  meet  him  as  one  of  his  crowns  of  rejoic- 
ing at  the  great  day  of  the  Lord's  appearing  ! 

The  following  day,  Denis  called  for  his  wife  and 
children,  and  recommended  them  to  the  Lord  ;  he 
exhorted  them  to  look  to  the  Lord  Jesus  by  faith  ; 
then    turning   to    two   of  his   companions,   he   said, 

*  good  bye  !  Dan ;  Good  bye  !  Maurice,  may  the  Lord 
strengthen  your  faith  to  the  end,  and  give  you  grace 
to  follow  Him  ;  ice  S2')ent  many  a  happy  day  together 
here,  may  we  spend  eternity  together^    He  then  said, 


60  VENTRY. 

*  My  spirit  is  departing, — Lord  Jesus,  receive  me  !  ' 
and  fell  asleep  in  Jesus  ! — His  sisters  caused  much 
disturbance  and  excitement  at  his  funeral,  being 
resolved  to  have  him  buried  as  a  Romanist,  which 
Mr.  Moriarty  and  Mr.  Gayer  would,  of  course,  not 
permit ;  the  poor  women  then  acted  more  like  fiends 
than  human  beings,  and  did  every  thing  in  their 
power  to  interrupt  the  solemn  service  ;  they  sang  in 
the  wildest  manner  the  following  recitative  to  the 
'  Irish  cry,^  translated  at  the  time  by  a  person  pre- 
sent at  the  funeral : — 

'  In  the  deep  mighty  ocean,  the  dark  night  found  thee 
The  tides  and  the  billows,  foaming  around  thee, 
Lo  !  doubling  the  headlands,  oh  !  here's  the  sad  token 
Thy  heart  and  thy  vessel  together  were  broken. 

My  sorrow  !  my  sorrow  !  it  drives  me  to  madness — 
No  !  never  again  shall  my  sad  heart  feel  gladness — 
Oh  !  sadly  it  grieves  me,  to  think  that  those  dangers 
Overcame  thee,  my  Donagh,  while  toiling/br  strantjers  ! 

Oh  !  would  that  thy  grave  were  made  under  the  billow, 
And  would  that  the  wild  shark  himself  were  thy  pillow, 
Than  thus  on  the  bed,  in  thy  senses  to  die — 
And  our  church  and  her  priesthood  so  boldly  deny  ! ' 

The  second  sister  then  took  up  the  wail  and  con- 
tinued : — 

SECOND    SISTER. 

Oh  !  Donagh  !  *  Donagh  !  can  it  be, 

And  hast  thou  left  us  so. 
The  gem,  the  flower,  of  all  thy  race 

With  heretics  to  go  ! 

*  Denis. 


VENTRY.  61 

We  lay  thee  in  thy  father's  grave. 

Beneath  thy  mother's  head, 
No  parson  o'er  thee  e'er  shall  pray, 

No  Bible  e'er  be  read. 

r  Turning  to  his  children. ) 

No  children  of  Dunlevey's  line 

Are  3'e  !  nor  of  his  race, 
Beneath  him  j'e  shall  never  lie 
Nor  in  his  grave  find  place ; 

His  gatherings  and  his  earnings  allj 
(To  his  tvidow.J 

They  may  belong  to  tJiee, 
But  we  his  kindred  flesh  and  blood, 
Deep,  deep,  ?w  him  are  we  I  \ 

During  this  and  the  preceding  year,  many  clergy- 
men from  different  parts  of  Ireland  visited  us,  to 
ascertain  the  truth  of  reports  which  appeared  to 
them  almost  incredible.  The  Rev.  J.  Gregg,  of 
Trinity  Church,  Dublin,  who  examined  the  converts 
in  Irish,  of  which  language  he  is  perfect  master  ; 
Rev.  R.  Daly,  now  Bishop  of  Cashel,  Rev.  I.  Alcock, 
Rev.  W.  Cleaver,  and  many  others ;  these  gentlemen, 

*  It  may  be  necessary  to  mention,  that  the  latest  buried  coffin  is 
always  put  under  all  the  others ;  what  wonder  then  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  relatives  should  have  been  excited  ! — but  also  how  greatly  are 
our  poor  converts  tried  ! 

■f*  It  would  appear  that  in  the  day  of  resurrection,  they  dreaded  ii 
heretic's  bones  superincumbent  upon  theirs,  as  if  their  own  rising  would 
in  that  case  be  hindered.  There  wasiinother  instance  of  this  superstitioii 
took  place.  During  the  interment  of  a  very  respectable  convert,  his  sister, 
a  devout  Roman  Catholic,  gathered  into  her  apron  the  bones  of  their 
mutual  parent  when  the  grave  was  opened,  and  carrying  them  away,  had 
them  buried  in  another  part  of  the  church-yard,  that  they  might  not  be 
polluted  by  the  neighbourhood  of  heretic's  bones. 


63  YEN TRY. 

satisfied  with  all  they  saw,  carried  with  them  accredited 
tidings  of  the  work  to  the  public. 

Meanwhile  the  difficulties  of  existence  became 
daily  greater  to  the  converts  ;  the  Roman  Catholic 
peasantry,  under  orders  from  their  priest,  refused  to 
give  labouring  work,  or  to  sell  food  to  them  ;  and  as 
the  greater  number  of  them  were  not  in  possession  of 
ground  of  their  own,  but  depended  on  their  daily 
labour  for  support,  it  was  manifest  that  a  systematic 
intention  existed  to  starve  them  out  of  adherence 
to  their  new  creed ;  tempting  them  to  cry  out  in  the 
language  of  Satan,  "  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God, 
command  that  these  stones  be  made  bread."  In  this 
emergency,  Mr.  Thompson's  active  benevolence  in 
providing  numbers  of  them  with  work,  and  his  fear- 
less promptitude,  as  a  magistrate,  and  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  their  landlord,  (Lord  Ventry,)  obliging 
the  farmers  (when  the  converts  applied  in  the  public 
market)  to  sell  potatoes  to  them  on  the  same  terms 
they  would  to  any  one  else,  absolutely  saved  many 
from  perishing  of  want.* 

Mr.  Thompson  also  wrote  a  statement  of  their 
case  to  Lord  Ventry,  who,  with  his  accustomed 
desire  to  forward  every  good  object,  directed  that  a 
farm  should  be  leased  to  the  converts  at  Ventry, 
whereby  they  might  be  made  independent  of  their 

*  i  have  lieard  the  milk-women  curse  the  milk  as  they  handed  it  into 
a  poor  convert' s  hand,  and  declare  with  an  oath,  that  they  would  rather 
send  it  down  the  channel  of  the  street  for  nothing  than  let  them  have  it. 
Every  one  residing  in  Ireland,  knows  the  superstitious  dread  that 
attaches  to  a  curse  on  milk. 


VENTRY.  G3 

Roman  Catholic  neighbours :  this  was  done  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  five  Trustees  : — Rev.  A. 
Rowan,  Blennerville  ;  Rev.  A.  Demy,  Tralee ;  Rev. 
C.  Gayer,  Dingle  ;  Rev.  T.  Goodman,  Dingle ;  D. 
P.  Thompson,  Esq.,  Dingle. 

On  this  farm  all  the  buildings  contemplated  by 
Mr.  Gayer,  and  for  the  erection  of  which  he  had 
been  raising  subscriptions  in  England,  were  subse- 
quently built  by  Mr.  Thompson,  who  undertook 
the  management  of  the  fiscal  department  of  the 
Trusteeship. 


64  DUNURLIN. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


DUNURLIN. 


During  the  year  1837,  the  conversions  steadily 
increased  in  Dingle,  but  we. forbear  to  lengthen  the 
narrative  with  too  many  individual  cases,  the  means 
of  conversion  and  the  features  of  the  change  being 
of  a  character  similar  to  those  already  related.  The 
congregation  had  so  increased,  that  it  had  become 
necessary  to  enlarge  the  church.  The  ecclesiastical 
commissioners,  who  were  preparing  at  that  time  to 
renew  the  roof,  were  consequently  applied  to ;  but 
they  refused,  saying  they  had  not  funds  for  enlarging, 
but  only  for  roofing.  Mr.  Thompson  then  offered  to 
rebuild  the  church  altogether  on  a  more  commodious 
scale,  if  the  commissioners  would  give  him  the  j£400 
allotted  for  the  roof  and  allow  him  the  old  materials. 
This  was  also  refused.  The  commisioners  would  do 
nothing  but  roof  the  old  church.  At  this  juncture, 
Mr.  Thompson  saw  the  necessity  for  the  addition  so 
forcibly,  that  on  his  own  responsibility  he  advanced 
money  to  build  it,  Mr.  Gayer  promising  to  make 
application   to  the   public  for  funds   to  repay  him. 


||||«|i||W|||h| 


W'^'^m 'iiiii'ihsrrii  iif 


ii    priiliiiili,}! 


dunurLin.  G5 

The  addition  was  built,  in  two  years  after  (1841) 
it  was  further  enlarged^  and  is  now,  again  in  1844, 
quite  inadequate  to  the  accommodation  of  the  con- 
tinually-increasing congregation. 

In  the  month  of  January  1838^  Mr.  Gayer  wrote 
to  a  friend  the  following  account  of  the  performance 
of  divine   service  in  the   school-house  at  Ventry : — 

'  We  had  a  glorious  meeting  on  New  Year's  day  ; 
upwards  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  were  present, 
all  from  the  country.  Our  converts  came  forward 
boldly  before  400  people,  just  coming  out  of  the 
chapel  hard  by — the  priest  remaining  in  a  neighbour- 
ing house — eight  Roman  Catholics  came  into  the 
school-house ;  the  day  was  beautiful,  the  only  fine 
one  for  three  weeks.  I  preached  from  Isaiah  xxviii. 
16.  "  Behold  I  lay  in  Zion,  for  a  foundation,  a 
stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  sure  foundation."  Many  of 
the  neighbours  came  in  the  crowd  to  aid  us  if  ne- 
cessary, but,  thank  God,  all  passed  off  quietly,  though 
it  was  a  great  holiday  and  the  crowds  great.  Our 
prospects  are  cheering.  I  hear  that  the  eight  men 
mentioned  above,  will  leave  popery.  I  expected  that 
they  would  when  I  saw  them,  for  when  once  a 
Romanist  finds  courage  to  oppose  the  Priest  in  ani/ 
one  point,  his  power  over  him  in  all  is  gone — they 
almost  invariably  leave  a  system  which  they  feel  to  be 
a  hard  bondage,  though  they  dare  not  forsake  it  in 
the  face  of  scorn  and  starvation.^ 

*  Let  the  landlords  of  Ireland  on\y  eifford  prof ection 
to  their  people  in  emancipating  themselves  from 
popery,  and  Babylon  is  fallen  !  But  so  far  is  this  from 


66  DUNURLIN. 

being  the  case,  that  Protestants  join  Romanists  in 
pointing  the  finger  of  reproach  and  suspicion  at  the 
men  who  come  out  from  popery.  Two  men  who 
have  lately  embraced  the  truth  from  reading  the 
Irish  Scriptures,  I  purpose  employing  as  scripture- 
readers,  if  the  Lord  provides  me  with  means — being 
connected  in  the  country  they  will  get  access,  and 
do  more  than  six  regular  scripture-readers.  It  is  in 
this  way  the  work  is  progressing  at  Ventry,  and  I 
am  persuaded  from  experience,  that  it  is  the  best  way 
to  get  at  the  people.' 

Mr.  Gubbins's  health  not  having  been  at  all 
strong  for  some  time,  his  friends  were  earnest 
with  him  to  remove  from  Dunurlin,  the  duties  of 
which  were  peculiarly  arduous  to  a  delicate  frame. 
He  could  not  resolve,  however,  to  leave  a  locality  where 
he  had  been  an  instrument  of  much  usefulness,  and 
to  which  he  felt  a  strong  attachment,  until  he  found 
that  the  living  was  likely  to  be  given  to  his  excellent 
friend  Mr.  Gayer,  who,  he  was  well  assured,  would 
foster  his  people,  and  build  them  up. 

This  appointment  being  determined  on,  Mr. 
Gubbins,  knowing  the  suffering  he  and  his  family 
had  experienced  for  ten  years,  from  the  want  of  a 
residence,  determined,  before  his  departure,  to  try 
if  he  also  could  not  raise  money  in  England  to  sup- 
ply his  successor,  whoever  he  might  be,  with  a 
house.  Church,  and  school,  to  be  built  on  an  acre 
of  glebe-land  in  the  parish,  about  two  miles  nearer 
Dingle  than  the  village  on  the  coast  where  he  had 
himself  lived. 


DUNURLIN,  67 

Many  fears  were  entertained  that  the  similarity 
of  Mr.  Gayer's  and  Mr.  Gubbins's  objects  would 
hinder  the  accomplishment  of  either  ;  but  it  did  not 
prove  so.  Both  gentlemen  returned  eminently  suc- 
cessful, and  the  funds  they  had  obtained  were  placed 
in  Mr.  Thompson's  hands,  who,  without  loss  of 
time,  erected  the  glebe-houses  of  both  parishes, 
Dunurlin  and  Ventry  ;  unavoidable  difficulties  arose 
to  prevent  the  immediate  erection  of  the  Churches. 
These  difficulties  were,  after  some  time,  happily 
overcome ;  and  the  ecclesiastical  commissioners  under- 
took to  build  Dunurlin  Church,  doubling  the  sum  of 
£500,  put  into  their  hands  by  Mr.  Thompson  for 
Mr.  Gubbins. 

Who,  that  was  present,  can  forget  the  happy  and 
solemn  ceremonies  of  laying  the  first  stones  of  these 
Churches  ?  They  were  not  commenced  exactly  at 
the  same  time  ;  but  the  scenes  were  so  nearly  similar 
that  I  shall  describe  only  one — that  of  Dunurlin — 
which  took  place  on  a  glorious  day  in  August.  Mr. 
Gubbins  had  been  at  this  time,  nearly  a  year  re- 
moved from  the  parish,  but  he  visited  it  now,  that 
he  might  himself  witness  the  happy  event. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  the"  children  of 
all  the  convert-schools,  who  had  been  given  a  holiday 
for  the  occasion,  marched  in  order,  two-and-two  in 
bands  ;  the  girls  marshalled  by  their  mistresses  and 
monitors,  and  the  boys  by  their  masters,  proceeded 
in  long  array  ;  from  Dingle  one  hundred  and  twenty, 
from  Ventry  eighty,  from  Dunurlin  thirty,  from 
Dunquin  forty, — making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and 


68  DUNURLIN. 

seventy.  It  was  a  beautiful  and  novel  sight  for 
many  who,  with  the  writer,  stood  on  an  eminence,  to 
watch  the  long  line  of  these  babes  in  the  faith, 
winding  its  way  among  the  hills  ;  now  visible — now 
for  a  moment  hidden  by  some  impending  crag,  or 
jutting  hill — the  sun  shining  on  their  clean  white 
aprons  and  tippets,  while  every  vehicle  within  twenty 
miles  was  to  be  seen  coming,  carrying  those  who 
wished  to  assist  at  the  interesting  ceremony.  Large 
groups  of  the  adult  converts  were  gradually  as- 
sembling on  the  ground,  and  the  summits  of  the 
neighbouring  heights  were  crowned  by  Roman 
Catholic  peasants,  come  to  see  the  strange  sight. 
To  many  it  was,  doubtless,  a  galling  sight ;  but  the 
generality  seemed  to  enter  into  the  gladsomeness  of 
the  scene,  and  no  mark  of  incivility  or  enmity  was 
evinced  throughout  the  day  ;  though  the  converts, 
going  and  returning,  walked  miles  in  every  direction, 
through  a  numerous  population  of  Romanists. 

This  peaceableness  of  the  inhabitants  is  the  more 
remarkable,  as  forming  a  striking  contrast  to  their 
lawless  conduct  on  the  former  occasion,  when  they 
wholly  destroyed  the  Church  just  built  on  the  same 
spot ;  and  proves,  that  exertions  for  their  conversion, 
when  pursued  in  a  judicious  manner,  do  not  incense 
or  irritate  them  :  it  also  proves  the  good  effect  pro- 
duced by  the  knowledge,  that  Mr.  Thompson  would 
not  be  intimidated  from  bringing  any  offender  against 
the  peace  under  the  penalty  imposed  by  law. 

The  youthful  heir  of  these  large  estates,  the 
Honourable  Dayrolles  Mullins,  Lord  Ventry's  eldest 


DUNURLIN.  69 

son,  then  about  twelve  years  old,  was  permitted  by 
his  father  to  lay  the  first  stone ;  and  when  we  were 
come  together,  to  a  number  amounting  to  about  a 
thousand, — seven  hundred  of  whom  were  converts, — he, 
with  beaming  countenance  and  elastic  step,  evidently 
under  the  elevating  impression  that  he  was  called  to 
perform  an  important  act,  came  forward  ;  and  sup- 
ported by  all  the  faithful  clergymen  of  the  district, 
seven  in  number,  he  placed  the  stone  in  the  name 
of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  pronouncing  Israel's 
dedication,  "  Behold  this  stone  which  I  have  set  for 
a  pillar  shall  be  God's  house  !  " 

Solemn  silence  pervaded  the  surrounding  multi- 
tude, many  of  whom  prayed  ^^that  grace  might  be 
given  to  this  amiable  youth  hereafter,  to  become  in 
spirit  to  the  church  at  this  place  what  emblematically 
he  was  this  day — a  Founder  and  a  Pillar  ;  a  petition 
which  entered  the  hearts  of  all  that  day,  who  could 
not  but  look  upon  the  erection  of  a  Protestant  place 
of  worship  in  so  wild  a  place,  as  a  token  of  the 
Lord's  purposes  concerning  this  people  for  good. 

Affectionate  and  earnest  addresses  were  then  made 
in  Irish  by  Mr.  Goodman  and  Mr.  Moriarty,  explain- 
ing the  true  and  scriptural  character  of  The  doctrine 
of  the  Church ;  whose  foundation  being  on  Christ,  is 
built  up  in  the  Spirit,  its  members  compared  to 
lively  stones  only  as  they  cleave  to  Christ  and  are 
built  on  Him  by  faith  ;  false  members,  to  wood,  hay, 
and  stubble,  to  be  burned  up  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  ; 
while  the  clergy  were  shewn  to  be  "  ministers  only  by 
whom  they  believe."     When  the  sound  of  the   Irish 


70  DUNURLIN. 

reached  the  ears  of  the  Roman  Catholics  standing 
afar  off  on  the  tops  of  all  the  banks  near,  they 
closed  in  and  gave  earnest  attention  to  the  things 
which  they  heard  that  day  for  the  first  time,  and 
many  were  seen  to  speak  thoughtfully  one  to  another. 
Mr.  Gubbins  made  a  most  impressive  speech,  and 
was  followed  by  some  others.  The  religious  cere- 
monies of  the  day  closed  with  the  100th  Psalm 
in  Irish  ;  a  thousand  voices  and  a  full  band  * 
swelled  the  notes  of  praise,  till  the  mountains  and 
valleys,  the  rocks  and  caves  gave  back  the  sound  ; 
and  as  they  died  in  cadence,  sweet  echoes  awakening 
in  the  hills  repeated  them  again  and  again,  and  all 
the  earth  v>^ith  one  consent  sung  songs  of  praise  ! 
With  hearts  thus  attuned  and  refreshed,  the  poor 
people  were  made  to  seat  themselves  by  companies  on 
the  grass,  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  bread,  apples, 
and  beer  was  served  out  to  them  by  their  pastors, 
beginning  with  the  children. 

Full  of  thankfulness,  we  returned  to  our  homes, 
rejoicing  in  what  God  had  done  in  gathering  out 
such  a  people  in  a  country  hitherto  wholly  given  up 
to  idolatry  and  ignorance.  This  is  a  fitting  place  to 
introduce  a  few  letters  from  different  converts 
of  this  parish,  written  to  Mr.  Gayer,  to  whom  this 
small  living  had  been  presented,  on  Mr.  Gubbins' 
resigning,  and  where  he  now  keeps  a  resident  curate. 
These  letters  will  give  the  English  reader  a  truer 
idea  of  our  converts  than  any  description  can  do. 

*  The  family  of  the  Rev. —  Cotter  composed  in  themselves  a  full  band  ; 
being  at  that  time  in  this  county  they  kindly  brought  their  instruments. 


DUNURLIN.  71 

'  Dunurlin,  October  6. 

*  Rev.  Sir, 

'  I  am  sure  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  how  the 
cause  of  truth  is  progressing  here  ;  what  are  our  pros- 
pectsandwhatthemeansresorted  to,  to  stop  the  general 
spirit  of  inquiry  which  pervades  the  entire  population 
of  this  district;  which  spirit  it  is  now  absurd  to  attempt 
to  put  down.  Rome^s  emissaries  have  done  their 
worst ;  they  have  left  no  means  untried.  They  have 
strained  every  nerve  to  prop  up  a  foreign,  supersti- 
tious and  unsound  religion — a  system  of  religion  in 
w^hich  the  name  of  the  Redeemer,  if  ever  mentioned, 
is  coupled  with  feelings  of  indifference,  distrust,  and 
even  with  no  small  share  of  aversion.  But,  God  be 
thanked  !  the  clouds  which  have  long  hung  over  our 
country  are  not  only  broken  but  entirely  vanished  ; 
the  chains  which  were  even  a  few  years  ago  firmly 
fettered  around  us  are  struck  off,  and  the  glorious 
Gospel  of  peace  has  free  course  in  all  parts  of  our 
district. 

'  I  am  not  alluding  to  the  numbers  who  have  re- 
nounced their  errors  and  joined  our  church;  no.  Rev. 
Sir,  I  am  speaking  of  the  wonderful  change  a  few 
years  have  brought  about.  I  am  alluding  to  the 
wide-spread  and  general  suspicion  in  this  part  of  our 
country  that  Romanism  is  false,  unsound,  and  danger- 
ous ;  this.  Rev.  Sir,  is  the  great  point  for  which  I 
have  looked,  and  this,  praised  be  the  Lord,  is  the 
state  of  feeling  here  !  She  who  boasted  of  sitting 
as  a  Queen  and  no  widow,  is,  in  spite  of  her  allure- 


72  DUNURLTN. 

merits,  considereda  fallen,  faded,  and  dangerous  impos- 
tress  ;  therefore,  it  is  no  wonder  that  her  admirers, 
the  Priests,  should  be  wroth. 

*  Exclusive  dealing  has  failed  here  again,  and  the 
fierce  persecution  which  was  raised  these  few  months 
back  is  again  cooling  down.  I  have  access  to  the 
people  more  freely  than  ever. 

*  It  has  often  struck  me,  since  I  had  a  conversation 
with  a  man  over  seventy  years  of  age  a  few  weeks 
ago,  how  little  the  Priests  regard  the  consequences 
of  keeping  their  poor  followers  in  ignorance :  how 
little  they  fear  God,  in  feeding  them  on  ashes.  The 
conversation  I  allude  to  happened  on  the  high  road  of 
Dunurlin.  I  met  the  old  farmer,  and  after  some 
civilities,  he  asked  me  the  news.  I  spoke  of  the  glad 
tidings ;  he  looked  disappointed.  I  however  followed 
on.  "  Patrick,^^  I  asked,  "  do  you  know  what  the 
object  of  our  Saviour's  mission  into  the  world  was?  " 
"  An  odd  question, '^  says  he,  "  how  do  I  know  what 
he  came  for  ?  "  1  shook  my  head  and  hinted  at  his 
ignorance,  but  "  I  suppose,"  says  he,  after  a  pause, 
"it  was  to  do  no  harm  to  the  neighbours  he  came?^' 
Here  was  an  idea  of  the  Saviour  !  in  a  man,  who  lived 
for  the  last  thirty  years  within  a  stone's  throw  of  a 
Romish  Mass-house.  But  Popery  is  ever  the  same, 
strange,  absurd,  and  unaccountable :  in  truth,  if  the 
Romish  Priests  believe  their  own  tenets,  the  Irish 
portion  of  them  must  have  an  anxious  and  wretched 
spirit. 

'  I  was  a  few  weeks  ago,  about  five,  at  a  village 
called    Ballincola,   where    there    are    many  Popish 


DUNURLIN.  73 

friends  of  mine.  I  went  to  see  an  old  man,  my 
father's  cousin-german.  This  man  was  after  buying 
a  fine  mule  a  short  time  before,  but  he  was  uncom- 
monly vicious.  "  Uncle  Tom,"  said  I,  "  how  does 
the  mule  get  on?^'  "  That  he  may  be  hung/'  said 
he,  "  he  is  as  bad  as  ever,  after  losing  my  half-crown 
to  him."  "  How  is  that  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  could  get 
no  good  of  him,'^  said  he,  "  he  used  to  kick  so,  I 
went  to  Father  Pat  to  read  over  him  ;  he  came;  but 
wouldn't  lay  a  thumb  on  him  until  I  paid  him.  But 
faith, '^  continued  Tom,  "  he  had  like  to  earn  it  well ; 
for  when  cutting  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  mule's 
back,  he  plunged  so  violently  that  the  blessed  priest 
was  near  being  killed,  and  in  his  fright  fell  into  a 
dung-pit  outside,  though  his  Alb  was  on,  and  all ; 
pronouncing  the  beast  incorrigible." 

'  Since  then,  about  a  month  ago,  I  walked  into  a 
Roman  Catholic's  house  in  Ballyferiter's.  There  is  a 
gentleman^s  lodge  kept  there  by  a  lone  woman.  It  be- 
longs to  P.  G ,  of  Dingle.  I  sat  down,  observing  to 

the  woman,  "You  have  a  comfortable  house,  Norry ;  ^' 
"  Indeed,  I  have  not,  Mr.  Brien,"  said  she,  "  and  I 
must  leave  it  entirely."  "  Why  ? ''  I  asked,  "  Oh  ! 
the  rats,"  said  she,  "  they  will  eat  me  at  night,  they 
come  into  the  bed  to  me."  "Very  bad  companions," 
I  observed,  "  and  what  do  you  purpose  doing  ?"  "I 
went  to  Father  Pat,^'  says  she,  "  to  drive  them  away 
with  a  mass,  and  he  promised  to  come;  but  he  is 
going  to  charge  five  shillings.^'  "  And  is  a  mass  good 
for  driving  rats  away  ?  "  said  I.  "  Arrah,  then  you 
know  'tis  good  for  every  thing  in   the  world,"   says 

E 


74  DUNURLIN. 

she.     There  was  no  use  in  saying  much  to  her,  but  I 
was  well  amused  by  the  conclusiveness  of  her  logic. 

*  On  another  occasion,  I  visited  a  friend's  house  of 
mine  in  this  village,  and  was  scarcely  seated,  when 
my  relation's  wife,  an  officious  and  talkative  sca- 
pular-woman, whispered  me  by  way  of  advice, 
**  Yerrah  then,  for  the  sake  of  the  virgin,  don't  die 
without  the  oil."  "  And  what  will  that  do  for  me  ?"  I 
asked  :  "  Why  it  will  kill  all  the  mastiffs  about  Purga- 
tory," says  she.  "  They  ought  to  be  extinct  now," 
I  observed,  "  there  was  a  good  deal  of  oil  went  that 
way  !  "  "  Oh,"  said  she,  "  it  only  puts  them  into  a 
sound  sleep,  and  if  you  have  not  the  oil  on  you,  they 
smell  you  in  a  moment."  "  And  is  it  not  more  reason- 
able to  think  they  would  sooner  smell  me  with  the 
oil  than  without  it  ?  "  I  remarked.  At  this  she  got 
cross,  and  said,  she  was  afraid  the  dogs  would  have 
cruel  sport  with  me. 

*  When  the  proverbially  covetous  priest,  Owen 
Aherne,  lived  in  this  neighbourhood,  there  were  two 
persons  came  together  to  his  house  to  attend  two 
dying  patients.  Both  happened  to  live  on  one  line 
of  road,  one  about  half  a  mile  farther  off  than  the 
other ;  on  approaching  the  nearest  village,  Owen 
asked,  if  they  both  had  the  oil-money ;  one  man 
said  he  had,  while  the  other  said  he  had  but  ten 
pence:  "Oh!"  said  the  priest,  "where  were  you 
coming  for  me  ?  go  and  borrow  the  remainder."  So 
the  man  went  off  to  borrow  the  remaining  two  pence, 
and  the  priest  passed  to  the  further  village  with  the 
man  that  had   the  shilling.     But  at  his  return,  lo, 


DUNURLIN.  75 

the  man  who  hadn't  the  shilling  was  dead,  and 
when  his  friend  began  to  blame  the  priest,  Rome's 
emissary,  ever-inventive,  pulled  out  a  piece  of  paper 
and  wrote  something  on  it,  telling  them  to  put  it  into 
the  coffin  with  him,  as  it  was  much  surer  than  the  oil. 

*  These,  Rev.  Sir,  are  a  few  points  of  the  system 
which  have  come  under  my  own  cognizance  for  the 
last  three  months,  which  shows  that  Irish  Romanism 
is  at  all  events  unchanged.  John  Bull,  in  his  good 
nature,  may  think  these  things  incredible,  for  I  under- 
stand popery  in  his  country  puts  on  a  dress  of  ration- 
ality, but  is  as  unsound  as  ours  ;  while  his  less  fortu- 
nate brother  Paddy,  must  still  be  contented  with  a 
strange,  absurd  and  unheard-of  medley  of  rites  and 
ceremonies.  Praying  for  your  safe  and  speedy  return, 
to  lengthen  the  cords  and  strengthen  the  stakes  of 
our  holy  and  scriptural  church. 

'  I  beg  to  remain,  Rev.  Sir, 

'  Your  devoted  Servant, 

'  M.  B.' 

The  statement  of  J.  C.  in  reply  to  the  question 
why  he  left  the  Church  of  Rome. 

*  I,  J.  C,  do  hereby  certify,  that  I  have  been 
brought  up  from  my  infancy  in  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholic Church,  and  left  that  Church  five  years 
last  February,  and  ever  since  belong  to  the  Church 
of  England ;  and  my  reason  for  reforming  from 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  was,  in  reading  the 
Scriptures,  for  I  considered  that  there  was  no  salva- 
tion in  that  Church  by  what  I  saw  in  the  Scriptures : 

E  2 


76  DUNURLIN. 

my  first  reason  was  as  this,  "  without  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission  of  sins."  Heb.  ix.  22.  "  The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin."  1  John 
i.  7.  Propitiation  made  by  it.  Rom.  iii.  25.  Jus- 
tification by  it.  Rom.  v.  9.  Redemption  procured 
by  it.  Eph.  i.  7.  Peace  made  by  it.  Col.  i.  20. 
Redeemed  by  it.  1  Peter  i.  18,  19.  Church  purchased 
by  it.  Acts  xx.  28.  Remission  of  sins  by  it. 
Matt.  xxvi.  28.  Saints  washed  from  their  sins  in  it. 
Rev.  i.  5.  Ascribe  their  redemption  to  it.  Robes 
washed  white  in  it.  Rev.  v.  9.  Rev.  vii.  14.  I 
would  lay  down  many  more  Scriptures  to  you,  but 
being  too  tedious  to  pen  down,  and  if  it  be  required 
I  will  pen  them  with  the  greatest  pleasure  ;  but  I 
wish  to  let  you  know  my  persecution  after  coming 
out  of  the  Romish  Church.  When  first  my  father 
came  to  understand  my  revolting  against  the  Romish 
Church,  he  turned  me  out  of  doors,  and  would  give 

me   no  admittance,  until  Mr. ,  coast-guard  at 

Ballydavid — gave  me  lodging  for  some  time ;  and 
in  course  of  a  short  time  my  father  taking  com- 
passion on  me,  gave  me  admittance,  until  the 
Romish  priest  came  to  hear  of  it,  who  pronounced 
a  sentence  of  condemnation  on  my  father  unless 
he  would  make  me  an  example  to  the  public,  by 
giving  me  neither  diet,  work,  or  lodging.  I  was 
thus  left  wandering  up  and  down  in  a  deplorable 
state,  until  I  came  to  Dingle  and  made  it  my  place 
of  abode  for  some  time,  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gubbins 
took  me  in  hand  ;  and  then  Mr.  Gubbins  rented 
a  house  for  me,   and  the  man  that  the  house  was 


THE  bishop's  visit.  77 

rented  of,  when  he  heard  that  I  was  the  person  who 
was  to  Hve  in  it,  he  would  not  give  the  house  ;  he 
disapproved  me  so  much  in  consequence  of  reforming 
from  the  Romish  Church.  I  coukl  not  lay  down  all 
my  persecution,  for  it  is  too  tedious,  which  I  hope 
you  will  excuse  me. 

'  I  remain, 
'  Your  humble  servant  in  Christ  Jesus, 

'J.  c: 

The  Bishop's  Visit. 

Before  adding  to  these  interesting  documents 
some  of  the  same  description,  written  from  Ventry, 
I  must  mention  the  very  interesting  fact  of  our 
Bishop^s  visit  amongst  us. 

He  desired  to  see  his  new  children,  and  personally 
to  welcome  them  into  the  bosom  of  our  scriptural 
Church  ;  for  this  purpose — before  he  went  to  the 
continent,  where  the  delicacy  of  his  health  obliged 
him  to  go,  and  ever  since  to  remain — he  took  a  long 
and  fatiguing  journey,  and  without  parade  of  equi- 
page, or  ostentation  of  authority,  but  with  a  humility 
that  was  very  pleasing,  went  from  schoolhouse  to 
schoolhouse,  preached  in  the  Church  at  Dingle,  the 
only  pulpit  there  was  at  that  time  for  him,  and  the 
following  Lord's  Day  he  delivered  at  the  schoolhouse 
in  Ventry  a  most  affecting  and  affectionate  address 
to  the  new  congregation.  The  address  was  unin- 
telligible as  to  the  language,  and  was  afterwards 
repeated  to  them  by  Mr.  Moriarty  in  Irish  ;  but 
they  understood  the  language  of  the  kind  old  man's 


T8  bishop's  visit. 

tears  that  coursed  each  other  rapidly  down  his  face, 
as  he  contemplated  the  rugged  countenances  of  so 
many  grown  old  in  sin  and  superstition,  now  brought 
to  hearken  to  sound  doctrine  with  child-like  confi- 
dence. The  poor  people  were  afterwards  heard  by 
the  writer  congratulating  each  other  on  their  being 
'no  longer  outcasts,  but  having  foutid  a  father.* 

This  visit  of  our  Bishop,  accompanied  as  he  was 
by  some  of  his  clergy,  was  a  great  building-up  of  the 
converts,  affording  them  a  sanction  and  testifying 
approbation  of  the  work,  and  implying  a  confidence  in 
their  sincerity.  Nothing  is  so  blighting  to  the  heart 
of  a  convert  as  the  suspicion  with  which  he  is  in 
general  received  by  cold-hearted  Protestants.  It  is  as 
though  we  doubted  that  the  truth  had  power  to  set 
men  free  in  these  days,  though  it  had  in  the  days  of 
Luther.  But,  blessed  be  God,  the  word  of  God  will 
be  found  ever  quick  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than 
any  two-edged  sword :  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart,  and  able  to  make  men  wise  unto 
salvation,  now  as  then,  and  henceforth,  and  for  ever. 

Letters  from  some  o  f  the  Readers  at  Ventry. 

*  Reverend  Sir, 

*  I  beg  leave  to  write  these  few  lines  to  you, 
letting  you  know  the  number  of  Irish  scholars  that 
passed  inspection  in  the  district  this  turn,  and  also 
the  number  of  schools. 

'  There  were  ten  schools  passed,  in  which  there 
were  competent,  404  scholars;  besides  four  more  of 
the  schools  that  were  put  back  in  consequence  of 


LETTERS — VENTRY.  79 

the  Romish  priests^  denunciations  against  their  poor 
deluded  flocks,  if  they  dared  read  or  converse  with 
any  Irish  teacher  or  scripture-reader  in  the  place ; 
and  thus  they  strain  the  chains  of  their  superstition 
to  a  still  higher  degree,  and  curse  and  bind  them 
under  the  penalty  of  condemnation  to  their  souls, 
and  their  posterity  for  seven  generations  after  them. 
With  this,  they  ring  the  bells,  close  the  books,  and 
quench  the  candles,  to  terrify  the  people  the  more ; 
and  if  any  person  is  found  to  speak  to  them  after 
such  denunciations,  he  is  considered  the  same  as  a  hea- 
then or  a  publican  !  This  I  make  known  to  you,  to  let 
you  know  how  hard  it  is  for  Irish  teachers  to  make  out 
scholars, — tyrannizing  leaders,  who  are  considered  by 
their  blind-led  victims  to  have  the  power  of  turning 
them  into  the  shape  of  such  beasts  as  goats,  foxes, 
or  bulls,  and  to  make  them  wear  horns,  &c.  &c. 

*  The  priest  in  Castlegregory,  named  Collins,  about 
three  weeks  since,  cursed  a  man  from  Keelshanig,  in 
Mahree  island,  for  sending  his  children  to  Pat  Nash 
to  school,  and  after  compelling  the  above-mentioned 
against  him,  he  took  the  candles  and  threw  them 
out  into  the  street,  and  engaged  the  .dogs  would  not 
touch  them  ;  but  accidentally  the  priest's  own  dog,  as 
soon  as  he  threw  them  out  of  his  hand,  snapped  up  one 
of  them;  and  before  it  could  be  taken  off,  the  dog 
eat  half  of  it,  and  broke  the  other  half  in  pieces  ; 
and  before  he  had  ended  his  sermon,  which  was  all 
about  converts  and  Protestants,  he  invented  another 
scheme,  by  telling  them  three  mice  fell  down  out  of 
the  roof  of  the  chapel-house  on  the  altar  which  were 


80  VENTRY   LETTERS. 

dead,  and,  began  to  shed  blood  to  make  them  believe 
that  some  miracle  was  to  happen  in  the  place,  which 
mice  he  pretended  to  take  with  him  in  a  paper,  that 
he  might  predict  what  should  happen.  I  hope  all 
this  falsehood  will  turn  out  for  good,  from  the  effect  I 
find  it  has  produced  on  some  of  the  people^s  minds,  as 
some  of  them  told  me  they  were  sure  he  was  bringing 
the  wrath  of  God  upon  himself  in  consequence  of  his 
malicious  curses.  For  since  he  spoke  of  John  Lawler, 
who  got  the  rheumatism,  (one  of  the  Ventry  converts), 
he  is  himself  keeping  his  bed  mostly  all  the  time 
since  with  the  same  disorder.  This  however,  did  not 
make  Darby  Connor  keep  his  children  from  Pat 
Nash's  school,  and  I  doubt  if  not  for  the  same  man, 
that  Nash  could  stand  the  place,  though  he  was 
once  one  of  the  priest's  greatest  advocates,  telling  him 
who  were  sending  their  children  to  the  Protestant 
school  in  Keelshanig.  However  the  priest  is  such  a 
tyrant  that  the  people  do  not  like  to  draw  his  edge 
against  them  ;  he  is  thus  enabled  to  set  the  people 
against  reading  with  the  Irish  teachers  in  his  part  of 
the  district,  and  also  has  put  some  of  them  up  to 
ill  use  any  reader  who  comes  their  way. 

'  I  could  tell  you  many  similar  to  this  in  the  dis- 
trict, such  as  at  Onischall,  (or  Shaddy  River), 
near  Mr.  Thomas's,  on  the  first  day  of  this  month, 
and  it  being  a  holy  day  by  the  Romans ;  and  as 
priest  Carrol  discovered  that  Pat  Landers  and  I 
came  to  the  place,  he  cautioned  his  flock  to  beware 
of  having  any  conversation  with  either  of  the  two 
Ventry  lads  that  came  into  the  place,  namely   Pat 


VENTRY   LETTERS.  81 

Landers,  a  man  who  was  considered  to  he  made  a 
fairy  of,  as  being  small  in  stature,  and  Daniel  Sullivan^ 
to  whom  his  horse  sjiolce  in  chastisement  for  'parting 
his  former  creed  ;  and  said  he,  if  they  get  at  ye,  they 
will  surely  poison  some  of  ye,  as  they  poisoned  John 
Sullivan,  who  was  considered  a  pious  intelligent 
young  man  among  you.  However  his  argument  did 
not  take  any  effect  upon  the  people's  mind.  After 
mass  being  over,  Pat  Landers  collected  a  large 
number  of  Irish  readers  into  one  John  Mahony's 
house  ;  and  as  they  were  reading  portions  of  the 
Irish  scriptures,  the  priest  passed  by,  going  to  anoint 
a  sick  patient.  A  man  told  him,  saying,  '^  The  men 
that  you  spoke  of  a  while  ago,  are  within  here,  and 
many  of  your  flock  reading  Irish  with  them,  will  you 
come  in,  father  John ;"  he  turned  about,  and  said,  "  No ! 
no  !  I  will  have  no  more  interference  with  them,  lean 
not  help  them,"  and  went  his  way  and  said  no  more.* 

*'  I  had  a  very  interesting  conversation  with  them 
for  two  hours,  and  also  had  many  visits,  which  were 
very  interesting,  in  the  same  parish ;  and  I  hope 
against  the  next  time  to  have  a  large  number  of 
scholars  in  regular  attendance  at  the  school ;  for  Miss 
Rae  told  me  she  had  sixty  scholars,  until  George 
Sullivan,  the  priest  of  that  parish,  spoke  against  the 
Protestant  school;  and  as  soon  as  he  did,  half  the  num- 
ber fell  away,  though  there  remain  some  Romans 
with  her  still.  She  has  a  new  school-room  built,  the 
same  as  the  school-house  in  the  Blacket's  island. 

'  I  have  many  other  facts  to  mention  to  you,  that 
*  This  was  the  same  Priest  whose  sennon  on  marriage  is  given,  p.  37. 
E  5 


0»  YENTRY   LETTERS. 

I  would  be  very  happy  to  tell  you  of,  but  as  I  hope 
this  will  give  you  an  idea  of  what  is  going  on,  I  think 
it  enough. 

'  Rev.  Sir,  I  hope  you  will  have  the  kindness  of  re- 
membering me  to  the  Mistress,  and  tell  her  that  we  are 
all  at  Ventry,  young  and  old,  praying  to  the  Lord  to 
bring  both  your  reverence  and  her  safe  home  ;  and  not 
we  alone,  but  many  of  the  Romans  in  the  place  also. 

'  Rev.   Sir,  all  j^our  family   at  home   are  in  good 

health.     I  was  very  happy  to  hear  Miss  say 

the  Mistress  was  enjoying  good  health  since  she  left 
home,  [n  conclusion  I  will  add  a  word  of  Irish 
prayer. 

(^  Cor.  xiii.  14,  was  here  written  in  the  Irish 
character.) 

*  Rev.  Sir, 
'  I  remain  your  humble  servant, 

'  D.  s: 

To  Mrs.  Gayer. 
•  Deair  Mistress, 

'  I  would  wish  to  let  your  honour  know  about 
the  difficulty  that  happened  to  me  the  night  my 
mother  died  in  November,  in  Killshanig,  in  or  about 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  night  at  the  wake,  when 
wherein  the  house  took  fire  and  all  our  goods  burned 
to  atoms ;  only  for  God's  providence  the  corps  also 
would  be  burnt.  The  following  morning  we  were 
without  house  or  home,  or  aney  sort  of  close  but 
what  we  wore  our  back.  Some  time  before  this 
acident  hapen  to  us,  I  hard  Rev.  C.   Gayer  in  a 


VENTRY   LETTERS.  83 

meeting,  reading  the  4th  chapter  of  Acts  for  a  num- 
ber of  in  the  iland,  but  the  11th  and  13th  verses 
took  a  great  oppresion  upon  me. 

*  Now  I  see  that  I  have  a  days-man  that  can  lay  his 
hand  upon  us  both,  and  that  I  am  looking  to  that 
Mediator  and  Entercesior  which  is  able  to  save  the 
vilest  sinner.  Blessed  be  God  that  I  am  not  bowing 
to  stick  or  stone,  or  praying  to  saints  or  angials  as  I 
was,  or  going  round  the  world,  giving  rounds  to  help 
me  in  the  way  of  salvation.  I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth,  and  that  I  am  bought  with  the  presus 
blood  of  Christ,  as  a  lamb  without  blemish  or  spot. 
I  was  wance  of  my  time,  and  if  I  would  see  a  english 
clergyman  I  thought  I  would  be  duing  God  service 
if  I  would  kill  the  like  ;  but  blessed  be  God  I  know 
the  difference  now ;  one  day  when  the  priest  herd 
that  I  reform,  he  followed  me,  hunting  me  with 
stones  ;  all  the  remedey  I  had  is  to  hid  myself  under 
the  clift ;  but  blessed  be  God  I  went  under  a  better 
shade  than  under  that  great  Babalian.  Thank  be  to 
God  that  I  did  come  out  of  that  great  troubulation, 
and  that  Christ  has  wash  my  robs  in  his  blood,  for 
if  we  walke  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have 
feliship  one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  his  son  cleaineth  us  from  all  sins. 
*  I  remain 

'  Your  humble  servant  in  JevSus  Christ.'* 

*  In  general  the  letters  are  perfectlj^  well  spelt,  but  this  has  been  given 
with  all  its  imperfections,  as  a  proof  that  deficiencies  of  this  kind  will 
not  disqualify  these  poor  creatures  from  comprehending  even  the  more 
abstruse  portions  of  the  Bible* 


DUNQUIN. 


CHAPTER  V. 


DUNQUIN. 


Having  described  Dingle,  Ventry,  and  Dunurlin^ 
it  is  time  to  mention  Dunquin,  a  spot  as  desolate  and 
lonely  as  any  in  the  kingdom.  On  reference  to  the 
map  it  will  be  seen,  that  lying  between  five  and  six 
miles  west  of  Ventry,  it  is  the  most  western  parish 
in  Ireland,  and  the  headland  perhaps  the  most 
western  point  of  Europe,  exposed  to  the  mighty 
blast  which  rolls  over  the  vast  Atlantic,  and  like 
Dunurlin,  having  only  the  wild  waves  between  it 
and  the  American  shores. 

In  this  miserably  poor  village  there  dwelt  a  poor 
man  of  the  name  of  Connor :  to  this  man  Mr.  Good- 
man, about  eighteen  years  ago,  gave  an  Irish  Bible, 
which  he  studied  with  unwearying  diligence,  and  by 
degrees  it  made  him  wise  unto  salvation.  He  gave 
up  attending  mass  ;  but  not  comprehending  English, 
and  there  not  being  at  that  time  any  service  in  Irish, 
this  heaven-taught  disciple  lived  without  outward 
ordinances^  his  soul,  by  faith,  drawing  water  out  of 
the  wells  of  salvation,  the  Word  his  guide,  and   the 


DUNQUIN.  85 

Spirit  his  minister.  He  did  not  prevent  his  son 
going  to  the  mass,  as  he  was  of  an  age  to  judge  for 
himself ;  but  he  read  for  him  constantly,  and  many  of 
the  neighbours  drew  round  of  a  winter's  evening, 
and  gave  heed  to  the  things  they  heard  from  his 
'beautiful  book.'  The  man  was  esteemed  a  village 
sage,  and  thus  almost  unwittingly  made  ready  a 
people  prepared  for  the  Lord ;  so  that  when  the 
Reformation  began  in  Ventry,  many  from  Dunquin 
joined  company  with  them,  feeling  they  were  kindred 
in  spirit ;  the  boldest,  the  clearest,  the  most  uncom- 
promising of  these  was  Paddy,  son  to  old  Connor ; 
like  his  father,  he  spoke  no  English,  but  of  the 
Scriptures  he  had  committed  large  portions  to 
memory  ;  and  he  no  sooner  met,  than  he  recognised, 
brothers  in  the  faith ;  he  cast  popish  observances 
aside,  and  felt  "  the  truth  had  made  him  free."  Soon 
the  priests  summoned  the  peasants  at  Dunquin  to 
attend  a  *  station,' — that  is,  a  visit  of  the  priest  to  hold 
confession  for  those  who  do  not  seek  that  money- 
producing  rite  sufficiently  often  at  the  chapel  to 
satisfy  their  cupidity.  The  people  went,  some  boldly, 
some  trembling — amongst  others  Paddy  Connor : 
*  Stand  out,'  cried  the  Priest,  '  stand  out,  Paddy  Con- 
nor, and  answer  why  you  have  not  come  either  to 
mass  or  confession  lately.'  '  Because,'  replied  Paddy, 
( I  am  determined  to  seek  absolution  from  none  but 
the  Lord  Jesus  himself,  Glory  be  to  His  Name  !  He 
only  died  for  sin  !  and  He  only  can  forgive  it !'  There 
was  a  hushed  silence  of  breathless  expectation  in  the 
multitude.     The  priest's  indignation  rose,  and  after 


86  DUNQUIN. 

some  altercation,  he  absolutely  sprang  on  Paddy  and 
endeavoured  to  throw  him  to  the  ground,  but  the 
young  peasant  was  strong  and  active";  he  stood  the 
shock  and  flung  the  priest  from  him,  exclaiming  aloud, 
*  Now,  boys,  see  the  power  of  the  priest,  let  him  turn 
me  into  a  hare  or  a  goat  if  he  can,  for,  before  you 
all,  I  defy  him  ;'  thus  saying,  he  turned  on  his  heel 
and  walked  quietly  home.  Shortly  after  this,  when 
Paddy  was  seen  in  the  market-place  of  Dingle,  he 
was  a  *  marked-man,'  and  met  with  much  liustling 
and  insult  on  account  of  his  quarrel  with  the  priest : 
undismayed  he  stood  firm,  and  to  the  surrounding 
crowds,  in  a  loud  voice,  bore  testimony  to  Jesus  in 
many  words,  and  amidst  hooting,  pelting,  and  uproar : 
then  passing  through  he  escaped  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Gayer,  and  took  refuge  in  the  kitchen.  Mrs.  Gayer 
hearing  the  matter,  went  down  stairs  and  made  one 
of  the  servants,  who  could  communicate  with  him  in 
Irish,  ask  hira,  '  Why  he  did  so  imprudent  a  thing  as 
to  go  on  a  market-day  to  preach  to  the  people  ; ' 
Paddy  burst  into  tears,  and  replied,  *  Tell  the  mis- 
tress, that  they  came  about  me  to  ask  questions,  and 
amongst  others,  would  I  dare  to  deny  that  Peter  was 
the  Rock  on  which  the  Church  was  built  ?  I  replied, 
that  it  was  not  on  Peter,  but,  on  the  declaration  Peter' 
had  just  made,  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  living  God,  for  he  only  is  the  Rock; 
and,^  continued  Paddy,  '  /  will  never  hold  my  tongue 
tvhile  I  can  speak  a  ivordfor  my  master.'  This  man 
was  too  fearless  a  convert,  and  too  useful  to  the  cause 
of  Reformation  to  escape  the  priest's  especial  notice. 


DUNQUIN.  87 

he  therefore  sought  a  reconciliation  with  him  ; — so 
meeting  him  one  day  on  the  road,  he  called  to  him 
in  a  friendly  way,  and  after  reminding  him  it  was 
good  to  *  forgive  and  forget,'  and  promising  that  for  his 
part  he  would  never  mention  the  past  again,  &c., 
he  asked,  '  how  much  Parson  Gayer  was  in  the  habit 
of  giving  them  for  turning  V  'as  may  be  he  would 
get  as  much  more  for  turning  back/ 

*  Your  reverence,  replied  Paddy,  you  may  be  sure 
it  is  no  trifle  would  make  us  leave  the  faith  we  were 
born  and  bred  in,  and  suffer  all  we  do ;  if  it  were 
nothing  but  the  cursing  in  chapel  of  a  Sunday. 

Priest, — '  Well,  well,  no  more  of  that,  confess 
what  you  get  for  leaving  the  true  church,  and  Pll 
give  you  more  for  turning  back.' 

Paddy. — '  There's  no  use  talking  about  it,  for  you 
would'nt  or  couldn't  give  as  much.' 

Priest. — '  Try  me,  Paddy,  only  try  me,  you  won^t 
find  me  a  niggard  ;  so  out  with  it,  man  ;  what  do  you 
expect?' 

Paddy. — '  Neither  more  nor  less,  then,  since  you 
must  know  it,  than  a  Croivn  each  and  every  one 
of  us.' 

Priest. — A  Crown  !  Paddy  Connor,  only  a  Crown! 
you  shall  have  that,  Paddy,  and  more  too.' 

Paddy. — Oh  !  but  the  Crown  we  are  looking  after, 
is  a  Crown  of  glory  reserved  in  Heaven  for  us,  by 
the   only  intercessor  between  God  and  man,  even — ' 

Priest. — (Interrupting  Paddy  in  a  rage,)  '  Oh  ! 
is  it  that  way  you  are  humbugging  me,  you  low-lived 
fellow  ! ' 


8S  DUNQUIN. 

Paddy. — '  No  more  '  loiv-Uved  '  than  yourself, 
seeing  I  am  the  son  of  a  King.' 

Priest. — *  Out  upon  you  !  you !  son  of  a  King  !' 

Paddy. — '  Yes  then,  poor  as  I  am  and  despised  in 
your  sight,  I  am  by  the  free  grace  of  God  and  the 
atonement  made  on  the  cross  for  my  sins,  the  son  of 
the  great  King  of  Heaven  and  Earth  ;  and  oh ! ' 
(continued  he  earnestly,  while  the  Priest  from  amaze- 
ment continued  silent), — 'your  reverence,  just  take 
timely  warning  and  let  us  alone,  for  the  God  of  truth 
hath  said,  it  were  better  for  you  that  a  millstone  were 
hung  about  your  neck,  and  that  you  were  cast,  poor 
man,  into  yon  sea,  than  that  you  should  "  offend  one 
of  the  little  ones  that  believe  in  Him  ;"  and  of  one 
thing  be  sure,  that  not  all  the  gold  and  silver  this 
wide  world  could  hold,  would  draw  me  back  into 
your  broken  net  again.' 

A  little  after  this,  Mr.  Moriarty  received  the  fol- 
lowing address  from  the  converts  at  Dunquin,  con- 
sisting of  about  eighty  souls.  It  was  dictated  by  one 
of  the  converts  who  could  not  speak  a  word  of  Eng- 
lish, to  the  schoolmaster,  by  whom  it  was  transcribed 
and  presented  in  their  behalf.  The  following  is  a 
translation : — 

'  To  the  Rev.  Thomas  Moriarty. 

*  We  beg  leave  to  state  to  your  Reverence  the 
manner  in  which  we  are  situated  here  in  the  parish 
of  Dunquin  and  the  Blasquetts; — your  Reverence  has 
been  aware  that  we  have  to  travel  five  miles  to  Ventry 
and  back  again,  across  a  steep  lonesome  mountain  to 


DUNQUIN.  89 

go  to  prayers  every  Sunday  ;  as  for  ourselves,  we 
would  not  murmur  at  it,  had  we  to  go  farther,  as  the 
Lord  was  pleased  to  call  us  out  of  darkness  to  the 
light  of  his  Gospel ;  but  we  regret  our  children  to 
be  growing  up  without  regularly  attending  public 
worship,  and  also,  your  Reverence  knows,  the  women 
and  old  people  can^t  go  to  Ventry  every  Sabbath 
day;  the  length  of  the  way,  and  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather  prevents  them  ;  whereas  if  they  had  ser- 
vice in  the  parish,  they  would  all  be  glad  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  opportunity.  "We  are  doing  our 
best  to  instruct  them  in  the  word  of  God,  but  what 
we  can  do  does  not  avail  much  ;  they  wish  to 
attend  public  worship,  and  hear  the  Gospel  preached 
to  them  in  their  own  tongue:  moreover,  we  beg  leave 
to  state  to  your  Reverence,  that  there  are  many  in 
this  parish  anxious  to  hear  the  word  of  God  if  the 
opportunity  offered,  and  the  people  are  always  glad 
to  see  you  come  amongst  them ;  therefore,  we  feel 
it  our  bounden  duty  to  address  you  in  this  manner, 
and  humbly  to  request  you  will  come  amongst  us  on 
Sundays  if  you  can  at  all,  and  also  if  your  Reve- 
rence could  get  a  school-house  built,  it  would  do  for 
prayers  on  Sundays,  and  we  hope  we  won't  die  till 
we  see  a  Church  in  our  parish. 

'  We  remain,  your  humble  Servants, 


In  compliance  with  this  application,  Mr.  Moriarty 
has  performed  the  service  in  Irish  at  Dunquin  at  an 
early  hour  every  Sunday  since,  previous  to  the  Ven- 
try service. 


90  DUNQUIN. 

The  following  account  of  a  visit  paid  by  a  stranger 
to  old  Connor  will  be  read  with  interest ;  it  was 
written  at  Mrs.  Gayer's  request,  in  form  of  a  letter  ; 
the  matter  contained  had  been  given  even  more  fully 
in  the  visitor's  conversation,  immediately  after  the 
occurrence. 

*  Madam, 

*  Having  heard  that  old  Connor  was  an  intelli- 
gent old  man,  I  was  anxious  to  converse  with  him;  and 
as  I  was  in  his  neighbourhood,  having  had  the  house 
pointed  out  to  me,  I  entered;  there  were  only  some 
children  in  it  calling  him  grandfather ;  he  looked  to  be 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  to  all  appearance  very  weak — 
after  returning  the  usual  salutations,  he  requested  me 
to  rest  myself;  we  talked  on  various  subjects,  and  he 
displayed  such  knowledge  on  general  subjects  as 
surprised  me.  I  then  turned  the  conversation  on 
religion.  He  spoke  of  the  certainty  of  death,  and  the 
necessity  of  experiencing  that  inward  peace,  which 
is  the  blessed  consequence  of  being  justified  hy  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  I  saw  that  he  had  no  fear 
of  death  or  judgment,  but  rather  rejoiced  in  the 
prospect  of  soon  departing  and  being  with  Christ.  I 
asked  him  some  questions  in  regard  to  his  assurance 
of  salvation,  which  he  answered  in  a  way  which  none 
but  a  Christian  deeply  experienced  in  spiritual  things 
could  do.  He  could  not  tell  for  some  time  whether 
I  was  a  Protestant  or  not,  for  I  did  not  discover  it 
by  what  I  said,  but  when  he  found  I  had  read  the 
Bible,  he  called  my  attention  to  the  doctrines  taught 


DUNQUIN.  91 

by  Christ  and  his  Apostles,  and  then  referred  to  the 
doctrines  and  discipline  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  to 
shew  how  far  that  church  had  departed  from  truth ; 
at  last  I  satisfied  the  poor  man,  that  I  fully  agreed 
with  him,  and  told  him  who  I  was,  and  how  happy 
I  was  to  find  a  man  of  his  age  so  entirely  delivered 
from  the  delusions  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  He 
told  me  he  had  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth  by  the  constant  perusal  of  an  Irish  £ible, 
given  to  him  by  Mr.  Goodman.  He  seems  to  possess 
much  of  the  love  enjoined  by  the  Apostle. 

*P.  C 

Shortly  after  this  testimony  of  a  casual  visitor, 
poor  old  Connor  felt  he  was  hastening  to  that  coun- 
try from  whose  bourne  no  traveller  returns.  He 
who  had  walked  so  many  years  without  ordinances, 
experiencing  the  sufl^ciency  of  the  Scriptures  to 
make  wise  unto  salvation,  was  not  insensible  to  the 
blessing  of  having  a  Gospel  ministry  brought  to  his 
very  door,  enabling  him,  ere  he  departed,  to  make 
confession  with  his  lips  of  that  faith  he  had  so  long 
tabernacled  in  the  sanctuary  of  his  heart,  and  to  die 
in  the  comjnunion  of  believers.  Old  and  bedridden, 
he  could  not  go  to  Ventry — he  called  together  his 
friends,  the  villagers,  many  of  them  still  Roman 
Catholics.  They  came  in  numbers,  and  stood  re- 
spectfully round  the  bed  of  straw,  on  which  the  old 
man  lay  propped  up  a  little,  and  leaning  against  the 
mud  wall  of  his  lowly  dwelling.  Clearly  and  dis- 
tinctly he  stated  his  faith,  putting  into  the  hand  of 


92  DUNQUIN. 

Mr.  Moriarty  (for  whom  he  had  sent  to  give  him  the 
communion)  the  Bible  wherein  he  had  learned  it ; — 
and  addressing  his  neighbours,  he  begged  them  to 
observe,  that  it  was  of  his  own  will  and  conviction 
he  here  avowedly  left  the  communion  of  the  Church 
of  Rome,  and  desired  to  be  received  into  that  of  the 
Church  of  the  Bible,  by  receiving  the  Sacrament  of 
Lord's  Supper,  not  as  transuhstantiated  into  the 
"  Body,  Blood,  Soul,  and  Divinity  of  his  Saviour; '' 
but,  in  commemoration  of  his  death  and  passion, 
whereby  once  offered,  he  had  for  ever  put  away  the 
sins  of  those  who  believed  in  him. 

*  He  was  heard  in  perfect  silence,  no  murmur  of 
dissatisfaction  arose  ;  the  Holy  Ordinance  was  admi- 
nistered in  presence  of  them  all,  and  after  it,  Mr. 
Moriarty  was  permitted  to  speak  a  word  of  exhorta- 
tion and  explanation  to  them,  none  objecting.  Not 
many  days  after  this,  the  old  man  expired  in  peace, 
an  eminent  instance  of  the  electing  grace  of  God. 
The  Bible  thus  publicly  restored,  is  now  the  pulpit 
Bible,  in  the  beautiful  and  spacious  schoolhouse, 
which  has  been  since  then  erected  in  the  villasre  of 
Dunquin,  the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds  having 
been  given  by  one  gentleman  to  Mr.  Moriarty  for 
that  object.  It  also  answers  for  Divine  Service  on 
Sundays,  and  contains  under  the  same  roof  a  dwelling 
for  the  schoolmaster.  Interesting  anecdotes  of  the 
converts  of  Dunquin,  full  of  spiritual  discernment, 
as  well  as  racy  humour,  might  be  multiplied,  but  we 
do  not  desire  to  amuse  the  reader  with  the  wit  of 
our  poor  countrymen,  which  has  already  obtained  in 


DUNQUIN.  93 

England,  rather  an  unenviable  celebrity,  but  to  shew 
those  into  whose  hand  these  pages  may  fall,  the  true 
state  of  our  miserable  country,  and  the  difficulties 
the  people  have  to  encounter  in  coming  out  of  the 
darkness  of  superstition  to  the  light  of  the  Gospel, 
which  the  happy  inhabitants  of  the  sister  land  enjoy 
unhindered ; — but  as  there  are  still  two  localities  not 
yet  mentioned  to  bring  before  the  reader,  we  shall 
here  close  the  notice  of  Dunquin. 


94  THE   BLASQUETTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  BLASQUETTS. 


The  Blasquetts  are  a  group  of  eight  rocky  islands, 
of  which  two  only  are  habitable :  they  lie  about 
three  miles  westwards  from  our  iron-bound  coast, 
which  presents  cliffs  to  the  stupendous  waters  of  the 
Atlantic,  a  thousand  feet  high  ; — the  sound,  that 
lies  between  those  islands  and  the  main  land,  is  of 
the  most  dangerous  description,  in  it  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  ships  of  the  Spanish  Armada  sunk  with 
all  on  board ;  the  currents  and  tides  which  rush 
through  it  are  terrific,  and  render  it  impassable, 
except  in  a  long  continuance  of  calm  weather. 
There  are  about  150  inhabitants  on  the  great 
Blasquett ;  these  people  are  in  a  state  of  extreme 
ignorance,  not  a  single  individual  in  the  island  could 
read,  write,  or  speak  a  word  of  English — not 
any  religious  service  was  hitherto  performed  in 
the  island, — but  when  mass  was  said  on  the  main 
land,  a  white  sheet  was  hoisted  to  give  notice  to  the 
poor  islanders,  who  would  then  kneel  down  on  the 
cliffs.     Once  in  the  year,  perhaps  once  in  two  years. 


i!r!l'!'i' 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  95 

the  priest  visited  the  island  to  take  his  dues,  which  he 
carried  away  with  him  in  wool,  mutton,  eggs,  or  any- 
thing else  they  had  to  give,  valuing  the  articles  as 
he  pleased. 

Mr.  Gayer  attempted,  in  1835,  to  send  an  Irish 
reader  into  the  great  Blasquett,  but  the  inhabitants 
threatened  to  hurl  the  man  over  the  cliffs  if  he  did 
not  leave,  which  he  accordingly  did.  Insuperable 
difficulties  indeed  seemed  to  bar  the  way  of  access 
against  the  admission  of  the  gospel.  Leased  to  a 
Roman  Catholic  lady,  whose  rents  are  collected  by 
an  agent  of  the  same  persuasion :  how  could  the 
Protestant  teacher,  bearing  in  his  hand  the  forbidden 
book,  find  entrance  here,  or  how  should  a  convert, 
under  such  circumstances,  find  protection  from  the 
wrath  of  the  priest  and  popish  bigotry.  Thus  did 
man  speak  in  the  faithlessness  of  his  heart,  and  the 
blindness  of  his  wisdom  ;  but  while  the  munificent 
providence  of  God  wafts  the  seeds  of  nutritious  herbs 
upon  the  winds  of  heaven,  that  he  may  spread  his 
mercies  abroad,  and  enlarge  his  bounties  to  man, 
shall  he  not  also  cause  the  seed  of  his  holy  word, 
when  it  is  sown  in  one  parish,  to  spring  up  and  its 
fruit  to  be  borne  on  the  wings  of  the  Spirit  to  the 
neighbouring  wastes,  there  to  fall  on  some  genial 
soil  wherein  to  sow  itself,  and,  watered  by  the  dew 
of  His  grace,  bring  forth  some  sixty,  some  an  hun- 
dred fold  ?     So  it  was  with  the  Blasquetts. 

In  1838,  Mr.  Gayer  received  a  deputation  from 
the  islanders  themselves,  entreating  him  to  send 
them  a  teacher,  that  noio  they  wished  for  a  school, 


96  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

feeling  they  were  '  like  the  cows  and  horses/  and 
declaring  that  old  and  young  would  attend.  This 
was  an  affecting  appeal,  but  how  was  it  to  be 
responded  to  ?  Funds  were  wanting,  and  if  these 
could  be  obtained,  it  could  hardly  be  expected  land 
would  be  granted  for  the  erection  of  a  school-house  ; 
and  should  one  be  built  on  any  of  the  holdings  of 
the  islanders,  the  tenement  would  be  liable  to  be 
seized  for  rent,  almost  all  the  inhabitants  being  in 
arrear.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  to  refuse  to  hearken 
to  such  a  call  would  be  more  than  a  Christian  dare — 
to  anticipate  success  under  such  circumstances,  more 
than  human  foresight  could  hope.  When  some 
good  men,  eminent  ministers  of  the  gospel,  visited 
Ventry  in  the  course  of  the  summer  of  1838,  the 
matter  was  discussed,  and  it  was  decided  that  at  all 
hazards  a  mission  to  the  Blasquetts  should  be  once 
more  attempted.  In  order  that  Mr.  Gayer  might 
not  be  obliged  to  diminish  funds  destined  for  objects 
having  a  nearer  claim  :  the  writer  of  these  pages 
undertook  to  raise  special  funds  for  the  object, 
separate  from  all  others  in  the  neighbourhood.  The 
request  of  the  Blasquett  islanders  was  made  known 
to  only  a  few  Irish  friends  in  England,  and  the 
necessary  means  were  immediately  supplied.  One 
lady  sending  by  return  of  post  a  year's  salary  for  a 
reader,  besides  becoming  an  annual  subscriber  and 
collector  ;  we  had  to  wait  six  months  more  before 
a  suitable  man  could  be  found  willing  to  go  work 
in  such  a  place,  where  sickness  and  death  might 
be  months  unknown  on  the  main  land  ;  where  even 


THE   BLASQUETTS.  97 

the  simple  food  which  he  would  require  was  not 
always  to  be  had,  and  where,  should  his  doctrines, 
when  more  known,  be  displeasing  to  the  natives,  he 
might  be  murdered  with  impunity  ;  above  all,  where, 
if  the  reader  himself  should  misbehave,  or  be 
negligent,  little  or  no  superintendance  could  be  held 
over  him.  At  length  a  young  convert,  who  had 
been  much  persecuted  in  his  own  neighbourhood, 
and  who  was  superior  in  education  and  manner 
to  the  generality  of  persons  of  his  condition,  ex- 
pressed not  only  a  willingness,  but  a  desire  to 
dedicate  himself  to  the  opening  of  the  mission 
in  this  trying  locality ;  and  on  the  first  of  Ja- 
nuary, 1839,  he  went  into  the  island,  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Gayer,  Mr.  Moriarty,  Captain 
Forbes,  and  several  Christian  friends,  curious  to 
witness  the  reception  he  would  meet,  when  Mr. 
Moriarty  should,  in  their  own  language,  explain  to 
them  the  object  of  his  coming  amongst  them. 
Nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory  ;  the  islanders 
came  down  in  numbers  to  the  rocks,  and  would  have 
carried  these  gentlemen  in  their  arms  up  the  almost 
inaccessible  path  over  the  cliffs,  called,  and  indeed 
forming,  their  only  landing  place.  Some  hours  were 
passed  on  the  island,  examining  its  wild  beauty,  and 
before  taking  leave  the  reader  was  commended  to 
their  hospitality.  Prayer  was  made  for  him  and  for 
them — Christ  was  preached  to  them,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  besought  to  bless  the  reader^s  conversation 
and  instruction  to  them,  and  to  bless  them  that  they 
might   be  given  grace  to  believe.     The  words  were 

F 


98  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

words  of  wonder  to  their  eai's — never  had  they  heard 
such — they  were  amazed  ! — But  acceptance  was 
found  in  their  hearts  for  them,  and  not  without 
tears  did  the  islanders  bid  farewell  to  their  visitors, 
pouring  upon  them  benedictions,  and  wringing 
their  hands  in  the  warmth  of  their  thankfulness ; 
every  house  opened  its  doors  to  the  reader,  and  the 
wondrous  things  out  of  his  book  were  heard  with 
gladness. 

The  reader  was  placed  in  the  hovel  of  one  of  the 
islanders.  Much  did  he  endure  of  cold,  and  wet, 
and  discomfort.  The  rain  penetrated  through  the 
roof,  and  filth  and  smoke  begrimmed  every  thing 
around —  hi  bedstead  was  made  solid-roofed  to  keep 
his  bed  dry,  and  for  the  rest,  we  trusted  that  he 
would  count  these  discomforts  of  no  weight,  when 
endured  for  his  Saviour^s  sake.  Matters  went  on 
smoothly  during  the  few  stormy  months  after  his 
arrival,  in  which  no  access  could  be  had  to  the  island; 
but  when  May  brought  calm  seas,  the  Priest  was  seen 
approaching  from  the  main  land, — and  now  came  *  the 
tug  of  war,'  and  trial  of  faith.  The  Priest  called 
the  natives  together,  and  denounced  the  people  for 
letting  a  Protestant  land  on  the  island;  he  denounced 
the  reader  as  an  emissary  of  the  Devil,  if  not  the 
Devil  himself,  and  his  Bookas  the  Devil's  Book', — told 
the  people  there  were  two  Bibles; — the  true  Bible, 
which  the  Priest  had,  and  the  Devil's  Bible,  which 
the  Protestants  had;— he  threatened  the  man  who 
housed  the  reader,  and  left  the  island,  taking  his 
dues  in  full  tale,  promising  to   come  soon  again  to 


THE   BLASQUETTS. 

see  if  his  orders  were  obeyed.  The  people  were 
evidently  moved  with  terror";  but  after  a  few  days 
permitted  again  the  visits  of  the  reader,  with  whom  the 
priest  had  had  no  personal  conversation  whatever,  to 
go  on  as  usual.  In  about  two  months,  the  priest  re- 
turned, he  found  the  reader  still  there — his  wrath  rosej 
and  he  stormed  most  vehemently,  and  ended  by  the 
usual  ceremony  of  cursing;  he  cursed  them  "by  land 
and  by  sea,''  in  their  '' flocks  and  in  their  nets"  "  in 
the  winds  that  blew,"  and  "  the  air  they  breathed;" 
he  excommunicated  the  man  with  whom  the  reader 
lodged,  and  left  the  island  carrying  away  more  of 
their  property.  Next,  the  rent-day  arrived,  when 
the  reader  really  feared  he  must  leave  the  island,  for 
all  who  received  him,  were  threatened  with  eject- 
ment ;  many  in  whom  worldly  motives  and  old 
superstitions  were  stronger  than  desire  for  instruction, 
went  back,  and  walked  no  more  with  him,  nay,  closed 
their  doors  against  him.  Four  families  there  were, 
however,  comprising  sixteen  individuals,  who  pre- 
ferred to  suffer  persecution  with  the  people  of  God, 
rather  than  renounce  his  word, — these  sixteen  left 
Popery,  and  of  them,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that 
several  will  at  the  great  day  of  account  be  found 
unto  the  praise  and  glory  of  God.  It  is  needless  to 
say,  that  during  these  eighteen  months,  Messrs. 
Gayer  and  Moriarty  visited  the  island  as  frequently 
as  the  weather,  and  state  of  the  sea  would  permit, 
and  always  obtained  a  '  Cead  mille  failte,'  *  and  an 

*  Hundred  thousand  welcomes. 
F  2 


100  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

attentive  hearing  even  from  many,  who  w^ould  not 
venture  to  hearken  any  longer  to  the  reader,  as  one 
not  having  authority.  So  strong  is  the  natural  bias 
in  the  Irish  character,  to  venerate  the  clerical  office. 
In  the  year  1840,  the  following  letter  was  received 
from  the  island, 

*  Madam, 

*  I  have  been  informed,  that  you  are  to  leave 
home  for  some  time.  I  would  be  glad  that  Mr. 
Gayer,  if  possible,  would  come  here  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Moriarty,  to  baptize  a  child  belonging  to  a 
family  of  native  converts.  You  may  be  aware 
already,  that  the  Romish  Priest  visited  this  island 
lately,  and  remained  for  four  days;  this  was  his  second 
visit  since  May  last — for  ages  before,  the  island  was 
seldom  visited  by  any  of  those  priests  more  than 
once  a  year;  every  day  he  had  a  fresh  supply  of 
curses,  the  most  awful  and  threatening ;  and  told 
the  people  that  they  would  most  assuredly  fall  on 
them  in  some  sore  calamity  ;  he  prayed  that  the 
wrath  and  vengeance  of  the  Almighty  would  fol- 
low them,  as  close  as  their  shadow,  all  the  days  of 
their  lives,  and  also  their  seven  succeeding  genera- 
tions, if  they  ever  after  that  day  would  speak  a 
word  to  me,  or  to  any  Protestant  clergyman  that 
visited  the  island,  especially  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Gayer 
and  Moriarty.  He  encouraged  the  people  to  tie  me  and 
the  converts,  neck  and  heels,  until  we  would  promise 
to  return  to  mass  again,  and  plainly  advised  them  to 
throw  me  overboard  into  the  sea,  if  I  went  into  any 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  101 

of  their  boats.  He  said,  that  the  earth  was  cursed  on 
account  of  Roman  CathoHcs  sending  their  children 
to  be  instructed  by  Protestants,  or,  as  he  called  them, 
heretics,  and  that  those  on  the  island  who  sent  their 
children  to  my  school,  were  guilty  of  as  great  a  sin 
as  if  they  gave  them  up  to  the  Devil  in  person ;  for 
my  business  was,  he  said,  to  fit  and  prepare  any  that 
would  listen  to  or  receive  instruction  fron^i  me  for 
Hell.  I  am  sure  you  will  be  glad  to  know,  that 
cursing  can  no  longer  answer  the  design  or  purpose 
of  those  agents  of  mischief,  though  they  may  for  a 
little  time  frighten  some  of  their  poor  and  ignorant 
followers.  After  all  he  said  to  the  people,  they 
as  usual  continue  to  speak  to  me,  and  only  two 
Roman  Catholic  children  were  withdrawn  from  my 
school.  The  priest  addressed  the  father  of  those  cwo 
children  in  particular,  and  said  to  him,  Dunlevy,  if  you 
knew  what  I  did  for  your  poor  old  father,  when  I  came 
to  prepare  him  for  eternity,  you  would  never  disobey 
me ;  I  am  certain  he  is  now  in  Heaven.  In  the  even- 
ing of  the  same  day,  while  the  Priest  was  on  the 
Island,  Dunlevy  came  to  my  house  and  told  me,  how 
the  priest  made  out  that  he  had  a  claim  on  him  for 
sending  his  father  to  Heaven.  I  am  willing,  said  I, 
to  lose  the  'price  of  one  mass  in  order  to  make  out 
that  the  priest  is  a  liar,  and  does  not  care  what  he 
says,  provided  it  answers  his  purpose.  Send  your 
brother,  who  lives  in  Donquin,  the  price  of  a  mass, 
and  tell  him,  call  for  father  P.  Foley,  and  he  will 
not  say  the  mass  if  he  believes  that  your  father  is  in 
Heaven.     It  is  true  for  you,  said  Dunlevy,  that  if  he 


102  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

would  receive  the  price  of  the  mass  from  my  brother  it 
would  be  as  much  as  to  say,  that  my  father  was  suffer- 
ing in  purgatory ;  may  God  direct  me,  he  said,— be- 
tween you  both,  it  is  hard  to  know  who  is  right,  and 
who  is  wrong.  During  the  stay  of  the  priest  here, 
the  converts  boldly  witnessed  for  Christ,  and  ac- 
knowledged him  to  be  the  only  Saviour  of  sinners 
and  their  hope.  Notwithstanding  the  exertions  of 
the  Romish  priests,  I  am  convinced,  that  many  more 
in  this  place  will  be  enabled,  by  God's  grace  (through 
the  reading  of  the  Irish  Scriptures,)  to  see  the  errors 
of  Popery,  and  embrace  the  truth,  which  is  imper- 
ceptibly stealing  on  many  ;  their  early  prejudices  are 
dying  away,  and  I  am  convinced,  that  many  who  are 
still  members  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  do  not  believe 
the  priests'  power  to  forgive  sins,  nor  many  more  of 
the  false  doctrines  of  that  church. 

*P.  C 

There  was  one  spot  in  this  island,  of  about  a  quarter 
of  an  acre  of  rock,  that  belonged  to  government.  It 
had  been  obtained  from  the  head-landlord,  Lord 
Cork,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  on  it  a  Martello 
Tower.  Negotiations  had  been  going  on  with  govern- 
ment for  this  rock  from  the  time  it  had  been  deter- 
mined to  send  a  missionary  to  the  island,  with  a  view 
to  build  on  it  a  schoolhouse,  and  dwelling-place  for 
the  reader,  and  thus  obtain  a  solid  footing  in  the 
island  ;  this  negotiation  was  happily  effected  just 
at  that  time,  (1840,)  and  appeared  like  a  recognition 
from  God  of  our   mission  there,   who  had  reserved 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  109 

unto  himself  as  it  were  "  a  place  to  put  his  name 
therey'  and  having  engaged  to  pay  the  large  rent  of 
five  pounds  per  annum  for  the  spot,  no  time  was  lost 
in  beginning  to  build.  Nothing  could  equal  the 
annoyance  of  the  owner  of  the  island  at  our  having 
obtained  this  sure  footing  in  it,  and  what  lay  in  her 
power  to  do,  to  hinder  the  work,  she  did,  forbidding 
the  islanders,  through  her  agent,  under  heavy  penal- 
ties, to  quarry  a  stone,  or  permit  a  stone  to  be  raised 
in  their  ground,  or  aid  by  their  own  labour  in  any 
way  the  building  of  the  school-house.  This  obliged 
us  to  bring  from  the  main  land,  labourers  as  well  as 
tradesmen,  and  materials,  increasing  the  expense  by 
at  least  double,  and  had  not  Mr.  Gayer  carried  all 
gratuitously  in  his  Missionary  boat,  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  have  effected  the  object. 

The  poor  islanders  would  stand  round  in  groups, 
looking  on  at  the  works,  and  wishing  that  the  money 
being  laid  out  might  be  beneficial  to  themselves,  but 
not  daring  to  touch  a  stone  of  it.  One  woman  was  ob- 
served sitting  for  hours  watching  the  progress  of  the 
masons  :  at  last  Mr.  Gayer,  who  happened  that  day 
to  be  in  the  island,  superintending  the  building, 
asked  her  what  she  thought  he  was.  about.  She 
replied  in  Irish,  '  Oh  then  it^s  no  harm  you're  about 
at  all  events.' 

In  due  time  the  house  was  complete,  and  the 
reader  comfortably  lodged  in  it ;  an  extra  apartment 
was  also  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  any  clergyman 
visiting  the  island,  and  willing  to  remain  there  for 
a  few  days.     During  the  months  it  was  preparing, 


104  THE  BLASQUETTS. 

persecution  was  so  steadily  and  so  uncompromisingly 
carried  on,  that  the  converts  could  not  live  on  the 
island.  I  may  truly  say  they  had  been  *  robbed, 
and  peeled,  and  scattered/  many  were  obliged  to 
leave  the  island  and  join  themselves  to  the  Ventry 
congregation,  insomuch  that  when  the  house  was 
finished  there  was  but  one  family  of  converts  remain- 
ing on  the  island,  who  having  their  rent  clear  could 
not  easily  be  dispossessed. 

I  went  at  this  time  into  the  island  to  inspect  our 
new  acquisition.  I  had  not  been  in  it  before,  land- 
ing being  difficult  for  a  female,  as  it  is  necessary  to 
take  advantage  of  the  swell  of  the  wave  and  leap 
on  the  rocks  from  the  boat,  which  perhaps  is  the  next 
moment  carried  several  yards  back  on  the  retiring 
wave.  I  succeeded  in  landing,  however,  and  was 
more  affected  than  I  have  power  to  describe,  by 
witnessing  human  nature  reduced  to  the  savage  state 
it  is  among  these  islanders,  within  almost  ear-shot  of 
religious  light  and  civilization.  When  I  got  into 
the  new  school-room,  the  women  and  children  in 
great  numbers  crowded  in  and  squatted  themselves 
on  the  floor  round  me,  chewing  sea-weed  inces- 
santly, a  large  supply  of  which  was  in  every  woman's 
pocket  and  lap,  and  of  which  they  pressed  the  long 
strings  into  their  mouths  with  their  thumbs  in 
a  most  savage  manner,  and  spat  about  uncere- 
moniously at  will ;  they  touched  my  dress,  turned 
me  round  and  round  to  look  at  every  separate  article, 
laughed  with  admiration  at  my  shoes  and  gloves, 
kissed   and  stroked   my    old   silk    gown,   repeating 


THE   BLASQUETTS.  105 

Bragh  !  Bragh  !  'nice!  nice!'  though  the  reader  may 
believe  I  did  not  wear  any  thing  very  handsome  on 
such  an  expedition.     After  submitting  to  this  inspec- 
tion for  a  much  longer  time  than  was  agreeable,  I 
made  the  reader  my  interpreter  while  I   spoke   to 
them  of  Christ.     They  listened  with  great  attention, 
and    answered  freely  ;  but   how  shall  I  convey   an 
idea  of  their  ignorance, — of  the   Holy  Spirit  they 
knew  nothing,  the  name  of  Father,  Son,  and  Mary, 
they  repeated ;  but  so  crude  were  their  ideas  of  God, 
so   insufficient,    that  with  them  it  seemed  evident 
that  the  Mother  must  have  been  before  the  Son,  and 
consequently  Mary  and  the  Father,  (with  reverence 
I  write  the  irreverend  words,)  must  be  before  the 
Son  of  God ; — their  darkness  was  on  all  spiritual  sub- 
jects equally  great.     I  asked  them  what  their  idea  of 
*  sin '  was,  and  they  said  *  sheep-stealing  \'  and  seemed 
to  have  no  further  idea  of  moral  responsibility  than 
was   comprehended  in  not  stealing  sheep.      When 
they  had  it  explained  to  them  that  I  thought  them 
particularly   ignorant,    several    were    unanimous  in 
sending  for  a  woman  who  bore  a  great  character  for 
sanctity,  and  I  was  told  *  She  ivould  aiiswer  me  ;  she 
knew  how  to  make  her  soul,  and  had  it  in  fine  order," 
for  she  '  ivore  a  scapular  and  was  in  the  order,  (that 
is,  a  Carmelite),  and  had  more  prayers  than  were  on  her 
heads ; '    (it  is    usual    for    devotees,    both  male  and 
female,    to    enrol    themselves    members   of    various 
monastic  orders).     "When  she  entered,  or  rather  was 
dragged   in,  she    was    saluted    reverendly   by   those 
around  ;  squatting  herself  on  the  floor  with  the  others, 

F  5 


106  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

she  drew  her  petticoat  over  her  head  like  a  hood  ;  her 
garments  were  ragged  and  filthy,  her  long  hair  was 
matted,  and  without  cap  or  binder — care  and 
melancholy  was  stamped  on  her  countenance — once 
she  had  been  mad — perhaps,  poor  thing,  with  trying 
to  *  make  her  soul.'  She  did  not  seem  to  heed  miich 
the  encomiums  on  her  sanctity,  but  listened  with 
intense  attention  to  what  we  were  saying.  We 
asked  *  how  she  hoped  to  be  saved  :  '  she  clasped 
her  hands,  seemingly  with  anguish,  and  said,  *  God 
help  me,  leant  he  saved.''  After  some  further  ques- 
tions, she  said,  *  Christ  has  not  told  me  how  I 
may  he  saved:'  far  from  making  mention  of  her 
prayers  and  sufferings,  with  hope  of  acceptance  with 
God  through  their  merits,  she  had  been  made  to  feel 
them  insufficient,  and  the  iron  seemed  to  have 
entered  into  her  soul.  We  read  many  passages  to 
her,  and  spoke  much  of  the  love  of  God,  his  willing- 
ness '  to  receive  sinners,^  his  declaration  of  the 
gospel,  and  command  to  all  to  hear  and  read.  We 
spoke  of  the  fraud  of  the  priest  in  holding  back  The 
Word  from  the  people.  She  seemed  to  listen  with 
such  intensity  that  she  had  not  time  to  answer,  ask 
questions,  or  make  comment; — but  mute  with  atten- 
tion, rocking  herself  back  and  forward,  with  a  low 
moaning  hum,  that  spoke  mental  aspirations.  Cross- 
ing herself  every  now  and  then,  she  sat  and  listened 
while  we  spake,  till  the  shades  of  evening  warned  us 
to  depart.  In  conclusion  we  asked  her  what  she 
thought  of  all  we  had  been  saying  ;  *  I  think/  said 
she  in  Irish,  '  it  was  fine  words  !  full   of  love  !  I'll 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  lOT 

never  have  any  Saviour  any  more  but  Jesus  !  never  ! 
never  !  ' 

I  was  anxious  that  the  Reader  should  attend  to 
this  poor  creature  especially ;  but  she  led  a  kind 
of  wandering  life,  being  almost  crazed :  and  soon 
after  this  she  left  the  island,  and  in  one  of  her 
ramblings  died  by  the  road-side  in  a  ditch — let  us 
hope  that  Jesus  was  near. 

For  some  time  after  this,  matters  went  on  in  a  very 
discouraging  manner.  The  reader  became  dis- 
heartened, and  wished  to  be  removed  to  some 
situation  where  he  would  have  a  freer  field  of  labour. 
Mr.  Gayer  removed  him,  and  another  man  was  sent 
into  the  island ;  the  Reader  wrote  as  follows  on  his 
removal. 

'August,  1842. 
*  Madam, 

*  John  Sullivan,  and  James  Gloster's  son, 
came  to  remain  on  Friday — the  people  expressed  a 
good  deal  of  regret  for  having  me  leave  them,  par- 
ticularly Tim  Connor  seems  greatly  distressed  ;  such 
an  interesting  character  as  him  I  don't  expect  to 
meet  for  a  long  time  again  ;  he  is  a  man  of  uncom- 
monly strong  understanding,  and  any  thing  once 
told  him,  or  read  for  him,  he  would  most  surely 
keep  in  his  mind,  especially  any  thing  interesting  or 
important.  I  met  him  some  time  ago  in  Dingle, 
unexpectedly  on  a  Sabbath  evening  with  Murphy, 
another  island  convert :  and  they  after  coming  out 
from  prayers,   "  Tim,^'    said  I,  "  what  brought  you 


108.  THE  BLASQUETTS. 

here,  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  in  Dingle  this 
day."  "  I  suppose  not,"  said  he,  "  but  I  have  lately 
left  the  city  of  destruction  in  which  I  was  bred  and 
born,  and  am  in  search  of  Mount  Zion.  I  have 
prevailed  on  my  friend  here  to  accompany  me,  we 
are  at  present  so  far  on  our  way,  and  we  are  iex- 
ceedingly  happy  to  meet  you  here,  knowing  that  you 
are  also  taking  the  same  way."  "  But,"  said  I  to 
him,  "  did  you  meet  any  thing  that  would  discourage 
you,  or  incline  you  to  turn  back  again."  "Yes, 
many,"  said  he ;  "  all  our  friends  and  neighbours 
told  us  they  also  were  looking  for  Mount  Zion,  and 
if  we  did  not  take  the  same  road  with  them,  that  we 
could  never  arrive  there  ;  they  had  almost  prevailed 
on  us  to  go  along  with  them,  as  they  considered  it 
strange  that  two  ignorant  men  such  as  we  are,  could 
be  wiser  than  all  the  people  of  the  city."  "  Did  you 
meet  with  any  other  difficulty,"  said  I.  "  Yes,  we 
both  fell  into  the  Slough  of  Despond,  but  it  pleased 
God  that  we  came  out  at  the  side  farthest  from  homeT 
"  And  do  you  know  that  you  will  have  any  more 
troubles  or  difficulties  to  encounter  before  you  arrive 
at  your  place  of  destination."  "  Yes,  the  man  that 
first  induced  me  to  take  this  way,  told  me  that  I 
should  pass  through  '  vanity  fair,  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  and  would  have  to  encounter  and 
fight  with  a  fierce  beast  called  Apollyon.'  '^ 

'  It  had  been  eighteen  months  before  since  I  read 
the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress"  for  him,  and  he  seemed  to 
understand  its  meaning  so  well,  that  he  could  this 
day  tell  the  substance  of  the  whole.^ 

'P.  Connor.' 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  103 

I  visited  the  island  again  in  May,  1843,  and  found 
only  a  few  children  attending  the  school,  and  these 
irregularly,  so  that  I  felt  tempted  to  repine  at  having 
gone  to  the  expense  of  building  the  mission-house, 
and  expressed  myself  to  the  reader  to  this  effect ; 
when  he  rebuked  me,  saying,  *  Oh  Madam,  don't 
regret  it,  your  heart  would  have  opened  if  you  had 
seen  as  many  as  seventy  fishermen  under  its  shelter 
one  awful  night  last  winter ;  to  be  sure  they  might 
have  got  a  roof  over  them  among  the  neighbours, 
but  their  boats  would  have  all  been  lost  but  for  this 
big  house,  and  surely  they  might  all  as  one  lose  the 
life,  as  the  little  boat  that  feeds  them  and  the  chil- 
dren ! '  I  acknowledged  in  my  heart  this  seasonable 
rebuke,  and  faith  and  hope  were  still  further 
revived,  by  a  man's  bringing  his  child  for  baptism 
before  we  left  the  island.  Forty-two  of  the  islanders 
came  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony  :  how  easily  is 
faith  shaken  and  our  patience  in  well  doing  exhausted. 
We  demand  immediate  success,  forgetting  the  many 
promises  of  God,  how  he,  who  soweth  in  tears,  shall 
come  again  with  joy,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him  ! 
that  the  Lord's  word  shall  not  return  unto  him  void, 
hut  shall  accomplish  that  whereunto  he  sent  it,  that 
often  where  the  seed  lieth  hidden  beneath  the  sur- 
face longest,  exercising  the  patience  of  the  waiting 
husbandman,  it  fructifies  more  abundantly  than  that 
which  is  with  joy  received,  but  having  no  root  in 
itself  withereth  when  the  sun  is  hot. 

Notwithstanding  the  apparent  inefiiciency  which 
seemed  to  attend  the  efibrts  of  our  second  agent ;  no 


110  THE  BLASQUETTS. 

doubt  good  was  doing,  and  they  were  becoming 
more  familiar  with  the  scriptures,  and  less  fearful 
of  the  malediction  of  the  priest,  so  that  in  August, 
1843,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moriarty  went  and 
remained  a  week  on  the  island,  Mr.  Moriarty  thus 
writes : — 

'  *  *  *  *  We  had  the  same  number  of  children 
at  school  to-day,  taught  them  their  spelling  in 
English,  and  the  answers  in  Irish,  to  the  questions 
on  religion,  during  the  day  we  had  several  men  and 
women  of  the  island  looking  on  and  listening — the 
parents  of  the  children  appeared  gratified. 

'  After  dinner  I  went  to  the  house  of  Connor,  one 
of  our  people,  and  found  there  Sullivan,  whom  I 
must  now  call  a  convert,  and  his  wife.  John 
Sullivan,  our  agent,  and  they,  were  conversing 
together;  I  sat  down  and  joined  in  the  conversation  ; 
seven  or  eight  Romanists,  men  and  women,  soon 
came  in  j  we  exposed  fully  the  errors  of  the  Romish 
church,  and  I  endeavoured  to  press  solemnly  on  the 
minds  of  all,  the  necessity  of  timely  and  earnest 
attention  to  what  concerned  their  soul's  welfare  ;  the 
Romanists  were  very  attentive  ; — it  occurred  to  me 
during  the  time,  that  they  were  dissatisfied  with,  or 
at  all  events  indiflferent  to  Popery,  without  being  at 
all  concerned  about  their  souls — in  fact  infidels,  as 
to  religion,  without  knowing  what  that  means,  or 
being  conscious  of  it — hence  arises,  it  would  appear, 
much  of  their  liberality  in  holding  intercourse  with 
the  converts,  and  listening  to  the  word  of  God  :  of 
course  their  isolated  state  without  priest,  chapel,  or 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  Ill 

other  machinery  of  Popery,  has  tended  to  produce 
this  state  of  mind.  It  is  certainly  favourable  to  our 
operations  in  the  first  instance,  but  painful  to  notice 
their  insensibility  and  indifference  to  religion,  while 
they  listen  freely  to  our  conversations  and  reasonings 
on  the  subject. 

'  This  impression  made  me  speak  this  evening,  in  a 
way  I  thought  calculated  to  rouse  them  to  the  con- 
sideration of  it ;  they  listened,  as  I  read,  attentively ; 
may  the  Lord  bless  it  to  them ;  'tis  at  all  events  a 
gratification  and  cause  of  thankfulness  to  get  people 
to  listen  to  the  gospel.  *     *     * 

'  I  have  from  time  to  time,  an  opportunity  of 
friendly  discussion  with  little  groups  of  the  people, 
in  and  about  the  house     *     *     * 

'  Men,  women,  and  children,  were  gathered  about 
us  in  the  evening,  admiring  our  work,  and  I  had  a 
good  opportunity  of  conversation,  chiefly  as  to  their 
sending  their  children  to  the  school :  they  positively 
assured  me  it  was  their  most  earnest  desire  to  do  so, 
if  they  could,  but  that  they  were  too  much  in  the 
agent's  power,  and  only  for  him  that  they  wouldn't 
think  much  of  what  the  priest  would  say  ;  they  said 
that  the  children  themselves  were  anxious  for  it,  and 
one  man  remarked,  that  *  his  own  child  was  crying 
this  very  day  to  be  sent  to  the  school ;'  but  what 
could  they  do  under  these  circumstances,  to  be 
driven  on  the  wide  world  without  a  shelter. 

'  I  felt  their  case  was  hard,  and  while  sympathizing 
with  them,  I  endeavoured  to  urge  them  to  do  what 
their  conscience  approved,  and  trusting  in  the  Lord, 
to  obey  him  rather  than  man. 


112  THE  BLASQUETTS. 

*  I  was  delighted  to  see  at  prayers  this  evening, 
Shea  and  his  wife,  with  their  children,  who  attended 
the  school,  they  looked  as  if  they  came  to  join  the 
other  two  families  as  members  of  our  little  flock, 
rather  than  as  mere  lookers-on.  Shea  himself  was 
with  us  twice  before  at  prayer,  his  wife  once  at  lec- 
ture only.  I  had  some  conversation  with  her  this 
evening  after  prayer.  She  told  me  that  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  to  be  at  some  side  or  other,  adding,  that 
she  hadn't  been  at  any  for  some  time  back,  that 
after  she  had  sent  her  children  to  the  school  some 
time  ago,  she  went  to  the  priest  herself,  and  her 
mother,  for  confession,  and  he  only  took  the  stick  to 
them,  and  that  since  she  hadn't  settled  in  her  mind. 
I  liked  the  manner  in  which  she  spoke  of  this,  quite 
incidentally,  without  parade  or  boasting.  I  pressed 
upon  her  what  she  should  earnestly  seek,  and  whom 
follow.  Alluding  to  evening  lecture  on  John  ix,  she 
hoped  that  was  her  object  and  desire.  God  grant  it 
for  her  soul's  sake — let  us  do  our  part,  and  leave  the 
whole  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  to  whom  be  glory 
for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

*  *  *  *  In  now  reviewing  our  week's  work,  we 
feel  in  the  first  place,  that  to  the  little  school  our 
visit  was  valuable.  The  master  and  children  were 
stirred  up,  and  a  good  deal  instructed,  and  we  heard 
of  others  intending  to  send  their  children  to  the 
school. 

*  ^ndly.  Tim  Connor  and  family  were  not  a  little 
comforted  by  our  stay  among  them,  he  himself 
hadn't  been   well    with   rheumatism,   his  wife   was 


THE   BLASQUETTS.  113 

after  her  confinement,  and  weak  for  want  of  a  little 
nourishment ;  it  was  altogether  a  desirable  visit  to 
them,  and  we  rejoiced  to  see  them  in  health  and 
spirits  before  we  left. 

*  Srdly.  Michael  Sullivan,  the  boat-captain,  has 
fully  joined  himself  to  us,  a  step  which  we  have  been 
some  time  anticipating.  His  wife  and  children  have 
come  with  him. 

*  Lastly.  Michael  Shea  and  family  also,  joined  our 
little  flock  there  during  our  stay,  with  every  appear- 
ance of  their  integrity,  and  every  prospect  of  the 
work  prospering  with  the  divine  blessing.  Let  us 
give  God  thanks  and  take  courage.  We  must 
watch  over  them  and  pray  for  them.  To  bring  in 
poor  sinners,  is  only  part  of  our  work,  though  great 
indeed.  We  must  now  keep  them  in,  and  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  service  of  the  Lord  ;  for 
all  this  we  need  the  work  of  faith,  the  labour  of  love, 
and  the  patience  of  hope. 

*  As  fellow-workers  of  the  Lord  himself,  may  we 
be  enabled  so  to  labour,  that  the  ministry  be  not 
blamed  ;  and  may  we  at  the  last  appear  before  Him 
with  joy,  and  our  sheaves  with  us.' 

*  Sept.  1844. 
*  In  June  of  the  present  year,  1844,  Mr.  Gayer 
thought  it  advisable  to  change  the  reader  again  ;  we 
were  fortunate  in  having  a  suitable  man  to  send  in  at 
once  ;  the  work  is  now  prospering  greatly,  our  agent 
is  received  everywhere,  the  school  is  well  attended, 
the  Roman  Catholics  are  on  friendly  terms  with  the 


114  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

reader,  and  although  it  has  become  plain  that  a  con- 
gregation cannot  be  held  together  on  the  island,  all 
we  can  hope  our  missionary  to  effect,  is  to  make 
ready  a  people,  who,  when  instructed,  must  pass  out 
of  the  island,  and  join  the  Ventry  congregation  ;  the 
necessity  to  forsake  all  belonging  to  them,  will  hin- 
der hypocritical  profession,  but  the  gospel  standard 
is  by  the  completion  of  this  tenement  on  the  govern- 
rnent-ground  effectually  planted,  and  never  can  be 
uprooted  so  long  as  we  pay  our  rent. 

'  As  it  will  give  an  idea  of  how  they  are  instructed 
to  proceed,  by  falling  in  with  the  people  as  opportu- 
nity offers,  by  taking  advantage  of  any  passing  oc- 
currence to  arrest  attention,  I  subjoin  some  ex- 
tracts from  the  last  journal  of  our  reader,  not  because 
it  is  the  most  interesting,  but  because  it  presents  the 
work  as  it  is,  in  this  month  of  August,  1844,  and  is 
therefore  the  fittest  to  use. 

<  *  *  *  I  commenced  Sunday  School,  both 
adults  and  children  together.  I  taught  the  General 
Confession,  the  Lord's  prayer  and  the  Creed,  together 
with  the  Ten  Commandments  and  the  Collect  before 
them.  I  then  read  for  them  the  fifty-fifth  chapter  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah,  and  spoke  upon  it,  and  many  of  them 
asked  me  questions  which  I  explained  for  them,  and 
afterwards  we  prayed  together.  May  the  Lord  bless 
these  our  humble  proceedings  in  this  remote  part  of 
our  benighted  land.     Amen  and  Amen. 

'  Read  this  evening  in  my  own  house,  as  a  number 
of  Roman  Catholics  came  to  me  in  order  to  get  a 
*  scoff'  (whiff)  of  tobacco  as  they   call  it,  and  while 


THE   BLASQUETTS.  115 

they  were  engaged  in  smoking,  I  took  the  bible  and 
read  for  them  the  fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah,  and 
spoke  a  good  deal  upon  it.  One  of  the  men  asked 
me,  How  was  the  people  saved  before  Christ  came 
into  the  world  ?  this  I  showed  from  the  some  chapter 
and  seventh  verse,  and  also  from  1  Peter  xviii.  19, 
20.,  showing  them  that  he  was  the  Lamb  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world  for  all  believers,  that  it 
is  through  faith  in  him  that  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob  and  the  Patriarchs  were  saved.  They,  by 
looking  forward  to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  or  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  fulfilment  of  the  promises ; 
and  we,  by  looking  backward  through  faith,  and  be- 
holding him  sealing  our  redemption  on  Calvary's 
Cross,  his  triumphant  resurrection  from  the  grave, 
and  his  glorious  ascension  into  heaven,  these  and 
many  other  passages  I  read  and  explained  for  them, 
and  the  night  being  far  spent  they  all  went  to  their 
homes.     *     *     * 

*  This  morning,  before  breakfast,  a  number  of 
Romanists  came  into  my  house,  and  one  of  them, 
after  a  long  conversation,  said  that  he  would  wish  to 
know  if  what  he  heard  about  the  second  coming  were 
true,  or  v^ould  Christ  come  before  the. day  of  judg- 
ment ?  I  told  him  that  it  was  true,  and  read  Rev. 
XX.  for  them ;  when  I  read  the  fifth  verse,  he  re- 
peated back  again  and  again  with  astonishment ;  and 
also  the  sixth  verse,  as  did  all  of  them.  I  also  read 
the  first  chapter  of  Luke,  as  one  of  them  asked  me, 
Was  Christ  older  than  John  the  Baptist.  I  told  him 
that  he  was,  as  much  as  he  was  not  man, — but  not  as 


116  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

man.  And  I  read  the  aforesaid  chapter  for  them  ; 
they  all  rose  up  and  went  home.  Read  many  other 
chapters  during  the  day  for  some  of  the  converts,  and 
ended  with  prayer.     *     *     * 

*  Walked  out  after  school  hours,  and  met  a  man 
and  his  wife  who  were  drawing  sea-weed  ;  in  the 
course  of  our  conversation,  he  said,  that  the  priest 
would  soon  come,  as  it  was  fine  weather.  I  asked  him 
for  what  ? — he  said  that  he  came  twice  a  year,  once  at 
the  shearing  season,  when  he  should  get  one  fleece, 
if  a  poor  man  had  but  two,  and  an  old  servant  maid 
he  had  should  get  a  pound  of  wool  of  the  remain- 
ing fleece,  if  not,  the  priest  would  curse  us  for 
not  giving  it  to  her.  Again  at  November,  is  the 
other  appointed  time  for  collecting  the  fish,  and  if 
sent  for,  between  any  of  these  seasons,  to  anoint  a 
sick  person,  he  would  not  come  unless  he  was  paid 
the  sum  of  ten  shillings  down  on  the  nail,  before  he 
left  the  chair  ;  if  not,  the  soul  of  the  sick  person 
might  go  to  hell,  for  he  would  not  anoint  it.  1  said 
that  it  was  a  sad  thing  for  any  poor  sinner  to  put 
their  trust  in  such  a  person.  I  then  drew  out  my 
Irish  Testament  and  read  Heb.  x.,  and  shewed  them 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  the  great  High 
Priest,  and  that  he  alone  was  the  mediator  between 
God  and  man,  and  not  the  priest  or  any  saint  or 
angel.  As  for  the  priest  taking  money,  showed  that 
he  was  a  hireling  and  cared  not  for  the  sheep.  Read 
John  iii.  for  him,  he  said  that  it  was  true ; — we 
parted.     *     *     * 

*  Visited  Michael  Moor's  house,  who  is  a  Roman 


THE   BLASQUETTS.  117 

Catholic,  whose  wife  was  weighing  some  wool,  the 
scale  that  the  wool  was  in  seemed  to  be  a  little  light, 
which  said  Moor  remarked; — the  woman  made  answer, 
that  she  wished  that  her  good  works  would  so  much 
outweigh  her  bad  works,  she  would  be  sure  of  gain- 
ing heaven  thereby.  I  took  her  upon  these  words, 
and  said  that  all  our  works  were  but  as  filthy  rags  in 
the  sight  of  God  ;  she  then  threw  down  the  scales  and 
asked  me  what  would  she  do  then? — I  told  her  that  the 
same  question  was  asked  by  the  jailor  at  Philippi  of 
the  Apostle  Paul,  and  read  the  chapter  for  her,  and 
drew  her  attention  to  verses  thirty  and  thirty-one. 
And  after  showed  her  from  John  xix.  30,  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  finished  the  great  work  on  Cal- 
vary's Cross,  and  that  it  was  through  faith  in  his 
name  we  were  saved.  Acts  iii.  16.  So  I  left  the 
house  as  it  was  late.'     *     *     * 

Thursday,  Aug.  1st.  1844. 
*  In  my  way  home  this,  day  I  met  with  some  men 
in  passing  through  Dunquin,  who  asked  me  had  I 
any  news  ? — I  told  them  that  I  had  the  best  news  that 
they  ever  heard  of, — What  is  that,  said  they — that 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners. 
"  Oh  !  did  not  I  tell  you  that  it  would  be  a  text 
from  the  Bible,  the  first  news  that  we  would  hear 
from  him?  "  said  he,  "  and  do  you  regret  it  ?"  said  I, 
"  Oh  the  Bible  is  too  deep  for  me,"  said  he,  "  it  was 
not  too  deep  for  Timothy,"  said  I,  "  although  he 
was  but  a  child,  and  you  are  a  man  of  age,  and  have 
children  of  your  own,  and  yet  you  are  too  young  to 


118  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

read  the  Bible.  I  am  sure  you  are  young  as  regards 
the  truth,  and  I  am  as  certain  you  are  old  in  sin" — 
*'  How  do  jou  know  that  ?"  said  he,  "  Because  the 
word  of  God  tells  me  so/'  said  I,  and  quoted  Rom. 
iii.  10.  As  it  is  written  "  there  is  none  righteous, 
no,  not  one,"  and  also  the  twenty-third  verse,  •*  for 
all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God." 
'  Now,  said  I,  "  are  you  a  sinner  V  Oh  !  I  am  sure 
that  I  am  a  sinner."  said  he.  "  But  what  about 
Timothy  ?  "  said  the  other  man,  "  I  will  read  the 
chapter  to  you," — said  I,  and  while  I  was  taking  out 
my  Testament,  I  prayed  unto  the  Lord  to  bless  his 
own  word  and  bring  it  home  to  the  hearts  of  these 
poor  men  with  the  power  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  I  then 
read  the  third  chapter  of  the  second  of  Timothy,  and 
when  I  read  the  twelfth  verse,  one  of  them  pinched 
the  other  and  told  me  to  read  it  again,  "  Yea  and  all 
that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  perse- 
cution.^' I  then  read  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth 
verses  for  them,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  conversa- 
tion they  told  me  to  go,  and  the  Lord  bless  me,  at 
the  same  time  expressing  a  wish  to  have  my  book.  I 
told  them  to  have  it,  but  as  it  was  Irish  they  could 
not  read  it,  so  I  promised  to  give  them  an  English 
one  the  next  time  I  should  be  out  of  the  island  and 
meet  any  of  them, — so  we  parted.' 

•  Friday,  August  9,  1844. 
*  Visited  a  convert's  house ;    found  four    women 
talking  about  worldly  affairs  ;  sat  down  for  some  time, 
and  when  they  were  longer  than  I  would  wish  talk- 


THE  BLASQUETTS.  119 

ing,  I  said  to  one  of  them,  "  I  never  hear  any  of 
you  speaking  about  the  state  of  your  immortal 
souls."  Oh,  said  one  of  them,  "  it  is  only  to  put 
that  on  the  long  finger ,'  "  And  what  would  you  do," 
said  I,  "  if  the  Lord  cut  that  finger  short,  and  called 
upon  you  to  night,  how  would  the  case  be  with  your 
poor  soul  ?  "  "  Oh,"  said  she,  "  God  will  not  be  hard 
on  me," — "  Are  you  a  sinner  ?  "  said  I ;  "  I  believe, 
I  am,"  said  she,  "  then  the  word  of  God  tells  us, 
that  wages  of  sin  is  death,  (Rom.  vi.  23.),  but  the 
gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ.  I 
will  tell  you  from  the  word  of  God,  what  became  of 
a  man,  who  put  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  never- 
dying  soul  on  the  long  finger,  as  you  say,  and  cared 
but  for  his  worldly  wealth.  I  then  read  part  of  the 
twelfth  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  beginning  at  the  fifteenth 
verse ;  and  showed  them,  although  this  man  was 
rich,  and  had  much  earthly  substance,  and  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  was  gratifying  himself  with  the 
pleasure  of  enjoying  so  much  wealth,  the  Lord 
called  him  away.  I  spent  much  time  in  explaining 
the  remaining  part  of  the  chapter,  but  more  particu- 
larly to  the  thirty-second  verse,  they  were  struck  with 
awe,  with  the  foregoing  verses,  as  one  of  the  women 
remarked,  how  well  the  'person  that  wrote  the  hook, 
knew  hoiv  to  humble  the  people,  and  make  them  think 
little  of  themselves, — "  why  not,''  said  I,  ''  when  it 
was  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  spoke  these  words, 
and  he  knew  the  thoughts  and  intent  of  the  sinner's 
heart,  and  the  Apostles  wrote  it  under  the  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Ghost ;"  but  when  I  came  to  verse  31,  "  but 


120  THE   BLASQUETTS. 

rather  seek  you  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  all 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you  ;  " — the  poor  people 
thanked  me  very  kindly,  and  I  prayed  to  the  Lord 
to  bless  the  portion  of  his  word,  that  I  read  for  them 
to  the  salvation  of  their  souls.'  *  *  *  * 

*  Friday  the  I6th. 
'  Went  out,  but  did  not  go  far  from  the  house, 
when  I  met  an  old  man,  who  asked  me,  "  where  I 
was  going  ?  "  I  told  him  "  fishing."  ''  I  am  sure  the 
boats  are  all  gone  out  now,'*^  said  he.  ''Are  you  not 
a  good  old  JisJi''  said  I,  "  if  you  were  in  the  Lord's 
net,  for  it  will  not  be  long  until  you  are  caught  in 
some  net."  "Oh,  if  that  isall,"saidhe,  "there  is  many 
gone  before  me  in  a  worse  state  of  sin  than  1  am  in." 
"Do  you  think  that  you  are  better  than  them,'^  said  I. 
"Why  not,"  said  he,  "for  against  one  thing  that  I  have 
done,  they  have  done  fifty."  "Are  you  guilty,  do  you 
think,"  said  I,  "ofany  sinatall?'^ — "I  did  not  do  much 
since  the  priest  forgave  me  all  that  1  did,  since  he  was 
here  before ;" — "  The  word  of  God  tells  us,"  said  I, 
thathethat "  breaks  one  of  the  commandments  of  God 
is  guilty  of  all."  The  poor  man  stopt  for  some  time. 
"  Well,  said  I, "  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from 
sin,  and  not  the  priest,  for  he  is  the  priest  that 
offered  himself  up  to  God."  I  read  for  him,  the 
seventh  chapter  of  Hebrews,  showed  him  from  the 
twenty-seventh  verse,  that  Christ  needeth  not  daily, 
as  those  high  priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his 
own  sins,  and  then  for  the  people^s,  for  this  he  had 
done  once  when  he  offered  up  himself.     I  had  at  his 


TflE  BLASQUETTS.  121 

request  to  read  the  chapter  again,  so  he  left  the  house 
thoughtful.' 

These  extracts  will  give  an  idea  of  all  the  jour- 
nals of  our  various  readers,  and  the  means  they  are 
in  the  habit  of  using  to  create  throughout  our  land 
a  loosening  of  superstition  and  ignorance,  and  an 
enquiry  into  the  truth. 


132  KILMALKEDAR. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


KILMALKEDAR. 


One  other  parish  remains  to  be  noticed,  through 
which  the  work  of  Reformation  has  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood been  extended  :  Kilmalkedar,  which  lies  at 
the  foot  of  Mount  Brandon,  two  miles  north-west  of 
Dingle,  presents  many  subjects  of  interesting  reflec- 
tion to  the  thoughtful  mind. 

The  Christian  philosopher  and  the  antiquarian, 
will  find  here  objects  of  research,  and  in  its  monuments 
of  by-gone  days,  will  read  legibly  the  motto  written 
by  God  on  all  things  terrestrial : — "  The  fashion  of 
this  world  passeth  away.'^  Buildings  are  to  be  seen  in 
this  isolated  spot,  withstanding  the  destructive  finger 
of  time,  yet  so  rude,  they  can  only  be  referred  to 
aboriginal  times.  Cairns,  on  which  are  stones  bear- 
ing Ogham  inscriptions,  some  prostrate,  some  still 
upright,  lie  undeciphered^  and  as  far  as  our  present 
knowledge  reaches,  undecipherable.  Circular  stone- 
roofed  cells  remain  grouped  together,  of  which  even 
legendary  tales  having  ceased  to  speak,  they  possess 
neither  name  nor  interest  in  the  superstitions  of  the 


m 


mimHf,  a„ 


KILMALKEDAR.  123 

peasantry.  Two  other  very  remarkable  buildings 
also,  with  well-framed  stone  roofs,  much  larger  than 
the  cells,  and  of  very  superior  workmanship  ;  but 
without  any  plan  to  denote  the  object  of  their  erec- 
tion, must  also  be  left  unnoticed  ;  no  tradition  exist- 
ing to  throw  a  gleam  of  light  on  their  history.  But, 
however  the  mind  of  man  may  please  itself  in  trying 
to  penetrate  into  the  shadowy  and  uncertain  past,  it 
is  to  the  sober  mind  more  grateful  to  trace  things 
sacred  from  their  antiquity  by  the  more  certain  light 
of  history — it  is  therefore,  with  more  than  dreamy 
pleasure,  that  we  contemplate  the  old  Froiestant 
church  of  Kilmalkedar — for  the  word  " Protestant^' 
may  not  unjustly  be  applied  to  represent  the  true 
Christianity  of  our  dear,  but  now  most  degenerate 
Ireland,  at  the  era  when  the  church  of  Kil-moel- 
Kedar  was  built,  while  she  yet  resisted  the  inroads 
of  popish  supremacy,  and  by  her  learning  and  sanc- 
tity, won  to  herself  the  title  of  the  "  Isle  of  Saints.'* 
This  church,  of  which  the  remains  still  stand  in  good 
preservation,  is  thus  spoken  of  in  an  antient  manu- 
script in  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  ;  and  were  it 
written  to-day,  we  could  not  desire  a  more  accurate 
account  of  its  "  locality  and  its  name."  Of  its 
locality,  the  foot  of  Knock,  (or  Mount)  Brennane 
on  the  sea-shore  at  the  west  j  its  name,  "  Moel 
Kedar,"  or  bald,  or  tonsured  Kedar,  son  of  Ronan, 
son  of  the  King  of  Ulster.  The  whole  passage  runs 
thus,  "  Moel  Kedar,  son  of  Ronan,  son  of  the  King 
of  Ulster,  of  Kilmoilche  on  the  sea  shore,  at  Knock 
Brennane  in  the  west."  Kil  is  Irish  for  Church  ; 
g2 


134  KILMALKEDAR. 

thus  we  have  Kil-moel-Kedar,  or,  "  the  Church 
of  bald  Kedar/^  on  the  '^  sea-shore  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Brandon  at  the  west."  This  person  is  in  this 
manuscript  said  to  have  lived  about  the  ninth  cen- 
tury, and  the  architecture  clearly  refers  it  to  about 
that  era, — it  is  of  the  Anglo-Norman,  or  as  it  is  more 
correctly  called,  theLombardic  style,  of  which  the  only 
remaining  specimens  are  to  be  found  in  buildings 
confessedly  the  most  antient.  Such  as  is  to  be  seen  in 
the  nave  of  the  Rochester  Cathedral,  said  to  be 
one  of  the  oldest  in  England,  and  in  the  Crypt  of 
St.  Peter,  at  Oxford,  which  may  be  really  said  to 
be  a  counterpart  of  Kil-moel-kedar.  The  account 
given  by  Gross,  in  his  Antiquities  of  Cormac's  Chapel 
at  Cashel,  may  be  copied  as  a  description  of  Kilmal- 
chedor.  "  A  stone-roofed  chapel,  with  a  Nave  and 
Choir.^^  "  Short  thick  columns  supporting  the  arch 
leading  into  the  choir.  The  portal  semi-circular, 
with  nail  head  and  chevron  mouldings.""  Although 
Kilmalkedar  has  been  in  ruins  for  a  period  where- 
unto,  (to  use  a  legal  phrase,)  the  memory  of  man 
reacheth  not,  yet  a  sufficient  portion  of  the  roof 
remains  to  prove  that  it  was  originally  of  stone,  the 
elaborate  ornamenting  of  the  side-walls  of  the  inte- 
rior nave  is  of  a  kind  to  attract  attention,  even  if 
found  in  one  of  our  most  richly-adorned  chapels;  but 
peculiarly  so,  being  found  in  so  remote  a  situation, 
and  a  place  of  so  little  note.  But  to  the  eyes  of 
Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do,  no  place  is  remote — 
no  place  forgotten — and  here,  after  the  long  lapse  of 
ages,  the  lamp  of  the  Lord  is  again  lighted,  and  the 


KILMALKEDAR.  125 

Gospel  of  the  Lord  once  more  preached.  The  work 
was  begun  by  the  teachers  of  the  Irish  Society, 
during  the  incumbency  of  Mr.  Gubbins  ;  but  did  not 
become  apparent  till  March  1842,  when  Mr.  Gayer 
was  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  sudden  secession  of 
eleven  families  simultaneously  from  the  Church  of 
Rome,  headed  by  one  Laurence  Sullivan,  who  had 
been  the  priest's  clerk. 

The  writer  received  the  following  account  of  this 
remarkable  fact  from  Sullivan  himself,  which  is  here 
given  as  nearly  as  possible  in  his  own  words. 

"  The  way  of  it  your  honor  was,  how  I  got  the 
Irish  Bible,  and  it  was  not  very  long  till  the  light 
broke  on  me,  whether  I  liked  it  or  no.  I  couldn't 
be  easy  going  to  mass,  and  I  couldn't  be  easy  going 
away  from  mass.  I  couldn't  bring  my  mind  to  face 
the  neighbours  after  bidding  farewell  to  the  priest. 
I  pondered  long  in  my  mind,  but  the  truth  had  not 
entered  my  heart  yet,  and  like  Jonah  the  prophet, 
Ithought  to  run  away  from  the  Lord.  So  as  I  couldn't 
be  happy  at  home  any  more,  I  started  off  to  Tralee, 
and  sailed  for  America  by  the  first  ship  I  got  going  ; 
but  I  find  there's  no  such  power  in  man,  as  will  let 
him  run  from  the  Lord.  He  found  me  out  in 
America,  and  as  the  Bible  happened  upon  me  here, 
so  the  Bible  was  the  first  book  that  happened  upon 
me  when  I  set  foot  in  America  ;  and  before  I  was  a 
year  there  I  found  the  Lord  in  earnest,  and  never 
had  rest  or  peace  in  my  mind,  till  I  came  back  to 
tell  the  neighbours  what  I  found  out  to  be  the  truth. 
Sure   enough   I    thought   they'd  murder    me,    and 


126  KILMALKEDAR. 

cruel  enough  they  did  look  on  me  surely,  even  my 
own  wife.  T  couldn't  bear  it  by  any  means  ;  so  one 
day,  says  I  to  them,  "  Well,  boys,  you  needn't  be  so 
black,  and  turning  away  from  me  as  if  I  didn't 
belong  to  you.  Sure  here  I  am,  you  may  kill  me 
if  you  like,  and  may  be  it's  to  kill  me  you  will ;  but 
I  don't  care,  I  am  ready  to  die  for  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  the  sooner  the  better,  but  I'll  not  hold  my 
tongue — while  I  have  breath  I'll  speak" — and  with 
that  I  told  them  what  drove  me  to  America,  and 
what  drove  me  back  faster  than  I  went,  and  the 
Lord  opened  their  hearts,  and  gave  them  patience  to 
hear  me  out ;  and  they  took  to  hearing  a  chapter 
now  and  then  out  of  my  book,  till  it  pleased  the 
Lord  that  they  should  see  the  truth,  and  we  kept 
quiet  till  we  all  came  out  from  Babylon  together, 
and  by  the  blessing  of  the  Lord,  we  never  will  be 
caught  in  the  devil's  net  again." 

Nor  have  they  ;  these  poor  people  have  continued 
stedfast:  Mrs.  Gayer  collected  funds  for  a  school- 
house,  which  has  been  erected  for  them,  and  a  resident 
scripture  reader  placed  among  them,  paid  by  the 
"  Ladies  Auxihary  Society."  There  has  been  an  in- 
crease of  two  families  to  their  number,  and  there  are 
forty-seven  children  in  the  school,  who  are  taught  by 
Laurence  Sullivan,  and  who  speak  Irish  exclusively.' 

The  Roman  Catholic  priest  of  the  place  w^as  an 
old  gentleman,  of  a  class  nearly  extinct :  he  had  been 
educated  abroad,  and  knew  perhaps  the  evils  of 
revolutionary  principles  too  well  to  inculcate  them. 
Not  reared  at  Maynooth,  he  was  less  of  a  politician 


KILMALKEDAR.  127 

and  less  active,  as  well  as  less  fiery  in  his  sentiments 
against  Protestantism,  so  much  so  that  he  had 
acquired  the  name  of  the  Protestant  priest.  This 
old  gentleman's  watchfulness  not  being  much  to  be 
depended  on,  two  coadjutors  have  of  late  years  been 
sent  into  his  parish  as  curates.  The  following  is  a 
letter  from  the  '  Reader '  on  the  occasion. 

*  Oct.  1843. 
'  Rev.  Sir, 

*  Your  untiring  exertions  in  the  furtherance 
of  the  truth  of  God  in  this  unhappy  country,  and 
your  constant  anxiety  for  its  welfare,  obliges  me  to 
send  you  a  few  lines  respecting  the  Lord's  work  in 
this  hitherto  benighted  district.  I  can,  of  course, 
but  give  a  brief  outline  of  what  is  going  on  here,  as 
there  isjustnowa  most  fiery  persecution  waged  against 
those  who  are  brought  from  darkness  to  light  and 
life,  which  will  indeed  try  their  faith  ; — there  is. 
Rev.  Sir,  a  crisis — such  as  during  the  six  or  seven 
years  I  have  been  engaged  in  pulling  down  the  high 
places,  I  never  before  experienced.  The  priests. 
Rev.  Sir,  those  mortal  enemies  of  all  righteousness, 
have  taken  counsel  together  against  tine  Lord,  and 
against  his  anointed.  They  know.  Sir,  the  ground 
they  have  lost — they  see  their  ranks  daily  thinning, 
and  have  determined  to  make  a  desperate  fight.  May 
the  Lord  be  on  our  side,  may  the  God  of  battles 
decide  in  favour  of  his  people,  who  trust  in  him  ; 
perhaps  you  are  not  aware  of  the  orders  issued  by 
the  Romish  Bishop  of  this  diocese  to  his  priests, 


128  KILMALKEDAR. 

charging  them  with  negligence,  lukewarmness,  and 
want  of  affection  to  the  fallen  Lady  ;  and  they,  to 
show  their  love  of  her,  are  moving  heaven  and  earth 
to  bring  back  her  refractory  admirers  ;  but  no  man 
can  pluck  them  out  of  the  Lord's  hand. 

'  Rev.  Sir,  it  is  curious  to  observe  how  they  are 
working  at  present,  in  a  parish  where  it  is  thought 
the  priest  is  too  mild,  or  not  able  to  curse  ;  another 
more  talented  blasphemer  is  sent  into  it  for  a  sabbath 
or  two,  to  curse  the  people,  their  flocks,  and  their 
herds,  their  crops,  and  their  children,  if  they  hear 
us,  or  speak  to  us,  or  deal  with  us :  insomuch 
that  unless  we  allow  "  the  mark "  to  be  again 
branded  on  '*'  our  forehead,"  or  "  in  our  hand,"  we 
may  scarcely  "  buy  or  sell ;  "  but  it  is  still  more 
wonderful  to  see  them  when  their  cursing  fails, 
going  through  the  villages,  telling  their  dupes  that 
if  they  sell  us  any  thing  our  money  will  melt  all 
they  have  in  the  world,  because  it  is,  as  the  priests 
say,  the  '  price  of  the  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  ' 
the  character  of  their  curses  in  the  chapel  too  is 
awful,  and  when  they  beseech  God  to  make  the 
crops  grow  downivard,  the  people,  who  have  suf- 
fered much  of  late  years  by  the  failure  of  the  potato 
crops,  are  actually  disgusted.  1  have  spoken  to 
many  of  them,  who  are  evidently  ashamed  of  the  way 
their  priests  take  to  maintain  their  religion  ;  I  am 
sure  you  will  like  to  know  which  priests  have  changed 
places  in  the  West; — Dunurlin  has  been  edified  by  John 
Carrol,  of  Aunascal,  of  cursing  notoriety  ;  and  the 
good  people   of  Dingle  are  to  be  so  with  the  pre- 


KILMALKEDAR.  129 

sence  of  Tim  Collins  on  Sunday  next,  from  Castle- 
gregory.  Foley  went  to  the  East,  and  John  Halpin 
is  come  to  Kilmakedar,  where  old  Casey  is 
considered  a  blank,  if  not  too  partial  to  us.  Poor 
John  has  destroyed  his  voice  with  the  obstinate  men 
ofVentry  to  no  effect;  it  will  be  gratifying  to  your 
reverence  to  learn  that  this  opposition  to  the  truth  is 
entirely  powerless,  the  cause  is  progressing  gloriously 
— priestly  manosuvering  is  too  stale — their  last 
struggle  is  coming  to  an  end — the  converts  through 
the  district  are  much  established,  and  firm  on  the  rock 
of  their  salvation. 

'  A  few  days  ago  I  visited  most  of  these  two 
parishes ;  I  was  never  better  received, — had  an 
important  meeting  at  Gallerus,  where  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  speaking  long  on  the  great  point.  I 
went  to  Keel  also  with  P.  Connor, — had  a  fine 
meeting  of  the  villagers — school-house  progressing 
fast ;  I  have  great  hopes  of  this  place. 

'  Cahirdorgan  is  also  firm  in  spite  of  all  the  oppo- 
sition and  exertions  of  the  priests  to  crush  the  spirit 
of  inquiry,  the  people  were  never  better  disposed, 
nor  had  we  ever  such  opportunities  of  showing  up 
their  folly  and  falsehood.  I  went  to  see  Manning, 
of  Farrar,  a  few  days  ago,  and  on  my  return  by 
Smerwick  Strand,  there  was  priest  Foley  saying 
mass.  I  spoke  to  the  people  on  the  falseness 
of  his  assertion,  in  telling  them  that  he  could  offer 
the  Son  of  Godforjish.  I  also  spoke  of  the  mes- 
sage of  peace  Jesus  brought  to  sinners,  whom  he 
saved  by  his  precious  blood,  which   the  priest  told 

G  5 


130  KILMALKEDAR. 

them  he  could  offer  for  mackarel,  or  herrings,  I 
concluded  by  showing  them  how  awfully  they  were 
imposed  on,  and  the  judgment  that  awaited  them 
for  being  so  careless  of  their  souls,  as  not  to  try  and 
examine  whether  they  were  in  the  faith.  I  perceived 
a  good  impression  was  made  on  them :  there  were 
the  crews  of  six  boats  paying  for  the  mass ;  priest 
Collins  of  Letterough  has  actually  agreed  with  his 
parishioners  for  £6,  to  bring  plenty  of  fish  into 
Brandon  Bay  and  the  adjacent  creeks.  Praying 
that  the  Lord  may  deliver  these  people  from  their 
strong  delusion,  and  that  he  may  bring  your  reverence 
safely  home. 

'  I  beg  to  remain, 

'  Rev.  Sir, 
'  Your  faithful  humble  servant.* 

M.  B. 


DINGLE.  131 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


DINGLE. 


THE   COLONY. 


While  we  have  been  giving  the  history  of  the 
reformation  in  all  these  small  localities,  and  the 
bringing  their  simple  annals  down  to  the  period  at 
which  I  write,  1844,  I  have  necessarily  left  unmen- 
tioned  Dingle,  the  place  from  whence,  under  God, 
so  much  good  mainly  emanated,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  our  indefatigable  pastor — Mr. 
Gayer — whose  zeal  and  energy  jirst  awakened,  and 
has  since  sustained  the  zeal,  and  guided  the  energy  of 
others,  breaking  down  all  opposition,  and  overcoming 
every  suspicion. 

It  will  be  necessary,  therefore,  to  return  to  the 
year  1839,  when  these  lateral  streams  began  to  flow 
from  the  well-spring  in  Dingle,  and  bring  up  the 
account  of  the  Lord's  work  there  for  the  last  five 
years. — 

In  this  year  1839,  our  dear  departed  friend  Captain 
Forbes,  while  in  London,  stated  at  a  dinner-table,  in 


133  DINGLE. 

conversation,  some  of  the  circumstances  of  the  Dingle 
reformation  ;  he  added  interesting  anecdotes  of  the 
converts,  and  concluded,  by  declaring,  that  if  there  was 
a  shelter  provided,  many  families  remaining  in  popery, 
from  the  mere  fear  of  destitution,  would  come  out ; 
that  they  were  fully  convinced  of  its  errors,  and  were 
themselves  eager  to  leave  the  Church  of  Rome  at  all 
hazards,  but  that  he  himself  had  persuaded  them  to 
remain  as  they  were  for  a  time,  till  he  should  see 
what  could  be  done. 

'A  Christian  lady  present  felt  deeply  moved  by  this 
statement,  and  after  a  little  time  set  on  foot  a  sub- 
scription for  the  building  of  cottages  for  the  destitute 
converts,  to  be  called  the  ^'Dingle  Colony,"  Acommit- 
tee  was  formed  for  this  object,  of  which  the  patroness 
was  Lady  Lorton ;  Miss  Mahon's  first  printed 
circular  states  her  object  to  be,  ''  to  form  a  Protes- 
tant settlement  for  the  protection  of  the  persecuted 
and  afflicted  converts  from  Romanism,  who  through 
their  renunciation  of  Popery,  are  driven  from  their 
former  homes  and  employment,  and  thereby  to  pro- 
cure for  them  refuge,  employment,  and  instruction, 
as  it  appeared  abundantly  evident  from  the  state- 
ments of  several  highly-esteemed  lay  and  clerical 
friends,  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  reforma- 
tion in  Dingle,  that  it  is  impossible  for  converts  to 
hold  out  unless  protection  aud  employment  are  given 
them. 

"It  is  our  intention  also,"  says  the  same  circular, 
*'  to  extend  our  work  to  Ventry  when  we  have  shel- 
tered those  of  Dingle."     So  indefatigably  did  Miss 


DINGLE.  13.3 

Mahon  devote  herself  to  the  labour  of  collecting,  that 
before  the  end  of  the  year  1840,  she  placed  the  re- 
quisite funds  for  fifteen  cottages  in  the  hands  of  the 
gentlemen  who  kindly  undertook  to  act  as  trustees, 
viz.,  Rev.  Charles  Gayer,  Lieut.  Clifibrd,  Coast- 
Guard  Inspecting  Officer,  and  Captain  Forbes.  The 
ground  for  these  cottages  and  the  farm  attached,  was 
given  by  Lord  Ventry.  They  were  nearly  complete, 
when  a  letter  appeared  in  the  *  Christian  Ex- 
aminer' for  November  1841,  written  by  Mr.  Monck 
Mason,  condemning  the  new  institution  on  three 
several  grounds,  and  entreating  the  Rev.  Hugh 
White,  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed,  to  dis- 
suade Miss  Mahon  from  proceeding  with  it.  The 
three  grounds  of  objection  were,  first,  the  expense, 
which  was  calculated  to  drain  resources  hitherto 
flowing  into  the  Irish  Society.  Secondly,  the  '  em- 
barrassment,— becoming  daily  more  inconvenient, — - 
arising  from  netv  objects  being  proposed  to  the 
public  of  Great  Britain,  demanding  their  bounty  for 
the  same  ends.'  The  last  was  the  most  important 
objection,  i.  e.,  '  that  there  was  no  warrant  in  scrip- 
ture for  any  such  mode  of  rescuing  converts  from  the 
persecution  which  was  the  predicted  result  of  their 
conversion,  and  which  persecution  was  the  truest 
test  of  their  sincerity.' 

Mr.  Gayer  thus  answered  these   objections    in    a 
letter  to  the  Editor  of  the  Christian  Examiner  : — 


134  DINGLE. 


Dec.  1841. 

'Dear  Sir, 

'  The  last  number  of  the  Christian  Examiner 
contained  a  letter  from  Mr.  Monck  Mason,  relative  to 
the  Dingle  colony,  in  which  he  states  several  objec- 
tions against  such  an  institution ;  which,  coming 
from  a  person  of  so  much  influence  amongst  the 
Christian  public  as  Mr.  Mason  justly  is,  is  calculated 
to  injure  it  in  the  eyes  of  its  friends  and  supporters. 

'  I  feel  I  must  give  Mr.  Mason  full  credit  for  a 
sincere  desire  to  benefit  the  work  of  the  Lord  in 
general,  by  the  remarks  brought  forward  in  his 
letter ;  but  I  believe  he  wrote  under  an  entire  mis- 
apprehension of  the  locality,  nature,  and  internal 
management  of  the  Dingle  colony. 

'  Mr.  Mason's  first  objection,  and  his  principal  one, 
shews  that  he  is  ignorant  oi  the  locality  of  the  colony  ; 
and  that  is,  *'  that  it  is  tempting  converts  to  fly  from 
persecution.'^  If  the  colony  was  to  be  established  on 
the  top  of  one  of  our  mountains,  away  from  society, 
then  the  objection  would  be  a  valid  one  ;  and  it 
might  be  indeed  said,  that  the  converts  "  were  timid 
and  untried  refugees,  to  be  pointed  at  by  Romanists, 
as  craven  persons  flying  from  persecution  to  indulge 
the  flesh,  and  that  they  had  taken  refuge  there  ;" 
but  I  am  sure,  that  Mr.  Mason  will  withdraw  his  ob- 
jection as  groundless,  when  I  inform  him,  that  the 
colony  is  established  in  the  town  of  Dingle,  opposite 
to  the  residence  of  three  priests, — that  they  are  liable 
to  the  same  persecution  that  they  were  always  sub- 


DINGLE.  135 

ject  to,  and  that  their  residhig  in  the  colony  does  not 
procure  them  work  from  their  Roman  Catholic 
neighbours.  If  going  into  the  colony  is  "  flyiug 
from  persecution,"  it  is  like  going  from  the  frying-pan 
into  the  fire ;  for  they  cannot  go  out  or  come  in 
without  being  under  the  observation  of  their  rever- 
ences of  Rome.  But  "  flying  from  persecution" 
seems  to  imply,  that  the  converts  came  from  a  dis- 
tance, whereas  with  a  very  few  exceptions  they  are  all 
natives  of  the  town.  But  if  merely  changing  their 
abode  from  one  street  to  another  is  "  flying  from 
persecution,'^  then  the  objection  is  valid. 

'  The  second  objection  is,  that  "  Christians  are  to 
be  witnesses  for  the  Lord,  lights  in  the  world,  and 
are  to  show  forth  their  good  works  in  the  midst  of  a 
crooked  and  perverse  generation.'^  The  locality  of 
the  colony  overturns  this  objection  also  ;  for,  I  think 
it  stands  to  reason,  that  the  converts  being  collected 
together,  are  brought  more  under  public  observation 
than  when  scattered  through  the  town — the  very 
circumstances  of  the  clean  appearance  of  the  houses, 
naturally  attracts  attention,  and  would  lead  strangers 
to  inquire,  who  are  the  inmates  ?  And  that  they 
"  show  forth  their  good  works,"  may  -be  implied  I 
think,  from  the  fact,  that  although  their  enemies  have 
charged  them  with  being  bribed,  they  have  not 
charged  them  with  immorality  of  conduct. 

*  His  third  objection  is,  that  it  is  "  calculated  to 
create  hypocrites."  But,  here  Mr.  Mason  shows  that 
he  is  not  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  colony. 
It  might  be  supposed,  from  his  letter,  that  we  were 


136  DINGLE. 

building  houses,  in  the  hope  of  inducing  persons  to 
leave  popery  ;  but,  the  fact  is,  that  we  admit  no  per- 
sons into  them  who  have  not  been  tried,  and  of  whose 
sincerity  there  can  he  no  reasonable  doubt.  Eighty- 
six  persons  are  now  residing  in  the  houses  already 
erected,  some  of  whom  have  been  converts  for  seven 
years,  some  for  six,  and/ezu  for  less  than  tivo  years. 
If  we  had  double  the  number  of  houses  completed 
this  moment,  they  would  not  supply  all  our  families : 
but  even  then  we  would  not  put  untried  families  into 
them.  But  the  objection  that  it  would  "  make 
hypocrites^^  shows,  that  Mr.  Mason  is  also  unac- 
quainted with  the  internal  management  of  it,  for 
what  probable  inducement  would  it  be  to  a  man  to 
leave  popery  who  was  acting  the  part  of  a  hypocrite, 
when  he  knows  that  he  would  only  be  received  as  a 
weekly  tenant,  and  that  all  the  ground  he  is  to  expect, 
is  a  small  portion  to  cultivate  for  potatoes,  and  that  only 
for  the  one  crop,  and  that  he  could  be  prevented 
digging  one  potato  until  the  rent  both  of  the  house 
and  land  was  paid  up ;  and  thus  I  consider,  the  inter- 
nal arrangement  of  it,  is  not  calculated  to  "  make 
hypocrites."  That  no  hypocrite  will  ever  appear 
amongst  us,  I  am  not  foolish  enough  to  suppose,  for 
''  hypocrisy  is  the  only  evil  that  walks  invisible  ex- 
cept to  God  alone,''  but  I  think  we  have  taken  as 
many  necessary  precautions  against  it  as  is  possible 
under  the  circumstances. 

'  I  have  already  shown  that  the  constitution  of  our 
colony  does  not  make  the  converts  ''  fly  from  perse- 
cution^''  but  rather  exposes  them  to  it ;  that  it  makes 


DINGLE.  137 

them  "witnesses  for  God" — that  it  is  not  calculated  to 
induce  *'  hypocrites^'  to  join  us — but  the  advantages 
of  it  are  these,  it  improves  both  the  moral  and  spiri- 
tual as  well  as  social  condition  of  the  converts ;  it 
improves  their  moral  condition,  as  those  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  habits  of  the  lower  order  of  Roman 
Catholics  can  tell  what  a  low  state  of  moral  feeling 
is  amongst  them,  chiefly  as  to  their  conversation  ;  it 
improves  also  their  spiritual  co\\&\iiox\,  as  they  can  sit 
down  without  fear  of  annoyance  and  read  their 
Bibles,  and  join  in  prayer  ;  their  ^ocia^  condition  is 
also  benefited,  as  they  are  able  to  contract  more 
cleanly  habits,  than  when  living  in  a  smoky  filthy 
cabin,  for  which  they  had  to  pay  a  high  rent ;  as  they 
have  a  comfortable  cottage — an  acre  or  half-acre  of 
ground  for  potatoes — for  the  one-sixth  part  of  what 
they  used  to  pay  for  the  same  quantity  of  ground 
and  a  miserable  cabin ;  and  such  a  provision  for  them 
is  absolutely  necessary  when  we  take  into  considera- 
tion that  they  are  deprived  of  the  means  of  earning 
a  livelihood  by  the  social  persecution  they  meet  with, 
and  by  the  great  competition  for  ground  here  ;  an 
acre  of  land  for  merely  taking  one  crop  of  potatoes 
out  of  it,  cannot  be  got  under  £6  or  jE8,  and  the 
ground  connected  with  the  colony  is  only  £1  an 
acre.  And  as  the  colony  secures  them  from  being 
interfered  with  on  their  sick  and  dying  beds,  by  these 
emissaries  of  the  priests,  who  are  continually  on  the 
watch  on  such  occasions,  or  of  being  forcibly  carried 
out  of  their  house  to  have  a  priest  brought  to  them,  as 
was  the  case  here  not  long  since :  these,  and  many  other 


138  DINGLE. 

adva?itages -which  mighthe  named,  prove  to  my  mind, 
the  importance  and  usefulness  of  such  an  institution. 
'  In  conclusion,  I  would  merely  say,  that  even  if  the 
mode  of  operations  by  which  any  society  of  persons 
are  labouring  with  a  single  eye  to  the  glory  of 
God,  is  liable  to  objections,  surely,  there  is  a  field 
large  enough  for  those  who  differ  from  them  to  labour 
in  the  way  that  seemeth  best  to  them ;  and  I  would 
merely  say  to  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary,  and  Mr.  Mason's 
favourite  child,  the  Irish  Society — "  TVe  wish  you 
good  luck  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  and  to  those 
who  differ  from  us,  I  would  use  the  language  of 
Abraham  to  Lot :  "  Let  there  be  no  strife,  I  pray 
thee,  between  me  and  thee,  between  my  herdmen, 
and  thy  herdmen  ;  for  we  be  brethren.  Is  not  the 
whole  land  before  thee  ?  Separate  thyself,  I  pray 
thee,  from  me ;  if  thou  wilt  take  the  left  hand,  then 
will  I  go  to  the  right,  or  if  thou  depart  to  the  right 
hand,  then  I  will  go  to  the  left." 

'  I  am,  dear  Sir,  faithfully  your's, 

*  Charles  Gayer.' 

So  much  did  the  objects  of  the  Colony  commend 
themselves  to  the  public,  that  in  1842,  Miss  Mahon 
sent  money  sufficient  to  erect  ten  additional  houses 
in  Dingle,  and  ten  at  Ventry,  and  the  Trustees  of 
the  Colony-funds  enlarged  their  operations,  by  taking 
a  farm  at  Dingle,  on  which  to  employ  the  still  in- 
creasing number  of  able-bodied  men.  The  greatest 
difficulty  Mr.  Gayer  has,  or  ever  has  had,  is  to  pro- 
vide labour  in  a  country,  where  few  Protestant  gentry 


DINGLE.  139 

reside,  and  where  the  entire  mass  of  the  population 
are  Roman  Catholic.  It  will  be  easily  conceived  that 
those  who  have  reformed  are  not  employed.  To  a  man 
they  have  been  thrown  out  of  employment,  those 
who  have  trades,  with  few  exceptions,  as  well  as  field 
labourers.  To  meet  these  difficulties,  we  have  been 
obliged  to  send  to  a  distance  our  young  females  as 
servants  into  Christian  families,  our  young  lads  as 
apprentices  to  Protestant  tradesmen  ;  some  whole 
families  have  been  shipped  off"  to  America ;  while 
many  of  our  very  best-taught  converts,  are  acting  as 
school-masters  and  school-mistresses  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Ireland.  This  not  only  pre- 
vents the  apparent  growth  of  the  body ;  but  with- 
draws from  it  perpetually  its  best  members.  Our 
numbers  nevertheless  have  steadily  increased,  and  if 
Mr.  Gayer  was  not  scrupulous  in  refusing  to  admit 
any  enquirer,  until  there  was  some  evidence  of  his 
sincerity  to  be  depended  upon — that  is,  did  he  re- 
ceive all  who  come  to  him,  our  numbers  would  not 
be  counted  by  hundreds,  but  by  thousands. 

The  church  of  Dingle,  which  had  been  added  to 
in  1839,  was  of  necessity  still  further  enlarged  in 
1841,  on  which  occasion  Mr.  Gayer  sent  forth  the 
following  circular  letter  ;  which  the  liberal  Christians 
of  England  responded  to  efiectually. 

*  My  dear  Christian  Friends, 

*  I  doubt  not  you  will  be  glad  to  hear,  that 
the  Lord  still  continues  to  bless  the  work  in  which 
His  servants  are  engaged  in   this  place.     To  Him  be 


140  DINGLE. 

all  the  glory.  In  consequence  of  the  increase  to 
our  congregation,  we  were  obliged  to  erect  an  addi- 
tion to  our  church  two  years  ago,  the  expence  of 
which  was  £250  ;  only  jS150  of  which  I  have  been 
enabled  to  collect,  and  am  still  accountable  for  ^8100. 
We  are  now  again  compelled  to  find  accommodation 
for  our  people  by  erecting  a  gallery,  which  will 
accommodate  eighty  persons,  and  will  cost  £60.  I 
have  therefore,  taken  the  liberty  of  laying  the  case 
before  you,  and  soliciting  your  assistance.  If  each 
of  our  friends  would  kindly  undertake  to  get  the 
enclosed  card  filled  by  twenty  subscribers  of  Is, 
each,  the  sum  would,  I  doubt  not,  be  collected ; 
as  I  feel  assured,  that  He  whose  call  to  come  out  of 
"  Babylon,"  has  been  responded  to  by  so  many  in 
this  remote  district,  will  provide  his  servants  with 
means  to  enlarge  his  sanctuary — that  his  people  may 
assemble  to  worship  him  on  the  Sabbath-day.  I  have 
made  arrangements  to  begin  the  work,  "  The  God 
of  Heaven,  He  will  prosper  us,  therefore  we  his 
servants  will  arise  and  build." 

'  Since  the  beginning  of  the  Reformation,  several 
converts  have  been  called  to  their  rest,  all  of  whom 
bore  a  faithful  testimony  to  the  last,  to  the  "  Truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  and  '^ overcame  through  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb/'  A  few  weeks  since,  one  of  them 
was  called,  after  some  months'  sickness,  to  enter  into 
the  joy  of  his  Lord ;  during  his  illness,  his  father 
and  mother,  who  were  then  Roman  Catholics,  came 
to  visit  him,  in  the  hope  of  bringing  him  back  to  the 
Church  of  Rome  ;  but  his  conversation  and  piety  had 


DINGLE.  141 

such  influence  upon  them,  that  they  became  converts 
themselves,  and  in  three  weeks  after  the  death  of 
her  son,  (whose  end  was  peace,  and  who  fell  asleep, 
with  his  last  breath  proclaiming,  *'  I  am  dying  in 
Christ"), — she  was  summoned  hence,  after  bearing 
also  a  faithful  testimony  to  her  hope  in  Jesus,  as 
an  all-sufficient  Saviour  ;  and  they  lie  buried  together, 
waiting  the  coming  of  the  Lord  from  Heaven. 
*  I  remain,  my  dear  Christian  Friends, 

'  Your's  most  sincerely 
*  in  the  bonds  of  everlasting  Love, 

'  Charles  Gayer.' 

In  1843,  the  room  rented  by  Mr.  Gayer,  in  which, 
foT  six  years,  we  had  assembled  the  Sunday  School, 
— though  sixty  feet  long,  and  twenty  feet  wide, — and 
having  a  gallery  above  appropriated  to  the  women, 
had  become  so  completely  inadequate  to  accommo- 
date the  classes,  that  Mr.  Gayer  collected  money  for 
a  Parochial  School-House.  This  noble  house  is 
seventy-five  feet  long,  by  twenty-two  wide,  with  a 
return  at  the  back  of  twenty-five  feet,  in  which  the 
Irish  class  assembles.  It  is  built  in  the  Elizabethan 
style,  and  presents  on  each  Lord's  day  a-  scene  of  no 
common  interest.  Six  adult  classes  of  twenty-two 
each,  and  eight  classes  of  young  persons  and  chil- 
dren, await  with  eager  interest  the  arrival  of  their 
teachers,  of  which  I  grieve  to  say,  there  are  a  very 
insufficient  number ;  so  that  every  day,  there  are 
some  who  are  obliged  to  sit  untaught,  and  the  writer 
is  frequently  obliged  to  double  her  class. 


142  DINGLE. 

The  congregation  at  church,  which  in  1830, 
averaged  thirty  persons,  now  amounts  to  between 
four  and  five  hundred — four-fifths  of  whom  are  con- 
verts from  Romanism,  brought  from  the  lowest  state 
of  ignorance,  and  of  moral  and  social  habits,  into 
decent  order  and  intelligence,  and  whose  families  are 
growing  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord.  One  day,  lately,  I  visited  one  of  the  colony- 
houses  ;  the  poor  woman  whom  1  went  to  see,  was 
sitting  quite  idle,  and  appeared  exhausted.  I  asked 
her  the  cause  of  this,  she  stood  up,  but  was  obliged  to 
seat  herself  again,  and  while  she  wiped  off  the  profuse 
perspiration  which  was  bursting  again  and  again  from 
her  forehead,  she  gave  the  following  account  of  the 
previous  hour  of  trial.  She  was  the  widow  of  P.  F., 
whose  bigotry  is  related  in  page  18  of  this  little 
work.  She  had  been  to  the  other  end  of  the  town, 
and  had  ventured  for  the  first  time  for  many  months 
to  call  on  her  relations.  Of  her  visit,  she  gave  this 
account :  it  was  in  Passion-Week,  which  will  explain 
some  of  the  allusions. 

"When  I  looked  in  at  the  door,  Ma^am,  they 
had  great  welcome  for  me — asked  me  how  myself 
and  poor  Peter's  children  were  ;  brushed  the  chair 
for  me.  I  sat  down  and  thanked  them  kindly.  My 
cousin  is  a  brogue-maker,*  and  keeps  three  journey- 
men at  work,  they  were  all  present ;  bye-and-bye, 
two  or  three  neighbours  came  in,  thanking  God, 
"  they  were  happy,  having  got  confession,  though  the 
press  was  so  hard  for  room,  that  the  priest's  box  was 
*  Coarse  slioe-maker. 


DINGLE.  143 

broke  in.  My  cousin  turned  to  me,  and  remarked, 
that  she  "  hoped  I  had  not  quite  given  up  my  prayer- 
book,  but  would  sometimes  give  a  look  init.^'  Cousin, 
says  I,  "  the  Lord  Jesus  said,^'  "  Woe  unto  ye 
hypocrites  ;  "  "  sure  if  I  had  the  double  way  in  me, 
I  need  look  for  nothing  at  the  hands  of  God,  what 
I  am,  I  am  in  my  very  heart."  "  God  help  us  !'' 
says  my  cousin,  "  is  it  a  fact  I"  "Amen,  if  God  help 
us,  we  shall  be  strong.^'  "  And  do  you  tell  me  that 
you  drank  milk  this  awful  week ;  '^  "I  drank  what  I 
could  afford  to  buy  of  it,  but  that  was  but  little — it's 
three-pence  a  quart,  and  Fm  poor."  *'  I'll  warrant 
you  bought  enough  with  souper's  money,"  says  one 
of  the  visitors.  This  mock  I  did'nt  answer.  "  And 
do  you  tell  me,  you  would  eat  meat  this  Friday.'^ 
"Don't  be  asking  me,  cousin,  would  I  eat  meat — 
meat  is  for  the  belly,  and  the  belly  for  meat,  and  to 
what  avails  the  meat  that  perishes  ;  be  talking  to  me 
of  the  spirit  and  of  the  heart — it^s  not  what  I  eat  or 
drink,  that  will  save  me  or  condemn  me  ;  but  have  I 
a  neiv  heart,  and  a  new  spirit.  Jesus  Christ  said, 
unless  we  be  born  again ;  not  in  a  fleshly  way  like 
a  child  from  the  womb  of  his  mother,  but  in  the 
spirit  of  our  mind,  we  can  never  see  God  ;  this,  my 
dear  cousin,  is  what  you  ought  to  ask  me  of, 
and  of  what  I  would  gladly  converse."  "  It's  likely 
you're  going  to  preach,"  says  my  cousin,  "  This  is  the 
Scripture,"  says  the  visitor.  "  She's  a  devil,"  says 
the  other,  "  turn  her  out,  these  devils  are  always 
going  on  with  the  like."  With  that  they  all  set  on 
railing.     I  couldn't  hear  half  they  said,  or  get  an 


144  DINGLE. 

answer  in  by  any  means  ;  but  I  stood  it  mighty  well, 
thank  God,  and  not  one  bit  daunted.  I  felt  my 
spirit  rise,  my  pulses  beat ;  my  heart  in  my  mouth. 
I'm  but  a  poor  nervous  woman  at  the  best  of  times, 
but  I  was  not  nervous  now — and  when  their  tongues 
gave  a  bit,  I  railed  at  them  in  return.  Yes,  Ma'am, 
I  railed  without  offence,  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit. 
"  Neighbours/' says  I,  *^now  let  me  speak.  Two 
men  went  up  into  the  Temple  to  pray,"  and  with 
that  I  went  through  the  Parable ;  they  listened  well, 
for  that  they  heard  in  the  chapel  often — take  care, 
lest  ye  resemble  the  proud  Pharisee,  and  be  your- 
selves condemned  while  you  condemn  poor  me.^' 
"  She's  a  Devil,"  says  the  same  woman  again,  *'  turn 
her  out !  " 

"  I'll  go  out,  honest  woman,"  said  I,  *'  no  need  to 
turn  me  out;  it's  the  first  day  I  came  to  see  my  cousin 
for  these  two  months,  and  indeed  it's  seldom  with 
her  to  receive  me  so  impolite."  "  She's  my  wife's 
own  flesh  and  blood,"  says  the  man  of  the  house,  "and 
none  shall  turn  her  out,  what  she  says  is  very  good." 
"  It's  Scripture,"  says  the  other  woman  again;  "and 
sure  woman,''  says  I,  "if  I  speak  the  words  of 
God's  Scripture,  they  must  be  good  words,  and  fit 
for  sinners  to  hear  to."  "  But,"  says  my  cousin,  who 
had  not  spoken  all  the  while  back,  "  you  left  all  be- 
longing to  you,  and  all  that  went  before  you  ;  and 
you  brought  scandal  on  them  that  bore  you,  becom- 
ing a  turn-coat.''^  "  Don't  be  calling  me  turn-coat," 
says  Ij  "it  little  matters,  which  side  of  the  coat  is 
out — call  me  turned-heart,  and  pray  that  my  heart 


DINGLE.  145 

may  be  turned  back  from  all  evil  ways  and  bad 
words,  and  as  for  all  belonging  to  me  gone  before,  I 
can  do  nothing  for  them,  but  it  is  my  daily  prayer, 
that  all  belonging  to  me  yet  to  folloio,  may  come  to 
the  true  light,  eveyi  Jesus  Christ."  "  And  ivhere  loill 
you  leave  his  mother  :  "  says  they  all.  "  I'll  leave 
her  where  she  is,"  says  I,  "  a  blessed  woman  in 
heaven,  but  she  can  do  nothing  for  me."  With  this 
they  all  crossed  themselves,  and  running  at  me,  fairly 
put  me  out  of  the  doors.' 

On  another  occasion,  more  than  two  years  ago, 
the  following  notes  were  taken  of  a  visit  made  to 
a  poor  sick  man  in  Mr.  Thompson's  employment,  a 
convert ;  he  was  comfortably  off  in  his  worldly  cir- 
cumstances— a  good  fire  blazed  on  the  hearth,  a  pot 
was  on  the  fire  with  potatoes,  and  a  bit  of  bacon  for 
the  dinner  of  the  family.  Three  very  nice  clean 
little  children  were  playing  about.  The  sick  man 
was  in  an  inner  room,  in  a  clean  good  bed,  his  wife 
stood  beside  him.  Wine,  tea,  and  chicken- broth 
sent  by  Mrs.  Gayer  were  on  the  table.  I  was  shocked 
to  see  the  poor  man  lying  at  the  point  of  death  ;  so 
weak  he  could  not  raise  his  hand,  or  keep  his  eyes 
open; — he  welcomed  me  kindly  in  a  low  weak  voice, 
and  with  long  intervals  between  his  words. 

*  Welcome,  Ma'am,  welcome ;  I  am  glad  you  are 
come,  I  want  to  send  my  blessing  to  my  master  be- 
fore I  die.'     *  Sorry  to  see  you  so  ill,  Paddy. ' 

'  Don't  be  sorry,  Achree,  I  have  no  trouble  in  ray 
own  heart,  and  I  want  only  to  send  my  blessing  to 
those  that  brought  me  to  the  light.' 

H 


146  DINGLE. 

'  Thank  yoUj  Paddy,  but  I  Lope  the  Lord  may 
raise  you  up  again.'  '  As  is  best  in  His  holy  will. 
He  may  do  his  pleasure,  I  am  content  with  any 
thing  he  pleases,  my  soul  is  full  of  peace, — peace  and 
rest  in  Jesus.'  '  And  what  gives  you  such  peace, 
Paddy  ?' '  My  confidence  is  strong  in  His  blood,  that 
gave  it  freely  ;• — He  thought  it  no  trouble  to  die  for 
me.  He  died  for  me  with  all  His  heart.  Sinners 
reviled  him,  and  the  poisoned  nails  were  through 
His  hands,  but  He  thought  it  no  trouble  to  suffer  it 
all  for  me  and  sinners  like  me.'  '  How  long  is  it 
since  you  felt  such  peace,  and  such  confidence ;  the 
Scripture  words  seem  fulfilled  to  you  "  Thy  peace 
shall  be  as  a  flowing  river."^  *  How  long  is  it?  ma'am, 
you  say, — oh  !  then  truly  I  looked  long  for  him  before 
he  came  into  me,  before  I  let  him  in  ;  och  !  I  was 
blindfold  with  a  cloud  of  darkness  for  an  age  of  time  ! 
Och !  trusting  in  sinners !  trusting  in  sinners  !  but 
now  1  trust  in  \he  pure  bright  blood  that  washes  out  the 
sin  of  the  world  !  Och  !  may  Christ  love  me  as  I  love 
Him.  Och  !  may  Christ  rest  on  my  soul  as  my  soul 
rests  on  him.  My  heart  grows  as  big  as  a  horse's 
when  any  one  comes  into  me  that  loves  my  Lord  as 
I  love  him.' 

'Just  here  his  wife  interrupted  with  tears  and  sighs, 
&c,,  and  spoke  of  the  children,  and  what  she  and 
they  should  do  if  he  was  taken  ;  he  looked  greatly 
distressed,  motioned  her  to  cease  and  said,  *  I  don't 
want  to  hear  of  any  earthly  business,  och!  God 
don't  put  any  trouble  into  my  heart,  don't  put  any 
stroke  into  me  that  will  give  me  trouble,  give  me 
peace  and  rest  such  as  I  have.' 


DINGLE.  147 

*  Well  Paddy,  dear,  will  you  let  me  wet  your  lips 
at  all.'  '  No,  honey,  don't  disturb  me,  I'm  very 
well,  my  lips  will  soon  never  thirst  again,  for  I'm 
going  to  the  well-spring  that  never  dries.'  Here  the 
poor  woman  left  the  room  and  began  to  cry.  I 
asked  again,  '  But  when  did  you  feel  this  great  hap- 
piness in  religion.' 

*  Och !  sure  enough  I  was  going  to  tell  you,  I  was 
but  a  sinner,  I  was  but  a  bit  of  clay, — I  am  no  better 
still,  but  I  got  a  gift  that  any  one  don't  know.  Och ! 
I  got  a  precious  gift,  the  peace  of  God.  I  have  a 
rest  in  my  soul  that  any  one  don't  know,  but  myself 
and  Him  that  is  judge  of  all  above.  What  great 
peace  should  they  have  who  have  the  spirit  of  God 
in  their  heart !  I  have  a  guard  now  I  never  had 
before.'  There  was  a  great  deal  more  that  I  cannot 
remember,  but  this  much  I  took  down  in  my  pocket- 
book,  as  he  spoke  it  very  slowly,  and  lying  with  his 
eyes  shut.  People  coming  in  now,  I  left  him,  hop- 
ing my  last  end  might  be  like  his.' 


Letter  from  a  Dingle  convert  to  the  Roman  Catholics 
of  Dingle  and  its  vicinity. 

'  My  Dear  Friends, 

'  The  ties  of  personal  friendship  by  which   I 

am  connected  with  many  of  you,  the  great  kindness 

I  have  experienced  from  several  among  you   during 

my  late  visit,  and  my  affectionate  solicitude  for  all, 

H2 


148  DINGLE. 

induce  me  to  address  you  on  the  present  occasion. 
In  so  doing  I  shall  be  careful  to  make  no  statement 
which,  fairly  interpreted,  can  give  offence  to  any  in- 
dividual. I  do  not  so  much  as  attempt  to  refute  any 
one  doctrine  of  your  church  which  I  consider  erro- 
neous, my  desire  in  this  letter  being,  to  remove  pre- 
judices against  the  Protestant  religion,  as  prevalent 
as,  I  am  persuaded,  they  are  unfounded,  simply  to 
answer  the  question  so  often  and  so  confidently  put 
to  us,  namely,  "  Where  was  your  religion  before 
Luther  V  to  establish  the  fact,  not  so  much  that  we 
can  prove  our  religion  to  be  the  old  one,  but  that  no 
Roman  Catholic  who  believes  his  own  religion  can 
say,  that  our  religion  is  a  new  religion,  and  that  Mr. 
O'Connell  was  not  right  when  he  said  in  his  letter  to 
the  Hon.  Mr.  Smythe,  M.P.,  for  Canterbury,  "that 
the  Ii'ish  nation  is  made  to  pay  for  the  propagation 
of  what  they  conceive  to  be  error." 

*  I  know  well  the  prejudices  with  which  any  state- 
ment emanating  from  one  who  has  been  educated  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  is  received  by  many ; 
that  efforts  made  in  the  sincerity  of  their  heart's 
affection  to  bring  their  friends  and  countrymen  to 
the  ancient  faith  of  the  Gospel,  are  put  down  to 
bitterness  of  spirit,  and  a  desire  to  vilify  the  religion 
they  have  abandoned  ;  but  I  know  there  are  others 
too,  who  have  candour  and  judgment  enough  to  per- 
ceive, that  error,  if  it  exist,  is  not  altered  because 
of  the  person  who  opposes  it,  and  that  argument  is 
equally  powerful,  no  matter  by  whom  it  is  used ; 
and  for  myself  I  can  appeal  to  the  Searcher  of  hearts, 


DINGLE.  149 

before  whose  bar  of  judgment  we  must  all  stand,  that 
my  motive  in  addressing  you  is  none  other  than  that 
if  peradventure  the  Lord  might  make  me  the  instru- 
ment of  removing  deep-rooted  prepossessions,  you 
may  be  led  "  to  stand  in  the  ways,  and  see,  and  ask 
for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and  walk 
therein,  and  find  rest  for  your  souls." — Jeremiah 
vi.  16. 

*  Now,  I  say  that  no  Roman  Catholic  ought  to 
state  or  can  prove  that  the  tenets  of  the  Established 
Church  are  erroneous. 

,  '  The  tenets  of  the  Established  Protestant  Church 
are  explicitly  put  forward  in  three  creeds,  which,  as 
a  church,  she  avows  and  holds,  viz.,  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  the  Nicene  Creed,  and  the  Athanasian  Creed. 
The  Protestant  Church  hold  no  other  point  of  faith 
than  what  is  contained  therein,  or  may  be  tested 
thereby,  either  in  her  Thirty-nine  Articles  or  Book 
of  Common  Prayer,  and  each  article  of  which  is 
taken  from,  and  may  be  proved  by  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. Now,  your  church  likewise  holds  and  main- 
tains these  very  three  creeds,  which  are  the  creeds 
of  the  Protestant  Church,  and  reads  them  publicly 
in  the  mass,  though  the  majority  of  the  people  don't 
understand  them  when  they  are  read,  and  some  know 
not  that  they  are  so  publicly  read :  so  that  there  is 
not  a  single  point  of  faith  held  by  the  Protestant 
Church  that  is  not  likewise  an  essential  point  of  faith 
held  and  avowed  by  the  Roman  Church. 

*  With  what  truth,  then,  can  it  be  asserted  by  a 
member  of  the  Roman  Church  that  the   Protestant 


150  DINGLfi. 

Church  propagates  error  ?  What  point  of  faith  can 
a  Protestant  put  forth  that  is  not  responded  to  and 
echoed  by  the  Church  of  Rome  ?  Can  any  Roman 
Catholic  name  one  ? 

'  Every  point  of  faith  in  the  three  creeds  above- 
mentioned,  is  not  merely  to  be  traced  to  the  Church 
of  Rome,  as  to  be  found  within  her  doctrines ;  but 
the  very  creeds  themselves,  whole  and  entire,  word 
for  word,  as  held  in  the  Protestant  Church,  are 
adopted,  held,  and  published  by  the  Roman  Church 
as  essential  points  of  faith  to  be  believed  in  by  all 
her  members. 

'  How  then  can  the  dissemination  of  any  or  all  these 
points  of  faith  by  the  Protestant  Church  be  truly 
said  by  a  Roman  Catholic  to  be  the  propagation  of 
error, — to  be  introducing  a  new  religion  ? 

'  I  think  this  is  plain  dealing  with  you,  my  bre- 
thren ;  it  is  not  mere  assertion.  Let  any  Roman 
Catholic  bishop,  priest,  or  layman,  point  out,  if  he 
can,  one — even  one — single  point  of  faith  contained 
in  any  of  the  three  Protestant  creeds  that  propagate 
error.  Nay,  more,  I  challenge  any  one  to  show  or 
point  out  any  single  point  of  faith  held  by  the  Pro- 
testant Established  Church  which  is  unscriptural  or 
erroneous.  Mere  assertion  in  this  case  will  not  do  ; 
the  point  of  faith  must  be  named,  and  if  the  Roman 
Church,  with  all  her  sons,  will  not  name  one  erro- 
neous point  of  faith  held  by  the  Protestant  Church, 
or  one  which  is  not  also  taught  by  herself,  what 
shall  we  say  to  the  question?  "Where  was  your 
religion  before  Luther  ?  " — What,  to  the  ignorant 
cry  of  a  "  new  religion  ?  " 


DINGLE.  151 

*  The  Roman  Church  cannot  name  any  such  point, 
and  for  these  reasons : — The  creeds  believed  in  by 
the  Protestant  Church  contain  the  points  of  "  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  which  points  are  main- 
tained by  Holy  Scripture,  and  which  are  part  of  the 
faith  professed  by  the  Roman  Church  herself.  In 
process  of  time  other  doctrines  than  those  contained 
in  the  three  creeds  crept  into  the  church  ;  against 
which  new  doctrines  a  part  of  the  church  protested, 
and  clung  solely  to  the  primitive  points  of  faith,  and 
therefore  that  portion  of  the  church  was  designated 
"  Protestant'''  These  proceedings  in  the  church 
caused  a  council  to  be  held,  which  commenced  its 
sittings  at  Trent  in  the  year  1545.  This  Council 
embodied  those  objectionable  doctrines  under  twelve 
new  points  of  faith,  and  published  a  creed  with 
twelve  points  of  faith  that  were  not,  and  are  not,  in 
the  three  original  creeds. 

*  Now  then,  I  challenge  any  Roman  Catholic  to 
prove  that  the  Vulgate,  Apocrypha,  or  Tradition, 
were  ever  held  as  articles  of  faith  till  the  Council  of 
Trent  so  decreed  them  in  the  sixteenth  century  ; 
that  transubstantiation  was  ever  made  an  article  of 
faith  till  by  the  fourth  Lateran  Council  in  the 
thirteenth  century ;  that  Communion  in  one  kind, 
that  is  the  withholding  of  the  cup  from  the  laity, 
was  decreed  till  by  the  Council  of  Constance  in  the 
fifteenth  century ;  that  Purgatory  was  made  an 
article  of  faith  till  by  the  Council  of  Trent  in  the 
sixteenth  century ;  that  Auricular  Confession  was 
decreed  till  by  the  fourth  Lateran  Council  in  the 


152  DINGLE. 

thirteenth  century ;  the  Celibacy  of  the  Clergy  till 
under  Gregory  the  7th,  in  the  end  of  the  eleventh 
century  ;  the  Seven  Sacraments  (first  maintained  by 
Peter  Lombard  in  the  twelfth  century)  made  an 
article  of  faith  till  by  the  Council  of  Trent  in  the 
sixteenth  century :  or  that  the  Creed  altogether 
containing  the  twelve  new  articles  of  the  Council  of 
Trent  was  ever  published  till  several  months  after 
the  publication  to  the  world  of  our  Protestant  Prayer 
Book,  containing  as  our  standard  of  faith  the  twelve 
ancient  articles  of  the  Catholic  Church,  as  embodied 
in  the  Apostles'  and  Nicene  creed,  (for  the  Athana- 
sian  adds  no  new  article  to  the  former  two  creeds.) 
Surely  then,  whichever  way  you  take  it,  our  religion 
must  be  considered  the  old  one,  while  you  bring 
upon  yourself  the  anathema  of  the  General  Council 
of  Ephesus,  held  in  the  year  431,  which  pronounces 
a  curse  upon  any  one  who  would  presume  to  add  any 
other  article,  to  the  primitive  creeds  of  the  church 
above-mentioned. 

*  Thus  is  the  Protestant  Church  clearly  proved  to 
be  the  ancient  Church  ;  it  holds  none  but  Apostolic 
doctrine  ;  each  true  member  of  it  is  at  all  times 
ready  to  give  a  scriptural  reason  of  the  hope  that  is 
in  him  ;  and,  instead  of  referring  in  support  of  his 
faith  to  the  doctrines  of  men,  it  refers  directly  to  the 
word  of  God,  and  insists,  whether  it  may  be  for 
"  doctrine"  or  for  "  learning,"  on  the  word  of  the 
living  God,  and  on  nothing  else.  Why  does  the 
Roman  Church  forbid  the  universal  reading  of  the 
Bible   to  her  sons  and  daughters?     The  Protestant 


DINGLE.  153 

Church  holds  it  up  as  "  the  word  that  maketh  wise 
unto  salvation/'  She  does  not  tell  her  people  that  her 
points  of  faith  are  orthodox,  and  insist  that  they  must 
believe  them  to  be  so  ;  but  she  invites  them  to  "  search 
the  Scriptures  daily  whether  those  things  are  so.'' 
Surely  there  must  be  a  cause  why  the  Church  of 
Rome  does  not  only  not  circulate  the  scriptures 
among  her  flock,  but  takes  them  from  the  people 
wherever  she  can  find  them.  It  certainly  is  not  the 
first  twelve  points  of  her  faith,  which  are  in  our 
creeds,  that  she  is  afraid  of  testing  by  the  Word  of 
God.  Hear  what  the  Holy  Ghost  has  recorded  of 
the  word  of  God  : — "All  Scripture/'  mind  you,  "all 
Scripture  is  written  for  our  learning,  and  is  profita- 
ble for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  instruction  in 
righteousness  :"  take  care  that  it  is  not  because  the 
twelve  new  points  of  faith  would  come  under  the 
"  reproof"  of  that  word,  that  the  word  itself  is  re- 
moved clean  out  of  your  way.  My  beloved  Roman 
Catholic  friends,  it  is  a  momentous  question  to  put — 
"  Why  is  it  that  the  word  of  God  is  kept  back 
from  us  V 

'  Would  that  my  intelligent  Roman  Catholic 
brethren  honestly  desired  to  get  answers  whether 
these  statements  are  true,  viz  : — 

'  1st.  Is  it  true  there  is  no  point  of  faith  believed 
in  by  the  Protestant  Church,  but  what  is  to  be 
found  in  her  three  creeds,  and  that  these  three  Pro- 
testant creeds  are  likewise  creeds  of  the  Church  of 
Rome  ? 

'  3nd.  Is  it  true  these  three  Protestant  creeds  not 

H  5 


154  DINGLE. 

only  are  creeds  held  by  the  Roman  Church,  but  that 
for  fifteen  hundred  years  they  were  the  only  creeds 
published  as  the  creeds  of  the  Romish  Church  ?  (and 
if  there  was  any  other  creed  within  the  time,  let  it 
be  named,  and  the  year  and  place  of  its  publication 
be  stated). 

*  3rd.  Is  it  true  that  in  the  year  1545,  a  Council 
was  held  at  Trent,  which  Council  published  in  its 
last  session  a  new  creed  for  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  containing  twelve  new,  twelve  additional, 
points  of  faith,  never  before  contained  in  any  of  her 
creeds  ? 

*  These  are  questions  it  is  of  the  last  importance 
should  be  honestly  and  distinctly  answered.  To 
what  avail  is  it,  if  God  has  endowed  you  with  fine 
senses,  good  understandings,  clear  perception,  reason- 
ing faculties,  sound  judgments,  and  given  the  word 
of  truth  for  your  guide,  unless  you  apply  them  to 
good  purposes  ;  or  if  you  allow  your  church  at  the 
outset  of  the  most  important  of  all  enquiries,  namely 
that  for  the  truth  of  God,  to  deprive  you  of  the 
evidence  of  senses,  reason,  private  judgment,  and  the 
rule  of  divine  Scriptures  ;  and  thus  if  you  obey  her 
dictates  you  are  deprived  of  every  principle  on  which 
it  is  possible  to  conduct  any  enquiry,  a  principle 
which  dishonours  every  faculty  given  by  God  toman, 
and  which  if  Turks,  Jews,  Infidels,  or  Heretics  had 
the  craft  to  adopt  with  their  people,  they  must  for 
ever  secure  their  blind  submission  to  any  error  which 
they  may  choose  to  propose,  and  which  their  system 
would  make  it  a  damnable  sin  to  doubt  the  truth  of? 


DINGLE.  155 

Don't  you  clearly  see  yourselves,  brethren,  that  any 
body  of  men  may  keep  their  people  in  any  error,  by 
denying  them  the  right  of  private  judgment,  the  use 
of  their  senses  and  reason  in  judging  of  any  point, — 
as  Transubstantiation  for  instance, — and  by  either 
shutting  out  the  rule  to  test  its  truth  or  falsehood  by> 
namely  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  which  is  as  bad,  by 
not  allowing  any  individual  to  believe  what  his  own 
sense,  reason,  or  judgment,  may  tell  him  to  be  its 
meaning,  unless  that  meaning  fully  agree  with  their 
own  creed  ? 

'  It  concerns  you  deeply  to  enquire  whether  these 
things  are  so  ;  but  if  each  proposition  laid  down  here 
be  true — and  I  challenge  to  the  proof — if  the  answer 
to  each  of  the  three  questions  must  be  "  yes,"  it  is 
shown  to  demonstration,  and  it  follows  as  a  matter  of 
necessity,  that  the  Roman  Church  is  the  7iew  church 
— that  the  Protestant  faith  is  the  ancient  faith  ;  that 
it  is  not  true,  on  your  own  principles,  to  say  that  we 
propagate  error  and  that  a  full  answer  is  thus  sup- 
plied to  the  question,  "  Where  our  religion  was 
before  Luther?"  while  I  think  it  will  appear  a  dif- 
ficulty to  answer,  "  Where  the  new  creed  was  before 
the  sixteenth  century?" 

'  Believe  me  to  be, 

*  your  faithful  friend  and  servant, 

«  D.  FOLEY/ 

Waterford,  January,  1844. 


156  DINGLE. 

Many  of  my  readers,  before  these  pages  shall 
reach  them,  will  have  seen  by  the  pubhe  papers,  that 
our  minister's  zeal,  and  the  faith  of  our  poor  converts, 
have  lately  been  strengthened  by  the  conversion  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Brasbie — a  Romish  priest — which 
took  place  in  the  parish  of  Keelmelchedar,  whither  he 
had  been  sent,  and  where,  we  have  noticed,  it  was 
deemed  expedient  to  send  able  men  to  fill  up  the 
measure  of  priestcraft,  which  seemed  wanting  in  the 
mild  old  man  who  had  resided  there  for  forty  years. 
Mr.  Brasbie  was  selected  as  the  agent  of  the  Romish 
Bishop  of  the  diocese,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  progress 
of  the  Reformation,  as  will  be  seen  by  this  abstract  of 
his  diocesan's  letter,  still  in  his  possession. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Dr.  Eagan,  Roman 
Catholic  Bishop  of  Ardfert,  to  Rev.  Denis  L„ 
Brasbie. 

After  some  private  arrangements,  securing  his 
comfort  in  Mr.  Casey's  house,  the  bishop  wrote  as 
follows : — 

'  May  30,  1844. 
*  *  *  *  You  will  proceed  at  once  where  your  zeal 
ajid  activity  are  required  to  check  the  current  ofpro- 
selytism.  Indeed  I  may  say  it  is  now  pretty  well 
checked  in  tliat  parish  ; — still  the  fire  must  be  kept 
up. 

'  Believe  me  to  be, 

*  &c.  &c.  &c. 

t  '  Cornelius  Eagan.' 


DINGLE.  157 

Mr.  Brasbie's  mind  had  been  passing  through  a 
gradual  process  of  emancipation  from  the  worst 
errors  of  his  creed  for  five  years,  but  more  in  the 
way  of  rational  than  of  scriptural  conviction.  The 
scriptures  are  not  much  read  by  his  order,  and  their 
avocations  require  such  constant  locomotion,  and  are 
fulfilled  so  mechanically,  that  there  is  little  leisure 
for  meditation  or  necessity  for  reading.  He  fre- 
quently expressed  his  doubts  in  a  jocular  manner, 
and  was  agreed  with  by  those  of  his  own  cloth  to 
whom  he  spoke,  many  of  whom,  he  says,  are  dissatis- 
fied with  their  creed  ;  but,  being  little  accustomed  to 
regard  the  value  of  the  immortal  soul  in  a  right  point 
of  view,  they  do  not  reflect  on  the  enormous  sin  of 
continuing  to  inculcate  what  they  themselves  ccmsider 
as  at  least  clouhtful.  The  writer  has  had  the  privilege 
of  a  good  deal  of  conversation  with  Mr.  Brasbie  since 
his  change,  and  endeavours  to  convey  his  sentiments 
as  nearly  as  possible.  He  represents  the  young 
priest  as  issuing  from  Maynooth  with  ardent  and 
blind  zeal;  filled  with  the  sincere  belief  of  the 
Romish  tenets,  and  awed  as  well  as  intoxicated  with 
the  conception  of  his  new  powers, — '  to  hind  and  to 
loose  ' — '  to  bless  and  to  curse,' — and  utter  the  mystic 
words  of  consecration,  whereby  they  believe  that  very 
God  is  created  by  their  hands.  These  feelings  are 
incapable  of  support  at  their  high  altitude,  when 
made  common  by  daily  use,  by  the  modus  operandi 
of  their  profession,  and  by  the  want  of  all  solemnity, 
wherewith  they  are  generally  administered  in  the 
filthy  cabin  of  the  poor  bigot,  or  in  the  more  dead- 


158  DINGLE. 

ening  confessional-box  to   the  ear  of  low  vulgarity ; 
and  after  becoming  treasurer   to   the  corruptions   of 
each  ignorant,  low,  and  sinful  mind  that  draws  near ; 
soon,  very  soon,  does  all  sense  of  the  sublime  or  even 
solemn  depart  from  a  priest's  mind,  and  the  tricks  of 
his  trade,  for  as  a   trade  they  regard  it, — literally 
take  its  place, — to  give  a  sick  call  for  a  shilling, — 
give  communion  for  two  shillings  and  sixpence. — say 
a  mass  for  five  shillings, — marry  at  a  fee  varying  from 
thirty   shillings  to  twenty  pounds, — and   baptize  at 
a  cost  graduated  by  the  opulence  and  liberality  of  the 
gossips,  from  two  shillings  to  one  pound ;  to  do  these 
jobs  every  hour  of  the  day,  and  calculate  their  earn- 
ings in  the  evening,  constitutes  the  life  of  a  priest. 
He  pauses  not  to  ask  *  Is  there  not  a  lie  in  my  right 
hand  ?  '     He  stops  not  to  inquire,  '  Are  these  the 
wages  of  sin  ? '     Reader,  if  you   hear  with  astonish- 
ment of  such  a  state  of  conscience,  fail   not   to   put 
the  question  to  yourselves,  does  worldly  gain  never 
cause  YOU  to  deny  your  real  principles,  and  act  as 
though    there    was    none    to    whom    you  must  give 
account.     We  must  recollect  these  men  have  been 
brought  up  to  this  as  a  profession — it  is  their  all.     If 
they  fall  out  with  their  profession,  being  ineligible  for 
any  other  profession,  and  as  concerns  their  social  rela- 
tions outcasts — "  they  cannot  beg,  to  dig    they  are 
ashamed."     No  endearing  family  ties  surround  them, 
— they  can  look  to  no  futurity  but  one  of  contempt 
and  opprobrium.     Strong  indeed  does  Xhe  faith,  and 
great  indeed  the   fear   of  that  judgment  that  is   to 
come,  require  to  be  in  a  priest  of  Rome,  ere  he  can 


DINGLE.  159 

resolve  to  quit  it.  Such  was  the  faith,  and  such  was 
the  FEAR  that  pressed  on  Mr.  Brasbie's  soul  when  he 
wrote  to  Mr.  Gayer  to  declare  his  intention  of  coming 
out ;  he  saw,  to  use  his  own  strong  words,  that  '  his 
soul  could  not  be  saved  in  Rome  ;'  many  very  strong 
motives  there  were  to  induce  him  to  delay  the  step, 
even  for  one  more  year, — motives  that  had  been  suffi- 
cient to  detain  him  an  indifferent  priest  for  years;  but 
when  the  terror  oi  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  he  could 
brook  its  warnings  no  longer,  nay,  not  another 
moment — '  I  may  not  live  !  ' — *  Where  may  I 
BE  IN  A  YEAR  ! ! ' — These  were  the  questions  that 
pressed  him  day  and  night ;  he  entered  into  communi- 
cation privately  with  Mr.  Gayer,  who  for  a  time  had 
power  to  hold  him  back  ;  but  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1844, — it  having  been  previously  announced  for 
some  days  as  his  intention, — he  appeared  in  Dingle 
Church,  and  in  a  loud  and  firm  voice  read  the  tenets 
of  the  Church  of  Rome  as  contained  in  Pope  Pius 
IV's  creed,  and  renounced  them  one  by  one  ;  then 
read  the  Apostles'  and  the  Nicene  Creed,  and  declared 
his  desire  to  retain  and  adhere  to  the  articles  con- 
tained in  those. 

The  excitement  of  the  whole  district,  and  the 
agitation  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  rich  and  poor, 
high  and  low,  can  well  be  imagined  ;  he  was  a  very 
popular  man,  for  from  the  time  his  own  views  began 
to  open  in  any  degree,  he  had  ceased  to  be  mer- 
cenary, and  counselled  no  persecution,  but  on  the 
contrary,  religious  and  civil  liberty,  which  rendered 
him  a  particular  favourite  in   these   quarters  where 


160  DINGLE. 

the  people  are  shaking  themselves  loose  from 
Romanism.  Now  were  the  thousand  envenomed 
tongues  of  slander  opened  on  him — every  vile  motive 
attributed  to  him, — he  was  accused  of  drunkenness, 
debt,  incontinency,  hypocrisy  for  gain,  &c.  He  dared 
not  appear  in  the  streets  unguarded  by  police ;  the 
first  three  Sundays  it  was  necessary  to  bring  military 
force  to  the  town  to  prevent  violence ;  but  weapons 
of  violence  were  not  the  only  means  by  which  his 
steady  resolve  was  tested ;  letters  from  relatives,  the 
most  tender  and  heart-rending — from  clerical  friends 
the  most  insulting ;  they  reprobate  him  for  having 
*  turned  traitor  to  his  religion  and  his  God  in  the 
very  stronghold  of  proselytism  and  perversion,'  with 
having  disgraced  the  body  to  whom  he  belonged. 
They  declare  '  they  disbelieve  that  he  doubts  one  jot 
or  particle  of  the  apostolic  faith  ; '  but  accuse  him  of 
a  '  conscience  seared,'  yet  upbraiding  him  with  the 
damning  crime  of  abjuring  the  faith,  by  an  act  that 
will  make  hell  rejoice  and  angels  weep.  They  accuse 
him  of  '  going  after  other  desires,  and  abuse  of  grace, 
and  having  in  store  for  him  the  reward  of  Judas!' — 
Again  it  is  said,  '  You  know  youhave  done  wrong — 
he  converted — turn  from  your  heresy — do  public 
penance — convince  the  vile  soupers  your  recan- 
tation was  hut  a  sham — abjure  it — suffer  not  the  vile 
epithet  '  apostate — and  above  all,  apostate  p)riest ! — 
foolish  man,  arise  from  the  drunkenness  of  error.'  The 
letter  from  which  this  last  is  an  abstract,  passed 
through  the  post,  superscribed  *  Rev.  Denis  Brasbie,' 
'  A  vera  fide  nuper  defciences.' 


DINGLE.  161 

Mr.  Brasbie  bides  the  pelting  of  this  pitiless  storm 
with  great  calmness — some  portion  of  it  he  antici- 
pated, and  Came  forth  prepared  to  meet :  but  for  the 
amount  of  scorn,  hatred,  and  ill-will  that  he  has  ex- 
perienced he  was  not  prepared,  and  he  declares  he 
did  not  hitherto  know  the  persecuting  spirit  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  When  asked  how  he  could 
possibly  be  ignorant  of  that  when  a  very  slight  ac- 
quaintance with  history  would  have  informed  him  of 
it :  he  replied,  *  I  have  read  no  history  since  I  left 
Maynooth,  and  there  we  read  only  *'  one-sided  his- 
tories/' where  "  Protestantism  is  represented  as  the 
2^ersecutor,  and  Romanism  the  victim"  ' 

This  gentleman  still  remains  in  Dingle,  having 
been  advised  by  the  friends  of  the  Reformation,  to 
outlive  calumny  in  the  place  it  arose  ;  he  is  at  pre- 
sent studying  the  Scriptures  very  earnestly,  and 
awaiting  the  leading  and  guidance  of  Providence  as 
to  his  future  destiny. 

In  the  month  of  October,  Mr.  Gayer  was  obliged 
to  leave  home  on  a  deputation,  when  Mr.  Brasbie 
removed  to  Ventry,  and  became  the  guest  of  Mr. 
Moriarty.  Three  days  subsequent  to  that  in  which 
he  became  part  of  the  family  circle.  Miss  Moriarty, 
sister  of  the  clergyman,  declared  her  resolution  of 
renouncing  the  errors  of  the  Romish  creed  on  the 
following  day.  The  stunning  effect  of  this  conver- 
sion on  the  whole  district,  cannot  possibly  be  des- 
cribed. First,  it  came  upon  them  as  a  clap  of 
thunder,  as  indeed  it  did  upon  all,  for  this  lady  had 
not  revealed  her  intentions  or  change  of  mind  to  any 


162  DINGLE. 

one,  not  even  to  her  brother,  in  whose  house  she 
resided.  Secondly,  she  was  the  idol  and  pride,  the 
boast  of  the  priesthood.  Most  carefully  educated  in 
the  tenets  of  her  religion,  and  armed  at  all  points, 
as  her  instructors  thought,  in  a  controversial  panoply 
of  proof  against  the  inroads  of  Protestant  doctrine, 
she  had  lived  and  resisted  the  force  of  truth  for  seven 
years  in  her  brother's  house.  She  had  been  lauded 
and  held  up  as  an  example  of  holy  stedfastness,  of 
living  martyrdom — of  the  power  of  the  faith  ;  her 
natural  meekness,  docility,  zeal,  and  devotedness, 
attached  them  to  her  personally  ;  as  her  position, 
standing  a  witness  for  them  in  the  midst  of  her  Pro- 
testant relatives,  made  her  valuable  to  their  cause. 
She  was  an  object  to  whom  every  wavering  mind 
might  be  directed — *  See  Miss  Moriarty — she  has 
had  opportunity  of  judging  of  Protestantism  ;  if  there 
were  any  truth  or  superior  sanctity  in  it  she  would 
have  found  it  out,  and  you  see  she  wavers  not.'  This 
their  boast  was  now  at  an  end,  and  the  cry  of  the 
people  made  itself  heard,  'Who  now  may  we  depend 
on,  when  even  Miss  Moriarty  has  not  been  able  to 
resist  conviction  after  her  seven  years  of  conflict.' 
Then  arose  a  report  among  the  more  ignorant  por- 
tion of  the  people,  which  was  laboriously  circulated 
by  the  priests,  because  so  consonant  to  the  mind  of 
the  multitude, — namely,  that  Mr.  Brasbie  had  *  used 
a  satanic  charm  over  her,  which  had  beeji  the  cause 
of  her  fall, — that  this  was  manifest  from  the  fact  that 
he  ivas  only  three  days  in  the  house  with  her  when  she 
was  taken  in  the  snare,  and  fell  into  the  pit,  sunk  for 
those  who  abjure  the  faith.' 


DINGLE.  163 

.  This  lady's  change  of  mind  had  not  been  sudden, 
though  the  declaration  of  it  was  so ;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, extremely  gradual — nor  had  her  confessor  been 
ignorant  of  its  progress,  to  him  she  had  confessed 
her  earliest  doubts  concerning  these  '  temptations  of 
the  evil  one  ;'  and  he  had  procured  several  of  the 
most  powerful  works  for  her  to  read,  confirmatory  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  faith ;  but  the  perusal  of  these 
books  did  much  more  to  open  her  mind  to  the  un- 
scriptural  character  of  that  system,  than  any  Pro- 
testant work  could  have  done.  She  compared  all  the 
references  given  in  them  with  the  Scriptures,  and 
being  amazed  at  the  corrupt  misquotation  and  misap- 
phcation,  was  led  day  by  day  to  look  more  simply  to 
the  word  of  God,  until  her  path  was  made  quite 
clear.  She  had  kept  silence  even  towards  her 
brother,  lest  it  might  be  supposed  he  had  used  undue 
influence  with  her.  She  had  not  intended  to  declare 
herself  quite  so  soon  :  but  foreseeing  ber  conversion 
would  be  attributed  to  Mr.  Brasbie  if  she  delayed, 
she  suddenly  revealed  her  whole  mind  to  her  brother 
and  boldly  came  out. 

On  the  Sunday  following  her  renunciation  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  faith,  every  chapel  in"  the  vicinity 
resounded  to  opprobrious  discourses,  of  which  she  was 
the  theme.  The  vilest  epithets,  the  lowest  and  most 
scurrilous  language  were  applied  to  her — indeed  so 
low  and  abusive,  that  although  strict  truth  might  de- 
mand that  they  should  here  be  proclaimed,  to  the  dis- 
grace of  a  system  calling  itself  Christian,  that  can 
seek  to  retain  its  members  by  such  unhallowed  means, 


164  DINGLE. 

yet  we  would  not  offend  that  excellent  young  lady, 
by  making  any  memorial  of  them.  These  discourses 
have  been  continued  Sunday  after  Sunday,  up  to 
the  present,  till  the  people  lashed  into  fury,  are 
carrying  out  the  orders  they  have  received  under 
penalty  of  excommunication,  woi  to  sell  to  the  con- 
verts. This  was  an  order  frequently  given  before, 
but  which  had  always  been  very  partially  obeyed  ;  for 
while  the  order,  not  to  employ  them  or  buy  from 
them,  was  easily  executed,'  self-interest  led  them  to 
sell  to  them  as  freely  as  ever  ; — it  is  now,  however, 
thoroughly  acted  out,  and  for  the  last  seven  or  eight 
weeks,  the  converts  have  not  been  able  to  buy  in  the 
public  markets  any  necessary  of  life.  Potatoes, 
turf,  milk,  fish,  are  refused  them.  On  several  occa- 
sions, the  children  of  the  converts  have  been  sent  to 
the  market,  hoping  they  would  not  be  recognised, 
they  have  completed  their  purchase  and  been  re- 
turning with  it,  when  some  one  has  recognised  them, 
and  forcibly  wresting  from  them  the  milk,  poured  it 
down  the  gutter,  because  cursed  by  their  touch  ;  their 
money  was  restored — thus  were  the  infants  and  sick 
of  the  colony  deprived  of  what  may  be  called  an 
absolute  necessary !  The  dairies  of  Mr.  Gayer,  Mr. 
Clifford,  and  Mr.  Thompson  could  meet  the  exigence 
in  a  very  small  degree.  Mr.  Clifford  was  sent  money 
for  the  purchase  of  two  milch  cows  almost  imme- 
diately, which  is  sold  to  some  of  the  most  necessi- 
tous ;  hut  what  is  that  among  so  many.  After  some 
difficulty,  Mr.  Thompson's  positive  commands  were 
effectual  in  getting  a  supply  of  turf  conveyed  to  Mr. 


DINGLE.  165 

Clifford's  yard,  from  whence  it  is  also  sold,  and  for 
several  Saturdays,  he  (Mr.  Thompson),  attended  the 
markets  and  purchased  potatoes  for  them,  selling 
them  to  them  again  on  the  spot ;  but  this  ceased  to 
be  necessary,  when  on  Mr.  Gayer's  return,  the  pota- 
toe-pits  of  the  convert-farms,  which  were  intended 
to  be  kept  in  reserve  against  the  dear  season,  were 
opened  and  sold  at  market-price  to  the  people.  Many 
affecting  instances  of  individual  kindness  appear 
through  the  gloom  of  fanatical  bigotry.  Roman 
Catholics  buying  milk  and  fish,  and  bringing  it  after 
nightfall,  into  the  houses  of  the  converts,  pouring  it 
into  a  vessel,  or  laying  it  on  a  plate  on  a  dresser,  and 
going  out.  This  was,  neither  buying  from,  selling 
to,  or  communicating  with  a  souper  ;  but  it  was 
ministering  to  the  necessity  of  the  saints,  and  we 
may  believe,  shall  in  no  way  lose  its  reward.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  coerce  Mr.  Thompson  into  not 
employing  the  converts ;  he  had  a  boundary  sunk- 
fence  of  considerable  extent  being  executed  :  it  was 
calculated  that  it  would  give  employment  for  the 
three  dead  months  of  the  year  to  forty  men ;  he 
chose  thirty  Roman  Catholics  and  ten  converts,  and 
gave  them  the  job.  The  Priest  rode  to  the  spot, 
and  forbid  the  Roman  Catholics  to  work  at  it,  unless 
the  *  Soupers '  were  dismissed  from  amongst  them. 
Great  consternation  was  expressed  at  this  arbitrary 
order,  and  the  overseer  of  the  work  brought  direct 
information  of  it  to  Mr.  Thompson,  who  lost  no 
time  in  riding  off  to  the  spot,  where  he  determinately 
told  them;  '  They  might  leave  the  work  if  they  pleased, 


166  DINGLE. 

but  if  they  did,  no  future  submission  on  their  parts 
would  induce  him  to  replace  them  in  it;  he  would 
engage  thirty  more  of  the  converts  next  day,  and  if 
it  was  necessary,  obtain  police  to  protect  them  while 
they  executed  it.  He  then  reasoned  with  them  on  the 
folly  of  permitting  their  priests  to  put  them  out  of 
bread — '  When  you,  and  your  wives  and  families  are 
starving,  all  spring,  will  they  support  you?'  The 
result  was,  all  the  men  continued  in  the  employment. 

Mr.  Gayer's  family  have  received  many  personal 
insults ;  the  children  were  attacked  one  day,  and  the 
young  lady  who  was  along  with  them  very  severely 
kicked  ;  stones  have  frequently  been  thrown  at  them^ 
and  on  one  occasion,  Mr.  Gayer's  mother  received  a 
contusion  on  the  side  of  her  head  from  the  blow  of  a 
stone.  These  things  have  been  brought  before  the 
magistrates — for  the  first  of  these  offences  the  man 
was  fined  ;  of  the  last  no  evidence  could  be  obtained, 
though  many  saw  the  act.  Lord  and  Lady  Ventry 
have  been  made  the  theme  of  the  chapel-harangues 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  and  the  last  fact  to  be 
noticed  is  one  very  novel,  in  a  country  hitherto  re- 
markable for  perfect  tranquillity.  Notices  threatening 
the  life  of  Lord  Ventry,  in  the  event  of  his  not  dis- 
missing Mr.  Gayer,  have  been  forwarded  to  him.* 

Such  is  the  present  state  of  Dingle  and  the  neigh- 
bouring places  wherever  the  Reformation  has  reached : 
a  state  that  the  worldly  man  will  call  *  a  very  bad 
state  : '  but  a  state  that  the  Christian  man  rejoices  in, 
as  proving  a  reality  and  extent  of  the  Lord's  work 
*  Written  December  24,  1844. 


DINGLE.  167 

in  the  place.  The  Priests  are  angry  because  they 
know  that  their  dominion  is  gone.  Bigots  they  will 
find  to  work  upon  for  years  to  come,  but  the  natural 
good  sense  of  the  people  is  righting  itself,  and  if  the 
PRESENT  MOMENT  IS  NOT  LOST,  if  the  converts  are  ena- 
bled to  STAND  out  the  present  storm,  victory  is  sure; 
and  the  Reformation  will  increase  to  an  incalculable 
extent.  Whereas  if  they  are  not  now  strongly  upheld, 
the  whole  work  must  fall  to  the  ground — those  who 
are  only  theoretically  convinced  will  go  back  to  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  those  on  whose  hearts  the  love 
of  God  is  shed  abroad  must  emigrate.  A  few  have 
gone  back, — I  believe  six  very  poor  individuals  who 
were  in  the  country  parts,  and  not  near  assistance, — 
and  double  that  number  have  been  added  to  us; 
coming  out  boldly  in  the  midst  of  the  persecution. 


168  CONCLUSION. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


CONCLUSION. 


I  SHALL  sum  up  this  little  history  of  our  Reformation 
and  its  present  state,  by  appending  a  copy  of  the 
brief  report  already  published  by  Miss  Mahon,  (now 
Mrs.  Inglis,)  of  the  year  1843,  and  a  still  latter  appeal 
by  the  same  lady.  Our  grateful  feelings  towards  her 
cause  us  to  have  great  pleasure  in  lending  to  her 
pleasing  report  all  the  circulation  that  may  await 
ourselves. 

The  profits  of  this  little  work  are  to  be  cast  into 
her  collection  to  aid  in  the  effort  she  means  now  to 
make,  to  add  a  manufacturing  department  to  the 
other  objects  embraced  by  the  Dingle  colony. 

Linen  was  formerly  the  great  manufacture  of  the 
town,  and  formed  its  chief  trade.  Our  poor  women 
are  admirable  spinners,  and  it  is  most  desirable  to 
revive  the  business,  even  partially,  that  we  may 
thereby  afford  employment  to  the  females.  It  is 
plain,  that  in  price  we  shall  not  be  able  to  compete 
with  the  power-looms  of  the  north ;  but  we  have 
already  had  encouragement  to  hope  that  some  persons 


CONCLUSION.  169 

will  always  be  found  willing  to  give  an  advanced  price 
not  only  for  a  really  better  article,  which  there  cannot 
be  a  doubt  hand-spun  linen  is,  but  with  the  Christian 
view  of  giving  employment — the  best  sort  of  charity 
in  the  best  way. 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  impress  upon  the 
reader^  that  while  all  the  honour  is  ascribed  to  God 
and  the  use  of  the  Scriptures,  which  are  able  "  to 
make  wise  unto  salvation,"  we  wish  it  to  be  re- 
membered that  no  single  agency  has  produced  the 
outbreak  from  popery  in  this  district,  but  rather  a 
judicious  combination  and  zealous  use  of  many 
agencies,  each  in  their  legitimate  place — zealous  and 
faithful  preaching — and  protection  of  the  landlord. 

The  Irish  Society  in  our  Irish  districts,  whose 
teachers  break  up  the  fallow  ground  and  prepare  it 
for  the  Scripture  Readers  sent  forth  by  the  Ladies' 
Auxiliary  Society,  who,  it  may  be  said,  '  cast  in  the 
principal  wheat '  by  reading  and  expounding  the 
word  of  Life,  and  gathering  out  of  the  mass  those 
whosemindsare  turned  towards  reformation — Schools 
and  that  endearing  reciprocation  of  good  offices  and 
gratuitous  teaching  which  gives  confidence  between 
the  rich  and  the  poor  :  Let  these  means  .be  tried  in 
any  place,  and  the  result  will  be  the  same,  as 
has  been  proVed  in  the  parish  of  Ballingarry,  in 
the  county  of  Limerick,  where  Mr.  Gubbins  has 
now  upwards  o^ fifty  Roman  Catholic  converts  since 
he  went  into  the  parish  in  1839.  But  though 
these  things  be  found  amongst  us  in  Dingle, 
and    make    us    that    we    be   not   unfruitful    in    the 

I 


170  CONCLUSION. 

knowledge  of  the  Lord :  yet  they  do  not  suffi- 
ciently 'abound.'  We  still  need  more  zeal — more 
FIDELITY — more  charity — more  liberality— more 
PATIENCE  IN  WELL-DOING.  And  we  do  most  ear- 
nestly commend  the  work  to  the  prayers  of  every 
Christian,  and  ask  of  them  to  entreat  for  us  a  larger 
measure  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that 
each  of  those  who  are  labouring  amongst  them,  toge- 
tlier  with  all  our  poor  converts,  may  daily  learn  that 
the  gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  from 
sin  here,  and  Satan  hereafter.     Amen. 


APPENDIX. 


REPORT  OF  THE  DINGLE  COLONY. 

1843. 


patron. 

THE  DUKE  OF  MANCHESTER. 

THE  DUCHESS  OF  MANCHESTER.  THE  COUNTESS  OF  BANDON. 
LADY  VENTRY. 

3Prf5itJent. 

COLONEL    THE    HON.    EDWARD    WINGFIELD. 

Committee. 


LADY    ADELAIDE    WEBBER. 

MRS.    JOHN    HARE 

MRS.    IRWIN 

MRS.    HUNTER 

MRS.    T.    DELACOUR    CARROL. 


MRS.  LUDLOW 

MRS.  COLTHURST 

MRS.  GAYER 

MRS.  MORGAN 

MRS.  NORMAN 


REV.    CHARLES    GAYER.       LIEUT.    CLIFFORD",    R.N. 

Cfcas'urer. 

REV.    CHARLES    GAYER. 

f^onorari)  Secretary. 

MISS    MAHON. 

[Miss  Mahon  requests  that  all  Letters  which  are  not  immediate  answers, 
maj'  be  directed  to  her,  to  the  care  of  Charles  Lambert,  Esq.,  General 
Post-office,  Dublin,  by  whom  they  will  be  forwarded  without  delay.] 
I  2 


172  APPENDIX. 


REPORT. 


"  Not  on  an  arm  of  flesh  for  strength  1  lean, 

Frail  help  !  it  makes  the  heart  that  trusts  it  bleed  ; 

But  by  the  ej^e  of  faith  my  Lord  is  seen, 

Making  omnipotent  the  fragile  reed. 

Upheld  by  Him,  I  smile  at  dangers  near, 

One  word  of  His  can  quell  the  loudest  storm ; 

Whate'er  may  come,  my  heart  shall  know  no  fear. 

For  He  who  promised  can  and  loill  perform." — Isa.  xli.  10. 

Through  the  tender  mercy  of  our  God  we  are  permitted, 
at  the  close  of  another  year,  to  renew  our  song  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving,  for  the  blessings  which  He  has  so 
abundantly  poured  upon  our  undertaking. — He  hath  said, 
"  Fear  thou  not,  for  I  am  with  thee ;  be  not  dismayed,  for 
I  am  thy  God."  Tliis  is  the  secret  of  our  prosperity  and 
confidence  ;  and  thus  has  He  proved  that  it  is  "  nothing 
with  Him  to  help,  whether  with  many,  or  with  them  that 
have  no  power."  But  our  song  of  praise  is  solemnized 
and  saddened,  by  the  recollection  that  many  who  would 
have  united  with  us  in  it,  are  passed  away  into  eternity, 
and  help  us  now  no  more  in  praise,  or  prayer.  Yet  it  may 
not  be  so — doubtless  those  blessed  spirits,  though  they  no 
longer  struggle  vdth  us  here,  yet  if  conscious  of  what  is 
passing  in  tliis  lower  world,  join  at  least  our  song  of  praise. 
Yes,  join  it  without  sharing  our  sadness,  or  our  sin.  We 
have  lost  several  dear  friends,  but  one  especially  valued' — 
Capt.  Forbes,  a  name  beloved  by  every  Dingle  convert. 
Nearest  to  his  heart  ever  was  this  woi-k  in  which  we  are 
engaged.  And  does  he  now  regret,  while  sharing  the  bhss 
of  angels  and  archangels,  that  while  here,  his  delight  was 
in  bringing  sinners  to  a   Saviour,  in  gathering  jewels  for 


APPENDIX.  173 

his  Redeemer's  crown  ?  .No,  my  friends  ;  it  is  a  life  spent 
as  his  was  that  robs  death  of  its  terrors,  and  makes  eternity 
joyful ;  a  life  of  faith  on  the  Son  of  God.  May  the  recol- 
lection, then,  that  he  is  gone,  stimulate  us  to  more  earnest 
prayer,  and  more  active  exertion,  on  behalf  of  a  work 
which  has  lost  such  a  valued  friend  ;  and  may  it  be  ours  to 
live  as  he  did,  so  shall  our  last  end  be  like  his. 

We  are  anxious  to  build  eight  or  ten  more  houses  in 
Dingle  for  converts,  but  our  funds  have  not  been  sufficient ; 
and  though  we  have  £190  in  hand,  yet  we  are  obliged  to 
keep  this  over  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  spring  work  on 
the  farm,  and  the  salaries  of  the  Readers  and  School- 
masters, which  will  be  due  before  our  subscriptions  for 
1844  are  paid  in.  We  beg  our  friends  to  assist  us  in 
building  cottages  for  those  who  are  left  houseless,  and  for 
whom  we  are  now  obhged  to  provide  lodgings.  I  will 
now,  my  friends,  give  you  Mr.  Gayer's  report  of  the 
Colony. 

'Dingle,  Dec.  2,  1843. 
'  My  dear  Madam, 

'  In  sitting  down  to  give  you  a  report  of  the 
Colony  for  the  past  year,  on  behalf  of  the  Trustees,  I  do 
so  with  much  gratitude  to  God  for  the  blessing  which  He 
has  been  pleased  to  vouchsafe  to  the  work  in  which  we 
have  the  privilege  to  be  engaged.  The  work  of  reforma- 
tion in  such  a  countiy  as  Ireland,  where  the  priests  exer- 
cise such  unbounded  influence  over  the  minds  of  the  people, 
requires,  if  I  may  so  speak,  an  especial  blessing  from  the 
Lord ;  otherwise  the  door  of  access  remains  closed,  and  all 
the  efforts  that  are  made  to  obtain  admittance  seem  to  be 
ineffectual.  In  looking  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  work 
here,  I  can  trace  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  everything,  and 
have  been  forcibly  reminded  of  the  council  of  Gamaliel, 
"  For  if  this  work  be  of  men  it  will  come  to  nought,  but 


174  APPENDIX. 

if  it  be  of  God  ye  cannot  overthrow  it." — To  him  who 
alone  can  give  the  increase,  we  desire  to  ascribe  all  the 
glory.  I  regret  to  say  that  this  remote  district  has 
felt  the  agitation  about  the  Repeal  of  the  Union,  which  has 
been  injurious  to  the  progress  of  the  reformation  ;  a  much 
more  bitter  spirit  has  been  excited  against  the  converts, 
and  they  have  been  plainly  told  that  as  soon  as  the  repeal 
is  obtained  they  will  be  the  first  to  suffer.  Of  this  there 
can  be  little  doubt,  for  they  are  obnoxious  for  two  reasons  : 
1st,  as  being  Protestants,  and  2ndly,  for  being  apostates 
from  the  Church  of  Rome.  I  am  thankful  to  say  that  as 
yet  none  of  these  things  seem  to  move  them,  for  there 
has  not  been  any  instance  of  apostacy  during  the  past  year' 
but  on  the  contrary,  some  have  had  the  courage  to  come 
out  of  Babylon  and  cast  in  their  lot  with  us.  We  think  it 
well  to  allude  to  an  effort  that  was  made  at  the  beginning 
of  this  year  to  try  and  check  the  work  of  reformation,  by 
endeavouring  to  prevent  the  converts  being  buried  with 
the  rites  of  our  church.  In  the  first  instance  the  mob 
succeeded,  and  by  force  carried  off  the  body  and  buried 
it, — the  converts  were  beaten  and  had  to  retire  :  encouraged 
by  their  success,  a  crowd  of  500  persons  collected  to 
oppose,  a  short  time  after,  at  the  funeral  of  another  con- 
vert ;  and  but  for  the  assistance  rendered  by  a  strong 
body  of  police  and  coast-guard,  who  were  pro^ddentially 
on  duty  at  a  httle  distance,  and  who  had  to  defend  us  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet,  in  all  probability  some,  if  not 
many,  lives  would  have  been  lost ;  some  of  the  ringleaders 
were  brought  to  justice,  and  since  then  no  interruption 
has  been  given. 

'  You  are  aware  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Trustees 
to  take  a  farm  at  DunurUn,  and  also  at  Keelmelchedar  for 
the  converts.  This  they  have  been  enabled  to  do,  each 
consisting  of  about  twenty  acres  ;  it  is  quite  impossible  that 
the  converts  could  exist  at  all  without  ground  to  cultivate 


APPENDIX.  175 

potatoes,  as  their  enemies  would  gladly  starve  them  out  of 
the  country.  This  was  the  system  resorted  to,  when  it 
was  found  that  curses  and  excommunications  were  disre- 
garded. Depriving  those  who  leave  the  Church  of  Rome 
of  all  the  means  of  earning  a  livelihood,  is  the  great 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  reformation.  As  it  is  probable 
that  some  of  the  subscribers  may  object  to  see  the  rent  of 
the  farms  charged  in  the  accounts,  not  being  aware  of  the 
position  that  the  converts  are  placed  in  by  the  renunciation 
of  popery,  I  think  it  right  to  state  that  on  their  leaving  the 
Church  of  Rome  they  are  instantly  deprived  of  all  their 
former  means  of  support,  and  are  consequently  thrown 
upon  the  conductors  of  the  mission  for  employment ;  and 
unless  we  can  enable  them  to  earn  a  livelihood  by  their 
own  labour,  they  have  no  other  alternative  but  to  star\'e, 
leave  the  country,  or  apostatize.  Some  few,  before  the 
colony  was  established,  were  forced  to  choose  the  latter,  as 
it  •v^s  too  much  for  human  nature  to  see  their  children 
starving  about  them.  A  convert  also  is  shown  no  mercy  ; 
no  allowance  is  made  for  the  trying  circumstances  in  which 
he  may  be  placed, — every  one  seems  to  be  watching  for 
his  halting, — the  "  mote  in  the  eye  is  magnified  into  a 
beam."  If  he  remain  stedfast  to  the  profession  he  has 
embraced,  he  is  charged  with  doing  so  for  bribes ;  if  he 
apostatize  through  fear  of  starvation,  he  is  branded  as  a 
hypocrite.  The  trial  that  a  conveit  has  to  undergo,  to  test 
his  sincerity  in  the  eyes  of  some  who  from  their  own  pro- 
fession ought  to  uphold  him,  is  a  fiery  ordeal  indeed,  and 
it  is  similar  to  the  ancient  custom  of  trying  a  person  sus- 
pected of  being  a  witch,  which  was,  to  tie  her  hands  and 
feet,  and  throw  her  into  a  pond ;  if  she  did  not  sink,  she 
was  at  once  looked  upon  as  guilty  and  was  put  to  death, 
but  if  she  did,  she  was  acquitted  of  the  charge,  but  in 
either  case  the  poor  creature  was  the  sufl^erer.  And  so  it 
is  with  the  convert : — if  through  fear  of  star\'ation  he  is 

I 


176  APPENDIX. 

induced  again  to  return  to  his  former  ways,  he  is  unhesi- 
tatingly denounced  as  a  hypocrite  ;  but  if  he  prefer  to  sit 
down  with  his  family  beside  a  ditch  and  perish  sooner  than 
forsake  the  truth,  he  is  then  indeed  considered  to  be 
sincere ;  but  in  either  case  he  must  be  the  sufferer, 
whether  in  his  good  name,  or  his  life.  I  would  therefore 
request  those  of  our  kind  supporters  who  perhaps  from  a 
taste  for  political  economy  may  be  inclined  first  of  all  to 
cast  their  eye  over  the  balance-sheet  and  decide  against  us, 
as  exercising  extravagance  in  the  carrying  on  of  the 
temporal  affairs  of  the  colony,  first  to  consider  that  the 
converts  are  in  a  peculiar  position,  despised,  persecuted, 
and  forsaken  by  all,  both  friends  and  foes  :  that  they  cannot 
support  themselves  without  work, — that  they  cannot 
obtain  it  except  from  us, — that  we  have  therefore  no 
alternative  but  to  give  them  gratuitous  rehef  or  employ- 
ment, or  drive  them  to  apostacy  or  starvation.  The 
necessity  of  the  case  therefore  compels  us  to  employ  them  ; 
and  although  under  other  circumstances  we  should  not  feel 
justified  in  expending  so  much  on  rent  and  labour  on  the 
farm,  under  the  existing  ones  we  are  compelled  to  do  so. 
It  is  our  blessed  Master's  direction  that  even  if  "  our  enemy 
hunger,  we  are  to  feed  him,"  that  we  are  to  "do  good 
unto  all  men,  but  especially  to  them  who  are  of  the  house- 
hold of  faith  ;  "  and  surely  what  can  be  a  more  legitimate 
way  of  doing  good  to  those  who  are  persecuted  and  for- 
saken for  His  name's  sake,  than  by  enabling  them  to 
"  earn  their  bread  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow  ?  "  Gratui- 
tous rehef  is  not  afforded  to  any  but  the  widows  and 
orphans,  and  those  who  by  sickness  are  prevented  from 
working.  I  am  sure,  therefore,  when  our  friends  look 
upon  our  peculiar  position  and  difficulties,  they  will  not 
charge  us  with  extravagance  in  the  outlay  of  their  contribu- 
tions, but  win  come  forward  stiU  to  assist  us. 

In  the  present  state  of  the  country,  the  lives  of  the  con- 


APPENDIX.  177 

verts  especially  are  in  jeopardy.  We  know  not  if  we  oiu- 
selves  shall  be  spared  to  make  another  appeal  to  the  friends 
of  the  colony ;  if  our  enemies  are  permitted  to  have  their 
will,  this  is  the  last  we  shall  make  to  their  liberality.  I 
trust,  however,  that  I  can  say,  in  the  name  of  all  that  are 
engaged  in  the  work  here,  that  we  count  not  our  lives  dear 
unto  ourselves,  so  that  we  may  finish  our  course  with  joy, 
and  the  ministiy  we  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  We 
have  cast  in  our  lot  with  the  poor  converts,  and  we  shall 
stand  or  fall  together.  We  cannot  conclude  our  report 
without  alluding  to  the  loss  we  have  sustained  in  the  death 
of  our  dear  brother  and  trustee  Captain  Forbes  ; — he  is 
gone  to  his  rest — the  soldier's  work  is  done — he  has  laid 
aside  his  sword,  and  has  received  his  crown.  It  may  be 
truly  said  of  liim,  he  had  not  an  enemy,  for  he  was  beloved 
and  lamented  of  all ; — he  was  indeed  the  convei't's  friend, 
for  he  was  the  first  who  suggested  to  you  the  importance 
of  estabUshing  the  colony  as  a  refuge.  For  him  to  live 
was  Christ,  and  to  die  was  gain  ;  but  we  shall  meet  again, 
when  our  Lord  cometh  with  all  His  saints — the  time  is  at 
hand — may  we  be  found  watching  for  His  appearing.  1 
am  desired  to  express  how  grateful  we  feel  to  you  for  your 
great  exertions  during  the  past  year  ;  we  know  what  an 
arduous  and  trying  post  you  have  undertaken,  and  we 
cannot  refrain  from  returning  you  (which  is  all  we  can  do) 
our  best  thanks.  May  the  Lord  still  strengthen  you  for 
His  service,  and  continue  to  make  you  a  blessing  to  His 
poor  persecuted  people. 

'  I  remain,  my  dear  Madam,  yours  most  sincerely, 

'  Charles  Gayer.' 

'  P.S.  We  have  a  large  quantity  of  potatoes  in  store, 
the  produce  of  the  farm ;  but  from  the  present  very  low 
prices,  and  the  agitated  state  of  the  country,  we  consider 
it  better  not  to  dispose   of  them,  as  should  there  come  an 

I  5 


178  APPENDIX. 

outbreak,  which  is  to  be  feared,  provisions  could    not  be 
procured.' 


It  will  be  seen  by  Mr.  Gayer's  letter,  that  in  the  progress 
of  the  work  at  Dingle,  we  have  had  our  encouragements 
and  discouragements.  I  saw  much  to  gratify  me  during 
my  visit  there  in  August  last, — much  to  bless  the  Lord  for. 
Well  do  I  remember  what  my  feehngs  were  as  I  looked 
round  the  crowded  school-room  on  the  Sabbath  morning, 
and  saw  the  aged  and  the  young,  reading  the  word  of 
salvation.  Many  whose  hoary  locks  proclaimed  that  their 
pilgrimage  was  nearly  ended,  and  who,  but  for  that  book, 
would  have  died  trusting  in  lying  vanities,  without  hope, 
and  without  God.  And  there  too  was  a  noble  band  of 
children  being  trained  up  to  fight  the  I^ord's  battles,  and 
taught  to  wield  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  against  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil.  O  my  friends,  could  you  have 
witnessed  this  scene,  and  felt  as  I  did  then,  you  would 
require  but  little  persuasion  to  induce  you  to  give  freely  to 
the  support  of  an  institution  which  is  the  means  of  pre- 
serving this  little  flock  fi'om  the  hands  of  their  enemies, 
and  of  enabling  them  in  quietude  to  seek  and  serve  the 
Lord.  I  visited  twenty -nine  families  of  converts  the 
last  day  of  my  sojourn  in  Dingle,  and  was  much  inte- 
rested and  gratified ;  there  are  1 60  children  now  at  the 
Dingle  School,  and  a  good  attendance  at  Keelmelchedar 
and  Dunurliu, 

Many  blame  us  for  giving  temporal  relief,  and  accuse 
us  of  bribery.  Now  we  would  again  answer  these  objec- 
tors, and  first  ask.  Have  we  not  our  blessed  Redeemer's 
precepts  and  example  for  giving  temporal  rehef }  Have 
we  one  instance  of  his  sending  the  suffering  or  needy 
(even   the    most   unworthy)    away   unaided  ?     When    the 


j\PPENDIX.  179 

multitudes  came  to  hear  him,  do  we  not  find  him  perform- 
ing a  miracle  in  the  wilderness,  rather  than  send  them 
hungry  away  ?  And  what  are  his  commands  on  this 
subject?  See  Luke  iii.  11  ;  Psalm  xH.  1,  2,  3;  Matt. 
XXV.  34  to  the  end;  Matt.  x.  42;  Prov.  xix.  17;  Isa. 
Iviii.  6,  7;  Heb.  vi.  10;  Luke  x.  30—37;  1  John  iii. 
16,  17.  In  this  last  scripture  we  are  called  upon  not  only 
to  give  temporal  aid,  but  if  necessity  requu'e,  our  lives 
also,  for  our  brethren.  We  do  beheve  that  no  person  who 
thinks  over  these  scriptures  will  deny  the  duty  of  giving 
temporal  aid.  We  will  now  reason  after  the  flesh,  and 
ask.  Is  it  wise  to  drive  these  poor  creatures  back  to  popery 
by  starving  them  as  a  test  of  their  sincerity  ?  We  have 
heard  of  many  instances  of  this  being  done,  but  we  now 
only  mention  one  ; — a  poor  man  in  the  Isle  of  Arran,  who 
being  many  times  refused  temporal  relief,  for  a  long  time 
endured  hunger,  but  at  length  being  overcome  by  the  cries 
of  his  seven  stai-ving  children,  abjured  his  faith,  and  re- 
turned to  the  mass ;  while  his  conscience  still  accused  him, 
he  declared  that  he  was  obliged  to  tell  most  horrible  hes, 
while  dressed  up  in  a  white  sheet  each  Sunday  in  the 
chapel  before  the  whole  congregation.  Truly  we  do  not 
envy  those  whose  heartless  policy  leads  them  to  be  instru- 
mental in  bringing  such  things  to  pass.  We  know  too 
well  what  human  nature  is  ;  and  for  ourselves,  we  can  say, 
we  would  much  rather  sufler  a  few  hours'  torture  at  the 
stake,  than  endure  the  gnawings  of  hunger,  fi-om  day  to 
day,  amidst  the  scoffs  and  reproaches  of  the"  Lord's  ene- 
mies and  ours ;  yes,  much  rather  would  we  endure  the 
burning  flame,  which  would  speedily  free  us  from  a  body 
of  sufi"ering  and  of  sin,  than  see  those  loved  around  us 
crying  for  food,  and  sinking  in  slow  disease  from  starva- 
tion. Friends  !  where  is  the  father  or  the  mother  who 
could  hold  out  with  such  a  scene  around  them  ?  We  must 
confess  we  know  not  any.     Lastly,  we  would  exonerate 


180  APPENDIX. 

ourselves  from  the  charge  of  bribery.  Can  it  be  so,  when 
we  only  give  our  cottages  by  a  weekly  tenure  ?  Would 
any  one  believing  (as  the  poor  Roman  Catholics  do)  that 
there  is  no  salvation  in  any  other  creed,  renounce  it,  when 
they  know  they  could  have  their  houses  for  one  week  only, 
if  proved  to  be  insincere  ?  Added  to  this,  none  are  taken 
into  the  colony,  without  a  long  trial  of  their  sincerity. 
We  trust  we  have  once  again  proved  the  duty  and  the 
wisdom  of  giving  temporal  relief,  while  we  would  beg  our 
friends  to  remember  that  we  do  not  neglect  their  spiritual 
necessities.  We  support,  unaided  by  any  other  society. 
Schools,  and  Scripture-readers  for  the  districts  of  Dingle, 
Dunurlin  and  Keelmelchedar. ' 

And  now,  in  closing  our  report  for  1843,  we  would  praise 
Him  who  has  helped  us  hitherto.  We  would  renew  our 
request,  that  our  praying  friends  would  bear  us,  and  our 
work,  on  their  hearts  before  the  Lord ;  we  know,  what  He 
blesses,  is  blest  indeed.  We  would  reiterate  our  thanks  to 
the  kind  friends  who  have  so  generously  cooperated  with 
us,  and  we  would  beseech  them  to  continue  to  aid  this 
work  of  mercy.  May  they  rejoice  in  the  consciousness 
that  they  have  "  made  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy," 
and  that  they  have  been  instrumental  in  sa^'ing  those  "who 
were  ready  to  perish."  Above  aU,  we  would  remind  them 
that  soon  our  opportunities  of  thus  glorifying  our  blessed 
Redeemer,  and  of  thus  manifesting  our  grateful  love  to 
Him  who  loved  us  unto  death,  shall  soon  cease  for  ever  ; 
perhaps  ere  another  year  closes,  she  who  writes,  and  they 
who  read  this,  may,  like  those  we  now  miss,  have  passed 
into  eternity.  Let  us,  then,  dear  friends,  live  hke  those 
who  are  waiting  for  their  Lord,  doing  his  work  and  will, 
ready  for  his  call,  or  his  coming.  "  Blessed  is  that 
servant,  whom  his  Lord  when  He  cometh  shall  find  so 
doing." 


APPENDIX.  181 

There's  not  a  cup  of  water  given 
From  holy  love  unmark'din  Heaven; 
Immortal  ones  !  will  you  not  give 
For  Him  who  died  that  you  might  live. 

Catharine  Hartland  Mahon, 

Honorary  Secretary. 

December  16,  1843. 


TO  THE  FRIENDS  AND  SUPPORTERS  OF  THE 
PROTESTANT  COLONY  AT  DINGLE,  VENTRY, 

&c.  &c. 

IN    THE    COUNTRY    OF    KERRY. 

Many  of  you,  I  am  persuaded,  will  be  anxious  to  receive 
intelligence  from  me  while  I  am  sojourning  in  tliis  most 
interesting  spot — many  of  you  who  have  kindly,  gene- 
rously, and  confidingly  supported  the  Dingle  Colony,  and 
I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  put  matters  before  you  as  thev 
really  are.  I  have  attended  the  Sunday  and  Daily  Schools 
in  Dingle  and  Ventry,  and  have  both  examined  the  chil- 
dren myself,  and  have  heard  them  examined  by  the  Rev. 
E.  Norman,  and  I  thankfully  testify  that  I  never  heard 
better  answering.  I  have  visited  and  conversed  with  the 
Converts  from  house  to  house,  while  my  heart  rejoiced  in 
the  assurance  that  many  of  them  were  the  children  of 
the  Lord,  and  even  those  from  whom  the  least  might  be 
expected,  seemed  to  value  the  blessed  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  and  rejoice  in  their  deliverance  from  the  darkness 
of  Papal  bondage. 

Great  has  been  the   interest  which  I  have  felt  in  Dingle 


182  APPENDIX. 

for  the  last  four  years ;  an  interest  always  deepened  and 
increased  by  every  visit  I  have  paid  to  it ;  yet  I  can  truly 
say,  I  never  understood  the  vast  importance  of  the  work, 
so  fully  as  within  the  last  three  weeks. 

From  the  spirit  of  inquiiy,  and  the  many  applications 
of  those  who  are  anxious  to  renounce  Popery,  but  are 
deten-ed  fi"om  doing  so  through  fear  of  starvation,  I  have 
deemed  it  right  to  call  again  on  the  fi'iends  of  the  Colony 
to  renew  their  exertions  on  its  behalf,  and  give  us  the 
means  of  gathering  in  these  poor  straying  immortal  ones 
into  the  fold  of  the  Gospel.  My  friends,  consider  the 
value  of  a  never-dying  soul !  Consider,  too,  the  awful 
guilt  of  those  who  leave  such  a  prey  to  the  roaring  lion, 
who  goeth  about  seeking  whom  he  may  devour.  By 
giving  a  little  more  of  that  wealth  which  soon  you  must 
leave  behind  you,  you  could  be  the  means  of  bringing 
them  to  hear  the  Good  Shepherd's  voice,  and  of  lead- 
ing them  in  the  paths  of  eternal  life.  Such  as  refuse  to 
help  this  work,  are  guilty  of  that  of  which  our  blessed 
Redeemer  accuses  those  on  His  left  hand,  "  I  was  a 
stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in !  "  Oh,  how  will  you  bear 
to  hear  Him  upbraid  you  with  this  sin  in  the  great  and 
terrible  day  ?  You  cannot  then  plead  ignorance  of  the 
fact.  We  tell  you  of  hundreds  who  are  wandering  in  the 
wilds  of  spiritual  destitution,  who  are  continually  applying 
to  be  received  where  they  can  hear  and  read  the  word  of 
life,  but  who  cannot  do  so  unprotected  or  unemployed  by 
our  Institution.  Christians,  will  you  close  your  hearts,  and 
shut  your  purses  against  such  a  statement } 

This  day,  a  man,  with  a  wife  and  nine  children  applied 
for  admittance  into  our  Colony — one,  who  for  many  years 
has  walked  as  a  consistent  Christian  in  this  county,  but 
who  has  been  driven  from  place  to  place  by  persecution. 
He  is  a  respectable  inteUigent  man,  once  doing  well  as  a 
butcher,  but  since  he  became  a  Convert,  his  trade  has  failed, 


APPENDIX.  183 

in  consequence  of  the  Priest  having  cursed  any  who  would 
buy  from  him.  He  has  now  sold  every  thing  he  possessed 
in  the  w^orld,  except  his  Bible,  and  is  left  with  his  wife 
and  nine  children  in  a  state  of  beggary  ;  and  alas !  he  may 
beg  in  vain. 

Dear  friends,  is  it  not  hard  to  tell  such  a  man,  "  You 
must  either  return  to  Mass.  or  starve ;  we  cannot  help 
you".^  Such  is  the  state  we  are  now  in,  we  have  no 
funds  to  give  employment  to  those  already  sheltered  in 
our  Colony,  many  of  vphom,  Mr.  Gayer  has  assured  me, 
pass  whole  days  without  tasting  food,  and  whose  children 
often  go  to  school,  and  remain  till  evening,  without  even 
having  had  a  dry  potatoe. 

We  see  the  necessity  of  enlarging  our  operations,  we 
propose  taking  more  land,  and  estabhshing  other  means 
of  employment  by  way  of  manufacture ;  but  we  cannot  do 
anything,  if  our  friends  wiU  not  help  us.  Now  is  the 
time,  when,  if  encouraged,  the  Reformation  here  will  take 
such  rapid  strides  as  wiU  shake  Popery  in  this  country  to 
its  very  centre.  Again,  and  again,  do  I  entreat  all  who 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  not  to  lose  the  opportunity  He 
has  afforded  us  of  now  gathering  in  His  people  from  the 
Babylon  which  He  has  commanded  them  to  leave.  The 
recent  conversion  of  Mr.  Brasbie,  a  Roman  Catholic  Priest, 
has  caused  many  in  the  Church  of  Rome  to  question  their 
safety.  Would  that  my  English  friends  had  witnessed 
what  I  did  on  the  day  of  his  reading  his  recantation — 
would  that  they  had  heard  the  hideous  yeUs  and  shouting 
that  accompanied  us  as  we  walked  home  with  him,  and 
which  I  am  persuaded  would  not  have  ended  there,  had  it 
not  been  that  an  armed  force  of  nearly  200  men  had 
been  provided  by  the  magistrates  to  prevent  violence  on  the 
occasion.  Popery  is  Popery  still — it  hates  the  light — 
may  the  Lord  in  his  great  mercy  dehver  poor  unhappy 
Ireland  from  its  power.     Tlie  following  letters  from  the 


184  APPENDIX. 

Trustees  will,  I  am  sure,  be  read  with  deep  interest,  and 
prove  the  necessity  of  this  appeal. 

Your  faithftd  Servant, 

Catharine  Hartland  Mahon. 
Hon.  Secretary. 
Dingle,  '2nd  August,  1844. 

'Dingle,  3Ut  July,  1844, 
My  Dear  Friend, 

It  is  a  subject  of  much  gratitude  to  God,  that  he 
has,  in  his  providence,  so  directed  it,  that  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Brasbie,  with  whose  conversion  from  the  Church  of  Rome, 
you  are  already  acquainted,  should  have  taken  the  step  he 
has  done  in  this  particular  locality,  for  it  has  given  a 
wonderful  shaking  to  the  minds  of  many  who  were 
reckoned  amongst  the  most  devoted  members  of  the  Church 
of  Rome.  On  Sunday  last,  two  Roman  Catholic  females 
came  to  church,  one  of  whom,  on  her  first  meeting  Mr. 
Brasbie,  drew  the  sign  of  the  cross  between  herself  and 
him,  supposing  that  he  was  under  the  immediate  influence 
of  the  devil,  but  on  reflection  has  been  led  to  see  that  he 
must  know  which  way  is  the  best ;  there  is  another  family, 
who,  without  exception,  were  the  greatest  bigots  I  ever 
met,  who  have  been  completely  shaken,  and  who  have 
declared  they  will  very  soon  leave  Popery.  Besides  these 
cases,  two  clerks,  one  of  whom  was  once  Mr.  Brasbie's, 
have  applied  to  us  to  receive  them  (giving  his  example  as 
tlieir  reason  for  doing  so),  if  they  could  get  any  employ- 
ment to  keep  them  from  stai-\-ing,  and  a  clei'kship  in  a 
chapel  is  a  good  situation  ;  but  we  have  no  means  of 
employing  them,  so  at  present  they  must  only  remain  as 
they  are.  These  few  instances  have  come  under  my  own 
knowledge,  but  I  know  that  the  minds  of  the  people  in 
general  have  received  a  shock  with  regard  to  the  truth  of 
their  own  religion,  which  I  think  they  will  never  recover  ; 


APPENDIX.  185 

and  I  am  sure,  that  numbers  at  the  present  moment  are 
only  deterred  from  making  an  open  avowal  of  their  con- 
victions fi'om  the  fear  of  starvation,  as  they  see  we  have 
not  employment  to  give,  and  that,  if  they  took  the  step, 
they  would  starve.  Now,  dear  friend,  I  feel  it  is  right  to 
let  you  know  what  I  think  is  our  duty  at  the  present  impor- 
tant juncture,  when  the  Lord  has  so  wonderfully  opened 
a  door  for  us,  and  that  is,  to  make  a  great  effort  to  try 
and  influence  the  Christian  Pubhc  to  come  at  once,  and  in 
earnest,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty,  and 
supply  us  with  the  means  of  giving  employment  to  those 
who  otherwise  cannot  leave  their  present  situations  :  I  am 
totally  opposed  to  all  gratuitous  assistance;  my  motto  is 
(though  many  believe  to  the  contrary)  "  If  any  man  will 
not  work,  neither  shall  he  eat ;  "  and  I  am  fully  persuaded 
if  the  people  of  God  furnished  us  with  means,  that  Popery 
would  soon  be  shaken  here  to  its  foundation ;  but  nma 
is  the  time  for  exertion,  while  the  minds  of  the  people 
are  so  unsettled.  What  do  you  think  of  making  an  appli- 
cation to  the  Christian  Public  for  help  ?  The  Lord  has 
opened  the  door  ;  why  should  we  hesitate  ?  Has  He  not 
encouraged  us  to  attempt  great  things  ?  If  we  let  the 
present  opportunity  pass,  it  may  not  be  afforded  us  again. 
Why  should  we  doubt  ?  Is  not  the  silver  and  the  gold 
His  ?  And  are  not  the  hearts  of  His  children  in  his 
hands  ?  Let  us  make  the  trial,  and  call  upon  His  children 
to  come  forward  liberally  to  His  help,  and  if  tlie  call  is  not 
responded  to,  we  must  only  be  satisfied  that  it  is  not  His 
wiU,  but  then  we  shall  not  have  to  blame  ourselves  that  we 
did  not,  with  all  our  might,  that  which  we  considered  our 
hand  found  to  do.  If  you  think  with  me,  no  time  should  be 
lost,  in  sending  forth  the  apphcation,  and  leave  it  to  the 
Lord  to  provide  as  He  sees  best. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  friend, 
Very  sincerely  and  affectionately,  yours  in  Christ  Jesus, 
To  Miss  Mahon.  Charles  Gayer. 


]  86  APPENDIX. 


MUST  DINGLE  COLONY  BE  ANOTHER  PAUPER 
ESTABLISHMENT? 

'Dingle,  21th  July,  1844. 

My  dear  Friend — 

From  the  conversation  which  we  had  yesterday,  I  am 
anxious,  as  far  as  the  Lord  may  permit,  having  asked  wisdom 
from  above,  to  clear  away  the  doubts  and  difficulties  in  the 
pubhc  mind,  relative  to  the  question  before  us :  and  I  enter  on 
the  subject  with  some  degree  of  hope,  as  I  am  enabled  to  speak 
from  six  years  experience.  When  the  Lord  permitted  me 
to  pitch  my  tent  in  Dingle,  in  1838,  He  had  commissioned 
his  servant.  Rev.  C.  Gayer,  to  be  the  instrument  of  com- 
mencing a  great  work  at  Ventry,  which  has  since  been 
before  the  public,  with  many  a  mistake  relative  to  it  and 
Dingle,  and  much  confusion  between  them,  to  the  injury 
of  both.  Captain  Forbes,  a  Half-pay  Officer  of  the  45th^ 
(now  gone  to  his  rest),  had  previously  been  influenced  to 
make  Dingle  his  head-quarters,  that  he  might  uphold 
Mr.  Gayer,  and,  I  trust,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the 
same  governing  power  directed  hither  myself  also,  with  my 
feeble  powers,  to  sustain  his  servant  who  looked  above  for 
wisdom  to  guide  him  in  the  growing  work  in  Dingle  and 
Ventry. 

I  start  then  with  the  bold  assertion — that  this,  and 
every  other  similar  estabhshment  in  Ireland,  must,  of 
necessity,  be  a  pauper  one,  until  it  can  be  made  to  support 
itself;  and  when  the  object  of  it  is  known  to  British  Chris- 
tians, fearlessly  and  clearly,  they  will  not  let  it  fall  to  the 
ground  for  want  of  money.  Its  object,  then,  is  to  shelter 
converts    from    the   Church   of  Rome,    who  embrace  the 


APPENDIX.  187 

Protestant  religion  ;  and  a  few  facts  connected  with  those 
poor  people  here,  will  be  better  than  a  volume  of  fine 
talk. 

Want  of  capital  in  trade,  and  popery,  which  forbids 
the  people  the  Bible,  destroy  Ireland.  Want  of  capital  in 
Dingle,  and  a  consequent  inability  to  support  the  converts 
from  Popery,  must  ruin  the  cause  here,  unless  Christian 
men  and  women  in  England  and  Ireland,  who  have  it  in 
their  power,  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
mighty. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact,  and  fearlessly  I  declare  it,  that 
when  a  man  or  woman  uses  the  right  of  private  judgment, 
and  leaves  the  Church  of  Rome,  they  are  at  once  denied 
labour  or  food  by  any  Roman  Catholic  in  the  place,  and  if 
not  supported  until  they  can  be  put  in  a  way  to  earn  their 
bread,  they,  and  then-  families,  averaging  in  this  country 
seven  members,  must,  humanly  speaking,  starve  ;  and  this, 
not  from  a  feehng  against  them  in  the  mind  of  the  people 
generally,  but  arising  from  the  general  practice  of  the 
Romish  Hierarchy  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land.  I  say,  then,  they  become  paupers  the  moment 
they  emerge  from  Rome  ;  I  could  produce  many  proofs  of 
this,  did  time  and  space  permit. 

The  Protestant  gentry  are  few  and  far  between  in  this 
Barony,  and  many  have  not  the  ability  to  afford  relief  to 
these  poor  people  ;  and,  I  regret  to  say,  many  are  as  much 
opposed  to  a  convert,  or  a  Pervert,  as  they  are  called,  as 
a  Roman  Catholic  can  possibly  be  ;  and  here,  I  as  fearlessly 
assert,  that  they  are  as  much  despised  by  them,  and  the 
common  cry  is,  as  in  Egypt  of  old,  "  Ye  are  idle — ye  are 
idle."  Oh  !  what  strange  bed-fellows  does  poverty  make. 
I  must  defend  the  converts  of  Dingle  from  the  charge  that 
they  are  more  idle  than  their  Roman  Catholic  neighbours, 
when  they  have  work  to  do ;  but  tell  me,  ye  well-fed  and 
well-clothed  English  labourers,  would  ye  relish  working  at 


188  APPENDIX. 

the  spade  from  six  a.m.  till  six  p.m.  on  a  scanty  meal  of 
potatoes,  which  could  only  be  earned  three  days  in  the 
week,  and  the  produce  of  that  three  days,  if  it  can  be  pro- 
cured all  the  year  round,  must  suffice  to  feed,  and  clothe, 
and  warm,  a  man,  his  wife,  his  aged  parent,  his  poor  rela- 
tion, his  five  or  ten  crying  children,  the  beggars  who  may 
come  to  his  door,  (for  an  Irishman  or  woman  always 
shares  the  meal  with  them)  his  dog,  and  his  pig,  if  he 
ventures  on  one  to  pay  the  rent. 

I  say,  therefore.  Dingle,  Ventry,  Achill,  Fealebridge. 
and  every  similar  establishment  in  poor  Ireland,  must  be 
a  pauper  one,  until  we  have  a  capital  sufficient  to  relieve 
us  from  the  dilemma,  into  which  we  are  of  necessity,  in 
the  providence  of  God,  thrown,  if  we  encourage  the  hope 
of  these  poor  souls  who  are  willing  to  escape  from  worse 
than  Egyptian  bondage,  and  who  desire  to  come  to  the 
light  of  God's  holy  word.  It  is  a  fact,  and  an  undoubted 
one,  that  in  Dingle  itself,  many  are  examining  God's 
Bible,  that  they  may  judge  for  themselves,  but  fear  of  the 
still  powerful  arm  of  Rome  prevents  their  declaring  it ;  for 
if  they  do,  and  we  cannot  support  them,  they  are  crushed 
and  driven  back. 

Not  very  long  since,  one  of  my  own  men,  a  Christian 
man,  found  near  his  station,  a  Roman  Catholic,  who, 
having  moi'e  observation,  and  a  more  inquiring  mind  than 
his  neighbours,  had  lost  all  faith  in  his  religion,  as  he  had 
seen  through  its  tinselled  exterior,  and  this  man  was  a 
perfect  Infidel — he  induced  him  to  read  the  Bible,  and 
reasoned  with  him,  as  Paul  with  Fehx,  "  of  the  Righteous- 
ness of  Jesus,  and  the  judgment  to  come."  The  poor 
man  became  alarmed  for  his  state,  and  eagerly  applied 
himself  to  the  enquiry,  "  JJliat  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
The  Christian  man  left  the  place,  and  before  doing  so,  left 
him  a  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  in  Irish.  The  priest  heard 
of,  and  demanded  the  corrupt  book — the  man  refused — the 


APPENDIX.  189 

priest  threatened — the  man  was  proclaimed  before  the 
assembled  congregation  at  mass  ;  the  friends  tried  him — 
he  was  unmoveable,  and  demanded  of  the  priest  to  show 
him  one  corruption  in  that  Holy  Book,  The  priest 
threatened  him  with  Excommunication — the  man  attended 
mass  to  hear  it — the  fi-iends  interfered — the  ivife  threw  her 
arms  around  his  neck — his  children  clung  to  his  knees — 
all  implored  him  not  to  bring  so  heavy  a  curse  upon  them  ; 
the  poor  man  had  not  searched  deep  enough  into  the  mine 
of  truth — his  moral  courage  gave  way,  having  no  one  to 
stand  by  him,  and  he  gave  up  the  books  to  the  priest  after  a 
siege  of  three  weeks. 

This  poor  man  was  willing  to  join  the  ranks  of  the  con- 
verts, but  he  could  not  be  encouraged  to  do  so,  as  he 
could  not  be  supported  for  want  of  funds,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  be  thrown  back  into  the  mire  of  Romanism. 

I  believe  it  was  in  the  year  1 840,  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  put  it  into  your  heart  to  raise  funds  in  order  to  establish 
the  present  Dingle  Colony  Society,  which  I  maintain,  if  to 
be  kept  up,  must  be  supported  as  a  pauper  establishment, 
until  Christian  generosity  shall  enable  us  to  find  means  of 
employment  for  our  people,  which  has  hitherto  been  done 
at  the  average  of  three  days  in  the  week,  at  eight  pence 
per  day  (Oh !  look.  Englishmen  at  the  sum  paid  for  Irish 
sinew,  and  mourn  for  your  poor  neighbours)  in  labour  at 
various  buildings,  together  with  the  working  of  a  small 
farm  of  twenty-seven  acres,  held  at  a  rack-rent.  The 
great  difficulty,  therefore,  which  now  stares  us  in  the  face 
is,  how  are  we  to  obtain  work  for  the  inmates  of  this  grow- 
ing pauper  establishment  ?  and  we  answer  it  by  saying, 
that  we  hope  poor  Ireland  still  hves  in  the  hearts  of  British 
Christians,  and  that  they  will  open  their  purse-strings  and 
prevent  her  reforming  children  just  emerging,  or  ready  to 
emerge,  from  the  darkness  and  bondage  of  Rome,  by 
raising  a  fund  which  shall  enable  us  to  enlarge  our  borders 


190  APPENDIX. 

by  taking  more  land,  and  assisting  our  poor  people,  male 
and  female,  to  earn  an  honest  livelihood. 

In  Hke  manner,  from  want  of  capital,  we  cannot  com- 
mence any  manufacture  to  an  extent  to  benefit  the  increas- 
ing wants  of  this  now  Protestant  Colony  of  Dingle ; 
whereas,  give  us  means,  and  we  may  help  on  the  people, 
not  only  by  farm-husbandry,  but  by  reviving  the  Linen 
Trade,  and  in  many  other  ways.  And  while  this  work  is 
going  on  for  the  support  of  the  outer  man,  bear  with  us 
while  we  ask  you  liberally  to  supply  our  spiritual  wants  by 
affording  us  the  means  of  supporting  an  efficient  staff  of 
Scripture  Readers,  male  and  female,  who  shall  go  from 
house  to  house  daily,  to  strengthen  our  poor  people  and 
build  them  up  in  our  most  holy  faith  ;  remember  too,  the 
schoolmaster  and  schoolmistress,  and  give  us  means  to 
increase  the  number  of  those,  not  only  in  Dingle,  but  in 
the  Barony  of  Corkaguiney,  and  let  not  the  people  perish 
for  lack  of  knowledge. 

It  is  a  fact,  there  are  now  labouring  for  God  amongst 
the  schools  here  in  this  Barony,  as  scripture-readers, 
many  men  who  formerly  were  priests'  clerks  and  priests' 
schoolmasters,  but  now,  under  the  divine  blessing,  are 
daily  contending  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 

And,  dear  friend,  with  respect  to  the  base  charge  that 
the  Rev.  C.  Gayer  takes  in  every  creature  that  offers,  and 
that  without  due  consideration,  I  deny  the  fact  altogether ; 
and  I  challenge  any  man  or  woman  to  bring  a  single  proof 
of  so  unholy,  so  unrighteous,  an  accusation.  No  !  believe 
me,  it  is  a  fact—  an  undeniable  fact — that  Mr.  Gayer's 
heart  often  bleeds  under  the  necessity  of  declining  to 
encourage  very  many,  who  seek,  and  have  sought,  to  unite 
themselves  with  the  despised  converts  of  Dingle,  and  I 
myself,  and  I  say  it  without  a  desire  to  exalt  self,  had  to 
send  a  convert  to  America  this  very  year,  because  I  could 
not  support  him  at  home,  and  I  knew  it  was  in  vain  to 
ask  Mr.  Gayer  to  do  so. 


APPENDIX. 


191 


Hoping  the  Lord   may   bless  these  few  hastily  written, 
and  ill-digested  lines. 

J  remain,  my  dear  friend. 

Yours  faithfully  in  the  Lord, 

H.  J.  Clifford, 

Trustee  of  Dingle  Colony. 

To  Miss  Mahon, 


Sources  from  which  these  various  objects  are  supported. 


LADIES   AUXI- 
LIARY  SOCIETY, 
AND   VENTRY 
TRUSTEES, 

support  thel 


MISS   MAHON  S 
COLLECTION    FOR 
DINGLE  COLONY, 
AND   LOCAL    SUB- 
SCRIPTION, 

support  the 


COLLECTIONS   BY 
MRS.    D.    P. 
THOMPSON, 

support  the 


i 


Ventry  Mission,  including  part  of  Mr. 
Moriarty's  salary — Salaries  of  three 
Irish  Scripture  Readers — Salaries  of  a 
school  master  and  mistress — School 
master  and  scripture  reader  for  Dun- 
quin — Scripture  reader  at  Keel. 

Rent  and  labour  of  Dingle  farm — Din- 
gle school  master  and  mistress  with 
two  scripture  readers  for  Dingle — 
school  master  at  Keel — Rent  of  farm 
at  Keel — Scripture  reader  and  school 
master  at  Dunurhn — Rent  of  farm 
at  Dunurlin — Manufacture  of  linen, 
stockings,  &c.  &c. 


Mission  in  Blasquett  Island. 


192  APPENDIX. 


Since  the  foregoing  pages  were  printed,  the  following 
documents  have  been  received  from  a  friend  in  Dingle,  and 
are  added  for  the  purpose  of  exliibiting  the  present  state 
of  the  colony. 


THREATENING  NOTICE  SENT  TO  LORD  VENTRY. 

TAKE  NOTIS, 

That  if  you  do  not  send  Gayer  the  bastard  out  of  this 
country,  from  a  quiet  and  pesible  people,  and  discounte- 
nance all  blagards  that  deny  their  holy  religion  for  soup  : 
this  do,  and  you  will  do  right.  By  the  Eternal  God  i  will 
drive  a  brace  of  balls  through  your  carcass  privately, 
otherwise  in  the  noon-day  if  not. 

Signed  by 

A    RIGHT  GOOD  AIM. 


-I  <-<i 


Parson  Goodman  is  a  good  man, 
he  intei'faries  with  no  man's  religion, 
I  lave  him  to  you. 


His  Lordship's  house  has  since  been  attacked  at  night 
by  armed  men,  and  his  son-in-law  fired  at,  when  the  mis- 
creants made  oiF ;  a  large  reward  has  been  unsuccessfully 
offered  for  any  information  as  to  who  the  parties  were. 
Robbery  decidedly  not  being  the  object  of  the  attack,  but 
to  cause  alarm  to  the  familv. 


APPENDIX.  193 


11. 

PRIEST     SCOLLARd's     LETTER    TO    LORD    VENTRY     PROPOSING 
TERMS    OF    PEACE    IN    THE    '  DINGLE    DOINGS.' 

'  Dingle,  Jan.  20,  1845. 
'  My  Lord, 

'  A  letter,  at  this  important  crisis  in  the  history 
of  Dingle,  fi-om  (two  lines  here  obliterated,) 

surprise. 

'  I  am  prompted  to  take  the  liberty  of  writing  to  your 
Lordship,  with  the  hope  that  you  will  in  all  goodness  exert 
your  mighty  influence  to  quell  the  jarring  elements,  with 
which  we  are  on  all  side  beset.  In  order  that  my  hope 
may  be  reaUzed,  I  beg  leave  to  state  respectfully,  that 
your  Lordship  has  been  imposed  upon  with  regard  to 
Dingle  doings. 

'  I  am  told,  that  some  one  has  informed  your  Lordship, 
that  the  first  of  those  letters  pubUshed  in  the  Kerry  Ex- 
aminer, in  which  allusion  was  made  to  your  amiable  and 
interesting  family,  were  written  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Collis 
of  this  town  ;  very  few  know  better  than  I  do,  where  these 
letters  were  written,  and  I  pledge  myself  to  your  Lord- 
ship, '  Coram  Deo  et  angelis  ejus,'  that  such  has  not  been 
the  fact.  On  the  contrary,  I  always  heard  Mr.  Collis  and 
children  to  speak  of  you  and  yours  in  terms  of  the  highest 
praise  and  gratitude,  and  if  further  proof  of  their-  innocence 
of  this  charge  proffered  against  them  be  reqxiired,  I  am 
wilhng  to  give  it. 

'  Your  Lordship's  next  great  complaint  is,  (if  I  be 
rightly  informed),  the  persecution  of  the  so-called  Dingle 
'  Converts,'  Not  to  speak  now  of  their  total  want  of  faith 
in  the  Protestant  religion,  proofs  of  which  are  daUy  crowd- 
ing upon  me,  may  I  take  the  liberty  of  telling  you- 
K 


194  APPENDIX. 

Lordship,  that  they  themselves  are  in  fault.  They  make 
their  religion  principally  to  consist  in  insulting  your  numer- 
ous tenantry  and  long-tried  friends,  of  which  I  myself  am 
an  eye-witness.  The  only  preventative  to  this,  was  a  total 
separation  fi-om  them,  and  really  I  don't  know  how  they, 
or  their  supporters  can  complain  of  so  simple  a  remedy. 

'  The  terms  of  censure,  made  use  of  in  the  Dingle 
Chapel,  towards  your  Lordship's  manner  of  acting,  as 
reported  to  you,  were,  I  have  no  doubt,  considerably  aggra- 
vated. But,  my  Lord,  if  you  allow  yourself  to  be  unde- 
ceived, and  give  '  fair  play '  to  all,  I  promise,  that  whatever 
has  been  said  will  be  retracted,  and  that  your  memory  will 
be  enshrined  for  ever  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  people — 
the  people  of  Dingle. 

'  Hoping,  my  Lord,  that  you  will  pardon  the  liberty  1 
have  taken  in  thus  addressing  your  Lordship,  and  that 
you  will  now  begin  to  view  '  our  Dingle  doings  '  in  their 
true  Ught. 

*  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  My  Lord, 

'  Your  Lordship's  most  Obedient  Servant, 

(Signed.)  '  John  Scollard,  C.C. 

'  To  the 

'  Right  Honourable  Lord  Ventry.' 


III. 

Mr.  Gayer  and  Mr,  Scollard  have  had  a  pubhc  discus- 
sion, before  a  thousand  persons,  relative  to  one  of  the  poor 
converts  who  has  been  induced  to  relapse — when  Mr. 
ScoUard  accused  Mr.  Gayer  with  bribery  and  corruption ; 
and  the  converts,  with  hypocrisy  and  total  want  of  convic- 
tion in  the  profession  they  were  making.  Mr.  Gayer 
called  for  'proofs'  Mr.  ScoUard  averred,  he  could  give 
'  a  list'  of  those  whose  children  had  been  carried  to  the 
Priest  for  baptism,     *  while  they  were  receiving  his  pay.' 


APPENDIX.  195 

Mr.  Gayer  at  this  unblushing  falsehood,  demanded  tlie 
names.  The  Priest  refused  to  give  them.  Mr.  Gayer  hesi- 
tated not  to  declare  he  totally  disbelieved  the  assertion. 
Many  voices  demanded  '  the  names.^  Mr.  Scollard  then 
promised  publicly  to  send  a  written  list  of  the  individuals. 

Two  days  after,  the  '  list '  not  having  come,  Mr.  Gayer 
sent  for  it,  and  Mr.  Scollard  refused  to  send  any — thus 
giving  the  lie  to  his  own  assertions.  Not  only  has  the  poor 
creature,  who  was  the  cause  of  this  meeting,  been  loaded 
with  benefits  in  the  shape  of  blankets,  clothes,  for  self,  and 
children,  and  good  food ;  but  another  poor  woman,  in  a  sick 
and  weak  state,  has  received  overtures,  that  '  if  she  will 
return  to  the  bosom  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  die  hap- 
pily— a  horse,  cart,  and  feather-bed  shall  be  sent  to  fetch 
her ;  and  if  she  feared  her  husband,  he  would  send  twenty  or 
thirty  stout  fellows,  who  would  bring  her  by  force  J  This 
poor  woman,  however,  was  not  to  be  shaken  ;  she  returned 
for  answer,  '  Her  Priest  was  already  with  her,'  she  required 
no  other — and  would  have  none  of  his  help  ! 

IV. 
TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  KERRY  EVENING  POST. 

'  Dear  Sir — The  converts  from  the  Church  of  Rome  in 
this  district  feel  much  indebted  for  your  generous  defence 
of  themselves  and  the  Church  of  their  adoption". 

'  For  the  last  four  or  five  months,  we  have  been  maligned, 
misrepresented,  and  abused  in  the  most  unchristian  manner, 
from  the  altars,  and  in  the  pages  of  the  Kerry  Examiner. 
The  Roman  CathoUc  people  of  this  district  are,  indeed, 
naturally  very  much  disposed  to  peace  and  good  will  to- 
wards us,  who  are  "  their  own  flesh  and  blood,"  or  we 
could  never  have  withstood  the  consequences  of  such  ter- 
rible teaching.     I  am  thankful  to  say,  that  all  this  time  we 


196  APPENDIX. 

have  preached  from  our  pulpits  peace  and  good  will  towards 
all — even  our  enemies,  persecutors,  and  slanderers.  Our 
people  know  this,  and,  thank  God,  are  influenced  by  it. 
We  have  patiently  and  quietly  listened  to  all  that  has  been 
falsely  said  of  us  and  uncharitably  done  against  us.  We  are 
at  last  driven  to  act  on  the  defensive.  We  have  appealed 
to  the  Government  of  our  country  for  protection.  All  we 
ask  is  liberty  of  conscience — the  birthright  of  every  sub- 
ject of  the  British  empire.  Would  to  God  that  we  had  it 
here.  But  we  can  never  expect  it  while  Roman  Catholic 
Priests  are  allowed  with  impunity  to  speak  of  us,  and 
excite  people  against  us,  as  they  do  from  their  altars  each 
Sunday.  Our  only  crime  is,  that  we  have  left  their  com- 
munion and  conformed  to  the  Established  Church  :  this  is 
very  evident  to  the  whole  country ;  and  if  the  very  worst 
character  were  to  join  us  for  a  time,  and  to  go  back  again 
to  the  Roman  communion,  he  may  be  sure  of  caresses, 
loud  praises,  and  temporal  aid,  that  is  never  thought  of  for 
other  poor  Roman  Catholic  people.  However,  our  patience 
and  forbearance  may  be  misunderstood.  The  constant 
dropping  of  water  wears  the  stone,  and  the  greatest  lies 
pass  for  truth  with  many  when  constantly  repeated.  To 
prevent  any  such  consequence  from  the  weekly  repetition 
of  false  statements  and  abuse  of  us  for  the  last  few  months, 
I  beg  leave  to  address  the  public  through  your  pages.  I 
shall  state  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth.  I  leave  it 
to  others  to  write  under  assumed  names,  which  betrays 
their  want  of  moral  courage,  as  well  as  their  consciousness 
of  a  bad  cause.  What  I  write  you  need  not  be  ashamed  to 
publish ;  I  shall  state  facts  well  known  through  this  district, 
and  capable  of  proof  by  most  respectable  and  impartial 
testimony. 

'  In  the  first  place,  then,  I  beg  leave,  through  your  pages, 
to  inform  the  public,  that  we  are  insulted,  threatened,  and 
often  assaulted  when  passing  through  the  country  on  our 


APPENDIX.  197 

lawful  business,  and  for  no  other  reason  in  the  world  than 
that  we  are  converts  from  the  Church  of  Rome, 

'  Secondly — Be  it  known  that  converts  cannot  purchase 
the  necessaries  of  Ufe  in  this  district,  and  that  the  Roman 
Catholics  in  general  refuse  to  have  any  dealings  with  them, 
for  no  other  reason  in  the  world  than  that  they  are  converts 
from  the  Church  of  Rome. 

'  And  thirdly — That  the  converts,  and  any  of  the  Pro- 
testant gentry  who  have  the  moral  courage  to  show  any 
sympathy  for  them,  are  held  up  to  public  scorn  in  the 
Roman  Cathohc  chapels  of  this  district,  as  well  as  in  the 
pages  of  the  Kerry  Examiner. 

'  I  shall  now,  with  your  leave,  give  the  public  a  few  out  of 
many  facts,  in  proof  of  each  of  these  three  assertions. 

'  A  few  weeks  since  it  pleased  God  to  take  to  Himself  the 
soul  of  one  of  our  poor  brethren  ;  he  sealed  the  sincerity  of 
his  conversion  at  the  trying  hour  of  death,  in  presence  of 
Romanists  and  converts ;  he  departed  this  life  stedfast  in 
the  faith  of  Christ ;  he  was  buried  on  Sunday ;  and  one 
would  suppose  that  the  solemn  funeral  procession,  on  the 
Lord's  Day  in  particular,  would  be  allowed  to  pass  undis- 
turbed through  a  professedly  Christian  country.  One  might 
expect  some  feeling  from  all,  as  we  passed,  for  the  poor 
widow  and  orphans  ;  but,  no — I  am  son-y  and  ashamed  to 
be  obliged  to  say  it  of  my  countrymen,  that  they  have  been 
latterly  in  particular,  brought  into  such  an  unchristian  and 
unnatural  state  of  mind,  that  they  could  not  lef  that  funeral 
pass  without  shouting  and  insult  of  every  kind.  More 
than  once  several  evil-disposed  persons,  on  their  way  from 
the  Romish  chapel,  made  attempts  to  excite  a  row,  but, 
thank  God,  in  vain  ;  and  on  our  return  home,  for  a  mile  of 
the  road,  we  were  not  only  shouted  after,  but  pelted  with 
clods  and  stones.  But  how  can  it  be  othei-wise — "  As  the 
priest  is,  such  are  the  people."  A  new  nickname  for  the 
soupers  is  proclaimed  almost  every  Sunday  from  the  altars. 


198  APPENDIX. 

and  wherever  a  convert  goes  through  the  country,  he  is 
saluted  with  those  opprobrious  epithets.  What  a  spirit  is 
in  Romanism,  when  its  poor  deluded  votaries,  while  actually 
on  their  knees  around  the  chapel  during  the  celebration  of 
mass,  could  not  let  the  converts  pass  on  their  way  to  Church, 
without  shouting  after  them  and  calling  them  opprobrious 
names.  No  convert  can  pass  the  high  roads  of  this 
district  without  being  grossly  insulted  and  grievously  pro- 
voked ;  indeed  he  may  be  thankful  if  that  be  all.  How 
often  is  the  poor  convert,  on  his  way  to  and  from  the  town 
of  Dingle,  not  only  insiJted  and  provoked,  but  shouldered, 
pelted,  and  beaten  ;  a  rush  is  often  made  by  a  party  of 
people,  as  if  in  great  haste,  but  with  a  view  to  run  down 
the  poor  convert,  if  he  be  not  expert  enough  to  avoid  it. 

'  I  have  seen  the  skeleton  of  a  horse  dragged  out  of  the 
dike,  vdth  bad  intent,  before  myself  as  I  rode,  on  a  most 
dangerous  mountain-road,  a  horse  well  known  to  be 
skittish.  Few  weeks  since,  a  poor  man  was  pelted  on  the 
road  from  Donquin  to  this — he  ran  from  his  persecutors 
into  a  forge  for  shelter — the  smith  pulled  the  red-hot  iron 
out  of  the  fire,  and  thrust  it  towards  his  face,  desiring  "the 
devil  to  be  gone." 

'  Mr.  John  Cavanagh  of  this  place,  an  educated  and 
respectable  convert,  was  attacked  on  the  strand  of  Ventry, 
by  men  with  their  faces  blackened,  only  a  few  days  after  he 
had  taken  the  hberty  of  asking  the  Roman  Catholic  priest, 
why  he  abused  him  from  the  altar  of  his  Chapel  ?  In  Dingle 
the  other  evening,  the  windows  of  Mr.  Gayer' s  school- 
house  were  smashed. 

'  A  threatening  notice  was  served  on  Lord  Ventry,  and 
the  writer  swore  by  the  Eternal  God  to  shoot  him  if  he 
did'nt  discountenance  converts  and  send  away  Mr.  Gayer — 
the  greatest  benefactor  and  the  best  friend  to  the  poor 
Roman  Catholics  of  Dingle,  as  well  as  to  the  converts  of 
the   district.     Every  body   knows  how  that  kind-hearted 


APPENDIX.  199 

nobleman  and  his  amiable  lady  have  been  held  up  to  public 
scorn  in  the  Romish  chapels,  and  for  no  other  reason  (  as 
is  distinctly  affirmed),  than  that  he  pities  the  poor  converts 
and  will  not  join  in  exterminating  them. 

'  In  cases  where  we  knew  the  parties,  we  have  occasionally 
availed  ourselves  of  the  ordinary  course  of  law,  for  our 
protection — many  have  been  bound  to  keep  the  peace,  and 
others  convicted  before  magistrates  and  the  assistant -bar- 
rister, of  assaults,  &c. ;  often  too,  both  before  and  after 
conviction,  we  have  forgiven  many  with  a  christian  spirit — 
while  the  converts  are  not  even  charged  before  the  tribunals 
of  their  country  with  any  such  crimes.  Still  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  no  ordinary  course  of  law  can  grapple  mth 
such  a  state  of  things,  and  magistrates  require  more  than 
ordinary  moral  courage,  to  take  an  active  part  in  putting  an 
effectual  stop  to  such  outrages  upon  civil  and  religious 
liberty  ;  if  they  do,  they  too,  come  in  for  their  share  of  the 
new  "  Gospel  of  the  day"  !  In  a  word  then,  to  conclude 
this  part  of  the  subject,  I  must  say  that  the  converts  of 
this  district,  humanly  speaking,  could  never  stand  their 
ground  but  for  the  clannish  feeling  of  the  country,  and  some 
fear  of  the  law.  Above  all,  we  know  that  the  Lord  reign- 
eth,  this  is  our  greatest  comfort  and  best  protection.  May 
He  cause  all  to  work  together  for  our  good. 

'  Let  us  now  give  a  few  facts  in  illustration  of  the  second 
head  of  my  subject. 

'  'Tis  too  well  known,  sir,  in  Dingle  and  throughout  the 
country,  that  the  Roman  Catholics  in  general  refuse  to  have 
any  deahngs  or  keep  faith  with  the  converts.  They  refuse 
to  sell  them  potatoes,  milk,  fish,  and  other  necessaries  of 
life,  and  we  should  have  been  obliged  long  since  to  import 
provisions  for  our  flocks,  but  for  what  they  are  still  enabled 
to  sell  to  each  other,  together  with  what  potatoes  were 
grown  on  the  Dingle  colony  farm.  I  have  myself  looked 
on  in  Dingle  while  a  kind-hearted  Roman  Catholic  bought 


200  APPENDIX. 

potatoes,  as  if  for  himself,  and  gave  them  after  to  some 
converts.  Yesterday  two  Roman  Cathohc  men  went  from 
this  to  Donquin  to  repair  a  boat  belonging  to  the  converts 
there,  and  they  were  refused  bed  or  board  in  the  two  lodg- 
ing houses  of  the  parish,  because  they  went  to  repair  the 
converts'  boat. 

'  On  Sunday  last,  I  witnessed  an  instance  of  the  cruelty 
and  inhumanity  of  such  a  system.  I  left  this  as  usual  early 
in  the  morning  for  Divine  Service  at  Donquin,  which  I 
reached  with  difficulty — the  ground  was  covered  with  snow 
— it  blew  hard  with  pelting  sleet — in  the  middle  of  all  the 
storm  and  piercing  cold,  I  met  a  young  man,  one  of  my 
little  flock,  on  his  way  from  Donquin  to  my  house,  for  some 
drink  for  his  aged  mother,  who  had  been  ill  all  night ;  not  one 
of  the  neighbours  would  dare  give  or  sell  a  drop  of  milk, 
for  love  or  money,  and  all  this  through  fear  of  the  priest.  I 
do  bear  the  people  in  general,  testimony,  that  they  are 
driven  to  it  against  the  natural  bent  of  their  own  Irish 
hearts.  One  of  my  people,  the  other  day,  asked  a  Roman 
Cathohc,  for  loan  of  a  tub  in  which  to  salt  a  pig  he  had 
killed.  The  Roman  Catholic  farmer,  poor  fellow,  had  to 
struggle  between  the  fear  of  the  priest  and  love  for  his 
neighbour,  at  last  he  said,  "  I  cannot  give  it  to  you,  but  if 
you  send  some  one  after  night-fall,  it  may  be  found  in  the 
comer  of  the  kitchen- garden." 

'  We  lived  in  peace  and  good  will  with  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholics of  the  country  in  general,  till  these  new  batteries 
were  opened  upon  us,  and  certainly  our  enemies  have,  ac- 
cording to  their  Bishop's  order,  "  kept  up  the  fire"  inces- 
santly for  the  last  four  months.  This  is  a  desperate  effort 
to  put  down  the  Reformation  by  starving  and  frightening 
back  the  poor  converts,  or  di-iving  them  out  of  the  country  ; 
tills  object  is  openly  avowed.  Many  and  great  are  the 
trials,  sufferings  and  losses,  of  the  converts,  as  may  well  be 
imagined  under  such  circumstances.     The  convert  trades- 


APPENDIX.  201 

men  and  labourers  can't  get  any  employment,  except  what 
we  ourselves  provide  for  them.  The  Roman  Catholics  are 
instructed  to  sue  without  mercy  such  converts  as  may  owe 
them  anything ;  many  who  bought  pigs,  potatoes,  &c.,  on 
time,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  have  been 
processed  before  expiration  of  the  time  ;  if  a  poor  convert's 
pig  be  one  of  many  which  commits  trespass  he  is  sued  for 
all ;  if  his  stock  be  put  in  pound,  the  poundkeeper  refuses 
to  give  him  his  stock  on  his  word  of  security,  as  to  others. 
The  Roman  Catholic  farmers  are  forbidden  to  give  a  con- 
vert-labourer potatoe-ground.  The  converts  cannot  ven- 
ture in  spring  or  harvest  to  go  to  the  east  of  the  cou-itry, 
to  Cork  or  Limerick,  for  work  :  no  man,  not  even  a  Ro- 
manist, dare  go  on  such  journeys  without  repeal- card  and 
temperance-medals  as  a  passport. 

'  Several  converts  are  thus  deprived  of  the  ordinary 
means  of  earning  money  wherewith  to  pay  for  their  pota- 
toe-ground, house,  &c.  A  convert  can  hardly  buy  or  sell 
anything.  The  other  day  a  poor  woman  who  ventured  to 
ask  the  price  of  some  fish,  got  a  slap  of  the  fish  on  the 
face  in  reply,  and  was  rough  handled  by  the  women  who 
were  selling  it.  Last  Saturday  week  a  convert  had  his  pig 
sold,  and  a  penny  earnest  on  his  hand.  Some  one  came 
up  and  said  he  was  a  "  souper ;  "  immediately  the  purchaser 
let  go  the  pig, — she  was  kicked  about  the  market, — the 
man  himself  was  shouldered,  thumped,  and  pelted  with 
mud ;  the  poor  fellow  was  so  much  concerned  to  keep  an 
eye  on  his  pig,  that  he  never  minded  who  assaulted  him- 
self, and  he  escaped  with  difficulty.  This  is  a  lamentable 
state  of  things — 'tis  dreadful,  I  know  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  priests  have  reason  to  be  annoyed  by  the  loss  of 
much  of  their  influence,  as  well  as  many  ways  of  making 
money.  Time  was  in  this  country,  when  one-tenth  of 
their  present  efforts  would  have  banished  most  effectually 
all  persons  obnoxious  to  them  ;  but  Ught  has  been  spread- 
K  5 


202  i^PPENDIX. 

ing  for  the  last  few  years  throughout  the  district,  and  has 
not  been  without  some  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  people 
in  general.  We  seldom  or  never  now  hear  of  masses  in 
fishing-boats,  dairies,  and  such  like — even  masses  for  the 
dead  are  less  sought  after.  This  is  their  only  ground  of 
complaint. 

'  But  I  must  hasten  to  the  third  part  of  the  subject, 
and  this  too  is  well  known  throughout  the  district.  Who 
is  among  us  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the  converts  and 
such  of  the  Protestant  gentry  as  shew  them  any  sympathy, 
are  held  up  to  pubhc  scorn  every  Sunday  from  the  altars 
of  the  Roman  Cathohc  chapels.  The  places  said  to  be 
consecrated  to  the  worship  of  the  God  of  "  peace  and 
good  will  to  men,"  of  Him  whose  most  glorious  attributes, 
whose  very  name  is  Love,  and  where  the  Saviour  of  the 
world  is  said  to  be  present  in  his  human  as  well  as  His 
Divine  nature,  "as  glorious  as  he  is  in  Heaven;"  that 
Saviour  whose  teaching  is,  love  your  enemies,  &c. — these 
very  places  resound  with  the  most  uncharitable,  the  vilest 
abuse  of  us  converts,  and  of  all  the  Protestant  gentry 
who  venture  to  shew  us  any  countenance  in  the  country. 
Many  leave  the  chapels  in  disgust,  others  hang  down  their 
heads  in  shame ;  sometimes  the  people  tremble — again  they 
laugh  ;  and  such  is  the  scene  enacted  during  what  is  called 
the  awfully  solemn  sacrifice  of  the  body  and  blood,  soul 
and  divinity  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  the  sins  of 
the  living  and  the  dead.  Alas !  for  rehgion — alas !  for 
the  people  who  put  up  with  such  exhibitions.  Can  the 
priest  himself  possibly  beheve  that  he  has  brought  the 
Saviour  from  the  throne  above,  held  Him  in  his  hand,  laid 
Him  on  the  altar,  and  then  turn  about  to  enact  such  a  scene 
before  a  crowded  audience.  A  new  practice  prevails  in_ 
the  Dingle  chapel  of  late  :  the  sermon  !  !  or  the  scene  be- 
fore mentioned,  takes  place  in  the  middle  of  the  mass,  and 
not  as  before  at  the  close  or  after  mass.     This  is   done  of 


APPENDIX.  203 

course  with  the  view  that  none  should  lose  the  benefit  of 
it,  as  some  were  in  the  habit,  under  the  old  rule,  of  leaving 
chapel  at  the  close  of  mass  and  before  the  sermon.  Many 
of  the  respectable  Roman  CathoHcs  of  Dingle — to  their 
credit  be  it  told,  have  in  many  ways  expressed  their  dis- 
approbation of  such  conduct ;  and  latterly,  as  a  sort  of 
justification  of  it,  people  were  told  what  incensed  the  priests 
so  much  against  Lord  Ventry,  was  that  he  exhibited  to  his 
children  a  book  in  which  the  Roman  Cathohc  priests  and 
their  religion  were  caricatured.  Now  if  this  were  true, 
one  might  make  some  allowance  for  men's  feelings,  but 
a  more  infamous  falsehood  was  never  invented :  'tis  of 
a  piece  vdth  the  rest,  and  as  I  said,  seized  upon  as  a  pro- 
voking cause  for  the  honourable  mention  made  of  his  Lord- 
ship's name. 

'  'Tis  very  true  that  a  vile  little  book  was  circulated  in 
Dingle  about  four  years  ago,  reflecting  on  all  religion,  on 
converts  as  well  as  on  certain  strange  practices  of  the 
Romish  priests — 'twas  in  reahty  an  infidel  production,  and 
more  read  by  the  Roman  Cathohcs  than  by  Protestants — 
it  was  written,  I  understand,  by  a  stranger  who  visited  this 
part  of  the  country.  Lord  Ventry  was  given  a  copy,  which 
he  first  locked  up  from  sight  of  all,  and  then  put  it  into 
the  fire.  I  have  often  heard  his  lordship  speak  of  it  with 
severe  disapprobation  ;  it  would  be  well  for  Roman  Catho- 
lics, that  they  had  Lord  Ventiy's  reasons  and  motives  for 
disapproving  the  hke  ; — a  mind  enlightened  by  the  word  of 
God,  and  valuing  pure  and  undefiled  rehgion,  above  aU  this 
world  can  bestow,  can  have  no  sympathy  vnth.  the  infidel's 
mocking  of  all  things  sacred — he  cannot  "  sit  in  the  seat 
of  the  scornful." 

'  In  like  manner,  to  justify  attacks  on  myself,  I  am  repre- 
sented as  having  told  at  public  meetings,  stories  which  never 
proceeded  from  my  Hps.  I  had,  indeed,  no  necessity  to 
invent  stories,  facts   are  many  and  glaring  before  our  eyes. 


204  APPENDIX. 

I  have  never  spoken  half  of  them,  through  shame,  and 
pity  for  my  poor  country,  which  with  all  her  faults  I  love 
the  best.  I  have  never  even  said  as  much  as  I  have  now 
written — but  'tis  the  truth,  and  is  it  a  sin,  for  me  merely 
to  say  that  these  things  are  done,  and  no  sin  for  them  to  do 
them  !  ! 

'  Who  has  not  heard  of  the  abuse  heaped  on  Lieut. 
ChfFord,  Inspecting  Commander  of  Coast  Guards,  an 
officer  beloved  by  his  men,  Protestants  and  Roman  Catho- 
lics, a  gentleman  respected  and  esteemed  as  most  benevo  • 
lent  and  inoffensive.  And  will  it  be  beheved,  triumphs  were 
sung  on  the  death  of  the  late,  ever-to-be-lamented,  D.  P. 
Thompson,  Esq.  He  was,  indeed,  a  public  and  a  private 
loss  ;  I  know  well  how  he  detested  dishonesty  and  hypo- 
crisy in  all  men,  whether  Protestants  or  Romanists.  He 
was  a  true  friend  to  eveiy  honest  man  under  his  controul, 
and  many  a  famUy  he  raised  to  independence  in  this  coun- 
try. He  was  the  widow's  friend  too.  The  Lord  comfort 
his  widow.  Every  one  knows  how  the  Ventry  estates 
improved  under  his  agency.  He  knew  well  the  state  of 
things  in  this  district,  and  had  the  manliness  to  provide  turf 
and  potatoes  for  the  poor  persecuted  converts,  from  the 
tenants  under  his  charge.  This  was  one  of  his  last  acts 
before  leaving  for  Dublin,  hence  the  triumphs  at  his  death. 
Alas  !  for  religion.  Alas  !  for  humanity  itself — ^how  devoid 
of  both,  must  be  the  hearts  of  these  men. 

'  My  sister  was  for  six  years  enjoying  liberty  of  con- 
science as  a  Roman  Catholic  in  my  house ;  she  was  their 
idol  and  boast  all  that  time — an  angel  in  their  eyes.  When, 
after  a  long  and  painful  struggle  of  conscience,  best  known 
to  her  late  confessor,  she  comes  to  church,  nicknames  and 
abuse  of  aU  sorts  are  heaped  upon  her  too  by  an  unmanly 
priest.  Even  the  editor  of  the  Kerry  Examiner  is  ashamed 
to  print  in  his  generally  filthy  pages,  the  Dens' -taught 
expression  of  this  reverend  gentleman  I 


APPENDIX.  205 

'  I  need  not  here  more  than  allude  to  their  abuse  of  my 
friend  and  brother,  Mr.  Gayer.  It  will  appear  before  the 
public,  I  expect,  at  the  coming  Assizes.  The  effect  is 
already  manifest  to  this  country — in  the  smashing  of 
his  windows — the  threatening  notice  to  Lord  Ventr\' — 
not  allowing  his  servants  to  buy  potatoes,  turf,  &c.,  in  the 
markets. 

'  But  I  have  said  enough  on  this  topic.  One  word  I 
would  add.  Such  is  the  excitement  in  Dingle  particularly, 
that  it  behoves  the  authorities  to  be  on  the  alert.  We 
have  hved  for  years  as  converts  in  peace  with  our  neigh- 
bours, and  why  not  now  ?  They  are  excited  against  us. 
The  Lord  only  knows  what  may  come  out  of  it.  May  He 
preserve  us. 

'  But  I  must  bring  this  letter  to  a  close.  I  have  given 
few  out  of  many — alas !  too  many  facts,  in  illustration  of 
the  state  of  things  through  this  district.  Tliis  is  but  a  small 
part  of  what  can  be  proved  before  any  tribunal  by  old 
Protestants,  converts,  and  Roman  Catholics  ;  but  I  have 
now  stated  enough  to  assure  our  Christian  friends  and  the 
public,  that  the  Romish  Priests  refuse  us  Uberty  of  con- 
science in  this  district,  however  much  it  be  talked  of  else- 
where. They  seem  to  stop  at  nothing  to  banish  us  or 
bring  us  back ;  but  greater  is  He  that  is  for  us  than  all 
that  are  against  us.  Well  may  we  sing  the  124th  Psalm. 
We  are  still  over  150  families,  amounting  to  more  than 
800  souls,  thank  God,  besides  all  who  have  departed  this 
life  in  the  faith,  and  some  who  have  emigrated.  If  there 
be  hypocrites  and  deceivers  amongst  us,  none  will  rejoice 
more  than  we  ourselves,  that  this  day  should  declare  them 
— this  fire  will  try  the  work  of  what  sort  it  is.  The  wood, 
hay,  stubble  will  be  burned  up — the  gold,  silver,  and  pre- 
cious stones  will  stand,  and  be  more  purified  and  estab- 
lished. We  have  laid  the  good  foundation — the  Rock  of 
Ae-es,  Christ  Jesus.     We  build  on  no  other — our  material 


206  APPENDIX. 

is  mixed,  like  even  that  of  the  apostles.  We  dare  not 
attempt  to  patch  up  the  crumbling  fabric  of  Rome.  We 
would  rather  pull  it  down,  and  build  up  its  material  on 
our  good  foundation — 'tis  the  only  sure  and  safe  remedy. 

'  We  preach  peace  and  good  will  to  our  people,  and  pray 
for  our  enemies,  persecutors,  and  slanderers,  that  God  may 
forgive  them  and  turn  their  hearts  to  the  faith  and  fold  of 
Christ — the  Church  of  Saint  Patrick  and  St.  ColumbkUl, 
to  the  ancient  Irish,  Rome- denying  Church — which  alone 
deserves  to  be  called  Irish  and  national,  as  she  alone  has 
given  the  Divine  Word  of  God,  and  all  her  offices,  in  the 
language  of  our  beloved  country. 

'  What  sacrilege  for  a  man  professing  to  be  a  minister  of 
Christ,  to  burn  a  portion  of  this  Divine  Word  the  other 
day  in  this  neighbourhood.  The  Lord  open  their  eyes  and 
convert  them. 

'  May  God  grant  us  grace  to  be  stedfast,  immoveable, 
always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

'  I  am  yours,  faithfully, 

'  Thomas  Moriarty. 

'  Ventry  Parsonage,  Dingle,  Jan.  25,  1845. 

'  P.S. — Monday,  Jan.  27. — Mr.  Gayer  received  a  letter 
this  morning,  threatening  that  his  and  other  hves  would  be 
sacrificed  if  he  did'nt  leave  the  country.  May  the  Lord,  in 
whom  we  trust,  preserve  us. 


threatening  notice  to    mr.   gayer,  and  the  reply  he 
has  placarded  throughout  dingle. 

'  Parson  Gayer  the  Betrayer, 

'  Will  you  never  cease  to  do  evil,  and  learn  to  do  well ; — 
never, — and  conscious  of  that  I  now  warn   vou  and  your 


APPENDIX.  207 

family  to  leave  this  part  of  the  country  at  once,  where  you 
are  beginning  to  create  a  civil  war,  between  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  hitherto  quiet  and  peaceable  town  and  neigh- 
bourhood, and  your  ignorant  and  deluded  followers,  if  you 
stiU  persevere  in  remaining  among  us.  Your  life,  or  the 
lives  of  one  or  other  of  your  confederates  must  be  sacri- 
ficed, as  there  are  many  who  would  deem  it  an  honor  and 
a  glory  to  rid  the  earth  of  such  monsters  as  yourself,  and 
a  certain  would-be  Noble  Lord;  and  that  paymaster  Gene- 
ral of  the  Soupers,  Lieutenant  Clifford,  Royal  Navy,  take 
heed  and  carry  your  hated  presence  to  some  other  country, 
or  if  you  do  not,  mark  the  consequence  ;  as  you  have  none 
of  her  Majesty's  War  Steamers  in  the  Dingle  Harbour 
now,  to  protect  the  hves  and  properties  of  our  Tory  gentry, 
nor  will  they  or  you  ever  have  the  pleasure  or  gratification 
of  seeing  the  'Hecate,'  and  her  orange  blood-sucking 
crew  in  our  harbour  again,  as  there  was  many  an  anony- 
mous letter  sent  off  against  her,  until  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  and  hearing,  that  she  could  never  come  in  our 
safe  harbour  again — as  for  that  rotten  Lynx,  and  her  old 
commander,  they  are  too  insignificant  to  be  afraid  of  her, 
nor  would  the  few  men  he  commands  avail  much  against 
the  fury  of  an  enraged  and  justly-incensed  populace, 
though  the  few  sailors  he  commands  are  most  aU  of  them 
Roman  Cathohcs,  and  would  in  case  of  emergency  help 
sooner  than  fight  against  us  ;  so  you  see  you  are  beset,  on 
all  sides  ; — once  again,  I  tell  you  beware — ^beware,  and  quit 
this  part  of  the  country  in  time. 

'  Address, 

'  Parson  Gayer, 

'  Fairnakilla  House,    . 

'  Dingle.' 


208  APPENDIX. 


THE    PLACARD. 

'  Having  received  a  Notice  yesterday,  in  which  my 
life  is  threatened  unless  I  leave  Dingle,  I  take  this  way  of 
informing  the  writer  that  it  has  come  to  hand.  I  quite 
agree  with  him  that  '  there  are  many  who  would  deem  it 
an  honour  and  a  glory  to  rid  the  earth  of  such  monsters 
as  myself  and  others  are.'  As  in  all  ages  there  have  been 
those  who,  through  ignorance  and  blind  zeal  have  thought 
as  did  Saul  of  Tarsus,  that  by  "killing  those  who  called 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  they  were  thereby  doing 
God  service  ;  "  and  the  reason  of  which  the  Saviour  gives, 
because  "  they  have  not  known  the  Father  nor  me."  I 
would  now  tell  the  writer  a  few  things. 

'  1st — That,  whatever  is  the  consequence,  I  am  resolved 
not  to  leave  Dingle. 

'  2ndly — That  I  fear  not  him  who  can  only  kill  the  body, 
but,  after  that,  has  no  more  than  he  can  do. 

'  3rdly — That  my  life  is  in  God's  hands  and  not  his,  and 
that  it  cannot  be  touched  without  His  permission. 

'  4thly — That  I  would  consider  it  an  honor  to  be  called 
upon  to  lay  down  my  life  in  the  service  of  Him  who  laid 
down  His  life  on  the  cross  for  my  redemption. 

'  5thly — That  I  forgive  him  from  my  heart  the  evil 
that  he  meditates  against  me,  and  trust  that  he  may  find 
forgiveness  at  the  hand  of  God  who  alone  can  pardon  it, 
and  who  has  said  that  "  no  murderer  hath  eternal  hfe 
abiding  in  him." 

'  Charles  Gayer. 


'  Dingle,  Jan.  27,  1845.' 


.APPENDIX.  209 


VI. 

LETTER    OF    THE    PRIEST    MR.    SCOLLARD    TO    THE    COMPTROL- 
LER   GENERAL    OF    THE    COAST    GUARDS,    REQUIRING 
LIEUTENANT    CLIFFORD'S    DISMISSAL. 

'  Dingle,  January  10,  1845. 

'  Captain  Phips  Hornby, 

'  Sir, 

'  Already  upon  a  former  occasion,  your  attention 
has  been  called  to  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Clifford,  officer  of 
the  Coast  Guards,  stationed  in  this  locality,  unbecoming 
any  holding  as  he  does,  a  public  situation  under  Govern- 
ment. He  has  been,  and  is  more  in  the  character  of  an 
Itinerant  Preacher  than  anything  else.  The  Catholic  men 
over  whom  he  has  controul,  are  daily  pestered  from  him, 
because  they  do  not  conform  to  his  rehgious  belief. 

'  Had  he  confined  himself,  however,  to  his  own  men,  I 
would  perhaps  not  have  taken  the  liberty  of  troubling  you 
now  ;  but  he  has  not  done  so.  He  has  rendered  himself 
odious  to  all,  by  telling  every  CathoHc  whom  he  meets,  no 
matter  when  or  where,  or  how  respectable,  that  "  he  will 
surely  be  damned,  unless  he  worships  God  according  to  his 
mode  ;"  and  here  I  may  remark,  that  he  hiiriself  acknow- 
ledges that  he  has  never  met  with  any  one  of  the  same 
religious  creed  with  himself,  except  one. 

'  To  crown  the  climax  of  his  folly  and  insult  to  the 
people  of  Dingle  and  its  vicinity,  he  has  adopted  an  Apos- 
tate Priest,  and  daily  parades  him  through  the  streets  of 
Dingle  as  he  is  going  visiting  his  stations,  by  which  mock 
triumph,  he  has  disturbed  the  peace  of  this  once  peaceable 
locality  so    much  so,  that   Mr.   Clifford  himself  thought 


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